jeweller march issue 2012

JewellerJan/Feb 2012 £6.50 The Voice of The Industry

the

With input from theBritish Jewellers’ Association

Exhibition Previews – The Jewellery Show & BaselworldFairtrade Gold one year on • IRV celebrates 25 yearsExhibition Previews – The Jewellery Show & BaselworldFairtrade Gold one year on • IRV celebrates 25 years

Jewellerthe

The Voice of the Industry 3

Contents |

Spring Loaded 46

The Jewellery Show at Spring Fair is just around

the corner – our taster of new sectors, new launches

and new events should get you in the mood.

Open for Business 68

BaselWorld – the mother of all watch and jewellery

shows – is just weeks away. Belinda Morris canvases

opinions on the industry’s future and previews some

of the new collections.

Fairtrade Gold – one year on 80

With the help of three jewellers Greg Valerio reviews

the progress of Fairtrade Fairmined Gold since its

January 2011 debut.

C O N T E N T S J A N / F E B 1 2

The National Association

of Goldsmiths

78a Luke Street,

London EC2A 4XG

Tel: 020 7613 4445

www.jewellers-online.org

Editor: Belinda Morris

Tel: 01692 538007

[email protected]

BJA Marketing & PR Manager:

Lindsey Straughton

[email protected]

Tel: 0121 237 1110

Sales Director: Ian FrancisTel: 020 7613 4445

Fax: 020 7729 0143

[email protected]

Publishing Enquiries/Classified Advertising: Neil [email protected]

Art Director: Ben [email protected]

Contributors:Mary Brittain, John Henn,

Miles Hoare, Jo Young

The Jeweller is published by the National Association ofGoldsmiths for circulation to members. For more informationabout The Jeweller visit: www.thejewellermagazine.com

The magazine is printed on paper and board that has metacceptable environmental accreditation standards.

Although every effort is made to ensure that the information supplied is accurate, the NAG disclaims and/or does not accept liability for any loss, damage or claim whatsoever that may result from the information given. Information and ideas are forguidance only and members should always consult their own professional advisers.The NAG accepts no responsibility for any advertiser, advertisement or insert in TheJeweller. Anyone having dealings with any advertiser must rely on their own enquiries.

Communiqué 4

Editor’s Letter 7

Industry News 8

NAG News 14

Member of the Month 20

Education & Training 22

IRV Review 28

BJA News 31

Jeweller Picks 34

Security 40

Brand Profile: Clogau Gold 42

BJA Feature 61

Insurance Matters 66

Opinion: John Henn 78

Antique Jewellery 82

Notebook 85

Letters 86

Display Cabinet 88

The Last Word 90

JewellerThe Voice of The Industry www.thejewellermagazine.com

the

Cover ImageIn conjunction with Clogau GoldSee us at ‘The Jewellery Show/

Spring Fair 2012’, Hall 17 Stand R28www.clogau.co.uk/springfair

What Portents for Portas?What proved to be one of the most unpredictable retail trading Christmases ofrecent times was preceded by the publicationof the much anticipated, and slightly delayed,Portas Review. Billed as an ‘independentreview into the future of our high streets’the long awaited document, written by oneof the UK’s most gimlet-eyed observers ofthe retail scene, has generated a plethora of reactions ranging from the banal and dismissive to the considered and constructive;some based on no more than a cursoryglance at the ‘bullet point’ summary! Butwhatever the quality of those observations,the report, appearing at such a volatile timein British retailing history has generated anawful lot of heat – and even a little light!

But now with Christmas behind us, andthe instant pundits having had their say, it istime to revisit the report’s recommendationsand examine the value of their currency.Those with political headlines in mind, likeSimon Danczuk, MP for Rochdale, may haveurged the government to bring forward itsresponse and take urgent action to counterthe high street crisis, but I would councilcaution. Knee jerk reactions are not theanswer. We didn’t get into this messovernight, and we surely won’t find a magic

bullet or quick fix in the Portas Review. Whatwe will find in its fifty pages is a prescriptioncontaining a bit of nasty-tasting medicine foreach of the vested interests locked into thenever ending high street struggle, i.e. planners,politicians, landlords, and retailers. As withall medicine the trick is to cure the diseasewithout killing the patient. To ease the pain,and to strain the medical analogy even further, the Portas proposals suggest holistic treatment for the malady. Thetwitching corpse of the British high streethas emotions as well as a collection oforgans, and if we don’t want to end up withFrankenstein’s monster we’d better avoidbolts of lightning in my view!

Coming to the report as a slight sceptic,eager to find fault with her recommendations,I found my initial doubts allayed by detailedreading of the background material. As shesays in the forward ‘whilst I do believe thatthere are many compelling instances whenout of town retail has drained the traffic andretail offer from our own town centres, itwould be naïve and far too easy to simply think that they are to blame for thedecline of our high streets. The fact is thatthe major supermarkets and malls havedelivered highly convenient, needs-basedretailing, which serves today’s consumers well.

Sadly the high streets didn’t adapt as quicklyor as well. Now they need to.’ Who woulddisagree?

While most of the comments I have readfrom the likes of the British Council ofShopping Centres, the Association ofConvenience Stores, the British PropertyFederation, and CBRE (the commercialproperty and real estate services sector’s

retail consultancy), broadly welcome themeasures, others have proved less mag-nanimous. Stuart Rose, once the movingforce behind M & S, appearing to accept thestatus quo, damned the document with faintpraise, stating “you can’t defy gravity” andMary Portas is trying to push water uphill.

M I C H A E L H O A R E ’ S

CommuniquéNAG CEO Michael Hoare gives serious consideration to the findings of Mary Portas' review of the British high street… and discovers much food for thought

| Comment

4 The Jeweller Jan/Feb 2012

The twitching corpse of the British high street has emotions as well as a collection of organs, and if we don’t want to end upwith Frankenstein’s monsterwe’d better avoid bolts oflightning in my view!

Others were less temperate. Lord Wolfson, of NEXT called the proposal to introduce exceptional signoff for out-of-town developmentsby the Secretary of State as “just insane.” Gauging by that reaction I predict a standoff between the forces of creeping ubiquity andthose who believe that, far from giving a ministerial sign off on such projects, what really matters is that local people have theirrights respected.

As I have previously opined, my ‘wish list’ contained a restorationof the link between business rates and local services; a fair andtransparent planning regime; and meaningful power in the hands oflocal government. The Portas Review has dealt with these and more.A robust ‘town centre first’ planning policy is to be welcomed,because, as it stands, about 80 per cent of future development isplanned for out-of-town. Business rates are one of the biggest barriers to entry and growth on the high street, therefore the Portasproposals are to be applauded; but the challenge will be for government and councils to find suitable funding models. Similarly,more free parking is a laudable aim, plugging the gap in councilfinances, the potential stumbling block! Addressing the restrictiveaspects of the ‘Use Class’ system, making it easier to change theuses of high street properties, will free up space for more appropriateoccupiers, including residential users; and may even help ease thehousing shortage. Exploring disincentives to prevent landlords leav-ing units vacant seems an appropriate measure; and a strongercommunity voice in the planning system has to be a good thing.

Overall, I sense that the Portas Review attempts to see the highstreet in all its aspects, including its societal and community role inproviding an expression of and focus for local identity, and not justits economic impact. As stated in the foreword ‘This may soundhopelessly idealistic. But those who see high streets purely as acommercial retail mix need to think again.’ Such sentiments appear to fit right in with the notional concept of ‘big society’ and assuch should have resonance in Westminster right now. However,governments of every stripe display an alarming tendency to doeither one of two things with ideas that challenge the orthodoxy.Sometimes they try to kick them into the long grass, or bury themin platitudes and forget them – either way they end up gatheringdust on a shelf somewhere! Or, they adopt the fun, sexy, headline-grabbing short term expedients and make them their own, ignoringthe difficult and tedious bits – the ‘initiative lite’ approach – and thewhole thing goes off half cocked!

Personally, I hope that doesn’t happen to this report. It containssome joined-up thinking; involves all parties in the venture; anddoesn’t succumb to the blame culture. It won’ be easy to convincethose obsessed with growth at all costs, but hey, just because athing’s difficult, doesn’t make it impossible!

If you have any comments on its contents or the effect on our highstreets of its proposals, then please write to me at the usual address.

The Portas Review is available in its entirety at:www.maryportas.com


Comment |


Comment |

Reasons to be cheerful… one, two, three. What, only three? Come on, we can do better than

that, surely. It’s a brand new year (ok, by the time you’re reading this it’s quite new) and even

the words twenty twelve sound exciting and full of promise to me.

Well, there’s a lot going on and it would be churlish (not to mention slouchy) not to take

spirited advantage of auspicious events. The combined effect of the London Olympics

and Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee will bring a great number of foreign tourists to the UK –

commercial opportunities will be there for the taking for those who’re prepared. Might be a

good idea to enrol in the NAG’s ‘Selling to Chinese Customers’ course (see p22 for details)

and be super-ready. Kerching!

Spring also means show time. It’s a hard slog of course (chic heels or comfy flats – always a

dilemma don’t you find?) but brightened enormously by the prospect of discovering emerging

talents, picking out new trends, chewing the fat with industry friends, a possible dance,

oh, and placing an order or two… and that’s just my experience! Birmingham and Basel –

both previewed in this issue.

So, what else? It’s the 25th birthday of the NAG’s Institute of Registered Valuers this year –

a significant milestone for a very important and effective body. To remind us of how it all

began its co-ordinator (from the word go) Sandra Page has gathered together a history of the

IRV, part one of which can be read this month on p28. Hip hip…

Also in this issue ethical jeweller and activist Greg Valerio looks back at the first year of Fairtrade

Fairmind Gold with the help of three businesses which have taken it up. Sceptics and cynics

abounded and the initiative has not been without its teething issues, but the good news is

that it’s making steady progress.

All that’s just for starters; 2012 is going to be a great year – let’s talk things up please!

Page 82

Page 68

Editor’sLetter

This month:

“For centuries, to have silver in your home in the form of decorativeartefacts, domesticobjects and utensilsmarked you out as veryprivileged indeed…”

“It’s important for us to bethe first in the know, toreport back and to buythe right products; wesee what the big trendsare for that year.”

If you would like to comment on any of the issues raised in this edition of The Jewelleror any other trade-related matters please email the editor at: [email protected]

| Industry News


UK retail sales values were 2.2 per centhigher on a like-for like basis from

December 2010, when sales had fallen 0.3per cent, thanks to the severe weather,according to the recently launched BritishRetail consortium-KPMG Sales MonitorDecember 2011. On a total basis, sales wereup 4.1 per cent against a 1.5 per centincrease in December 2010. On both meas-ures and excluding Easter distortions, salesperformance was the best since January.

Non-food non-store (internet, mail-orderand phone) sales growth picked up sharplyfrom November’s low. Sales were 18.5 percent up on a year ago, double November’sgain but similar to the 18.0 per cent inDecember 2010.

Stephen Robertson, Director General,British Retail Consortium, said: “A better thanhoped-for December closed a relentlesslytough year for retailers, but these figureshinged on a dazzling last pre-Christmas weekand were boosted by some major one-offfactors. We’re not witnessing any fundamentalchange in customers’ circumstances.”

Retail sales volumes grew in the year toDecember for the first time in seven months,though sales were considered poor for thetime of year, the CBI added. Publishing itslatest monthly Distributive Trades Survey,which covers the first two weeks inDecember, the business organisation saidretailers did not expect December’s modestsales growth to continue into the New Year, with annual sales volumes falling againin January.

A straw poll among UK jewellery retailersechoes, in the main, this low-key analysis ofChristmas sales. “Trading up to Christmaswas pretty much as we expected. Saleswere not brilliant in the run up and it wasonly really the last four days that theyincreased as they should have – so it wasvery late,” says Debbie Marshall of Head &Hart, Maidstone. “We have seen this in thepast when you have the whole week oftrading with the Saturday being ChristmasEve,” she adds.

For Hester Clarke, Aylesbury, the weeksleading up to Christmas saw poor sales in

comparison to last year – following on froma year that had already been difficult. “Theyshowed a significant increase on last yearduring the final week. But bearing in mindwe lost the Saturday and Sunday last yeardue to the dreaded snowfall, it wasn’t thatdifficult,” she says. “The best-selling itemswere Trollbeads along with silver jewelleryand unusual pieces, with lots of sales in the £200-£300 bracket. There were fewsales in the £2,000 plus bracket,” she adds.“It certainly felt as though customers were more ‘financially challenged’ this year.A number of regular customers spent significantly less than usual.”

A more positive note has been soundedby jewellery designer/retailer Harriet Kelsall:“We normally have a massive Christmasrush for our bespoke work which startsalmost exactly on the 24th October but itstarted around a week later which wasstrange but then it got very busy after that,”she reports. “We were busier than ever inDecember itself. We often quieten down forbespoke jobs from about 10th Decemberonwards but we were super busy with newjobs being started right up until Christmasthis year.”

Aided by the sales of engagement ringsand a new Pandora sales floor, Prestons ofBolton has also bucked the more gloomytrend with reports of a record 19 per centincrease in sales over December 2010.Group managing director Karl Massey cites the company’s ongoing marketinginvestments (including a TV campaign inDecember) as key to the growth.

Unlike many other retailers on the highstreet, most jewellers spoken to were nottempted to discount stock in the periodbefore Christmas. “I never have done, I can’tsee the point in increasing numbers of customers at a time when the staff arealready stretched, especially for less margin,”explains Frank Wood of Braithwaites, York,who reports a disappointing Christmasweek “although early December was busierthan normal”.

“I think that discounting precious jewellery(ever – not just pre Christmas) is a bad ideabecause it devalues what people perceivethat they are paying for. We certainly don’tever do this for our bespoke jewellery orhigh end gold, platinum and palladium jewellery and we think it is a big mistakewhen other jewellers do this too,” says Kelsall.

Christmas tradinghigher than expected


Industry News |

S N I P P E T SSecond shop for Gilda’s Tryst

Gemstone jewellery and accessoriesdesigners Shireen Jayyusi and AmandaWaterstone of Gilda’s Tryst have opened asecond London shop. The MonmouthStreet, Covent Garden outlet – in the heartof theatreland – follows the 2009 openingof the flagship store on Sloane Square andfeatures a split level area where a salon forprivate consultations has been created. TheGilda’s Tryst collection is a fusion of Eastmeets West aesthetics and comprises bold,statement pieces using coloured stones,freshwater pearls, silver and gold vermeil.

Dreyfuss appointment

Philip Poole has taken on the role of sales& marketing manager for the Swiss family-owned and run watch company Dreyfuss &Co, which has achieved widespread UK andinternational distribution for it collection ofhandmade timepieces at a desirable pricepoint. Poole was previously brand directorfor Tissot and Swatch and under his guidanceDreyfuss plans to expand both the collectionand the distribution of the brand.

Retail crime soars

The overall cost of retail crime has soaredby 31 per cent to £1.4 billion as the sector isincreasingly targeted by serious, organisedcriminals. This figure includes the value ofgoods stolen and damage done combinedwith the money retailers spend on preventingand tackling crime. The British RetailConsortium’s Retail Crime Survey 2011,published on 16th January, shows fewerincidents for many types of crime but eachincident on average has been more costlyand so total losses have increased sharplycompared with the previous year.

Jochi Nyman passes away

The entrepreneur Jochi Nyman, oftenreferred to as Mr Hatton Garden for hisfinancial benevolence and wise counsel,died last month at the age of 76. In the1990s he worked for the PresmanMastermelt group, which has described him as “an integral part of the success” of the business who “continued to remaina close friend of the company’s directorsand staff.”

US Department of Statecommends RJCThe Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) of which the NAG is a founding member,

has received a submission from the United States Department of State commending theethical body’s draft proposal for a Chain of Custody (CoC) based on the RJC Standards.

In the letter (which can be read in full on the RJC website: www.responsiblejewellery.com)the Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, José Fernandez recognisesthe many achievements of the RJC: “We would like to commend the RJC for the impressivework undertaken to develop and implement the Standards and, perhaps more critically, thepotential of the Chain of Custody framework under development in recent years. We areencouraged to see the substantial number of companies joining RJC and look forward toseeing further progress on the CoC and its subsequent launch…”

Demonstrating its shared commitment to the RJC’s goals the State Department’s letterraises a number of policy issues, regarding the role of the artisanal sector, the small businesssector, audits and the role of stakeholders, as being of critical concern.

Danish FSA reprimands PandoraFollowing the reprimand Pandora received from NASDAQ OMX on 22nd December 2011,

the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority issued a notice on 11th January 2012 statingthat Pandora should have informed the market earlier of its revenue forecasts. (On 2ndAugust 2011 Pandora announced a change to its financial expectations for the full year statingthat it would not meet its earlier forecast of 30 per cent revenue growth.)

In response to the FSA’s notice Pandora states that it ‘continues to believe that it actedproperly during a swift and unexpected downturn in sales by making a timely and preciseannouncement adjusting its annual forecast in light of new information and based on analysisof the changing market dynamics in July 2011’ and in addition ‘it has at all times been in fullcompliance with all relevant rules and regulations for issuers of shares’. This news follows theannouncement last month that Pandora has appointed a new CEO, Bjorn Gulden, who takesup the role on 1st March this year. Gulden is currently MD of the Deichmann Group.

Catherine Jones, founder of Catherine Jones Jewellery inCambridge and a much-loved figure in the jewellery

industry for almost 50 years has died. She began her jewellery business in 1964, graduating from costume jewellery to fine jewellery through the ’70s and ’80s. Since 2003 thebusiness has been run by her daughter Vanessa Burkitt andher grandson Matthew Burkett. A full obituary for Catherinewill appear in the March issue of The Jeweller.

Catherine Jones (1916-2011)

Jeweller makes movies

Boosted by its 2009 success with making it into the Guinness Book of Records with theworld’s most valuable Christmas tree bauble (£82,000 worth of white gold encrusted

with diamonds and rubies), Hallmark Jewellers of Titchfield has pushed the boat out again,this time by making movies. Posted on YouTube are three short films to demonstrate theprocess of making wedding bands, the repair and restoration of jewellery and how old jewelleryis melted down to make a bangle. Visit: www.youtube.com/user/HallmarkJewellers

| Industry News


La Peregrina’, the 16th century pearl suspended from a necklace designed for

Elizabeth Taylor by Cartier inspired a fiercebidding war at Christie’s New York on 13thDecember and sold for $11.8m – a worldrecord for any pearl jewel. In total MissTaylor’s collection of jewellery achieved£74,196,480 becoming the most valuablejewellery auction in history.

Also, despite a difficult economic climate,Bonhams in London and New York bothenjoyed successful fine jewellery sales last month. The Bond Street sale on 8thDecember saw a selection of diamond, natural pearl and important signed piecesrealise £4.1m, the top lot being an internallyflawless, marquise-cut diamond ring, Dcolour weighing 9.22 carats that sold for£623,650. The Bonhams New York sale on13th December was lead by a Cartier ArtDeco necklace which made $266,500.

‘

S N I P P E T SSteven May launches Maygems

Following the liquidation of Capital Gems,Steven May, who was an employee of thecompany for 21 years, has now launchedhis own company Maygems Ltd. Based inGreat Sutton St, London Maygems offers asimilar service including gemstone wholesaleand jewellery repairs, all using the sameworkshops, tradesmen and suppliers as usedpreviously by Capital Gems. Maygems alsospecialises in laser repairs, ring resizing and remounting, retipping, gemstone anddiamond supply and set, jewellery polishingand rhodium plating.

Fine jeweller at DesignMuseum shop

Central St Martin’s graduate Hannah Martinhas become the first fine jewellery designerto have her products stocked in the DesignMuseum’s shop. One of London’s leadingcontemporary jewellery designers Martin isrenowned for designing bold sculpturalpieces with elegant and masculine detailing.The premier collection at the shop will feature pieces from Series One ‘TheShaman’s Triangle’ and includes the iconic‘Pyramid Ring’ and ‘Triangle Bangle’, whichwere created using rapid prototyping.

Jeweller cycles for charity

Jeweller Pete Seeger who works for Milton’sJewellers of Chester, Birkenhead andLiverpool marked his 60th birthday by takingpart in a 200 mile cycle ride in Jordan, raising money for a local charity –Clatterbridge Cancer Research. He finishedthe journey not only four stones lighter butalso as the charity’s fund-raiser of the yearhaving raised £14,800

RJC Certification update

The Gemmological Institute of America has achieved Reponsible Jewellery Council certification – the first laboratory to do so, while Bulgari and Gucci become the first two

Italian members to comply with the ethical, human rights, social and environmental standards. In addition the Birmingham Assay Office achieved certification in January alongwith International Gemological Institute and the following companies have also received RJCcertification in the last two months: Argos Ltd, JC Penney, Corona Jewelry, Zenith, IDHDiamonds NV, De toledo Diamonds International BVBA, AC Diam, Pamp SA, Sunnex BVBA,BVBARosy Blue NV, Grospiron, Karp Impex NV, KGK Diamonds and Mishal NV.

NAG member Peter Avis, the owner of jewellers WH Collis & Son in Bury St Edmunds, hasbeen murdered following a burglary on his shop. The 66-year old victim was found

stabbed to death in a flat above the premises on Friday 13th January. Within 12 hours of thediscovery a 34-year old local man was arrested on suspicion of the murder and at the timeof going to press three further suspects were being questioned by detectives at SuffolkPolice’s headquarters. The jewellery and other items stolen have not as yet been recovered.Mr Avis, a batchelor, took over the business 10 years ago after both of his parents died.

The 238 year old Sheffield Assay Office has appointed a new chairman to oversee thestrategic direction of the organisation. Chris Heaton, who co-opted onto the executive of

the Office in September 2008, took up the post on 1st January having been a Guardian ofthe Office since 2009. (Turn to p82 to see our Antique Jewellery feature on Sheffield Plate).

Jeweller dies following burglary

New chairman for Sheffield Assay

Latest auction room gem successes

Celebrating 125 yearsin business in 2012

| Industry News


The festive season may be a distant memory now, but here at The Jeweller Towers we’restill celebrating the spirit of Christmas. We asked you to send us snaps of your seasonal

windows in all their sparkling glory – and so you did. Thank you to all those who took thetime during such a busy period to demonstrate such creativity.

If we had the space we’d publish all the photos, however, here are our favourites includingthe winning display. After much deliberation we are awarding first prize to Berry’s of Leeds(top image) – we loved these windows for the regal and rich purple of the backdrop anddisplays, accented by the silvery tones of the wreaths. A sophisticated yet simple effect thathighlights the benefit of choosing a bi-colour scheme. Well done to the team.

Because we found it very difficult to choose just two runners up from the very many lovelywindows we looked at, we’ve picked three. So bottles of bubbly will also be on their way to:Fred J Malcolm of Belfast for their old toy shop themed windows (right top); Padani JewelleryGallery of Tunbridge Wells for what we think is a glamorously sexy look (right centre) andGordon Rowe of Torquay for the warmth and understatement of their display (right bottom).Honourable mentions should also go to: Lisa Chambers, Stratford-upon-Avon; ChisholmHunter, Glasgow; TA Henn, Wolverhampton; Finnies, Aberdeen; Warrender, Sutton; Time &Motion Jewellers, Liskeard and Parsons Jewellers, Bristol.

Winning Christmaswindow displays

| NAG News


On the Education & Training pages ofthis issue (p22) we have presented a

detailed run-down of the key courses thatthe NAG is offering members for 2012. It'san exciting schedule, made possible to agreat extent by one company in particular –Virada Training – and its director, DebbieBarrow is quite certain of the increasingneed for sales training for all those in retail today.

“It’s moreimportant thanever before foryour businessto stand out so that today’scustomers willbuy from youagain and again.Yet times arechanging. Today, life is fast; customersreceive more information, more knowledgeand have more choice. This has an impacton buying patterns,” she says.

As buyers change, selling approaches needto change. It’s vital to understand buyingpsychology and how to manage the customer’s decision making process.

Debbie adds: “Everything makes a differ-ence during the sales interaction and we’vedevoted ten years to exploring preciselywhat will lead to winning the sale. There isno doubt that the most successful salespeople in 2012 will be those who are skilledat reading and adapting to today’s customerand know how to make every second counttowards winning the sale.”

Innovative training for NAG members Virada specialises in the delivery of salestraining to the luxury sector and is the leading provider of jewellery sales training inthe UK. It also delivers courses for luxurybrands in US and European cities.

Created specifically for the NAG an‘Advanced Selling’ course focuses on thejewellery sales interaction and is jam-packedwith innovative, yet practical approaches foruse immediately on the shop floor. Aftersuccessful delivery of this course to EDFmembers, it’s now open to NAG members.

Securing the best return on the investment“The main reason for providing sales trainingis to increase sales. Virada’s sales training haswon three national training awards and thesecan only be won if significant returns oninvestment can be shown,” adds Barrow.Here are some comments on the coursesfrom NAG members: • “We immediately made the money we’d

invested in the course. We’ve mademore sales and reduced discount as adirect result of the training. There is nodoubt about that.”

• “A natural way of selling AND my highvalue sales have rocketed since thetraining. The course benefits anyonefrom new starter to top sales people.”

• “The course gave my sales peopleessential skills to help cope with thetougher consumer environment.”

For more about NAG courses provided byVirada, contact Amanda White on: 020 76134445 or: [email protected]

The NAG is delighted to invite you to visitits stand (Hall 17, stand T49) at The

Jewellery Show at Spring Fair International,NEC, Birmingham, between 5th – 9thFebruary. The exciting five-day event offersbuyers the chance to view thousands ofnew collections and individual pieces andsource what they need from among thehundreds of suppliers, trend-driven catwalkshows and key edited areas of the show.

The NAG’s stand will re-emphasise its collective strengths that benefit members.These include a free legal helpline, interestfree credit schemes, health insurancescheme, significant education course dis-counts and of course competitive merchantservice charges. Added to these are the lesstangible things like mystery shopper services,business health checks, and telecoms. TheNAG also communicates a wealth of information to help members keep abreastof the market via The Jeweller, the monthlyn:gauge newsletter, and the website’smembership area (jewellers-online.org).

For more information on these benefitsand services and many others, or a chatabout any aspect of the NAG, come andmeet the team in Hall 17, stand T49. We look forward to seeing you there! Entryinto the show is free if you pre-register at:www.thejewelleryshow.com

Alternatively for more information call020 7613 4445 (option 4) or email:[email protected]

Logistics service forNAG members –Malca-Amit (UK) Ltd

The NAG team has managed to secure anew logistics service provided by Malca-

Amit (UK) Ltd. NAG members are entitledto a five per cent discount on all standardshipping tariffs.

For more details, contact the MembershipDepartment on 020 7613 4445 (option 3)or email: [email protected]

To take advantage of this new deal,please go to www.malca-amit.com Whenapplying, please state your membership ofthe NAG to receive the discount.

The NAG atThe JewelleryShow 2012

2012 Council and Forum

We are very excited to announce that we will be hosting the firstCouncil and Forum event for 2012 at the extremely impressive,

newly-built Goldsmiths’ Centre in Clerkenwell on 14th March. The Goldsmiths’ Centre has been created specifically for the trade to provide a hub for

work, learning and relaxation for like-minded industry people. So join us at this innovative newspace for what promises to be a valuable day networking with jewellers from across the UK.

As with all the NAG events, the invitation is extended to the entire membership. The daywill include lunch and refreshments and also a tour throughout the new Goldsmiths’ Centre.The total cost of the day is £40 + VAT per head (£48.00).

For further information or to book your place please contact Ritu Verma on 020 76134445 or email: [email protected]

Training to sell in 2012

Debbie Barrow

BASELWORLDTHE WATCH AND JEWELLERY SHOW

MARCH 8 – 15, 2012

BASELWORLD.COM

| NAG News


New Member Applications

Members wishing to comment on any of these applications can call Amy Oliver on tel: 020 7613 4445 or email her at: [email protected] within threeweeks of receipt of this issue.

Ordinary Member ApplicationsGoldmarket (SW) Ltd, Weston-Super-MareBeaconsfield Fine Jewellery, Beaconsfield, BucksSimon & Co. Jeweller & Gifts, Gloucester

Affiliate ApplicationsCatherine Budd Jewellery, Poole, DorsetRichard Parsons, Hatton Garden, London

Allied ApplicationsGemtech, Chester

Alumni ApplicationsNicola Piper, Fareham, Hampshire

NAG 2012 EventsSome key dates for your diary:

1st Feb Board Meeting

7th Feb IRV Forum and Valuations

Committee Meeting

5th-9th Feb Spring Fair Attendance

14th March Council Meeting

14th March Education Awards Evening

6th March IRV Forum and Valuations

Committee Meeting

18th April Board Meeting

30th April NAG ‘International’

Golf Trophy

8th May IRV Forum and Valuations

Committee Meeting

10th May EDF Congress in Oxford

17th-20th May CIBJO Congress

Attendance

11th June Golf Competition

Challenge Trophy

11th-17th June London Jewellery Week

26th June AGM

17th July IRV Forum and Valuations

Committee

1st Aug Board Meeting

2nd-5th Sept International Jewellery

London Attendance

22nd-24th Sept Loughborough Conference

(25 year anniversary)

16th Oct Council Meeting

16th Oct Centenary Trust and

Education Meetings

6th Nov IRV Forum and Valuations

Committee

7th Nov Board Meeting

In 2011 the NAG launched a new modular course that covers all aspects of running a profitablejewellery business. JETPro is aimed at business owners and senior staff and is assignment-

based. The six modules can be taken as a whole or in areas of the individual’s interest.The formation of this course is based on research and feedback from members but we

feel that we have not yet fully promoted the value of JETPro and that the best way to do thiswould be for NAG members to experience aspects of the course first hand, so, to this endwe are offering:

A JETPro taster day presented by Mike McGrawA March 2012 date for this event will be confirmed shortly giving retailers the opportunity to spend a day at the NAG in London during which time they will discover all there is to know about JETPro. We very much hope you will join us. For more information about JETProcontact the NAG’s Education and Training Department on 020 7613 4445 (option 1).

What is JETPro and what can it do for you?

New 2012 Benefits and ServicesThe IDEX Online Service for NAG Members – www.idexonline.com

The NAG has teamed up with IDEX Onlineto offer members a unique money-saving

deal. Not only will NAG members be givena six-month free trial with the online servicesof the international diamond exchange butwe have also negotiated a huge discount inthe subscription fees to the service:• Normal subscriptions: £523.99

(USD $840) for 12 months• NAG subscriptions: £218.33

(USD $350) for 12 months or£404.76 ($650) for 24 months

IDEX Online Special Membership service toNAG members:• Six-Months Free Trial – access to the

largest diamond inventory which consists of over 475,000 diamondsvalued at over $4.75 billion.

• Access to www.idexonline.com whereyou can bid for, buy and sell diamondsonline (no commission involved )

• Receive www.idexonline.com/DiamondPrices.asp IDEX DiamondPrice Report – which is published

weekly. This is an analysis of askingprices for higher-quality diamonds inthe international wholesale markets.The report is based on price changesas reflected by the global trade onIDEX's trading platform, providing a reliable, transparent and unbiased pricing tool.

• Access to www.idexonline.com/DRB.aspThe Diamond Retail Benchmark PriceList – a price list for retailers to showconsumers the maximum retail pricethey should pay for a diamond.

• Enhanced selling power with IDEX Onsite– an inventory feed on your website.

• Join the IDEX Online eBay Direct Sales Channel

• Diamond Link updates – real timeupdates of new buy requests for polished diamonds.

• Receive monthly IDEXInternational Magazine

• Receive the IDEX Online newsletter every Thursday.

• Additional offerings: industry news,market reports, analyses and more.

For more information, please contact theMembership Department on tel: 020 76134445 option 3 or email:[email protected] register with IDEX, please fill in the online application form and state your NAG membership. Go to:www.idexonline.com/register.asp


Obituary |

Well, just where does one start to sumup a character like Brian Dunn? Like

most of us, when his wife Janey called mefirst thing on the Monday morning followinghis unexpected and very sad demise, I wasdumbfounded – not Brian, the guy who dida gym workout most days, road-ran at the weekends, didn’t have an ounce of faton his body, didn’t smoke and mostly onlypartook of a tipple at the weekends!

Having been so closely associated withBrian over the years, I immediately wantedto write a tribute to him and I was sopleased, proud and honoured when askedto contribute to his obituary.

I first met Brian in 1989 at Earls Court inthe embryonic days of the Registered ValuerScheme when I was on the ValuationsCommittee and we were holding our firstConference promoting the RV Scheme.There was quite a gathering of interestedpeople forming the audience and we wereexpounding the virtues of applying to jointhe Scheme and generally voicing our viewson valuations and how valuers shouldadhere to certain standards, etc. Brian wasin that audience and repeatedly askedsearching, intelligent questions and madevery sensible, sound statements concerningthe world of jewellery valuation, whichprompted me to ask “Who is this guy ’coswe want him on this Committee?”. I learnedthat he was an NAG tutor who worked atGarrard as a valuer. The rest of his dedicatedinvolvement with the RV Scheme, and more latterly the Institute, is as they say ‘history’. He was probably the most instantlyrecognisable person associated with the

NAG’s promotion and regulation of jewelleryvaluation in the UK, as well as with its variouseducation courses.

During the mid/late 90s, Barbara (Peter’sbusiness and personal partner) and I workedtogether with Brian at Garrard, where he

always referred to himself as a ‘paid slave’and during this time we were fortunate tohandle numerous pieces of ‘grown-up’ jewellery for VIP clients. At Garrard he was

affectionately known by the anagram of hisname – Brain – because when the more junior staff had a question relating to gemsand jewellery, Brian usually knew the answer.When Garrard closed, Barbara and I welcomedhim aboard our independent consultancyand we were sad (while being pleased forhim) when he subsequently rejoined Asprey& Garrard sometime later.

Along with Janey, the four of us thenembarked upon our ‘Appraisal 2000’ education programme and we toured thenation with guest specialist speakers givingmaster classes on various subjects. Brianwas in his element and an inspiration towork with, as clearly education was in hisveins and he possessed the necessaryteaching skills to impart his knowledge andexpertise to the participants.

Since he became an independent, Brianand I again worked together on severalnoteworthy valuations and I recall especiallythe time I took him with me to the MiddleEast to undertake the audit and valuation ofa renowned jeweller’s stock that comprisednumerous important pieces. It was very

hard, concentrated work and at the end ofeach long day we would finally get to bedsomewhat exhausted around midnight orthe early hours. None the less, by the timeI, almost reluctantly, joined him for a daily

Brian Dunn 1948-2011Past NAG Valuations Committee ChairmanBrian Dunn FIRV PJDip PJValDip FNAG FGA, who was also a former NAGboard director, who died in December, is remembered here forhis passion for valuations, his willingness to share his knowledgeand expertise and his trademark colourful shirts.

“Well, that’s how it should be Dunn” by Peter R Buckie

At Garrard he was affectionately known by the anagram ofhis name – Brain – because when the more junior staff had a question relating to gems and jewellery, Brian usually knew the answer.

�

| Obituary


early morning swim before breakfast Brianhad already had an hour’s work-out in thegym – such was his energy and dynamism.

Brian was an immensely talented guywith a brilliant mind and had a gift that he was prepared to generously share with anyone and everyone. While his somewhatMaverick ‘short cut’ approach to someaspects of valuation methodology (basedupon his great experience and referred to byhim and known by everyone as ‘The DunnWay’) is perhaps somewhat unorthodoxand was readily accepted by him as beingso, I occasionally find myself adopting it whenI am perhaps not convinced that the value Ihave determined is accurate. I actually workit out ‘The Dunn Way’ as a cross-referenceand note on my Worksheet ‘BRD’. This is apractice I shall, along with many other valuers I suspect, no doubt continue for avery long time!

While Brian was undeniably a very knowledgeable and experienced valuer, hehad the modesty to freely admit he didn’t‘know it all’ and was still learning. We usedto call on each other’s expertise on a regular basis and I have often said toBarbara that, in the event of me popping my clogs, the first person she should callupon for a second opinion is Brian. Alas,that will not now be possible.

Brian’s impact on the world of jewellery,whether it was as an NAG tutor, a Valuations

Committee member, its subsequent chairman, a David Wilkins award winner, amember of the Institute’s Monitoring Panel,or an author of numerous articles/paperson various jewellery subjects, including hiscontribution to the Institute’s forthcomingCAT education programme, is immeasurable.It was Brian who successfully nominated mefor the David Wilkins award in 2008 and Ihave no doubt whatsoever that it was hisinfluence that finally ended my 13 years inthe NAG wilderness and this is something forwhich I am greatly indebted to him.

Since that time we have worked togetherclosely with Jonathan Lambert and the various members of the IRV Forum andValuations Committee to bring our aspirationsand dreams for the future of professionaljewellery valuation to reality. Brian’s unexpected passing leaves a HUGE hole,which will be almost impossible for NAG tofill – apart from being a personal friend tomany of us, this rather flamboyant, colourful,and somewhat eccentric character will begreatly missed for a variety of reasons. Briantouched countless people’s lives in manydifferent ways and the jewellery industry is afar poorer place without him.

Naturally, Janey is devastated at losingBrian and, on the subsequent occasions Ihave spoken to her either on the telephoneor at his funeral, the impact of what hashappened to her has clearly not hit home

and she is in a condition of great shock.However, apart from the support she isreceiving from family and friends, judging bythe number of people from the Institute andthe jewellery world who attended Brian’sfuneral, she will discover, I am absolutelycertain, that she will be anything but alonewithout him and that surely reflects themeasure of the man.

While most valuers will associate Brianwith the ridiculously colourful Hawaiian shirtshe used to wear at Loughborough, I will personally always cherish fond memories ofhim wearing a cheese cutter hat and carryinga sports bag, which was either full of hissports gear or appraisal aids/gemmologicalequipment, so one never knew if he was offto the gym for a workout or to a client’shouse to do a valuation. His cheeky butaffectionate personal greeting to me ofeither “Wotcha guvnor”, or more latterly “Mr Beeeeeeeee” will stay with me for a

very, very long time! Having survived a heartattack myself last year, I can perhaps identifymore than most with the fact that I was luckyand most unfortunately Brian was not!

Because of our close relationship over theyears, I know that Brian will not be offendedand, indeed, will probably give a wry smile ifI sum up his relatively short life by using aphrase he himself often used when wecompleted a job together – “well, that’s nowDunn and dusted” – that’s about right, Brian,but we all owe you an enormous debt ofgratitude and I know I speak for many bysaying it was a great privilege knowing youand working alongside you. �

At the 1994 Loughborough Conference. Back row, left to right: Jonathan P Brown, Michael Norman,Peter Buckie and Philip Stocker. Front row, left to right: Brian, Rosamond Clayton, Sandra Page andSimon Thornton.


Obituary |

Iknew Brian for over 20 years and he wasone of a very special band of people who

have an exceptional passion for valuations.His willingness to share that passion with somany people has helped to make theInstitute what it is today.

Back in 1989 we held our very first RVConference; it was a half day event whichtook place during what was then theInternational Watch, Jewellery & SilverTrades Fair at Earls Court, and Brian attendedas a delegate. His contribution to discussionsduring that Conference did not go unnoticedby the Valuations Committee and by Julythe following year Brian had accepted theAssociation’s invitation to join the likes ofSimon Thornton, David Wilkins and MichaelNorman on the Committee (like Brian, allno longer with us). He served on theCommittee until 1996 and rejoined again in2000. In 2002 he took on the role ofCommittee Chairman for two years and in2005, due to being made redundant byGarrards, he had to resign from theCommittee. Still, the Association continuedto benefit from Brian’s exceptional skillsthrough seminars and workshops at theLoughborough Conference.

The Loughborough Conference was particularly special to Brian and his wifeJaney as it was at the 1991 Conference thatthey decided to ‘become an item’. At the2004 Conference we managed to surpriseBrian with an ‘admiration ceremony’ whendelegates were asked to honour Brian bywearing the brightest and most colourfulshirt/blouse they possessed! Brian said itreminded him of the Alan Whicker sketchfrom Monty Python’s Flying Circus! We shallcertainly miss his colourful contribution toour annual Conference (and our lives ingeneral) but we have plans to rememberBrian at this year’s event.

As Committee Chairman he was a delightto work for; he was patient, dedicated andas I’ve said before, passionate about allthings related to valuations. I am lucky enoughto have a photograph of Brian and me from

the 2003 Conference (complete with brightshirt of course) which I have on display onmy bookcase. The silver frame is engraved‘Sandra – The Boss from the boss’.

It was a privilege to work with you Brian.

Skills, seminars and shockingly loud shirts by Sandra Page, NAG IRV co-ordinator

Ifirst met Brian some 28 years ago. Shortlyafter I joined the trade, my father Don

Griffin took me to the Garrard trade department where Brian worked for manyyears (a very daunting thing for me at the time). Brian was immediately friendlyand made me feel welcome. Over the

following years we became friends and hewould always try to put some work my wayand recommend me as someone whowould produce quality work at a fair price.

Brian was and always will be one of thosepeople that was totally genuine, always had his feet on the ground, saw good in

everyone and liked a joke. The world haslost a decent human being and Janey a loving husband.

I am sure that many people like myselfwill always carry Brian’s memory with asmile and be thankful that we knew him.His memory will live on.

A firm friend with his feet always on the ground by Anthony Griffin, DJ Griffin Ltd

Delegates at the conference surprise Brian by all wearing loud shirts to equal his!

| NAG News


So, now that your shop has been completely refurbished, are you happywith the result?Yes, the transformation has created a light andspacious store to focus on and illuminateour jewellery. The design is clean and crispwith bespoke furniture to emphasise thequality of our jewellery and our customerservice. The store now includes a traditionalconcierge style counter, and a more contemporary consultation area where wesit down with customers to offer a morerelaxed and accessible buying experience.We have had exceptionally positive feedbackfrom new and old customers, who alsonoticed how true we remained to Warrenders’heritage. As a team we have a bright, revitalised and modern space to work inthat has set the company up for years tocome. Everything about the project hasbeen positive.

Why did you decide to revamp the shopat this time, especially considering theeconomic climate?It is crucial that a business keeps movingforward and even more so in this tougheconomic climate. We have wanted to refurbish the store for some time and having looked at various options over theyears it was clear that this was key in orderfor our business to grow. It was a massiveand very exciting decision for us and has mostdefinitely been worth it. The new layout hasmaximised our retail space which has also

increased our sales opportunities. We workedvery hard to make sure the new design portrayed the right image to attract new customers without alienating our existingclientele. Having planned for the work it madethe financial decision much easier, but crucially the Warrenders team has workedso hard to hit targets over recent years thatit allowed such a big project to go ahead.We also decided not to work with a specialistjewellery shop fitter and chose an excellent,local design and shop fitting company whooffered better value, a great product andwere a pleasure to deal with.

Warrenders is a prime example of a family-run jewellers – what is it about thebusiness that has kept three generationsof the family involved?Jewellery is a wonderful thing to work with;we are constantly dealing with good newsand celebrations from engagements andweddings to anniversaries, birthdays and, of course, Christmas. It is a privilege to build relationships with customers and to be involved with their special occasions – it really does put a smile on your face.

This is also a very exciting time for thejewellery industry with a never-endingstream of innovation and trends. It is a realchallenge for a small business to keeplearning and adapt to current fashions… butvery rewarding. Buying and selling jewelleryalso offers a significant challenge especiallyin the current market so it is an even greaterachievement when we get it right.

From a family point of view, being able tobuild on the success of previous generationsis a great way to run your own business. We put in a lot of hours but never questionwhy we do it. There are a lot of families andfamily businesses in the jewellery industrytoo – most of our team are from jewelleryfamilies and there is a real strength in that.

Warrenders was established in 1947 andis a thriving business; as experiencedjewellers, what advice would you give toan aspiring jeweller?Apply for a job at Warrenders of course…! It is crucial that you commit to a career inthe jewellery sector: pick the area of thetrade you are most interested in and play toyour strengths. A lot of technical knowledgeis specific to jewellery. The industry is wideranging and very competitive so you cannotexpect to be an expert in all areas. It is also a small industry so it is important to be friendly and accommodating if you wantto be supported in return. You can neverhave enough knowledge and you need tobe able to stand by the quality of what youdo or sell.

Finally, I always ask our Member of theMonth to share an anecdote about amemorable customer – does one springto mind?We seem to receive regular deliveries of biscuits, cakes and wine from our customersand one lady has promised to deliver anAustrian banquet on Christmas Eve, which is very sweet. But our favourite gentleman is convinced he has discovered a diamondthe size of a tennis ball although we arepretty sure it is a cut glass door knob available from all good home stores! It’s apeople business…

If you would like your business to be considered as Member of the Month,please write in and tell us why! Send anemail to: [email protected]

In this issue’s Member of the Month, Amy Oliver speaks toSimon and Richard Warrender of Warrenders in Sutton, Surrey. In October the family jewellers underwent a majorrefurbishment – the first of its kind in over 40 years.

NAG member of the Month

| NAG News: Education & Training


One of the most popular of these –Selling to Chinese Customers – will be

on the list. A sell-out first time round, it once again will be a foray into the culturalunknown for many of our members. Withthe upcoming Olympics, and the expectedinflux of Chinese tourists to the UK, this is agreat opportunity for delegates to brush upon international selling skills.

Alongside this cultural treat we’re hostingJudy Head’s Essential and Dynamic Displayworkshops: two study groups that will allowfans of Mary Portas (perhaps) to find out thejewellers’ secrets to effective shop display.

The seminar that has been described as‘fascinating, involving and interesting’ byprevious attendants.

However, it’s not all about selling – NAGIRV Fellow Eric Emms, the leading authorityon diamond grading, is, once again, runninghis Diamond Grading seminar – a two-dayevent that assists budding valuers in theidentification of diamonds together withtreatments, clarity, colour and many otheraspects of diamond knowledge.

During March we’re looking out for yoursecurity, with our one day seminar seekingto combat armed robbery. Facilitated by

Training For Success and accredited by theInstitute of Criminal Justice Studies at TheUniversity of Portsmouth, the programmecarries both an insight into current researchwithin this area of criminal activity and effective solutions for robbery managementthat can be applied immediately within theworking environment.

The following is a list of the seminars currently confirmed for 2012:

Advanced Selling CourseTwo day (Date TBC)This cutting-edge sales course is facilitatedby Virada Training, provider of award-winningsales training for the jewellery sector. Aimedat senior sales people, this course focuseson real sales situations dealt with every day and shares the secrets of top sales performers. Discover new sales innovations,explore practical ways of creating a positivebuying experience for every customer;unlock potential and enjoy even greatersales success. Feedback from delegates:• “The structure, content and trainer were

superb; I have already recommendedthe training to another jeweller and tomy boss so that other members of ourteam may attend”

• “Amazing; really positive. I can’t wait toput new ideas and skills into practice”

• “One of my staff says it’s the best thingshe has ever done! It has boosted herconfidence no end”

Selling to Chinese Customers8th April 2012Chinese customers already account for about30 per cent of the luxury goods market inBritain. Are you making the most of thissales opportunity? This one day course will open eyes to cultural differences andexpectations. Your team will learn how toprovide the best possible service and maximise sales to Chinese customers bycreating the right buying experience.Feedback from delegates:• “Excellent presentation. Explained

things clearly and precisely.”• “Great. Very informative”• “Brilliant”

Essential Display18th March, 4th October 2012The first steps to an eye catching shop

NAG 2012 seminarprogramme announcedOnce again, the NAG is continuing its commitment to first rateeducation and knowledge – aiming to represent the interestsof its members in a number of seminars that will not only helpboost sales, but also increase staff knowledge and understanding.Continuing from the 2011 programme, the Association is hostinganother round of engrossing and informative seminars this year– and the programme promises to be one of the most excitingyet, featuring two new courses, along with a number of classics,and favourite new seminars of 2011.

NEW!


NAG News: Education & Training |

window including instruction on the theoryand practise of display. Learn how to achievea visually exciting display in just one daywith this very popular seminar facilitated byJudy Head.Feedback from delegates:• “Brilliant, I have learned so much

– would definitely recommend”• “Fascinating, involving and interesting”• “Very complete. It has definitely

improved my display skills”

Dynamic Display Workshop 23rd May 2012 Now take your display knowledge to anotherlevel. This new course is for managementand senior sales staff who have alreadycompleted the Essential Display seminar or equivalent. The challenge is to designand build a new window display that will

target customers with a particular promotion– seasonal/Easter/Christmas for instance.The one day workshop will focus not only ondisplay but incorporate a strong marketingelement that will require the delegates tolink their display to a plan of promotionalactivity to raise the profile of their store,guided by Judy Head.

Armed Robbery:Reducing the risk and improving profitability – a masterclass 1st March 2012This new one-day programme examines thehuman reaction to the impact of a robberyand provides a number of practical skillsthat have been shown to work in real life situations. Facilitated by Training For Success and accredited by the Institute ofCriminal Justice Studies at The University of

Portsmouth, the programme carries both an insight into current research within thisarea of criminal activity and effective solutions for robbery management that canbe applied immediately within the workingenvironment.

Diamonds & Diamond Grading16th/17th October 2012With Eric Emms, the leading authority ondiamond grading, this practical seminar ispresented specifically from the retailers’viewpoint. Included in the two day course isthe identification of diamonds together withtreatments, clarity, colour and many otheraspects of diamond knowledge and a lookat corporate social responsibility issues.Feedback from delegates:• “The seminar was highly practical with

plenty of diamonds for us to look at.Eric managed to provide sufficientinformation to keep us interested andable to gain an insight into the technical aspects of diamond grading.

• “Really good. I learned a lot and it has given me more confidence”

• “A good investment to promote sales. I would highly recommend it

These seminars make up just a selection of the exciting events that the NAG will be running this year. For more informationon any of these seminars, bookings or the other events running this year, please contact us by telephone on: 0207613 4445 or alternatively you can contactAmanda White directly by email at: [email protected]

With the global recession hitting our shoresover three years back, you’d be hard

pressed not to know someone struggling topay the bills. Throughout times of fiscal crisis,it’s a known fact that many people will tightentheir belts in the hope of steering their financesthrough rocky terrain. This is why the NAGCentenary Trust is poised to offer self-fundingstudents a part-funding grant toward our newJETPro course which focusses on the skillsrequired for successful management andbusiness development.

In these challenging times a plan to bringyour business forward and further delelopyour skills is essential. This is where theNAG’s JETPro course comes into its own.The Centenary Trust, which was formed in1994 with the principal aim of encouragingindividuals to enhance their progress withinthe jewellery industry, understands how, inthese tough economic times, individualsand companies alike may forgo training in an attempt to make economies. Andthat’s why the Centenary Trust may well

be able to help appropriate self-funding students with part-funding grants towardsthe cost of enrolling on the rewardingJETPro course this year.

If you’re in this position, and interested in finding out more about applying for an award from the Trust, please contactAmanda Reavell at [email protected] or telephone her on 020 76134445 option 2 for an informal chat to see how the Centenary Trust may be able to help you!

Centenary trust offers student study grants

NEW!

BOOST STAFF CONFIDENCE AND IMPROVE SALES

PROFESSIONAL JEWELLERS’ DIPLOMA

Invest in staff training and get ahead of the competition by contacting the NAG now on:

tel: 020 7613 4445 #1 or email [email protected] visit www.jewellers-online.org

The National Association of Goldsmiths, 78a Luke Street, London, EC2A 4XG

The Professional Jewellers’ Diploma is packed with information on effective selling designed

Get all the practical skills that a jeweller needs in two bite-sized online assessment chunks (known as JET 1 and JET 2

As well as product knowledge and selling skills, customer service, hallmarking, gemstones, metals (gold, platinum, palladium and silver) the programmes also cover:

JET 1 Online: New designers, personal development, rings, silverware and gifts.

JET 2 Online: Alternative shopping,


NAG News: Education & Training |

In this month’s double issue of The Jeweller,we celebrate another two winners of the

coveted Bransom JET 1 Project AssignmentAward. Held in conjunction with our friendsat Bransom Retail Systems, each month, theEducation Department enters all JET 1assignments into a competition for ‘bestproject’. Selected by the external moderators,the award gives students the chance to berewarded with a trip to the prestigiousGoldsmiths’ Hall, for the presentation of certificates at our annual student awardsceremony. Those who successfully completeall five assignments of JET 1 to a satisfactory

standard will be awarded a JET 1 certificateand are then entitled to continue on to JET2 and the completion of the ProfessionalJewellers’ Diploma.

From the assignments received over themonth of November, the award goes toSarah Holland of Townsend Fine Jewellersin Wetherby. We’d like to congratulate Sarahon her project – she has managed to scoopthe prize after finishing the course in arecord fast time. Sarah’s tutor, CathrynRichardson, told us: “Sarah has been a very enthusiastic and committed studentwhile she has been doing her JET 1 course.Her assignments have shown that she hasresearched subjects well and given goodpresentation on all the subject matters,making her assignments interesting, informative and enjoyable to read as well asgaining a good pass result.”

When we spoke with the project moderatorabout Sarah’s project, they commentedthat: “The amount of research carried out by

Sarah with regard to diamond classificationand grading is outstanding for someone onJET 1. The coverage of the section dealingwith the four major areas of diamond grading clearly demonstrated a completeunderstanding of the subject.” The moderatorwas especially impressed by the “thoughtsfound in the final section of the assignment,relating to the diamond ring brought in by acustomer seeking advice. This was becauseSarah was able to draw on her backgroundknowledge of the alternative options opento the customer from a manufacturer’spoint of view.

“Sarah is a worthy winner of the BransonAward and I hope that she continues herstudies through onto the ProfessionalJewellers’ Diploma Course.”

“I am really excited to have won; it wasreally unexpected,” Sarah told The Jeweller.“I’d read the other articles in the magazine,and thought how well these people must have done. I knew I was getting good grades, but I didn’t ever imagine myproject would be good enough to win theBransom Award.”

Sarah went on to say: “I’ve not beenworking with jewellery for long as I’ve only

NAG celebrates the new yearwith Bransom award winners

It had some really challengingparts and was a good introduction to the trade,including a lot of informationthat has helped me feel moreconfident on the shop floor.

| NAG News: Education & Training


just come to it as a career choice. Before Ibegan working in the industry I researcheda number of courses to help me get into the industry, and JET 1 was one of them.When I joined Townsends I found fromother members of staff that the JET 1 coursewould be really good for someone with littleexperience. After six months of workinghere I decided to take the course, with thesupport of my employer – and I was gladthat I did. I found the course was well-aimedand I managed to race ahead of schedulewith my deadlines.

“However, saying that, it had some reallychallenging parts and was a good introductionto the trade, including a lot of informationthat has helped me feel more confident onthe shop floor. I would definitely recommendthe course to anyone who really wants toexpand on the basic knowledge they’velearnt in-store. One of my colleagues is currently in the same position that I was,and I will definitely suggest that she takesthe course. Overall, I really enjoyed it andwould like to thank my tutor Cathryn andeveryone in store for helping me getthrough Jet 1. I will definitely be looking toenrol in the JET 2 programme shortly andhope to do many courses after that.”

Our second winner of the coveted Award,whose project was considered the best submitted in December 2011, was AlexanderMartin-Wright of David M Robinson inLiverpool. Alexander’s hard work and commitment paid off, as our external moderator realised the quality of his work,and the extent of the effort shown.

Alexander’s tutor Mark Houghton agreedwith that view. “From the outset Alexander’sassignments were extensive (12-14 pages

being the average), well researched, wellpresented and always on time. Although notrequested as an assignment requirement,Alexander chose to add various images that assisted as an aide-memoire to boththe student and the reader. Evidence ofwork-related examples and teamwork alsomade this assignment really stand out from the crowd!”

The JET 1 moderator echoed Mark’s comments, adding: “It is very good to seethat this JET 1 student has been so committedto achieving top grade results for all theassignments – everyone of them has beenclassed as outstanding by his personal tutor.This final piece of work is no different whichmakes receiving and marking it such apleasure. I sincerely hope Alexander willprogress onto the JET 2 Diploma Course.”

When we spoke to Alexander, he admittedhe’d “put in six months of really hard graft,so it was brilliant to hear that I’d passed, got the grade I wanted, and received theaward. I’m really happy. As a member of theNAG my company put me through the JET1 course, and I’m really glad they did. Thecourse allowed me to get to know aboutclient relations in a really in-depth way.

Writing this down, rather than simply discussing with customers or fellow staffmembers really enhanced my understand-ing of how to relate with customers and how to sell. It gives a real and solidbackground in how to deal with customers and particularly how to displayknowledge to them.”

Alexander went on to say: “I’m really glad I took the course – Mark Houghton was brilliant, and easy to contact – and thehead goldsmith, mark and watchmaker,Rupert, made the course really enjoyable.I’d like to thank them all for their help overthe last six months.”

The education department would like tocongratulate Sarah and Alex on theirextremely hard work, and wish them continued success in their work and future studies.

For more information on the JET courses,go to: www.jewellers-online.org or tel: 0207613 4445 (option 1). For information on Bransom please visit:www.bransom.co.uk.

As an member of the NAG my company put me through the JET 1 course, and I’m really glad they did. The courseallowed me to get to know about client relations in a really in-depth way.

| NAG News: IRV Review


I’ve been the sole administrator of whatwas the RV Scheme and is now the NAG’s

Institute of Registered Valuers, from about1988 (when I moved from London to Cardiff)so I can recall first hand (with the aid ofnumerous documents) what is effectivelythe whole history of valuations within theAssociation since the 1980s.

At the 1985 NAG Conference one personwho felt very strongly about the lack of controland guidance offered to NAG members whenit came to valuations was David Wilkins. Sohe put forward a proposal that the Associationshould do something about it. Within a shortspace of time a Working Party was createdunder the chairmanship of Simon Thorntonwho was supported by Jilly Pollard, DavidCallaghan, Ron Mumford, Geoff Neary,Michael Norman as well as Wilkins himself.

Two years of meetings resulted in the creation of the NAG Registered ValuerScheme and the Working Party became anofficial Committee of the Association: theValuations Committee. The ideals proposedby the Committee and approved by theAssociation’s Council proved popular withthe membership and at the NAG Councilmeeting held in October 1987 a total of244 Registered Valuers were elected. In thefollowing year another 235 were elected.The most RVs we had at any one time was566. Happily, of those 244 RegisteredValuers elected back in 1987 33 are stillIRVs today as are 44 from 1988!

During October 1987 the Association alsolaunched the RV Scheme to the insurance

world and first indications were that theyapproved of the ideas behind the Scheme.We’ve continued our link with the insuranceworld over the years and feel that it isstronger today than it’s ever been. We areparticularly encouraged by those companieswho will not accept jewellery valuationsunless they are from an IRV.

In 1988 the Association arranged anational media launch of the RV Scheme tothe public, including a presentation on BBCRadio 2’s Derek Jameson’s breakfast showwhich he recorded with David Callaghan atGoldsmiths’ Hall (1988 also celebrated themillennium of the birth of St Dunstan, thepatron saint of goldsmiths and silversmiths.

Regional launches also took place and generated much interest in the Scheme. Itwas estimated that radio publicity alonereached an audience of over four million.

The Committee also published the valuer’sbible, The Valuer’s Guide, which is now in itsfourth edition and lays down the foundationsevery jewellery valuer should build their skillsupon. Special valuation stationery for RVswas introduced including RV logo stickersfor valuation schedules, window stickersand publicity leaflets. A few years down theline the Association agreed to withdraw pre-printed valuation stationery for anyonewho was not an RV and the Committeeredesigned schedules, envelopes, etc to helpidentify the RV as a professional, ethical andknowledgeable individual. In 1990 theCommittee added Notes to the Schedule toassist the public to understand what theirvaluation schedule included. The originalone-page version has expanded over theyears to its current two pages.

The first two editions of the N.A.G.Registered Valuer List were published in1988 and circulated to insurance companies,loss adjusters, the police, etc. In later years thelist was also circulated to trading standardsofficers and libraries (at one time over 1,500copies were circulated) but now, with theaid of today’s digital technology, details ofIRVs are available at the click of a button onthe IRV website.

In 1989 disciplinary procedures and procedures for the resolution of disputeswere added to the N.A.G. Advisory Code of

NAG Institute of Registered Valuers R E V I E W

Happy 25th Birthday to us!As the NAG celebrates 25 years of professional jewellery valuing,Sandra Page looks back at the early days of the Institute in thisfirst of a two-part feature

Press cuttings from the 1988 national launch


NAG News: IRV Review |

Practice for Valuers to which all RVs mustabide. The Code was later expanded andupdated as the Scheme developed and isnow known as the N.A.G. Principles of GoodPractice for Valuers and all members of theAssociation, whether IRVs or not, arerequired to follow the Code.

In those early days RVs were also sentdiamond price lists supplied by‘DiamExpress’. In 1996 this was replacedby the quarterly NAG RV Diamond PriceGuide which was compiled for theAssociation by Backes & Strauss. Todaythe IRV Diamond Price Guide is circulated via email on a monthly basiswith the assistance of James Riley.Krieger Diamonds supplies its dia-mond stock list which is also emailedto IRVs on a monthly basis. IRVs havealways been advised to refer tomore than one price guide whencalculating diamond prices.

The first NAG Registered Valuer Conference,a half day event held during the Earls CourtTrade Fair took place back in 1989. The firstresidential RV Conference at Loughborough

took place in 1991 and a very encouraging80 delegates attended. We’ve stuck to usingLoughborough University as our venue as itprovides us with everything we need for ourjam-packed, two-and-a-half day event; fewvenues can accommodate our programmewhich includes numerous workshops fordelegates. Over the years we’ve had 106lecturers take part in our Conferences, somejust the once, others on a more regularbasis (Brian Dunn, who we sadly lost at theend of 2011 took part in no less than 14Conferences) and from all over the world.

In 2010 we had over 180 people attendand this year, being our Silver Jubilee, weare hoping to top 200 participants. We’vestarted planning the programme and have anumber of well-known guest speakers alreadylined up so we’re hoping to welcome back

our regular delegates (of the 150 peoplewho attended the 2011 Conference only26 were first-timers) and particularly lookforward to welcoming delegates who havenever been before, especially IRVs whohave never attended.

In 1990 monitoring (then called ‘policing’)was introduced. To begin with monitoringwas a little spasmodic and it wasn’t until2003 that it became a regular part of theInstitute’s annual calendar. The aim is tomonitor each IRV once every five years. Wenow have in place a grading system whichclearly identifies an IRV’s weaknesses andstrengths, rewarding those who have stayed

abreast of developments asthe old RV Scheme becamethe Institute. Should an IRVfall behind we do all we can tobring them up to speed inorder that they can continuetheir IRV status.

In this feature I’ve coveredonly a few of the importantachievements and developmentsthat the Scheme/Institute hasaccomplished in the last 25 years.In the next issue of The Jeweller thespotlight will fall on the educationaldevelopments that have taken place,and in particular on some of the individuals who, over the years, havehelped the Association to make theInstitute the ‘institution’ it is today.

A closing fact: today we have just over230 IRVs. Some who joined back in theearlier days have found the Institute’scurrent requirements beyond their abilities, or they don’t have the time thatthey feel is required to meet current IRV

standards, and choose to use the services ofIRVs instead of doing their own valuations.These days it is harder to become an IRVthan it was to become an RV 25 years agoand those who want to keep their statushave to work at it. We may not have thenumber of valuers we had in the early days,however, the next valuer to be elected an IRV will be our 945th member. And notall the applicants made the grade, the nextvaluer to apply to become an MIRV will be our 1,059th applicant. We hope thatonce we have our new qualification CAT(Certificate of Appraisal Theory) up and running that we will soon be welcoming our1,000th valuer into the fold.

Evolution of the IRV logoThe red and orange logo was used from when the NAG introduced the Registered ValuerScheme in the late 1980s until we changed it to blue. Brian Dunn instigated the changefrom the red and orange logo to this blue one in 2004. He felt the red and orange onewas too garish which, given the type of shirts he wore (see P19), was somewhat ironic!On the right is our current logo, introduced when we launched the Institute in 2008.

These days it is harder tobecome an IRV than it wasto become an RV 25 yearsago and those who want to keep their status have to work at it.

An early Valuation Review

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BJA News |

As another year dawns there are, fromthe BJA’s perspective at least, plenty of

reasons to be cheerful.Not only does 2012 see the Association

celebrating its 125th birthday, it also seesmembership numbers at an all time highand plenty of exciting new projects in thepipeline. There is, of course, no denying thatthe economic outlook is still uncertain, butChristmas trading figures from the high streetgiants were mostly more positive than hadbeen anticipated and initial feedback frommembers suggests that many enjoyed positive sales in December. There are alsothe Olympics and the Queen’s DiamondJubilee on the horizon to lighten the nationalmood and hopefully to get tills ringing again.

So how, you may ask, will the Associationbe celebrating its great age? The answer iswith further innovation; for it is the BJA’sability to adapt to the current climate and tooffer its members a service pertinent to thetime that is the secret of its longevity.

Depressingly, or perhaps reassuringly, thoserequirements seem to have changed littleover the years. In 1887 the preoccupations

of our forefathers– and the reasonswhy the BJA wasformed – makefor familiar read-ing and, as earlyminutes reveal‘Crime, insolven-cies, the lack oftraining and thepoor state of business’ were much on theagenda. Unfortunately all are still with us,but their nature has changed and how bestto address them is very much of now.

As the review of our services elsewhere inthe magazine makes clear the Associationnow has in place some truly 21st centurysolutions to modern jewellers’ problems and,whether you want help with debt collection,with ensuring your premises and your staffare fully protected from crime, or are lookingfor cost-effective and relevant training foryour workforce the BJA can help.

The British jewellery industry has much ofwhich to be proud. Many member companiessuch as Charles Green, Deakin & Francis,

Toye Kenning & Spencer and Alabaster &Wilson – to name but a few – have historieseven longer than the BJA’s and are still flyingthe flag for British manufacturing.

To celebrate both our members’ long heritage and our own, we will be staging asmall ‘125th Anniversary Exhibition’ to runat The Jewellery Show London where wewill be holding our AGM in June. Our aim isto pull together some pieces of jewelleryand silverware to represent each of thetwelve and a half decades of the Association’shistory. We have already had some marvellous pieces pledged, but if you havesomething in your archive which you feel ispart of the great British jewellery heritageand that you would be prepared to lend, do please let us know.

All that remains is for me, on behalf of myfellow committee members and the BJA staff,to wish to you all a happy and prosperous2012 and to say that the team much looksforward to seeing you at The JewelleryShow Birmingham (Hall 18 H35) for whatwe firmly anticipate will be the beginning ofa memorable and celebratory year.

To celebrate our 125th anniversary theteam at the BJA has put together a

celebratory programme:• Animated banner on bja.org.uk

(above) as well as a 125 years section• Competition to design and manufacture

a commemorative silver desk piece. Designs are to be entered by 31st Jan

and the competition judging will beopen to all the trade and invited journalists via our website or by viewing the designs on the BJA stand,H35 in Hall 18, during The JewelleryShow at Spring Fair International. Visit: www.bja.org.uk for detailsand sponsors

• Commemorative 125th BJA member handbook

• Exhibition of BJA members’ work throughthe ages at the BJA AGM at The JewelleryShow London 12-13th June, read moreabout this on p46

• Timeline exhibition at IJL 2012• BJA Membership Awards – members

will be able to nominate themselves for up to two categories from: Member of the Year, Supplier of the Year,Industry Contributor of the Year, Designerof the Year and Retailer of the Year

Voting will be open to the BJA members, culminating in an awards ceremony at theend of the year.

And finally, for abit of fun you willsee from our logothat it incorporatesa unicorn so wehave decided tohold a ‘ Spot theUnicorn PhotoCompetition’.

Email us yourphotos wheneveryou spot a unicornon your travels tous here at the BJA at [email protected] of our eagle-eyed members noticedthe example above recently Can you guesswhere this one above lives? The answer willbe given in the next issue of The Jeweller.

Mike Hughes, chairman of the BJA

BJA – 125 years young!

Spotting the unicorn around the UK

| BJA News


Spoons for a coronation that never happened, some unusual 100-year old

gem-set rings and a bejewelled box for anArab potentate are just a taste of some ofthe items that have been pledged by BJAmember firms to appear in the Association’s125th Anniversary exhibition which will take place at The Jewellery Show London atSomerset House later this year (12th and13th June, 2012).

“Our initial enquiries have unearthedsome truly fascinating objects and we areoptimistic that in the New Year furthermember firms will come forward with jewellery and silverware produced by theirfathers, grandfathers, great grandfathers andthemselves which they too are prepared tolend,” says the BJA’s Lindsey Straughtonwho will co-ordinate the exhibition.

Many of the items already pledged comefrom companies with histories even longerthan the BJA’s own. Tom Green, managingdirector of Charles Green, whose great grand-father was on the original committee ofBirmingham businessmen who in 1887formed the forerunner of the BJA – TheBirmingham Jewellers’ and Silversmiths’

Association – was one of the first to comeforward and has promised a fascinatingearly stock book and some unusual ringsfrom the turn of the 20th century.

Other businesses which date back to theAssociation’s beginnings are Deakin &Francis which is to lend some silverware fromthe 1880s; Saunders & Shepherd which haspledged some fascinating silver gilt ‘AnointingSpoons’ – still in their original box – whichwere made in 1937 for Skinner & CoJewellers to celebrate the Coronation ofEdward VIII and, thanks to abdication, becamesurplus to requirements, and Alabaster &Wilson of Birmingham which is to lend aspectacular gem-set brooch created in thelate 1950s.

The London producer D A Soley, like somany in the jewellery trade, enjoyed a boom period in the 1980s and early 1990sproducing precious trinkets for the Arabmarket. The bejewelled and enamelled boxpromised for the exhibition demonstratesthe company’s exquisite craftsmanship andis very much of that time.

Remember the Silver Jubilee ingotswith their feature hallmarks?Carrs of Sheffield has reasonto do so with great affection –selling as they did very manythousands of them in the 1970sto celebrate the Queen’s first 25 years onthe throne. At that time oversize hallmarkswere all the rage and at the luxury end ofthe market silversmith Martyn Pugh usedthese to great effect on his deeply textured,silver and lead crystal decanters, which arealso to be lent to the BJA by the private collector who now owns them.

“We are hoping to find at least a couple ofinteresting objects from each decade of the

Association’s long history and through themto tell the story of our industry and some ofthe extremely long-standing companies thatoperate within it,” explains Straughton.However the exhibition will not concentrateexclusively on the old. It will also includesome iconic objects from the past decadeand from the present day – including pieces made using new technologies andmetals such as palladium and FairtradeFairmined Gold. An illustrated booklet on theexhibition with descriptions of the objectsand the companies that produced them willbe published to mark the event.

“We have by no means finished our questfor pieces and would welcome suggestionsfrom member firms, as to any further interesting objects that they would be prepared lend,” says Straughton.

If you are a BJA member and have a piece of historically interesting jewellery orsilverware you would be prepared to lend,please email [email protected] with the title‘BJA Anniversary Exhibition’ or call LindseyStraughton on 0121 237 1112.

Exhibition to celebrate125 years of the BJAThe jewellery industry has changed dramatically over the twelveand a half decades that the BJA has been in operation. Just howradical these changes have been will be clearly demonstratedin a forthcoming exhibition of jewellery and silverware lent bymember firms to be staged to coincide with London JewelleryWeek in June 2012.

‘Peacock Box’ in 18ct yellow gold with cabochonruby and enamel by D A Soley

‘Anointing Spoons’ made in 1937 by Saunders& Shepherd to celebrate the Coronation ofEdward VIII, which never took place.

Decanters by Martyn Pugh to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977.

Jewellerthe

picks...There’s just about enough time to gather together some lastminute gift ideas for Valentine’s Day – and then you may as well consider Mother’s Day…

NOTA BENELaunched at the tail end of 2011, Nota Bene is a new fine jewellery brand designed by Nikki Blowers. Set with diamonds, cultured pearls and a variety of gemstones, the 18 ct goldpieces have been created to be customisable and interchangeable. Drop charms can beworn on pendants as well as bracelets or earrings. Also in the line are stacking rings, a multi-strand necklace concept and silver jewellery will follow shortly.www.notabenejewellery.com

TATTY DEVINECult fashion jewellery brand Tatty Devinehas launched its first collection of fine jewellery. Some of the quirky signaturepieces, including the chip fork pendant,moustache necklaces and this crown necklace are now available in silver withretail prices ranging from £100 to £300.www.tattydevine.com

THEO FENNELLTheo Fennell has added new intricate designsto his first fine silver collection, Alias. Weft isthe daintily feminine new collection takenfrom the brand’s Weft range that wasdesigned in the 1980s. Sterling silver rings,necklaces and bangles have been entwinedwith 18ct yellow gold. www.theofennell.com

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ANA OSTRUMThere’s nothing conventional about thejewellery created by Swedish designer AnaOstrum. Working with sterling silver andunusual materials – this season it’s printed‘ponyskin’ – her rings, bangles and cuffs(with names like Punk Romance) have anoff-beat edginess.www.oritlondon.com

10 STERLINGWindsor-based 10Sterling which specialises in hand-made sterling silver GI dog-tags has just launched a range modeled on the tags used by the UK Armed Forces. The hallmarkedsilver is personalised with embossed lettering – the wearer’s details and a short message.For every dog tag sold a donation will be given to the Help for Heroes charity.10sterling.com

CARATFor the person who needs a little extra helpwith a romantic gift, Carat has createdValentine Love Cards. Each features adesign by French illustrator Emilie Sarneland contains a choice of three pendantcombinations – a microset heart and either a fairy, handcuff or four leaf clover(depending on the message chosen: Loveis Magic, Love is Trust, Love is Lucky). Ahhh…www.carat.co

LILI DIAMONDSFrom one of the new collections of rings byLili Jewelry is this intricate style in platinumfeaturing a 4ct D IF Lili Diamonds MeteorCut® diamond, with white and pink roundbrilliant pavé diamonds set to sit perfectlyaround the decagonal shape of the centrediamond.www.lilidiamonds.com

ASHIANAMade in London, Ashiana is a celebration ofcolour and texture, with inspiration for thedesigns coming from global cultures andimagery. The jewellery pieces are madefrom a mix of materials including silver andgold plate, suede and silk, decorated with a variety of gemstones. This cuff is from acollection that comprises lapis lazuli andturquoise set in gold or silver [email protected]

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FIROUZEHCreated by jewellery designer Touran Reddaway, Firouzeh’s spring/summer 2012 MediterraneanCollection is inspired by the natural beauty of Olympus on the Turkish coast. The 18 ct gold pieces, including pins, earrings, charm bracelets and necklaces are decorated withMiddle East-sourced stones such as turquoise, as well as pearls and agate, to reflect thecolours of the sea.www.firouzeh.co.uk

JADAHand-crafted in Istanbul Jada Jewellery features white, yellow or rose gold set with conflict-free gemstones such as blue and green sapphires, pink rubies and, in the case of this openoval ring, white diamonds. The collection comprises stackable rings, delicate pendants, necklaces and earrings. www.byjada.com

VANESSA KANDIYOTIInspiration for Vanessa Kandiyoti’s new‘Sheva’ collection came while on a dancecourse in Brazil. She saw people wearinglayers of good luck ‘Bahia’ bracelets sodecided to base a range around the concept.Each bracelet comes in black or creammacramé cord decorated with a variety ofcharms (including a chamomile, evil eye,snake and starfish) in white and champagnediamonds and 18ct yellow gold.vanessakandiyoti.com

EASTERN MYSTIC‘Kimatra’ or ‘The Temptress’ is the name of the new collection by Eastern Mystic,which was inspired by opulent, tribal Indian jewellery in general and hand adornments and ring bracelets in particular.The ideas have been developed to create bold contemporary pieces with aglam punk edginess.www.easternmystic.com

MEISSENThe most prolific of symbols for Valentine’sDay is obviously the red heart – and Meissenoffer a fine range of rock crystal and redporcelain hearts set in rose gold. However,for someone who prefers something a littlemore subtle (and expensive) there’s thiswhite gold and diamonds Love Letters ring.www.meissen.com

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Everyone deserves a piece of Kit Heath

Tel: 01271 329123 Email: [email protected]

www.kitheath.com

Visit us at the Jewellery Show, Spring Fair 2012

Hall 18, Stand J28, K29

LOUSHELOUA new company specialising in fine, contemporary jewellery, Loushelou uses a selection ofcoloured diamonds and sapphires set into 18ct gold, with an emphasis on design classicswith a modern twist. The latest collection includes these cube pendants in black, champagneand white diamonds, which have cube stud earrings to match.www.loushelou.com

10m2 This jewellery brand is known for its multi-wrap bracelets using a variety of materials. For nextspring the emphasis is on pastel colours for the hypoallergenic waxed cotton threads, usedin conjunction with silver beads. Other styles feature silver tubes and charms.www.oritlondon.com

ANDREW GEOGHEGANLast Autumn Andrew Geoghegan heard ofa collection of exquisite opals, including onevariety that had been mined by the Aztecs,since lost, and now found! As this sort ofnews does not come along every day herapidly made contact across the Channeland before long the two stones landed on his doorstep… one of them is picturedin the Celestial cocktail ring. It is calledLeopard Opal and the mine it came fromwas lost for hundreds of years.Tel: 0113 30 70 100

TAWNY PHILLIPSLondon-based bespoke contemporary jeweller Tawny Phillips is re-launching herbusiness after a break of a few years.Having worked closely with Paul Smith inthe past and sold her collections throughthe likes of Donna Karan and Harrods, she has now pulled together a very strongcollection of bold and strikingly differentpieces – scale and weight being her signature theme. Phillips works using severaltechniques including hand-carving, forging,stone setting and hand-engraving, with natural materials such as bone beads,rough gemstones and fossilised sharks’teeth to dictate the designs.www.tawnyphillips.com

JIANHUIThe design sensation that was Jianhui’sclever ‘Next Pashmina’ made of tiny light-weight wood beads in a variety of colours,has been joined by two more styles for2012. The ‘Chain’ shown here is a 10-strandnecklace made from fine cord links whichhave been wrapped with threads of different colours. This will be followed by theend of this year with the ‘Yangmao’ version(the Chinese word for wool).www.jianhui.co.uk

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| Security


Jewellers Personal Safety & Security Guide For RobberyRetailing has always been a risky businessand the number of thefts from shops riseyear on year with an incident occurring nearlyevery minute of every day; while violenceand abuse against shop staff increasessteadily. By its very nature, jewellery retailingcarries higher risks than many other sectors.But short of putting a policeman in everyshop door way, what can be done to stemthe rising tide? The reasons for the upsurgein crime are too complex to analyse heresave to say that in the final analysis we facean ever present threat, and current financialconstraints do not help! Without a paradigmshift in society, we’re potentially faced withdemanding the police do more with less.But can they do it alone? The answer is no,they need help, and particularly from thebusinesses they seek to protect.

The subject of security may seem com-plex to most jewellers, and perhaps best leftto experts. But in reality nobody knows thelocal circumstances better than jewellersthemselves, and with just a little externalhelp they can greatly reduce the risks totheir own premises, and use police timemore effectively. That is why the NAG hashelped produce a straightforward guide that we hope will, in conjunction with yourinsurers’ advice, answer some of the morebasic questions, and act as a template foryour own security needs.

Naturally crime evolves as criminals adaptto new obstacles and deterrents, in much thesame way that business changes its practicesto deal with new economic circumstancesor consumer trends. Therefore, no guide ortemplate will ever foresee, predict, or describeevery eventuality, but by paying attention tothe fundamentals of security every business

will be better able to cope when the unexpected happens. Contact Luke Streetfor your free copy now.

Singing the Praises of SaferGems There have been some pleasing commentsin the trade press about the effectiveness ofSaferGems in the run up to the New Year,and our joint initiative with T H March goesfrom strength to strength, reporting successesalmost every week. Frustratingly, we are notalways able to share the details of arrests forfear of prejudicing prosecutions, but we cantell you that the data keeps flowing in andthe alerts keep ‘pinging’ into the inboxes ofregistered members of the scheme. Last yearalone SaferGems received notice of morethan 650 attempted attacks and suspiciousincidents; that’s an average of 60 reports a month! Of those, 93 were recorded asrobberies, 17 of which were on travellingjewellery representatives, equating to £10million pounds worth of goods being stolen.Sixty nine aggravated burglaries/smash andgrabs accounted for over £1.2 million worthof stock stolen, while 73 commercial burglariesresulted in almost £1 million worth of goodsstolen. Lastly, we recorded 344 offences oftheft, 172 of which involved distraction orsleight of hand techniques with approximately£280,000 worth of goods stolen.

Those members who have registeredtheir details with SaferGems will have seenthe latest monthly bulletin, published inJanuary, containing a round-up of requestsfor info and details of suspects, but here isone minor example of the way SaferGemscan help: On Saturday, 3rd December 2011Kent Police linked two thefts of rings fromjewellers in Tunbridge Wells town centre.The offender, while talking to staff about aninsurance claim, stated he wanted to use

the money to buy a ring. He asked to seeone in a tray of white gold rings and used asleight of hand technique to secrete one ofthe rings in the palm of his hand.

On Tuesday, 6th December an identicaloffence occurred at a third jeweller inTonbridge, Kent, and again the sleight ofhand resulted in an expensive ring beingstolen. The CCTV from the third offencecaptured clear images of the offender, whichwere circulated to SaferGems members as awarning, and to see if anyone could identifyhim. As a direct result, investigating officersreceived calls from jewellers in Bluewater,Bromley, and Canterbury, which led to thesuspect male being identified and evidencecaptured. Kent Police also identified furtheroffences in Margate and Ashford before thesuspect was arrested on Friday 9th Decemberfor attempting to steal a ring from a jewellerin Maidstone. Dave Leadbeater of Kent Policestates: “There is no doubt that without theassistance of SaferGems, evidence wouldhave been lost and this individual would nothave been brought to justice so quickly. “

If you haven’t already done it, now is the time to sign up to SaferGems to receive monthly e-bulletins and regionalemails detailing crime and suspicious activityin your area. To sign up, simply email: [email protected] with yourpreferred email addresses and we will contact you directly. What are you waiting for– it’s free to members!

Helping you tohelp yourselfSign up to SaferGems and pick up the NAG’s new guide toreducing risks – two ways for jewellers to fight crime

www.sa fe rgems.org .uk


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| Brand Profile


Besides the immediate and obviousaspects of last year’s Royal Wedding –

namely the romance, the feel-good factor,the boost to tourism and a day off work –there were also one or two positive knock-on effects for UK trade in general and thejewellery industry in particular.

One business that found itself grabbing adecent share of the regal limelight wasClogau Gold, thanks to its national heritage.The Snowdonia-based company’s jewellerycollections are – as everyone must surelyknow – made, at least partially, with Welshgold; the very same stuff that has graced thethird finger, left hand of royalty for sometime now. No sooner had William poppedthe question to Catherine and almost before the ink had dried on the ClarenceHouse press missives, than Clogau’s ownmedia machine had swung smartly (but discreetly) into action.

If the general public didn’t know aboutthe significance of gold mined in Wales beforeApril 2011 (or even of its actual existence)then it must certainly be better informed bynow. Which is just as it should be – it’s apretty good story. “The Royal Wedding didhave a positive impact on sales; Clogau hasenjoyed its most successful year to date,”confirms brand manager Sonia Menezes.“The use of Welsh gold to make the Duchessof Cambridge’s wedding ring has raisedawareness of the rarity and therefore of thehigher value and collectability of jewellerycontaining this fast-diminishing and mostprecious resource,” she adds.

And there’s the rub of course – there’snot a great deal of Welsh gold left. The minethat William Roberts (father of Clogau’smanaging director Ben) bought in 1989,closed a decade later and what remains is astockpile of gold that is obviously getting

smaller and smaller as the years go by. So,although every piece of Clogau’s jewellerycontains an element of this rather beautiful,deep rose-tinted gold… it is just that, an element, which is used in conjunction withyellow, white or rose gold and even silver.The important point is that Clogau’s USP is maintained and so Welsh gold is always a feature.

“Where other brands have had to compromise, using vermeil or moving awayfrom gold altogether, Clogau has stayed trueto its core values and continued to produce18 and 9ct gold pieces – never plating butcasting in solid gold,” stresses Menezes.

When asked about the future of Welsh goldback in April 2009, Roberts conceded thatthe company had two options: to reopenthe mine and begin looking for more goldor have a change of direction as far asClogau’s Welsh heritage is concerned. Thelatter has no more appeal now than it didthen. “The future of the mine has yet to beconfirmed. In the long-term we would verymuch like to have this formalised,” explainsRoberts. “Much of the romance of the brand story is tied to the Clogau St DavidsMine and obviously the gold that the brandis famous for. The ‘Welshness’ of Clogausomething we’re keen not to abandon.”

“We’re really passionate about the historyand heritage of Clogau and Welsh gold,”says Menezes. “And we believe that tellingthe brand story through the retailer is one

Jewellerthe

Belinda Morris discovers how a regal connection, national heritage, new design directions and travel are proving to

be a winning combination for one company.

Brand ProfileClogau Gold

The Royal Wedding had a positiveimpact on Clogau’s sales

of the best ways to reach the consumer. Wehave introduced many new ways to ensurethat the retailer has all the information theyneed to understand the brand and havethen supported them with IT, marketingcampaigns and retail furniture to maximisethe sales opportunity.”

It’s interesting that all the iconic Welshnessof Clogau – the dragons, the lovespoons,the daffodils and Celtic love knots – rubsalongside the most modern methods ofselling jewellery. All the sales reps haveaccess to the brand stories, media and retailordering system via their iPads. “Each salescall is enhanced with the latest informationand training for the retailer, to help themincrease their own sales,” explains Roberts.“We have a fabulous new brand story videothat can be used on the SIS screens.”

Around 18 months ago Clogau launcheda retailer web platform – a microsite that isintegrated into a participating retailer’s owne-commerce site. This gives their customers

the entire Clogau range, including any brandpromotions. “We have also introduced aretailer website which talks about ClogauEvent Days and a brand ambassadorscheme,” adds Menezes.

In fact the developments at the sharp,business end of the company echo thosethat have happened on the creative side ofthings. While staying true to its roots (“we’rea Welsh brand and our Welsh customers arevery important,” says Roberts) changes havebeen made to the collections. “We have aportfolio now that is accessible to a widerdemographic,” explains Menezes, who feelsthat she has brought “a fresh perspective to the brand offering” since joining Clogau(from Hot Diamonds) in 2010. “I haveworked with our designer Sam Roberts tobroaden the appeal [of the collections] by

playing to our very obvious strengths – evena small amount of very precious Welsh goldmakes a piece of jewellery that bit morespecial. They’re future heirlooms.”

Today, beyond the more obvious symbolsassociated with Wales, Clogau jewellerygathers inspiration from many aspects of itshomeland. Welsh folklore, the natural beautyof Snowdonia and sentiments that are particular to the Welsh are expressedthrough lines such as the Fairy Locket,Awelon (‘light summer breeze’) and AmByth (Welsh for ‘forever’). And the word

‘cariad’ meaning ‘beloved’, inscribed inside a wedding ring line is as beautiful a touch as any bride or groom could wish for. This spring Clogau is launching Heart ofWales – a catalogue that offers a collectionof some of its best-loved Welsh themedjewellery… as well as a few new designs totempt devoted fans.

Added to all this, the royal connection,unsurprisingly, has not been allowed to fadeto a distant memory. Clogau is coming up toits second year of working in collaborationwith Historic Royal Palaces Enterprises andthere are plans to launch a luxury RoyalClogau collection inspired by the CrownJewels for this auspicious Summer of 2012.The regal sparkle will certainly be evident at The Jewellery Show next month, whenClaire Jones, official harpist to the Prince ofWales (she played at The wedding last April and wore Clogau jewellery) performsat the launch of Clogau’s new Heartstringscollection. She will then go on to be a brand ambassador featuring in the standalone campaign and video for the new diamond set line, inspired by the nationalinstrument of Wales.

Needless to say such royal alliances notonly create an impression on consumers inWales and the rest of the UK (both areashaving grown in the last year for Clogau),but other markets around the world clearly


Brand Profile |

“Much of the romance of thebrand story is tied to theClogau St Davids Mine andobviously the gold that thebrand is famous for. The‘Welshness’ of Clogau issomething we’re keen not to abandon.”

Clogau jewellery might so easily not havehappened. The mine was originally an

abandoned copper mine until, quite bychance, gold was discovered there in 1854.The Clogau St David’s gold mine turnedout to be one of the most productive inWales in the late 19th, early 20th centuries– a key feature of the Welsh Gold Rush. So prolific and renowned was it, that a single nugget of gold extracted from the mine has been used to make royal wedding ringssince the 1920s. In more recent time Charles and Diana, Princess Anne and the Queenherself all wore Clogau gold rings, before the Duchess of Cambridge followed suit.

In fact the connection between British royalty and Welsh gold goes back to the investitureof Edward, as Prince of Wales in 1911. All of the regalia used – known collectively as TheHonours of the Principality of Wales – contained Welsh gold.

When Ben’s father bought the mine his plan was to turn it into a tourist attraction, butplanners put the kybosh on that idea – and so Clogau Gold was established and the company started to make jewellery to sell to local craft shops. It proved to be a very smart move (as well as a way of making good use of a hole in the ground) and since thenthings have come a very long way indeed.

A history lesson

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| Brand Profile


appreciate the links too. And this has beengiven extra impetus by travel retail. InNovember last year the company announcedits business partnership with the Tallink Groupof cruise ferries, operating in the Baltic Sea.Initial sales proved to be so positive thatseveral ships re-ordered within a few weeksof the introduction of the jewellery.

Other recent travel retail ventures forClogau include Mandarin Airlines and AirMacau and in order to further extend itsreach overseas it took on a new businessdesign manager – Artemis Couroupaki, previously of Links of London and Folli Follie.That Clogau is definitely on the map wasdemonstrated when its Royal Wedding marketing campaign culminated in a monthof very high profile branding and consumeractivity at Heathrow's Terminal 5.

“Duty free has exploded for us this year –it’s been a real eye opener to the potentialof overseas trade,” says Roberts. “There wasa time where we struggled to explain toEnglish and Scottish stockists that the brandcould work outside Wales. With travel retailwe can demonstrate that the product worksin the US, it works in the Far East, it works inthe Middle-East, there’s no reason why itwon’t work in towns around England.However, eventually I think we’ll have totake our destiny into our own handsin London.”

“One of our strongest ambitionsis to grow Clogau all over theworld,” agrees Menezes. “Despitethe general financial decline,several economies are boomingwhere the consumers have a

propensity towards buying luxury goods witha strong brand story. Travel retail is our fastestgrowing sector and we anticipate furtherexpansion here.” In making subtle changesto the collection and in continuing to express– with passion – a consistent brand message,the team at Clogau is not only attracting a newcustomer and new retailers, but, in Menezes’words, “laying foundations for solid growth”.

The regal sparkle will certainly be evident at The JewelleryShow next month, when Claire Jones, official harpist to thePrince of Wales (she played at The wedding last April andwore Clogau jewellery) performs at the launch of Clogau'snew Heartstrings collection.

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With just weeks to go until the NEC atBirmingham plays host once again to

The Jewellery Show, the organisers wereable to announce – with understandableenthusiasm – that among the number ofcompanies who have chosen to exhibit atthe 2012 show for the first time, is Swarovski.In fact it’s the crystal jewellery brand’s firstUK exhibition launch platform for severalyears… so cue three cheers all round!

“Swarovski is delighted to be exhibiting at The Jewellery Show,” says UK & Irelanddirector Hayley Quinn. “As the world leader in precision-cut crystal jewellery, thebusiness has an impressive growth plan inplace to expand its portfolio of prestigiouspartners and stores, and [the fair] providesan excellent platform to invite visitors toexplore the sparkling world of Swarovski andits infinite possibilities.”

Other new faces among the 400 or sodesigners, suppliers, manufacturers andservice providers who will be exhibiting atthe show are: Tresor Paris, London PearlCompany, Dan Jewellers, Charles Green, SaintMaurice and Phantasya. The event also welcomes back Spinning Jewelry, Ken CarrLondon and Breuning – all returning to theexhibition after a few years’ absence.

Another significant new development forthe event as it continues to grow is thelaunch of Time – a dedicated watch areawithin The Jewellery Show. Watch makerswho have signed up to join Time includelong-standing exhibitor at the show, theCondor Group – owner of the Royal London,Cannibal Watches and Time Co brands –along with a number of other suppliers

that have never been seen before at theexhibition. Bering Time (the Danish brand isone of those newcomers) Revue Thommen,Alessandro Baldieri, Torgoen Swiss, EtonWatches, Kennett, Storm Watches, IsseyMiyake, Festina, Chic, George, IdentifyLondon, Oasis, Playboy, Puma Freefall,Henley, Wingmaster, Ravel, Tom Dexter,OoZoo, Louis Frey, Switch, Danish Designs,Time IT and Icon Watches are included inthe horological line-up.

Elsewhere at the event, the DesignQuarter in Hall 18 (including the HouldenGroup’s specially selected Gems area) willhouse 30 British and international designermakers, including the likes of Alice Menter,Chavin, Alexis Dove, Cindy Dennis Mangan,Zelda Wong, Jeremy Hoye, KimberleySelwood, Rachel Galley, William Cheshireand Sheila Fleet. At 4pm on Monday theHoulden Group Designer of Excellence

SPRINGLOADEDNew exhibitors, new sectors, new launches and a new layoutto boot – The Jewellery Show at Spring Fair promises to get2012 off to a flying start as our preview demonstrates.

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The Jewellery Show Preview |

Award will be presented at the CatwalkCafe. The same venue will also see theawarding of the CMJ award for BestJewellery Collection at the show – last yearwon by IBB’s Tirisi brand.

Showcasing the latest jewellery trends(supplied by WGSN), daily catwalk shows at12.00, 15.00 and 17.00 (16.45 on theSunday) will aim to inspire buyers as far asdirections are concerned, with the Pandora-

sponsored Catwalk Cafe a central feature asever. In between shows, the space will beused for seminars given by industry expertswho will provide invaluable insights into themulti-faceted world of jewellery retail, andyou can also look out for a series of excitingpanel debates and ‘An Audience with’ interviews. Presentation topics include: creating Christmas all year round, celebritystyle, making the transition from independentto brand, the rising price of metals and howto innovate in times of change, the future ofretail and win-win on the web.

For full details of catwalk show times, theseminar schedule, travel details and opening times for The Jewellery Show visitwww.thejewelleryshow.com

Fancy a Golden Ticket?

British jewellery manufacturer HockleyMint, specialists in precision engineered

wedding rings, earrings and pendants isreturning to the show for the 16th year andwill be sponsoring the entire VIP experience.The first 50 retailers who visit the HockleyMint stand (Hall 17 Q30/R31) on the firstfour days of the show will each be givenone of 200 Golden Tickets. This will allowthem access to the show’s VIP lounge,where they can claim a glass of champagne(or another beverage) and use the area tohold meetings or recharge their batteriesduring a busy day at the show. The drinksvouchers may also be redeemed at thePandora Catwalk Café during Hockley Mint’sdedicated catwalk scene.

Ensuring the VIP treatment continueseven after the show is over, all Golden Ticketholders will be entered into a post-showprize draw to win a luxury weekend spabreak for two at a fabulous UK location.

Domino increases on-line offerOn the Domino stand visitors will be able to see the launch of the company’s on-line version of its renowned ‘Handbook’.This will mean that a collection of over5,500 different jewellery components

spanning everything from ring shanks toearring findings will now available to customers 24/7 on the Domino website:www.dominojewellery.com

“Each item in The Handbook is availableacross a range of different alloys and in avariety of sizes and displaying the huge choice

of items available on-line, in a clear, user-friendly format, will provide an invaluableresource for our customers, especially atweekends and in the evening when ourtelephone sales teams and sales representatives are unavailable,” says salesand marketing director, Andrew Sollitt.

THE JEWELLERY SHOW HIGHLIGHTSThe Jeweller editor Belinda Morris picks out some of the special events as well as new launchesrevealed that will be taking place during this year’s show.

Plenty of 2012 cheer from the Birmingham Assay OfficeThis year’s Jewellery Show will see a numberof exciting unveilings from the BirminghamAssay Office – all aimed to help the retailersand manufacturers increase sales in 2012.Key among these is the new DiamondJubilee Mark, an additional CommemorativeHallmark which can be applied from nowuntil the end of 1st October, 2012. Point ofsale retail packs to highlight and promoteDiamond Jubilee hallmarked articles areavailable from The Birmingham AssayOffice (Hall 18 K58) for £10.

The Office will also be showing its growing Training, Education, Research andConsultancy service which provides courses and learning for those in the fine and fashionjewellery industry. New courses for 2012 include ‘Buying Scrap Gold & Silver’,‘Understanding Coloured Gemstones’ and ‘Identifying Hallmarks & Important Gemstones’.

The team will also be demonstrating the new and innovative AnchorCert GemstoneWeight Estimator App, which, in a couple of clicks will calculate the estimated carat weightof diamonds and gemstones from their measurements. There will also be the SafeGuardInteractive Retail Training Programme which is designed to provide an informative andcomprehensive training session for use in-store at the convenience of the retail store staff.

Spinning Jewelry

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Reaching tech-savvy customers with Gemvision…Demonstrating that the future lies in tech-nology-based jewellery retailing, the team atGemvision Europe (Hall 18 Stand N59)will be giving live presentations of the com-pany’s newest version of CounterSketchStudio 2.6. This offers retailers an easy-to-use bespoke design service in-store – over2,500 base models to modify – while sig-nificantly expanding their product rangewithout the overheads of holding stock. Inaddition, visitors will be able to see demon-strations of the latest version of Gemvision’sMatrix 7 design software. This improves ontraditional CAD functionality, giving design-ers more freedom to create the type ofcomplex organic design shapes which aregenerally created only by hand.

“The profile of customers looking to buyengagement rings for example is very differ-ent today. They are increasingly technologysavvy with online purchasing being secondnature. They expect to browse cutting-edgewebsites for buying ideas and look for com-puter screens they can interact with in-store,” says managing director Gary Baines.“Successful retailers will be the ones whoadapt to this new generation of potentialcustomers and embrace new technology.”

… and with GIAWhile on the subject of technology, the GIA(Hall 17 R15) will be giving the lowdown onits new 4cs App which has been designedto engage and educate consumers oncolour, clarity, cut and carat of diamondquality. There is also a retail version of thisiPad application, created for use at point ofsale and a Simplified Chinese version is alsoavailable on iTunes.

Mastercut’s Diamond JubileeCompetitionTo celebrate the Royal Diamond Jubilee thisyear, Mastercut Diamonds in launching adesign competition at the show. Its aim willbe to ‘foster creative talent, with entrants(professionals and non-professionals)encouraged to let their imaginations soar’,and then translate this into an innovativepiece of diamond jewellery, which will contain 20 Mastercut diamonds, valued atover £20,000. The competition will be judgedby Mastercut’s Jean-Paul Tolkowsky and the

winning piece will be manufactured by thecompany and exhibited during LondonJewellery Week. Visit the stand (Hall 17 S59)for more information.

Bransom launches new POSfinance solutionBransom Retail Systems, the largest supplierof computer systems to the jewellery trade,has partnered with Pay4Later, the UK’s fastestgrowing consumer finance provider to offeran integrated point of sale finance solution.By integrating a financing option within their EPoS system, jewellers can increasesales and improve the customer experienceby pre-populating credit application forms

and streamlining the service. The officiallaunch of the new system will be at TheJewellery Show, with installation at set-upoffered free to those who sign-up at thelaunch (Hall 17 R58).

“Credit applications can now be submitteddirectly from our touch screen tills. The customer details, purchase price anddescription of goods are automaticallyentered to speed up the process andensure accuracy. The exclusive deal withPay4Later is an excellent opportunity forBransom clients to offer interest free orcredit terms in one simple process and stayahead of the competition,” explains ChrisGarland, MD of Bransom. �

Cornerstone gets official launchWe’ve previewed this exciting new project in an earlier issue of The Jeweller and those atthe NAG’s AGM on HMS Belfast last year will have heard about it, but now the industry atlarge will be able to see Cornerstone in the flesh. Thanks to the huge amount of supportfrom Weston Beamor/Domino, the jewellery collection launched by UK jeweller PaulSpurgeon in collaboration with Soweto-born jeweller Nqobile Nkosi will get its first airingat The Jewellery Show. The aims of this social enterprise project, based in South Africa andthe UK, is the empowerment of the people of Soweto and Makapanstad through gainfulemployment. “One exciting feature of the event will be a ‘catwalk of distinction’, with musicreflecting the origins of inspiration and models creating a visual and thought-provokinginsight to this partnership,” explains Spurgeon. This special showing of haute coutureCornerstone jewellery will take place during the main show catwalk. Also, Nqobile himselfwill be on the stand during the event and during his stay in the UK will be doing an internshipat Weston Beamor in order to learn a little more about commercial jewellery production.See for yourself firsthand on the Weston Beamor/Domino stand: Hall 17 P44/Q45.



Spring Loaded – the 2012 Look Book

Unique JewelleryStainless steel combined with leather creates a young urban look for Unique’s women’s collection, with some pieces embellished by fresh water pearl for a more elegant feel. The sterling silver collection uses simple geometric and natural forms – like circles, flowersand leaves – for particularly contemporary pieces. Hall 17 N14/P15

Babette WassermanThese bright and bold ‘Electra Boule’ ringswill be among the classic Babette collectionsbeing shown at the fair – including the morerecent Oval Link and Tab Link necklaces.Other highlights will be the organic wooden‘Ebony’ pieces combined with smoothstones and return-to-the-’80s ID rings,bracelets and necklaces.Hall 18 DQ 41-49

Brave DesignsNative American importer Brave Designscontinues to feature silver feathers stronglyin its collection for 2012. Symbolising thechief and eternal happiness the feather features in a number of new designs forpendants and earrings. Hall 18 E02

Tresor ParisAndromeda and the men’s Triton are amongthe new styles of crystal sphere braceletsbeing introduced into the Neptune collectionby Tresor Paris. Both incorporate naturalgemstones agate and magnetite. A specialedition pavé set white diamond braceletwas recently created with the X Factor logoincorporated, as the bracelets are alreadyfavourites of judges Tulisa and Kelly Rowland.Hall 17 U04/V05

Ti SentoAnimal-meets-mineral-meets-Mother Earth is how Ti Sento describes its new Terra Collection,which has been inspired by the landscape, colours and textures of Africa. Shown here arestacked bracelets comprising delicate rope-twisted silver set with oval moonstones, as well aspavé edged satin enamel and zirconia-encrusted bracelets. Hall 17 V40

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Kit HeathFrom delicate blooms of an English rose,including rosary pieces in blue chalcedonyand lapis lazuli, to lattice effects highlightedby blue topaz and designs that twist, turnand wrap with the Cocoon line – the KitHeath range in gold plate as well as sterlingsilver, encompasses the key jewellerytrends of the season. Hall 18 J28/K29

GoldmajorThis striking necklace from Goldmajor’s new Amber range features four cognac balls suspendedon stainless steel wire. Another dramatic piece in the collection features an amber arrow inthe centre of a silver stranded collar, while in other pieces amber has been crafted intohearts, square blocks like little sugar cubes and icicle-type structures. Hall 18 M14/N15

Zelda WongThe new collection – ‘Cellular’ – beinglaunched at the show is inspired by thecomplex surface of the honeycomb shapedtissue paper ball used for party decorationsand has been created using CAD-CAMtechnology. The raised section of the sterling silver flat design gives a three-dimensional effect, as in this ‘Orchid’ ring.Hall 18 DQ36

Deakin & FrancisFounded in 1786, first time exhibitor at theshow Deakin & Francis will be revealing itsnew collection of cufflinks (with brands thatinclude The Businessman, The Sportsmanand The Eccentric). Designs range from thespooky (silver and cold enamel skulls) tothe dashing (Spitfires and speedboats) andcute – these colourful cupcakes.Hall 18 H59

Eton WatchesFollowing on last year’s trend for ‘Shamballa’bracelets and Eton’s incorporation of thestyle into watches, the company is launchingmore colours for 2012. The watches – fashion accessories with a function – haveJapanese movements and feature IPS nickel-free plating. Hall 18 K15

So JewelleryFollowing feedback from retail customers,three new designs of silver set with freshwater pearls have been added to So’spearl jewellery collection. The sterling silverpieces are rhodium plated for a high shineand to prevent tarnishing and are packagedin So’s trademark white box with magneticclasp. New silver cufflinks, diamond designsand CZ pieces will also be shown. Hall 18 H31

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MounirTaking its signature colour-inspired look forward for the new season,Mounir is experimenting with different colours and shapes of stonesfor the gold and silver pieces – all handcrafted in the London studio.Hall 17/18 DQ13

Rachel GalleyRachel Galley’s new Mystic range of open-ended bangles is availablein gold plate or silver and features a variety of different stones suchas moonstone, coral and turquoise as well as the smoky quartz andaventurine shown here. Hall 18 DQ51

PandoraInspired by the natural world andtaking references from the ArtNouveau movement, Pandora’s new collection, ‘Floral Nostalgia’incorporates precious metals, gemstones and pearls for very feminine pieces. Here the intricateopenwork form of a delicate dragon-fly is fashioned into a sterling silver pendant. Hall 17 P14/Q15

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Alexis DoveThis new owl pendant in gold vermeil, as well as plump bunniesand wrens in silver or gold vermeil, will be making an appearancein the new collection – for necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Alsoon show are pieces inspired by vintage cabinets of curiosities (keys,buttons, hearts, skulls and shells) as well as Alexis’ precious collections including wedding and engagement rings.Hall 18 DQ33

PomegranateSimple organic shapes, off-set by hand-worked unusual finishes in silver and goldvermeil and set with coloured gemstones isPomegranate’s signature look. Apple-greenperidots in textured silver and rich rubies insatin-finished vermeil are among the high-lights being shown for statement pieces aswell as more delicate and every-day studsand necklaces. Hall 18 E13

OoZooWith around 500 styles to choose from, there must be a watch to suit most tastesfrom this very affordable Dutch brand. Fromclassic to contemporary, with small faces orultra large ones, materials range from steeland silicon to leather and suede. For sportytypes there are models featuring the crownon the left-hand side. Hall 18 J59

Buddha to BuddhaMaking its UK debut at the show is Buddhato Buddha, a jewellery collection for men,women and children, created by Dutchentrepreneur Batul Loomans. Inspired by ameditation holiday in India, the collectionhas grown since its launch in 1997 toinclude a hundred different types ofbracelets, rings, earrings and necklaces (somefeaturing gemstones or leather), crafted byhand in hallmarked sterling silver in Bali.Distributed by Fable Trading.Hall 18 J74/K75

Troll BeadsOriginal charm bead jewellery brand Trollbeads will be unveiling new techniques in glassbead making at the show this year. Fresh, bright greens and blues will be a key colour themefor spring, which will also see new glass kits and a number of new gold and silver beaddesigns. Hall 18 J74/K75

MissomaSimple, stylish and contemporary is howdesigner Marisa Hordern describes Missoma’snew Astra collection, with heptagonal andgeometric pieces created to highlight theirregular cut of the gemstone – a moderntake on the ‘star’ design. It’s available inamethyst, chalcedony, rose quartz and smokyquartz. Also new is Ark, a fun collection ofanimal forms that mixes different metals formaximum effect. Hall 17 S33

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FiorelliContrasting colours and textures and geometric lines will be central to Gecko’s Fiorelli collection, which has been inspired by catwalk looks recreating the glamour of 1920sHollywood screen goddesses as well as tribal trends. Hall 18 K30/L31

Giorgio MartelloFashion trends and the architecture andlifestyle of Italy provide the inspiration forthis collection of bold, glamorous jewellery.The Argento collection comprises sterlingsilver pieces set with zirconia stones of different colours, some used in combinationwith pearls. Also in the line is a clip-oncharm range with over 1,000 different stylesas well as a more masculine, unisex collectionwith an urban feel.Hall 17 N14/P15

GemexAs well as the new From Russia With Loveline of diamond set Russian wedding bandsin the Raphael Collection, Gemex will belaunching an extensive range of engagementrings to complement its platinum bridal collection – all rings sit flush with Gemexwedding bands eliminating the need forretailers to make shape-to-fit rings.Hall 17 S04/05

KleshnaAmong the many new lines being unveiled will be a micro range called Little Moments –cute animals and iconic symbols with five pendant styles to choose from, each set off witha Swarovski crystal drop. Another range is Candy Hearts, with crystals flanked by silver beadsfor bracelets, necklaces and stretchy stack rings. Hall 18 E35

VendorafaThis beaten 18ct gold ring from the Duneline is one of the pieces from the newVendorafa collection by Advalorem (part of the Weston Beamor Group). All the jewellery in the line is rich, heavily texturedand many of the pieces, from rings and earrings to neckwear and bangles, featurediamond accents. Hall 17 P44/Q45

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SwarovskiThe ‘Swing, Sing and Shine’ collection isSwarovski’s tribute to vintage styling and inparticular the lights, glamour and vibrancyassociated with the world of entertainment.The two key themes – combining modernitywith the retro story – take the colour-filled crystal pieces from ’50s sweet andfeminine to ’60s avante-garde.Hall 18 L44/M45

Sheila FleetContinuing her inspiration from the sea,Sheila Fleet is launching ‘Tidal Island’, a collection that echoes the ebb and flow oftidal currents in the Orkney archipelagogroup, in silver set with pearl, moonstoneand CZ. Also new this season is ‘Kiss’ whichfollows the layered theme using silver and gold strands set with diamonds andother stones. Hall 18 DQ34

ChavinThis design-led, socially responsible jewellerybrand (created by fine jeweller Ana DeCosta) will be launching more than 80 newpieces on its stand in the Designer Quarter.Key products in the collection will include18 styles of coloured friendship bracelets,each set named after one of the mothersthat Chavin is helping in Peru via its long-term partnership with the charity SOSChildren. Stacking rings, bold cocktail ringsand leather bracelets will make up the restof the line. Hall 18 DQ10

D for DiamondGecko’s children’s jewellery brand is celebrating its 10th birthday by unveiling amakeover for its packaging, point of saleand branding imagery at the show. Whileremaining true to the ‘child-like’ charm ofthe original, the new look for D for Diamondis a little more sophisticated as well as fun.Hall 18 K30/L31

Sho Fine JewellerySho’s 18ct ‘Coin Collection’ will be one ofthe key lines shown at the fair and willinclude new diamond pieces and comes inthree colourways: white gold with whiteand cognac diamonds and pink sapphires,yellow gold with yellow and blue sapphiresand tsavorites and all diamond. Also lookfor the new animal friendship bracelets.Hall 18 DQ 52-59

Cindy Dennis ManganA first-time exhibitor at The Jewellery Show,Cindy Dennis Mangan will be showing herexpanded ‘Princess & The Python’ collectionin sterling silver and gold vermeil, which will include this statement Python bangle.Visitors will also be able to view her award-winning ‘Elemental’ platinum and diamondbridal collection and the ‘Luminous’ diffusion range in platinum, 18ct white goldand diamonds, inspired by her necklacecreated for PureJewels Platinum HeritageCollection. Hall 18 DQ48

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CurteisShropshire-based Curteis will be showcasing new additions to its Silver Echo range of jewellerywhich places emphasis on combinations of textures and shapes for its hand-crafted pieces.Hall 17 P59

Alice MenterInspired by time spent with a hill tribe inNorthern Thailand, Alice Menter designsjewellery that explores the boundariesbetween jewellery, clothing and bodyadornment. Her technique includes takingeveryday objects – such as nuts, washers,zips and bolts – plating them in gold or silverthen combining them with suede, lycra andchain for a fluid, contemporary and highlyindividual look. Hall 18 DQ35

NominationItalian composable jewellery brand Nomination celebrates its 25th birthday this year with anew sterling silver collection comprising around 100 new links which include letters and symbols. Also being launched are new additions to the Lotus collection which is inspired bythe clean and simple lines of the flower. These include necklaces, bracelets, earrings andrings in stainless steel, as seen here. Hall 18 K14

Kennett (Since 1853)Watch distributor Since 1853 will be introducing a new range called Illumin8 inthe Kennett collection. The line compriseseight bright coloured dial variations which –as the name suggests – glow in the dark.This particular feature is applied inSwitzerland, while the rest of the watch,which has a Miyota quartz movement andIP black finish, is made in the Far East. Alsounder the Since 1853 umbrella will beTorgoen Swiss watches.Hall 18 K33

BalaganWrap and Stack bracelets are the way to gofor Balagan this year. Available in single, tripleor five-wrap lengths (which can double as a necklace) the options include summerpastel pearls, gemstones in bold tones andsparkling crystal. All come with their ownpackaging and point of sale material.Hall 18 K28/L29

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BJA Feature |

In 1887 a group of jewellery and silverwareproducers from Birmingham got together

and wrote to fellow members of their industry. Their aim was to call a meeting ofthe trade to address the various problems ofthe time – problems which still soundremarkably pertinent today: the prevalenceof crime and insolvencies, the lack of training and the poor state of business.

The group’s manifesto, (which eventuallyled to the foundation of the BirminghamJewellers’ and Silversmiths’ Association, laterto become The British Jewellers’ Association)also addresses the ever-thorny topics ofeducation, legislation, the development oftrade and lobbying parliament. These topicsare as relevant now as they were then – a fact which may well explain the longevity of the BJA and be one of the reasons why,at the great old age of 125, it now has well over 1,000 members, an all time highin its history.

“In some respects theindustry has changedbeyond recognition.Indeed the past tenyears alone have seennew technologies whichhave transformed not only productionprocesses but also

business practices and retailing. We havealso experienced competition from countriesthat we would never previously have seenas competitors. While some concerns haveremained constant, there is no doubt thatour members’ needs are continually evolvingand changing so that what they requirefrom their trade association in 2012 is morecomplex than ever before, and requires us

to constantly look to the future – rather thanthe past – to ensure we can meet theirneeds,” says the BJA’s current chairman,Michael Hughes.

This in part is reflected by the BJA’s commitment to regularly research the needsof its membership to understand and act on their needs. This has resulted in new initiatives on safety, ethical trading, greaterprovision of discounted services, membershipforums, training and business support. Moreinformation on these can be found on theBJA web site: www.bja.org.uk

Hughes, together with his vice chairmanGary Williams, his deputy chairman BarrieDobson and members of their 15 strongNational Committee have been workingwith the BJA’s staff to put in place an on-going development plan for the Associationand have been instrumental in introducing arange of pertinent new services andalliances. “We have worked extremely hard over recent years to build bridges withother national and international jewelleryand silverware organisations and introducedmeasures to ensure that we can assist ourmembers to stay one step ahead in a fastchanging marketplace. Together with ourpartner organisations we have also createda strong and united voice for the Britishindustry,” says Hughes.

Barrie Dobson agrees.“From the word go,125 years ago, the BJA has existed to helpits members throughdifficult times andthere is no gettingaway from the fact thatthis is a tough climate

for the luxury goods market. Perhaps that is why membership is now at an all timehigh as more and more people come torealise the advantages to be gained frompulling together and supporting and helpingeach other.”

Dobson uses an analogy to explain hisvision for the Association. “Personally I seethe BJA as being at the centre of a big wheelwith spokes reaching out to all the differentsections of the trade. For the wheel to turneffectively and have strength, all parts mustbe interconnected. It should not just be aboutinformation flowing out from the BJA at thecentre, to benefit firms at the periphery. Youget back what you give – and the moremembers who belong and the more theyfeed back into the Association the strongerand better the wheels of our industry willturn to the benefit of us all,” he says.

This is a view furtherendorsed by GaryWilliams, who takesover the chairmanshipof the Associationfrom Mike Hughes inJune. “The BJA todayis an incredibly vibrantand relevant trade

association. It does a brilliant job helping tosteer its diverse membership through thedaily hazards affecting their businesses. I amreally proud to betaking over thereins from Mike inthis very special125th year andlook forward toputting in place astrategy to steer ittowards another125 years support-ing the trade,” hecommented.

Mike Hughes

Barrie Dobson

Gary Williams

Celebrating 125 years


One of the most frequently cited reasons for belonging to the BJA is the

discount on stand space which member-ship provides at some of the UK’s leadingjewellery exhibitions.

For larger businesses, like the Derbyshiremanufacturer and retailer, CW Sellors, thediscount it receives on its sizable stands atThe Jewellery Show and International JewelleryLondon (IJL) means it effectively receivesthe other benefits of membership free.

“Trade shows are a key aspect of ourbusiness development and growth and ourBJA discounts on stand space are hugelybeneficial in allowing us to purchase largerstands at the major shows and thus toexhibit a wider product range to customersand potential customers. Using the BJAlogo, which is instantly recognisable to other industry players and our clients, addscredibility and inspires confidence,” explainsChris Sellors.

The discounts are also important for thedesigner maker community which exhibitsregularly at specialist shows the British CraftTrade Fair in Harrogate and the consumer-facing ‘Treasure’ in London. “Shows are acrucial part of my calendar and it’s nice tohave a saving. It’s also good to get regular

news about issues and developments in thetrade and to know what’s happening inother parts of the sector. We also used theBJA legal service recently for a bit of adviceabout our tenancy and it’s great to have thatkind of support in place for when you needit,” says designer maker, Becky Crow.

For those just starting out on the exhibitionpath the BJA can also make life easier. Itscurated ‘Kickstart’ group stand at IJL providesan extremely cost-effective way for youngbusinesses to gain access to an internationaljewellery audience while, as past exhibitorEmma Turpin explains, also providing themwith invaluable advice and support.

“I was delighted to be selected for theBJA’s Kickstart group stand for designers atIJL in 2011. This is such a big and importantshow that without the BJA’s support it wouldhave taken me much longer to be able tobe involved. It was fantastic to have theirhelp, reassurance and endorsement. Thanksto them I have made a lot of contacts in thejewellery industry. It has also been great tobecome part of a community and to knowthat I can always ask them for advice so that I no longer feel isolated. I also find their information bulletins very useful,” saysEmma Turpin.

Overseas eventsThe BJA is extremely pro-active in keepingits members informed about overseasshows and in encouraging their export activities. When funding is available theAssociation will organise group stands atsuitable overseas exhibitions and has beeninstrumental in assisting a number ofdesigner makers to grow an export business.A new BJA initiative for 2012 is a groupstand for British designers at the JCK LasVegas show in June.

BJA member trade show benefits

The FactsBJA members receive discounts rangingfrom 2.5 per cent to 15 per cent on standspace at: The Jewellery Show Birminghamand London, Spring and Autumn FairsInternational, Giving & Living in Exeter,Scotland’s Spring Trade Fair, The BritishCraft Trade Fair, International JewelleryLondon and the Dublin Gift & Homestyleshow. They also receive favourable rateson deliveries to trade exhibitions fromMalca Amit and Loomis and are kept fullyinformed of any overseas trade exhibitionswhere government grants may be availablesubject to status.

The Jewellery Show


BJA Feature |

Difficult times economically tend to bringincreased concerns about levels of

crime and this is particularly true in the jewellery industry.

The BJA strives hard to support its mem-bership in this respect with the introductionof a range of useful security-related servicescovering everything from discounts on CCTVcamera systems, emergency lighting anddoor entry systems through to the supply ofarmed guards and secure courier services.

The latter is particularly important to LevyGems, the Hatton Garden gemstone dealerwhich has over the years enjoyed closeassociation with the BJA. Harry Levy was thefirst gemstone dealer to be its chairman andstill represents the Association on theGemstone Commission of CIBJO.

Levy’s son Dan explains: “As gemstonedealers we have very specific needs andwhile we find many BJA services of use tous, far and away the most important is the discount we receive as a member of M A Express, a special secure and insuredFedEx delivery service provided throughMalca Amit. This is something which notonly saves us money but which, we believe,

gives us security while also providing a realcompetitive edge to our business.”

Members also receive free access toSaferGems, a service whereby participants areemailed regular reports of any jewellery-related crimes. This sharing of privilegedinformation, among members of the BJAand NAG (co-founder of SaferGems), as wellas customers of insurers T H March and thepolice in the major jewellery centres, hasalready been proven to assist in detectingperpetrators and in protecting participantsfrom potential criminality.

Ethical issues are at the heart of the BJA’smodus operandi. In order to belong to

the BJA member companies must agree to abide by its ‘Code of Ethics’ – a ninepoint plan which covers all aspects of theirbusiness and is their customers’ guaranteeof ethical business practices.

The BJA also works closely with globalbodies such as CIBJO to disseminate information relating to the nomenclature ofgemstones, the composition of preciousmetals and the disclosure of treatments.With the advent of ‘Blood Diamonds’ and

‘Dirty Gold’, the BJA followed the NAG’s leadwith pan-industry initiatives to create a more ethical supply chain and worked closely withthe British government in establishing theKimberley Process. It was also a foundermember of the Responsible JewelleryCouncil and continues to work closely withthis body. Indeed it was a BJA member,Harriet Kelsall, who became the first UKjewellery manufacturer to gain full RJCaccreditation and Harriet is now workingclosely with the BJA team to assist othermembers tread this path.

One retailer for whom the BJA’s ethical workis of prime importance is National Committeemember, Vanessa Burkitt. “As an advocatefor human rights and ethical production in thejewellery trade, I strongly support the BJA’sstance on the issue of clean diamonds. I nowserve on its ethics’ committee where my roleis to research the complexities of the diamondsupply chain so that the Association is in the

best position to advise members on topicssuch as the Kimberley Process and thepotential for a Kimberley Two to addresshuman rights after the horrors perpetratedin some of Manage mines in Zimbabwe.

“The BJA has spoken out on ethical topicsin the media and I and our chief executiveare currently working with human rightsNGOs, HMG, the US State Department andrepresentative Diamond Bourses to ascer-tain how best all elements of the diamondnetwork can work together to restrict andreduce abuses against diamond workers. I seethis as an absolutely key role for theAssociation in pressing for clarity, supply chaintransparency, ethics and change,” she says.

Ensuring a safer industry

Taking an ethical stance

The FactsThe BJA provides discounts on the following security services: CCTV hi-definition andaccess control from MRSF Group and BRS Fire and Security • Courier services and airportcollection from Malca Amit and Loomis • Property protection by Primassure • Securityalarms and lighting by MRFS, AVA and BRS • Premises guarding by Malca Amit • Air lockdoors by Sure Lock Doors • Armed hold-up safety training by Spa Consulting • Safes bySMP Security and MRFS Group • Bonded warehousing by Loomis • Smokecloak

The FactsUsage of BJA logo • Up-to-date information on global ethical issues • Representation on UK and internationalbodies • Access to lobbying

Man washing diamonds in Kono, Sierra Leone

A Strong Voice“Lobbying has always beena key role for the BJA andits ability to speak out onbehalf of its members onmatters which affect theindustry is for me one of itsgreatest strengths. It has been doing thisthroughout its history and over the years haswon a number of notable battles. Mostrecently, together with other trade bodies, itcampaigned successfully to keep the UKhallmarking system when it was threatenedas part of the Government’s ‘Red TapeChallenge’. This ability to provide a strongvoice for us all is for me reason enough initself to belong.”Martyn Pugh, Silversmith

Great Publicity“When launching a newbusiness you need allthe help you can get,so we were delightedto receive some free PR for our products in the show roundup in The Jewellermagazine following IJL 2011. It’s difficult toknow exactly how people get to hear aboutyou but we’ve had great response to our ‘It’collection which was featured and feel sure the article helped to get it us into thebuyers’ subconscious. The BJA was alsoreally helpful in the early stages of setting upthe company giving us access to a widerange of services and information.”Carole Stock, Nathan and Stock

Training andMentoring“When my business wasstill in the early stages, Iwas chosen to exhibitwith the BJA at Inhorgenta, something thatwithout their support I would not even havebeen able to consider. It was wonderful tohave their advice and Lindsey is fabulous atintroducing me to galleries and collectors. Infact their support network and mentoring isfor me almost the most important thing.When you start off you don’t know howthings work and I always feel I can email orcall to ask for their help. Their design con-tracts and the design deposit scheme areexcellent too and provide something thatwould otherwise be extremely expensive.” Ute Decker, Designer Jeweller

Effective Legal Advice“When one of my earlydesigns was copied andthe offending piecesspotted on another stand at a major UKtrade show, lawyers from Royds who provide the BJA’s Copywatch IntellectualProperty Service gave me instant, on-the-spot advice and secured the immediateremoval of the offending item from the show.Protecting my designs is very important tome and I particularly value the BJA’s work in this area.”Shaun Leane, Shaun Leane Jewellery Design

Sales Support “To sell successfully youmust understand the busi-ness you are in, so having free access to thelatest industry information such as theMintel Report courtesy of our BJA member-ship is a real plus. As more people turn tothe internet to source jewellery, we alsoappreciate the leads we receive from the BJAwebsite from the B-2-B sourcing service.”Barry Bennett, Gecko

Business Services“I’ve belonged to theBJA for many years butfor me the most usefulservice currently is the discount membersreceive on card payments through Streamline.It is a very favourable rate, and better than Icould achieve alone, which is all-importantat the moment.” Kim Wood, Kim Wood Jewellers

Financial Information“We are great supporters ofthe BJA’s Confidential CreditLetter, which is of greatservice to the industry. Weregularly send in information about our ownpoor payers and find the monthly reportcompiled by the BJA, using feedback fromothers, invaluable. We are particularly waryof dealing with new customers who appearon the CCL list and know that it helps us toavoid bad debts.” Joseph Smith, AGI Gems

SecurityAs a company that buys inaround £5 million worth ofprecious metals a week,we naturally work veryclosely with the Birmingham police. In late2011 we discovered that the BJA had signedup to the NAG’s SaferGems to get emailalerts. No sooner had we done this than thefirst alert we looked at showed seven sus-pects wanted for a number of robberies and distractions-type crimes, covering an areafrom Harrogate to Devon. I recognised all ofthem and contacted the police. The upshotis that most of the seven have been arrested,which is excellent news! Nigel Blackburn, Lois Jewellery

| BJA Feature


What does the BJA mean to you?We are asked some very different members to tell us what they value most about their BJA membership and its work supporting the industry.

For further information about these and other benefits and services available to members of The British Jewellers’ Association please contact Diane Thomas.Telephone 0121 237 1110, email: [email protected] or visit our website at: bja.org.uk

| Insurance Matters


Abusiness which insures only its materialproperty (stock, fixtures and fittings,

buildings etc) and its legal liabilities, dependson that property being replaced very quicklyafter loss or damage so there is minimalinterruption to trading. Yet all too often thatdoes not happen: a major robbery inDecember can find suppliers out of stock, sopre-Christmas turnover is lacking; five inchesof floodwater, which the owners expect tobe sorted quickly with minor redecoration andnew carpets, takes nine months becausebuilders are in short supply, plaster has tobe hacked off walls, brickwork allowed todry, new floors relaid and the shop re-fitted;rebuilding after a major fire, which is expectedto take nine months, takes over two yearsdue to the need for slow hand demolition ina busy high street with restricted access,planning delays, and lack of availability ofbuilders who are working overtime becauseof floods elsewhere in the country.

How does the business pay the staff, rent,rates, last year’s tax bill and the many otherunavoidable overheads when faced withsuch disruption? Consider a typical, thoughmuch simplified, Profit and Loss statementon a set of business accounts (right):

Clearly, insuring the net pre-tax profitdoes not touch the real problem. Yet, that isthe figure first offered as a sum insured bysome jewellers when asked about BusinessInterruption Insurance.

All policies, and most proposal forms,contain a definition of insured profit for thepurpose of insurance. This is basicallyturnover less purchases, with adjustmentsfor the difference between stock levels atthe start and end of the financial year. This

‘gross profit’ is the pool from which both the expenses of the business and the netpre-tax profits are drawn.

The complexity of Business InterruptionInsurance offers various pitfalls. This iswhere the experience and pedigree of thebroker is vital.

In addition to excluding purchases fromthe calculation, it is sometimes possible toexclude other specified working expenses.Care needs to be taken to ensure anythingexcluded really will reduce in proportion to the reduction in turnover. Postage is sometimes offered as a suitable example,because reduced turnover after a fire meansfewer sendings to and from suppliers andrepairers. That may be true in some circum-stances, but postage can also rise followingdamage, for example where smaller stocks

are held so there is more movement to andfrom wholesalers and manufacturers.

Another often underestimated key factorin Business Interruption Cover is the IndemnityPeriod – the maximum period of reductionin turnover as a result of the insured damagewhich will be covered by the policy. As theabove examples show, reinstatement ofdamaged property often takes longer thanexpected. But the policy also covers the perioduntil the expected turnover is recovered, notjust the period for the repairs, provided thedelay in recovery of turnover is due to thedamage. In one extreme case, a shop whichsuffered only a few dislodged ceiling tiles ina terrorist bombing remained closed for

three years because of extensive damage toother parts of the shopping centre in whichit was situated.

One cost-cutting approach which is normally extremely dangerous is to select afirst loss sum insured. The argument is thatsince the majority of losses are well belowthe total anticipated gross profit for the period;one can reduce premiums by seeking toinsure a reduced figure, declared to insurersas part of a larger total gross profit. Very fewinsurers will accept this. Those that do willonly accept it for very large sums insured. Therisk to the jeweller is implicit in the premiumsaving: insurers will only reduce the premiumif they believe it reduces the risk to them.The jeweller takes the risk that the lossexceeds the selected sum insured. Giventhe uncertainties of recovering from a majordisaster, as illustrated by the above examples,and the large values concerned, the jewelleris gambling the rarity of such a major eventagainst the very existence of his business.

Gambling with indemnity periods, firstloss sums insured or other catastrophe riskswill not provide the peace of mind which isthe hallmark of good insurance.

Business Interruption Cover (also known as Consequential Lossof Profits cover) is one of the least understood types of insuranceby jewellers. While the topic lacks the dramatic impact of armedrobberies, Business Interruption Insurance is an essential protection for jewellers, says Michael Ferraro of TH March.

Gambling with your peace of mind

Profit and Loss statement SalesActual Sales £296,789Closing Stock £123,456

£420,245Cost of SalesOpening Stock (£120,000)Purchases (£165,300)

(£285,300)Gross Profit £134,945ExpensesWages & Salaries (£59,230)Rent and Rates (£34,777)Postage (£2,020)Advertising (£5,600)Other (£23,280)

(£124,997)Net Profit £ 9,948

be inspired by the finest in jewellery

Organised b y

International Jewellery London is the UK’s most established, premier jewellery and watch event. It is your last chance to take orders from 9,000 of the UK’s top retailers before Christmas.

IJL delivers jewellery and watch focused buyers from over 57 countries; 75% of which have influence or direct purchasing power. Be part of the finest in jewellery and watches by exhibiting at IJL 2012.

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With just weeks to go until the world’slargest and arguably most important

watch and jewellery show opens its doors,excitement and trepidation is building –probably in equal measure. How BaselWorld2012 pans out for the 1,800 exhibitors willsurely be an indicator of the industry’simmediate future. No-one is predicting aneasy ride for the next year or so, but on theother hand there’s cautious optimism thatthis sector of the luxury market is as wellequipped as any to weather the storm.

“The watch industry is very resilient andits tradition is a powerful and positive influence on its stability, even at times ofeconomic difficulty,” says Kirtsen Crisford,marketing manager of Seiko. “We feel that

watch lovers will remain watch lovers, evenin tough times, and that demand will growagain very soon, especially in Europe, whichis still the heart of the global watch business.Therefore we are as excited as ever aboutBasel and expect it to be the success it usually is.”

While steering clear of being openly bullish about things (pride, fall and all that)other exhibitors are also fairly sanguine aboutthe state of the market, for both watchesand jewellery. “Although the economy istough, the watch market seems to havefared much better than many others and sowe continue to have very high expectationsof the fair,” agrees Sarah Salter, timepieceproduct manager at Casio. “The emergingmarkets in Asia are continuing to grow at avery rapid rate and the US also is still one of our strongest markets. But the UK is still a key focus for Casio.” This world view is one that is echoed by almost all the `suppliers I spoke to.

In tough times it clearly makes sense toplay to your strengths and do your share oftrumpet-blowing. A key aid to confidence(whether supplier or retailer) is the belief inyour product and its invaluable – evenunique – place in the market. First timeexhibitor for its jewellery at Basel, Laliquecan surely expect a huge amount of interestfrom buyers. “Our expectations are verypositive as Lalique is a kind of new player inthe small nebula of jewellery brands,” saysspokesperson Anne Kazura. “People are

BaselWorld – open for businessThe finer details of new collections are, for the most part, firmlyunder wraps right now, but ahead of the Big One, Belinda Morrispreviews a few of the new lines to be revealed and gaugesconfidence levels.

Imag

e: B

asel

Wor

ld

Breil Jewellery


Baselworld Preview |

very excited to see how we can go back toour first love in the same daring way thatRené Lalique was known for, but making itup to date and relevant.”

Similarly, Bremont finds that its point ofdifference puts it in a strong position. “We

are one of the only British watch companiesamong over 400 Swiss ones,” says co-founder Giles English. “We feel that we offera different and unique product, so have veryhigh hopes of the fair – even in a poor mar-ket. We don’t need a growing market togrow our business,” he adds.

“The outlook for the start of 2012 doesn’tappear to be looking much better than2011 has been, however, with some of thebigger brands moving their price point andrationalising their distribution, we feel there

is a gap in the mid market sector for a highquality Swiss brand such as ourselves,” saysMatthew LeFevre of Maurice Lacroix, whoalso cites the London Olympics as a reasonto be cheerful business-wise.

Another Swiss brand, Mondaine, alsoregards itself as being pretty well-equippedto face the future with confidence, thanks toits own particular differences. “Mondainehas a clear and unmistakable look that is aperfect [addition] to a selection of watchbrands in a store,” explains Brigit Bircher,brand manager for the company which hasenjoyed “a king-sized growth” within the lasttwo years in the UK. “Also, Mondaine is formany jewellers their entry price Swiss watchbrand – a perfect argument.”

For any retailer who buys watches indepth, Basel clearly can’t be missed. “It’s thebiggest and most important fair in the worldand as well as buyers our key sales staffattend because they can directly contacttheir customers to gauge interest in the newlines,” says Adrian Marroneau, head buyerof Time2 at the Wonder Room, Selfridgesand Rolex One, Hyde Park. “It’s importantfor us to be the first in the know, to reportback and to buy the right products; we seewhat the big trends are for that year. AtBasel we buy with authority to secure therarest watches for our customers andensure we get the most interesting selectionin our market. We also gather informationabout new brands in order to develop ourexisting portfolio,” he adds.

While not necessarily always placingorders, Shaun Bell, managing director ofJoshua James Jewellery and Watch Depot inHessle, finds that attending Basel is vital forstaying ahead of the game. “It helps mekeep on top of the latest European watchand jewellery trends and ensure that wehave the right brands and models for thenew season,” he explains. Economic uncer-tainties or not, Bell remains optimistic aboutthe future. “The outlook for Watch Depot isextremely positive so we’ll be looking toincrease our portfolio and push brandawareness. We certainly don’t want to mod-ify our buying in a way that would restrictour growth or development,” he adds.

Buyers can expect distinctive products,new technologies, a polarising of price pointsand the stupendous spend on stand designfor maximum brand exposure that has alwaysbeen the hallmark of the show.

UK consumer spending on watches and jewellery – taken from the September 2011 report from Mintel� Sales of watches and jewellery (not including costume jewellery) are valued at

£4.2bn in 2011� This represents a growth of 3% since 2007, according to Mintel estimates� The value of the market shrank by 1% between 2007-2009� Precious metal accounts for three-quarters of the market value� Mintel forecasts that sales of watches and jewellery will increase by 8% between

2011 and 2016 to achieve a value of £4.6bn� Sales of watches and fine jewellery are under threat by: mobile phones and other

electronic devices; fewer marriages, gold prices and an ageing population� However, the population of ABs is forecast to hit 14.8m by 2016 – a solid growth of

6% on 2011 levels. These affluent consumers have the highest spending power onwatches and jewellery

� Despite challenges, Mintel research shows that giving and receiving gifts of this naturehave dampened the impact of the recession to a degree

� Demand for watches costing over £250 is highest among men and peaks among 35-44s and ABs. One in 20 men (1.3m in the UK) would spend over £1,000

� 16% of Britons have a collection of several watches, peaking among 45-54s

2012 TrendsIf you care about catwalk and marketdiktats, here a a few watch and jewellerytrends to be mindful of as you scour the best new looks for the year ahead� Retro styling (including 1980s)� Ceramic continues for watches� Colour and texture for watch straps� Watches for ‘professionals’ (military,

divers, drivers, astronauts…) beingbought by ‘civilians’

� Vintage look jewels� Pretty pale pastel gemstones� Black and white� Tribal/ethnic inspired jewellery

(African in particular)� Classic, masculine watches for

women – sporty of city smart� Chunky bangles – bold and single

or a stack of styles� BIG statement earrings� Increased use of pearls and coloured

stones to off-set precious metal costs

BaselWorldOpen for business

Dates: Thursday 8th-Thursday 15thMarch, 2012

Venue: Messe, Basel, SwitzerlandInformation: www.baselworld.com

Ingersoll

�

| Baselworld Preview


BaselWorld – Editor’s Selection

Michel HerbelinExploiting the trend for vintage styling are these bangle watches from Michel Herbelin’sSalambo series. In stainless steel, two-tone and all 18ct gold plated versions, they have oval-shaped cases and a variety of dial options including crystal set with white mother of pearland a stylised twist on traditional roman numerals. www.michelherbelin.co.uk

MeistersingerAmong the several new models beingshown at Basel will be a new chronograph,a limited edition of its 24-hour watch, newadditions to the No2 and No3 collectionsand the new NEOf – a ladies version of theNEO launch last year, but in delicate pastelshades. www.meistersinger.net

The Court GoldsmithA collaboration of eight of Europe’s topcraftsmen come together under the CourtGoldsmith umbrella to show objets d’art aswell as jewellery. Guilloche on titaniumwatch dials and hand-painting on enameljewellery are both specialities of the bespokepieces produced. 0044 1 425279312

DieselVintage military hardwear meets contempo-rary colour combinations in the new MasterBrigade collection by Diesel, which includesthis ‘shabby’ brown model with its tank-likeshape, over-sized crown, highlighted dialand LED light feature. www.fossil.com

Euro PearlsExpect a number of new developments fromEuro Pearls this year (still under wraps aswe go to press) but in particular colour willbe a strong element of the new collections.This means a number of unusual shadeswill be introduced into the jewellery as wellas a mix of colours and types of pearls usedtogether to create bold and interesting pieces.www.euro-pearls.com

�

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LuminoxReturning to its roots, Swiss-made Luminoxis introducing a Blackout version of its originalNavy SEAL watch with the same ‘always visible’ technology that the brand is famousfor. As well as available at this entry level,the Blackout look will also be shown at thetop end with the Field Valjoux AutomaticChronograph series. www.luminox.com

BremontIn 2010 Bremont was commissioned toproduce a unique global timer chronometerfor the military C-17 Globemaster crewaround the world – arguably the most intricate and complicated military watchesever produced. The British company hasnow developed this ‘Globemaster’ watch asthe Bremont World Timer (ALT1-WT) for thecivilian market. Launched in a new Trip-Tickcase with Rotoclick bezel and a very complex, highly finished dial the watch’s caseconstruction has been hardened through aseries of processes at high temperatures togive it a hardness and scratch resistance of 2000 Vickers. The World Timer will beavailable in three dial variations – blue,black and white. www.bremont.com

Christina DesignFrom the Sport Chic range this gold-platedwatch, which is also available in a whitestrap/stainless steel version, features a full sapphire and diamond set dial withadjustable bezel. Despite the sparkle thedurable model has a super-strong casing, iswater resistant to 100m and so can withstandthe rigours of most sports.www.christinadesignlondon.co.uk

Furrer-JacotNew for this year is Furrer-Jacot’s PreciousMetal-Carbon Collection (created in part-nership with the Swiss Olympic bobsleighmanufacturer). The rings will be available in950 palladium with carbon, 950 platinumwith carbon and 750 yellow, white and redgold with carbon. www.furrer-jacot.com

Hip HopA whole host of colours in plush velvet is expected to be the star attraction of the new collection by Hip Hop, an Italian brand that was launched in 1985. Iconic styles from theeighties will be included in the line, tapping into the current mood for vintage styling.Binda Group: 01628 770988

Zeon LtdAmong the brands that Zeon will be showcasing is the new and stylised collectionof timepieces – including a range of ceramics– by fashion designer Vivienne Westwood;the fun, bright Paul’s Boutique watch range,new styles of Braun clocks and watches and just-launched automatic models fromIngersoll. www.zeonltd.co.uk �

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THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GOLDSMITHS is the largest and most active trade

association in the Jewellery industry.

Representing retailers within this sector for well over 100 years, we work together with

our members to promote the highest level of ethical, professional practice in the UK Jewellery

sector through ‘Education’, ‘Representation’ and ‘Communication’.

Today the potential and pitfalls of the jewellery industry are as complex as they are

challenging and as the industry’s major trade association, the NAG is committed to

providing our members with the necessary tools and information to ensure their

businesses are best equipped to take advantage of the challenges ahead.

Indeed we are, and have been, at the forefront of many industry matters – either

contesting, debating or discussing the key issues that effect our members and the

industry as a whole; whether it’s ‘The Kimberley Process’, ‘FairTrade Gold’, ‘CIBJO’,

‘Ethical Jewellery’ or ‘Action for Market Towns’ to name a few, the views of our

membership are always well represented at the ‘top table’.

Plus, more recently, the NAG has developed member initatives such as ‘Safergems’ (in

conjunction with TH March to improve the fight against crime), the ‘Executive Development

Forum’ (a member forum committed to sharing ideas and improving sales) and the

‘Institute of Registered Valuers’ (setting standards for

professional valuers). Add the NAG’s industry renowned JET I & 2 Education and Training

online courses to the list, as well as publishing its very own magazine The Jeweller, and

it is clear to see the NAG is proactively involved in all aspects of the trade.

The NAG is your voice and your trade association for the UK Jewellery industry –

collectively and together we can work to achieve a better industry for everyone.

If you would like to find out what working together can achieve for the benefitof all, please call Amy Oliver on 020 7613 4445 and find out about the differentmembership schemes available to retailers, manufacturers and designers.

Ask not what we can

do for you but what

together we can do

for the benefit of all. . .

Education • Representation • Communicationwww.jewellers-online.org


Baselworld Preview |

Maurice LacroixTwo models join the Pontos line this yearincluding this Pontos S Chronograph with itsdistinctive sporty styling which is availableeither with a steel strap or this bold andstrong nylon webbing version (available in a range of colours). The stainless steel caseis water resistant to 200 meters and in anunusual twist the bezel ring is inside.www.mauricelacroix

Gemex‘From Russia with Love’ describes a new collection of precision diamond set Russian wedding bands in the Raphael Collection by Gemex, which is exhibiting at Basel for the firsttime. Given that their popularity looks certain to continue for 2012, rose and yellow gold playan important role in this new line. Also being shown will be the new line of engagementrings to complement the diamond set platinum wedding bands.www.theraphaelcollection.com

RotaryAs well as the new Ultra Slim timepieces –rose gold plate, or yellow gold with a leatherstrap – Rotary will also be launching its newladies ceramic Aquaspeed sports watches,including a chronograph model, as shownhere. www.rotarywatches.com

Gc WatchesCelebrating its 15th anniversary this yearSwiss-made Gc watches will be launching a special mechanical anniversary watch, as well as the brand’s first mechanical ladies’ timepiece. An extension to the watch collection launched this spring, will be thebrand’s first leather goods line.www.Gcwatches.com

FestinaOfficial timekeeper of the Tour de France,Festina obviously has a strong associationwith sports and cycling in particular.However, also being launched at the showalongside the Chrono Bike line will be models with a more fashion-led quality,such as the colourful, zirconia set, colourfulladies’ watches and this new chronographin the ceramic collection, which is availablein black or white. www.festina.com

�


Victor MayerPforzheim-based jewellery manufacturer Victor Mayer (founded in 1890) is renowned forthe most detailed aspects of the goldsmith’s art such as guilloche, chasing, engraving andstone-setting – as seen in this diamond and guilloche pendant, with rose cut diamonds setinto the long, sautoir-style fine chain. victor-mayer.com

LaliqueA bold fusion of precious stones and metals – including gold, diamonds and sapphires – will form the central element ofthe new ‘reborn’ collection of jewellery byLalique, as well as the company’s signaturefine crystal. The Petillante collection comprises gold and silver rings with crystaland diamond embellishment.www.lalique.com

NomosMore sporty and distinctive and younger-looking than its other models, Nomos’ Clubline keeps things simple with an automaticcaliber and patented Nomos date displayand is available with either a dark or lightface and stainless steel case.www.glasheutte.com

DominoThe Diamond Ring Mounts collection willoffer 80 different designs in platinum and arange of 18ct alloys including white, yellowor rose gold. To help romance the productat point of sale, each design will have itsown ‘story’ to tell. This ‘Maroc’ dress ringfeatures ornate patterns and flowing forms.www.dominojewellery.com

Breil WatchesItalian watch (and jewellery) brand Breil is renowned for its fashion-forward, unisexstyling, although this model, from theMantalite collection has a somewhat morefeminine feel with its lilac aluminium inserton the bezel – other, more masculine,shades are available.Binda Group: 01628 770988


DKNY JewelleryNew York sophistication meets free-spiritedWest Coast in the new women’s jewellerycollection. Oversize styles are young andbold with onyx stones on stainless steel cuffs,rings, necklaces or earrings, while other stylesin silver, gold or rose gold shimmer with pavétrim. Fluid movement is created by culturedpearls on stainless steel. www.fossil.co.uk

| Opinion: John Henn


There are moments in your life when youlearn something that has a profound

effect on you, and so it was on an Octoberafternoon when I was informed by a shortgrapevine that a good friend of mine hadbecome a confirmed sufferer of MotorNeuron Disease (MND). It could just as easily have been me. We are both retail jewellers, with the same history working withour fathers before taking over ourselves. Weboth climb, ski, cycle and both have foreignwives who we love and who both berate usabout the lousy fitting windows and doorswe live with, but he is the one out of500,000 people the sporadic strain of thisdisease had chosen to settle in.

Many of you will know Simon Cupitt (42)– he is one of the nicest guys you couldever hope to meet. With his wife Åsa heruns the family business in Bromsgrove.They have two lovely children. Simon is one of the few people who actually makesjewellery as well as sells it. He has createdbeautiful things since he started learning theskills at the age of 25.

The future is uncertain. This chap rode acivilian section of the Tour de France inAugust – 3,000 vertical meters over eighthours in the sun of the Alps. After returninghome the usual stiff legs didn’t restore atthe same speed he might have expectedand after a few weeks he went looking foranswers. Referrals led to further appointmentsand eventually to the diagnosis. One ofSimon’s lifetime intentions was to ride hisbike from John O’Groats to Lands End forcharity. Little did we know he may be thecause which will set us off next March onthe 1,900 mile round trip. Except, happilyfor me personally, we will be on motorrather than push bikes.

Research into MND is ongoing – isn’t italways? Sixty of the world’s leading stem cellexperts from 14 countries were broughttogether for the first time early last year in

New York to shape the development of futureco-operation in MND stem cell research. InCanada there have been successful tests onmice where they have identified the specificgene that attacks the neurons. The discoveryof this rogue gene has the potential to significantly advance our understanding ofMND but this development is still five yearsaway from human trials.

None of us knows what the future holdsfor us but at least not knowing allows us to continue with a normal life. There are difficult times on the horizon for Simon andhis family, and for all of us to see such atremendous contributor to our lives dealtsuch a card is spine-chilling.

I’m sure Simon wants to work for as longas he feels up to it in the business, butexhausting himself or having conversationson the phone are to be avoided. Sleep isdifficult and he wakes with a finite amountof energy that is all he has for the day. Thereare some marvellous software products onthe market that turn text into voice, and viceversa. Please don’t be apprehensive aboutemailing him – [email protected]

– good positive messages of support willhelp him with the long nights. I think I amgoing to recommend a security guard for hisstore with a tolerance meter – any clientcomplaining about anything trivial will beejected down Bromsgrove high street.

We have put up a Just Giving site forthose of you who would like to donate tothe MND research foundation – it can befound at www.justgiving.com/simoncupittThese are the people who put our soldiers

back together again after a close shave inAfghanistan and all the other dangerousplaces in the world they find themselves.They are involved with everything neurologicaland command a great deal of respect withintheir arena.

BMW motorbikes is to sponsor us withone of its brand new touring scooters, the C 650 GT (www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk). It isa whole new world of hand operated touringscooters that is arriving into the UK marketnext March. We will have one delivered earlyfor Simon so he has some time to get usedto it before the trip. He will be accompaniedby three of the more sedate scooter’s disaffected (hooligan?) cousins in the form ofthe 1200 GS ridden by myself; a delightfulfriend of mine I never ride without, Nigel, andSteve, also known locally as Mr BMW, whois generously supplying the bike at no charge.We propose to send the bikes to the mostnortherly BMW dealer in the British Isles –Inverness BMW – and collect them onThursday 22nd of March, and finish onMonday the 26th with a few days up oursleeves. Another volunteer or two will follow

in vehicles, bringing family along to meet uson the way. It will be a trip to remember, evenmore so of course if the snow stays away!

We will run a blog and anyone in thevicinity of our motorway-free route is welcome to get involved. The blog is under construction and will be publishednext month.

Back at the shop, we have recentlychanged our windows… if only we could aseasily change Simon’s neurons!

It’s life, but not as it should be...

None of us knows what the future holds for us but at least notknowing allows us to continue with a normal life… to seesuch a tremendous contributor to our lives dealt such a cardis spine-chilling.

SimonCupitt

with hiswife Åsa

Target the key decisionmakers with The Jeweller!

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| Ethical Jeweller


CRED JewelleryIf people knew just how much harm washappening to artisanal miners all over theworld they would never buy normal gold.Health and safety, child labour, poor environmental practice and poverty are perpetuated by a corrupt system of controlby bullion buyers. Where Fairtrade has been the answer to bringing justice to thefresh produce industry, so it is doing thesame in the mining industry. It will be difficult for Fairtrade as the values are totallydifferent, but I firmly believe that in thefuture all precious metals and preciousstones will have to authenticate paperworkto prove they have been produced in aresponsible way.

This year CRED has paid over £30,000 inpremiums directly to benefit the artisanalmining communities. This is very good newsfor everyone.

In February last year we saw the launchof Fairtrade gold. The supply got off to aslow start but by the autumn is was freelyavailable. This all happened as gold was hitting $1900 per troy oz. In 2004 it was$400 per troy oz. – that’s nearly a five timesincrease over seven years. Given the Fairtradepremium of 10 per cent, we were nearlypriced out of the market. Fairtrade activistswould support us but the general publicwere reluctant to pay over £100 more forthe same product because it was Fairtrade.

As a result we have responded by developing a new website with a morefriendly retail environment which has animp rovedinformationservice thatp e o p l ehave cometo expectfrom us.We havedevelopedthe retailside of theb u s i n e s soffering awider rangeof ethicallyp roducedjewellery. These two areas are doing well withyear-on-year growth of over 30 per cent.Additionally we have created a wholesalewedding ring range that will enable otherjewellers to partner with us in makingFairtrade gold available to a wider customerbase at competitive prices. We havestrengthened the team by bringing in newstaff and are collaborating with other industry leaders to find ways of promotingFairtrade products across the UK. Our firstquarter strategy 2012 will be to find a priceframework that really works for the consumerin these difficult economic times. High goldvalues mean we can no longer expect themargins of the past, so we are looking atcreating demand by being realistic andaggressive on the price of jewellery whilemaintaining a clear focus on design, qualityand value.www.credjewellery.com

Fairtrade gold –one year onAs Fairtrade Gold celebrates its first birthday, Greg Valerioassesses its effect on the industry thus far.

Twelve months on from the launch of certified Fairtrade Fairmined Gold, I thought I wouldcontact three of the UK’s leading ethical jewellery companies and find out what impact

– if any – the launch of Fairtrade has meant for their business. So, to get it straight from thehorses’ mouth I asked Alan Frampton, managing director of CRED Jewellery, the designer JonDibben and Vivien Johnston of Fifi Bijoux to give me their honest appraisal.

I firmly believe that in thefuture all precious metalsand precious stones willhave to authenticate paperwork to prove theyhave been produced in aresponsible way.

Alan Frampton


Ethical Jeweller |

Jon DibbenThe first year of Fairtrade gold has been verymuch one of creating a market and educatingpeople. We have had a number of goodarticles in local magazines and newspapers,although it still amazed me that some didn’tappreciate the magnitude of the story. Onthe whole customers have been interestedto find out more; many have been scepticaluntil they hear that the Fairtrade Foundationbacks the initiative. Throwing in the bitabout coffee and bananas really helped toget across the confidence that peopleshould have in the certification process.

After a frustrating but understandably slowstart to the supply chain, we only really gotstuck in to making a number of one offpieces and a small collection in autumn,having finished our debut piece in the summer. We haven’t actually sold any yet,but they are higher priced pieces, so we arenot taking this as an indicator of demand.However we have recently finished onequite special commission in Fairtrade goldand just had another one confirmed.

As often happens with life, I had my pre-conceptions challenged, when a young, liberal, educated couple who had sold a hightech gaming company, were not interestedin Fairtrade gold, even though what theywere commissioning was a copy of a designwe had made in Fairtrade. Then, a retired,conservative engineer and his wife, wereadamant after our discussion, that their ringhad to be Fairtrade.

Undoubtedly Fairtrade has been a goodthing to be involved with; it was certainlysomething we all felt strongly about doing,but the gain to our company so far hasbeen the wonder of having a positive storyto tell in such challenging times. It is the correct ethical choice if you are interested in helping make other peoples’ difficult livesa little easier.

And for the future, publicity definitely hasto continue, to keep the story alive in theminds of people and to increase consumerawareness of Fairtrade gold.www.jondibben.co.uk

Fifi BijouxFifi Bijoux has been a campaigner and advo-cate of certification for Fairtrade gold sincewe launched in 2006. 2011 was particularlyexciting to at last see the realisation of thisand I was eager to see consumer response.

The only available source of certified ecogold is Oro Verde (the project which actuallylaunched Fifi Bijoux and inspired me to createthe brand).

The eco mark is critical to Fifi Bijoux brandvalues; I believe that the best models ofsustainability are those which will allowcomplementary industries to continue, orbecome more prominent when gold supplies deplete.

Should the gold price become too lowand mining no longer offers a viable income,industries which could offer alternative livelihoods may be harmed by the chemicalsused in mining (cyanide and mercury)include fishing, agriculture and tourism. The Fairtrade standard does account formercury management; but this remains aconsideration for long-term developmentand so for the moment we only offer the‘triple label’ that meets our ‘triple bottomline’ (people, planet, profit). Due to the limited availability of Oro Verde gold, it iscomparatively expensive.

However, we’ve had a surge in uptakerecently for bespoke pieces. Many of thesecustomers have opted for a coloured gemstone rather than a diamond in their

design. The feedback from our customershas been that they would rather have a trulyunique ring, made in certified Fairtrade ecogold than stick with tradition. I think thisspeak volumes of the new generation ofconscientious luxury consumers. It’s also adream come true as a designer. Together withour customers we’re forging not only a new‘luxury value’ but also pushing creativity andcreating exquisite new styles.www.fifibijoux.com

Final thoughtsAs I reflect on what has been a major marketing shift in the jewellery story, I amboth optimistic as well as sobered by thechallenges that lay ahead for the Fairtradepioneers. The economic climate does notlook bright for anyone, but it is pleasing tosee three companies that have madeprogress economically with the Fairtradestory and product. Also a review of the websites shows a genuine diversity ofdesign and product that is available to theconsumer. Clearly value and design remaina high premium, as well as the more obvious value for money imperative.

Challenges I see for Fairtrade gold and itsgovernance will be the issue of the Fairtradepremium and the potentially marginalisingimpact this will have on the broader commercial adoption if the price of goldremains high in 2012. Also, how quickly andeffectively will the UK Fairtrade Foundationdrive the consumer awareness campaignaround Fairtrade gold and the benefits thatthe purchase has on people and planet.Gold is not an agricultural consumableproduct and jewellery is not an average consumer experience. This will require specific marketing strategies to foster broadadoption of Fairtrade gold jewellery so it isdemanded on every UK high street.

However I have confidence that despitethe huge challenges that Fairtrade gold facesin 2012, we will see a steady growth in thenumber of companies selling Fairtrade gold,more certified miners benefiting from thescheme and more UK consumers asking forFairtrade gold in their jewellery purchases.

Greg Valerio, Founder of Fair Jewellery ActionCommittee member of NAG/BJA ethicsworking groupwww.gregvalerio.com

Vivien Johnston

Jon Dibben


Like all the families of precious metals, silver has always been a highly-prized

and rather expensive material. It has been in use for many thousands of years, formaking ornaments and domestic utensils aswell as simply for trade or as the basis forcurrencies, and was generally consideredsecond in value only to gold.

Its use in the home, therefore, has alwaysbeen as much a declaration of a person’swealth and status as it has been a practicalmaterial choice. For centuries, to have silverin your home in the form of decorative artefacts, domestic objects and utensilsmarked you out as very privileged indeed;only the wealthiest families could afford toset the table with silver flatware, wine jugsand decorative salts – for the rest of society,these were unobtainable items that peoplecouldn’t imagine owning or using.

Societal changeTowards the end of the eighteenth century,however, a curious thing happened. Thewhole world, economically and thereforesocially, was shifting and changing. The burgeoning Industrial Revolution had taken hold and was mobilising people in away that hadn’t really been seen before:swathes of people moved from rural societies into the new cities to take up new jobs, primarily in manufacturing, and

for the first time social mobility or social‘climbing’ (for lack of a better phrase!)became possible on a large scale. Peopleoutside the aristocracy were able to think asconsumers – buying more than wasabsolutely essential – for the very first time,blurring what had always been the rigidly-drawn lines between the absolutely rich andthe absolutely poor. The aspirational middleclass, in short, was born.

Sheffield PlateNaturally enough, the jewellery and silver-smithing industries were among many thatwere keen to take advantage of this newlyemerging social group (or at least, their disposable income); in this they were hampered by the unaffordability of theirproduct. The new middle classes mighthave had more money than they would’vehad tending farmland in centuries gone by,but silver and – lord preserve us, gold –

were still well beyond the financial reach of all but the richest. Not that the silver-smithing trade hadn’t tried to overcome thisparticularly tricky problem, but there simplywasn’t a properly effective way of ‘passingoff’ other metals as silver.

Boulsover However, as luck would have it, in 1743 aSheffield cutler (knife-maker) named ThomasBoulsover (1705-1788) discovered that silver and copper could be heated, fused andformed into a sheet that could be made intoobjects that had the appearance of sterlingsilver. In this state, the two metals acted asone, expanding in total unison.

Boulsover’s discovery was, in fact, an accident. While repairing the handle on acustomer’s decorated knife, he overheatedthe object and the silver began to melt.Boulsover had a look at what he had doneand noticed that the silver and the copperhad actually fused together satisfyinglystrongly. Even though he could clearly seethat they were two ‘layers’ of metal, silverand copper, when he tried to reshape them they acted as one.

To his credit, Boulsover was no slouch inrecognising the potential of his discovery.Already a member of the Sheffield CutlersCompany, he set up in business and conducted a series of experiments on thetwo fused metals. He was able to makesheets of metal that had a thin layer of silver on top of a thicker layer of copperunderneath; he used the new material tomake buttons which, while they looked like silver buttons, he could manufacture ata far lower cost.

AntiqueJ E W E L L E R YSheffield PlateThe Yorkshire city of Sheffield has a long and proud history as one ofthe great powerhouse centres of the industrial revolution – its namesynonymous with once-booming steel manufacturing. It is knowntoo, says Jo Young, for the creation of ‘Sheffield’ silver, a platingprocess that helped to revolutionise the role of silver in the home.

| Antique Jewellery

Old Sheffield Plate

Boulton andFothergillTankard


Antique Jewellery |

Double-sided platingThe double sided (or sandwich) form ofSheffield plating was developed around1770. This was used for items such as bowlsor mugs that had a visible interior, and consisted of using a sheet of silver on eitherside of a sheet of copper. Early manufacturersthat used this technique applied a film of solder over the bare edge of the copper,although these pieces are rare.

With the creation of double-sided plating,pierced decoration became a plausible formof decoration. From the 1780s, chasing wasused to hammer designs into SheffieldPlate, giving a relief pattern. This techniquewas often used to create decorative borderson hollow ware and on some flatware.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Sheffield Platetook off spectacularly, and there proved tobe a real market for silver plated decorativeobjects. Why wouldn’t there be? After all,these were items that had the appearanceof sterling silver, the exclusive preserve ofthe rich, but at a fraction of the price.

Sheffield plate pieces were made andsold not just in Sheffield, where Boulsover’sidea was exploited by the maker JosephHancock from the mid 1750s, but also inBirmingham, where the great manufacturerof his day Matthew Boulton lived andworked. Hancock was the first silversmithknown to have begun manufacturing thesefused pieces in earnest in 1755, whileBoulton, who had taken over the running ofhis father’s Birmingham metals business,used silver plating as a means of significantly

expanding his operations. The same processwas also used in France and in Russia,although almost all the pieces made duringthis period using this method are nowknown as Sheffield Plate (or ‘Old’ SheffieldPlate to distinguish it from the electroplatedsilver that followed).

The pieces that tended to be made were,in essence, the same at those being madein sterling silver: buttons, caddy spoons, teaand coffee sets, larger items like urns anddecorated tureens, candlesticks and traysand so on. In much the same way as the bignames of the high street turn out affordableversions of the haute couture seen on thedesigner catwalks during London FashionWeek, the Sheffield makers crafted a cheaper,plated version of almost every sterling silveritem you could imagine.

Electroplating In an ironic twist of fate not at all uncommonduring the industrial boom years – whenthe scramble to improve and ‘modernise’

Sheffield Plate took off spectacularly, and there proved to be a real market for silver plated decorative objects… thesewere items that had the appearance of sterling silver, theexclusive preserve of the rich, but at a fraction of the price.

GeorgianTea Caddy

Matthew Boulton

Thomas Boulsovermemorial in Sheffield

�

| Antique Jewellery


manufacturing techniques was at its height– Sheffield Plate was both born of a revolution in the silversmithing process andfell victim to one a century later. For in 1840,electroplating was invented. This systemallowed a thin layer of almost pure silver tobe deposited on the base metal, which gavethe resultant piece an even less expensive(but arguably less attractive) appearancewhen it was polished.

After 1840, therefore, the old Sheffieldplating process was largely abandoned and replaced with electroplating. The oldtechnique was used for a time afterwardsfor silver plated articles that were subject to particularly heavy wear, like uniform buttons, but these were the exception tothe rule. Some ‘hybrid’ pieces were made inthe crossover period from 1840 to around1850, in which the main body of the item

would be made from Old Sheffield Plateand the smaller parts, like the feet of bowls,would be fashioned from electroplate.These items are obviously rare and particularly collectable today.

Value todayIt is a further irony still, perhaps, to think thatSheffield Plate came into being in order tomake silver more affordable – as a meansfor canny silversmiths to widen their poten-tial customer base to more ‘ordinary’ folkthan they had previously been reaching –and yet the rarity of ‘old’ plate pieces hasmade them occasionally more expensive inthe modern market than similar work rendered in sterling silver.

Old Sheffield silver was made, approxi-mately, for about a century from the 1740sand as such, stylistically, it is mostly Georgian.

Many of the earliest pieces that come upalso carry family crests and coats of arms. To choose to engrave your crest on silverplate rather than solid silver might seemunusual, given that such affectations tendedto be the preserve of royalty and wealthyaristocracy. Perhaps this suggests the possibility that (then as now) some folkweren’t quite as grand as they liked to makeout. Or perhaps (then as now) it tells us that fashion is a peculiar business, and that Sheffield plate objects, the result of the enterprising Mr Boulsover’s accidentaldiscovery, were for a time among the ‘musthave’ items for the trendiest of homes. �

It is an irony that Sheffield Plate came into being to make silver more affordable… and yet the rarity of ‘old’ platepieces has made them occasionally more expensive in themodern market than similar work in sterling silver.

Elkington Old Sheffield marks

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Setting Up a Successful JewelleryBusiness by Angie Boothroyd(£12.99 paperback, A&C Black)This book equips a jeweller with the essentialbusiness knowledge andtools to set up their ownjewellery business. Thismight mean a collegegraduate looking to setup a workshop, or anestablished executive hoping for a changein career direction. The author (a designermaker and teacher) takes the readerthrough all aspects of starting out, from theboring but necessary admin through to marketing and visual identity.

The Complete Jewellery Maker by Jinks McGrath(£16.99 A&C Black)Within the pages ofthis guide is every-thing from basictools and materialsand setting up aworkshop (healthand safety included)through to advanced making techniquesand the principals of designing. The author,a designer maker who has worked withcrafts people in India, Africa and Thailand,talks readers through (with step-by-stepimages) a range of projects from a hat pinto a filigree necklace.

Collect Contemporary Jewelry by JoannaHardy (£12.95 Thames & Hudson)If you want a heads-up onwhat tomorrow’s antiquesmight be – as far as thecurrent jewellery market isconcerned – this book canhelp. Hardy (ex Sotheby’s)has selected makers andpieces (to suit all tastes) that have ‘timelesscollectibles’ written all over them. Backgrounddata on materials and techniques, a careguide, profiles of artists and a useful referencesection are included.

Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay(£7.99 Arrow)Well, it can’t be said that they come alongvery often, but here we have the secondnovel revolving around jewellery in as manyyears. So, for those looking for a little post-Christmas escapism (but in the safe andsmug knowledge that there’s a kind of workconnection) here’s a story that combines aliterary mystery, ballet, romance, a historylesson, auction houses and amber jewellery.

Sales & ExhibitionsJanuaryCurrent until 9th September: Mine toMedals – the London 2012 Olympic andParalympic Games medals, The BritishMuseum, London (free)A display telling the story of the productionof the medals designed by jewellers DavidWatkins and Lin Cheung.www.britishmuseum.org

February1st (preview), 2nd (public sale): Silver Sale, National Museum of Women in the Arts, London West Bank GalleryA selected group of UK contemporaryfemale jewellers and silversmiths, includingethical jeweller Ute Decker, have beenbrought together to help the NMWA celebrate its silver anniversary. [email protected]

March2nd-4th: Desire, RichmondJewellery and silversmithing consumershow featuring designers such as AnaVerdun, Daniel Gallie and Paul [email protected]

Jewellery & Watch Trade FairsJanuary29th-31st: Antwerp Diamond Trade FairExclusive event for invited diamond buyers.www.antwerpdiamondfair.com

February2nd-6th: Iberjoya, Feria de Madrid, SpainInternational fashion and costume jewelleryand accessories show.www.isema.es

5th-9th: The Jewellery Show 2012 atSpring Fair International, NEC BirminghamSee p46 for a full show previewwww.jewelleryshow.com

9th-13th: Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair,Impact Exhibition & Convention Center,Bangkok, ThailandLeading Thai and international exhibitorswww.bangkokgemsfair.com

10th-13th: Inhorgenta Munich, New Munich Trade Fair Centre, GermanyInternational trade fair for jewellery, watches,gemstones, pearls, silver and technology.www.inhorgenta.com

12th-14th: Pure London 2012, OlympiaFashion, accessories and jewellery show.www.purelondon.com

16th-20th: Hong Kong InternationalJewellery show: HK Convention &Exhibition Centre.Diamond, coloured gemstone and pearljewellery from around 2,800 exhibitors.www.hktdc.com

23rd-26th: Gem & Jewellery IndiaInternational Exhibition, Chennai, TamilNadu, IndiaThe seventh edition of this fine jewelleryand gemstone, Southern India fairwww.jewellerynetasia.com

March8th-15th: BaselWorld, Basel, SwitzerlandSee p68 for a full preview.www.baselworld.com

21st-24th: Amberif, Exhibition Center,Gdansk, PolandInternational fair for amber, fine jewelleryand gemstones.www.amberif.pl

NotebookWhere to go, what to read, what to see…

| Letters


At times like this, when we need supportfrom our suppliers – who have relied

upon us as retailers to be the face of their brand on the high street – their supportseems conspicuous by its absence. As retailerjewellers we have committed to playing our part in building awareness and givingethos to their brand by giving it exposure inprime window space and ‘showing andtelling’ it with well-trained and informed staffin often expensive prime site retail space.We offer the client the opportunity to touchand feel the product and willingly offeradvice and act as their after-sales servicedepartment too.

It is therefore galling, to say the least, at a time when high street shopping as we know it is under threat, that some brands/distributors of watches and jewellery arelikely to bring about a more rapid demise tohigh street shopping as we know it, by theirhunger for numbers on a spreadsheet.

Respect for our loyalty and the importantpart we have played as retailers would beappreciated; but to me, sadly, they appearto willingly sell their soul for the sake ofadding the exciting numbers that Amazonand/or TV shopping channels add to theiryearly ’stats’. Little thought appears to be givento their brand integrity – which appears to

be undermined and eroded by aggressivemarketing and promotions by companieshell-bent on brand collecting as means ofdriving traffic to their sites.

There’s little thought of the consequenceto the longevity and of the detrimental damage to the integrity they inflict on thatbrand. Equally, there are brands/distributorsthat want to have their cake and to eat ittoo; they sell to us as stockists, then, withtheir own consumer websites, directly andaggressively endeavour to sell to our customers too, with offers and free gifts.

Unless these suppliers get a grip on theirbrands and the way in which they route themto market, I can see a time when many jewellers like us will start to questionwhether we are prepared to be the face of their brand – picking over the small offering of sales left to the high street. Beingasked by customers for manufacturers’codes has grown and is now becoming acommon occurrence.

Yes, sometimes value for money can meanhaving the opportunity to consult with aninformed, customer-friendly trained staffthat can champion the brand and give anopportunity to the customer to touch andfeel the product. But, yes, that experiencehas a cost to the retailer – time, investmentand a fixed cost commitment to a brandthat could be seen as not appreciated.Competition by fixed-site retail jewellersseeking to widen their customer basethrough e-commerce is one thing but I wouldsay in no uncertain terms: we will not acceptyou selling to non-fixed retail sites eitherdirectly or indirectly. Brands should actresponsibly in an industry that has backedthem from their fledgling days as a supplier.Control your brands responsibly and supportthose that have supported you otherwise youpotentially risk losing the trust of your retailersand the prime shop windows they haveafforded you as a showcase for your brand.That space is valuable and we need a returnon our capital investment or your brand willhave to be replaced with something thatcan deliver a more profitable sell through.

It would be interesting to see who theworst offending manufacturers are. I havemy own list of names. I informed them Iwas not happy, asked them why or whatthey were doing to police the manner inwhich their brand was being used. Someappeared not have any control; some alaschose to make excuses and appear to justbury their head in the sand… and as aresult, many I simply de-listed. I am anopen-minded retailer and invite suppliers toenter into this debate to justify what somewould see as the undermining of their

brand integrity. I will look forward to readingtheir comments maybe for the interest offellow readers through this magazine.

Suppliers/distributors – there has neverbeen a time when we need your loyal support more.Keith PetersManaging Director, The Jewellers Guild Ltd,Newcastle, Cramlington and Morpeth NAG Member

The first letter out of 2012’s post bag asks whetherretailers are gettinga raw deal fromjewellery brands.

Letters tothe Editor

Increasing challenges of the high street

It is therefore galling… that some brands/ distributors ofwatches and jewellery are likely to bring about a more rapid demise to high street shopping as we know it, by their hunger for numbers on a spreadsheet.


Letters |

Most brands are machines, some fineand sexy, some not so fine and ordi-

nary, but machines nonetheless. Exploringthe origin of the brand and going back tothe source however, it always comes backto creativity, craftsmanship, ideas and inno-vation or in the best an authentic mixture ofall of these. These are largely opposingstatements, so for me it is not a surprise thatthere is much discussion and controversyaround the subject.

As we face the continuing economic crisis,I believe we should ask the question – thereal question – “What changed?”

Pre crisis, in the heady capitalistic, all-consuming, insatiable brand days, not morethan three years ago, traditional independentretail was already in a chronic situation.Department stores, chain stores, onlinestores, discount stores, outlet stores andsupermarkets had already turned attentionto the category and had eroded sales significantly. So consumers both then and nowhave amazing choice and an ever-increasingease to buy the things that they do not need(luxury goods). But now we have absolutelyand categorically entered a new era in retail!So THIS is what really changed:-• The only successful model of the future

for retail is a seamless hybrid betweenon and offline offers. Look at the biggest

retail winners this Christmas if youneed any convincing. This will onlyincrease in fact.

• Luxury (in fact all) retail is going to be allabout value and experience both currentand future wise. Less of higher qualityis far better than more of lower quality.

• Customer experience is the only reasonfor any modern shopper to visit a store.Therefore the customer experience hasto be worth travelling for – expertise,conversation, service and advice.

Now, like retailers, brands have sufferedand are suffering. Even very successful brandsin the last three years have an increasinglyferocious list of problems – material costs,bad debt, redundant stock, angry shareholders and fulfilling promises to name buta few. Most of the brands are trying newways to stabilise and re-establish theirstrengths and inevitably some are temptedinto new channels. If you want to know aparticular brand’s strategy take a look at itsstructure (the people it employs) its vision(what is says it stands for) and carefully takea look at its communications. These elementswill give you a very firm indication of what itwants to achieve and what it will do (or notdo) to achieve it. Oh and why not have ameaningful conversation with the CEO –they are often quite frank about what they

want and how they are going to achieve it.However as I am sure everyone knows brandshave the tendency to change direction, sothis remains a volatile and vibrant place to be.

A vital strategic question to ask as a retaileris “Why does a brand need me?” Answer: “Iknow the customer. I attract the customer tovisit my shop, where I build a relationship withhim/her – they trust me and my opinion. Inother words I give a great customer experi-ence – visiting my store is a real pleasure”.

If this is not the case then any amount ofbrand support and strategic vision will notbe the answer to sustain the retail businessin question. If conversely a retailer has thattype of customer relation then a brand canbe a powerful ally to leverage and add valueto the store.

So my short reflection is that, independentretailers, are exactly that – free to choosethe brands that best suit their customersand their values. But importantly this doesnot have to be exclusive and it does nothave to be static. For as brands developthey may become more or less suitable fora particular store and conversely, as a storedevelops it may out grow or replace whatwas once a ‘dead-cert’ brand. Successful retailbusiness is a mix of store (location, designand housekeeping), people (presentation,selling and nurturing), marketing (bringingpeople to the store and building a great reputation) and finally (not least importantlythough) the mix of products that are offeredthere for sale. If you want to know if a brandcares about your business, ask them tospend some time with you – in your store –to help you improve one or all of theparameters above. From the response andsubsequent action you will have all theinformation you need to decide if that brandis right for you or not.

Jonathan Crocker, who is MD of VAETA &board member of BRIQ GROUP can becontacted via: [email protected]

The Jeweller also welcomes your views onthis topic. Email: [email protected]

We asked brand consultant Jonathan Crocker of Vaeta torespond to Mr Peters’ letter – his reaction is given below.

Even very successful brandsin the last three years havean increasingly ferocious listof problems…

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| Regular


How would you describe your personal style?Consultative, developmental and paternalistic.

What three words describe you best… in your view and according to others? In my view – focused, determined and caring.According to others – inspirational, focusedand caring.

Looking back at your career, what onething would you do differently if you had your time over?Nothing. I have learnt so much along the way,making mistakes as well as enjoying greatsuccesses. It has been fun, challenging andrewarding and I wouldn’t change a thing.

If you could wave a magic wand andchange one thing about the jewelleryindustry, what would it be?There would be controlled metal prices withgradual year on year inflationary increases.The speculation that drives commodity pricesis damaging to the jewellery industry.

What book are you reading at themoment?Jerusalem The Biography by Simon SebagMontefiore.

Where is your favourite holidaydestination? Why?Skiing in the Alps – Courchevel 1850, France– a wonderful family holiday.

To what do you attribute your success?Firstly, building a great team around me andsecondly, holding a deep and innate respectfor the value of every person I meet.

If not the jewellery business, what mightyour career have been?I would have gravitated towards finance insome capacity.

Tell us something not many peopleknow about you…I slept in my wife’s bed before I met her!

Favourite shopping destination (shop,street, city or country!) – why? HMV – Oxford Street, London. I am a bit ofa Luddite and still collect CDs. This is one of the few stores left which stocks CDs inserious depth. What a great shame!

Do you Tweet? No#Twitter?!

Quick fire (no deliberating)• Red or white wine? Red• Diamonds or coloured stones?

Diamonds• White or yellow metal?

White• TV or radio?

Both• Jewellery on men?

Not on this man• Delegator or control freak?

Delegator – my natural inclination wouldlean me towards being a control freak butover time I have adopted the learnedbehaviours of delegation… while still asking a lot of questions!

• Beatles or Rolling Stones? Both – in factI am a passionate and eclectic collector ofrock and pop music. I have over 2,350albums and 450 vinyl singles.

Last WordThe

We are offering the first Last Word of 2012 to Mark Adlestone,MD of Beaverbrooks the Jewellers, a past NAG chairman andcurrently a multiple retailer representative on the NAG council.

Personal ProfileMark, grandson of one of the shop's founders, joined Beaverbrooks in 1979,became joint managing director in 1990 and sole managing director in 2000.The company currently has 65 stores nationwide. Under his watch the storehas garnered numerous accolades, including being placed in the top fourin the Sunday Times Top 100 ‘Best Companies to Work For’ category – in2009 coming first. The store was awarded the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’in 2008. Beaverbrooks has a very strong emphasis on charity and donates20 per cent of its net profit annually. It is also very keen to expose all itsemployees to the concept of charitable involvement and so gives eachperson two days per year of paid time to work for a charity of their choice.

jeweller march issue 2012

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