Jeweller the
June 2013
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The Voice of The Industry
Incorporating
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June 2013 / Volume 22 / No. 4
BASELWOR LD 2013 Scottish Conferen ce Coloured Diamonds
Watches – impervious to the economic downturn? Security special feature – helping jewellers fight back against crime
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Contents & Contacts |
the
The Voice of The Industry
C O N T E N T S
www.thejewellermagazine.com
J U N E
1 3
Time Honoured
26
Editor’s Letter
5
Rawlinson Speaks Out
6
Industry News
8
The upbeat mood at BaselWorld reflects the largely buoyant International News
14
NAG News
16
Member of the Month
18
Education & Training
20
IRV
22
Brand Profile – Accurist
24
Opinion: John Henn
48
Antique Jewellery
50
Notebook
54
Display Cabinet
56
Last Word
58
state of the watch market, finds Belinda Morris
Jeweller Picks ...
36
… timepieces which are all about fashion (as well as function)
Security Special Feature
40
A round-up of news, advice, comment and updates, including:
opening and closing procedures
42
warnings about fog devices
44
safe advice and developments
46
June 2013 / Volume
22 / No. 4
Gems&Jewellery
The Jeweller is published by the National Association of Goldsmiths for circulation to members. For more information about The Jeweller visit: www.thejewellermagazine.com
Gem-A’s big move, BaselWorld 2013, Scottish Gemmological Conference report and fancy diamonds, as well as our usual round-up of the latest news from around the gem trade.
BASELW ORLD 20 13 Scottish Conferen ce Coloured Diamon ds
Jeweller the
June 2013
£7.50
The magazine is printed on paper and board that has met acceptable environmental accreditation standards. The National Association
Sales Director: Ian Francis
of Goldsmiths
Tel: 020 7613 4445
78a Luke Street,
Fax: 020 7729 0143
London EC2A 4XG
ian@jewellers-online.org
Tel: 020 7613 4445
Publishing Enquiries/
www.jewellers-online.org
Classified Advertising:
CEO: Michael Rawlinson
Neil Oakford
michaelr@jewellers-online.org
neil@jewellers-online.org
Editor: Belinda Morris
Contributors:
bmorris@colony.co.uk
John Henn, Michael Hoare,
Art Director: Ben Page
Amy Oliver
The Voice of The Industry
Incorporating
Gems&Jewellery
June 2013 / Volume 22 / No. 4
BASELWORLD 2013 Scottish Conference Coloured Diamonds
Cover Image In conjunction with Boss Watches
Watches – impervious to the economic downturn? Security special feature – helping jewellers fight back against crime
MGS Distribution, Meadway, Haslemere, Surrey GU27 1NN Stockist info: 01428 664701
ben@jewellers-online.org The NAG is responsible for producing The Jeweller and, although every effort is made to ensure that the information supplied is accurate, the NAG does not accept liability for any loss, damage or claim whatsoever that may result from opinions expressed by contributors. Information and ideas are for guidance only and members should always consult their own professional advisers. The NAG accepts no responsibility for the content of Gems&Jewellery or any advertiser, advertisement or insert in The Jeweller. Anyone having dealings with any advertiser must rely on their own enquiries.
The Voice of the Industry 3
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Comment | This month:
Editor’s
Letter
“… the big brands are diving deeper and deeper into their brand DNA and then pulling out a refined, modern take on the old.”
t may not represent a huge retailing victory and of course it doesn’t necessarily reflect what’s
I
happening in our sector, but it’s still a good news story that May sales for UK shops has
risen. OK, a 1.8 per cent increase on a like-for-like basis is not huge – but it’s up, not down, which is surely a reason to be cheerful. There’s also smug satisfaction to be gained from knowing that British factories are currently performing better than those in the US and Europe and that UK manufacturing output soared to its highest level in more than a year last month. So, while on the subject of positivity (and I’m all for talking things up) our own cheerful
Page 26
tidings are that the watch market continues to look buoyant. Despite a general economic malaise and the ever-present threat that smart phones and such like are being used by many to check the time, there are plenty of us left who know what it means when the big hand is on the three… And the usual excited buzz at Basel would suggest that people do actually want to own a watch… or preferably several of them. Personally, my seven watches (count them!) are practical accessories but acquisitiveness, aesthetics and fashion are only part of the horology story of course. As our watches report on p26 explains, there’s also heritage, complications, technical innovation, eco-credentials and sheer design and gizmo madness in the mix, and the very interesting British watch industry to discover and talk about. They might do good things to retail sales figures, but there is a flipside to stocking watches – especially the major luxury brands – and that’s the risk of robbery. The likes of Rolex and Breitling are as magnets to organised criminal gangs and opportunist thieves (as are jewellers
“… threats posed to jewellers during working hours do not always take the form of elaborate and traumatic heists. Theft on a smaller, but substantial, scale is also causing a detrimental effect on retail margins.”
in general), so security is a more vital consideration than ever. In this issue (p40) we focus on the number of different weapons in the arsenal against crime (guns, as yet not included – an option debated in JCK’s latest magazine) and make no apology for repeating ourselves, whether on the subject of safe shop opening and closing procedures or the value and growing success of the NAG/TH March SaferGems initiative. We know you’ve heard it all before, but were you listening… I mean, really listening? Jewellers might be seen as soft targets – it need not be the case.
If you would like to comment on any of the issues raised in this edition of The Jeweller or any other trade-related matters please email the editor at: bmorris@colony.co.uk
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The Voice of the Industry 5
| Comment
Rawlinson
speaks out The NAG’s CEO Michael Rawlinson suggests a money-saving scheme for members, delivers some good news for valuers and talks tough on an important ethic issue… was at an Executive Development Forum (EDF) meeting this week and the subject of bank charges for credit card and debit card transactions was raised. Everyone shared with the group the rates that they were paying and the variations, and although they didn’t sound a lot, they soon added up when we did some sums. One member said that he had saved over £1,000 in one year. That got me thinking. With over 850 member companies, if we could repeat that level of saving across all NAG members we could collectively save £850,000! I would happily share half of that saving with you, if I might be allowed to invest £425,000 into providing new and improved services on behalf of our members. I plan to ask members questions in the future in order to make sure that I have the facts and input I need, so it would good if as many of you as possible are ready to respond. I believe that if members engage with the Association, we can all benefit together. I’m sure there are other examples of goods and services that we all use, where currently the supplier treats you all as individual businesses and therefore we don’t achieve
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6 The Jeweller June 2013
the collective buying power we could. Let’s see if we can get some real results in the future. As one supermarket is fond of saying: ‘Every little helps’. The EDF provides a fantastic opportunity for owners and senior business leaders to meet in a confidential environment in order to share ideas and to support each other to improve and grow their businesses. I learnt so much from the day’s discussions. It also provided me with the opportunity to meet some more NAG members. Every business represented around the table was different, and yet there was a shared agenda of discussion points, issues and problems. If you want to know more about the EDF give me a call, and I’ll also put you in touch with one of the existing members of the forum, so you don’t just have to take my word for it. I will be making attendance at future meetings a priority… why don’t you consider joining?
Value-added benefits In the middle of May I attended the British Insurance Brokers’ Association annual gathering at Excel along with representatives
of the Institute of Registered Valuers. Our intention was to make contact with insurance companies that specialise in dealing with high net worth clients. We took the opportunity to extol the benefits of having valuations undertaken by trained and experienced valuers who recognise the importance of being part of a professional body. Our message was well received and we have follow up meetings to arrange and attend. While we were making new contacts, Nick Major, deputy chairman of the NAG (and a FIRV) has been busy talking to one of these specialist insurers with a view to having IRVs recommended to their clients. And I am now delighted to report that Nick has secured this agreement. The standard of service, ability, knowledge, qualification and ethics available from Fellows of the Institute has proved to be a major attraction to this particular company. This is an exciting and wonderful opportunity for all FIRVs and will without doubt be a huge benefit. We also hope that such business will encourage more MIRVs to become FIRVs.
Lessons from Bangladesh? None of us could have failed to be moved by the horrific scenes of pain, death and destruction shown on TV and in newspapers of the factory collapse in Bangladesh. The plight
Comment | of the garment workers, producing for well-known brands that operate from stores up and down our land, had been brought into sharp focus. Perhaps you, like me, asked yourself the question: “Why don’t the brand owners and their buyers make sure the producing companies take care of their workers?” Well, the spotlight that was shone on working conditions in these overseas sweatshops soon got a response following pressure from NGOs and labour leaders. Some major companies – H&M, Primark, C&A, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Zara and Tesco – signed up quickly before the given deadline and have agreed to pay for rigorous and independent public inspections and blacklist any factories unwilling to comply with appropriate safety codes. Our own industry needs to reflect on the chain of events that occurred in Bangladesh and consider what steps we need to put in place to protect workers and their families that toil, day in and day out to mine the ore and precious rocks that produce the raw materials that are turned into the fine jewellery that our customers want to buy. The UK jewellery industry’s Ethics Committee, consisting of us at the NAG, Gem-A and the BJA, together with our chair Vivien Johnson and our specialist advisor Greg Valerio, is working hard to create initiatives that will make a difference to the lives of miners and their families throughout the world. The topic is tough, and there are no easy answers, but it is something I believe we all need to be supporting in order to find the right solutions.
Air your views! June will present me with several new experiences – my first NAG AGM, my first trade show in the form of London Jewellery Show and the EDF Forum. I’m excited to find out how you view these events and also to meet you. Do introduce yourself to me and let me know what you think of the Association, and more importantly what you want us to be doing for you in the future. I believe that meeting fellow industry professionals, networking and comparing ideas, experiences and challenges is vital if you want to expand your thinking and improve your chances of success. These three events all provide such opportunities so do consider attending at least one if not all of them.
Britain’s got talent Finally, I was delighted to spend a morning walking around Clerkenwell and the edge of the City of London, stepping into the workshops of hand engravers. I was amazed at the diversity of projects they were working on from text engraving, sculpting brooches that would be enamelled, to the creation of hunting, shooting and fishing scenes on some fine silver goblets. It is clear to see why Britain was and still is at the heart of producing and nurturing fine craftsmen and women. I was delighted to see apprentices and the bench, learning the ancient skills, and continuing the fine traditions of the past. Britain cannot hope to compete with high-volume, low-production-cost countries, but we can excel in areas of high added value requiring specialist skilled workers. Long may we continue to nurture, promote and honour our skilled artisans.
The Voice of the Industry 7
| Industry News
IJL regional preview success and design awards unveiled eaverbrooks, Berry’s of Leeds, Phillip Stoner of Leeds and Manchester, and Walkers Jewellers of Huddersfield, were among jewellery retailers who attended a VIP preview last month to view collections that will be shown at IJL in September. It is the first time that IJL has held a special regional preview, with Leeds, a key destination for the jewellery sector, being chosen for the event. The NAG’s new CEO Michael Rawlinson was also present when brands including CW Sellors, IBB and Fei Liu unveiled their new lines, together with emerging designers who will be exhibiting on IJL’s KickStart stand. CW Sellors introduced its new Cameo Italiano brand, alongside its new British gemstone collections. Sales manager Andrew Mills said: “We found the event very successful. The turnout was impressive, with a good range of people attending, from buyers at established companies through to independents and online multi business representatives. It allowed us to speak to people in an environment they feel comfortable in, giving them an authentic taste of the unique IJL experience.” On 3rd June IJL announced that the winner of the ‘People’s Choice’ – allowing the industry to have its say on which KickStart
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designer should be awarded a free stand for 2014’s show – is Jenny Llewellyn. The EastLondon-based jewellery designer and maker works with silicone and precious metals to create pieces inspired by colours, shapes and movements of sea creatures. A new element to IJL’s KickStart initiative, the People’s Choice allowed the industry to vote through social media and its own website. Also revealed last month is IJL’s ‘Editor’s Choice’ – the winning pieces, considered to
Platinum supply falls as demand grows he platinum market was in deficit by 375,000 oz in 2012 due to a steep decline in output from South Africa, according to Johnson Matthey’s Platinum 2013 report published last month. Primary supply of the precious metal fell by 13 per cent to 5.64m oz, the lowest for 12 years. Meanwhile, gross world jewellery demand for platinum improved by 12 per cent in 2012 to 2.78m oz. It was boosted by expansion of the retail jewellery distribution network in China, along with a degree of increase in manufacturers’ finished jewellery stocks. Investment demand for platinum remained steady. Johnson Matthey expects primary supply of platinum in 2013 to be a little higher than last year, with broadly the same level of sales from South Africa as in 2012. It is thought that jewellery demand may decline slightly (and thus matched by supply). Meanwhile, demand for palladium has been steady in most regions (other than China where it has declined) thanks to its use in wedding rings for men. Supply of palladium has fallen by 11 per cent, partly due to record demand from the autocatalyst trade.
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8 The Jeweller June 2013
be the most original and cutting-edge that will be seen at the event, as selected by jewellery and luxury writer Claire Adler. The four categories within the Editor’s Choice are technical excellence, visual impact, originality and commercial vision, the respective winners being: Filipa Oliviera for a filigree brooch; Annabelle Lucilla for a fretwork necklace; Rachel Entwistle for a shoulder piece and Claudia Bradby for her Essentials range highlighting pearls.
EW Payne closes after 103 years romley’s oldest store, family-run jewellers EW Payne, is to close having become a victim of the recession as well as having been affected by the success of the nearby shopping centre Bluewater. The business has been handed down the generations since it was opened by Ernest Payne in 1910. The move comes despite major investment recently to undertake modernisation and refurbishment – including a Champagne bar. A clearance sale takes place this month until all remaining stock runs out.
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Industry News |
Birmingham Assay Office CEO announces retirement ichael Alchin, the chief executive and assay master of the Birmingham Assay Office (BAO), has announced that he will be retiring in the summer of 2014. Despite the BAO having been in operation for nearly 240 years, Alchin is only its 12th assay master. He joined the business in 1998 when it seemed likely that the EU would scrap the UK’s rigorous independent statutory hallmarking in the interests of harmonisation. His brief from the wardens was to fight the EU directive and drive diversification to ensure the business could survive without statutory hallmarking. The challenge was delivered. The EU directive was fought off and eventually ‘retired’ in 2004, and the Birmingham Assay Office now has four additional successful trading divisions: the Laboratory, AnchorCert Gemmological Laboratory, SafeGuard Jewellery and Watch Valuations, and Heritage & Training. During his time at the BAO Alchin has driven the business forward, utilising his understanding of the jewellery industry having spent his entire career within it. During the past 45 years he has travelled around the world, buying and selling for companies ranging from small private concerns to Signet Group Plc, where he was buying director for H. Samuel for 14 years. Alchin leaves the business with one key legacy still in progress – the move to a new purpose-built building, a project which he considers vital to its future. “We all regard ourselves as temporary custodians of this unique institution. The Birmingham Assay Office is only still here because of our great team of people with their innovative thinking and classic Brummie entrepreneurial spirit. “The jewellery industry has changed incredibly and unexpectedly over the last 10 years, largely due to the drastic increase in precious metal prices. Through the commitment and enthusiasm of the whole team we have successfully retained hallmarking and delivered four new strands to our business model, developing new niche services for the wider jewellery, watch, precious metal and gemstone industry. “We have literally laid the foundations and created the platform for the next 100 years and it is time for me to move on and let a new CEO and assay master bring in a fresh approach and a new burst of energy and enthusiasm. But I haven’t gone yet. There is a huge amount of work to be done in preparing for the move and running the business in such difficult times. I don’t need to tell anyone I will be giving the next 12 months my very best shot!”
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S N I P P E T S Pearl success at Christie’s Christie’s of London’s sale of Important Jewels last month realised a total of £8,774,138 and was 77 per cent sold by lot and 90 per cent by value. The top lot was an important three-row natural pearl necklace measuring from 10.7 to 4.1mm which fetched £1,069,875. The results illustrate the continued strength in the market for natural pearls, according to Keith Penton, head of the auction house’s London jewellery department. Rapaport’s call to reject ‘unsustainable’ rough prices Speaking to hundreds of jewellers, dealers and manufacturers at JCK Las Vegas jewelery show last month, Martin Rapaport of the Rapaport Group warned the diamond trade not to buy overpriced rough diamonds. He blamed Indian government credit policy and irresponsible banks for overextending credit to the diamond trade resulting in inflated rough prices. He also issued a call for action against fraudulent grading practices. Chisholm Hunter unveils new-look Falkirk store NAG member Chisholm Hunter, Scotland’s largest independent jewellers, opened the doors of it expanded, refurbished concept store in Falkirk’s Howgate Shopping Centre last month. The second of the 16 shops to open, the new-look store has doubled its floor space, allowing a wider selection of luxury watches, as well as the chance to showcase Chisholm Hunter’s own 1857 collection of diamond jewellery.
Yamaha sponsorship deal for watch brand TW Steel he Dutch lifestyle watch brand TW Steel has announced a new global sponsorship deal with Yamaha Factory Racing, which commenced with last month’s Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, Round 5 of the 2013 MotoGPTM season. The multi-year relationship will see the brand become an official sponsor of the Italianbased squad competing this season and TW Steel will further cement its partnership later in the season with the introduction of a new Yamaha Factory Racing watch collection. Also last month the company marked its milestone of retailing in over 100 countries worldwide with the unveiling of a one-off timepiece – the Swiss-made CEO Tech World Centennial at Couture International in Las Vegas. The watch, valued at $100,000, won the show’s ‘People’s Choice’ Award.
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The Voice of the Industry 9
| Industry News
Laing the Jeweller posts record results cotland’s oldest family jeweller, Laing the Jeweller (founded in 1840) has reported a 42 per cent increase in profit, breaking the £1 million barrier for the first time, despite the tough economic conditions. The Edinburgh-based business, which also owns Parkhouse the Jeweller in Cardiff and Southampton, increased turnover by 19 per cent with a 42 per cent increase in pre-tax profit of £1,032,677 compared to profits of £729,000 on the previous year. The growth of the business has been predominately driven by watch and diamond sales growth. Laing has also trebled its investment in people, IT and infrastructure in the last year and taken its first steps into online retailing. There has been continued expansion of the luxury watch business with a new purpose-built specialist watch workshop in Edinburgh following on from the opening of the Laing Watch Gallery – a standalone Omega, Longines and Chopard outlet – last year. Investment in successful global brands continues with the development of a new Rolex Room in Edinburgh and new Patek Philippe, Rolex and Omega in-store developments in Southampton, with further investment this year in Cartier, IWC, TAG and Breitling. The management team has increased with a number of key appointments through the year including Jonathan Payne as managing director.
S N I P P E T S Royal seal of approval for jewellery designer
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Rare clock up for auction
previously unrecorded architectural table clock made circa 1665 by the famed horologist Samuel Knibb just before the Great Fire of London (1666), has been discovered by the Clock Department at Bonhams. One of only five such gems of the clock trade known, the 350-year old timepiece is estimated to sell for £150,000 to £200,000 at the upcoming Fine Clocks sale on 9th July at Bonhams, New Bond Street. What makes this clock so valuable is the fact that the young Samuel Knibb worked with the great clock maker, Fromanteel – who brought the pendulum clock to Britain in 1658. Only around five clocks signed by Samuel Knibb are known and all are of exceptional quality. “It is exciting to offer this previously unrecorded clock to the market after 350 years in hiding,” said James Stratton, director of Bonham’s Clock Department. “It will offer collectors and curators the world over the chance to learn more about one of the great ‘unsung’ horological heroes of the early age.”
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Trinity Jewellers celebrates third generation with new collection rinity Jewellers of Cambridge has launched its ‘Finest Collection’ to celebrate the passing down of the business to a third generation of the family. Luis Millington, grandson of founder Graham Whitehead – who, at 79 is still an ambassador for the company – has joined as shop manager. Whitehead founded Trinity Street Jewellers in 1955, creating rings for clients in Burlington Arcade.
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Sheffield-based jewellery designer Jessica Flinn has been recognised as one of Yorkshire’s ‘Top Young Entrepreneurs’ by the Duke of York. Last month the University of Huddersfield’s 3M Buckley Innovation Centre played host to the first ever ceremony for the newly launched Duke of York Young Entrepreneur Awards. The awards are part of The Graduate Entrepreneurship Project, which brings together the 10 Higher Education Institutions from Yorkshire and the Humber to focus specifically on enterprise and entrepreneurship. Jessica, who has her own design studio in Sheffield’s historic Kelham Island Industrial Quarter, was nominated for the accolade by Sheffield Hallam University, where she studied for her degree in Metalwork and Jewellery. Her signature style combines the traditions of the local steel industry with contemporary jewellery concepts. Sales team appointments at Alfred Terry Following the appointment of Steve Wright as CEO of Alfred Terry and the luxury division Leading Italian Jewels in September 2012, and the opening of a new head office in London’s Cavendish Square, a restructure and expansion of the sales team has taken place with three new appointments. Charlie Gumley and Jason Maughan both join from Swarovski UK and Shane Whitfield brings with him experienced gained at the Fossil Group. The three join Stan Ashbolt who has 20 years’ service at Alfred Terry and will continue to focus on independent retailers.
| Industry News
Investment deal for Monica Vinader ritish jewellery designer Monica Vinader, whose flagship store opened on London’s fashionable South Molton Street in August 2011, has received further backing from growth capital investor Beringea. The deal, worth a total of £2.5 million, also sees ex-Links of London backer the Clark Group make an initial £1 million investment into the brand. Designed to expand international distribution, this latest cash injection will accelerate ambitious plans for growth. It will also allow the business to increase its UK store presence opening up the brand and its instantly recognisable colourful gemstones, Fiji friendship bracelets and affordable diamond designs, to a wider audience. Headed up by creative director Monica Vinader and her sister Gabriela, operations director, industry experience is brought to the company by board members Gareth Morris (former MD of Links of London), Guy Salter (The Walpole Group), Karen McCormick (partner at Beringea) and Steve Clark (CEO at The Clark Group) who joins the board as part of this transaction.
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North Ayrshire wins Touchstone Award he British Hallmarking Council and the four UK Assay Offices have announced North Ayrshire Council as the winner of the Touchstone Award 2013. This is the second annual presentation of this award to acknowledge the excellent work of local authorities in support of hallmarking. North Ayrshire’s operation revealed trade malpractice which involved not only non-hallmarking of articles but manufacture of under-carat products.
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Signet ring project completed olidscape UK, leading importers of rapid prototyping technology for the jewellery industry, has sponsored a live project for the students of silversmithing and jewellery at the University for Creative Arts, Rochester. The brief was to reconsider the role and form of the signet or seal ring in our technological age exploring the possibilities of CAD and RP manufacturing technology. The nine shortlisted designs break with the stereotypical form, proposing ideas which feature concepts ranging from QR codes, biometric recognition and binary codes to personal phobias. Prizes for first, second, third and a runner-up place were awarded, with the star accolade going to Grace Honeybul for her Gothic and very distinctively styled piece demonstrating ‘beautiful CAD work’ (shown above). Lily Henderson, Emma Gentry and Amy Webb received the remaining honours.
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S N I P P E T S Festina partners cycling events Watch brand Festina continues its affiliation with the cycling world by becoming official timekeeper to three bike events: Wiggle Dragon Ride, Wiggle Etape Cymru and Wiggle Mountain Mayhem. The Grass Route and mountain bike races join professional road events including Tour of Britain and Tour de France by partnering with the group. Dragon Ride and Mountain Mayham take place this month while Etape Cymru, which starts and finishes in Wrexham, is on Sunday 8th September. Van Peterson in 100 more Debenhams stores This summer London-based jewellery designer Eric Van Peterson will see his collection for Debenhams roll out to a further 100 stores. The Van Peterson 925 line has been broadened to include 66 options all made in sterling silver or gold-plated sterling silver, featuring freshwater pearls or coloured stones. Future plans for the brand include a franchise package and the possibility of creating a wholesale collection. New appointments at SDEA At its AGM on 22nd May, the Shop and Display Equipment Association elected Chris Shoebottom, MD of Albion Design & Fabrication, as president and Alan Pegram, MD of Global Display Projects, as vice president. Nick Wraith, MD of Unibox, becomes immediate past president. The AGM also saw two new members elected to the Executive Council: Beatrice Bartlay, MD of 2B Interface, and Tim Wilkinson, business development manager of Plastic Formers. Theo Fennell sponsors student degree show British jeweller Theo Fennell is to be the official sponsor of the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design BA Jewellery Degree Show this year and for the following two years. Now in its 11th year, the show takes place on the 20th June, with graduating students exhibiting their final pieces. “Design and craftsmanship are at the vanguard of our future and any encouragement of these is a joy for our company,” said Fennell.
EW ADAMS
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| International News
Steinmetz Diamonds presents Biennale artwork eneva-based and globally-recognised Steinmetz Diamonds has collaborated with Israeli artist Ron Arad to create a work of art to be exhibited at the 55th Venice Biennale. The Last Train is an emotive and powerful image in motion that shows a cast of Arad’s fist, armed with an Arad-designed, striking Steinmetz diamond ring, poking through a black cloth, scratching glowing lines onto the glass pane. As well as himself, Arad invited other artists to take the role behind the cloth: Francesco Clemente, Anthony Gormley, Christian Marclay, David Shrigley, Cornelia Parker, Richard Wilson, Robert Wilson, Sara Fanelli, Sue Webster and Tim Noble, Leandro Erlich and Gavin Turk. Scratching remotely from Beijing is Ai Weiwei. Each artist creates their work on an iPad, using the Last Train specially developed app, the art work echoeing their every stroke, scratching their image onto the glass. Lior Levin of Steinmetz Diamonds, said: “Steinmetz is a proud partner in this project that introduces our unique diamonds to the world of art. Last Train is an exciting beginning to what will become a series of collaborations highlighting the synergy between art and diamonds.” The exhibition will run in San Marco, Venice, until 24th November this year.
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MeisterSinger anniversary timepiece o mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation, the German watch brand MeisterSinger, renowned single-hand watch-maker, has created a limited edition of 60 watches, exclusively for the UK market, replicating one of Britain’s most historic clocks. Inspired by the single-hand clock on the North-West tower of Westminster Abbey, where the Queen’s coronation was staged in 1953, MeisterSinger’s Westminster Abbey 60th Anniversary Coronation Watch has a manually-wound, Swiss-made Unitas movement visible through a large sapphire transparent glass back, and boasts a regal purple and gold dial with a single hand. The clock in the North-West tower was made by James Seddon and cost £140. It was installed in 1738 before the Western towers were fully completed in 1745. Up until the late 1700s nearly all clocks were singlehanded and time was simply estimated to the nearest quarter hour. It is presumed that the dial was designed by Nicholas Hawksmoore, the tower’s architect, based on studying the equivalent stone dial set in the other tower. The MeisterSinger Coronation Watch comes in a presentation box with a certificate signed both by the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster and by Manfred Brassler, the founder and head designer of MeisterSinger. Each watch is individually numbered and is pertinently priced at £1,953.
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14 The Jeweller June 2013
S N I P P E T S Christie’s Geneva record result Last month Christie’s Geneva auction of Magnificent Jewels realised a total of SFr.98,877,813 (€79,102,250), the highest result ever for a various-owner jewellery sale at the auctioneers. The top lot on 15th May was an exceptional pear-shaped, D colour, flawless diamond of 101.73 carats which sold for SFr.25.8m/€20.7m (a world auction record for a colourless diamond) and has now been named the ‘Winston Legacy’ after its new owner Harry Winston. RJC certification news The Responsible Jewellery Council whose membership has exceeded 400 companies and trade associations across 30 countries has announced that several members have recently achieved certification, meeting the ethical, human rights, social and environmental standards as established by the RJC. These include: Hyde Park Jewelers, Gemmata and NV, Pinkusewitz Diamond Traders NV. De Gisogno Cannes theft The party held at Cannes last month to mark the 20th anniversary of Geneva-based jewellers de Grisogno, was marred somewhat by the theft of a necklace, worth €2m. The piece was part of the just-launched collection and ‘went missing’ despite the presence of 80 security guards (plus police) at the event. The very glamorous jewellery by de Grisogno proved popular with celebrities at Cannes this year, with a number of them, including Sharon Stone, wearing pieces on the red carpet. Bijorhca arrives a day earlier By popular demand from exhibitors, the international fine and fashion jewellery show – Bijorhca – will start on the Friday rather than on the usual Saturday (5th – 8th July, 2013). The show is divided into three sectors – fine jewellery, fashion and design jewellery and elements (stones, beads etc.) – exhibited by around 450 brands from 40 countries.
| NAG News
NAG attends RJC AGM
N
ieema Alom, who was recently appointed
Alom, together with other members from
Following the meeting Alom said: “The
as the NAG’s head of policy and
the global trade, attended the meeting to
Bangladesh factory disaster reminds us all of
communications, attended the Responsible
learn of the progress that has been made
our responsibilities. We know that in the
Jewellery Council’s (RJC) Annual General
over the past year and the RJC’s plans for
event of a similar disaster taking place
Meeting in Milan, Italy, at the end of last
the future. Dr Fiona Soloman, RJC director,
within our own industry, it will be jewellery
month. Traceability is incredibly important in
spoke about the progress being made in
retailers who will inevitably bear the brunt of
the jewellery industry worldwide and the RJC,
the Council’s Code of Practices – which is
the public’s backlash, which is why the
which is a standards-setting and certification
looking at issues revolving around human
National Association of Goldsmiths remains
organisation, seeks to improve consumer
rights, grading and appraisal, and the use of
committed to protecting our members by
confidence in responsible business practices
mercury in artisanal mining, among other
being proactive in campaigning for a more
within the jewellery supply chain.
concerns which affect the supply chain.
transparent industry.”
Congratulations to Shirley Mitchell he NAG would like to congratulate FIRV member Shirley Mitchell on winning the prestigious award for the Valuer of the Year 2013 by the Association of Independent Jewellery Valuers (AIJV) held in Scotland. The Windsor-based jewellery valuer was selected from 50 other competitors from 10 different countries. The Heraldic Artist for the Lord Lyon of Scotland created a faceted lead-crystal trophy and a framed award which was presented to Shirley at the Awards Ceremony hosted by the Scottish Gemmological Association. The AIJV explained that Shirley “demonstrated the greatest commitment to the AIJV’s ethos of sharing and helping their fellow valuers, supporting the objectives of the AIJV and having made a valuable contribution to the profession as a whole”. Shirley has shown this commitment since she joined the AIJV in 2010, by visiting other members’ establishments and by assisting them with promotional activities although she should have seen them as her competitors. On receiving her award, Shirley commented: “I am immensely proud to receive this award from the AIJV and would like to thank the rest of the members for all their wonderful contributions to my experience over the years. I feel privileged to be a part of such a fascinating profession; I really do have the best job in the world!”
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16 The Jeweller June 2013
Shirley receives her award from Adrian Smith of the AIJV
NAG News |
NAG International Golf Trophy 2013 fter 2011’s inaugural event at Fulford Gold Club in York, followed by last year’s at Barassie Golf Club in Scotland, the 2013 competition for this prestigious trophy took place last month in Ireland… and was won, aptly enough, by the Irish team! The venue was Druids Glen, former home of the Irish Open and a very testing, beautiful and well-maintained course. It proved to be a superb test of skill of each competitor, with plenty of water hazards and every hole presenting a different challenge – so congratulations to Jack Murphy for discovering such a fabulous venue. The competition commenced with a practice round on the Sunday for which I was partnered with Tom Green (Charles Green & Son) and Mike Hughes (BJA and Jewelcast), both of whom were hitting long, straight drives which I struggled to match. The day of the competition dawned… warm and bright. My playing partners were Irish captain Jack Murphy and Scottish captain David Gauld and quite rapidly it became evident that it was Ireland and Scotland against the English. I was goaded, cajoled, encouraged to take risks and the banter was unrelenting – just the kind of atmosphere conducive to a productive round of golf. To say I was a little disappointed with my score would be a massive understatement!! Of course I don’t blame either of my playing partners as I gave as good as I received. In the clubhouse the scores were feeding in and, after eight results were in, the Irish and The daunting 13th hole, stroke index 1, a good 200 yard drive needed! the Scots were neck and neck, with the English some 15 points behind. The final result proved to be another win for the very strong Irish team with a score of 295 (best 10 scores of a team of 16 counting), Scotland 286, and England 254. The best individual score on the day was a very credible 38 points. At dinner we were joined by Aiden Farrell representing the Retail Jewellers of Ireland, who presented the prizes. There were huge cheers when it was announced that Ireland had won the prize again. A fine dinner was followed by an evening of entertainment, that is the Irish creating their own! By four in the morning it was all over. All in all a truly fantastic event and one that resulted in many pleas for a repeat booking next time the event is held in Ireland. Frank Wood, Captain of England!
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Farewell to our membership administrator
New Member Applications To ensure that NAG Members are aware of new applications for NAG Membership within their locality, applicants’ names are published below. Members wishing to comment on any of these applications can call Amanda White on 020 7613 4445 or email her at: amandaw@jewellers-online.org within three weeks of receipt of this issue.
Ordinary Applications Silver Tree Jewellers Co. Ltd, Lancaster, Lancashire
Alumni Associate Applications Claire Stafford, Stourbridge, West Midlands Aoife Rattigan, Wexford, Ireland
NAG welcomes new photographer n order to ensure that we have the best possible record of key industry and NAG moments, the Association has harnessed the talents of an up and coming London-based freelance photographer. Minna Rossi, who specialises in still life and portrait photography, will become a familiar face at NAG events as she captures occasions on our behalf. Minna has a degree in goldsmithing and silversmithing and jewellery design, graduating with a first. In the same year she won gold in the Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council Awards for the ‘silversmiths/ small workers finished pieces’ category. We have chosen to work with her as she is clearly a photographer who is able to tailor her style to our needs while incorporating her knowledge of the industry. You can see more on Minna’s work on her website www.minnarossi.com
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my Oliver, our membership administrator, has sadly left after working with the Association for over two years. As well as having become a familiar face to our members she has also contributed in no small way to The Jeweller, having written regular features on antique jewellery for the magazine – and we hope that she will continue to write for us in the future. However, Amy is about to embark on an exciting journey as she studies for her master’s degree in Historical Research at the University of London. Asked about her time at the NAG Amy said: “Working at the Association has been a brilliant experience. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know our members and working with the fantastic team at Luke Street. I hope my work at the NAG has made a positive impact and I’m sure the next membership administrator will have just as great an experience as I’ve had. I’d really like to thank everyone at the NAG for making my time here so memorable.” Amy will be greatly missed, but of course we wish her all the best in her studies and her future endeavours.
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The Voice of the Industry 17
| NAG News
NAG Member of the Month In this issue’s Member of the Month Amy Oliver speaks to Harry Brown of Chisholm Hunter, which was established in Glasgow in the mid 19th century. Since then the group has expanded to 19 stores nationwide. The company has a long, distinguished history – how did the business start? Chisholm Hunter’s roots date back to 1857, when a store of ‘10,000 Wonders’ opened in the Trongate in Glasgow, at the crossing of Chisholm Street. It’s been an ongoing journey of discovery since then. In the last 23 years, following the acquisition of the ailing Chisholm Hunter store in Glasgow’s iconic Argyll Arcade in 1989, it has reached an annual turnover of £20 million. We have a projected £25 million turnover for 2013. 2012 was a particularly triumphant year for you – you won ‘Multiple Retailer of the Year’ at the UK Jewellery Awards and featured in the ‘Hot 100’ list. What has let to your success? Chisholm Hunter’s objective is simply to provide the very best customer offering through its diverse range of products, and a distinct memorable service, rolled out consistently in every store. Without doubt, at the heart of our success are our people who are ambassadors for the business. We’ve handpicked a new and a dynamic senior management team over the past 12 months and we continue to invest extensively in staff training (which includes many of the NAG JET
Store entrance and customer presentation area (inset)
18 The Jeweller June 2013
courses), which always gives a competitive edge. Combined with a diverse product range with quality at the heart of everything we buy, this means that customers know what to expect when they come into our stores. We’ve also invested significantly in our marketing, creating our first customer magazine in 2011, a new-look website, proactive social media campaigns, as well as new luxury retail packaging and point of sale material. Engaging with customers is crucial in a competitive market place and we’re getting better and better at this. We have increased our website business significantly and see this as a major growth area for the company. Our expansion into new locations has also helped and it’s something that we will continue to do when the right opportunities arise – careful investment in the right areas of the business is key. We operate two brands, Chisholm Hunter and Barclays Diamonds, and have stores in prime high streets and shopping centres. In December last year you opened your 19th store at Glasgow Fort. Do you have any plans for further expansion? We are delighted with the performance of our new-concept stores to date and we’re forecasting very promising results for 2013. We are committed to opening new stores at prime shopping centre locations throughout the UK and a programme of refurbishing existing stores for 2013, to improve the customer and staff in-store experience. We work tirelessly to ensure that our window displays create a real impact whatever the time of year, with exciting new campaigns planned for the coming season. You obviously have a good customer base; what keeps them coming back? It’s a combination of really good customer service and a great product range. I really can’t stress enough how important customer service is in retailing these days and yet often customers can feel let down. It’s at
Harry with his wife and business partner Tracey
the heart of the business and every person working for us knows how passionate I am about it. We do have a tremendous choice of products available and I think our heritage and reputation for quality gives customers a reassurance and confidence that they won’t be let down in any way. You are active on many social media channels – how has this impacted your business? Would you recommend other retailers use it? We believe that social media provides a fantastic opportunity to engage with our customers and provides an important platform to showcase our new lines and communicate our latest news in a timely manner. To be honest customers expect this direct engagement these days. Finally, do you have a memorable customer anecdote to share with us? We have several brides and grooms who have become fast friends with our staff who have helped them throughout the important decision of choosing their rings. One of our members of staff hand-delivered the ring as soon as it was ready, even though it was their day off, to ensure the moment was perfect! After keeping in touch with pictures of their wedding, one groom now works for Chisholm Hunter at our Support Centre! I don’t think I have found a better testimony of our sales teams’ professionalism and real care for our customers, than people wanting to join our team after their buying experience with us, something of which I am really proud. It’s a great story for the company and the groom now joins several brides who work for the Chisholm Hunter and Barclays Diamonds brands! If you would like your business to be considered as Member of the Month send an email to: amyoliver@jewellers-online.org
| NAG News: Education & Training
On course for a great learning experience Kate Madelin, the NAG’s new education and training manager, outlines the exciting changes within the department this year. hings are all go here in the NAG education and training department. A number of new developments are taking place and we are seeing a continual rise in student enrolment numbers. Due to the online learning system that we introduced in 2011, students are also completing courses in a shorter timescale‌ and they appear to appreciate a more interactive learning experience. The new NAG education and training website (www.nageducation.org) went live on 10th June. The updated version is now much easier to navigate and for visitors to the site to find the information that they need. It has been designed to allow potential students to choose the course most suitable for them and register with us to begin studying. In addition to this, current students are now able to access information on exams and tutorials. The website also demonstrates the progression routes through the JET courses and beyond. Our JET Facebook page will continue to allow students to connect with each other and share learning experiences. The website also provides details of how to get in touch with the education and training
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department here at Luke Street. We always welcome feedback from our students and members of the Association. And of course we would be happy to talk through the training options open to you. A list of our short courses is also provided on the site. These are open to members and non-members alike. These courses have been created to enhance skills, develop business potential and stimulate growth. The programme that we have designed for 2013 has been carefully selected with the aim of helping business owners and their employees along the path of continuing professional development. The courses available can help maintain and improve your standards of competence. Over the next few years, the education and training department will be focusing on continuing professional development. We will help members ensure that they are always up-to-date with new industry directions and initiatives. It may be that we offer short courses to members ourselves or simply signpost relevant courses and training. In addition, we are looking at the accreditation of our qualifications. We have
worked hard to provide such a high standard of learning and it is important to us that our courses are recognised internationally. We are holding discussions with several awarding organisations and a number of options will be explored in order to find a suitable accreditation model for the JET courses. Our newly redesigned management course will develop your skills and allow you to progress in your career. JET Plus is an innovative distance learning course aimed at supervisors, team leaders and junior managers. This could well be the course for you if you are in your first management position or are looking to acquire the management skills needed to stand out from your colleagues. On a practical level, the course includes a learning guide and is presented in six modules. There are six work-based assignments to aid the transfer of learning back into the workplace. You can enroll at any time of year and the course will take approximately 12 months. Finally, another new development for the education and training department is our registration with the National Union of Students (NUS). Our students will now be able to benefit from the wide range of discounts available to many students nationwide. Buying an NUS extra card is easy and you can do it straight from the NUS site: https://cards.nusextra.co.uk/buy. All you will need is your debit/credit card and a photo to buy it online. Choose your place of study from the list, enter a few details (including your student number) and your card will be with you within seven working days, ready for you to start saving. The cost of the card is ÂŁ12. The NUS card is not available to some of our students who work for large employers. If you have not heard from us separately about this opportunity, it is likely that this is the case.
NAG News: Education & Training | It was an amazing feeling and it made my hard work even more worthwhile. I have worked in retail for eight years, most of which was spent within the mobile phone trade, and I am coming up to the end of my first year in the jewellery industry. I have to say it has been amazing to work for Beaverbrooks.
The JET 1 course covers a wide range of subjects that will help me to deliver great customer service; it really is a truly worthwhile course!
April’s Bransom Award winner announced Congratulations to April’s winner of the prestigious Bransom JET 1 Project Assignment Award, Stephanie Meredith of Beaverbrooks, which has 64 stores throughout the UK. Every month, the education and training department enters all JET 1 assignments into a competition for ‘best project’ and independent examiners awarded Stephanie the top prize after she received the highest possible grade result for her work. tephanie’s course tutor told us: “Stephanie completed all the pieces of the JET 1 course within a short period of time, well before the proposed completion dates set for her. Each piece received the highest possible grade result, showing a consistency of research and application to the content of the assignment questions that was commendable. The technical detail and product knowledge explained in course work was really refreshing, particularly with the application of it during a selling situation.” Equally impressed was Stephanie’s course moderator who said: “Stephanie displayed a mature sense of customer care in her final
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piece of JET 1 course assignment work. The assignment is designed to bring out the best skills of communicating diamond product knowledge to a potential customer, which is clearly demonstrated by her. The final section of the assignment required the student to explain a range of options open to the customer seeking to have a diamond ring repaired and Stephanie’s response to this section was outstanding.” We caught up with Stephanie to ask how she felt about winning the award. “I was shocked! I was doing a bit of shopping when I received the call and although I had worked really hard I didn’t imagine that I would win.
In my experience this is a great industry to work in – especially within a truly customerfocused company. I wanted to work in the jewellery industry primarily because I had heard about Beaverbrooks being a great place to work and also because this is an industry that deals with really meaningful items. Beaverbrooks’ purpose is to ‘enrich lives’ and I thought that the company and industry went perfectly together. It was an easy decision. “I had been working within the industry for just eight months when I started my JET 1 course so I found it incredibly useful; I really enjoyed the research and finding out new things. Every time I submitted an assignment I received helpful and positive feedback which is nice. The JET 1 course covers a wide range of subjects that will help me to deliver great customer service; it really is a truly worthwhile course! I would absolutely recommend it to everyone within the industry – it is our duty to give customers the service and information they deserve and the JET 1 course is an ideal tool for this. I have just been accepted onto the Beaverbrooks management programme and the JET 1 course has given me a great level of confidence in product knowledge. I am looking forward to embarking on the JET 2 course in the future.” The education and training department wish to congratulate Stephanie on winning her award and for her hard work and effort. We’re delighted that the course helped her earn a place on the management programme and wish her every success with this. Visit: www.jewellers-online.org or call 020 7613 4445 for more about JET 1 and 2.
The Voice of the Industry 21
| NAG News: IRV Review
NAG Institute of Registered Valuers R
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The David Wilkins Award 2013 Named after David Wilkins (1931-1994), the former chairman of the NAG Valuations Committee, this award remains as a legacy to a man who strove so long to promote the aims of the Association and its Institute. he board of directors of the NAG awards the David Wilkins Trophy to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding skill, dedication or service in respect of jewellery appraisal and valuation. It was first presented in 1994 and comprises an Elizabethan-style silver dish which is inscribed with the name of the winner, who retains it for the relevant year. This year we have received 16 nominations for six valuers for the latest award:
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Alan G J Hayes MIRV FGA DGA Nominated by Terence J Watts FIRV FGA, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. An independent valuer based in Macclesfield, Alan originally joined the Institute back in 1988. He served on the IRV Forum from 2007 to 2011.
Ormskirk; Hiten Shah, Pravins Ltd, London; and Adrian Smith FIRV PJDip FGA, Perth. Shirley serves on the IRV Committee, and was elected to the IRV Forum in 2011; she plays an active role in the Institute’s activities. This year she joined the Institute’s Monitoring Panel to assist in assessing work submitted by IRVs. She is a CAT advisor and has run workshops on NAG Valuation Days at the Loughborough Conference. Shirley became an MIRV in 2008 and an FIRV in 2010. She works as an independent valuer based in Windsor, Berkshire. Dr Richard P Taylor PhD BSc(Hons) FIRV FNAG FGA DGA MAE
Nominated by W Rupert H Huddy BSc(Hons) MIRV PJDip FNAG FGA DGA, Romford. Richard has been an IRV since the early days, joining in 1988 and gaining FIRV status in 2009. He recently gained his PhD in mineral physics at the University of St Andrews. He ran entertaining workshops at last year’s Loughborough Conference on luminescence and lasers and we are delighted that he has accepted the Institute’s invitation to return again this year. Richard is an independent valuer based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
FIRV PJDip PJValDip FNAG FGA DGA
Geoff Whitefield FIRV PJDip PJGemDip FNAG Nominated by Rosamond Clayton FIRV FGA MAE, London; David Fromming FIRV PJDip FNAG FGA DGA, Salisbury; Susan Pennington FIRV PJValDip FNAG FGA DGA, Ormskirk; and Jacqueline Sanders FIRV PJDip PJGemDip PJValDip FNAG FGA DGA, Towcester. Geoff is the Institute’s chairman elect, taking over from Jonathan Lambert at the NAG’s AGM this month. An insurance manager for Fellows Auctioneers in Birmingham, he became a member of the Institute in 2005 and gained FIRV status in 2011. He was elected to serve on the IRV Forum in 2009 and currently serves on the IRV Committee. He has run a number of workshops on insurance and customised watches at Loughborough Conferences.
Nominated by Gordon Bramwell MIRV PJDip PJGemDip PJValDip FNAG, Kendal. Georgina has also been a member of the Institute since 1987 and became an FIRV in 2009. With over 30 years in the jewellery industry and having started out as a valuer in the family business, she now works as an independent valuer and is based in Eccles, Manchester.
Details on these nominees can be found at www.jewelleryvaluers.org on the David Wilkins Award page. The winner will be announced at the 2013 NAG’s IRV Loughborough Conference which takes place from Saturday 14th to Monday 16th September. Full details of the conference will appear in the next issue of The Jeweller.
Steve Carson FIRV Nominated by Steven Jordan FIRV PJDip FNAG FGA DGA, London. Steve has been a member of the Institute (and its forerunner the NAG Registered Valuer Scheme) since it started out in 1987. He became an FIRV in 2009 and is a director of Searle & Co Ltd which has been based in the City of London since 1893. Steve will be running workshops on late 19th century jewellery at the Loughborough Conference this year.
Shirley Mitchell FIRV PJValDip PJGemDip PJManDip FNAG FGA DGA
Nominated by David J Callaghan FGA, London; Ian Combe FGA, Edinburgh; HonMIRV Alan Hodgkinson FGA, West Kilbride; Peter Jackson FIRV PJDip PJValDip FNAG, Chichester; Margaret & Greg Luczywo and Rebecca Mong, Gregory & Co, Richmond; Susan Pennington FIRV PJValDip FNAG FGA DGA,
Georgina Deer
22 The Jeweller June 2013
Last year’s winner of the David Wilkins Award, Jonathan Lambert, presented to him by David’s widow Margaret.
Your Career Will Sparkle At Princess Cruises Your career in jewelry will shimmer-sparkle-and-shine at Princess Cruises, known worldwide as The Consummate Host®. If you’re an experienced fine jewelry sales professional who truly understands the strength of delivering unparalleled customer service when selling fine jewelry, then consider joining our dynamic onboard sales team. In fact, Princess has the only “in-house” retail jewelry operation at sea, making for a fast-paced environment with a great chance for career advancement. And best of all, our employees have the best base salary in the industry with additional bonus potential. Successful candidates will experience a progressive company that achieves ongoing high standards by focusing on innovation, integrity, accountability, and above all customer service. You must be creative, hard working, and you must embrace retail jewelry sales with a passion. We offer a wide range of exquisite precious and semi-precious jewelry featured exclusively to our discriminating passengers. Positions for Fine Jewelry Sales Associates G][b]¾WUbh YldYf]YbWY ]b ¾bY ^YkY`fm fYhU]` gU`Yg `UbX cf gYU 9l\]V]h ghfcb[ diV`]W gdYU_]b[ g_]``g CáYf U dfcZYgg]cbU` XYaYUbcf h\Uh XYacbghfUhYg \cbYghm ]bhY[f]hm 5V]`]hm hc giWWYYX ]b U hfiY hYUa Ybj]fcbaYbh =bgh]bWh]jY VY`]YZ h\Uh WighcaYf gYfj]WY ]g ^cV biaVYf cbY See the world… experience great cultures… and grow professionally with one of the most successful cruise lines in the world. Take advantage of the best employee lifestyle at sea, including in-cabin wifi, onboard crew store, healthy dining choices, onboard specialty trainers, and we offer great 6-month contract terms. If you want to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, please apply at www.princess. com or send your CV to princess.recruitment@princesscruises.co.uk. At Princess, we do it right. LIFE IS TOO SHORT FOR THE WRONG JOB. THAT’S WHY AT PRINCESS WE DO IT RIGHT.
Named “Best Onboard Shopping” by Portholes Magazine for 4 Years Running (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards)
| Feature
Brand Profile Accurist The time sponsored by… ho isn’t familiar with the name Accurist? Even if we weren’t all entrenched in this industry and its multitude of brands, how could any of us fail to recognise a name that is synonymous with the concept of time? As responsibilities go, that’s like Mills & Boon sponsoring love, Moet et Chandon being behind achievement and Lindt, say, funding happiness. And while the speaking clock agreement may have come to an end, three billion calls later (as well as a countdown to the Millennium) is it any wonder that the name Accurist is ingrained on the collective conscience of the nation? There’s also its inherent Britishness to take into account – a trusted home-grown company with a name for value, quality and reliability. All of which ought to be enough for any brand, but CEO Jonathan Crocker knows that Accurist should have – and deserves – more. It may enjoy a healthy share of the market (within its core £50 to £150 sector in particular) but in his view there is something missing. “We might be in the psyche of the nation – there’s a generational understanding of Accurist – but we don’t have the brand equity that I would like – that je ne sais quoi,” he says. “Why would people want it? Accurist stands for something and that ‘something’ – that specialness – is what I want people to feel and to desire. We have all the key attributes but they have not been communicated cohesively. Our message is being diluted by the louder voices that occupy our space. This is where branding becomes relevant.” Were you to slice Mr Crocker in half, without a doubt the word ‘branding’ would be running through him. With a background that has included positions within international companies like Bang & Olufsen, his approach to brand development and marketing is as strategic as it is passionate. Since joining Accurist at the beginning of this year his mission has been to position it within the
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market in such a way that the consumer could not fail to get the message. But first he had to establish what that message should be. “What is an Accurist wrist watch? Before [taking the post] I would have struggled to describe this – unlike thinking of Tiffany say, or Links,” he says. “So that’s been one of my primary targets this year – to define what Accurist is and then communicate this.” He has not been short of inspiration in this matter and it’s all come from within the company. Founded 67 years ago by Asher and Rebecca Loftus (whose son Andrew is chairman and is very actively involved in the business), Accurist has enjoyed a lively, innovative and mould-breaking past. “I’m constantly being surprised by things I’ve learned about the company and its history,” says Crocker who has drawn on that rich seam of heritage and authenticity to create the first of a number of ‘stories’. As part of Accurist’s new brand identity, the range – which covers the full spectrum of watches within its core market – Crocker is keen that the name should “resonate via small, specific stories – a definitive reason for being”. With the launch of this, the ‘next chapter’ in the company’s
history, he chose to go out with the Vintage Collection which brings back the old logo, complete with ‘Clerkenwell 1946’ on the watch face to commemorate the company’s founding date and original location. The bold webbing NATO straps and simple, classic markers complete the retro mood, although different straps and details will be added to the models to extend the look and feel. Clearly the possibilities within the ‘Vintage’ umbrella are as numerous as they are inspiring. Positioning in particular to independent jewellery retailers, other stories will be rolled out over the coming months. With higher price points (up to £400) to provide a differentiator from the mass multiples, the contemporary-looking Gold range; Pure Precision featuring a 21 jewel lever
movement and the GMT line – with its grand complications – will give jewellers the opportunity to use their expertise to explain and sell the timepieces. Added to this thinking is a determination to provide those retailers with not only a reason to buy into Accurist but also the necessary tools to see off the competition. “We’re known for our interesting campaigns and we’re looking at this as well as our products, display and special initiatives which will add incremental sales to a retailer’s business,” says Crocker. “I want the brand to be relevant today – it’s relevance that sells.”
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GOLDSMITHS Representing Jewellery Retailers since 1894
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GOLDSMITHS
SHORT COURSES PROGRAMME 2013 QUALITY SHORT COURSES FOR THE RETAIL JEWELLERY INDUSTRY The National Association of Goldsmiths provides members and non-members with a series of short courses to enhance skills, develop business potential and stimulate growth. Our selection of seminars planned for 2013 cover a wide range of areas designed to help you, your employees and your businesses to develop going forwards and increase revenue.
Advanced Selling
Developing Selling Performance
Selling to Chinese Customers
Gold Buying and Precious Metal Testing
Diamond and Diamond Grading: An Introduction
Diamond and Diamond Grading: Intermediate
Essential Display
Strategic Visual Merchandising
Social Media.
To request your copy of the N.A.G. Short Courses Programme 2013 or to ďŹ nd out more information about prices and bookings please contact Amanda White, N.A.G. Information and Membership Services Officer T: 0207 613 4445 E: amandaw@jewellers-online.org
Seven Friday
Time
we head towards Christmas. For Timex, our fashion offerings have given us a welcome boost,” he adds. In some instances the strength of the watch market has brought about some serious rethinking in terms of stock, according to Simon Gilham, sales director at Zeon. “Watches are still one of the sectors where people are buying on a frequent basis; looking at the UK marketplace we have seen a shift in some cases where traditional jewellers are reducing their inventory of gold and other precious metal jewellery and introducing branded jewellery which comes with its own watch collection,” he says. “Some traditional jewellers are even changing their offering completely to watches, which indicates where the profit is for retailers. For the right brand, with the right offer of styles, there is a strong market.”
honoured From innovation to retro classicism, from understated to ultra glamorous, the 2013 watch market demonstrates why timepieces are proving themselves to be (almost) impervious to an economic downturn, reports Belinda Morris. ‘
autious optimism’. It’s a well-worn phrase – particularly in the world of retail – but as state-of-mind descriptions go it certainly beats ‘deep depression’ and it’s as upbeat as many in the watch market are likely to admit to at the moment. As the dust settles on BaselWorld and after some back-of-a-fagpacket calculations and analysis, the general feeling is that watches in general and highvalue timepieces in particular have ridden out the storm. “I think that it is generally accepted that the mid-market sector has been the area that has been the most affected by the current economic conditions,” says Adrian McGillivray, of Edox distributor Ferndale. “However, we do feel that the period of consolidation and rationalisation carried out by the trade in general is now over and plans need to be formulated in preparation for the anticipated upturn.”
C
26 The Jeweller June 2013
Dan Calvert, UK marketing manager at Timex, agrees with the prognosis. “There’s no getting away from the fact that recent years have been tough, but it’s nice to see signs of growth and hope for the future,” he says. “The luxury end of the UK market seems robust, which suggests that the outlook for the overall industry is positive. Buyers that we met with at Basel are still understandably cautious about the market but are looking forward to an upturn later in the year as
Eterna
Rado
In some instances of course, the directions taken by some of the major watch groups has brought about some serious rethinking, as Matthew LeFevre, sales and marketing director of Maurice Lacroix, points out. “There are lots of retailers with the problem of finding good quality established brands in the mid range that can fill the gaps that they are now finding in their watch offer,” he says. “At Maurice Lacroix I think we are now very well placed with our wide range of styles and price points to really help these people fill those gaps.” Henrik Leth Møller, UK director of Bering Time, judged that the mood among UK buyers at Basel was ‘positive’. “But I would also say that it was cautious as everyone seems to
Feature | “Multiple ownership is still on the increase and consumers are getting bolder in their choice of brands.”
Br and awareness
have ‘slower business’ than usual, or they were happy that it was ‘on a par’ with last year,” he says. “But everything has a plus side – tough times make consumers and retailers more conscious of what they buy; they want value for money. They also make retailers aware that they cannot lean back – they have to be proactive and bring new products – the right products – into the stores.” Just what those ‘right products’ might be is subject to many factors of course. Demographics, location, buying power, taste… they all play their part and determine which particular sub-sector is performing well. As far as Neil Duckworth of Veritime (Ulysse Nardin, Eterna, H.Moser & Cie) is concerned it’s the quality watches that are doing well. “The £1,500 to £5,000 price tag is still strong and in big demand,” he explains.
And brand, as we know, is increasingly everything these days, as Patrick Moufarrige of Rockwell, which distributes U-Boat, points out. “At Basel retailers were looking for ways to differentiate themselves from each other. It was a very conscious move that was more brand-oriented than model-oriented. Once the brand is powerful a consumer will buy into the dream,” he says. “The mood was definitely much better than in previous years. It seems as though people are ready to start buying, but more than that, they look like they’re enjoying the idea of trying something different.”
Corum
Nomos
the high-end ones. Their target market is very defined and it works.” The focus was definitely on brands at the Inter City Group (ICG), which exhibited the über-popular Superdry collection for the first time at Basel. “Affordability was key among buyers, as was value for money, but the interest was more about desirability of the brands,” says Julie Halford, brand marketing manager. “Superdry proved to be a real hit, particularly the diver-inspired Scuba range.” Another relative newcomer to ICG’s portfolio is Timberland and it will be interesting to see whether this once very popular ‘great outdoors’ brand will find its strength in the market again.
Maurice Lacroix
For Sophie Fulford, managing director of Winsor Bishop in Norwich, a trip to Basel wouldn’t be complete if new brands hadn’t been investigated and she’s currently very excited about one in particular that could be set to join the store’s portfolio. However, as far as the type of brand carried, location, she feels, is everything. “For us it is certainly the ‘serious’ high-end brands that are important and the sales of these 13 – including Rolex, Patek, Breitling and Omega – form an overall majority of our sales mix at the moment,” she explains. “But were we in a fantastic position within a key shopping mall, fashion brands would be perfect. I know of others who are in this situation and they are doing extremely well with a great mix of fashion brands and they do not have any of
Ulysse Nardin
Rolex
The Voice of the Industry 27
| Feature Braun
Modern classics Away from the fashion names, the relevance of brand is equally evident at the serious, grown-up end of the watch market. And regardless of the fact that the luxury sector is performing well, resting on laurels is not an option for those companies any more than it is for the rest of the industry. As she walked the endless BaselWorld aisles, Helen Wood, trading director at the Fossil Group, observed that the big brands are “diving deeper and deeper into their brand DNA and then pulling out a refined, modern take on the old.” “The most popular collection we showed was our new Pontos Vintage collection which bought a retro twist to what was originally a quite contemporary range,” explains Maurice
Michel Herbelin
“Affordability was key among buyers, as was value for money, but the interest was more about desirability of the brands…”
Candino
Baume et Mercier
28 The Jeweller June 2013
Lacroix’s LeFevre. “We introduced a new day/date, new chronograph and a 600m vintage style diving watch that comes on a bracelet with an additional water resistant leather strap as a set. A new lower price point to this collection was something we focused on which was also very well received.” “We noticed a marked return to the more classic watch styles rather than the oversized designs this year at Basel, with some really outstanding limited edition timepieces a real focus,” agrees Richard Laing, director at Laing and Parkhouse jewellers (Edinburgh, Cardiff and Southampton). “The new limited edition platinum Daytona from Rolex is a real showpiece, designed to celebrate the
50th anniversary of the 1963 emblematic Daytona. It’s got a stunning icy blue dial and chestnut brown monobloc ceramic Cerachrom bezel.” John Henn of TA Henn in Wolverhampton also noticed that it wasn’t solely the older demographic being targeted by the more traditional timepieces. “The classic format was also being aimed at the younger market and although there was the usual crazy stuff being shown, the £250 plus sector were showing watches that weren’t at all ferocious but nonetheless created for 20-somethings.”
Bell & Ross
www.facebook.com/TresorParis www.twitter.com/tresorparis
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| Feature By contrast he also observed that Tag Heuer seemed to have “totally abandoned the younger market”, with ranges priced between £2,000 and £5,000.
Best of British And it isn’t just the expected Swiss watch houses that are grabbing the limelight – the British watch industry has much to be proud of too. British brands like Bremont, IWI, David Mason London, Schofield, Meridien and Robert Loomes are all causing something of a frisson among buyers looking beyond the usual suspects. “We visited Basel for the
IWI
Another relative newcomer to the UK watch scene is IWI watches – a luxury timepiece collection which celebrates English craftsmanship in general, while paying homage to the pocket watch in particular. Each watch is individually hand-built, with very handsome matt, polished or black finish stainless steel cases that sit proud of the wrist and a crown set at 12.00. Included in the gents’ line is the British Chronograph which features pushers either side of the crown – ‘truly designed as a stop watch with intuitive access to the stop, re-start and reset pushers, just where you’d expect them’ – and, as it happens, fairly true to the chronometer that Louis XVlll of France commanded so that he could time horse races.
30 The Jeweller June 2013
Rotary
Created by Ned du Maurier Browning, the grandson of Daphne du Maurier, the collection aims “to fill a gap in the market for stylish, high-quality, mid-priced watches – with the added interest that there is a story and character behind each model,” he explains. The first two models in the collection – the Rebecca and the Maxim, logically enough – have an exclusive run of 300 limited edition pieces and are presented in a Deco-look lacquer box. Designed by Ned and his wife Marianna, the watches are made in Switzerland with Swiss quartz, Ronda movement. Further designs – inspired by other notable members of the du Maurier family – are in the pipeline.
David Mason
first time and saw a keen interest in new British brands which were breaking ground and trying to enter the market at an affordable point very much like ourselves,” says Cos Costas, CEO of David Mason London. “And as always anything very different was a hit with the buyers, but will they stock it? We don’t know…” The company, which has rebranded since Costas acquired it recently, specialises in oversized watches, with aviators and racing car drivers being the chief source of inspiration. “We wanted something modern, upbeat and different, and like to see our watches as clean, crisp and well-constructed,” he explains. “In functionality terms we’re keeping it simple… for the moment – we’re still young.”
Already boasting a burgeoning fan base of British horology aficionados, Bremont has added U-2 Blue to its Chronometer collection. The blue-faced, blue-barrelled U-2/BL also features an exhibition case back as standard and has a DNA that lies firmly with the military following the success of the brand’s air crew watch (developed in association with ejection seat manufacturer Martin-Baker). This new blue version adds an aesthetic twist to the advanced spec, high-tech range. Offering quite a different (more classic, understated) spin on British time-keeping, style is the just-launched du Maurier brand.
Heritage
du Maurier
Whether it’s revived, re-worked, reinforced or cheekily requisitioned, the notion of heritage enjoys considerable currency in the watch business. “Buyers are still clearly in the market for certainty and risk-free buying,
June 2013 / Volume 22 / No. 4
BASELWORLD 2013 Scottish Conference Coloured Diamonds
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Gems&Jewellery / June 2013
Editorial
Gems&Jewellery Coloured diamonds
June 13
We typically talk about ‘diamonds and coloured gems’, which tends to pander to most of the public’s belief that diamonds are colourless. Of course to a large extent that is true —
Contents
colourless and near-colourless diamonds make up the vast majority of diamond sales, but it
4
is increasingly impossible to ignore coloured diamonds. They are blossoming in jewellery and displayed in relative abundance at jewellery shows such as JCK Las Vegas (from where I am writing this) and BaselWorld (see page 6). Also, in recent years natural coloured diamonds have shown a significant increase in price (see page 16). Coloured diamonds today cannot be ignored by jewellery retailers or gemmologists. For the former they bring opportunities to engage customers with something new, as well as having less constrained pricing structures.
Gem-A News / Calendar
But for jewellers and gemmologists they bring new challenges — or rather new manifestations
6
of the same old challenges. Challenges with nomenclature, treatments and synthetics. How vivid does a pink need to be to become a red? Is it natural colour or has it been irradiated? Is it a natural or synthetic diamond? These issues were considered during an interesting afternoon conference held here in Las Vegas by the Accredited Gemologists Association (AGA). Three speakers — Gary Roskin, John King (of GIA) and coloured diamond specialist Jordan
BaselWorld 2013
Fine, discussed various aspects of the growth in the coloured diamond market over the last
8
generation as well as terminology, grading and pricing. When you combine the greater availability of coloured diamonds with their undoubted beauty, Jordan Fine’s enthusiasm about how they can help retailers to be creative with something different and “wow customers with the extraordinary” rings true. But he, his co-panellists at the AGA conference and those exhibiting coloured diamonds in Basel, Las Vegas and elsewhere, would all agree that retailers dealing with these stones require a good understanding
Hands-on Gemmology
of what they are selling and how to describe them, and gemmologists and appraisers need
10
new and constantly evolving skills. Jack Ogden
Cover Picture Colombian emeralds (see page 14). Photo courtesy of Ron Ringsrud.
Gems & Minerals Recent Events
13
Gem and Jewellery History
20
Stone Scoop
22
June 2013 / Volume 22 / No. 4
Published by The Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A) 27 Greville Street, London EC1N 8TN t: +44 (0)20 7404 3334 f: +44 (0)20 7404 8843 e: editor@gem-a.com w: www.gem-a.com Registered charity no. 1109555 Copyright 2013 ISSN 1746-8043
Editor Jack Ogden Advisory Board Mary Burland, Roger Harding, Harry Levy and James Riley Design and Production Zest Design +44 (0)20 7864 1504 Any opinions expressed in Gems&Jewellery are understood to be the views of the contributors and not necessarily of the publishers.
BASELWORLD 2013 Scottish Conference Coloured Diamonds
Advertising For mediapack and advertising rates please contact Ian Francis at the National Association of Goldsmiths on tel: +44 (0)20 7613 4445 or email him at: ian@jewellers-online.org
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Gems&Jewellery / June 2013
Gem-A News and Views
Gem-A news Gem-A CEO James Riley
FGA
Relocation, relocation, relocation What’s in a month you may ask? Well, over the last four weeks my fingernails have become shorter, I have a lot more grey hairs — and fewer hairs in general! The reason for this has been the culmination of some two and a half years’ work to secure the future home of Gem-A, either at 27 Greville Street or elsewhere. Our current home has served us fairly well for 20 years (longer in the case of the lab) but has intrinsic problems due to the building’s layout and a distant landlord who doesn’t maintain it. Three months ago I would have told you that we had secured a 15-year lease and permission to totally modernize and refurbish the space; in fact I even mentioned it in these pages. Sometimes though things happen for a reason and in this case a last minute attempt by the landlord to change the terms of the lease meant that we had to review our options. Those of you who know the Hatton Garden area well will realize that there is no shortage of office space to let, but finding 4000 plus
Page 4
gives a round-up of what’s been happening at Gem-A.
square feet at a reasonable price is not easy. There is no recession here! Sometimes a wander around the area can unearth something which would otherwise be missed. This was the case with 21 Ely Place which happened to have a ‘for sale’ sign on it. “Gem-A buy?” you may ask. Well yes, and there are a number of very good reasons why. Arguably the Association missed a trick by not buying 20 years ago when it most certainly could have done so. It might have saved a fortune in rent and we would have had an asset just like the NAG has in Luke Street. At least now we won’t have to worry about a landlord and will be able to do what we want when we want. We exchanged contracts on 21 Ely Place on 30 May and by the time you read this we should have completed the purchase. Regardless, we will have left Greville Street by 24 June. Built in 1772 on the site of Ely Palace, home of the bishops of Ely and then the Hatton family, number 21 stands at the end of the street against the wall of Bleeding Heart Yard. It provides ample room for administration, teaching
rooms and finally the space to show off our library. It will take us a little time to make it ship-shape but fortunately there is no major work to be done before moving in. Some of you may ask how, given that in 2008 Gem-A was making losses, we can afford to make this purchase. It’s no secret that our bank has given us a mortgage, but the repayments are less than the rent would be on another property. It will deplete the resources of the charity but the trustees feel that this is a price worth paying for the security and permanence a freehold gives us. However, should anyone wish to make a donation towards the purchase, or a specific part of the building such as a classroom or the library, we would be very grateful. There is the opportunity to sponsor a classroom or piece of equipment and in addition we are giving members a chance to invest in Gem-A’s future. You can invest a minimum of £5,000 as a debenture for three years after which time we undertake to repay you plus interest. Please contact me for details on all the above. In the past donations have not been readily forthcoming, but I hope for such an important reason as this you will consider it carefully. It’s your Gem-A and it needs you!
Warm up for the ashes… My recent trip to the Gemmological Association of Australia (GAA) conference in Melbourne was an interesting experience. The dedication shown by the volunteers who run the GAA at state and federal level puts us to shame. I’m delighted to announce that the Federal Council voted to work ever more closely with Gem-A, and to continue using our course notes and syllabus. Future opportunities lie ahead in the form of cooperating on exams and course development. My thanks go to everyone in Melbourne for making me so welcome and putting up with my presentation!
Gems&Jewellery / June 2013
Gem-A News and Views
Gem-A Calendar Gem-A AGM Wednesday 3 July at 17:30 for 18:00 Naval Club, 38 Hill Street, Mayfair, London W1J 5NS This year Gem-A is celebrating 100 years since the first Gemmology Diploma was awarded and, following the formal meeting and drinks reception, James Riley will give a brief talk entitled ‘100 not out’ on the history of the Gemmology Diploma and the future of Gem-A’s courses. Dinner will be available in the Club afterwards if desired (price £45). Further details and the annual report, accounts and other AGM documents are available at: www.gem-a.com. Gem Central and Career Service evenings Gem-A regrets that Gem Central and Career Service evenings have been cancelled until the autumn, with the first planned for 9 September. We apologize for any inconvenience caused, but the
Singapore sling! En route to Australia I dropped in on our teaching centre in Singapore, the Far East Gemological Institute, run by Tay Thye Sun. Tay has been teaching our courses there for almost 20 years and has in the past had top-scoring students. A really well-equipped school and very keen students.
Fight for your Association While in Singapore, by chance I passed a shop which turned out to be a gem lab. What alerted me was a ‘certificate’ which boldly stated ‘member of Gem-A’. Gem-A does not endorse any labs and a rather one-sided conversation ensued. Sad to say the individual was not repentant and the authorities have been informed about the misrepresentation. False use of Gem-A post-nominal initials FGA and DGA or coat of arms is very serious, particularly for all of us who pay our subscriptions! We are
sudden opportunity to purchase a new building for Gem-A’s headquarters has meant a rapid need to clear our present premises at 27 Greville Street. We look forward to inviting you to events in our new home and will announce dates as soon as possible. For further information please contact: events@gem-a.com The Gem-A Conference 2013 2 and 3 November, Goldsmiths’ Hall, London A two-day conference to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first Gemmology Diploma to be awarded and the 50th anniversary of the Diamond Diploma. Confirmed speakers include John Bradshaw, David Callaghan, Dr John Emmett, Arthur Groom, Brian Jackson, Dr Jack Ogden and Gary Roskin. See pages 18 and 19 for further details or go to: www.gem-a.com/news--events/ gem-a-conference-2013.aspx
currently embarking on a name and shame exercise, so if you see anyone you think is using the initials incorrectly do feel free to check with or report them to our membership department. There are a couple of valuers out there for a start who’ve not been paying — they know who they are…
CIBJO news John Henn has already written about CIBJO in this issue of The Jeweller. He’s right about the climate — it does help. Although I think I only spent about two hours actually outside! I picked up two messages from this Congress. First, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the way forward. The Branded Trust Foundation, which presented at CIBJO, has created a step-by-step process to help your business be CSR-compliant. We will be running seminars with them through the autumn and setting up education with them, which will be available through
Show Dates Gem-A will be exhibiting at the following shows:
International Jewellery London 1 – 4 September 2013, Stand J94 Gem-A is proud to be a Sponsor of IJL
Hong Kong Jewellery and Gem Fair 13 – 17 September 2013 CEC Booth 3M046
Gemworld Munich 25 - 27 October 2013
AGTA GemFair™ Tucson 4 – 9 February 2014
CIBJO and to all Gem-A ATCs. Second is that whatever we might think about Africa and the various policies that governments pursue there, the problems are not going to go away. We have to face them and work with the people on the ground to effect change. Moving on to more mundane matters, I mentioned last month about lead-glassfilled rubies and the EU; CIBJO has set up a special European commission to liaise with the EU on its decisions and is involved in consultation from now until 26 June about the various issues which new EU legislation will affect. On the nomenclature front, CIBJO is also trying to get agreement on a uniform culturedpearl grading system. A tough nut to crack this one – more next year!
Another Centenary Our congratulations to Dr Jamie Nelson on his hundredth birthday. Our oldest Fellow?
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Gems&Jewellery / June 2013
Shows and Exhibitions
BaselWorld 2013 Spring is in the air? It must be Basel. Although largely focused on watches, BaselWorld is still one of the largest jewellery shows in the world, a flagship for the European jewellery industry and a barometer for our trade. Jack Ogden FGA reports on this year’s event where Gem-A was exhibiting for the first time in many years. Palatial marketing Basel strikes the first-time visitor as a far cry from most jewellery shows. The main halls resemble one of the world’s upmarket shopping streets rather than the usual rows of nondescript trade-show booths. The most spectacular, of course, are the million-dollar watch palaces — each costing more than most high street jewellers spend on shop refits in a lifetime. Watches are not alone here — top jewellery brands such as Harry Winston (1) also provide grandeur to the BaselWorld halls. At this level the fair is pure marketing. The big names have to be there, to push their brand image. They measure Basel success by global sales throughout the year, seldom by orders taken during the show itself. However, at the heart of it, BaselWorld is still a trade show and stands or falls on the basis of sales by exhibitors and visitor numbers — this year there were 122,000 visitors from 100 countries examining the gems, jewellery and watches of 1,450 exhibitors from 40 countries. Most of the visiting buyers are Europeans, of course, and are mostly retailers. It is a show that all European retailers should visit — and many do, at least on an occasional basis. All should visit even if for no other reason than to remind themselves that however small their hometown, they cannot exist in a vacuum. Even the most compact ma and pa operation is part of a global industry.
size and colour… and price. Diamonds were of course in ample supply — and many in very large sizes. This is perhaps not surprising as, worldwide, diamonds make up a significant proportion of all jewellery sales — from just over 50% in USA to around 15% in the EU and China — according to figures published in the BASELWORLD Daily News (26 April). And despite some economic hiccups in some parts of the world, the diamond market seems set to grow — assuming the supply is there (remembering, of course, that synthetics may be waiting in the wings). What was noticeable in Basel were the large numbers of coloured diamonds, as Gary Roskin reports on page 10 (see also page 15 for Stuart Robertson’s comments on coloured diamonds).
Pearls Cultured pearls, of course, were very much in evidence, with some wonderful South Sea and Tahitian examples (2). Interestingly, natural pearls were particularly noticeable this year with several booths showing a selection. One such was Swiss Pearl with a range of graduated natural pearl necklaces from single up to five rows and vintage jewellery including rings set with natural pearls. Another exhibitor was Merugiri Gems, a Dubai-based gem company which has been specializing in Bahraini and other natural saltwater pearls since 1919. Maitraya Kayvan Sanghvi of Vishrut Gems, Merugiri’s associated Mumbai-based company, confirmed to me that the natural pearl market was still strong and prices continued to rise.
Diamonds For the gem buyer — or gem-lover — BaselWorld is a paradise. The top dealers from around the globe exhibit gems of every
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1. Harry Winston at BaselWorld 2013. Photo Jack Ogden.
Gems&Jewellery / June 2013
Shows and Exhibitions
Coloured gems The top coloured gem dealers can always surprise with their matched sets of gems, perhaps the clearest proof of the care, and often time, that such dealing involves. For example, Constantin Wild of Idar-Oberstein exhibited a wide selection of fine gems including a perfectly matched set of 19
from other sources including Tajikistan. Ron Rahmanan of New York-based Sara Gems, which was exhibiting a fine range of Mozambique as well as Burma rubies, reckoned that over the last three years the prices of the finest Mozambique rubies had increased from about one sixth the price of Burma rubies to one third. Size may not be everything, but it can certainly create an impression. Examples at Basel included the ‘The Imperial Emerald’ a very fine quality, untreated, 206 ct Colombian emerald unveiled by Bayco, a New York-Based company. Swiss colouredgem specialist ALine’s offering included a 104 ct tanzanite and a 269 ct peridot. That was by no means the largest tanzanite on show — Paul Wild of Idar-Oberstein had one of 735 ct, believed to be the largest faceted example.
Trends
2. Cultured pearls were very much in evidence, for example those shown here in Hall 3. Photo courtesy of BaselWorld.
graduated rubellite tourmalines — ideal for a necklace — plus a further matching pair, presumably for the en suite earrings. Staying with tourmalines, but the very opposite of matched, were those exhibited by Groh+Ripp of Idar Oberstein. Its huge display of coloured gems and fine lapidary work included a range of Mozambique tourmalines exhibiting a startling variety of hues (3). Among the plethora of coloured gems there were many fine rubies, and closely vying with the Burma stones were those from Mozambique. The finest Mozambique rubies do indeed compare with Burma in terms of colour and the epithet ‘pigeon’s blood’ is now being applied to some — Burma rubies have no proprietary rights to the term (as shown by recent discussions on Gem-A’s GemTalk network). Both heated and unheated Mozambique rubies were on show — along with some fine examples
The collectors’ market — few would actually wear a 700 ct tanzanite — is an important and growing section of the gem trade, but how about the more practical ‘jewellery’ gems? How were they selling? As is so often true, the answer you get depends on who you ask. At shows some are always optimistic, others are always moaning, but even so it would seem that there were mixed results. One exhibitor, who wished to remain anonymous, said all demand was for high end and that his mid range was selling less well. Possibly we can detect a trend where those not in the market for a top sapphire, ruby or emerald, prefer not to buy a run-of-the-mill example, but go for a fine and interesting tourmaline or other coloured gem. Coloured gem dealer Charles Abuchar of Geneva also noted a focus on gems other than sapphire, ruby and emerald. We can note that almost without exception dealers refer to gems other than these ‘big three’ as ‘semi-precious’. Despite official condemnation of the term by CIBJO and others, there really is no other easy way to collectively describe the vast, and often anything but inexpensive, range of gems other than sapphire, ruby and emerald.
Lessons There were two further comments that were continually being made at BaselWorld. One was that Chinese and Russian buyers were thinner on the ground than had been expected and the second was that Basel was really a very expensive place to exhibit. Many felt that for gems Basel now had little to offer over the September Hong Kong Show — a far less costly venue and far closer to the growing Chinese market. For their side, the BaselWorld organizers were quite prepared to admit that they were seeking quality not quantity in their exhibitors; no wonder that some of the smaller and non-European gem dealers present felt a little unwanted. Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned here. Retailers in the market for major watch or jewellery brands might be impressed by, even bask in the reflected glory of, their imposing installations (can’t really call them booths) — and the free Champagne and canapés — but those buying loose gems and diamonds are, I imagine, less swayed by such ostentation and, if quality, size and price are right, would be just as happy to buy in far simpler surroundings — Hong Kong for instance.
3. Mozambique tourmalines in an impressive range of colours displayed by Groh+Ripp of Idar-Oberstein. Photo Jack Ogden.
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Gems&Jewellery / June 2013
Hands-on Gemmology
Is it an emerald? “Is it an emerald/ruby/sapphire/diamond?” must be the most common question asked of anyone who tests gems. Grenville Millington was presented with just such a query when he was confronted with a paper packet containing a large green faceted stone. Very often the unknown stone that is the subject of this question is rather small, perhaps up to one or two carats in weight, but this particular one was around 37 mm in length and quickly sent my electronic scales up to the maximum figure of 50 carats. I would estimate that the stone’s weight was well in excess of 100 carats, maybe closer to 200. The size alone threw suspicion on the identification of the stone as emerald, but it was a good, lightish emerald green, such as that seen in a lot of commercial Colombian emeralds. And it showed pink under the Chelsea Colour Filter — of the equivalent tone expected of this colour Colombian stone. There was also noticeable zoning with something like 60° angles visible to the unaided eye and since emerald forms as hexagonal prisms one might excuse a non-expert for asking: “Is it an emerald?” Our good friend the refractometer could possibly supply the answer, and it didn’t let
us down. The clear reading was a single one at 1.434. This stone was a fluorite (also called fluorspar). On two or three occasions in the past I have had dealers offer me parcels of such light emerald-green stones as ‘emeralds’, but certainly no stone was even approaching this one in size. Although emerald belongs to the hexagonal system, colour zoning is not all that common and hexagonal zoning even less so. Therefore, the planal zoning in this stone, although it might help convince the less experienced jeweller, actually made the stone appear suspicious as an emerald and certainly would throw people off the true scent (fluorite belongs to the cubic crystal system). I had just enough time to take a few photos of the stone before the customer returned and the result of ‘fluorite’ saved me from answering the inevitable second question, should the answer have been ‘emerald’, namely: “What’s it worth?”
The ‘hexagonal’ zoning photographed from various angles. Magnifications approx. 20x.
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Large green fluorite, 37 mm in length
About the author For many years Grenville Millington ran his own gem and jewellery business and taught gemmology and retail jewellery at the Birmingham School of Jewellery
Gems&Jewellery / June 2013
Gems and Minerals
John Kessler donation Gem-A instructor and collections curator Lizzie Gleave FGA reports on a recent donation of gem and mineral specimens from London-based gem-dealer John Kessler, which has provided us with a rich and varied range of materials for the Association’s teaching and reference collections. Gem-A’s teaching collection helps to keep students and staff up-to-date with the latest finds, treatments and synthetics. Some donations come to us as they are discovered, others have been collected over many years. It is one of these carefully-amassed collections that we were asked to collect at the end of March 2013. We arrived at John Kessler’s office in Hatton Garden with some boxes and packaging, not quite knowing what we were going to unearth; so we were thrilled to be presented with a wonderful range of specimens collected throughout John’s long career as an emerald dealer. Much of this time was spent in Brazil and a considerable amount of the collection had been gathered during his travels there. Some select pieces he kept at his home and office before generously donating the collection to Gem-A, with whom he has had a long association. Among his emerald specimens are examples from Colombia (1) and Brazilian mines including Itabira and Campo Formoso. Provenanced gems such as the latter are increasingly important as reference material for origin determination. Perhaps not surprisingly, as a personal memento John has kept a fine emerald crystal from Nova Era, a Brazilian mine in which he once owned shares.
1. Emerald crystals in matrix. Colombia.
Pieces range from well-formed mineral specimens such as pink, orange and pale blue topaz to delicate and exquisite crystal groups. One pegmatite from Brazil houses two aquamarine crystals within feldspar and quartz. Other pieces range from specularite (hematite) from Cumbria (2) to an extraordinary aggregate of amethyst (3), plus examples of stone carving and even fossils. My favourites are the snowball-like geode of rock crystal from Morocco and a 4.74 ct pale yellow emerald-cut scapolite (4).
2. Specularite and quartz from Cumbia, UK.
Gem-A is always happy to receive donations and bequests from dealers, collectors and its members. As James Riley, CEO, explains: “Gem-A has received many donations over the past 100 years, ranging from the collections of Herbert Smith and Basil Anderson through to the Neville Deane collection, as well as access to the South West Trust collection of gems from the collections of Ron Yeo and Eric Bruton. Each offers a unique insight to a specific epoch and area of gemmology making Gem-A’s collection among the most diverse
3. An amethyst aggregate.
and valuable in the world. Donations are welcome especially if they exemplify a specific area or represent an area which is weak in our collection.” We hope that it will be possible to display a larger selection of our collection at our headquarters in the future. Gem-A would like to thank John for his generosity. If you would like to offer a donation to Gem-A, or make a bequest, please contact info@gem-a.com or call reception on 020 7404 3334. Gem-A is a registered UK charity and donations by UK tax payers may be eligible for tax deductions – please ask your financial advisor for details. All photos by Henry Mesa Bedoya. © Gem-A
4. An emerald-cut scapolite of 4.74 ct.
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Gems&Jewellery / June 2013
Gems and Minerals
The flight of the fancy Fancy colour diamonds are more popular than ever. But the supply and demand disparity is creating an ever-increasing valuable commodity, popular with jewellers, consumers and — dare we say it — investors. Gary Roskin reports on the fancy colour diamond market as noted at BaselWorld 2013. The first thing you will hear from many of the industry’s leading diamond suppliers when asked whether fancy colour diamonds should be considered a monetary investment is that it’s an investment in beauty and enjoyment. And then they might add that of course, the larger diamonds — coloured or colourless — are very good monetary investments. Over the past several years, we have watched record prices being paid at auction for spectacularly important fancy colour diamonds. For example, just within the past few months: • The Princie diamond, 34.65 ct Fancy Intense Pink: $39.3 million ($1.1 million/carat) • A 10.61 ct marquise-shaped Fancy Light Pink: $1.2 million ($118,856/carat) • A 5.3 ct Fancy Deep Blue: $9.6 million ($1.8 million/carat) • A 10.95 ct Fancy Yellow: $353,000 ($32,000/carat) • A 2.35 ct Fancy Orangey Pink: $293,000 ($124,000/carat) • A 1.37 ct Fancy Blue: $425,000 ($310,000/carat).
For chocolate diamond lovers — a variety of flavours, including a 29.60 ct Fancy Deep Orange-Brown radiant cut; a 13 ct Fancy Dark Brown round brilliant; a 3 ct Fancy Dark Reddish-Brown pear shape and a 35 ct Fancy Pink-Brown pear shape, from Galaxy USA, New York. Photo Gary Roskin.
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The Princie — well, that was the highest price-per-carat ever paid for a Fancy Intense Pink. We do not know who paid that kind of price, but it was obviously impressive. And so was the size — almost 35 ct! And then there was the $1.8 million paid for a blue, the highest price-per-carat ever paid for a Fancy Deep Blue. The buyer of this gem was London’s Laurence Graff, who had set the previous record for Fancy Deep Blue when he purchased the Wittelsbach in 2008, at approximately $685,000 per carat. At just a little over 5 ct, it certainly wasn’t a huge diamond, but for a Fancy Deep Blue, 5 ct is a pretty nice size. You can see a 5 ct diamond from across the room — and that’s important if you’re spending that kind of money. Of course, with all of the hoopla with these ever higher and higher record prices being paid at public auction, suppliers and consumers are noticing fancy colour diamonds.
At the show BaselWorld showed us evidence from the moment we entered the gem hall that fancy colour diamonds are going to play an even more significant role in the diamond sector for the coming year. Of course, the round brilliant colourless and near colourless diamond will always be the best seller, but you would have been hard-pressed to walk through Hall 3 (the loose gem pavilion) to find a diamond exhibitor who didn’t have some inventory of fancy coloured diamonds. We expected to list maybe a dozen fancy colour diamond suppliers in our daily report on these particular stones, but we ended up jotting down no less than 42! So why is there such a big surge in suppliers without a big surge in supply? No-one better to ask than Derek Palmer, global marketing director of one of the largest international diamond manufacturers, Pluczenik, Antwerp. What he told us was that jewellers and consumers are creating a far greater demand for the rare and beautiful gems. And even though he notes that large important diamonds in any colour are the gems you should buy, he does certainly acknowledge that fancy colour is a good investment. “Price increases for 10-plus carats are being looked at for investment portfolios,” he says. “More brokers today are looking towards these big and beautiful diamonds to diversify one’s investments.”
Gems&Jewellery / June 2013
Gems and Minerals
Showing the range of the Vivid category, we have two Fancy Vivid Yellows, one, a 6.55 ct emerald cut, the other, a 53.25 ct modified emerald cut, from Cora International, New York. Photo Gary Roskin.
Yes, Palmer is talking of a monetary investment. With an uncertain world economy, those who have money and know diamonds feel rather certain that large important diamonds, including fancy colour ones, will make an important element in a diverse portfolio. Of course, he’s not all about monetary investment. “Fancy colour diamonds give you flexibility in the way you can use your wealth — you can wear them,” he smiled. “Wearing your house just isn’t going to work now is it?”
But you have to find the goods. Retail jewellers were shopping, but so were suppliers. Throughout Hall 3, and even into Hall 2 — the Finished Jewellery Hall — you would walk by showcase windows full of fancy colour diamonds and see retailers and suppliers looking in. What they were seeing were mostly large Fancy Yellows. The Novel Collection had a display of large cushion cut Fancy Intense Yellows, including a 25.19 ct, a 25.16 ct, a 13.88 ct, and a 10.03 ct, with a 14.13 ct Fancy Vivid Yellow cushion in the middle of the display. These are good sizes, but if you think these are big… well, we saw a square cut brilliant in the window at André Messika — a Fancy Intense Yellow weighing in at well-over 83 ct. Besides the display of large cushion intense yellows, the Novel Collection was featuring a very large Fancy Intense Yellow (almost 40 ct) cushion brilliant in a ring, as well as a magnificent necklace highlighting a very pretty 14 ct Fancy Brownish-Pink emerald cut. The latter was set into rose gold, which a lot of designers are using today to enhance the pink and complement the brown. You will see this in everything from high-end to commercial jewellery lines that use brownish-pink melee. Richard Vainer of M. Vainer, London, brought out an exquisite gem — a 4.04 ct Fancy Vivid Blue-Green. “We have a great deal of confidence in fancy colours, particularly in the Argyle pinks,” he said. “As you know, the mines will, some time in our lifetime, end production. This will also happen with the blues, which are primarily coming from the Premier mine. In general, we see a lack of quality
Richard Vainer of M. Vainer, London, shows us this magnificent gem, a 4.04 ct Fancy Vivid Blue-Green. This incredible gem comes with a GIA monograph — a very exclusive report issued only for very extraordinary gems. Photo Gary Roskin.
Pursuing the parcel Even though Pluczenik, like other firms, is always chasing an ever-dwindling supply of especially rare diamonds, Peter Martin, who is communications director, placed a 15 ct Fancy Vivid Yellow heart-shape diamond in front of me. It was absolutely stunning from top-to-bottom, side-to-side — vivid saturation of colour everywhere. “This is Mother Nature — a miracle — and it will hold its value. And as its rarity increases, so will its value,” he said.
Following the yellow diamond road, Manak, San Francisco, has diamond slices in yellow and colourless in a variety of sizes. Manufacturing jewellers use these diamond slices to create affordable yet eye-catching earrings, rings and necklaces, getting the large look without having to use larger more traditionally-cut diamonds. Photo Gary Roskin.
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Gems and Minerals
in the more saturated primary colours, causing the finest material, in the end, to be very limited.” So is that one of the reasons Graff paid so much for the Fancy Deep Blue?
High value, but are they selling? “Fancy colour diamonds are certainly centre stage right now,” said Leibish Polnauer, president of Leibish & Co. “There are so many different places to invest your money today. But if a person were to have purchased a 3 to 5 ct Fancy Vivid Blue or Pink 15 years ago, today those diamonds would be worth at least seven times their original value. You could buy gold, platinum, stocks or bonds, but with the exception of Impressionist art, nothing can touch fancy colour diamonds.” Leibish knows that because of limited resources and a growing demand, partly brought on by the fashion industry, fancy colour diamonds will continue to climb in value. “Another reason for fancy colour diamonds to be such a good investment is that fancy colours are not traded on the Rapaport list,” said Polnauer. “This means that there is more mobility for manufacturing and retail jewellers to help their brand. Jewellers today have a difficult time making a profit, with colourless diamonds being traded by the list becoming more of a commodity every day.” But with fancy colour, everyone has the opportunity to make a living. “Yellow diamonds sell very cheaply,” he added. “A 5 ct colourless H/VS1 is priced at $30,000/ct, where a 5 ct Fancy Yellow is priced at 50 per cent less, at $15,000/ct.”
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Also utilizing fancy colour faceted diamond slices, Oriental Gemco, New York, featured numerous flashy, colourful and very affordable diamond jewels. Photo Gary Roskin.
About the author Gary Roskin is the author of Photo Masters for Diamond Grading and hosts the online gem news magazine The Roskin Gem News Report. For more information please visit: www.roskingemnews.com.
Gems&Jewellery / June 2013
Recent Events
The Scottish Conference The Scottish Gemmological Association Conference 2013 took place over the weekend of 3–6 May at The Hydro, Peebles. The full programme of presentations, workshops, social events (including the famous Ceilidh) and a gold-panning excursion attracted participants from many parts of Europe and North America as well as the UK. A synopsis of the presentations is given here. Pearls The Conference began on the Friday evening with registration and refreshments followed by a talk by Clare Blatherwick (head of jewellery and silver, Bonhams, Scotland) on ‘Pearls under the Hammer’. In recent years natural pearls have enjoyed a huge resurgence in interest with increasingly high prices being realized. This trend has been particularly noticeable with pearls coming up for auction at the major international auction houses. The high esteem in which natural pearls are now held mirrors that in the past; up to the 1920s the then new cultured pearls disrupted the market followed by the Great Depression which dealt it a mortal blow. After a brief history of pearls, weaving through Roman, Hindu, Medieval European, Renaissance and Islamic periods, up to their heyday in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Clare described the various types of pearls on the market and some of the prices obtained. Non-nacreous pearls lack the lustrous surface of nacreous pearls, having a more porcelain-like appearance. The best known non-nacreous pearls to appear at auction are conch pearls and so far these cannot be commercially cultured. The best examples are pink with a distinct flame structure, which is due to the needle-like aragonite formation. Prices can be high. As an example she described a Fine Pink conch pearl of 6.36 ct coming up for auction at Bonhams’ sale in Los Angeles of ‘Gems, Pearls, and Exotic Gemstone Jewelry’ on 21 May which is estimated at $17,000–$20,000. A whole necklace of conch pearls had fetched
$1.46 million at a Christie’s auction in Hong Kong in December 2012. Melo pearls, from the shell of the trident sea snail are also collected and can occur up to golf-ball size. Another type of non-nacreous pearl is the clam pearl; these can also have an attractive flame structure and, again, prices can be high. A fine example weighing 7.18 ct
also coming up for sale at Bonhams’ Los Angeles auction, is estimated at $6000 –$8,000. Quahog pearls, from the quahog clam, are also collected, but the most highly prized non-nacrous pearls are those from the nautilus which are extremely rare — so much so that Clare wondered if many gem labs had the experience to spot them.
A matched pair of Fancy Intense purplish-pink diamonds, weighing 1.01 ct (see ‘The gem market’ pages 15 and 16). Photo courtesy of Stuart Robertson.
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Recent Events
Nacreous pearls are either sea water or fresh water, and both types are being cultured. Chinese cultured freshwater pearls are seldom of sufficient value to appear at auction, but Biwa cultured pearls can be more valuable. The Japanese are now culturing beaded freshwater pearls. Natural freshwater pearls include the well-known Scottish ones and also those from the Mississippi. Fine examples of the latter can fetch very large sums at auction. Of saltwater cultured pearls, mid-twentieth century graduated rows of Akoyas at auction seldom realize much more than about a seventh of their retail price. South Sea and Tahitian cultured pearls do well, but Bonhams now describes them as cultured pearls with a colour descriptor due to concerns in respect of treatments. Natural saltwater pearls are doing extremely well at auction and prices have risen considerably in recent years. Famous examples include the Baroda and Dodge pearls. The two-row Baroda pearl necklace sold for just over $7 million in 2007 and Bonhams sold the Dodge pearls for $600,000 in 2008. Although, as Clare pointed out, the Dodge pearls sold by Cartier in the 1920s, were, in relative terms, more highly valued back then than now. The main buyers now are Indian and Far Eastern collectors and investment companies.
example, Gemfields said to be investigating the potential. There are three main emerald mining areas in Colombia within a few kilometres of each other; these are Muzo, La Pita and Coscuez, all just around six hours by car from Bogota. Chivor, an emerald mining area of historical importance in another region, has seen only sporadic production in recent years. Ron explained that the emerald expert and connoisseur sees the allure of Colombian emeralds that cannot be analysed or easily put into words. In particular there is the gota de aceite (literally ‘oil droplet’), the natural honey-like effect as also seen in hessonite garnets. This softens the look of a stone and is appreciated by buyers. In the 1940s Dr Gübelin suggested that this effect was due to the presence of calcite, but Ron, working with John Koivula, was unable to find any traces of calcite and considers the effect a growth feature. The main treatment seen with emeralds is filling, ranging from oil to hardened polymers. Filling is sometimes revealed by the blue or orange flash effect, orange being seen when the stone is viewed with dark-field illumination and blue when the background is transmitted light. The presence
of a flash effect depends on the type of filler present and Ron reckons that only about a third of filled emeralds will reveal a flash effect when examined with a 10x loupe. He also warned about false flash effects, giving as an example a blue flash that was actually the blue sky reflected off the tweezers. A flash caused by a filler will be seen in a fissure that is parallel to your line of sight; on the other hand a natural iridescence may be seen with a unfilled fissure that is at right angles to the line of vision. The use of coloured fillers is not considered to be a problem since it is so easy to detect, even with a loupe. It is not very common because extremely narrow fissures reduce any liquid to colourless. To cause any discernible deepening of colour, an emerald would have to be crazed. So far ‘composite’ emeralds, that is emeralds held together by epoxy, have not been noted. The radiation treatment of emeralds, first flagged in early 2011, seems not to be a significant threat; the treatment is easy to detect and, besides, the resulting colour is too yellow, more like poor peridot. Emerald buyers at the buying offices in Bogota rely on loupe and tweezers and have to learn to judge quality and recognize filling.
Emeralds of Colombia In his talk on ‘Emeralds of Colombia: Gemmology and Grand Schemes’, emerald dealer and author Ron Ringsrud began by encouraging all to visit Colombia and its emerald mines. The republic has had a troubled past, with more displaced people than any other country apart from Syria. However, in recent years the crime rate has fallen dramatically — it is now lower than Washington DC — and with greatly increased tourism and foreign investment. The recent death of Victor Carranza, the ‘emerald czar’, was feared likely to cause power struggles and destabilize things, but so far there has been a smooth transition that the Colombians are very proud of. The situation at the emerald mines is now ripe for increased foreign investment with, for
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The sought-after gota de aceite effect in a Colombian emerald. Photo courtesy of Ron Ringsrud.
Gems&Jewellery / June 2013
Recent Events
The first stage in examination is to look at every flat facet using reflected light so that surface-reaching fissure openings can be seen. Once fissures or fractures have been located, transmitted light, ideally darkfield, can be used to judge their extent, see if fillers are present and decide whether they affect the stability of the stone. By Ron’s definition, a fissure does not affect the stability of a stone… a fracture does. Judging the extent of filling requires considerable experience and involves deciding the extent to which face-up appearance would change if all the filler was removed. Prices for fine emeralds are increasing. Ron pointed out that six years ago it was rare to find an emerald selling at more than $10,000 a ct; now prices of $20,000+ are being seen often with $70,000–$80,000 being achieved at auction.
Opals of Ethiopia The subject then moved to another continent when Dr Claudio Milisenda, director of the German DSEF Gem Lab, spoke on Ethiopian opals. About a dozen years ago opals were discovered on the Shewa plateau in Ethiopia, in rhyolite nodules. Some of these exhibited a play of colours but others were more like fire opal. However their poor durability made them unsuitable for use as they readily crazed. Then in 2008 opals were also found in Wollo province, Ethiopia, which appeared to be more stable and thus more suitable for jewellery use. The Wollo opals are found in a number of small deposits in a single stratigraphic level, but mining, although basic, is very dangerous. The opals from Wollo range from almost totally transparent to milky and many show a fine play of colour, with reds being more common than blue, the exact opposite of Australian opals. Some contain inclusions of organic plant materials and study of the carbon from these show that the opals formed near the Earth’s surface. The Wollo opals are also hydrophane — that is they absorb water. After drying, the opals that have been soaked in water regain their previous appearance, but more permanent changes can be made, deliberately or accidentally, if
The gem market
Examples of Ethiopian opals. Photo Courtesy of Claudio Milisenda.
they come in contact with liquids other than water, such as dyes or oils. This means that the Wollo opals can easily be dyed, and Claudio demonstrated this with opals dyed in various liquids including copper sulphate solution and, especially for the Scottish conference, Scottish whiskey. The Wollo opals can also be darkened with the sugar and acid treatment, as long-used on agates, and can be ‘smoked’ to make them darker and give greater contrast to the play of colour. Smoking had been used since the 1970s for Mexican opals. Various treatments are being used to stabilize Wollo opals, including polymer impregnation. Stabilised opals can often be detected by their white fluorescence under longwave ultraviolet light. In general FTIR is the best guide to the presence of treatment. Although the discovery of the Wollo opals rejuvenated the global opal market, sales are still restrained by worries about long-term durability. There appears to be no correlation between stability and gemmological properties although the transparent material tends to break more readily than the milky. Perhaps not surprisingly Wollo opals are sometimes misrepresented as Australian opals. Wollo opals can often be distinguished by their columnar structure, providing that this is not confused with the ‘lizard skin’ effect of synthetics. A characteristic of Wollo opal is dispersed pyrite inclusions in the form of small black cubes. Pyrite inclusions have been noted in some Australian opals, but these tend to be in clusters.
An overall survey of the current market in gems was presented by Stuart Robertson, research director of Gemworld International Inc., in a talk titled ‘Gem market trends and other illusions from the trade’. In recent years high-end gems have been selling well, but the middle market has been doing poorly. This reflects the general economy where, in the USA, some 90% of households have seen a fall in income over the last few years. At the top end, the rich are getting richer. The same trend seems to be true in the UK and other mature economies. Over this same period the number of US independent jewellery retailers has fallen, the number of chain stores selling jewellery increased and rising precious metal prices have driven many retailers to alternative materials. The net result is that too many jewellery stores are competing for customer share with too similar items that do little to inspire buyers. With coloured gems, the high end is doing very well. Prices for finer qualities have increased dramatically in the last few years with ruby and sapphire in particular becoming almost unaffordable to the middle market. Emerald, aquamarine and tourmaline prices have also increased. Stuart noted that although the very wealthy will always be able to buy fine gems, they do not drive the market (the middle class does) and jewellers really need to educate customers about more affordable gems, such as spinel, although even here prices seem set to rise. A market that has been growing in recent years is that for coloured diamonds, with prices rising significantly. This is in contrast with white diamonds where, in smaller sizes, prices have declined and, with many major producers pulling out of diamond mining (to focus on the more profitable ‘rare earths’ and industrial minerals sectors) the long-term future is very unclear. The increasing interest in coloured diamonds may have been prompted after 1990 when Argyll began to market its pink and ‘champagne’ diamonds. Yellows are the most available of coloured diamonds and there is a large market for them. Yellow diamonds in the 2.5–10 ct range have doubled in
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Gems&Jewellery / June 2013
Recent Events
price over the last five years, larger sizes even more, but sizes under about 2 ct have weaken in price. Stuart attributed this fall to inexperienced dealers entering the market, being unable to sell and now dumping inventory. He reckoned prices are set to rise again soon. Pinks are also popular, but are far rarer than yellows and the deeper pinks are usually only seen with stones under about half a carat. Larger pinks generally have less high colour grades. With coloured diamonds, rarity drives prices more than beauty and subtle differences in colour can greatly impact on prices. Colour modifiers have a huge effect. For example, a pink modified by brown may be worth half the value of a pink without the brown modification. The prices of light pink diamonds correspond to whites in the D–F range, very light pinks with those in the G–H range. In general terms, the value of coloured diamonds in order from low to high, is fancy white (not to be confused with white or near colourless diamonds), black, grey, brown, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, pink, red. Prices seem set to rise, but buyers need to be aware of synthetics and treatments, the latter including the often non-disclosed coating.
A history of gem cutting A historical perspective was given on gems by Dr Jack Ogden (Gem-A) in a talk about the history of gem cutting, titled ‘Lap Dancers and Drill Masters’. The development of gem cutting over the passing centuries has to be seen in the context of the technologies and materials available to the craftsperson. With gem cutting this was primarily linked to the availability of abrasives and new ways to apply them. Flint and sand formed the ubiquitous gem working tools in earliest times. Flint could be used to drill, cut and scrape; sand or sandstone to shape and polish. Flint points could be used to drill and engrave gems as hard as hardness seven on the Mohs’ scale, but drilling this way was laborious and narrow perforations impossible to achieve. With the increasing use of copper and copper alloys in the third millennium BC, narrow copper rods could be used with sand to drill smaller holes. Such
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Elaborately cut sapphire in a ring dating to ca. 1600 – 1640. Cheapside Hoard, London. Photo Jack Ogden, used by kind permission of the Museum of London.
drilling was carried out with a bow-powered drill. By some time in the early second millennium BC the abrasive emery (a nongem variety of corundum) began to come into use in the eastern Mediterranean and Western Asia, making it far easier to work gems of the quartz family — the commonest materials for gems in the ancient world. About the same time a gem cutting and engraving wheel came into use in some areas with a horizontal spindle powered by a bow. By about 500 BC diamond chips from India were being used to drill beads and scratch fine lines in engraved designs. Over succeeding centuries harder gems could be worked, including emerald and sapphire, but it seems that diamond dust was not used for polishing gems until after the Roman period. Facets could be polished by rubbing a gem on a flat surface with emery powder, a process described for amethyst in the twelfth century, and it is possible that the first steps in diamond cutting were carried out around this time, in this way, using diamond dust. However, the great step forward in diamond and gem cutting came with the introduction of a gem-cutting wheel with a horizontal table, and crank-operated continuous rotary motion — something not possible with bow-powered machinery. The adoption of
crank-operated craft machinery, although known far earlier, was a major feature of the fifteenth century, the period when more precise faceting of diamonds and other gems became prevalent. By the seventeenth century, with growth of the European gem trade with South America and India, very precisely-faceted gems, including diamonds, sapphires and rubies, were in use — as witnessed by magnificent examples in the seventeenth-century Cheapside Hoard in London. In the eighteenth century diamonds from Brazil entered the European market, and brought with them quantities of industrial quality diamond (boart), which had never been that common, from India or Borneo — previously the only sources of diamond. Thus in the eighteenth century, diamond and coloured gem cutting reached a pinnacle of perfection that was not superseded until very recent times. Summaries of Chris Smith’s talks on spinel and tanzanite will appear in the next issue.
22nd/23rd June
Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet
(Rock‘n’Gem)
06th/07th July
Newcastle Racecourse, Newcastle upon Tyne
(Rock‘n’Gem)
13th/14th July
Farnham Maltings Gem Show, Farnham
(Gem‘n’Bead)
03rd/04th August Kempton Park Show, Kempton Park Racecourse
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UNITED KINGDOM FACET CUTTERS’ GUILD
The Voice of the Industry just got even louder... The Jeweller — now incorporating Gems&Jewellery magazine!
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Gems&Jewellery is now incorporated within The Jeweller giving the magazine a total circulation amongst NAG and Gem-A members of over 6,000 and a readership of around 25,000+.
2013 / Volume 22
13 ORLD 20 BASELW ce Conferen Scottish ds Diamon Coloured
BASELW Scottish ORLD 2013 Coloure Confere d Diamon nce ds
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Importantly this makes it one of the industry’s most authoritative and best read publications. So if you really want to reach the people that matter and target your products and services to the industry’s key decision makers, then make The Jeweller and Gems&Jewellery your first choice for advertising. To advertise in the magazine contact sales director Ian Francis on tel: +44 (0) 20 7613 4445 or email: ian@jewellers-online.org
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The Gem-A Conference and Events SAVE THE DATE Friday 1 November — Tuesday 5 November 2013
Understanding Gems Visit www.gem-a.com
TM
FRIDAY 1 NOVEMBER
Seminar day A series of practical workshops will be taking place at Gem-A headquarters in London. Guest speakers will include: Richard Drucker FGA GG Coloured stone grading and pricing workshop II Update on grading coloured gems with new grading methods and information Arthur Groom Exploring emerald clarity enhancements Craig A Lynch GG Is the porridge too hot, too cool, or just right? That is the answer! Somewhere in the Rainbow™ collection of green grossularite garnet and zoisite from east Africa, with hands-on study SATURDAY 2 – SUNDAY 3 NOVEMBER
GOLDSMITHS’ HALL, LONDON
Gem-A Conference Guest speakers will include: John Bradshaw GG Non-traditional gemstones: the rare, medium-rare and well done David Callaghan FGA In the beginning… The history of the London gem lab Dr John Emmett The colours of corundum: A search for the soul of a padparadscha Dr Emmanuel Fritsch GG Luminescence – what’s in a word Luminescence in gemmology from basic UV to photoluminescence in HPHT treated diamonds Arthur Groom Emerald clarity enhancement Brian Jackson FGA DGA Scottish gemstones
Dr Jack Ogden FGA Treasure, traders and trickery: The Cheapside gems in context Sonny Pope The future in coloured diamonds: An introduction to the HPHT multistep process Martin Rapaport The state of the diamond industry Gary Roskin FGA GG Mastering the challenges in diamond grading Shelly Sergent Somewhere in the Rainbow™ Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore! A look at the celebrated Somewhere in the Rainbow™ gem and jewellery collection Dr James Shigley The evolving challenge of gem identification
EVENING SATURDAY 2 NOVEMBER
Anniversary Dinner EVENING SUNDAY 3 NOVEMBER
Graduation Ceremony Guest speaker: Martin Rapaport MONDAY 4 – TUESDAY 5 NOVEMBER
Exhibitions & Visits Private viewings will be held at London museums, including the Cheapside Hoard collection at the Museum of London, the forthcoming Pearls exhibition at the V&A, and at the Natural History Museum. There will also be a private viewing of the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London. To find out more about all of the above visit:
www.gem-a.com/news--events/gem-a-conference-2013.aspx
Gems&Jewellery / June 2013
Gem and Jewellery History
Bearing straits Jack Ogden
FGA
recounts an intriguing fight over watch jewels
The presence of jewels in watches is taken for granted these days, the hard little gems being perfect as durable and near friction-free bearings. However, early on in their history they were the subject of a conflict that went all the way to Parliament — a conflict in which gem cutters played a part and British clockmakers may have behaved rather badly. The problems in France in the later 1600s had helped invigorate British industry with an influx of protestant Hugenot refugees including some remarkably skilled jewellers, silversmiths and watchmakers. Such were two Hugenot watchmakers who settled in Soho at this period — the brothers Peter and Jacob De Baufré. On 1 May 1704 they, plus the Swiss mathematician and scientist Nicolas Facio (also known as Nicolas Fatio de Duillier), were granted a patent for the use of jewels in watches and clocks. Indeed, in March 1704 Facio had exhibited examples of watches incorporating such bearings at the Royal Society. It seems that he had invented a way to drill precise and smooth depressions in rubies and other gems so that they could act as near friction-free bearings. The process is assumed to have involved a treadle lathe and a diamond drill. The whole and rather lengthy title of the patent is: ‘An Art of Working Pretious or more Common Stones (whether Natural or
Artificial) Christal or Glass and Certain other Matters different from Metals; so that they may be employed and made use of in Clockwork or Watchwork and many other Engines not for Ornament only, but as an Internal and Usefull part of the Work or Engine itself, in such Manner as have not heretofore been used, and that said Art will be beneficial to the Trade of Making Watches and Clocks.’ (Patent 371 of 1704). As usual at that period, the text of the patent provides no details of the invention; in this way the new process could be kept secret. Shortly after the patent was granted the De Baufré brothers and Facio decided that the 14 year period of exclusivity granted for a patent was not long enough to allow them to gain sufficient financial benefit. Thus they presented a petition to Parliament in which they requested “a longer term of years” for their patent. This petition was opposed by the Clockmakers’ Company who stirred up an opposing petition “on behalf of them-selves, and all the Watch-makers and Clock-makers throughout the Kingdom”. And they produced a trump card — a watch by the London watchmaker Ignatius Huggerford which had ‘a stone fixed in the cock and balance work”. A William Scale attested that he had sold the watch “before the date of the Patent”. This watch, dated to 1671, is still owned by the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers in London.
In this jewelled bearing from a late-eighteenth – early-nineteenth century watch, a pierced ruby is backed by a rose diamond. Kindly loaned by the late John Day and identified by Nigel Israel and Jonathan Betts. Photo Jack Ogden.
Page 20
Gems&Jewellery / June 2013
Gem and Jewellery History
us ok sit bo Vi ace f on
Meet the international
Photo: Atelier Tom Munsteiner
Gemworld in Munich !
Jewel bearings used for a balance wheel in a modern mechanical watch movement. Photo by Hustvedt used under Creative Commons License, see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en
The Clockmakers also gained the support of a further petition from the “Jewellers, Diamond Cutters, Lapidaries, Seal Cutters, Engravers on Stone, and others dealing in Jewels, and Precious Stones and more common Stones, in and about the Cities of London and Westminster”. This petition stated that these craftsmen considered that any lengthening of the patent would “in a great measure, infringe upon the Practitioners in their several Arts and Trades, and abridge them of working and applying Jewels and Stones in many things”. A specially constituted Parliamentary Committee considered the arguments for and against extending the patent and decided against an extension and the Master of the Clockmakers’ Company recorded that Ignatius Huggerford’s watch had been “of great use to satisfy the Committee”. It was only later revealed that the jewel in Huggerford’s watch did not actually pre-empt the patent and suspicions arose as to whether the clockmakers knowingly perpetrated a fraud. On the other hand one wonders whether the acceptance of Huggerford’s watch as evidence rendered the whole patent invalid since the patent includes the clause that it will cease if “it shall be made apparent to us… that the said Invention is not a new invention…”.
Europe’s top show for gems & jewellery in autumn
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Page 21
Gems&Jewellery / June 2013
Stone Scoop
Coral The ecological concerns with regard to coral have been discussed before in this magazine, so here, at the risk of appearing insensitive to the current challenges, Jack Ogden FGA casts an eye back on coral in the nineteenth century. OK coral Then, as now, there were mixed feelings about coral. At one end of the scale, critics waxed lyrical about the beauty of the finest pieces. A commentator reporting on the Dublin International Exhibition in 1865 described a suite of coral jewellery exhibited by jewellers Aubert and Linton of Regent Street, London: “Coral, to be rare and valuable, must be of a delicate pinkish hue, uniform in tint throughout, and in large pieces. This suite consists of nothing but such; and so rare is coral answering this description that Signor Gismondi, the designer and carver of this set of ornaments, is said to have been twenty years collecting the pieces inserted therein.” The suite in question consisted of ‘tiara, bracelets, solitaires, comb, earrings, brooch, necklace, and pendant’ and was priced at £1,000, a huge sum in those days.
Debris of a lobster Just a few years after the previous piece was written, the journalist George Augustus Sala expressed his less favourable thoughts on coral. In his notes on the Paris Exhibition in 1868 he commented: “Coral is a thing about which a great deal may be said, both for and against. Carelessly selected, clumsily set, and ignorantly arranged, it may become one of the most vulgar and unsightly of
One man’s coral necklace is the remains of another man’s Lobster Thermidor!
Page 22
known ornaments. Coral was in fact thus vulgarised a few years since in France and England. People went about bedizened with twisted sticks of seeming red sealing-wax; and coral earrings bore an unpleasant resemblance to fragments of ginger or orris root, or even the domestic forked radish, smeared with red ochre. One has seen a coral necklace that looked for all the world like the debris of a lobster strung together; and more than once an elaborate attempt to produce something like a pattern in coral has only been productive of the impression that the spectator was looking at a bunch of carrots through the small end of an opera-glass. Sham coral was made in cartloads, mainly of vermilion and resin as a varnish, and the public seemed really indifferent as to whether they wore the genuine or the spurious article.”
Red and dead That last comment brings us to imitation coral. In 1809 it was noted that “Coral is often imitated by artificial compositions, some of which are made to resemble it exactly… The colouring ingredients in the artificial coral are cinnabar and minium, which are easily discovered.” This raises a scary thought. In the past coral was traditionally used as a children’s ‘teething toy’ — what you might call a pacifier today. Indeed teething toys were widely called ‘corals’. Now, cinnabar is a fine red pigment, but is also chemically mercury sulphide — highly poisonous, as is minium (‘red lead’ or lead tetroxide). Vermillion mentioned in the previous section is another term for cinnabar pigment. I just hope no children were offered teething toys of such imitation coral — although from a purely scientific standpoint it might be a handy way to detect the fake. A destructive test you might say. On the other
hand, real coral had long been used in medicine, although our 1809 observer rather pompously announced that it was “now scarcely ever prescribed by any intelligent practitioner”. A later author explained that in the past “They made necklaces of it which were supposed to preserve their newborn infants from contagious diseases; and under many circumstances they believed that preparations of coral were excellent remedies for the sick.” It was good to wear too; it supposedly repelled “enchantments, witchcraft, venom, epilepsy, assaults of Satan, thunder, tempest, and other perils”.
Tender firmness However, this is a gemmological publication and as noted in The New Dominion Monthly in 1871, we must forget the witchcraft and poisons and remember that “coral, when introduced with taste, forms an elegant addition to precious stones”. The Art Journal in 1865 was even more enthusiastic: “They [coral ornaments] require to be seen in order to be understood, and consequently to be appreciated. The delicacy and beauty of their tints, the rich gracefulness of their texture, their faculty of forming infinitely varied combinations, the felicity with which they may be grouped with goldsmiths’ work in the precious metals, and the sharp, yet tender firmness of their carved and sculptured forms — these all are qualities to be estimated by the eye alone.” Of course, coral fell out of fashion again, but only for a time. In 1906 pundits were telling the fashion-conscious that “Coral is once again in favour, and those charming, rosy-pink coral ornaments that have been laid aside for so long are once again brought to light.” Clearly, the reference to lobster debris had been long forgotten!
Help create a home ‘fit for gemmologists’. To enlist contact James Riley at: james.riley@gem-a.com
Feature | The retail view “The interest in over-sized watches has definitely calmed down a little. Having seen the 2013 collections at Basel it does look as though the majority (excluding the Breitling Emergency ll) are filtering smaller models back into their collections which is really interesting.” Sophie Fulford, MD Winsor Bishop, Norwich “Blue was a real theme through most of the brands [we saw at Basel] this year, including Patek Philippe, Omega, Rolex and Longines.” Richard Laing, director at Laing/Parkhouse “Within the UK, the majority of sales for ladies are for feminine-looking watches, most of which have been specifically designed for the female market, not simply scaled-down men’s models.” Daniel Grimshaw, CW Sellors Online watch retail manager Mondaine
therefore what we represent is a safe choice in the current economic climate given our heritage and proven ability to appeal to the all-important mid-market consumer,” says Victoria Campbell, managing director of the Dreyfuss Group. “Rotary is steeped in tradition and its strength lies in classic dress watches that are affordable and Swiss-made.” Similarly, Baume et Mercier has dipped into its past – the brand was founded in the Swiss Jura in 1830 and throughout its history has had the traveller in mind – with two GMT watches that complete the globe-trotters’ Clifton collection. Useful functions, including the simultaneous display of two different time zones on its dial, are combined with an elegant, timeless appeal. The two new models have 43mm brushed satin-finish steel cases, with automatic mechanical movements visible through the sapphire case back. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of its unveiling of the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph, Rolex chose BaselWorld as the launch pad of the Cosmograph Daytona in platinum (thus further deepening its commitment to motor racing since becoming global partner and official timepiece of Formula 1 earlier this year). The new model has an ice-blue dial and chestnut brown monobloc Cerechrom bezel (a ceramic component patented by Rolex). Underscoring its link with the world of tennis, is Rado’s HyperChrome Court and Glam Slam Collection of sporty large and mid-size models. At Edox the links to the sea are reflected in new additions to its Grand Ocean collection (bridged dialled regulators with ETA movement) as well as a relaunched, upgraded edition of the Delfin collection, originally introduced in the 1960s and recognised as trail-blazers in water resistance with their reinforced case back.
“Both the ‘serious’ and the fashion brands are important to us for very different reasons, but we can no longer afford to just focus on the Swiss brands as giants like Michael Kors can make more money for us than the established Swiss brands.” Wes Suter, Steffans Jewellers, Northampton “There are real differences in buying habits across the three cities [where our shops are]. Edinburgh tastes are more traditional, based on heritage; in Cardiff the market is braver in its style choices and our Parkhouse store in Southampton is seen as a destination shop for watch collectors… with Patek Philippe the lead brand.” Richard Laing, director at Laing/Parkhouse “We saw some very interesting, retro style models at Michael Kors – in yellow and rose gold particularly and mixing acrylic with ceramic – they were unlike any other ranges in that price category.” John Henn, TA Henn, Wolverhampton
Value for money
Timex
If the importance of a strong brand name wasn’t the main topic of conversation between suppliers and retailers, then price certainly was, or, more pertinently, it was all about value for money. “In Central London the higher-end the better seems to be the maxim, but in the rest of the UK good value is appreciated at whatever price level,” confirms Paul Kustow of Alexander Collections which distributes MeisterSinger and NOMOS Glashütte. “The public has become more discerning about value in all product areas and watches that offer inherently good value, as well as a strong brand identity, seem to do well.” What might constitute value is open to debate of course. At Seiko it would appear to be about technology in one form or another. “As was seen from our retailers’ reaction, ‘green technology’ represents added value for the consumer,” says Kirsten Crisford, UK marketing manager. “Our kinetic technology is celebrating a 25-year milestone and our solar watches have seen sustained growth over the last few years. Now more
The Voice of the Industry 31
| Feature Something for the girls And style is clearly important when it comes to ladies’ watches… although not the sole raison d’etre. “There is an increased interest and an emerging trend for ladies which is the rise in demand for automatic movements hence the launch of Ladies’ Jura,” explains Rotary’s Campbell. “We are conscious when designing ladies watches that we do not lose sight of what appeals to women. We never just scale down gents’ case sizes to use in ladies’ watch ranges as this is not catering for the ladies’ market as a whole.”
Roamer
MeisterSinger
At Steffans jewellers the trend seems to be that fashion brands and large-sized chronographs (particularly in rose gold) are ‘hot’ for female customers. Aimed specifically (and arguably unusually) at ladies is Rado’s biggest innovation this year, the Esenza Ceramic Touch watch. Using touch technology in a ceramic case, it’s a world-first and highlights the fact that the brand has a well-balanced male to female offering. “Generally we are moving away from the huge watches for women that have been popular over the last five to eight years, but we are still not at the stage that our customers are looking for very small dress watches,” says CEO Matthias Breschan. “The most important thing is that it is a practical,
MeisterSinger has just re-launched its women’s NEO F, a model designed for women, but now as a quartz model. “Although some women are really clued up on mechanical watches, many choose their watches by design, appearance and the value they perceive it to offer,” says Kustow. “This model offers three sunburst dial options, in silver, champagne and pigeon blue, all with a single or two hands. Each watch is supplied with two straps in different colours, one in leather and the other in suede.” “Ladies’ watches are selling really well within particular brands. I wouldn’t say they are becoming more feminine, just that there is so much more awareness with men and women of the importance of an amazingly beautiful watch on your wrist,” says Sophie Fulford. “It may be a statement, it may be an investment or may just be a flutter!”
Seiko
Bering
than ever consumers are looking for high quality products with an added something extra, whether this is technology, material or crystal/diamond-set. Finding style and value for money is vital to draw consumers in.” For Tresor Paris strong design features combined with affordability has been the key to the success of its ISL watches. “Watches have historically been regarded as investment pieces but the economic crisis has pushed the public towards bold design and economic prudence,” says business development director Salim Hasbani. Functionality is as important to the watches as the look – but with 13 very bold colours available, as well as a faceted glass face, they’re very definitely a statement accessory.
Adriatica
32 The Jeweller June 2013
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Feature | accessory and people are owning more to match with outfits and occasions, and women are paying as much attention to the watch they wear as to any other piece of jewellery,” says one member of the brand’s sales team.
Trends
Bremont
beautiful watch that looks good over time and will take a lady from day to evening.” The move away from the large ‘boyfriend’ watch has also been noticed at Timex where retro, ‘accessorising’ pieces are the strongest performers – whether it’s authentically classic-looking models, or retro digital. “The drive towards fashion means that this area of business is growing and will continue to do so,” says Calvert. At Adriatica, while ceramic watches are new to the ladies’ range, gold-plated models are making a comeback, according to regional sales director Krystian Drabek and the company expects that this year watches for women will make up 50 per cent of the collection. The introduction of Sheen, marks the growth of ladies’ watches for Casio, with feminine and classic chronograph styles proving to be the most popular. “Watches have become a very important fashion
Fashion or techno? Understated and classic or in-your-face crazy? Large or small? Whether we’re talking high-end luxury or commercial, the global watch market can obviously offer each and every trend and sometime all within one brand. Sticking his neck out and taking a generalised over-view, McGillivray of Edox believes that styles are moving back to slightly smaller cases with simplistic, classic design. “There shall still be a call for larger watches, but the main trend during a recession usually reflects slimmer, non-complicated time pieces,” he says. “The strength of our Intelligent Quartz collection shows that high-tech is still the most popular within gents’ watches, while fashion styles continue to be the best received women’s styles,” explains Timex’s Calvert. “This is especially at the lower price points which seems contradictory to the overall UK watch market. Fabric straps continue to do well for us also.” If it’s innovation you’re after then clearly Timex’s Satellite Wave Air should be investigated. The watch receives time and date signals from satellites in outer space, while the timepieces from the Promaster Altichron range allow the wearer to calculate altitude and direction. Eco-friendly and innovative with fashion thrown in? How about
Mintel’s report on the watch and jewellery market (September 2012): The market is becoming increasingly polarised as the luxury watches sector has bucked the overall sector trend and has seen sales grow and low-end fashion watches continue to be popular, while the mid-market has suffered. More than four in five adults (84%) in the UK own a watch, but ownership of timepieces is slowly declining, while mobile phone ownership continues to rise. Watch ownership increases with age, with more than nine in ten (94%) over-65s owning one. Replacement remains one of the main motivators for watch purchases, with over a third (34%) of people only buying a new watch when their existing one breaks. While this attitude is most common among older people, with over half of over-65s only buying new watches for replacement, 42% of 45-64s also do this. Mintel forecasts that the watches and jewellery market will grow by 5.3% between 2012 and 2017 to reach £4.5 billion. This growth will be mainly driven by the UK’s improved economic prospects as GDP, PDI and consumer expenditure are all estimated to return to strong growth over the next five years.
Bering’s new solar-powered watches from a collection that also includes brown ceramic and rose gold models and a new radiocontrolled style with a day/date function. For sheer wow factor this year also sees Maurice Lacroix’s Second Mystérieuse which effectively has a floating second hand… it really has to be seen !
Edox
Now that’s a good idea… And finally, sometimes (as just illustrated) it’s simply a neat trick that blows the buyer’s skirt up. Well, this is what U-Boat’s Moufarrige has discovered… and explains with his customary zeal: “This year we released something ridiculously brilliant. You know how you break a nail when you try to change the time? The way the crown is always too stiff or jagged at the edges? Well we have invented (and patented the life out of) a pusher where the chronograph pusher might traditionally be. Push the button and the crown pops out to the date-position. Push the button again and the crown pops out even further so you can change the time. Nails? Intact. Why is it that for hundreds of years watchmakers have developed perpetual calendars and tourbillions but no-one solved the nail issue? It had to be an Italian company, didn’t it? We’re so proud – I can’t begin to tell you what the reaction was like.” Actually he can, it was “unanimously raised and excited eyebrows” apparently.
The Voice of the Industry 35
Jeweller picks... the
Our selection from among the most stylish, eye-catching or downright quirky new watch models for 2013.
LOTUS
Launched at BaselWorld by the Festina Group, the new Lotus collection includes a number of new models featuring innovations such as the use of aluminium in a range of colours. Also unveiled were polycarbonate and glass fibre models as well as ladies’ designs in the increasingly popular rose gold colour.
LINKS OF LONDON
FENDI
Introduced three years ago, the Crazy Carats watch features a rolling gemstone mechanism that allows the wearer to change the colours of the gem markers with the turn of the crown. Today the 33mm and 38mm models have been further enhanced by a two-tone dial – an outer ring of yellow gold encircling the inner ring of silver in which the gemstone markers lie. In the centre is mother of pearl. The crocodile straps come in a choice of four neutral colours.
Combining three prevailing trends – friendship bracelets, colour and layering of bracelets and watches – Links of London has introduced the Friendship Watch, which is available in an array of tones. Also with more than a nod to its jewellery lines, the brand has launched new additions to the Sweetie Watch line and the Effervescence Star Watch which uses star-shaped fragments in the bracelet strap.
GEORG JENSEN
There are two key trends in ladies’ watches in the Georg Jensen collection: one is for a simple, minimalistic gents’ style (as in the slim, classic, Koppel line), the other is for more feminine, jewellery-inspired watches. Combining fashion appeal with function is this Vivianna bangle watch featuring dark mother of pearl and diamonds.
RODANIA SWATCH
Established in 1930, the Swiss watch brand launched a particularly feminine model into its collection this year. Elios Silk features silk on its strap (in a choice of three colours: natural grey and chocolate as well as this flamingo pink), a mother of pearl dial and a full-cut diamond set at 12 o’clock. The case is available in stainless steel or rose gold.
Launched at BaselWorld, Swatch’s new Sistem51, an automatic mechanical movement made from 51 components is a world first. The signature Swatch feature – transparency – allows a view of the movement’s oscillating motor, a transparent disc that rotates in both directions around the central screw. The Swiss-made watch also has a 90-hour power reserve.
MICHAEL KORS
Glam Ideas is one of three new collections within the Michael Kors watch and jewellery line for autumn 2013 and treatments for the new wave of models include pavé trim wristbands and crystal-encrusted top rings. Smaller timepieces feature in the Delicate Luxuries line while Noir Edition is the showcase for men’s watches in stainless steel and matte black silicone with accents of silver tone stainless steel.
SCUDERIA FERRARI
Fans of Ferrari’s racing team can now show their devotion with a new watch brand for men and women – bright, identifiable designs that clearly take their inspiration from the bold, sporty style of the cars, as well as their intricate design details. Luminous red dial accents pay tribute to the team’s signature colour and collection names such as Pit Crew and Lap Time add to the heritage feel.
VIVIENNE WESTWOOD
The fashion designer’s third watch collection features her hallmark playful touches as well as a variety of distinctive details such as innovative case designs and finishes, pastel-tinted resin, textured Italian leathers, sleek ceramics and tartan prints. This Kensington ll model, which is also available in white ceramic, has rose gold detailing and a two-layer, de-bossed dial.
KARL LAGERFELD
WEWOOD
With its double-wrap chain link bracelet the jewellery-inspired Karl Kourbe watch is typical of the designer’s irreverent design ethos. From Lagerfeld’s second watch collection, it sits alongside equally striking models, such as the faceted pyramid design in stainless steel with mirror dial and tapered bracelet. Echoing his ready-to-wear collection meanwhile, gold tones are also key in the new line.
A wardrobe of watches must surely feature a model made from wood! Having seen success in the US and Australian markets, the Italian WeWood brand arrived in the market last autumn (distributed through Winshport). Each watch, which has a Japanese movement, is made from 100 per cent recycled or reclaimed wood and is free from toxic chemicals. And, as part of its commitment to the environment, the company has pledged to plant one tree for every watch purchased.
The Swiss watch brand Ball has signed an agreement to create a collection of timepieces for the German car manufacturer BMW. Among the technical specifications for the new models is Ball’s exclusive patented Amortiser® system – inspired by the automotive world – designed to protect the movement against extreme shocks. The aesthetic design pays homage to the distinctive hallmarks of BMW vehicles.
STORM
BALL & BMW
A new moon phase feature has been added to the British brand’s latest collection of men’s watches. The Alvas style combines this indicator with a day and date feature as well as a highly polished stainless steel strap (also available in silver/black).
TRESOR PARIS
Tresor Paris’ new ISL Watch Collection comes in a brilliant array of 13 colours, each featuring a diamond set at the 12 o’clock position and the faceted glass face replicating the gem’s sparkle. With interchangeable silicone straps, the watches have stainless steel bezels which can be upgraded and customised and each model has its own unique serial number.
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| Business Support: Security
SECURITY S P E C I A L
F E A T U R E
News round-up From fogging devices to super-tough doors, we look at the latest developments and initiatives designed to help jewellery retailers fight back against crime.
More jewellers seeking protective measures
As well as secondary glazing, door siphon systems and airlock entries, jewellers (a number of them located in Hatton Garden) have also increased their transaction security with attack or bullet-resistant counters and screens. Kerry Maglennon, general manager at KS Security, admits that the recent rise in enquiries has: “taken us a little by surprise.” The jewellery industry will be less surprised by this development. www.ks-security.co.uk
Aesthetically-pleasing security solution Over the last 12 months KS Security Ltd has seen a marked increase in enquiries from jewellers looking to add additional security to their premises. The Kent-based engineering company, which designs and manufactures physical security products (for such organisations as Royal Mail and NHS), has seen a rise in demand for both attack and bullet-resistant systems. The increase is attributed to the trend of jewellers adding on gold buying, bullion dealing and pawn broking facilities to their existing business.
40 The Jeweller June 2013
“For jewellery retailers in particular, the aesthetic display of products is absolutely paramount, which is why retail security advancements that allow stores to protect high-value goods, while displaying them in an open environment, should prove crucial,” says Neil Matthews, vice president of Checkpoint Systems. One such advancement is Jewel Lok, which was recently introduced into the company’s Alpha division. The security solution works to reduce jewellery shrink by attaching directly to the merchandise rather than the packaging.
Until now, retailers’ only mechanism for combating the theft of openly displayed jewellery was applying an EAS tag to the back of a jewellery card, but thieves often found ways to separate the jewellery from its card. Jewel Lok includes solutions for attaching directly to stud, hoop and loose jewellery and can be applied in-store or, by using Checkpoint’s @ Source program, it can be applied and subsequently recycled at point of manufacture. This solution doesn’t affect aesthetic display and is virtually invisible to shoppers. It also provides a notable benefitdenial, whereby shoplifters attempting to remove Jewel Lok will inevitably damage the merchandise rendering it useless for resale. www.checkpointsystems.com
Smoke Screen launches added security device Concept Smoke Screen has added a new twist to its security fogging systems – anyone triggering the device will now face a rolling barrier of screening smoke laced with a DNA-coded marker dye. The Smoke Screen Predator is the first retail security system to combine both security smoke and forensic tagging into a single unit. Security smoke and DNA markers have been used in high street jewellers for a number of years and each has contributed its own special deterrent. Both proved effective in the recent raid at a jewellers in Chiswick – the smoke driving off an armed robber while a separate marker system tagged
Business Support: Security | him and what he was carrying. It was so effective in fact that in his rush to escape he not only dropped several items of jewellery, he also dropped an important piece of evidence – a knife. The Predator is fitted with a high pressure dye-dispensing system that combines the DNA dye with the spreading smoke plume. The DNA is carried for several metres attaching itself to the skin and clothing of any would-be thief. The introduction of the Predator completes a new range of Concept Smoke Screen generators. The Sentinel S30 has been designed to provide ideal internal protection for window displays – jewellery and watches are hidden in seconds when shop staff trigger the devices using personal attack buttons. The larger and more powerful Smoke Screen Sentinels can be used as protection from conventional burglars or from daytime smash-and-grabs. www.smoke-screen.co.uk
Ultra high-security doors foil attack Two gunmen became trapped in a Warrior Doors airlock recently as they tried to flee from an aborted raid on a Black Country jewellers. Fire crews spent over 12 minutes freeing the robbers from between the two highly secured doors and police immediately arrested them for armed robbery. Both have since received jail sentences to a total of 22 years. Armed robbers and burglars have targeted jewellers in the West Midlands more than 100 times in the past five years, netting well over £1 million of merchandise in the Black Country alone. Given such high levels of violent daylight smash and grab style robberies, and in response to several enquiries from jewellery stores in the West Midlands specifically (many of whom have been victims of robberies or simply need peace of mind) Warrior Doors can offer its ultra-high-tested and proven attack-resistant, ballistic-secure shop fronts. This consists of high security, fully-glazed doors and frames with interlock-style, accesscontrolled entrance. Importantly, the doors combine an aesthetically-pleasing and safety-assured solution. The design has been developed with the maximum amount of glazing without compromising on security and safety. During its years of experience in manufacturing
and installing high security entrance doors and screens, Warrior has repeatedly witnessed how standard shop front entrances are not designed to withstand the types of violent attacks jewellers have become accustomed to today. To watch video evidence of Warrior Doors and how they withstood aggressive attacks that have taken place in jewellery shops email: rod@warriordoors.co.uk
New system upgrades from Facewatch Facewatch, the police-approved online crimereporting and image-sharing system, has released features which will extend the existing messaging functionality and further assist the police with matching suspects. The changes include improvements to the News Feed (the default view when logging on to the website) which is where information and new incidents show up. Also introduced is an easy way to match suspects’ photos, so that if you see a subject of interest reported by another business or premises and you recognise them, you can make an association, or a match with that person. A searching and matching system
will allow you to narrow down the number of images on the database by filtering according to certain criteria. Online support videos and information has also been improved. www.facewatch.co.uk
Intelligence-led services enhance SmartWater solution SmartWater, the anti-robbery system which has proved to be a very effective criminal deterrent, has developed significantly since it was first launched in the mid 90s. Today the spray system is combined with intelligenceled services such as hotspot mapping and tracking – a particularly useful feature for retailers with a number of nationwide stores, as SmartWater can pinpoint those that are most at risk of attack and target-harden them accordingly. The Intelligence Portal is a knowledge platform that provides a cross-industry and cross-border view of crime. It makes the reporting of crime incidents by both the police and the industry far easier, collating intelligence and streamlining planning and decision-making. SmartWater staff can also undertake crime pattern analysis and risk assessments, which includes liaison with local police. To help retailers manage resources the company will also devise a programme of essential and recommended activity to ensure that vulnerabilities within a store are addressed. wwwsmartwater.com For the latest SaferGems report please turn to p47
The Voice of the Industry 41
| Business Support: Security
SECURITY S P E C I A L
F E A T U R E
Prevention is better than the cure... Is your business a gift to the criminal fraternity? Neil McFarlane of TH March outlines what the jeweller can do to help prevent an attack. ee Wallace, one of our senior account managers, regularly carries out security surveys in the course of his work. As a former chairman and current deputy chairman of the Midlands Security and Risk Society he is well placed to give sound advice. Over the years he and his colleagues throughout the UK have come across scenarios that would astound many of us. Consider for example, safe keys stored overnight on retail premises in an envelope or container on top of the safe! Sadly not an isolated practice. Wallace explains: “In the course of carrying out security surveys for insurance purposes within the jewellery trade over the last 15 years, one of the most common weaknesses I have come across is the failure by business owners to follow good procedures properly. You can have the best physical and electronic security in the world but if your procedures are poor you are still vulnerable. “Many businesses start out with good intentions and often good procedures; over time however complacency can set in and that, along with staff changes or reductions in numbers, can erode those procedures.” Lee recommends that a regular review of procedures should be undertaken including thinking about how you would target your business if you were a criminal. Good insurance brokers are always happy to give security advice to clients and we would recommend signing up to participate in the SaferGems scheme that we co-founded with the NAG. The initiative helps jewellers keep up to date with the latest crime trends and methods which should always be taken into account when reviewing security.
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42 The Jeweller June 2013
Clearly for any jewellery business, whatever the size or location, achieving and maintaining an appropriate level of security protection is an obvious priority so why are some retailers still failing to get it right? And are you one of them? The points listed below may have been raised many times before, but we think that they are always worth reiterating. In general Be aware of people loitering and suspicious of people in vehicles who might be watching your premises. Look out for cars you’ve spotted previously – these could potentially be robbers checking out your shop. Opening and closing procedures These are your most vulnerable times, so you need to be prepared; at least two members of staff should be involved, and the keys should be split as follows: • One member of staff should have a safe key or knowledge of the combination, the other should have the premises keys and alarm key/code. • If a safe has more than one locking system, implement dual control dividing the keys/code and combinations between staff. • Make sure your entry and exit points are always via the most public entrance – ideally the front of the premises. It is worth considering time locks and time delay locks on safes and make sure opening and closing staff carry mobile personal attack alarms.
Opening up: • The person with the premises and alarm key/code should enter the premises, lock themselves in, disarm the alarm. and check the entire premises to ensure that intruders are not lying in wait. • A prearranged sign should be made by the person on the premises to show the person outside that entry is safe. The visual indicator should be changed often. • During this procedure the person with the safe key should be standing clear of the premises but in a position to observe as necessary. • If the prearranged signal is not given you should not investigate but should report the circumstances to the police. • Once the sign has been given, the second person and other members of staff may be admitted to the premises. Care must be taken to ensure that they are not being followed into the premises – including the first person watching them carefully during this time. • After entry, the door must be kept locked until dressing of the window has been completed. • No one – even uniformed police or postmen – should be admitted unless they are particularly well-known to you and clearly seen as not being followed. Closing: • The opening procedure is reversed with the door being locked and no callers admitted until windows have been cleared and the safe relocked. • The person with the safe key should then depart the building and remain at a distant vantage point until they see the other key holders leave the premises safely having set the alarm. Suspicious persons Most armed robbers do not allow time for you to act on suspicions, but if you are suspicious of persons in your shop: • Alert colleagues with a prearranged but innocuous phase. • Depending on the number of staff available, one should move to the door to deter an unarmed snatch. • Other staff should be alert for snatches, switches or pilferage. • Use excuses to avoid showing high value items.
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The Voice of the Industry 43
| Business Support: Security
SECURITY S P E C I A L
F E A T U R E
Fogging the issue... Security fog, it might be argued, is the ultimate robbery deterrent... but what are the pitfalls? ust over four years ago the use of fog as a robbery deterrent was limited to just one or two of the major high street banks. Since the price of gold has rocketed, criminals have turned their attention to jewellery shops and pawnbrokers where security measures had, until then, remained relatively unchanged and therefore leaving them susceptible as easy pickings. As major insurers experienced everincreasing claims for robbery-related losses, they turned to security fogging as a solution to the problem. It is now commonplace for insurers to specify fog as part of their requirements for cover but there are pitfalls that face them – as well as the end user – when little or no experience in such products is at hand. As director of Risktech and chairman of the Association of Insurance Surveyors, Mick Fitch has a clear overview of security solutions and potential problems related to them. “Daytime hold-up attacks on jewellers – particularly those selling high value watches and 22ct gold jewellery – have been a major problem for insurers in the last few years. This type of attack is typically over in a minute and a half or less and because of the speed of the attack there is little chance of a police response while the robbery is in progress,” he explains. “Over the last few years there have been improvements in daytime security including lobby entrances, better CCTV etc., but jewellers are retailers and customers have to be let into their shops. Once inside the ‘customer’ can turn out to be a robber and by then the lobby entrance has been compromised and many criminals seem to ignore being recorded by the CCTV,” he adds. “Fogging systems provide extra daytime security to protect against a hold-up when a robber has gained access, or is trying to gain access, by smashing
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44 The Jeweller June 2013
through an outer door to the shop. When installed correctly and activated by staff these systems minimise or prevent hold-up losses. However, for a jeweller to gain any real security from a fogging system against a hold-up, the system must activate within 10 seconds of the hold-up alarm being operated, and the visibility within the shop must be reduced to such an extent that the thief cannot see the stock. If the stock cannot be seen it cannot (easily) be taken!” Unfortunately insurers have generally relied on the integrity of the fogging system supplier to provide a suitable and effective solution, but in a commercial world driven by the pressures of a weak economy, it is ‘cost effectiveness’ not ‘product effectiveness’
So what are the typical pitfalls? System performance Volume and density of the fog and how quickly it is delivered is key to an effective deterrent. A jeweller should have a system that ejects fog the moment the panic button is pressed (some systems have a delay of several seconds before the fog begins to deploy). The fog should ideally hide displayed assets from view in no more than 10 seconds and be of such a density that eye-to-object visibility is reduced to under an arm’s length. System fault reporting The fog system of choice should have the ability to report (typically to the Intruder alarm panel) any fault that would cause it to fail. This could be power failure, battery failure, tamper and low fluid. Of equal importance, it should report when a service engineer has forgotten to switch it back on after isolating the system during a routine service! System service and maintenance Regulations require that fogging systems are serviced and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s requirements. Beware – failure to do so may result in the system not activating and worse still, voiding your insurance cover.
This type of attack is typically over in a minute and a half or less and because of the speed of the attack there is little chance of a police response while the robbery is in progress that mostly wins the day. The result of this is that since the adoption of fog as a robbery deterrent there have been too many occasions where the fogging system, deployed to deter a robbery, has either failed to function or has been inadequate to drive the intruders out quickly enough.
Image courtesy of Bandit UK
System compliance As more and more companies seek to capitalise on this growing market sector, security fogging systems from all corners of the world are emerging (although most of them are probably manufactured in just one corner of the world!). It is essential therefore that the system that you choose for your premises is certified to comply fully with EN50131-8 regulations. In conclusion… Provided a pre-install risk assessment is conducted, the potential pitfalls are addressed and a system correctly specified for the size of your premises is installed, you will undoubtedly have one of the most effective robbery deterrents available today.
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THE crime prevention initiative to get involved with... Brought to you by the N.A.G. and T.H. March SaferGems is a major initiative against crime in the jewellery, antiques and fine art trades The SaferGems team has links to all the UK police forces The team co-ordinate data from the trade on incidents and suspicious activities and send alerts to members of the NAG, BJA and TH March SaferGems ultimately helps the police to identify and convict criminals
get involved... www.safergems.org.uk 0845 272 7802
T 020 7613 4445 E nag@jewellers-online.org W www.jewellers-online.org
The Voice of the Industry 45
| Business Support: Security
SECURITY S P E C I A L
F E A T U R E
A never-ending battle Independent security consultant Mike Palmer offers an update on the latest in safe technology. f a league table of favourite targets for robbers existed, jewellers would regularly feature in the top three. The history of the development of the modern, high security safe has, to a large extent, been shaped by the battle to protect jewellers from the latest attack tools. In the 1970s, safe crackers almost formed a queue in Hatton Garden as they tried, with varying degrees of success, to force open diamond dealers’ safes. The first we heard of advanced safe-breaking tools such as angle grinders, flux rods and thermic lances, usually followed raids in Hatton Garden or Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. As monitored alarm systems became more reliable and CCTV cameras emerged, regular nocturnal raids slowly diminished. New barrier materials and locking systems were devised, requiring exceptional safe-cracking skills to overcome. Then there was the success of the Metropolitan Police. Two of the most notorious and successful safe crackers were arrested and persuaded to become ‘supergrasses’, thereby blowing the whistle on a wide network of criminal specialists. As gang members were mopped up, sophisticated night-time raids almost ceased. However, criminal activity abhors a vacuum, so no time for complacency. Skilled safecrackers may have been locked up, but skill could always be replaced by violence. Today criminals are no longer confined to the hours of darkness – they come during the daytime, armed with hammers, crowbars and even rivet-guns, smashing through security glazing to grab window and counter displays. Guns, knives and other weapons are used to force staff to unlock safes and hand over their contents. While risks of this sort can never be entirely eliminated, it is possible to ensure that they are reduced to the absolute minimum.
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46 The Jeweller June 2013
At the recent International Fire & Security Exhibition experts demonstrated the very latest electronic wizardry, from CCTV and Internet Protocol, to fogging systems and the toughest, lightest glazing. But one of the remaining concerns is the threat of duress, where a member of staff is threatened and forced to open the safe or surrender the keys or combination code. This can happen during normal opening hours, or the safe’s custodian can be threatened and taken to the premises out of trading hours.
Criminal activity abhors a vacuum, so no time for complacency… A traditional method of reducing this risk involves dual control locking; two differing key-locks, two combination locks or one of each. The safe then requires two custodians to be present before it can be unlocked. This problem is by no means a new phenomenon; it is said, possibly apocryphally, that the time lock was invented to defeat members of the notorious Hole in the Wall Gang, the scourge of banks in the USA’s Wild West. They have come a long way since then.
For many years the time lock featured two expensive Swiss-made clock mechanisms. Wound up and set at the end of the day, the safe could not be unlocked until the pre-determined opening time the following day. Now an electronic time locking function can be incorporated into the latest compact digital code lock and multiple opening and closing times are programmable. Duress attacks during working hours are deterred by the lock’s time delay feature. Once the opening code has been entered, a pre-determined time delay period must expire before the safe can be accessed. Most armed raiders rely on the suddenness of their attack to ‘freeze’ staff into inaction. This only lasts for a limited period and the longer the raiders remain on site, the greater the chances of failure or detection. Consequently, most raids are over in under a minute. A 10 minute time delay forces them to remain on site as it counts down. Invariably, this proves too much and the raid is aborted. For maximum deterrent effect, eye-catching signs warn of the anti-hold-up system and staff are unable to override or affect its operation. The safe’s status can observed over the internet – whether it is locked or unlocked, what time these operations occurred and the security code used. Some locks may have a duress feature. By entering an alternative ‘alert’ code, a silent alarm is raised, secretly summoning security staff or police. However, this is regarded by some as potentially dangerous – any delay or hesitation by the stressed and nervous custodian may cause an adrenaline-fuelled criminal to fear a duress code has been entered and respond with violence. The very latest tool in the criminal’s arsenal is the gas attack where acetylene gas and air are fed into the interior of a safe then ignited. The fierce detonation blows away the safe’s door, inevitably causing structural damage to the premises. Impressively, safe engineers have already responded with designs that can be tested and certified as ‘gas resistant’. New statistics seem to show that crime is decreasing. If true, it will be due in part to constantly evolving security products. But beware; although these new systems may become more and more sophisticated, this is a battle that will never be won. Security measures must be regularly reviewed and renewed in response to new crime trends if you are to stay one step ahead.
Business Support: Security |
Crystal Clear David Myers of ADT explains how HD CCTV and alarms combined can provide vital peace-of-mind. ewellers have always been a tantalising prospect for criminals – there’s the potential of leaving with high value and volume of merchandise in a relatively short amount of time. The increasing value of gold and a poor economic climate have combined to exacerbate this situation further, sparking a rise in criminal activity around the industry. Jewellers must therefore take note and look to bolster their security in order to safeguard staff, customers and merchandise. The risks posed range from after-hours breakins to brazen daytime raids. Major heists aside, theft on a smaller, but substantial, scale is also causing a detrimental effect on retail margins. Because jewellery items are usually small, criminals can deploy theft techniques ranging from the sophisticated – such as sleight of
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hand or ‘palming’ – to the purely opportunistic, in order to walk away undetected. Keeping track of merchandise put out on the counter can be a difficult task. Criminals, posing as genuine customers, take advantage of this and will ask to see a number of different items at the same time, and this is most often when the theft will occur. In order to detect these acts of theft, highdefinition megapixel CCTV is an increasingly popular video surveillance option, offering far more discernible detail and improved, crystal-clear image quality. Without such footage it can be difficult for employees to explain or prove that they have not carried out the theft themselves. HD CCTV cameras also allow far greater field of view, improving coverage compared to traditional analogue CCTV and increasing
Long arm of the law Michael Hoare reports on SaferGems’ latest work. ast month the SaferGems team hosted its regular industry and police liaison meeting courtesy of Hampshire police. I was there, with representatives of numerous police forces, to share background information and intelligence on the sector, and to analyse some of the trends emerging over the last 12 months, many of which have been a constant theme of the data collected by SaferGems since it began in June 2009. Over 450 suspicious incidents have been noted, over 1,800 crimes reported, almost 700 alerts circulated, and over 250 analytical reports provided for the police. The pleasing outcome is the assistance the team has given leading to at least 45 arrests, 10 convictions, and the prevention of over 250 crimes. Regardless of our efforts the work continues, and by April SaferGems had already recorded 42 robberies. And while the drop in the price of gold has taken the shine off it, high-end watches continue to be a target for organised criminals, with over £4million worth having been stolen since September 2012. A couple of examples
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include the thieves in Windsor – dressed in burkas – who made off with Rolex watches worth £180,000, and the Glasgow robbers who got away with another £200,000 worth of the same brand. Other incidents of note were the targeting of a London department store by jewel thieves, the attempted robbery of a Birmingham Jewellery Quarter bullion dealer, and the lorry used to ram-raid a Midlands Asian jewellery store. But there is some good news. On 4th April Timothy Sullivan of Dagenham, described as a ‘professional jewel thief’, was jailed for two years for his part in a robbery at Ernest Jones, Exeter, on 1st September 2012. Sullivan and two other thieves played a part in the heist with a female accomplice distracting staff while the second man jemmied open a display case and Sullivan snatched Fope jewellery worth a total of £38,489 which has never been recovered. Meanwhile, brothers John Saunders and James Roberts of Devon, both described as ‘seasoned armed robbers’, have been jailed for more than seven years for stealing
the likelihood of investigators identifying perpetrators or those looking to case the store. Visible CCTV solutions can also be enough of a deterrent for any would-be criminals to reconsider. In the event of a robbery, intruder alarm systems are another critical security component for jewellers, one which should be augmented with hold up alarm devices, providing a direct link to emergency response operators. A robbery is always going to be a traumatic experience and panic alarms provide the reassurance that an emergency response is forthcoming. However, it is important that any potential for false alarms are addressed as this may result in being taken off police response. A number of duress confirmation methods will avoid this. In the event of a store being broken into, integrated intruder alarms with CCTV will also mean that surveillance footage is captured. This can be monitored by an alarmreceiving centre, ensuring that an appropriate and rapid response is triggered.
£340,000 in diamond rings at gunpoint from a Guildford jewellers. Having waited for a customer to leave, the brothers rushed into the shop, with Roberts holding an imitation pistol to the neck of a shop worker who was ordered to lie down behind the counter, while a security guard was told to open a display window, from which the robbers filled a duffel bag with jewellery. Lastly, here is a media story which proves that the arm of the law can still be pretty long – and old – after an armed robber was arrested after 27 years. Pensioner Barrie Rhodes was sentenced to 12 years for a 1986 armed robbery, after a match was found between his fingerprints – which had been taken for unrelated matters and compared to a national database – and those found at the crime scene. Very little remained from the original investigation and police studied local newspaper reports to help gather evidence. Proof that persistence pays off?
w w w. s a f e r g e m s . o r g . u k
The Voice of the Industry 47
| Opinion: John Henn CIBJO president Gaetano Cavalieri (second from right) with opening ceremony dignitaries
A postcard from Tel Aviv
Fresh from attending the recent CIBJO Conference in Tel Aviv, John Henn considers two sides of the Corporate Social Responsibility coin that emerged. s we fly away from Israel on this mid May evening and with the temperature awaiting us at home 20 degrees colder than the streets of Tel Aviv, I have a chance to consider what I've learnt over the last day or two that I can bring back to you. The first thing that comes to mind is that we would all benefit from a better climate. I know it is an English thing to talk about the weather, but in the sun all the world’s problems seem just that little bit easier to cope with. And cope with them we must; within 20 years there will be 700,000 unemployed adolescents in Southern Africa; currently there are one million people earning less than $1 per day in the diamond industry and another million children in the gold industry who earn practically nothing. (Figures from the UN.) “Jewellery is a luxury that you can live without, but for many it is essential to their life. CIBJO is the primary guardian of the industry.”
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48 The Jeweller June 2013
These are the words of the president of CIBJO, Gaetano Cavalieri, at the opening ceremony and how right he is. As the event rolled on we heard from a number of African dignitaries, one or two of whom claimed they were developing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes for their miners. How they had the nerve to address us with such a script left us speechless. One speech in particular might have been more plausible if the delivery had been made by someone a little less well-fed, who looked keen to inform us… however as he was dressed in a Savile Row suit and wearing a watch that would have paid for a dozen schools, it was discarded by all as a poorlypitched publicity stunt. The international effort to help African miners is ongoing but anyone facing these situations should look at how they might help themselves. For example, high birth rates among poor families increases financial
dependency and can make both parents and their children more likely to be exploited. Given that child survival rates are going up in poorer countries, some consideration might be given to how families can be helped to focus on smaller, more financially manageable families. Furthermore those in charge must reinvest their country’s cash into its infrastructure to the benefit of their people, not themselves. From this point things did get better. Amazingly the US state department has implemented a plan to clean up parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo and its nine surrounding countries, licensing one gold mine and around 1,000 artisanal diamond miners so that these minerals can be exported to the USA and conform within the Dodd Frank Act. This Draconian piece of legislation is now in place and means that every publicly-quoted company in the US which uses tungsten, tantalum, titanium and gold in its production process must be able to confirm the origin of the materials they are using. One such company has over 300 suppliers of such materials. Practically every smart phone on the planet has at least one of these metals in it, so it was necessary to put in place some measures. Where there is a will it would seem there is a way! The regional governments such as they are, seem ambivalent and the miners should receive what is seen locally
Practically every smart phone on the planet has at least one of these metals in it, so it was necessary to put in place some measures. as a living wage for their toils when the plan is fully functioning. We heard from Donald Feaver from Melbourne Institute of Technology regarding a CSR programme that has received input from around the world. It aims to give businesses of all sizes, from less than 10 to more than 10,000 the chance to steer their companies to a better place and receive recognition along the way. There is no doubt in his view that research shows that companies who follow CSR outperform those who don’t. Visit www.brandedtrust.org/education to start changing the way you work for the better.
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| Antique Jewellery
Antique JEWELLERY Jewelled treasures of an ancient continent Amy Oliver explores the craftsmanship and symbolism seen in the jewellery of the many and varied cultures of early South America. his month I am delving into the fascinating world of ancient South American (or preColombian) jewellery. It’s a big subject as there are many different civilisations that fall into this category – Chavin, Incan, Aztec for instance – however to write about each of them individually would have been to present something akin to an academic thesis, so instead I offer a more palatable overview. I hope that it might tempt you to venture to the nearest museum…
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Many cultures When discussing ancient South America, it is usual to distinguish between cultures that developed around Middle or Mesoamerica (most of modern day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador) and South America (modern day Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela).
Chimu bead necklace, 1200 AD, Peru
50 The Jeweller June 2013
In the ancient South several different societies developed and evolved from each other, passing down their jewellerymaking techniques. The earliest, the Chavin culture (from which the contemporary ethical jewellery brand takes its name), was established around 1,200 BC and ended around 300 BC. Over the centuries the goldsmiths of the Chavin culture developed their craft to an exceptionally high standard which was passed to the subsequent Moche culture (400 BC - 500 AD). The Nazca culture (200 BC - 600 AD) was another in the region of Peru, though not as advanced in metallurgy as the Chavin or Moche cultures. The cultures of Mesoamerica are probably better known to history as they include the Mayans (2,000 BC - 900 AD) and the Aztecs (12th-16th centuries). However, before these
civilisations became dominant (the height of the Mayan society was 200 AD onwards), the Olmec culture flourished from 200 BC 300 AD. In the Olmec culture the emphasis was on carved and polished stones, with jade being particularly revered.
Metallurgy When we’re talking about South American jewellery, precious metals have to be the first thing that’s mentioned. Gold was extensively used in jewellery and art in ancient South American cultures. This was due primarily to the abundance of gold ore located around the Andes mountain range, where many mines were and still are located. Gold was considered to be a sacred metal to most of the cultures in pre-Colombian South America; for example, in Inca society, gold
Gold Chimu ear spools, 1150 - 1450 AD, Peru
was believed to be the sweat of the great sun-god, Inti. Silver was also used, and was often associated with the moon. Copper was used extensively in jewellery and art work and an alloy called tumbaga was a mixture of gold and copper (in many cases 30 per cent gold to 70 per cent copper), which gave a beautifully deep and rich colour. The goldsmithing skills of the Chavin and Moche periods are showcased by the range of techniques used in jewellery production. Excellent examples of hammering, stretching and shaping of sheets of gold and tumbaga have all been found, along with inlaying, embossing and perforation for decorative purposes. Innovations such as the soldering and welding of precious metal sheets into beads, figurines and vessels are known. Even more astonishingly, the Moche goldsmiths appear to have developed a highly sophisticated technique of chemical-plating baser jewellery with gold and silver. These precious metals were really only used for ornamentation, either for religious ceremonies and funerals, or as jewellery.
Antique Jewellery | Gemstones A range of coloured gemstones were used in pre-Colombian jewellery. Turquoise, quartz, serpentine and nephrite have been found inlayed in items of jewellery such as ear spools and pendants. These stones were often carved into the forms of animals and human figures for use in jewellery and to be sewn onto textiles. Just as in ancient China, jade was revered in certain parts of South America. In Mesoamerica (Mexico), the stone was highly prized by the Olmec culture, and then subsequently by the Maya and Aztec peoples. The Olmec preferred blue-green jade, and this gave rise to by far the most accomplished stonework of the area. The later Maya and Aztecs preferred bright green jade, but were not as talented as the Olmec lapidaries. In these cultures jade symbolised purity and life, and it was used primarily for ceremonial and religious purposes.
Various types of jewellery In pre-Colombian South America most jewellery was focused around the head and neck. Finger rings in ancient times were very uncommon, however, nose rings called nariguera were among the most usual types of jewellery and were generally worn by men. Depending on social status, the nose ring could be a fairly simple plain band, or it could be an elaborately wrought disc with decorative perforations and images. Some were even so large as to completely obscure the mouth. Ear spools or ear flares were another common type of body ornamentation. For those not aware of today’s trend for body morphing the term ‘ear spools’ might
Pendant in the form of a bat-faced man, Tairona, from northeastern Colombia, after 1000AD Gold, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Jan Mitchell and Sons Collection)
Gold and turquoise ear ornament, Moche culture, 300 AD, Peru
Gold was considered to be a sacred metal to most of the cultures in pre-Colombian South America; for example, in Inca society, gold was believed to be the sweat of the great sun-god, Inti. require some explanation. Think of a very large stud earring with no back which sits in a very large hole, usually in the earlobe. Some Pre-Colombian ear spools had a decorative disk of precious metal and stones at the front, or were carved from coloured stones such as jadeite or quartz, but these would have only been for the wealthy. Pendants and necklaces were popular among all of the different populations of South America, with the simplest being single strings of polished stones such as the necklace from Chimu, made around 1,200 AD. More elaborate pieces included hollow charms (made using either the lost-wax method of casting or the shaping of sheets of gold alloy), usually in animal form such as frogs and birds, or deities. Pectorals were also worn and featured images depicting religious scenes.
As in most of the cultures I’ve outlined so far, it was the elite society that had the greatest access to jewellery. Warriors, priests and obviously royalty (or tribal leaders) wore the largest quantity and the finest quality jewellery, much of which was ceremonial in nature. For example, priestly robes have been discovered covered in woven sheet gold and coloured gems such as turquoise and serpentine.
Designs and meanings Many of designs found in South America reflect the surroundings of the natural world. A recurring theme in art throughout all pre-Columbian cultures was wild animals. South America has the most bio-diverse environment in the world and is home to so many animals that it is hardly surprising that they should be so revered by the native
The Voice of the Industry 51
| Antique Jewellery
Ear spool, Moche culture, 500 AD, Peru
peoples of that continent. Jewellery and art works in precious metals and stones have depicted jaguars, pumas, monkeys, tapirs, rodents, bats, deer, canines, crocodiles, iguanas, snakes and many others. My choice of the words ‘wild animals’ – rather than simply ‘animals’ – is deliberate. Apart from dogs and waterfowl such as ducks, the ancient peoples of South America had no domesticated animals (such as cows, pigs or sheep). They didn’t even have loadbearing animals like horses or donkeys. The only exception to this is that the Incas from the high mountainous region of the Andes kept llamas and guinea pigs.
Birds were by far the most common animal used in decorative design and feature frequently in wall art, carvings, statues, ceramics and jewellery. In the Moche culture, birds of prey symbolised power and were often coupled with images of the jaguar on headdresses of warriors to indicate war and battle. Masks in the form of an eagle have been found in tombs, which could help mark the deceased as a great warrior, or to protect him in the afterlife. Other birds such as parrots were often traded as gifts, and their feathers were used to adorn high-status ritual clothing (which were prized above gold). Hummingbirds,
which evolved in South America, symbolised both great beauty and deadly weaponry – many hummingbirds appear in scenes of battle as spears. To the Moche, owls played an important role as guardians of the dead; they believed owls transported the spirits of dead warriors to the afterlife, and so representations of them have been found in many tombs. Half-human-half-animal representations are often found. It is thought by anthropologists that these figures represent the fine line between man and beast, civilisation and the wild. In many South American myths human heroes are descended from animals possessing certain traits that the now human heroes possess – like strength, speed, power, courage, cunning or malevolence. The pendant in the form of a bat-faced man from Colombia around 1000 AD is a very elaborate example, which also demonstrates the skills of the ancient goldsmiths. And it is worth noting that it’s almost always this way around – human body, animal head – almost as if the human brain has been possessed, rather than them transforming fully into an animal. This could also relate to the shamanistic practices in many pre-Colombian societies, which often meant invoking nature spirits through a human host. Demons are also immortalised in jewellery, mostly for ritual purposes. The Moche and Nasca cultures each had monster-deities which were often associated with human sacrifice, usually part feline and part reptile, holding ceremonial knives (which in Mesoamerica would have been made of jade) and the severed heads of sacrificial victims (grim but true). Quite often fruit and plants are shown with these sacrificial images to prove that the purpose of the sacrifice is to help the crops to grow. Ancient South American jewellery ranged from the simplistic to the elaborate, from hard-wearing stone to delicate gold sheet. The symbolism and ritual behind many of the designs is truly fascinating and the amazing skills developed in goldsmithing and metallurgy are clearly to be admired. Early South American jewellery artefacts are on display in collections at the V&A and the British Museum.
Gold nose ring, 1000 AD, Nicaragua
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| Regular
Notebook
Where to go, what to read, what to see…
NAG Diary Dates June 19th: The EDF Congress, Saïd Business School, Oxford. (9:00am to 4:00pm)
With a change of format this year, the 2013 Congress will explore ‘How we will be selling jewellery in 2018’ through interactive team-based activities. Attendees will have opportunities to learn, adapt, as well as adopt, relevant principles and ideas. The informal dinner will be held the night before. For more information or to book a place contact Amanda White on 020 7613 4445 or amandaw@jewellers-online.org 26th: Annual General Meeting, Royal Hampton Court Palace, Surrey Commencing at 10.30 for 11am followed by 1pm luncheon. Total cost £66. Guided tours of the Palace cost £5.30. To book your place email Ritu Verma at: ritu@jewellers-online.org September 1st-4th: International Jewellery London, Earl’s Court, London Add this date to your diary now – the ideal chance to discover new design talent, scout for trends, attend seminars and network. As usual the NAG will be exhibiting at the show and we invite you to come along to our stand to meet the new (and existing) team from Luke Street.
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Exhibitions
Jewellery & Watch Trade Fairs June 20th-23rd: Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair, Wanchai, Hong Kong A chance to restock mid-year, as well as check on key trends from a huge number of fine and silver jewellery companies and gem dealers across 11 themed pavilions. events.ubm.com
June Current-8th September: Amazing Amber, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh This exhibition explores the many facets of this material, revealing its origins, properties and use in different forms of jewellery. www.nms.ac.uk
July 2nd-3rd: London Watch Show, Freemason’s Hall, London WC2 This inaugural event will feature over 50 international watch brands including Bering Time, Bulova, Casio, Accurist, Festina, Fendi and TW Steel. www.londonwatchshow.com
26th-29th: Goldsmiths’ Company Pavilion. Somerset House, London WC2 A celebration of contemporary design of jewellery and silver with a chance to meet and talk with craftsmen, such as Ingo Henn, Lilly Hastedt (creator of the rings shown below) and Jon Dibben. www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk
21st-23rd: Scoop International, Phillips Gallery, London SW1; Saatchi Gallery, London SW3 A handful of directional jewellery makers are among the fashion designers showing at this boutique trade event – names such as Katie Rowland, Liu Jo and Isla Fontaine. www.scoop-international.com August 8th-12th: India International Jewellery Show, Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai Close to 1,000 exhibitors showing loose diamonds and gemstones, plain gold and gemset-jewellery, antique jewellery and mass-produced jewellery. www.iijs.org
Book Review 27th-3rd July: Masterpiece London 2013, Royal Hospital Chelsea, London SW3 Now in its fourth year, this fair, aimed at collectors, art lovers and museum curators, offers a variety of exceptional objects for sale. Covering a number of disciplines from fine art to fine wines, among the 150 exhibitors will be those showcasing clocks, watches and jewellery. All works are stringently vetted by a committee of experts. www.masterpiecefair.com July 8th-13th: Festival of Silver, Goldsmiths’ Centre, London EC1 An exhibition of contemporary silversmiths – makers and dealers. www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk
New Earrings by Nicolas Estrada (£18.95, Thames & Hudson) If your preference for earrings extends no further than a discreet pair of pearl studs, then this book is likely not for you! The author, a Colombianborn, Barcelona-based designer maker, has gathered together 500 plus examples from around the globe that fall into the boundary-pushing, unconventionallycreative category. Some, like Vina Rust’s silver hoops have a tribal look about them, but within the pages there’s everything from the cute to the quirky and the downright outrageous – and every conceivable material being employed.
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| Feature
The
Last Word This month the honour that is The Last Word is bestowed upon Andrew Hinds, director of F Hinds and vice chairman of the NAG. The honour is, in fact, all ours… Personal Profile F. Hinds was established in 1856. Executive director Andrew Hinds is the fifth generation to be involved with the company, having joined in 1989 following his graduation from Cardiff University. He then spent the next year or so gem-cutting in Idar-Oberstein, Germany, working for a jewellery manufacturer and also behind the counter in several F. Hinds’ stores. He became a Fellow of the Gemmological Association in 1990. Andrew is now responsible for diamond and gem purchasing, marketing and many aspects of F. Hinds’ public face. As well as being the current vice chairman of the NAG he is a member of the British Hallmarking Council. Who has been the biggest influence in your life? My father for his approach to life and business – you don’t have to be hostile in your dealings to remain solvent. What words describe you best… in your view and according to others? Happy, laid-back and inventive? What one thing would you do differently if you had your time over? Hundreds of little things, but no major one above others – so I probably haven’t made that big mistake yet! To what do you attribute your success? Nepotism! If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about the jewellery industry what would it be? Perhaps banning nickel in white gold? Nickel performs a very useful function and, while some people are clearly allergic, people are allergic to peanuts too. Can’t we offer a range of nickel-safe jewellery for affected customers, as is the case in some other countries?
58 The Jeweller June 2013
If not the jewellery industry, what might have been your alternative career? Foreign correspondent – I enjoy travelling to interesting places and it would be even more interesting to be able to be where history is being made at the time. Or I’d be a London cabbie – I think I’d enjoy meeting a succession of different people and the constant calculations of the best way to get from A to B. The last film you saw at the cinema? Argo. I enjoyed it very much – it brought the Iran hostage crisis to life and reinforced my desire to travel more in the region. Tell us something not many people know about you… I have my own recipe chilli sauce which you can buy in the shops (but not our shops or under my name… yet. Watch this space!). “What do you mean… ‘Potential copyright issue?’”
Favourite shopping destination? My local butcher. I’m not a great shopper for ‘stuff’, but for me meat is the most obvious area in which the independent family business will always be superior to the supermarket. I hope our Jain suppliers aren’t reading this! Where is your favourite holiday destination? Either somewhere off the beaten track or skiing. Why? I love going to places I’ve never been to before, preferably as far away from a beach as possible. What is your chosen form of exercise? I don’t take enough – it’s mostly round the garden with my two young children. Do you Tweet? If so, how often? Yes, I am our ‘assistant tweeter’ and stick my oar in occasionally. I don’t do Facebook or LinkedIn, though. Quick Fire • Red or white wine? Red • Diamonds or coloured stones? Coloured stones, but that’s a bit like asking: “Eggs or bacon?” • White or yellow metal? White. • TV or radio? TV, but I have podcasts for when I’m driving. • Jewellery on men? Yes, of course, although I have to admit there’s never much on me. • Delegator or control freak? Somewhere in the middle, but just about delegator. • Beatles or Rolling Stones? The Stones. As a child it was the Beatles but then I grew up. • Paperback or e-reader? Paperback on holiday, newspaper for the rest of the year.
We are moving to new premises: 21 Ely Place, London EC1N 6TD From 24 June please contact us on tel: 020 7404 3334 email: info@gem-a.com or visit: www.gem-a.com