Jeweller the
Oct 2012
£7.50
The Voice of The Industry
DIAMOND ISSUE Trend directions Recycled diamonds The importance of accurate valuations The online retail threat Diamond dealing made easy
With input from the British Jewellers’ Association
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Sponsored by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre
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Exhibitors : 70 Antwerp diamond companies.
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Visitors : jeweller retailers, designers, manufacturers. By invitation only.
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Info : www.antwerpdiamondfair.com
Jeweller
Contents & Contacts |
the
The Voice of The Industry
C O N T E N T S
www.thejewellermagazine.com
O C T
Brand Profile: Edox
1 2
Communiqué
4
Editor’s Letter
7
Industry News
8
NAG News
14
The past, present and future of the watch industry
Member of the Month
16
from the perspective of this heritage Swiss brand
Education & Training
18
IRV Review
20
BJA News
23
The Jeweller Picks
26
BJA Feature – Inhorgenta
32
BJA Feature – Autumn Fair
34
Ethical: White Pine Diamonds
36
Feature: IDEX Online
38
Opinion: John Henn
51
Security
53
While at IJL last month, Mary Brittain spoke to
Insurance Matters
56
a handful of exhibitors to discover why weaving
Notebook
62
a story around designs makes sales sense
Display Cabinet
64
The Last Word
66
Competing in the Diamond League
30
40
Belinda Morris reports on diamond jewellery trends and the state of the market in the face of e-tail competition
Telling Tales
Antique Jewellery
54
58
What did the Romans ever do for 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
Amy Oliver investigates
The magazine is printed on paper and board that has met acceptable environmental accreditation standards. The National Association of Goldsmiths
Cover Image In conjunction with Tresor Paris (UK) PLC 7 Greville Street, Hatton Garden London EC1 8PQ Tel: 020 3355 4030 Email: info@tresorparis.com www.tresorparis.com
78a Luke Street, London EC2A 4XG Tel: 020 7613 4445 www.jewellers-online.org Editor: Belinda Morris Tel: 01692 538007 bmorris@colony.co.uk BJA Marketing & PR Manager: Lindsey Straughton lindsey.straughton@bja.org.uk Tel: 0121 237 1110
Sales Director: Ian Francis Tel: 020 7613 4445 Fax: 020 7729 0143 ian@jewellers-online.org Publishing Enquiries/ Classified Advertising: Neil Oakford neil@jewellers-online.org Art Director: Ben Page ben@jewellers-online.org Contributors: Mary Brittain, John Henn, Miles Hoare, Amy Oliver
Although every effort is made to ensure that the information supplied is accurate, the NAG disclaims and/or does not accept liability for any loss, damage or claim whatsoever that may result from the information given. Information and ideas are for guidance only and members should always consult their own professional advisers. The NAG accepts no responsibility for 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
| Comment
Communiqué M I C H A E L
H O A R E ’ S
Michael Hoare reveals the business confidence levels of NAG members, wonders when the banks might loosen their purse strings and reports on the progress of the Ethics Working Party.
Snap! Crackle! Pop! Has the scrap gold bubble burst, or is it just a bit deflated? That’s one question that the results of our current business confidence survey forces me to ask, but there are plenty more besides; as you will see when you read the full results. As you probably know by now, the NAG has been undertaking a periodic survey of members’ business confidence since January 2010, basing our questions on the data we feed back to the Bank of England. We’ve taken the same snapshot six times now, the latest at the tail end of August this year. As you can imagine the data, albeit from a relatively small but diverse sample of members, has grown over time to be a useful barometer of confidence. Add this to the verbal feedback from other associations and an interesting picture emerges. This time, although there was a modest increase in those with higher confidence in the next six months, the majority of our sample said their business confidence remained the same as last year – flat. Does this mean a decline in pessimism over the future? Not if you balance that reaction against the 48 per cent who still think growth in the next six months will be the same as last – flat. Expectations for employment have remained broadly the same over the life of
4 The Jeweller October 2012
the study. This probably reflects the flexibility of the retail workforce, the fact that jewellers acted swiftly to reduce their headcount at the beginning of the recession, and the reality that a jeweller cannot operate safely below a base number of staff. This year there is a modest increase in those predicting a fall in employment. Meanwhile, expectations for pay rises have remained the same over the life of the study i.e. between 0-2 per cent. The goodish news – for employees who have seen their standard of living falling behind inflation – is that fewer (13 per cent) employers in our sample aren’t offering a pay rise this year than last (21.4 per cent).
an uplift, and that is reflective of businesses’ plans to invest, which appear to have been put on hold since January 2010. However, a 7 per cent drop in those planning to invest more is probably too small to be seen as indicative of a serious decline. Skill shortages don’t seem to be troubling our respondents, who only show an average level of concern about the availability of suitable staff. Perhaps this is because flat trading conditions have slowed down the rate of churn, or perhaps because business failures have released more experienced staff into the marketplace. Only an upturn will tell!
Believe it or not there are sections of the economy with healthy order books but the problem they face, in common with many a jeweller, is prizing an overdraft out of the clutches of the banks! Although respondents have always been split between those who expected to increase retail prices in the next six months and those who didn’t, this time there is a modest – 2.5 per cent – shift to the positive, with roughly 40 per cent expecting to be able to put up their prices. Mind you, a whopping 60 per cent still think there’s little chance of
Finally, on each occasion we have conducted this survey we have added a supplementary question that deals with current concerns. Recent examples have dealt with the effects of the VAT increase and with raw materials prices. But on the last two occasions we also asked how much more scrap gold members are buying
Comment | this year compared to last. The result is that while 23 per cent say they are buying more scrap gold this year than last, a massive 77 per cent say they are buying less, leading me to ask – has the bubble got a hole in it?
Bank blues “Britain is still enterprising, but the enterprise has gone out of the banks!” I quote a fellow participant at the latest Bank of England panel. Or to quote another, “It’s all very well having low interest rates, but it’s no help at all if you can’t borrow the money!” Just a sample of the criticism being heaped upon the high street banks that, despite favourable terms from the BoE, steadfastly refuse to lend to businesses. I think it was the comedy ‘Little Britain’ that brought us the character of Carol, the permanently bored bank clerk, travel agent or hospital receptionist, whose stock answer to any enquiry was always “computer says no”. Echoes of the same dead-eyed intransigence were recalled by others around the table bemoaning the loss of a personal relationship with their bank manager; the reliance on computer credit scoring; and the drying up of funds. Believe it or not there are sections of the economy with healthy order books but the problem they face, in common with many a jeweller, is prizing an overdraft out of the clutches of the banks!
Working Party goes public Every couple of months for the last 18 months or so the members of the Ethics Working Party – Greg Valerio, Vivien Johnson, Simon Rainer, Faye Hadlow and I – have been locked in a basement together brainstorming the possible ways in which the industry can clean up the supply chain by adopting and adapting the plethora of ethical initiatives that have sprung up over the last decade. Obviously this is a tricky task, balancing the freedom to do business with workable regulations – and having consulted with all sorts of stakeholders over the months we wanted to take our show on the road and open up the debate to a wider audience. An opportunity presented itself at last month’s IJL at Earl’s Court and all the characters listed above – joined by Dr Jack Ogden of GemA – took to the stage to report on our progress so far to an audience of about 60. Announcing that we will publish a paper in the Spring looking into recommendations and findings on gold, we were able to air some of the views that had come our way, and under Vivien’s chairmanship the seminar brought forward some pretty impassioned pleas: first from Greg to include artisanal miners – who represent a sizeable mass – in any practical considerations of human rights; and second, from Jack, who implied that if we thought the gold and diamond supply chain difficult to get a grip on, then gemstones were of a different order of magnitude altogether. The work of the committee continues as we start to consider the gemstone supply chain. Meanwhile we are happy to announce the release of our first report – our ‘Gold Paper’ – in the Spring of 2013. Please email: feedback@jewellers-online.org for further information about any of the issues discussed above.
The Voice of the Industry 5
Comment | This month:
Editor’s
Letter
“If a retail jeweller does not have a clear point of differentiation in his diamond offering then the conversation will invariably descend into a price game…”
Well, at last I’ve done it. I have finally attended an IRV Conference and I now know what all the fuss is about. I have been editing The Jeweller for almost three years yet for one reason or another I have never managed to make it to Loughborough (flimsy excuses like “going to press” having stood in the way). This time though there was no saying “no” – the pull was too great. Was it the lure of the 25th anniversary black tie bash? Was it the promise of more topnotch speakers and workshop tutors than ever before? Or perhaps it was the steely determination of Sandra Page (Conference Queen/Fairy Godmother/Cinderella all rolled
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into one) to get me there by hook or by crook? Whatever… I’m extremely glad that I went (three-train journeys and all) and I’m already excited about having a badge with a ‘beenthere-done-that’ red sticker next year, instead of the ‘newbie’ green one. For all those who should have gone but couldn’t or for the ditherers – as I was once – a full report on this inspiring event will follow in the November/December issue. One topic that arose over the Conference weekend concerned the perils that can lurk for the unwary on eBay (buyer beware of dodgy descriptions of silverware). It was a reminder that while the web is often a wondrous thing, it can also create challenges – particularly when it comes to selling diamond jewellery. In this issue’s feature on a ‘girl’s best friend’, we not only touch on market and design trends, but also on the thorny issue of online-only
The Senate… worried about the influence of luxury on the populous… passed a law specifying how much gold jewellery could be worn by Roman women: roughly 14.2 grams in modern weight.”
diamond jewellery retailing and how bricks-and-mortar jewellers can fight back. And while you’re pondering on the problems posed by such contemporary contentions, turn to p58 and read Amy Oliver’s piece on the issues facing creators and wearers of jewellery in Roman times. We’re talking a heady minefield of manners, morals, religion, culture, status, power and politics… never mind simple aesthetics. Hmmm, maybe some things never change.
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 7
| Industry News
Thomas Sabo expands further in UK with three new stores erman fashion jewellery brand Thomas Sabo has announced further UK expansion with three stand-alone stores in Edinburgh, Nottingham and Norwich. They will showcase all Thomas Sabo collections including Sterling Silver, Charm Club, Watches, Beauty and the newly launched Sweet Diamonds range. The company recently unveiled its 15th boutique store in the UK situated on Princes Street in Edinburgh. It is the first stand-alone Thomas Sabo store on the high street in Scotland and the second in the UK – all other stand-alone stores are in malls. The Nottingham store was scheduled to open on 28th September at the entrance of the Victoria Shopping Centre with a sales area of 50msq. “Nottingham has a bustling city centre, with many fashion savvy people,
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who should respond well to Thomas Sabo products,” says Harald Winzer, Thomas Sabo’s UK MD. The 17th stand-alone boutique will open on 1st November in Norwich’s Chapelfield Shopping Centre. This will be the largest of the three with a sales area of 73msq. Harald Winzer comments: “Aside from Germany, the UK market is our strongest in Europe and we aim to further our expansion through shop in shop but also stand-alone concepts. At present we have 24 shop-inshops, 15 boutiques including Edinburgh, and soon 17 boutiques with the opening of Nottingham and Norwich”. In response to any concerns about existing retail customers of the brand, Winzer added: “The new stores will actually increase our brand awareness in these cities
Gold boom declining according to pawnbrokers Albermarle & Bond he UK’s leading pawnbroking business Albermarle & Bond has had to rethink its expansion programme following a downturn in the gold buying market, according to the company’s annual trading statement. Store opening for 2013 will be reduced from an intended 25 to just five.
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“The Group will focus on meeting the undoubted demand for short term flexible loans, optimising the value from the 69 most recent openings, trialling and introducing new products and increasing consumer access through the addition of new channels,” comments Barry Stevenson, CEO.
where we were underrepresented so far and thus it should actually help to increase the business of our stockists as well. We are very careful in regards to our own and the independents’ distribution network, as it should be a win-win situation for all of us.”
Gold-buying notwithstanding, A&B has delivered an increase in revenues and profits for the year; over the last three years the business has doubled in size. “We have invested strong gold buying cashflows in this expansion,” adds Stevenson. “Gold buying remains a substantial part of the on-going business and the 2012 result demonstrates how well we have executed on this market opportunity. We expect gold buying to continue to be a significant profit contributor to the Group albeit at much reduced levels to that achieved at the peak.”
Heresy to launch trade services eresy Jewellery Design, the South Westbased dedicated diamond and gemstone advisory and jewellery design bureau, has introduced a range of specialist gemmological and design services as part of a relaunch of its website and expanded offering to the industry. Heresy, launched in Bristol in May 2012 by HRD Antwerp graduate gemmologist Matthew Morrell, plans to offer CAD support to jewellers for commissions and own-label,
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8 The Jeweller October 2012
branded collections. In addition it will offer what Morrell sees as the underserved jewellers in the South West: an international search & selection service for rare and unusual gemstones, a search service for antique and estate jewellery, advice on certifying diamonds and coloured gemstones, marketing consultancy (strategy and support for traditional, new and social media), ethical sourcing and social and environmental responsibility counsel.
“My time in Antwerp and experience in public relations and corporate social responsibility consulting have allowed me to build relationships that – together with those in Hatton Garden, the Jewellery Quarter and further afield – will help us deliver on this offer, adding further unique services next year,” explains Morrell. Heresy Jewels – which offers a range of customisable jewellery online – will launch its first collection in the lead-up to Christmas.
Industry News |
Nick Kasler launches diamond consultancy ick Kasler, chief operating officer of Alfred Terry, has left the company and set up a consultancy business offering advice on diamonds and jewellery using expertise gained over 34 years in the industry. He had been at the North London-based jewellery company for over 18 years, steering it through a management buy-out followed by a sustained period of growth, success and numerous industry accolades. He was the instigator of the sale of the company to the Gitanjali Group in October 2011 and had since led the company’s rebrand and programme of product launches. He can now be contacted at: kaslern@gmail.com
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Watch salon for The Jewellery Show vents Group i21 has announced the dates for next year’s The Jewellery Show London and revealed plans for a new dedicated watch section to the trade fair. Having once again secured the prestigious – and popular – Somerset House for the event, which will take place on 11th and 12th June, the organisers have introduced ‘The Watch Salon’. Among the brands already signed up for the area are Bering Time and Since 1853, while jewellery names that have confirmed for the show include Alfred Terry, CW Sellors, Stuart Moore, London Road Jewellery, Chavin, Pomegranate and Lalique.
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Swarovski creates James Bond ‘Skyfall’ collection o celebrate the release of the latest James Bond film, Skyfall, British jeweller Stephen Webster has designed a line of exclusive pieces for Swarovski. Love Knot, Black Bamboo, Heat Seeker and Queen Cobra are the four themes, within which fall pendants, earrings, rings and bangles using clear and black crystals. Onscreen the jewellery will be worn by the character Severine, played by French actress Berenice Marlohe and the collection will be in-store from the middle of this month.
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Pink diamonds by appointment The Orangery at Kensington Palace was the venue for the one day presentation of Rio Tinto’s Argyle pink diamond collection, ahead of the company’s annual tender. On the 9th October guests at the Out of the Vault exhibition will be given privileged access to view the 2012 tender lots – the tender in London operates as private, invitation-only viewings. As well as 56 single pink diamonds in the collection, exhibition guests were also able to see some of the special blues from Argyles ‘Once in a Blue Moon’ collection.
Goldsmiths supports cancer charity igh street jeweler Goldsmiths is to support the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity from this September. Collection boxes and pin badges will be available in the nationwide portfolio of 118 stores and customers will be encourage to make online donations via the store’s transactional website. Goldsmiths’ employees will also take part in sponsored fundraising events such as the London Marthon to support the cause.
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S N I P P E T S Nappy cream and diamonds What do you give the yummy mummy with everything? How about a diamond jubilee lid made by Theo Fennell for her tub of Sudocrem nappy cream? The exclusive one-off lid features a finely cut diamond embedded in a crown to celebrate Her Majesty’s 60 years on the throne. Fennell was invited to design the lid by Sudocrem following the success of his ‘world’s most expensive nappy cream carrier’ charm bracelet for the brand in 2011. The white gold bracelet helped to raise thousands for the NSPCC. The lid will be auctioned on charity eBay in December to raise funds for four Queen Elizabeth Hospitals. Retailer’s Choice Award for Brown & Newirth Brown & Newirth's platinum ‘Three Graces’ tri-set, designed by Juraj Vyrostek, was awarded Retailer’s Choice Award, voted for by retailers at IJL 2012 and online at www.platinumguild.co.uk The design had also been highly commended by the Platinum Trail judges in the Most Commercially Appealing Design award and is part of Brown & Newirth’s initiative to reward new talent from Holt’s Academy to celebrate its 45th anniversary. Designers were asked to take inspiration from the events of 2012 and produce commitment rings. The selected designs are now being manufactured. Hot Diamonds sponsors awards Sterling silver jewellery brand Hot Diamonds is the headline sponsor for the 2012 London Lifestyle Awards which take place this month. Now in its third year, the Awards celebrate those ‘whose work has made an outstanding contribution to London’ and the ceremony will be held at the prestigious Hurlingham Club. As well as businesses and lifestyle companies, the Awards recognize celebrities who have been influential in their field; this year’s shortlist includes Sebastian Coe, Danny Boyle and Gary Barlow.
The Voice of the Industry 9
Celebrating 125 years in business in 2012
Industry News |
Stylish new ad from Stephen Webster he internationally-renowned photographer Rankin was chosen by British jewellery designer Stephen Webster to create a dramatic new ad campaign. The vision for the images was to portray the jewellery (from the ‘Fly by Night’ and ‘Forget Me Knot’ collections) as hero. Close-cropping on re-coloured areas of the body has created shots that are sensual and sculptural while Webster’s designs remain the focus of attention.
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W Hamond wins award at IJL em-A’s Empathy Award, presented to the most ethical supplier at IJL every year, was won by W Hamond for its jet jewellery. Commenting on the decision, judge and Gem-A CEO James Riley said: “We know exactly where Whitby jet comes from and the processes it goes through to become a stunningly beautiful final product. Although jet was originally for Victorian mourning jewellery, W. Hamond has opened up a whole new worldwide market for the stone. So not only is it ethically sourced, it’s become a true great British export!”
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Links of London unveils new campaign inks of London has launched its campaign for Autumn/ Winter 2012 with a gallery of poetic portraits that reference the Pre-Raphaelite masters. The four female images feature the Friendship, Infinite Love, Sweetie and Effervescence collections, while the two classically English (sporting) male shots portray the watch lines Noble and Chicane.
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HRD Antwerp design competition he Institute of Gemmology, HRD Antwerp, has launched the 15th edition of the HRD Awards, a design competition open to professional and non-professional jewellery designers. The theme for the 2013 awards is ‘Trompe l-oeil’ – an invitation to delve into the world of deception and illusion through diamond jewellery. Five winning pieces will be selected by an international jury, with the winner receiving US$10,000. The four finalists will each receive US$2,500. The deadline to register and submit designs is 15th December. www.hrdawards.com
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Addition to Team Unique aul Connolly, previously of Aagaard, has joined Unique Jewelry to head up its sales team and develop new business, as well as to continue building up its existing account base. Well known for design-led sterling silver and stainless steel jewellery and Festina watches, Unique has recently added Candino Swiss timepieces to its portfolio.
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S N I P P E T S Assay Master cycles for charity Michael Allchin, assay master at the Birmingham Assay Office was in attendance at the last day of the IRV Conference having taken part in the 50 mile Cycle Sportive the day before. Those at the Loughborough event may remember that the weather on the Sunday was not great! Michael’s heroic effort raised over £4,000 for the children’s cancer charity Cyclists Fighting Cancer. To make a donation visit: http://uk.virginmoney giving.com/MichaelAllchin Cheshire jeweller wins the Ogden (golf) Trophy The NAG’s Yorkshire Centre golf tournament earlier this autumn, in which members play for the Ogden Trophy was won by Peter Hollingshead of Cheshire-based Hollins & Hollingshead. He was presented with the trophy by last year’s winner Matthew Nettleton of E&J Nettleton in Clitheroe. The Wally Hayes Trophy for visitors was won by Graham Horrocks from TH March in Manchester. Hanron enters fashion market Hatton Garden-based diamond jewellery company Hanron has introduced a new collection of contemporary and glamorous designs under the J.Jaz brand. Created in sterling silver, the line comprises statement rings, necklaces, pendants and bracelets – some micro pavé set, others that are rose, yellow or ruthenium finished with Swarovski pearl and crystal details. Johnsons Jewellers celebrates Bond film release To celebrate the release of the new James Bond film Skyfall, Johnsons Jewellers in Nuneaton is offering tickets for a glamorous charity premiere of the film at the Odeon, Nuneaton on 25th October. Guests who will have purchased Gold or Silver tickets for the black tie event will also have the chance to bid for a limited edition Omega Seamaster watch. Food and drink is included in the Gold ticket price.
The Voice of the Industry 11
| Industry News: Obituary
Alan Townsend MBE Alan Townsend, known to many as the former Flying Squad Crime Co-ordinator, and to us at the NAG as a friend and colleague, passed away on Saturday 1st September after a short illness. Alan Townsend – an appreciation had the pleasure of knowing Alan for many years; first making his acquaintance when I worked for the British Shops and Stores Association, and he was still a serving policeman. Alan’s was very much the human face of law enforcement, so I was delighted upon moving to Luke Street to find that we were to keep up our contacts through initiatives like Banknote Watch and later, after he had retired from ‘the job’, through SaferGems, for which Alan became the public face and a keen advocate. My generation has a guarded respect for the police – inculcated in us as youngsters – but with Alan the respect was for the man and not just the office he held. He once told
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By Michael Hoare
me he liked my emails and letters because I was always courteous; the truth was that he was the real gentleman, and I couldn’t help but reflect back his innate courtesy, good humour, and quiet authority. Clearly many others felt the same way about Alan, and St Peter’s Church in Hever, Kent, the last stop on his journey to the pretty churchyard where he now rests, was bursting at the seams; quite literally ‘standing room only’. Alan had touched the lives of so many, who like me, recognised that he was a special man whose passing has diminished all who knew him by degrees. They’re not making men like Alan Townsend anymore. The eulogies on that
sunny morning reminded us that in life he was a man with purpose, a busy man, a man’s man, a man who got things done. But also a man who loved decency, duty, his community, his family, his sons, and was a loving father and grandfather too. I last saw Alan alive in June, and sat next to him at lunch in a grand hotel, but our talk was of old tractors – for he was content in his little patch of Kent with his few acres and his horses – and on parting I invited him to our autumn security conference. “If I’m here, I’ll come”, he replied. I took it for humour, but Alan already knew that his days were numbered, and sadly there will be an empty chair come October.
Dick Hanks of SaferGems writes… Alan Townsend was a Metropolitan Police Officer for over 30 years. He was a career detective and for the last nine years of his service was attached to the Flying Squad which investigates robberies committed against financial institutions, cash and valuables in transit, bookmakers, pawnbrokers and the jewellery industry. It was during the years with the Flying Squad that Alan became integral to a number of successful partnerships with all of these industries.
Some of the initiatives that Alan was involved with include the setting up of Banknote Watch, Raid Control and Safercash, all of which are extremely successful in reducing robberies. He was also chair of the ATM Security Working Group and in 2010 became chair of the Safergems National Police/Jewellery Industry Forum, where his advice, expertise and knowledge helped to cement our credibility with all police forces.
In 2006 Alan was awarded an MBE – an honour he richly deserved and of which he was rightly proud. A quote from his Detective Chief Superintendent when asked why Alan had remained a Detective Constable throughout his service was most apt: “Alan could have been whatever he wanted to be in the Police Service; he chose to be a Detective Constable”. Alan’s influence on developing Safergems was huge and he will be sorely missed.
Alan and they all shared a common thread – his kindness, generosity and tremendous enthusiasm. Whenever I rang him he made time to talk, he always found time to meet and he was honest in his advice and opinions. At the funeral I realised he replicated this generosity every hour of every day with all the friends he made. My own struggle to develop bondingliquid technology was championed by Alan who facilitated meetings and raised awareness in the various forums such as Banknote Watch and I owe a great debt
to him professionally and personally. In particular he confided to me the extent of his illness and asked me, along with Andrew Knights, to take Banknote forward and find a new chairman. This gave me the opportunity to forge new friendships with other colleagues in the security field and spend more time with him providing updates and seeking further advice. Alan’s life was an example to me of how to make the most of every day and his death a reminder that tomorrow is promised to no-one. I shall miss him.
Hilaire O’Shea writes… hen I heard the news of Alan’s passing I wrote on my Facebook page that he was one of the very few people whom everybody liked and who left the world a better place than he found it. It was my own opinion but I was not surprised to have it confirmed when over 300 family, friends and colleagues attended his funeral – some travelling to Kent from the North of England to show their respects. So many in fact that the church in Hever could not hold them all and many stood in the porch and entrance. Afterwards we shared our recollections of
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12 The Jeweller October 2012
| NAG News
The NAG at IJL 2012
NAG Information Officer Faye Hadlow and other staff manning our stand at IJL.
ast month saw another triumphant four days at International Jewellery London, with its much-anticipated schedule of inspirational seminars alongside the cream of the international jewellery industry – which of course includes the National Association of Goldsmiths! It was superb to see you all there. IJL always proves to not only be a key business event but also an enjoyable social occasion; offering a chance to take a breather from the everyday routine, say hello to familiar faces, and discuss business and the economy at large. IJL also provided a great opportunity to talk specifically about our SaferGems initiative, our membership benefits, new courses coming up, and the new Gold Standard (GS) which was launched this time last year. Faye
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Hadlow, NAG information officer explains a little more about the latter: “The GS is a voluntary code of conduct which when followed helps to reduce the risk of jewellers purchasing items of stolen jewellery. We worked closely as part of an industry group to come up with the GS procedure, which seeks to protect retailers and better prepare for rogues. Other key players include the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Trading Standards Institute, the National Pawnbrokers Association, the British Jewellers Association, and the National Measurement Office.” It was also inspiring to see so many new and talented designers showcasing their work at IJL this year; hopefully some of them will provide you with unique and
creative collections for the future. Notable at the show was the Goldsmith Company’s design competition exhibition; we hope that you had a chance to see the stand and the competing pieces on display. One that we thought stood out was Jessica Neil’s distinctive ‘skyline’ collection, which depicted iconic London views; we found this topical, clever and particularly stylish! Jessica’s business is called Quarter Angel and her collection is handmade and incorporates mixed metals with etching techniques to show intricate design details. Take a look at her website: www.quarterangel.com This year our celebratory chairman’s champagne reception, (or ‘Summer Drinks’) saw Pravin Pattni toast the NAG’s continued success. The well-attended event provided the perfect opportunity for members to meet and greet (and raise a welcome glass to) Pravin in his new role. We would also like to take the opportunity to say a special thank you to Frank Wood for meeting and greeting members on the stand every day; so Cheers to him too! Our CEO Michael Hoare summarises IJL rather succinctly: “It was great to see so many of our members there, and to hear how they’ve been coping with business over the last year. This event is always important for getting an insight to how people in-store feel about the industry, and the work we do. It is always the case that IJL gives me a number of thoughts to follow up, and this year was no exception.” And on that note we say goodbye to IJL 2012 and look forward to the 2013 show!
NAG Ethics Working Party Seminar at IJL he Ethics Working Party seminar, which was attended by an audience of over 60, featured a panel style presentation consisting of jeweller and activist Greg Valerio, ethical jeweller Vivien Johnson, the BJA’s Simon Rainer, Dr Jack Ogden of Gem-A and NAG CEO Michael Hoare. For the last 18 months or so the Ethics Working Party has had regular meetings to brainstorm the best possible way in which the industry can tackle serious supply chain ethical issues that have become a major concern over the last decade. IJL provided the perfect opportunity to report on its
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progress so far and open up the floor to gauge the retailer’s opinion. “After months of consultation with stakeholders we wanted to take our show on the road and open up the debate to a wider audience,” says Hoare. An opportunity
presented itself at IJL and we heard some pretty impassioned pleas: first from Greg Valerio to empower artisanal miners with practical human rights; and second, from Jack Ogden, who told us that if we thought the gold and diamond supply chain hard to pin down, then gemstones were a different order of magnitude all together. At the moment it’s not that there’s a lack of will in the industry, but there is still a debate to be had about the best solutions to the problem.” The Party plans to publish a paper in the Spring looking into recommendations and findings on gold.
NAG News |
Top marks go to the NAG’s Gold Buying and Precious Metal Testing seminar ast month Ken Vaughan from KV Training Consultancy joined the NAG team at Luke Street to deliver the NAG Gold Buying and Precious Metal Testing seminar. Arranged into several manageable sessions, each featuring a different topic, the seminar’s highlights included: a discussion about the best practice standards which featured the Gold Standard voluntary code of conduct; a close look at how to best comply with important legislation including the Data Protection Act; and a presentation focusing on visual inspection, which looked at using the popular KOT method to visually inspect processes and finishes. Vaughan also touched on hallmarks and other marking and ended the day with a practical testing session and a review of how to effectively establish the gold price. Amanda White, NAG seminar coordinator attended the seminar. “Ken took us through the best practice principles of buying-in gold and gave us tips on how to identify rolled gold and gold plated pieces,” she explains. “We discussed the alloys combined with gold and how they can affect the outcome of acid testing. This was particularly useful and
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Richard Cohen displays his course certificate
extremely interesting, especially when we had a go at using acids to test metals ourselves during the practical session at the end of the day; it was not as easy as it looks! “He also talked about best practice in relation to identifying the elements of hallmarks, both UK and overseas, and alerted us to scams and frauds that can catch out the less-informed buyer. In summary the Gold Buying and Precious Metal Testing seminar is just the kind of valuable seminar
New NAG marketing & communications officer impressions of her first IJL o how has Charley Torr, the NAG’s new marketing and communications officer, found her first month with us? “It has been a real pleasure to join the NAG and an honour to meet many of our members at IJL. I thoroughly enjoyed the show and the seminars, especially the Ethics Working Party session; it was evident there was a real passion running through the panel and I found Greg Valerio particularly inspiring,” she said. “It was also good to meet the assay office teams, various retailers and suppliers and learn who some of the key industry players are. “Additionally I thoroughly enjoyed taking a peak at the up and coming designers. In fact this year has been a sensational one in terms of talent – the Olympics and the Paralympics have made our British summer a truly exciting one. Joining the NAG team, attending IJL and going to an Olympics event where we won a gold medal all in one month – I can honestly say that I feel totally inspired! I would like to take the opportunity to say how happy I am to be on the NAG team,” Charley added. “It’s a really down-to-earth, professional and friendly organisation and everyone has made me feel very welcome. I am proud to be a part of the Association and will be working hard to promote it in the future to ensure we have the best reputation possible in the UK!”
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that reinforces knowledge and informs those new to the area in a way that is both accessible and stimulating; I genuinely enjoyed my day, it was very informative.” Richard Cohen, owner of Eternity Jeweller St Albans attended the seminar too: “It has been extremely informative. I would say to retailers out there; simply don’t buy any more gold until you’ve been on this course – it should be compulsory!” The ongoing NAG seminar programme continues with Essential Display on the 4th October, Social Media in Brighton on the 8th October and Diamond and Diamond Grading in London on the 16th and 17th of October. For more information on these and other seminars please contact Amanda White by email at: amandaw@jewellers-online.org or telephone: 020 7613 4445. To display the new Gold Standard (the voluntary code of conduct for the face to face purchase of second hand precious metal and jewellery) email Faye Hadlow at: faye@jewellers-online.org or call her on 020 7613 4445 and select the information department option.
New Member Applications Members wishing to comment on any of these applications can call Amy Oliver on tel: 020 7613 4445 or email her at: amyoliver@jewellers-online.org within three weeks of receipt of this issue.
Ordinary Applications Barovic Jewellers, Wolverton, Milton Keynes Sonkai Limited, Norwich Marchbank Jewellers, Frome, Somerset Auriga Jewellery, Reading, Berkshire Catherine Jones Jewellery, Cambridge Hari Jewellers Ltd
Affiliate Applications Hopton & Furlong, St. Albans, Hertfordshire Lava Jewellery Design, Aberdeen
Alumni Applications Michal Thomas Warke, Templepatrick, N.Ireland Michael David Rennes, New Cross, London
The Voice of the Industry 15
| NAG News
NAG Member of the Month This issue Amy Oliver speaks to Sheila Bamber of Whittles in Preston, Lancashire. This independent jewellers is currently celebrating its 150th anniversary. Congratulations on 150 years in business! How did you celebrate this momentous occasion? Luckily for us, Preston Guild is taking place in the city – a festival which occurs just once every 20 years. It was established in 1179, and is the only Guild festival still celebrated in the UK. As a result, extra attention has been focused on us as one of Preston’s oldest established businesses still in family ownership. We have worked hard to get local media coverage including regional glossy magazine adverts and promotional editorial. We also have plans to move to larger premises next year with a view to maintaining the family’s legacy for future generations to come. How did the business start life and who was its founder? Whittles was started by Mr HE Whittle in 1862 on Fishergate – a few doors away from the present location – and was one of the first retail outlets in the area. The opening of the Miller arcade in 1901 helped change the face of shopping in the town and Whittles soon moved its business there. A major change was forthcoming when, in 1932, James Rhodes bought Whittles for
his son, Roland. The firm is now in the hands of the fourth generation of the Rhodes family and is proud of the fact that many of its staff have long associations with Whittles, some for over 45 years. What type of stock do you carry, and has this changed much over the last five years? We are principally involved in high-end jewellery and watch brands. Our agencies include Rolex, Omega, and Mikimoto pearls. We have a highly trained sales team who love to sell the best quality gem set jewellery. Over the past five years we have seen a drop off in gold jewellery sales with fashion brands stepping in to take its place. Customers are much more brand and fashion conscious, and we have to ensure that we satisfy their demands. However, we find it increasingly important to offer exclusive designs, and have put even greater emphasis on our design and commission work, as well as formulating our own brand. Have you noticed any new business trends in the past year or so? This year has seen us improving our website in order to provide an interesting and
tantalising taste of Whittles for customers who use it as a first point of call. The number of extra hits we are now getting is very encouraging and has reassured us that we are heading along the right path. This type of internet research has become the general way that most of us seem to shop these days, and maintaining a good website presence has now become essential. We have noticed that customers have often done extensive research before their visit and are therefore much more demanding in terms of their specific needs. What do you predict the consumer trends for next year will be? There has been a general reluctance among the high end jewellers to sell more fashion-led, branded jewellery. This is now changing noticeably, with palladium and silver jewellery outstripping traditional gold sales. Next year will see even more acceleration in this direction. Last but not least, do you have a memorable customer story to share with our readers? We were recently visited by a couple who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and wanted us to refinish and polish their wedding rings. Nothing out of the ordinary there one might think, except what they didn’t expect was to be served by the same person who sold them the rings back in 1962! Pat Wright has been part of our sales team for just over 50 years and we are immensely proud of her achievement. Not only could she remember the couple she had sold the rings to, but she also told them exactly how much they’d paid. Pat’s memory is legendary and extremely useful, often leaving both customers and ourselves dumfounded! If you would like your business to be considered as Member of the Month, write in and tell us why! Please send an email to: amyoliver@jewellers-online.org
16 The Jeweller October 2012
| NAG News: Education & Training
Double Bransom Award winners
This month, we at the NAG celebrate not one but two winners of the coveted Bransom JET 1 Project Assignment Award. From assignments received in July, the award goes to Nicholas Chinn of Hettich in St. Helier Jersey, while our August winner is Amy Duggan from Pyke & Sons Ltd. in Shrewsbury.
eld in conjunction with our friends at Bransom Retail Systems, each month the NAG’s education department enters all JET 1 assignments into a competition for ‘best project’. Selected by the external examiners, the award rewards the winning student with a trip to the prestigious Goldsmiths’ Hall for the presentation of their certificate at our glittering annual award ceremony. Those who successfully complete all five assignments of JET 1 to a satisfactory standard will be awarded a JET 1 certificate and are then entitled to continue on to JET 2 and the completion of the Professional Jewellers’ Diploma. Firstly we’d like to congratulate Nicholas, who managed to scoop the July prize after his project was selected from that month’s bag of entries. His tutor, Anne Bray, wasn’t
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18 The Jeweller October 2012
surprised at his success. “Right from the start of his course Nicholas’s assignments have been punctual. It soon became obvious he had the ability to turn ‘technical’ detail into perfect selling dialogue when the answers required it,” she said. “I could also see that he was taking the time to complete the extra self learning exercises along the way. Nicholas would also chat on-line as he was a very enthusiastic and lively young man who was always happy to talk to me as his tutor. He is learning all aspects of the retail jewellery business as he will become more involved in Hettich Jewellers, which his family own.” When we spoke with the project moderator as to why they selected Nicholas’s project, they commented: “Throughout July JET 1 students sent in excellent well-presented
pieces of final assignment work for marking. The pass grade standard during the month for this assignment was indeed very high – several candidates were considered for this prestigious award. Many assignments demonstrated that a great deal of research and thought had been put into the exercise of covering each section of the project. It was very difficult to make a final decision but Nicolas’s assignment really did have the edge on all the other answers. It was a pleasure to receive and grade the work from Nicolas – a worthy winner!” When we caught up with Nicholas to ask how it felt to win the award Nicholas explained that he was thrilled to have won. “It’s been a bit of a strange one for me. I’m a chartered surveyor by trade, but I’m looking to re-train to go back into the family business. I only really re-joined the store in November last year, as I’ve worked in real estate thus far in my life – so it’s great to have won this award so soon after getting back into the business. “The course was great at linking theoretical aspects of jewellery into a practical context,” he added. “It really helped me to talk to customers and improved my sales technique. I think it’s a brilliant entry level point for anybody joining the industry, and it’s a great all-round view of the jewellery trade, from a retail perspective.”
“The course was great at linking theoretical aspects of jewellery into a practical context. It really helped me to talk to customers and improved my sales technique.” eanwhile Amy Duggan’s tutor Cathryn Richardson had nothing but good words to say about Amy’s assignment: “Amy has been a diligent student; she has submitted excellent assignments, showing that she can fully research the subjects. She produces very informative and well written pieces of work which were a pleasure to read and mark.” The project moderator too considered Amy’s final piece to be exemplary. “Her final
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NAG News: Education & Training | business for a few years but started working at Pykes in 2010. In 2011 I left to have a baby and when I came back, I decided I’d like to do the JET 1. Ultimately I’d like to get into design – but it was great to learn about the practical and retail side of the jewellery trade, as this wasn’t really covered in my degree. Overall it’s mainly helped my basic knowledge of the retail trade and given me the confidence to be able to sell more effectively. The distance learning element also made it great to fit it around having a child at home. So I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking to further their sales skills,” she added. The education department would like to congratulate Nicholas and Amy on their very hard work, and wish them continued success in their work and future studies.
“It was great to learn about the practical and retail side of the jewellery trade, as this wasn’t really covered in my degree. It’s given me the confidence to be able to sell more effectively.” JET 1 assignment was an outstanding, well presented piece of course work. It received a top pass grade result. I was impressed by the amount of serious research carried out on the subjects, and the interesting way that Amy presented the information. The final section of the project dealing with the use of her selling skills with regards to a repair item is excellent. There is no doubt that this
For more information on the JET courses go to: www.jewellers-online.org or call 020 7613 4445 (option 1). For information on Bransom please visit: www.bransom.co.uk
candidate has maintained a high standard of work for all her assignments, receiving very complimentary remarks from her personal tutor. Another very worthy winner of the JET 1 Monthly Bransom Award.” “I was really excited when I heard that I’d won,” said Amy. “I wasn’t expecting the phone call. I felt really proud. I did a jewellery and silversmithing degree and had my own
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GOLDMITHS
It is a modular programme with a self learning approach that teaches the basic theory, methodologies and good working practices needed to become a competent jewellery valuer. Three detailed modules of study support the syllabus on this 6-12 month programme. The Certificate of Appraisal Theory will be awarded to those who complete the six assignments and who reach the minimum standard required in the theory examination. This programme is suitable for anyone with a desire to learn best valuation practice and is one of the pre-requisites required for entrance into the NAG Institute of Registered Valuers.
Email: nag@jewellers-online.org Tel: 020 7613 4445 Web: www.jewellers-online.org
OF APPRAISAL THEORY CAT CERTIFICATE
The Voice of the Industry 19
| NAG News: IRV Review
NAG Institute of Registered Valuers R
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You shall go to the ball! Sandra Page, the central character in her very own fairy tale, offers a little insight into the preparations leading up to the weekend-to-remember that was the IRV Conference. hen I asked our editor Belinda for some inspiration on what I might write about for this month’s IRV page, she fired back the suggestion: “Just start with ‘Once upon a time in a land far, far away there lived…’ then take it from there”. Given our usual banter on the subject of finding something to write about every month, she felt this might be the perfect way to stimulate my creative juices. Actually, I’m pretty sure that she wasn’t being entirely serious, but what the heck – I’m going to go with it anyway! As I write this IJL at Earl’s Court is in full swing. However, as the Institute has a little annual event in three weeks’ time (read all about in it in next month’s issue) I am excused from NAG stand-manning duties at the fair, which I do appreciate as the four-week run-up to our Conference can be quite fraught. In fact, with all the work involved I have to admit to feeling a little like Cinderella! Please don’t get me wrong, NAG HQ is there to help if I need it but Luke Street
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is somewhat akin to the ivory tower ‘far, far away’, which can be a bit of a logistical problem when it comes to the nitty gritty physical jobs like printing out documents, creating lapel badges and slotting the little cards into their holders, etcetera etcetera. However, I do have a Fairy Godmother who visits me during the few days before the Conference takes place and she helps me to put the delegates’ folders together . It’s no mean feat when you have over 180 to produce, each with 30 or more sheets to be stuck in! Unfortunately, due to the nature of some of the pages I can’t do it much before then and without her help I would be burning the proverbial midnight oil (or double-ended candle) most of that week! Her name is Shirley Mitchell (she has recently passed her FGA diploma exam so can now add FGA to her other qualifications: FIRV PJValDip PJGemDip PJManDip FNAG and DGA) and she really is worth her weight in gold.
The IRV at Buckingham Palace: From left to right: Pravin Pattni, Alan Davidson, Geoff Whitefield and Shirley Mitchell; Mee Mee Thein works her charms on a rozzer; Amanda Mackinnon, Jackie Warren and Deborah Mazza-Newmann
20 The Jeweller October 2012
Shirley arranged the Institute’s recent visit to Buckingham Palace (see how we’re continuing the fairy tale theme?) to view the amazing exhibition to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The event was attended by 50 people on 14th August – with Shirley at the helm. With everyone buoyed up by GB’s Olympic success attendees were on a high as they witnessed the magnificent display Shirley has written a full report on the visit which is available on the Institute of Registered Valuers website at: www.jewelleryvaluers.org By the time you read this little tale the Institute’s Annual Loughborough Conference will have been and gone. Cinderella (me, remember) will have got to attend the gala ball (a new dress has been purchased specially for the occasion, after all, I rather hope I will have retired by the time the Institute celebrates its Golden Jubilee, so I have to make the most of this Silver celebration) and had a thoroughly magical time. I can assure all readers that I did not wear any glass slippers – not with my bunions! – and the only pumpkin to show up will have been in the soup! I hope that the Conference proved to be a wonderful occasion and generated its usual euphoria for those who attended. What I do know is that we’ll have filled the vacancy on the IRV Forum and announced a David Wilkins Award winner for this year. And I’ll risk one of my three wishes that we have launched CAT too (and I don’t mean the black feline variety often associated with fairy tales but rather our Certificate of Appraisal Theory valuation training package). At least I know what I’ll be writing about for the November issue of this magazine. However, I would (as always) welcome any suggestions – or even contributions – for the months to come.
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BJA News |
Ivonna Poplanska wins BJA’s Jubilee Brooch competition vonna Poplanksa, one of six scholarship students on the ‘Post Graduate Professional Design Programme’ at The Goldsmiths’ Centre in London, has won the BJA’s competition to design a Diamond Jubilee brooch for presentation on behalf of the industry to Her Majesty the Queen. Poplanksa’s design was chosen (from a short list of six finalists) by members of the industry voting either online, or in person at last month’s International Jewellery London. The winning piece, entitled ‘The Eternal Dove’, is loosely based on the ‘Sceptre with Dove’, an item in the Crown Jewels which was made for the Coronation of King Charles II in 1661. Poplanksa’s dove, which is in flight, also encompasses the four flowers of the United Kingdom which are depicted in gold and coloured gemstones within its wings. “When I visited the Tower to research the project I liked the idea of the dove taking off from the Charles ll Sceptre after 381 years and landing on the Queen’s lapel. Doves are also symbols of peace and spirituality which I see as being important elements of modern monarchy,” she says. Poplanksa (26), who is originally from Latvia, comes from a family of ballet dancers and trained to be a pianist before swapping to jewellery design once she finished school. She came to England in 2005 to study for a BA in Silversmithing, Goldsmithing and Jewellery Design at the University for the Creative Arts in Rochester and then worked
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as an intern for Shaun Leane. A number of freelance design roles followed before she was accepted into the first intake of post graduate students at The Goldsmiths’ Centre in London. Instructed by some of the industry’s most notable talent she has been studying painting and drawing, 3D model making, CAD and their creative application under the tutelage of the Centre’s programme leader Dr Stuart Devlin. Her drawing lessons from tutor Mark Lewis have certainly borne fruit as her hand-painted design for the winning brooch is, in itself, a work of art. Both Mark and her other tutors are delighted with her success. “This is great news for Ivonna and for all of us at The Goldsmiths’ Centre. We are extremely proud of her achievement and of our role in helping her to develop her undoubted talent,” says The Centre’s director Peter Taylor. Poplanksa’s next task will be to liaise with those charged with the creation of her design. This will be manufactured using precious metals, gemstones and workshop and technological skills donated by members of the BJA – indeed everything required, right down to the special presentation box, has been gifted by a member firm. “The brooch design requires six grams of gold, 60 grams of platinum, 320 white diamonds and some coloured diamonds and we are extremely grateful to the many member firms who have generously pledged to donate these materials as well as to those
who will support Ivonna in making her design a reality. As its designer she will be involved in all aspects of the manufacturing process – which will include both the latest technologies and hand skills – and will, I’m sure, learn a great deal from the many experts who will be responsible for its creation,” says the BJA’s Lindsey Straughton who has coordinated the competition and will also oversee bringing the design to reality. Once complete the brooch will go on show at a 125th Anniversary Reception at The House of Commons on 29th November to which people who have served the Association over the years will be invited. It will be given to Her Majesty shortly afterwards. When announcing the winner at IJL, Gary Williams, chairman of the BJA said: “This is an exciting time for the British jewellery industry. All six of the final designs were of the highest possible standard and clearly demonstrate the wealth of talent available to us.” Williams also thanked his colleagues on the BJA national committee especially Sarah Jordan, Vanessa Burkitt and Cindy Dennis Mangan for their help in creating the design brief and in the initial judging of the competition. Other judges were Ruth Donaldson of Platinum Guild International, Helen Dimmick of Green and Benz, Rachel Taylor of Professional Jeweller and Lindsey Straughton from the BJA.
The runners-up were Andrew Everest, Harriet Bedford, Kasun London, Gwyneth Harris Fine Jewellery and Lynsey Pluck Jewellery. Their designs and more details about the competition can be viewed on the BJA website: www.bja.org.uk Poplanksa is naturally hugely excited about her win: “It is an incredible honour to be recognised by my peers and by the industry and the thought of the Queen wearing something I have designed is quite amazing,” she says.
The Voice of the Industry 23
| BJA News
Vote now in the BJA Awards ominations have now closed for the BJA Awards 2012 which means that the trade and members of the public have until late November to vote for their favourite designer and retailer of the year – online at: www.bja.org.uk “In the Designer category the finalists will be designers who have consistently produced commercially viable work, attended trade fairs and buying group meetings, been involved in events and competitions to promote design and have, though their work, raised the profile of British design… so please vote!” said Lindsey Straughton, BJA marketing manager.
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BJA members are being encouraged to vote for ‘BJA Member of the Year’ for an individual or company that has helped most to promote the BJA during 2012. ‘BJA Supplier of the Year’ is the award for the member or a supplier of services to the membership who has provided outstanding service during 2012 and finally there is the ‘BJA Industry Contributor of the Year’. Visit: www.bja.org.uk/awardsvote Voting will close on November 26th 2012. The winners will be announced on 6th December at The Benevolent Society Ball, Clarenden Suites in Birmingham, where
finalists and a throng Myia Bonner of BJA members will dance the night away to ‘Capital Groove’, a famous local band. Tickets are £60 each and sponsorship opportunities are available (please call 0121 237 1110 for details). The Ball is held each year to raise funds to help elderly fellow jewellers who need a helping hand with very practical assistance, new appliances or specialist equipment.
Call for Treasure at Somerset House ow in its sixth year Treasure (13th – 16th June, 2013) will showcase visionary design, cutting-edge technology and new talent during next year’s Jewellery Week. The show will provide a platform for pioneering exhibitors in contemporary jewellery design and following the success of 2012 Treasure will once again be a curated show with five jewellery galleries: Fashion, Design, Emerge, Fine and Ethical. Open to VIP guests on Thursday 13th June and the public from 14th June, visitors will be able to buy and commission from an exclusive selection of jewellers. In addition to these there are opportunities to create a branded presence in the Boutiques and Waterside Studios. A panel of jewellery experts will make the selection of exhibitors for Treasure 2013. Exhibitors will be chosen on the basis of the quality, originality and relevance of their jewellery. The selection process ensures a high quality event, which appeals to the jewelleryloving audience at Treasure. Companies with BJA membership prior to 15th February 2013 will receive a 10 per cent discount on their comprehensive Treasure package, which includes cabinet and lighting as well as marketing (note this discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other – including the design quarter bursary) Visit: www.treasureuk.com/apply for online applications by Midnight on 17th December stating which gallery you would like to be considered for. For further information call 020 7241 7475 or email: della@treasureuk.com
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Unicorns spotted! e recently asked readers to look out for unicorns in unusual places. These are two of the entries we have received for this (not terribly serious) competition. BJA designer member Momocreatura offers her new pendant from her Jubilee Collection shown at IJL. Isabel Martinson CEO of the Giftware Association sent in an heraldic display she spotted at The Chelsea Flower Show. For more unicorns, visit BJA’s website: www.bja.org.uk
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24 The Jeweller October 2012
The Voice of the Industry 25
Jeweller picks... the
From timepieces with a touch of glamour and jewellery with a hint of function as well as form, to clean modern pieces and others with a vintage feel – a selection of favourites for Winter 2012.
DINA KAMAL
Reflecting trends seen on the catwalks, cut-out designs, geometric forms and simplified organic shapes are the key fashion-forward directions in the Lucas Jack Winter collection. In 24ct gold plate the earrings, cuffs and bangles feature white or green resin. www.lucasjack.com
Initially practicing as an architect in Washington DC (before moving back to her native Beirut in 1998) Dina Kamal introduced her PNKYRNG Collection in 2010, re-defining the pinky ring and surely reviving this bastion of male adornment, particularly with the pavĂŠ diamond set versions in 18ct polished, brushed or textured gold. She has followed this with a stylishly functional Loupe Series of 18ct gold loupe pendants on gold chains, with or with diamond pavage and a fibreglass Nikon +5 Presbyopia reading lens. www.dinakamal.com
GOLDMAJOR
LUCAS JACK
Green amber is being given star billing in this line by Goldmajor, with these sterling silver earrings complemented by a matching pendant. Also new are drop earrings featuring beads of cognac, lemon and treacle-toned amber draped on steel wires. www.goldmajor.com
MARC BY MARC JACOBS
The new Rock Collection includes an assortment of all-metal styles in combinations of brushed and polished metals – stainless, rose gold, yellow gold and gunmetal tones. The men’s versions have an unexpected red pusher, while the women’s models feature a gold-toned display with navy details. www.fossil.co.uk
CHAVIN
Among the hundred new pieces of jewellery that were launched at IJL last month is this statement ‘catwalk’ cuff in matte and polished 18ct rose gold vermeil. As with other pieces in the design-led, sociallyresponsible collection, the cuff’s inspiration is derived from ancient Peruvian culture, however, the core range offers a more delicately feminine interpretation. www.chavinjewellery.com
CLOGAU
Taking full advantage of its royal links and inspired by this year’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, Clogau has a number of Crown Jewels-themed pieces in its latest collection, including this Royal Crown pendant. As well as the inclusion of Welsh gold, the piece incorporates a design inspired by a section from Queen Mary’s crown. www.clogau.co.uk
CARAT WILLOW & CREAM
Dublin-based jewellery manufacturers and wholesalers TJH is launching Willow & Cream, a new collection of silver jewellery featuring a mix of micro-set diamonds and freshwater pearls. Statement pieces, such as a sapphire and CZ suite also form part of the collection, much of which has a trend-led vintage feel. www.tjh.ie
Art Deco is one of three new fine jewellery collections being introduced by created gemstone brand Carat for the Christmas season, with these earrings exemplifying the modern glamour feel of the period. Other collections in the new line are Pave and Power Pearls introducing synthetic pearls for the first time. www.carat.co
ASHIANA
The Femme Fatale is the inspiration for Ashiana London’s new Lux Collection which has at its heart rutilated quartz. The irregular surface of the stone creates a dramatically unusual effect for the 22ct gold plate, diamond set jewellery, which also features other gemstones. www.ashiana-accessories.com
JADA
TI SENTO
With New York as an overall theme for the season, Leading Lady is one of the new collections for Autumn from Ti Sento. The pavé set pieces are created with pear-shaped stones – either aubergine or honey caramel cat’s eye for the earrings, pendant and ring. Tel: 020 3514 1058
Can functional also be glamorous? Of course – these chandelier earrings have a feature allowing the chandelier section to be detached so that the earrings can be worn as simple studs. In sterling silver they are available with either garnet, amethyst, white topaz or blue topaz. www.notabenejewellery.com
KIT HEATH
NOTA BENE
Sterling silver brand Kit Heath has launched a new sub-brand – Culture. The collections of bracelets are designed to ‘represent the connection between tribes of friends, lovers and groups within the 18-25 attitude range’. Packaged in a non-conventional way, the 30 ribbon and seed bracelets are finished with sterling silver toggles and will come with underground online and PR activities. www.kitheath.com
If you’re thinking ahead to Christmas, Jada’s ruby set Zea pear-drop shaped pendant, suspended from a rose gold chain, has ‘perfect present’ written all over it. All pieces in her collection are hand-crafted in Istanbul, using white and yellow as well as rose gold. www.byjada.com
JUICY COUTURE
Think that the ’70s was the decade that style forgot? Think again we say. How about this glam limited edition Timex Originals Vintage 1972, which, with its gold-tone bracelet and trompe l’oeil wood effect dial owes much to the Timex heritage archive? Tel: 020 8326 6900
TIMEX
Classic luxury with a modern twist is how Juicy Couture describes its new Stella collection that includes this rose gold style with Swarovski crystals taking the place of numbers. Variations on the theme include stainless steel, bi-colour steel and gold and yellow gold, all with 40mm case. www.steerwellpr.com
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| Feature
Brand Profile EDOX Belinda Morris talks to Adrian McGillivray, the UK distributor of Edox watches, who explains why the heritage brand’s time is definitely now. “
he watch industry today could be compared to the music business. With music, very broadly speaking, there’s classical and there’s popular. Classical is always there and as consumers we move through pop and then, as we get older, begin to tune into and appreciate the classics. “In the watch industry we have the major brands that will be here for ever and then
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there are the new brands which can come and go. Some may have a life span of four or five years, others may stay the course. At Basel there are over 500 watch brands vying for the market. It can’t last for ever – very many will fall by the wayside.” Adrian McGillivray of distributor Ferndale UK is putting the case for Edox, the Swiss watch company, which, it could be said, manages to fall somewhere between the two extremes he has highlighted. Having been founded in 1884, there’s no doubting that Edox is one of the long-established brands with heritage, but despite the fact that it has traded continuously during the past 128 years, latterly it has kept a pretty low profile. Its rebirth within the market place has been a much more recent affair and it has been helped in this endeavour by a growing trend among men to collect watches. “Once these collectors own a Rolex, Omega, Patek etcetera, they rarely buy a second one – they move on to another brand. Outside of their car, a watch is the one possession that can reflect their attainment
30 The Jeweller October 2012
in life and how they want to be perceived. They will usually buy the most expensive one they can afford,” says McGillivray. Taking full advantage of the desire among people (men in particular, it might be argued) to belong to a club, Edox has, over the past few years, brought out a series of collections that allows its customers to, as McGillivray describes it, “touch the dream and be a member of a sport”. He’s talking in particular of Class-1, the Formula One of the seas – Edox has been the official timekeeper for the rather glamorous World Powerboat Championship for the past four years. Taking part in such endeavours requires very deep pockets indeed (not to mention nerves of steel and possibly a streak of madness).
Christian Rüefli-Flury, EDOX founder
Owning a Class-1 Edox watch, with its various technical aspects, is a less risky business – prestige by association and all that. The same can also be said for the WRC timepieces, a collection that marks Edox’s involvement as timing partner for the FIA World Rally Championships (Dakar included). “A lot of watch houses have a certain identifiable look, but Edox is more about reflecting a sport – which then in turn reflects the brand,” explains McGillivray. “This allows the retailer to select parts of the collection that don’t cut across other elements in his watch portfolio. It offers the chance to expand his offer as we can cater for all different styles, including the slimmest quartz watch with a date – as well as being
Edox timeline 1884
Watchmaker Christian Rüefli-Flury produces a pocket watch for his wife’s 25th birthday. She’s so impressed that she persuades him to set up his own watchmaking company in Biel. He calls it Edox, which means ‘measuring of time’ in ancient Greek. 1900 The hourglass logo is born and the symbol has been a feature of Edox timepieces ever since. 1955 At this point in its history Edox employed up to 500 watchmakers and was among Switzerland’s top 10 watch companies. 1961 The Delfin watch was launched. With its double-case back, sturdy protective gaskets and seals it set new standards of protection and water resistance. 1970 Edox introduced the world’s first truly global timepiece. The Geoscope covered all time zones, providing timekeeping for almost 50 cities around the world. 1970s With the introduction and massive popularity of quartz movement watches, many & ’80s traditional watch companies suffered. It was a quiet but steady period for Edox. 1998 The company’s engineers and watchmakers developed the world’s slimmest calendar watch – Les Bémonts Ultra Slim – the movement of which is just 1.4mm. The technical record is still held by Edox today. 2008 Edox becomes the official timekeeper of the Class-1 World Powerboat Championship. The Class-1 timepiece collection is launched. 2010 Edox becomes the official World Rally Championships’ timekeeper and launches a new collection dedicated to rally drivers. 2012 The Dakar Rallye Raid appoints Edox as official timekeeper.
an alternative watch for his regular client who already owns the main brands.” Which leads to a salient aspect of the current watch market, in McGillivray’s view: as many big brands are reducing their distribution, it leaves a number of jewellers looking to fill the gap. “The independent jeweller should be more independent,” he says. “He doesn’t carry the same jewellery as competitors on the high street, so why do it with watches?” He also sounds a note of caution to the said ‘big brands’: “they should
EDOX factory in Genevez
be careful about who they tread on while they’re climbing up,” he says. “The imageraising exercise being carried out by some of them is dangerous!” He feels though that it is a sign of things to come: “In the future more and more major brands will be opening their own boutiques so that they can control their image and distribution.” Which is where brands like Edox can come into their own, although McGillivray isn’t under any illusion that the market is therefore a pushover for the brand. “Our prices start at £375 and, outside of the hero products, go up to £3,500 (the core being around £1,500 to £1,800), but this mid market segment of
“People who would have bought from this sector pre-recession have tended to buy down. On the other hand, their aspirational values are moving them back to precision and workmanship, which is where Edox is today.”
the watch industry has been hit the hardest, particularly in the UK,” he says. “People who would have bought from this sector pre-recession have tended to buy down. On the other hand, their aspirational values are moving them back to precision and workmanship, which is where Edox is today.” He also considers that watch consumers (in line with customers of diamonds) are much more savvy about technical aspects than they once were. “For instance the most popular movement among aficionados,
Adrian McGillivray’s watch trend predictions: • Greater development in mechanical movements • Greater power reserves • Thinner, more classical automatics • Collection concepts of colourful straps • Big sports watches continuing the ETA 2824, can be bought for hugely differing prices – it’s the exterior and the design that create the individuality. Consumers will soon wonder why they are spending so much!” To be ready to serve such potential customers and to counteract any scuppering moves that may be made by the big watch brands, McGillivray thinks that jewellers should cross all the different price points to attract their consumer profile and contract on the number of brands carried. “Also, regular customers need to have a reason to look in a shop window, so retailers need to be inventive with their store (and lots are) to draw them in – and I’m not just talking about red, white and blue bunting! They and their suppliers should work more closely together – we’re fighting the same war, it shouldn’t be them and us.”
The Voice of the Industry 31
| BJA Feature
Call to show at Inhorgenta Munich BJGI, the international arm of the British Jewellers’ Association, is offering designers the opportunity to exhibit at this major European fair. nhorgenta, Munich is recognised as one of the leading European trade exhibitions for fine and designer jewellery, with around 1,100 exhibitors and more than 34,000 trade visitors attending the event. With a strong focus on contemporary design, it is a magnet for gallery and specialist jewellery buyers from a number of European markets – almost 30 per cent of its trade visitors come from outside Germany – and provides an ideal opportunity for jewellery designers and designer-makers to take their first steps into international markets. British Jewellery & Giftware International (BJGI), the international arm of the British Jewellers’ Association, on behalf of UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is organising a showcase stand at Inhorgenta 2013 (22nd-25th February 2013) for this fledgling sector of the industry. Participating designers will exhibit as part of a supported group, and display product samples on a shared stand. BJGI and UKTI will provide briefing and support ahead of the event, including valuable advice on how to prepare for overseas sales. This offer is part-financed through UKTI.
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The package starting at £700 + VAT for BJA members includes: • Shared use of showcase stand in Hall C2, (Hall of Fine Design) • Registration as a co-exhibitor at Inhorgenta and basic catalogue/ media entry • Two freestanding display plinths (open access) and overhead illumination • One exhibitor pass • Entry in BJGI group brochure • Use of back-office, including safe storage, internet facilities and refreshments • Name on plinth • Shared use of interpreter • Onsite support from BJGI representative and pre show briefing
to apply and must meet the criteria outlined by UKTI. All grants offered by UKTI are now match funded, therefore individual exhibitors must outlay stand related costs (excluding travel and accommodation) of £2,000 or more in order to receive the £1,000. Among the number of high profile British manufacturers and designer makers who have exhibited at Inhorgenta over the years is BJA member Sarah Herriot. “The show has always been a very inspiring for me, from the first day I visited it, I realised it was the right place for me,” she says. “It bowled me over with the quality and standard, everything was displayed immaculately in an extremely stylish way, not in cabinets locked away. Instantly I jumped in with both feet and participated within the British group stand. It was a great platform for me, making exhibiting easier for me as a first timer. It was an ideal way of exhibiting with BJA providing the support and advice necessary to prepare me for the exhibition and boost my confidence. Four years on I am still exhibiting at Inhorgenta, with my own stand, welcoming my regular clients and finding new clients every year,” she adds.
UKTI grant support available for independent companies In addition to the package offered by BJGI, companies who have secured a stand directly with the show can apply for a UKTI grant of £1,000 towards their stand costs. These businesses must be eligible
Jewellery by Sarah Herriot, a regular exhibitor at Inhorgenta, Munich
Jewellery retailers attending Inhorgenta might be tempted to upgrade their ticket by applying for the sought-after Munich Card, which entitles visitors to a raft of special perks, such as use of the Munich lounge, free use of the airport shuttle bus and Munich city transport and discount in certain trade fair restaurants. Deadline for orders of the Munich Card is 22nd January, 2013. www.inhorgenta.com For further information or to register your interest please contact Taran Thabal on tel: +44 (0)121 237 1115 or email her at: taran.thabal@batf.uk.com
32 The Jeweller October 2012
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| BJA Feature
Highlights from the Autumn Fair
The ever-expanding fashion accessories and jewellery section of the Autumn Fair, held last month at the NEC Birmingham, included a new edited area – the Jewellery Show Salon. Among the top brands showing silver and gemstone jewellery along its aisles were a number of BJA members… Midhaven With over 30 new styles added to its ‘Tribal Steel’ range, Midhaven received much attention for its impressive range of stainless steel and leather jewellery. Many bracelets for men were on show for the first time along with colourful, feminine styles. The company offers an exchange policy allowing retailers to explore the market and maximize sales at no risk. RRP stainless steel and leather from £14 and £45.00. www.midhavensilver.com
Gama Jewellery Sussex-based Gama, which specialises in hand-crafted, vintage style jewellery, found that this pretty, feminine, peach and green leaf bracelet made with glass beads and brass components was well received at the show. The company’s ‘Made in Britain’ ethos also adds to it popularity. RRP: £15 www.gama-jewellery.co.uk
Silverline Jewellery – Sphere of Life London-based Sphere of Life, launched a new collection – Mosaic. The colourful, collectible bracelet featuring square charms was inspired by the power of smart-phone app icons to tell a story, using a simple colourful image. The Mosaic icons, over 100 in the range, feature a variety of images in enamel and crystal elements, with the design’s name (such as ‘Shine’ or ‘Let it Bee’) engraved on the back. The bracelets themselves come in several colours for flexible customisation according to outfit or mood, for as little as £5 per bracelet. RRP £11 per icon www.mysphereoflife.com
34 The Jeweller October 2012
Silver Willow From Silver Willow’s Chrysalis line is the new ‘Personalisation’ collection which offers a mix of fresh water pearls with sterling silver clasps (some rhodium or gold plated) and faceted drop pendants in amethyst, black onyx and smoky quartz. This pendant is smoky quartz with a sterling silver 14 carat gold plated detail. RRP £125 www.silver-willow.com
The Balagan Group Balgan’s new Floriography line is based on the Victorian language of flowers which assigned meanings to different types of flowers. The collection consists of 12 floral depictions, each with its own hidden meaning. Rachel Parkin, Balagan’s creative director explains: “The Floriography collection symbolises a return to simple values that’s so appealing at this particular moment in our history. The truth is that plants and flowers soothe our increasingly urbanised lives. We wanted to interpret floriography in a modern but respectful way.” Silver, gold and rose gold vermeil as both bracelets and necklaces. Retail prices from £50 www.balagan.co.uk
Gemini London Renowned for its glamorous (and often statement) crystal and cubic zirconia pieces, Gemini picked up on the graphically dramatic and ever popular monochrome trend with these earrings made with Swarovski crystals on rhodium plating. RRP £51.99 www.gemini-jewellery.com
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| Ethical Jeweller
Diamonds can be for ever It’s barely been a year since White Pine introduced its recycled diamond business to the UK industry, but in that time the market has proved to be more than open to the idea. arlier this year we introduced you to a business that was bringing a relatively new concept to the jewellery industry – new to the UK at least. White Pine Trading deals in recycled diamonds, which, in essence, allows the recycling of a jewellery product which has previously been seen as low value and often disposed of rather than collected and re-used. We’re talking here of the smaller stones which are embedded in diamondset jewellery. An obvious example would be pavé set diamonds which hitherto have often ended up in refiners’ residue rather than been used again. Besides it being the case that recycling anything is an ethically sound practice, the fact that recycled diamonds can be reset into jewellery amounts to a source of stones which have not come directly from a mine. Whether jewellers or manufacturers purchasing such diamonds are influenced by such an ethical standpoint is open to debate… but the reality still stands. This ‘global household mine’ is clearly offering a growing source of diamonds.
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36 The Jeweller October 2012
Estimates suggest that the world’s recycled diamond market is already worth more than $1 billion a year and growing and represents 4.4 per cent of the polished retail demand (source: IdexOnline). White Pine estimates that there could be anything from $700 billion to $1 trillion worth of recyclable diamonds out there, which amounts to plenty of scope for this market.
for their diamonds previously are now earning $800,000 to $1 million per year in selling recycled diamonds,” says Tim Phillips, White Pine’s European director. And certainly the last six months has been a busy time, he reveals. As part of the team of 11 across Europe (there are offices in Spain, France and Italy as well as the UK) the Birmingham office is growing nicely. Joining GIA-certified gemmologist Dave Padmore is Chris Whyborn – who brings with him many years of retail sales experience and who has been appointed as customer services manager – and Lyn Peach, who takes the role of office manager and was previously working at Charles Green. Pitching in with her invaluable knowledge of jewellery, settings, styles and design is summer intern Nathalia Guarascio from the Birmingham Jewellery School, who is to remain working part-time for the business. “By having GIA-trained diamond valuers, as well as disposal through the strong New York melee markets and to our network of manufacturers and traders worldwide, we can offer the most transparent and methodical evaluation of mixed diamond stock and the best prices in the market,” adds Phillips. He also points out that given the fact that as the margins on gold recycling get smaller, it’s obvious that the jewellery industry needs to find other sources of revenue. “Thanks to the widespread use of agua regia acid refining to recover the smallest diamonds from jewellery settings – without breakage – means there is now more scope for recycling in the UK… and it’s increasingly an economic necessity,” he says. Small mixed diamond stock (the so-called melee), is difficult to deal with and must be
Besides it being the case that recycling anything is an ethically sound practice, the fact that recycled diamonds can be reset into jewellery amounts to a source of stones which have not come directly from a mine. So, has the UK market welcomed the White Pine service with open arms since the New York-based company opened here back in February? Well, since that time the UK office has calculated that it has purchased more that $5 million worth of diamonds; more than 25,000 carats. “Some of our customers who didn’t have disposal routes
recycled in large quantities for any business in this sector to be successful. “It is very different from the typical diamond dealer who deals in large stones – 0.5 carats plus. We need to have sufficient volume of diamonds to sort into meaningful parcels of matching stones in order to be able to resell,” Phillips explains.
Ethical Jeweller |
Once White Pine has bought such quantities of diamond melee, it is gathered together in New York, sorted into matching size and grade parcels, broken and chipped stones are recut where appropriate and then resold to the market. What is already happening extensively in the US and Japan is now, says Phillips, widespread in the UK – particularly among larger pawnbroking and jewellery retailers. Every six weeks or so White Pine holds diamond melee tender auctions in New York – typically between 30 and 40,000 carats up for grabs. Last month the company launched its first tender in Hong Kong, with others due to be rolled out over the next year in other territories – Antwerp and Israel are being considered. Also new is a ‘buy it now’ service for the auctions, allowing White Pine to put a price on each lot of melee, thus offering an alternative process for large purchasers of diamonds who prefer not to bid. And for those customers in the UK who are able to tender 1,000 carats or more at a time, the company offers its auction service which gives access to its network of industry purchasers, ensuring the best possible
As the margins on gold recycling get smaller, it’s obvious that the jewellery industry needs to find other sources of revenue.
price in the market at that time. A simple purchase and resell service is available for those whose diamond surplus is of a more moderate nature! “The market is up and down and we expect prices to fall in the near term due to economic uncertainty,” adds Phillips (perhaps unsurprisingly), “so better get on and sell any stock not currently required now!”
The Voice of the Industry 37
| Feature
Diamond dealing made easy If you know where to look, it is possible to get pretty close to the hallowed world of diamond trading… without leaving your desk, as Belinda Morris discovers. here’s nothing revolutionary about business-to-business diamond trading platforms – internationally there are several key players in this field. And it goes without saying that these days they all operate via the internet. However, the team at one such enterprise, IDEX Online, is confident that that there are elements of its business – which has centres in New York, Antwerp, Israel, India and Hong Kong – that sets it apart from its competitors. Arguably the most significant of these USPs is IDEX’s Guaranteed Diamond Transaction™ platform (GDT) for industry professionals. Given that IDEX already offered an online diamond inventory, this seemed the next logical step for the company. It is the only business to provide full, automated, guaranteed transaction services whereby diamond traders can negotiate deals online leaving IDEX to take care of the rest – that is, securing and guaranteeing the payment on behalf of the seller and, for the buyer, carrying out authentication and assuring delivery. If this all sounds a bit too complicated or too good to be true, just click on the video link on IDEX’s website (www.idexonline.com) and watch CEO Abraham Stern explain – in a very no nonsense manner – what’s involved. It’s compelling stuff – I was almost tempted to have a go myself! No middlemen, no commissions (“just an incredibly low fixed transaction fee – $25”) and then doorto-door delivery of a diamond authenticated against its grading lab certificate. All just a click away. And if you imagine that this kind of hi-tech wheeler-dealing is for the big boys… not so says chairman Ehud Cohen, one of the founders of IDEX, and himself a secondgeneration diamond dealer. “Independent
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38 The Jeweller October 2012
retailers can, through our GDT platform, buy directly from large wholesalers – which allows them to buy more competitively by bypassing the middlemen,” he explains. “And because we provide this service globally, a UK jeweller can buy a stone from, say, India, if it’s a better stone at a lower price. This is something that’s hard to do by just picking up the phone.” Any discussion about e-dealing is often met with the counter-argument: “I prefer to buy from my usual supplier”. Which is fair enough – trust is everything in this industry. “Ah, but no two diamonds are alike,” responds Cohen. “Everytime a retailer is looking to buy a potential diamond, most certainly a better [one] is out there for a better price. Finding it is simple and now with GDT, buying it has become simple as well. You can buy from any suppliers from all over the world – even from large sight holders who normally do not take business from small independent jewellers. Do not be constrained by your local suppliers only,” he adds. IDEX chairman Ehud Cohen
Besides the practical side of IDEX’s guarantee, which aims to remove the logistical headaches for sellers as well as buyers, the company also assures its members that suppliers are compliant with the Kimberley Process and anti money-laundering. IDEX has also, says Cohen, built its reputation on being ‘objective and transparent’ as far as trading and pricing are concerned, the latter in respect of real-time pricing services with its price index or weekly price report. “Knowing for real what the price of a diamond is empowers the retailer when negotiating with a supplier,” he says. “On IDEX a jeweller can see all the global supply on one screen and therefore see what the competitive prices are out there. We strongly advise independent jewellers to perform this due diligence before buying a stone from a supplier.” In 2009, a year after GDT was launched, IDEX introduced Diamond Retail Benchmark, a pricelist for polished diamonds aimed at the consumer, which indicates what might be the maximum retail price for high quality stones and high-end retail service. So what’s in it for the jeweller? “By understanding that high benchmark, the consumer has more confidence in the value of their purchase and can engage in a more informed discussion with her jeweller,” says Cohen. “A more informed and empowered consumer is much more likely to buy a stone, whereas confusion and lack of knowledge mean that they leave without buying. We need to work together to increase their level of awareness.” We’ll all drink to that.
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Domino
f you want to discover what the key issues in the diamond jewellery market are currently, the response can depend on who you speak to. Price will always be a topic and the ethical conundrum is clearly crucial. Peter Smith, executive vice president of brand development at Hearts on Fire diamonds is pretty unequivocal on the subject: “If you look at the contraction of the speciality jewellery market in the US, coupled with the very significant loss of market share over the last ten years, there are two related issues that are proving to be very challenging over here and which are presently impacting the UK jewellery market in a major way – differentiation and margin,” he says.
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EW Adams
CO M P ETI N G I N TH E
DiamonD League It’s been a good year for the diamond, profile-wise – the Queen’s little celebration has kept the gem front of the nation’s mind. But, Jubilee hoo-hah aside, how fares the diamond jewellery market today – particularly in the face of aggressive e-tailing? Belinda Morris digs a little to find out.
40 The Jeweller October 2012
“If a retail jeweller does not have a clear point of differentiation in his diamond offering then the conversation will invariably descend into a price game. When price becomes the central issue you simply cannot make the necessary margins to drive your business forward.” James Maxwell of Mastercut agrees. “Retailers are looking for something which can differentiate their offering – something that cannot be found elsewhere,” he says, but adds: “Naturally it also has to be pricecompetitive and backed up with service and quality. So brand owners need to strike the right balance between creating a compelling offering to the retailer, and not overloading the product with extras that drive the price up. We’re seeing retailers think very hard before making a decision.” At Tankel value for money is a constant issue. “If the diamond is excellent value (or perceived to be) then there are people out there happy to buy,” says Tony Tankel. “Working together with our customers we can ensure that they can compete
Diamond Feature | successfully and increase their diamond sales despite the current difficult economic conditions. When we need specific items our supplier can cut from the rough which helps ensure that we can meet customers’ requirements.” Following a very successful IJL, Gemex finds that the market is actually very buoyant. “The problem is always the price,” says sales director Lee Ruben, “but not as much as it was this time last year as diamond prices have actually come down since then. We find that retailers know that if they want top quality they have to pay for it and our average trade price is now around £1,000 whereas it was nearer £600.” Ronnie Hanan of Hanron Jewellery is finding that as consumers become more knowledgeable about diamonds (thanks to the internet) so his retail customers are seeking better quality stones and paying more money. “We’ve had to adapt by improving our stone quality – better clarity and cut,” he explains. But it’s not all about retailer worries – suppliers also have their concerns. In Ruben’s case it’s a question of sourcing certain goods… or not. “About 18 months ago I could buy diamond parcels of 50 points up without certification. Today sight holders can demand a lot more money for goods if they are certificated so it’s nigh-on impossible to buy such diamonds – really nice clean goods can be as much as 50 per cent more. So it’s naturally driving up prices.”
Size is everything… and price does matter The rise in diamond prices (as with precious metals) has obviously had an impact on the market as a whole. “We took a decision to cut our margin to avoid passing the increase onto our customers,” says Kyron Keogh, MD of ROX in Scotland. “It was a risk but we have maintained strong customer
Charles Green
Yen Jewellery
relationships as a result… and there is a light at the end of the tunnel.” Harry Brown, MD of family-owned diamond merchants and jewellers Chisholm Hunter, reports that their clients are realising that diamonds as a commodity have increased in value in the last few years. “It has led to the product being categorised as a safe investment in many eyes,” he says. For some, diamond price rises have resulted in judicious tweaks in design – getting creative with lots of small stones being an option. “We cater for the whole market and pride ourselves on the variety within our ranges,” says Andrew Sollitt, sales and marketing director at Domino. “More recently, our designs have included mounts that are capable of taking a smaller stone – but equally, they include designs with larger carat diamonds.” “We are working with micro-pavé designs using very small diamonds around the centre stones,” explains Edward Adams of EW Adams. “This adds greatly to the overall size of the ring, but is a vastly less expensive option to a larger centre diamond. Together with fancy-shaped diamonds it results in a unique design that offers fabulous value.”
While perceived value is key when it comes to diamond jewellery, price levels have had their effect according to Roger Chamberlain of Sharman D Neill (Diamond by Appointment). “The 2010 to 2012 rise in diamond prices has increased the number of multi-stone designs in our range,” he says. “However, in our experience a well-informed client will continue to stretch their budget for designs which focus on the larger centre diamond.” “The point we all have to remember,” says Howard Levine of H Chalfen, “is that the consumer comes into a shop with a budget in mind and that doesn’t change because diamonds have gone up in value. We may feel it’s difficult to explain why we’re offering a .40ct instead of a .50ct – but we don’t have to. They just want to know what is the best diamond they can get for their budget – not what they could have purchased a year ago.”
Dennis & Lavery
The online-only threat One price-related subject that most have plenty to say about is the threat (or opportunity, depending on your standpoint) posed by online-only retailing. “Competition from the internet has really squeezed retailers’ margins on diamonds, especially diamond engagement rings,” confirms Adams. “Well-informed customers come to retailers with online quotes and use them as a negotiating tool. Combined with the recession this has made consumers more price-conscious than ever.
The Voice of the Industry 41
| Diamond Feature “The other major challenge brought about by the internet is that certified diamonds with weaker gradings tend to be sold online, as they would be rejected by more discerning retailers,” he adds. “Such diamonds usually attract larger discounts and therefore appear to be good value to the consumer.” EW Adams has reacted to the challenges in order to keep products selling. “We have focused on fancy cuts, which still trade at considerable discounts to round brilliants, set in classic but unique styles.” So back to differentiation then. The actual product aside, clearly a bricks and mortar jeweller should always win hands-down when it comes to the retail experience. “The internet clearly poses a challenge to established retail organisations,” says Harry Brown,. “We are following this by giving fabulous levels of service and exceptional value.” There are also those who won’t supply online-only retailers. Like Tresor Paris, which is expanding its collection of diamond pieces. “This way the customer will always get to view the pieces in person,” says Salim Hasbani. “We believe that they should be able to see,
Tresor Paris
interaction with my clients. It’s about the relationship, enjoyment and story behind the purchase… something that an online retailer does not have the edge on.” Some might say that internet-only sites appeal to a certain price-driven sector of their potential clientele, as in the case of Julian Read of Arthur Read in Goole who is retaliating with a four-pronged attack. “We’re making sure that all our staff are extremely knowledgeable regarding all aspects of the products we stock and the trade in general; offering a fantastic level of after-sales service; keeping prices competitive and making our retail environments nice places to be,” he says. “If someone is buying purely on price and we can’t compete with a fair margin, I can’t afford to service that customer and don’t let the lack of sale bother me.”
If you can’t beat them… David Marshall
touch, hold and feel [the jewellery].” “Agree”, says Richard Warrender of London-based W&W. “We find that people still like the physical act of touching and interacting with jewellery, so we build on enhancing our customer experience.” The jeweller’s clients are able to lead the design process and physically choose their own diamonds – which is one in the eye for online-only retailers. “Nothing can stop the impact of online sales – we can but play to our strengths,” says jewellery designer Yen Duong of Yen Jewellery. “I think that one of the most powerful aspects of my business is the
42 The Jeweller October 2012
It ought to be emphasised of course that websites per se are not the devil incarnate; a great many traditional retailers have
Brown & Newirth
online as well as high street outlets. “The distinction between online and offline is becoming blurred,” agrees Maxwell. For instance, ROX is extremely proud of its ‘extraordinary customer service and knowledgeable staff’, investing heavily in staff training and development. “It’s reassuring for customers to know that they have someone there who can give them honest expert advice,” says Keogh. “Our website works as a complementary service to what we offer in store.” So, ‘get with the programme’, might be the appropriate advice, certainly according to Steve Wright CEO of Alfred Terry. “Bricks and mortar retailers can only counteract
Tankel
the threat from online-only by becoming integrated, multi-channel retailers,” he argues. “If it were me, online it would be a small offering of easily-comparable, single-stone products, while in-store it would be all about the style and emotion of the piece. In store the customer should connect with diamond pieces, rather than looking at them as a commodity,” adds Wright
o 99 origins
| Diamond Feature Diamond jewellery trends Jessica Volz attended the recent VicenzaOro show in Italy to discover the hottest diamond jewellery trends… espite economic anxieties, the VicenzaOro and About J fairs last month confirmed that Italy remains a key source of fine jewellery. The invitation-only About J in Cortina promoted 24 Italian and international brands representing the pinnacle of fine jewellery. A few days later, VicenzaOro Fall highlighted the ingenuity of Italian designers on a grander scale; the show featured 1,320 exhibitors from 32 countries. Pasquale Bruni’s jewel collar At both altitudes, diamonds reigned supreme. While the passion for diamonds knows no borders, as Roberto Ditri, president of Fiera di Vicenza, declared: “Made in Italy is one of the top brands around the world.” And though white gold is still the favourite metal for setting, yellow and rose gold are growing in popularity. VicenzaOro’s Trend Vision Jewellery & Forecasting mapped out new guidelines for inspiring desire in contemporary consumers. Future mega-trends will include ‘structural flexibility, chromatic energy and a renaissance of Art Nouveau’s fluidity’. The two fairs showcased how Italian designers are navigating today’s market. Pasquale Bruni’s ‘Prato Fiorito’ jewel collar in 18ct white and yellow gold sparkles like star-studded lace. Meanwhile, the brand’s ‘Diamanti di Venere’ ring offers streamlined sophistication. As Eugenia Bruni Bossio, design director, explained, “I wanted to make some pieces appropriate for everyday.” Lenti Villasco, producer of wedding bands for Garrard, knows that compared to Mediterranean clients, who opt for more grandiose styles, UK customers favour simplicity. Whereas Mattia Cielo reinvents eternity rings in architecturally ingenious ways and Bonato Milano 1960s ‘Punti di Vista’ ring takes eye-catching to more literal dimensions – acclaimed artist Cristiano Pintaldi used white, chocolate and black diamonds to create a pixelated eye worthy of First Place (Trends) at the 2012 Platinum Design Awards. Other Italian brands demonstrated that when downsized, diamond jewellery can be made more affordable. Launched at VicenzaOro Rosato’s diamond-adorned gold collection interpreted elements of Italian life – from stilettos to gelato – in charm form. Meanwhile, DuePunti prefers the unconventional, mounting .02ct diamonds in a rainbow of silicone rings and bracelets that can be mixed and matched. From the Dolomites to the Veneto, one golden rule rang out loud and clear. As Dr Gaetano Cavalieri, president of CIBJO, averred: “Jewellery plays an essential role.” While crises come and go, diamonds will forever remain a girl’s best friend.
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And while her clients research the diamond grading system and the price of diamonds keenly and often come to her with the expectation that her prices can fall in with online, they generally come to value the uniqueness of the bespoke experience. Designing personalised commissions and therefore not being tied to a stock allows W&W to work close to the current industry market diamond prices. “This can set us up for direct price comparisons, particularly against online retailers,” says Richard Warrender.
Mastercut
The shape of things to come Cut-wise it’s more of the same – as might be expected. For engagement rings, round brilliants still rule. They’re classic and timeless and, it might be argued, if a ring is to last for ever then it should be a design that she will love for life. Princess generally comes a notvery-close second (a big seller for Gemex though, as are straight-edged baguettes).
Bespoke Diamond by Appointment
44 The Jeweller October 2012
With specially commissioned jewellery, a different set of criteria emerges; a jeweller or designer has been chosen for their own particular credentials. In the case of Dennis & Lavery, customers have generally decided they want platinum. There’s usually a specific budget. “The diamond size they get from us today is of course less carat weight than a few years ago, but they want to keep the colour and clarity in the highest grades possible to feel that they are getting the rarest possibly quality,” says Cindy Dennis Mangan.
H Chalfen
The round doesn’t quite have the monopoly. “We’re seeing much more interest in fancy cuts for engagement rings, especially cushions and ovals,” says Adams. After rounds and princess, Domino is also seeing
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Diamond Feature | On-line competition How to hold your own in the face of e-tailing? A few industry insiders offer their views:
Miri Damer
growing interest in the more unusual shapes – like pear and marquise. At David Marshall cushion cuts are a popular choice currently. “They have a nice soft shape and this modified brilliant cut has a similar life and sparkle to the brilliant,” says the jeweller. Showcased at IJL, designer Miri Damer’s lotus shape star diamond rings proved popular among retailers. Fancies are creeping up fast,” says Levine. “We have brought in a cushion brilliant cut, which starts as a square rough, with the lower half cut in a similar way to a brilliant. It’s a very romantic cushion shape with all the life and sparkle of a round brilliant.” Fish Brothers, which has an extremely strong business in fashion brands and watches, is returning to its roots with its own branded range of traditional diamond engagement rings. “We’re looking at classic designs, mostly in platinum with round brilliants, but also emerald, princess and
Dina Kamal
Retailers should not hold their breath waiting for the ‘golden days’ to return and should not compete on price alone unless they are into e commerce. The good retailer can however compete on service and experience, which are very limited online… a good experience will also bring in recommendations. Vivian Watson, PJ Watson Jewellery purchasing is based on trust and all about building a long-standing relationship – that’s simply something you can’t buy on the internet. Helen Dimmick, Green & Benz Bricks and mortar retailers can counteract this threat by offering excellent value. Ultimately today price is the most important factor and if retailers buy well their customers will buy from them. Tony Tankel Online shopping for such important purchases takes the emotive value out of the equation which is a shame. We ensure outstanding service and knowledge – which you also miss out on when shopping online. Dan Dower, Dower & Hall Stock fancy cuts in unique designs that the customer will not easily price online, and carry a really strong collection so they have a great choice. And be realistic with margins – they cannot be what they used to be. Edward Adams, EW Adams High street jewellers offer something different to the internet – personality and flexibility. A website is compliant with a formula and set of rules that can’t adapt as well as flesh and blood. The trick for salespeople is to quickly identify what it is that made a [potential customer] come in, then react to it to get a satisfactory conclusion. Adam Jacobs, Foundation Jewellery Service, service, service. The internet sale margins are too tight for most bricks and mortar retailers to make a living on, so it’s all the other associated things that can make the difference. Jon Phillips, Corona Jewellery Build a website where you can compete on lower price items… online. Independent retailers need to understand and value the importance of economy of scale and technology in this new instore/online world. Roger Chamberlain, Sharman D Neill I would take a lead from the high-end online retailers like Astley Clarke and offer same-day delivery to consumers in my geographical area, that online-only retailers cannot. Steve Wright, Alfred Terry Get out of the loose certificated diamond market – you’ll never be able to compete, it’s finished. Get more into a complicated product – with shoulder-set stones it’s easier to hide costs. Concentrate on exclusive lines so that you don’t compete head-to-head with online-only retailers (who we don’t supply).” Lee Ruben, Gemex Offer premium quality, service and support. The sale is not won or lost on price alone; discerning consumers are looking for the very best buying experience and future support, How big an impact online has on the high street depends on how hard the retailer works on their business. John Ball, Brown & Newirth
cushion cuts,” says creative and retail director Sam Hansard. Could sourcing can be a problem though? “The differential in the price between brilliants and fancy cuts is too high which has resulted in less fancy cuts coming onto the market,” says Tankel. “The huge influx of speciality cuts a few years ago is less prevalent and there is little indication that this will change. Also, in tough times, retailers are more likely to focus on what will sell quicker and experiment less.”
Alfred Terry
The Voice of the Industry 47
| Diamond Feature Coloured diamonds While white diamonds are obviously the stone of choice for wedding jewellery, the interest in coloured diamonds is high at the moment. A speciality of PJ Watson – the company always keeps a good selection in stock – a fancy intense purplish pink was recently sold for a ‘substantial’ six figure sum. “The consumer has become better acquainted with the options thanks in part to some of our Bond Street friends whose windows set a benchmark,” says Vivian Watson. “The retailer who stocks such pieces can earn a better margin than with a white stone.” “We use mainly intense yellows and rich chocolate brown diamonds (a good description of the colour as it creates a nice image in people’s minds),” says Adams. “There has definitely been more interest in yellows in the last 12 months, probably
PJ Watson
David Marshall finds that coloured diamonds might be a matter of taste but personally he loves them. “I select stones that inspire me and I usually know exactly how I am going to use a stone from the moment I see it,” he says. “I recently bought a stunning pair of yellow diamonds that I am making into long drop earrings. The diamonds don’t have to be the super high-value stones – we recently made a stunning bracelet using diamonds in the softer tones of champagnes, greens, oranges and pinks.” For a darkly glamorous look no further than black stones. “In combination with the richness of 18ct gold black diamonds look fantastic says Duong. Natalie Cohen Dower & Hall Loushelou
Didi Jewellery
due to Tiffany’s advertising campaign for yellows, and browns always sell as they offer such great value.” Fancy yellows and pinks, according to Jon Phillips at Corona Jewellery, are especially popular with clients. “We sell a lot as accent stones; they’re unusual and rare – something a little different but still of value.”
Foundation Jewellery
48 The Jeweller October 2012
of Loushelou agrees that the fashionable (and less pricey) black and champagne colours still have the sparkly wow factor that customers are looking for. Meanwhile Didi Colley of Didi Jewellery is using shades of grey and beige fancy cut diamonds together with small white diamond surrounds for “added sparkle”. She also works with black and rough diamond beads for the touch of “uniqueness and individuality”. Meanwhile Dower & Hall’s precious ‘Cascade’ collection, which it is now wholesaling due to demand, features selected designs set with sapphires and blue diamonds for a composition of subtle shades and pink or blue diamonds are occasionally used for rings to celebrate the birth of a child.
The Voice of the Industry 49
| Diamond Feature do ask about ethical diamonds. “This really is a positive for the jewellery industry,” she says. “We offer Canadian diamonds which are fully traceable and sometimes this is essential for a client. We are very open when discussing diamonds and stand proud
Hearts on Fire
Jorge Revella
Ethics and consumer awareness Regarding the issue of ‘conflict diamonds’ the level of concern among retailers and consumers can vary. “Because of the awareness of KP and the publicity I find that people don’t ask the questions as much as they did five or 10 years ago,” says Hanan. It’s also down to trust – trust that suppliers and in turn jewellers are doing the right thing in this regard. And as far as they are able, this is indeed what they are doing. “There is no doubt that everyone, both consumers and the trade, recognises that ethical concerns are becoming more central to the decision-making process,” says Maxwell. “However there is a real opportunity for the diamond industry to take a leadership position here, not only by answering consumers’ questions, but also providing complete transparency, voluntarily through the whole diamond pipeline.” Helen Dimmick, MD of Green + Benz reports that the stores’ customers certainly Gemex
50 The Jeweller October 2012
Stuart Moore
as a reputable jeweller owned by a qualified gemmologist and diamond grader.” Feedback that Adam Jacobs of ethical engagement ring brand Foundation has received shows that people are open to learning more. “They appreciate the service, knowledge and expertise of the salesperson who explains about our jewellery – it’s a terrific asset to have,” he says. Which brings us back to e-tail. “Online sales is not going anywhere – it is now an important part of the retail landscape,” stresses Peter Smith. “We should be making our own businesses the very best that they can be… and that starts with our sales people”.
Fighting back with technology or two years diamond jewellery manufacturer H Chalfen has been thinking of the problem of the online threat and working on a way to embrace the changing methods of bringing goods to market. Believing that the winning formula is to combine the strengths of the internet with those of a bricks and mortar shop, it has created an app that runs on an iPad or PC that gives access to thousands of diamonds and designs and offers a system for retail staff to work through with their customer. It systematically eliminates any objections that could arise during a sale, easing the closing of it. This, H Chalfen’s sales director Howard Levine explains, is much more than simply a diamond listing. By adopting this new method, any member of staff can help their customer feel a part of the selection process while offering advice combined with extensive choice. Aware of the differing levels of tech ability within a retail environment, the app has been designed with the computer illiterate in mind and has been praised for its ease of use and friendly look and feel. Basic training can be given in no more than five minutes and one member of staff might easily train another.
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Opinion: John Henn |
Waking up the sleeping giant Pounding the aisles? Nah! John Henn went to IJL for a good talking-to and picked up enough tips to see him into 2013. e have just returned from what I hope was a successful visit to IJL, where change is afoot and the next generation of wrist jewellery was everywhere. No chance of walking the grid here as this time we had a plan. It included the seminar programme – the list of speakers was too good to miss. First up was Eddie Prentice, talking about how to communicate with our ever growing and ‘tech savvy’ public. There are now more than 26 million smart phones in circulation and the number of those who are web browsing on them, as well as on tablet computers, is on an almost vertical curve. It simply won’t be enough to have a website, but in addition a different, mobile site. (Amazon has recently taken a $1 billion on its mobile site) but then once you have the loyalty of the client you will need an ‘App’. At this point they will be happy with everything about your company and the App really means they have a direct feed into your business that is immune to the influences of other similar companies, all of whom would love to steal your client. Look at some sites and see the differences on offer by the various companies. The knack
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is to keep it simple and don’t get into too much detail on a mobile site because the experience is already ‘reduced’. Our most famous of underwear retailers has a great mobile site until you head to the checkout when the required detail just does your head in. Follow that by a look at www.debenhams.com mobile site and see the difference, all the words used are imperative verbs, calling to action exactly what you want to see, simply… no waffle. Of course none of this is any good if your store is not running on oiled wheels, so it was essential to nip over to another seminar by Dennis Reid, retail performance specialist. This delightful Kiwi has worked with them all, just bring up his website if you need some endorsements: www.rps-global.com Retail comes with a requirement to be able to compromise; the trouble is that running a successful business means making plans and implementing them regardless of whether a few feathers get ruffled along the way. If you know what you are doing is right, just wake up the sleeping giant, ‘if you aren’t making mistakes you’re not trying hard enough’ and ‘it takes as much time
to be average as it does to be best in class.’ He gave a great example, which most of us would recognise I’m sure, when presenting a 12-24 month plan and showing the changes you know you need to make, but he also made reference to ‘What you don’t know you don’t know!’ Plus all the great benefits which would result if you could increase, by just 10 per cent, all the sales, client visits and conversion of sales, made in your store over a period of one year. The increase when turning over £500,000 per annum with the same costs, would mean that the turnover would rise to £974,359! So that’s an increased profit from £62,000 to £255,897! No visit to a trade show would be complete without two hours of Martin Rapaport. Once the touch paper was lit there was no stopping him… he kept us interested for the duration. He talked about learning to surf the wave of change rather than try to swim against it. In essence the remainder of his presentation gave us a clear call to take responsibility for what we do and buy, as well as the values we hold sacred and the commitment to deliver beyond the expectation of the client. ‘Your values are defined by what you don’t do as well as what you do do’, he said. Don’t for instance become mixed up selling goods you know to be from a non-ethical source – be proud of what you stand for, your attitude will become infectious. He can make these statements because his company represents his values; today there are $6billion of diamonds on Rap Net owned by people who believe in him. Lastly, the word at the fair was for retailers to build relationships with their suppliers and in turn their clients. Apparently 68 per cent of our customers don’t come straight back to us because they believe we don’t care! Find fewer suppliers you trust and work with them to your benefit and theirs. One last quote from our HR provider; ‘whatever you do, try to be the best in the world at it. If you don’t love what you do, get out and do something else. Life’s simply too short to waste it doing something that doesn’t make you happy. And if it doesn’t make you happy, you won’t be a success anyway, so what’s the point?’ For more information on how to be ‘happy in business’ give Mike Magraw a call at the EDF, for all other states of happiness speak to someone from the Caribbean!
The Voice of the Industry 51
| Security
Praise indeed for SaferGems Following his attendance at the Focus on Robbery Symposium Michael Hoare reports on the continued success of SaferGems
SaferGems makes the grade “An effective partnership” is how Assistant Chief Constable Matt Jukes described SaferGems at the annual IBP Focus on Robbery Symposium held recently on the south coast. Jukes, who is the Association of Chief Police Officers lead on commercial robbery matters, was addressing an audience of police, academics, and security professionals who had gathered to hear the latest research on crime and to share their knowledge with their peers. Praising SaferGems for its work in tackling the intelligence gap and the inadequacies of inter-force communications he also noted that SaferGems thinking would influence the key documents setting national policing policy saying, “The issue is now on the map”. I have been privileged to attend the Symposium for five or more years, and it was extremely gratifying to hear that our joint initiative with T H March is bearing fruit, not only in the data gathered and disseminated but also in bringing the scale of jewellery-related crime to the attention of the authorities. This year alone SaferGems has logged 515 reports of crimes and suspicious incidents, issued over 120 alerts to the trade, and 80 alerts and analytical reports to the police. While the robbery losses suffered by retail banks and the cash and valuables in transit industry have declined year on year, attacks on jewellers continue to increase and the scale of losses is now measured in many millions of pounds annually. Meanwhile, as if to prove the point, Selfridges in Manchester was robbed the same day, in a blatant attack that netted circa half a million in watches!
Good news Once again this month, robbery, smash and grab, sleight of hand, and distraction robberies feature in the report received by all SaferGems members, and in one case over £400,000 of stock was taken from a representative visiting a jewellery store. Behind the scenes our team has been doing excellent work identifying alleged criminals
52 The Jeweller October 2012
who will soon feel the full force of the law. I can’t reveal the details for fear of prejudicing the case against them; however I can report the great news that four offenders have got their just deserts; two armed robbers receiving lengthy jail sentences for their part in armed robberies in Birmingham, and two in the Black Country. Twenty-one year old Ionnut Dimisca and twenty-three year old Ionut Tucan, both of Romanian origin, were sentenced to eight and a half years and 10 years imprisonment respectively. They were part of a 10 man gang who entered NAG member, Paul Jewellers, in Handsworth on the 1st February 2012 and stole Asian gold jewellery. Their technique was for one member of the gang to disguise himself as a female, wearing a wig and carrying a handbag, to gain entry. He then held the door open for the remaining offenders who threatened staff with weapons while smashing open the glass display cabinets with hammers and axes. Staff raised the alarm as the robbers left, and police arrived shortly after; a holdall was later recovered from a railway embankment containing £600,000 worth of gold jewellery. Meanwhile on Friday 17th August 2012 two Black Country jewellery store raiders were locked up for a total of 14 years. Martin Young and Carlus Walker, both from Coventry, received their sentences for robberies that netted £12,000. Young and Walker pointed an imitation double barrelled shotgun at members of staff after bursting into John Hollins Jewellery store in Wolverhampton Street, Dudley on 2nd April 2012. The men also raided John Brookes jewellers in Queensway, Halesowen on 23rd March 2012 armed with an axe and baseball bat. Young, who is forty-one years old, was jailed for eight years while Walker was ordered to be detained in a Young Offenders Institution for six years. Although I wouldn’t recommend tackling offenders under most circumstances, I can’t help noting the presence of mind of one
South Yorkshire jeweller who foiled an attempted robbery in August. Three alleged offenders entered his store wearing burkas and carrying ladies shopping bags, whereupon the manager instantly realised that they were there to rob his store and tackled all three in the doorway. The offenders, brandishing a crowbar and what was believed to be a firearm or stun gun, fled the store empty-handed leaving the store manager with injuries. The crowbar and shopping bag containing suspect items, were left at the scene and later recovered by police. And lastly, as a reminder to be on your guard, we have two incidents of alleged attempted fraud, firstly in the Devon and Cornwall police area. Early in August a woman giving what must be presumed to be a false name contacted a jeweller by phone asking if she was able to send her daughter-in-laws into the store to purchase items of jewellery, stating that as she was unable to attend in person she would like to pay for the goods over the phone by credit card. The staff member agreed, and later two women attended the store as expected and purchased items of jewellery including necklaces, rings, bangles and three watches to the value of £2,500. It later transpired that the credit card transaction was fraudulent. The next day the same two women visited a store in Bath, Somerset following a call from a woman who gave another false name. She stated she was in the Bath area and would send her daughter and a friend into the store to pick out items. Again, later that day the two women, whose images had previously been captured in CCTV and described as in their late teens or early twenties, attended the store and picked out bracelets and rings to the value of £2,321. This time, when they attempted to pay for the goods, the credit card transaction failed due to problems with the registered holder’s address. If you have, or suspect you may have, been been the victim of similar activity please contact SaferGems without delay.
w w w. s a f e r g e m s . o r g . u k
| BJA Feature
T T
elling ales
Once upon a time a jewel was a jewel but now the chances are that it will also have a tale to tell. Mary Brittain spoke to some BJA members to discover the fascinating stories behind their latest designs. eople love a story and they love to find a connection with the jewellery they are buying, particularly if they are giving it as a gift when there is a lot of feeling and sentimentality involved,” says Linda MacDonald of Linda MacDonald Jewellery. Her new ‘Enchanted’ collection in sterling silver is designed for romance. The look is whimsical incorporating castles, hares, leaves and butterflies and the range comes complete with its own little back story on Facebook setting it firmly within a fairytale context. “Stories are bang on trend. They give real added value and help massively,” agrees Phil Barnes of Muru whose ‘Talisman’, pendant and earring collection in sterling silver and gold vermeil features 12 motifs taken from
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modern life and ancient mythology. Muru’s accompanying marketing materials describe the talismans as ‘exercising a remarkable or powerful influence on human feelings or actions’. The designs include wishbones, doves, apples and horseshoes and each is supported with a couple of explanatory cards – one for use at the point of sale and another to go into the box at purchase – to explain its significance. Nor is it simply smaller, designer businesses which are embracing this concept. Domino’s latest bridal collection in platinum has some highly romantic design associations which stockists are encouraged to share with the end consumer. The designs draw their inspiration from a variety of different
Ovid
“
sources such as the lotus flower, French chateaux and folk lore. ‘Laurel’ – a design of interwoven leaves – for example is based on an old wives tale whereby lovers given cuttings from the same laurel bush will remain connected forever. “The inspiration for the pieces is in their names and you can see the influences coming through strongly in the designs. We believe that these stories provide retailers with an additional sales tool for their staff and give bridal couples the opportunity to identify strongly with the design they choose,” says Naomi Newton-Sherlock the company’s head of design and new product development. These companies are far from alone in sharing their design inspiration with their customers and in weaving a tale around it for use as an additional sales tool. As the following examples from BJA members exhibiting at IJL demonstrate, whether the back story is watch parts, a fairy story, a Greek legend or an ancient Peruvian culture, its very existence adds authenticity and romance to the design. It also provides the consumer with a whole concept, rather than simply a product to buy into, and gives the retailer a further hook with which to romance and complete a sale.
Mishca Jewels London used IJL to launch its ‘Metamorphoses’ collection based on the stories told by the Roman poet Ovid. Items take their names from nymphs pursued by the gods and celebrate the spirit of feminine beauty and independence. This ‘Daphne’ necklace in silver with white topaz and citrine has a RRP of £540. www.mishca.co.uk
Watch Parts
Designer Clarice Price Thomas, winner of the Technical Award at this year’s IJL, grew up with a horologist father so watch parts were a part of her daily life. Fascinated by their intricacy and precision she has now created a jewellery collection with watch gears as her inspiration. Her designs also incorporate a number of time-related slogans. The ring shown in silver plated with yellow gold have a RRP of £138. www.claricepricethomas.com
54 The Jeweller October 2012
Fairytales Magical castles, hares, leaves and butterflies are woven into a fairytale back story to Linda MacDonald’s ‘Enchanted’ collection in sterling silver with 9ct gold details. The collection includes bracelets, earrings and rings at RRPs from £45 - £300. www.lindamacdonaldjwellery.com
Talismans
Muru’s ‘Talisman’ collection is based on motifs from everyday life and ancient mythology and each has its own story to tell whether it is as a symbol of luck, peace, devotion, rebirth or something to ward off evil. There are 75 pieces in the collection in silver or gold vermeil and RRPs range from £30-£80. www.murujewellery.com
Birds of paradise
Daughters
What better inspiration for a range of children’s jewellery aimed at 4-12 year olds than your own nine year old daughter? Lotty Stock and her friend are not only pictured on the ‘Lily and Lotty’ brand created by Lotty’s parents but are also the consumer testing panel for this successful silver and diamond collection aimed at the pre-teen market. RRPs range from £20-£55. www.lilyandlotty.com
Tell your own tale
Birds of paradise, Paris, the Art Deco period and the illustrations of George Barbier, the 20th century haute couture illustrator, provided the inspiration for Sarah Ho’s ‘Paradis’ earrings, the designer’s first foray into platinum. The earrings also feature 18ct rose gold accents, brilliant cut diamonds and rare conch pearls. www.shojewellery.com
Jesa Marshall of Jesa Marshall Jewellery has been weaving fantastical tales since she was a child and these are very much a part of her business model. Her range of lockets in fairytale mode can easily be personalised with inscriptions and decoration to reflect each individual customer’s own story, thus providing retailers with a great add-on, bespoke service for their clients. RRPs for bespoke lockets, similar to the one, shown start at £300 www.jesamarshall.co.uk
Ancient Peru
The jewellery company Chavin is named after an ancient Peruvian civilisation which pre-dates the Incas and its jewellery combines that culture’s spicy mythology and colours to create a distinctive look. This is also jewellery with a conscience as a percentage from each sale goes to support children’s charities in Peru. The Cross Tassel Necklace pictured is in 18ct rose gold vermeil and has a RRP of £150. www.chavinjewellery.com
The Voice of the Industry 55
| Insurance Matters
What value a diamond valuation? There can be no discussion of diamonds in a jewellers’ publication without mention of the importance of valuations for gem set jewellery, says John Watson of insurers TH March. iamonds may be a girl’s best friend but a detailed valuation runs it a close second! Thankfully the days of valuations simply stating: “Three stone diamond ring – £4,000” are mostly over, but, there is often reluctance among retailers to provide customers with a valuation for lower valued items. This is unfortunate because it could mean that future repeat business is lost to that jeweller should their customer ever need to make an insurance claim. My feelings on valuations are simple; they are a priceless sales aid and also help us as brokers arrange the right insurance for our policyholders. Diamond set jewellery represents a huge financial and emotional investment by your customers and you should acknowledge this by providing a detailed valuation which emphasises the unique nature of every stone. Thus the valuation helps to add worth to your customer’s purchase, emphasises the customer care you offer thus strengthening your relationship with your customer and it ensures that any future claims process will be a lot less complicated. Every month at TH March we receive a significant number of claims relating to diamonds accidentally lost from a setting. “It must have fallen out while I was in the park with my child…” is a very familiar phrase to our claims handlers! Happily, straightforward claims on lost diamonds that have been the subject of a detailed valuation can usually be approved within days. Good for both jeweller and (the often highly distraught) customer.
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Detailed diamond valuations The importance of good quality, detailed valuations for your customers cannot be overstated. As a minimum they should always include the familiar ‘four Cs’ to establish the quality of the diamonds in the piece. A lack
56 The Jeweller October 2012
of this information could have a seriously detrimental effect on the way in which any claim is settled as insurers could take a view that the stones are less valuable than they actually are. Where there is an accurate, detailed valuation, your customer can use this to ensure they will get a satisfactory claims settlement. If they have bought an unusual item, a precise valuation will also help them insist that it is their own jeweller or designer who replaces their precious item and not the anonymous ‘preferred supplier’ their insurer may insist upon. This not uncommon practice is a cause of grave concern for many independent jewellers and designers who can lose out on valuable repeat business.
“It must have fallen out while I was in the park with my child…” is a familiar phrase to our claims handlers! Avoid post-loss valuation The dreaded ‘post loss valuation’ is often disputed by the insurer’s replacement management provider resulting in an unpleasant experience for both the jeweller and their customer. In many cases the jeweller will quote for the replacement business but ultimately loses out to the insurers ‘preferred supplier’ due to discounts on offer. Our own approach, which has been refined by 125 years of experience in dealing with the jewellery trade and its customers, is to always ask for valuations at a lower level of value than other insurers, partly to assist our jewellery partners, but also because we recognise the importance of valuations in organising speedy hassle-free claims settlements. The customer is also referred
back to his jeweller whenever possible, someone he knows and trusts (as do we) and the item is replaced without the stress of dealing with other parties. Result – happy jeweller and happy customer. Many home insurances have arbitrary sub-limits and single article limits for jewellery which lull policyholders into a false sense of security, with the assumption they have full cover. They don’t even bother asking their jeweller for a valuation as there is no requirement to do so and they lose track of the value of their items and fail to appreciate the effect of the limits under their policy should they have to make a claim. Encourage customers to have precious items revalued at appropriate intervals This ideal situation does come with a caveat; the insured items should be revalued at appropriate intervals to be certain that the sum insured is sufficient to guarantee a like for like replacement. It can be difficult to persuade customers to get their items revalued regularly but if they don’t, events such as the recent increases in diamond (and gold) prices can catch them out. The best way to guarantee drama-free claims is to ensure all items have a current valuation which is updated at regular intervals. This should also speed up the claims process because there will be no need for post loss valuations as the latest retail replacement cost price is known at the time the claim is made. The bottom line is that regular valuations are important for all concerned and we should all be encouraging detailed valuations for all significant items of jewellery. John Watson ACII is the personal lines director with chartered insurance brokers TH March & Co. Ltd. www.thmarch.co.uk
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The Voice of the Industry 57
| Antique Jewellery
Antique JEWELLERY Perceptions of jewellery within Roman society The Roman world is one era I have particularly looked forward to writing about, says Amy Oliver. The wealth of literature available – particularly texts which critique Roman manners, morals, popular opinions and actions – is tremendous. And, luckily for us, there are many references to jewellery…
The Roman Republic Roman society’s attitude to jewellery was diverse. On the surface, it looks completely schizophrenic. On the one hand, jewellery was seen by some as frivolous, effeminate, decadent, a waste of resources, and a sign of moral corruption. On the other hand, many wealthy Romans (especially women, and later the Imperial family) saw jewellery as a means of displaying their social status and wealth – an attitude found in all cultures of course. Seal of Augustus, 1st century AD
58 The Jeweller October 2012
The origins of the more disapproving opinions can be traced back to the founding of Rome itself. Modern Italy’s capital started life in 753 BC (according to legend) as a small city-state; the economic, political and social life of which was based predominantly on agriculture. To be a good Roman man, one had to be hard-working, a good farmer, honest, moral, a good fighter and loyal to the state. To be a worthy Roman woman one was to be virtuous, chaste, a good mother, obedient and, once again, loyal to the state
Gold bulla depicting Medusa head
and her husband (or father). These values were held throughout Roman history, though were much more popular and visible during the Republic (509 BC – 27 BC). OK, so what have these views got to do with jewellery I hear you ask? Well, many Roman politicians, orators, and philosophers (to list a few) staunchly believed these values had given Rome its power and now rapidly-expanding empire. Self-control and discipline were important in a good Roman citizen. This meant that luxury of any kind was frowned upon by many, and luxury included things like fine clothes, exotic food, perfumes, and jewellery. In fact, so worried was the Senate (the ruling body of Rome made up of aristocrats) about the influence of luxury on the populous that they passed a law in 215 BC called the Lex Oppia specifying how much gold jewellery could be worn by Roman women: roughly 14.2 grams in modern weight. Well before this, in 450 BC, the law of Twelve Tables specified what could be buried with the dead: ‘Gold, no matter in what form it may be present, shall, by all means, be removed from the corpse at the time of the funeral; but if anyone’s teeth should be fastened with gold, it shall be lawful either to burn, or to bury it with the body.’ This is not to say that jewellery was shunned. Much jewellery from the Republic has been found, including a lot of Etruscan pieces made of sheet gold (the neighbouring Etruscan culture was engulfed by Rome by the 4th century BC), and of gem-set jewellery from lands to the east. In any case it would have only been the wealthier class of women that could have afforded fine jewellery such
Antique Jewellery | as gold, silver and gems. Women of lower status may have worn bead jewellery. The important point was that ‘little and not often’ was expected of everyone. For women, modesty was expected. One story handed down to us by Roman writers from the 2nd century BC tells of Cornelia, a highborn woman and mother of the famous Gracchi brothers, who when asked about her jewels responded by showing her sons and saying “These are my jewels”. Though it may not have always been so, this type of behaviour was the ultimate ideal in the minds of Republican Romans.
However, not everybody approved. Pliny the Elder (23 AD – 79 AD) discussed the wearing of rings in his texts, writing, ‘Whoever first put [a ring] on his finger committed life’s most despicable crime.’ The bulla There were some acceptable and even cherished pieces of jewellery worn during the Republic. A good example of this would be the bulla. A bulla was a locket-like amulet which the Romans adopted from the Etruscan culture. Bullae were made using a range of materials from leather (so looked more like a small pouch) and brass to gold – obviously only the rich could afford golden lockets. Quite often the lockets would be made from sheets of brass then coated in gold, and filled with resin to keep their shape. This resin was also sometimes imbibed with perfume. The bulla had deep spiritual and personal connotations in society. It was specifically given to Roman boys eight to nine days after their birth when they were also given their name. It marked the acceptance of the boy into his family. The bulla was symbolic in a number of ways: it guarded the child from evil by warding off malevolent spirits and demons (often by depicting a mythical monster like Medusa); it identified the boy as being a free-born Roman citizen (slave boys were not allowed to wear bullae) and
Roman mummy portrait from Fayum, Egypt
therefore sexually unavailable (unlike slave boys); and it was also an indicator of the wealth of his family depending on the material it was made from. The young Roman would wear the bulla until his 16th birthday – the day he became a man. However, it wasn’t discarded, nor was it passed down to his children as might be assumed. A man’s childhood bulla was stashed away and only brought out on special occasions, often military, such as when he became a general or took public office. As for the girls, they definitely wore some sort of amulet, but whether or not it was a bulla isn’t clear. The same symbolism would
apply though, and the amulet would only be removed once she was married (usually between the ages of 12 and 20). The gold ring Rings, specifically those made of gold, were particularly controversial in Rome. Rings were one of the most popular forms of jewellery. They stood as a symbol of wealth and power, as during the 4th century BC only men of the nobility who had held political office could wear a plain band of gold. Later, in 216 BC, gold rings could be worn by men of the equite class (comparable to Medieval Knight class).
The Voice of the Industry 59
| Antique Jewellery However, not everybody approved. Pliny the Elder (23 AD – 79 AD) discussed the wearing of rings in his texts, writing, ‘Whoever first put [a ring] on his finger committed life’s most despicable crime.’ A bit over the top, perhaps? But he does go on to describe how the trend for these rings snowballed during his lifetime, with people wearing a ring on every finger, on their knuckles, and even slaves being allowed to wear them (though usually of iron, not gold). It’s true that jewellery-wearing became much more acceptable during the first and second centuries AD, and legal restrictions were gradually eased. Under the Emperor Tiberius (14 AD – 37 AD), wealthy free-born men could wear a gold ring to symbolise their citizenship. The rules evolved further into the Imperial period as in 197 AD all soldiers of the Roman Empire could wear one (if they could afford it that is!). Married women were also starting to wear a gold wedding ring in the first century AD.
Imperial Rome Signet rings Signet rings were used in the Roman Republic, but more and more into the Imperial period. The Emperor Augustus (ruled 27 BC – 14 AD) had two signet rings depicting sphinxes which were used by his aides to stamp official documents. Later he had one depicting Alexander the Great, and another of himself. These kinds of signet
Roman mummy portrait from Fayum, Egypt
60 The Jeweller October 2012
Late Roman earrings
By the Late Empire, jewellery, which had always been a way of marking wealth and social standing, was now also an acceptable means of displaying the fact to the world. rings were also given to favoured courtiers or those close to the Emperor or his family, as a way of indicting to the world the person’s elevated position. Often rings which were inscribed with imperial slogans would also be given in this way. Jewellery emphasised As I’ve said, restrictions on the wearing of jewellery eased somewhat during the Imperial period (27 BC – 461 BC). It is clear from various archaeological finds – such as wall paintings from Herculaneum and Pompeii – that all fashions, not just jewellery, became much more extravagant. Of course, Roman jewellery was heavily influenced by the Hellenistic jewellery after the conquest of the Greek world by the Romans in 146 BC. There are many examples of Hellenistic-style Roman jewellery, with heavy emphasis on detailed filigree work, and the depiction of mythical creatures, flora and fauna. Towards the third and fourth centuries AD, jewellery had evolved further. For example, multi-stranded necklaces full of gemstones were popular among the elite. Earrings in the first century AD were simple loops with perhaps a pearl or small stone hanging below,
but by the third and fourth centuries, popular earrings consisted of a large gold discs attached to a horizontal bar from which three perpendicular charms hung, often set with pearls and gemstones. The Roman mummy portraits from Fayum in Egypt indicate that attitudes had most certainly changed during the late Imperial period as they show images of the dead dressed in their finery. Quite often the women are depicted with large and colourful necklaces and earrings, and also with golden wreaths or chains about the heads. This is a dramatic change from the Republican views of not having gold upon a corpse, and of women showing modesty. What it reveals is that by the Late Empire, jewellery, which had always been a way of marking wealth and social standing, was now also an acceptable means of displaying the fact to the world.
References • Daily Life of the Ancient Romans David Matz (2009) • Jewellery as a Symbol of Status in the Roman Empire’ from The World of Roman Costume Ann Stout (2006) • www.constitution.org/sps/sps01_1.htm
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| Regular
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Where to go, what to read, what to see… Celebrating Jewellery: Exceptional Jewels of the 19th & 20th Centuries by David Bennett & Daniela Mascetti (£75, Antique Collectors’ Club) The second collaborative work by two key figures at Sotheby’s (Understanding Jewellery was the first) this huge and extravagant tome is, they announce, an unashamedly personal celebration of 200 years of jewellery design in Europe and the US. All the pieces over the 300 plus pages have been handled personally by the pair and in the main the large and lavish photos are allowed to do the talking. However the
Sales & Exhibitions October 20th-10th Feb, 2013: Van Cleef & Arpels: L’Art de la Haute Joaillerie, Les Art Décoratif, Paris Over 400 pieces by the renowned French jewellery house will be shown together with documents and drawings that trace the history of Van Cleef & Arpels as well as a chronology of its creations and technical inventions. www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr
key eras (from Revivalism to Art Deco and beyond) are outlined to set the scene jewellery-wise and each piece is accompanied by a short explanatory text that further brings it to life. Some jewels are instantly familiar (like Cartier’s flamingo brooch) while others were more anonymous commissions. All are breathtaking – as is this book.
Victoria Walker at Desire
9th Nov-31st December: Dazzle, Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester Christmas gift ideas from stocking fillers to budget-blowers. www.dazzle-exhibitions.com
62 The Jeweller October 2012
Jewellery & Watch Trade Fairs October 26th-28th: Gemworld Munich, Neue Messe, Munich, Germany Minerals, gems, jewellery and fossils. www.gemworldmunich.com 27th-29th: Euro Trophex, PTA, Amsterdam, Netherlands An exhibition of cups, trophies and awards. www.eurotrophex.com
November 8th-10th: Salon QP, Saachi Gallery, London A gathering of the finest timepieces from international ‘grandes maisons’ to independent brands and makers, who will be displaying their latest collections. Expect also demonstrations and discussions. www.salonqp.com 5th Nov-6th Jan: Dazzle, National Theatre, London A showcase of contemporary jewellery and watches from new and established designers. www.dazzle-exhibitions.com
Goldsmiths’ Art – 5000 years of Jewelry and Hollowware by Dr Hermann Schadt (£20, Arnoldsche Art Publishers) For many years out of print and frequently in demand, this comprehensive overview of the history of goldsmithing is back, offering a visual feast and a fascinating insight into the art. Beginning in 3000 BC Egypt and travelling through time to the 1990s via the likes of the Roman, Gothic and Art Nouveau periods. Historical and cultural contexts are explained and illustrated as are the materials, tools and techniques used for the pieces. The book also contains a useful glossary of the technical terms encountered.
November 9th-12th: China International Gold, Jewellery & Gem Fair – Shanghai World Expo Centre, China Over 400 exhibitors from 19 countries, with emphasis on diamonds, pearls and jadeite. www.chinaexhibition.com/trade_events
16th-18th: Desire, The Guildhall, Winchester Mixed media contemporary jewellery and silversmithing fair of over 60 makers including Paul Spurgeon and Martyn Pugh. www.desirefair.com 22nd-25th: Made in Clerkenwell, Winter Open Studios at Craft Central London EC1 100 designers of jewellery, fashion, crafts and accessories. www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr
21st-24th: Dubai International Jewellery Week, Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE Global and regional manufacturers showing in three distinct shows. www.jewelleryshow.com 26th-25th GeMin 2012: Royal Olympic, Athens, Greece Gemstones, silver and gold jewellery, books, softwear and instruments. www.gemin.eu
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| Regular
The
Last Word The Last Word this month has been handed over to James Riley, who was appointed CEO of Gem-A this July. Personal Profile James Riley is a sixth generation jeweller; the family business W H Peplow in Worcester is today run by his cousin Francis Peplow. After a degree in history at Warwick, Riley joined Boodle and Dunthorne as a trainee working his way up to stone buyer and production manager. He then ran the world’s oldest diamond company, Backes and Strauss, in the UK before moving into second hand jewellery and pawn broking and then running his own company. He attended his first NAG conference at the age of three in 1978 and has been both a member of council and the board of directors. He continues to be an observer on the Education Committee. The chairman of Gem-A from 2008-2012, Riley is a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, a freeman of the Goldsmiths’ Company and a trustee of the Silversmiths and Jewellers Charity. Who has been the biggest influence on your life? Personally: my father, a hard task master who didn’t accept second best. I learnt a lot from his mistakes. Businesswise: Nicholas Wainwright of Boodle & Dunthorne – my first proper boss and a truly inspiring man. Not easy to please but I learnt more from him about jewellery than everyone else put together. I can’t think of anyone else who even comes close in terms of having a feel for jewellery and stones. Where is your favourite holiday destination? Why? Any vineyard in France! I love to tour the continent. A boot full of wine always seems to make the holiday last longer and be more memorable. What three words describe you best… in your view and according to others? Me: focused, old-fashioned and driven. Others: proactive, confident, enthusiastic, jovial, outgoing, respected – take your pick!
66 The Jeweller October 2012
If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about the jewellery industry, what would it be? Remove apathy. I find so many people just aren’t bothered about education, new designers, suppliers etc. Far too many think they have all the skills when in reality they are in the Dark Ages. Well-trained staff and an openness to change are critical. Looking back at your career, what one thing would you do differently if you had your time over? I would really have liked to have gone into the family business as I think I could have made a difference for the better, but it was out of my control. I also regularly wonder if leaving Boodles was the right thing to do. Nick was so kind about it. I regretted it immediately but it enabled me to spread my wings. To what do you attribute your success? Hard work and a lot of luck. There’s no magic formula.
If not the jewellery industry, what might your alternative career have been? Officer in the Royal Navy. I passed all the interviews and then failed the medical on my eyesight – ironic really considering I’ve made my living using a loupe. Favourite shopping destination (shop, street, city or country!) Why? Anywhere that gives you good service and is knowledgeable about the product they are selling. Heywood Hill book shop in Curzon St is one of my favourites. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Winnie the Pooh with my three-year old daughter. Disney really carve up the books but it’s still very funny. Children take it so seriously! Tell us something not many people know about you… I was once a director of the Bolshoi Ballet. What is your chosen form of exercise? I used to row until I had back trouble so now my only exercise is walking to the station or gardening. Quick Fire • Red or white wine? Red • Diamonds or coloured stones? Diamonds • White or yellow metal? White • TV or radio? Radio • Jewellery on men? Yes • Delegator or control freak? Control freak • Beatles or Rolling Stones? I worked in Liverpool for seven years! • Paperback or e-reader? Give me the hard copy – paperback • Bentley or Rolls? The silent sports car every time.
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