Sotheby's London has announced that it is to host the single owner sale of the George Daniels Horological Collection, taking place on 6 November. Read more...

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced its new initiative, BFC Rock Vault, designed to support, showcase and promote Britain's "most innovative fine jewellery talent."

Sponsored by the International Palladium Board and curated by Stephen Webster, BFC Rock Vault will launch during London Fashion Week, held from 17 to 21 February at Somerset House.

William Cheshire has been chosen as the Houlden Group's Designer of Excellence, with the news announced on the catwalk at the Jewellery Show in Birmingham.

Through its sponsorship of the Jewellery Show's Design Quarter Gems section, the Houlden Group had invited talented and inspiring designers to exhibit their latest collections. An expert panel of judges, featuring representatives from the Group, selected the designer with the most original, innovative and eye-catching collection to win the acclaimed Designer of Excellence award.

William Cheshire set up his own label in 2002, designing and making jewellery for both women and men from his Hatton Garden studio. He uses precious metals and stones to create provocative and edgy styles that are inspired by both the classical and pop/punk culture.

"I am absolutely thrilled to receive this award from an influential organisation such as the Houlden Group," he said. "Quite a buzz has been created around the announcement so to win over the other designers, who are extremely talented, is simply amazing."

Keith Gill, director at the Houlden Group and head judge for the competition, commented: "It's important that we support but also reward brilliant individual designers producing cutting-edge jewellery to the highest standards. We were very impressed with William's design skills; to say we were blown away would be an understatement.

"The overall standards this year have been beyond our expectations. William's attention to detail is impeccable and his passion and enthusiasm really shone through. His pieces are unique but also have a wide commercial appeal which is essential for retailers.

"It was a hard decision to make as all of the designers were very special; however William definitely had the edge."

Indeed, the judges found the competition such a close call that a Highly Commended winner was chosen for the first time. Cindy Dennis Mangan was given this accolade for her passion, desire and excellent design skills.

Repeating the success of last year's initiative, the judging panel also selected the best pieces of jewellery from the winner and the other designers' collections to form a travelling exhibition – Designs of Excellence – which will tour Houlden members' stores throughout the UK and Ireland.

"This award and our year-long Designs of Excellence Collection tour are great ways for our members to raise their profiles and attract footfall to their stores," added Stuart Laing, chief executive of the Houlden Group.

Image: William Cheshire with the judges (Houlden Group members) and Julie Driscoll from the Jewellery Show.

everywoman, the independent membership network for women in business, is inviting entries for the 2012 Specsavers everywoman in Retail Awards. Now in its fifth year, the awards recognise the achievements of women in the retail sector. Read more...

Scotland's Trade Fair closed on Tuesday with retailers reporting a positive show with a diverse range of high quality, innovative products on offer.

With a quarter of all the 500 exhibitors new to the show, and many launching to the trade for the first time, there were plenty of original, new products for retailers and buyers.

The organisers also noted that producers are responding to the tough climate and consistently bringing out new, high-quality goods to appeal to the ever more discerning customers.

"We appreciate how tough times are for retailers, although the independent sector in Scotland seems to be faring relatively well. The mood remained positive at the show, demonstrated by the high number of stand re-bookings that we received for next year's show," said Mark Saunders from Springboard Events.

Chief executive of the Birmingham Assay Office, Michael Allchin, will participate in the Industry Insights session at the Jewellery Show 2012, focusing on the rising price of precious metals and how to innovate in times of change. He will also present his annual review for fine jewellers, entitled 'Making sense of 2011, creating a successful strategy for 2012'.