Rumblings from the East

It has taken years for the jewellery industry to get back to a semblance of growth. But where once the whys and wherefores of economic rise and fall could be identified, isolated, and understood, they are becoming more opaque.

This month the Chinese economy slowed to the extent that financial markets across the world went into a spin. Oil prices have been volatile, company stocks have shown steep declines, and gold, being a commodity, is showing signs of instability too.

My headline feature in the print edition of Jewellery Focus this month focuses on what this might mean for the UK jewellery industry. Will the gold price soar as it did in 2008, and if so, what impact will this have on margins? Will the consumer appetite for precious metal jewellery ever be restored to a level we might call a boom? And given the lack of predictability recently, does it make any difference whatever for independents and manufacturers to try to second guess it? I’ve spoken to some key figures to try to answer this, and to pose the question of what the landscape might look like in five years’ time.

Of course, the September edition is our annual International Jewellery London (IJL) show special. Continuing a popular Jewellery Focus tradition we’ve combed through the exhibitors’ list looking for the very best in a whole range of categories, and laid them out with stand details and background information to help you get the most out of your visit. We’ve been an official media partner with IJL for many years, but this year we’ve stepped it up a gear by sponsoring a seating area in the exhibition hall. If you need to rest your legs, then take a pew, pick up a copy of the magazine and digest the very latest from in and around the trade.

I hope you enjoy the show, and that in the run up to the Christmas sales rush you are feeling a little more confident, a little more positive, and optimistic about the years ahead.