Usdaw urges public to support shopworkers

Retail trade union Usdaw is urging shoppers to follow the law and help to protect shopworkers and other customers by wearing a face covering, while following existing social distancing and hygiene procedures.  The union said shopworkers are “not responsible” for enforcing the law, and abuse should not be part of…

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LVMH profit plunges in half-year results

LVMH has announced that revenue in the first half of 2020 tumbled 27% to €18.4bn (£16.8bn) against the year prior. The luxury group, which owns Bulgari and Chaumet, reported that revenue in its watches and jewellery division plummeted by 39% to €1.32bn (£1.2bn) in the period. According to the group,…

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Diamnet partners with Swarovski

Diamnet has partnered with Swarovski to launch a new offering of laboratory-grown diamonds to retailers across the UK.  Its latest range will be offered alongside its natural-mined diamond list. Its e-commerce platform “clearly states” what natural or laboratory-grown diamonds are available for approval upon request. Following the surge in popularity…

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Just Diamonds offers free platform to jewellers

Just Diamonds is offering its diamonds and gems selector platform to retail jewellers for no additional fee.  By incorporating the platform, customers of retail jewellers will now be able to order specified stones directly from the retailers’ sites. The diamonds and gems supplier supplies a wide variety of certified diamonds…

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FHH president departs after 15 years

The Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) has announced its president and CEO, Fabienne Lupo, has resigned from the position after 15 years. Emmanuel Perrin, member of the management board of the FHH, will assume Lupo’s responsibilities on an interim basis. In a statement, Lupo said: “After 15 years of…

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Price of gold reaches ‘record’ high

The price of gold reached a “record high” of $1,943 (£1,513) per ounce this morning (27 July), amid increasing tensions in the US and China trade row.   The price rise of 2.2% saw gold overtake its previous record that was recorded in the wake of  Black Monday in September 2011.…

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Swarovski to cut 1,600 HQ roles

Swarovski plans to cut around 1,600 roles at its Austrian headquarters in a bid to restructure its business, Reuters has reported.  Amid difficult market conditions and pandemic-related losses, around 1,000 jobs are set to be axed this autumn, with a further 600 to be cut by 2022. Around 4,600 employees…

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Applications for Kassandra Lauren Gordon Fund open tomorrow

Applications for The Kassandra Lauren Gordon Fund, to provide financial support to black jewellers will open tomorrow (28 July). The news comes as The Goldsmiths’ Company announced its collaboration with Gordon,, who wrote an open letter to the jewellery industry highlighting how current practices and systems limit accessibility and entry…

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First public Fellows auction totals £1m

The first public auction to be held by Fellows since March garnered a total hammer price of over £1m.  The Fine Jewellery sale, which took place at the independent, family-owned auction house in Birmingham on 23 July, lasted a total of six hours from 11am to 5pm.  Bidders from all…

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Retail sales boosted in June

The volume of retail sales rose by 13.9% in June against May figures, as non-food and fuel stores continued their recovery in the wake of the pandemic.  According to the latest figures from the ONS, the two monthly increases of retail sales in May and June have brought total sales…

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