Usdaw urges public to ‘respect shopworkers’ as shops are allowed to reopen

Shopworkers union Usdaw has urged customers to respect staff and employers to ensure safety in stores, as shops are allowed to reopen from today (15 June). The news comes as Usdaw released statistics revealing one in six shop workers have suffered abuse on every shift, during the coronavirus pandemic. The statistics revealed 62%…

Read More »

CIBJO postpones annual conference amid coronavirus pandemic

CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, has announced the postponement of its annual congress, which was due to take place in Dubai from 5 October to 7 October 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Organisers announced the congress will be rescheduled in 2021 and the decision was made during a video…

Read More »

Theo Fennell to reopen boutique on a limited basis

Theo Fennell has announced that it will be reopening its Fulham Road flagship boutique on 16 June, following the latest government guidelines for store openings.  The fine jewellery and silverware boutique will be opening on a by-appointment basis for two days a week, Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 11am and 4pm,…

Read More »

Watches of Switzerland preps for reopening 

Watches of Switzerland has announced that it will reopen its stores across England on 15 June.  All Watches of Switzerland, Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths stores in the country will reopen, while its showrooms in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and UK airports are expected to open at a later date.…

Read More »

UK GDP slumps over 20% in April as full impact of Covid-19 is felt

GDP slumped by 20.4% in April 2020, following a fall of 5.8% in March, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is the biggest monthly fall since the ONS’ series began in 1997, with the measure also falling by 10.4% in the three months…

Read More »

Tectonic shifts: Covid-19 will accelerate changes in the jewellery industry

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the world and businesses are searching for future trends and strategies in a post-COVID-19 world. For platinum jewellery, the drivers of business growth in 2019 have been thrown into even bolder relief by the pandemic, and point the way to a post-Covid 19 recovery. Digital…

Read More »

Christie’s to launch Anna Hu auction

An online auction of three Anna Hu jewellery pieces will take place at Christie’s from 3 July to 13 July, with proceeds going towards frontline workers amid the pandemic.  The pieces will be sold by Diamonds That Care, a newly-launched social responsibility initiative of Alrosa, the world’s largest diamond mining…

Read More »

Lark and Berry unveils reopening procedures

Lark and Berry has unveiled the new procedures that will be implemented in its flagship London store upon reopening next Monday (15 June).  After being closed for more than 10 weeks, the jeweller has implemented a number of health and safety procedures in line with government guidelines to “ensure a…

Read More »

De Beers launches new e-commerce site

De Beers has announced the launch of a new “customer-centric” website, debeers.com, that is set to provide a “unique offering” among the fine jewellery industry. The e-commerce site will be available in English, French and Chinese, and will expand the group’s product selection that is available for purchase, including a…

Read More »

Majority of SMEs believe UK is headed for deep recession post-pandemic

Almost seven in 10 (69%) small business owners believe the UK is heading for a deep recession following the coronavirus pandemic and resulting lockdown, according to new research from FreeAgent. In addition, almost three quarters (73%) believe many small businesses will struggle to make enough money to survive and two…

Read More »