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Mar- 2020 -23 MarchRetailers
F. Hinds and Chapelle close all stores until further notice
Family-run jewellery business F. Hinds, which also operates Chapelle, has announced that all sites for both brands are to close until further notice. In a newly released statement, the Hinds family said: “It is with great sadness that we have made the difficult decision to temporarily close all of our…
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23 MarchDesigners
Lebrusan Studio launches ready-to-order engagement rings
Lebrusan Studio has announced the launch of a “compact” new selection of ready-to-order engagement rings, entitled The Candy Pop collection. The collection, named after its “palette of sweet pastel hues”, features four hand-crafted rings with Sri Lankan sapphires in assorted colours and shapes. Each gemstone was hand-selected by the sustainable…
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23 MarchRetailers
Covid-19: Beaverbrooks to shutter all 69 stores
UK jeweller Beaverbrooks has revealed plans to shutter all 69 of its stores by 5pm today (23 March) amid the Covid-19 outbreak. Managing director Anna Blackburn said this decision will “greatly affect” its hundreds of store colleagues, and added that supporting them is its “number one focus right now”. She…
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20 MarchCurrent Affairs
Covid-19: Government to pay 80% of salary to staff unable to work
Chancellor Sunak Rishi has said the government will pay 80% of wages for employees who aren’t able to work due to the coronavirus, up to £2,500 a month according to the BBC. The “unprecedented measure” comes as the government has unveiled more plans to protect jobs and businesses amid the…
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20 MarchFeatures
Waste not, want not: the designers driving ethical change
Last month marked a watershed moment as Rosh Mahtini became the first ever jeweller to receive the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. Mahtini received the esteemed award based on her commitment to sustainability and ethical practices, exemplified by her innovative jewellery brand, Alighieri. As the first jewellery designer…
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19 MarchEconomy
Gold and silver down double digits in February hallmarking
The number of gold and silver pieces hallmarked in February 2020 decreased by 13.3% and 25.3% respectively, according to figures compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office. Gold hallmarked pieces decreased from 281,938 to 244,558 and silver items decreased from 344,104 to 257,212 during the month. Additionally, palladium decreased by 70.3%…
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19 MarchRetailers
Pandora closes stores across globe
Pandora has announced the temporary closure of many of its stores in order to “support the efforts” to limit the spread of Covid-19. In its latest statement, the group confirmed that it had temporarily closed all owned and operated stores in the United States, Italy, Germany, France and Spain. In…
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19 MarchTrade Organisations
The Goldsmith’s Company announces contingency plans
The Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office has said it will do its “utmost” to remain open amid the coronavirus outbreak. At the present moment, the group said it envisages two contingencies that may result in its closure: a staff member contracting the virus or a nationwide lockdown. It is now asking…
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18 MarchCurrent Affairs
Pandora withdraws financial guidance
Jewellery group Pandora has announced the withdrawal of its financial guidance as it is “no longer meaningful” in light of the coronavirus escalation. The group said that such mitigating actions came under “extraordinary and rapidly developing” circumstances, and that its financial guidance announced on 4 February excluded “any impact” from…
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17 MarchEconomy
NAJ asks for ‘urgent action’ amid Covid-19 crisis
The UK jewellery industry has urged the government to take “urgent action” as the coronavirus crisis unfolds. The National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) has today sent an open letter to PM Boris Johnson calling for “further clarity and support” on key issues that may affect the industry amid the outbreak. …
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