Seven arrested over robbery at Bournemouth jewellers

Dorset Police has arrested seven people in relation to a reported armed robbery at a jewellers in Bournemouth. At around 12pm on Thursday 14 March 2019 Dorset Police received a report of a robbery at Franses Jewellers in Westover Road involving a number of men on two mopeds and a…

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Signet Jewellers releases first CSR report

Signet Jewelers has released its 2018 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report that highlights the company’s global CSR initiatives. The report includes Signet’s progress toward goals set across its four CSR key areas: people, responsible sourcing, environmental stewardship and charitable giving. For the first time, the company produced an integrated CSR…

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Retail openings slump to lowest levels on record, says PWC

A record net 2,481 stores disappeared from the UK’s top 500 high streets in 2018, according to PwC research compiled by the Local Data Company (LDC). According to the firm, store openings also dropped to nine a day – almost half the levels of five years ago – due to…

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Business confidence ‘crashes’ to lowest point since 2012

Business optimism has “crashed” to its lowest level since September 2012, according to a new report from accountants and business advisors BDO. BDO’s Optimism Index, which shows how businesses expect output to develop in the next three to six months, plummeted to 96.10 in March from 99.79 in February. According…

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RJC appoints Iris Van der Veken as new executive director

The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), has appointed Iris Van der Veken as its next executive director, effective immediately. The standard setting and certification body said Van der Veken has wide-ranging international experience in the diamond, gold, jewellery and fashion industries. She is also the first woman to become the organisation’s…

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WFDB welcomes GIA’s changes to reports for lab-grown diamonds

The World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) has “welcomed” the changes by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) to its reports for lab-grown diamonds. The GIA said its reports will be changed to come into line with revisions to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Jewelry Guides announced last year.…

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Diamond start-up wins Red Dot Award

A Swedish start-up in the gemstone industry was recently awarded the Red Dot Award with its first product on the market, GemPen: an innovative screening tool that can distinguish natural from lab-manufactured diamonds. GemPen said the tool was developed due to the “increasing insecurity” in diamond validation, as number of…

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17.43ct Kashmir sapphire headlines at Bonhams London auction

A 17.43 carat Kashmir sapphire ring will lead the first Bonhams Jewels sale in London on 30 April 2019. Dating from the late 19th to early 20th Century, the cushion-shaped sapphire displays a “saturated and vivid blue colour” and is estimated to be worth between £300,000-400,000. It will be the…

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Pandora COO exits

Pandora’s chief operations officer (COO) Jeremy Schwartz has resigned from his position at the jewellery retailer. Following a mutual agreement between the chairman of the board of directors and Schwartz, the resignation will take effect as of today (4 April). However, Schwartz will be available as an advisor to incoming…

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Waltons of Caversham joins the Hallmark Jewellers Group

Jewellery retailer Waltons of Caversham has joined as the latest member of the Hallmark Jewellers Group (THJ). THJ is an independent jewellery buying group, currently consisting of over 40 retail jewellers with shops established throughout the United Kingdom. Founded in 1986 and currently chaired by Harvey Morgan of Harveys the…

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