Jewellers warned the Darwin £10 note is almost extinct

The Bank of England has warned that it will withdraw legal tender status of the paper £10 note featuring Charles Darwin at 23:59 on Thursday 1 March 2018. With six weeks to go, all jewellers that handle cash need to plan and prepare for the change. After the deadline, businesses…

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Holts Gems founder Robert Holt dies at 94

The founder and a director of Holts Gems, Robert Holt, has passed away aged 95 while holidaying with family. The eponymous fine jewellery store was established in 1948 by Holt when he was a pre-war Jewish refugee from Vienna. A spokesperson said: “On 11th January, Mr Robert Acker Holt, founder…

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Hallmarking figures drop by 7.4% for December

Hallmarking fell by an average of 7.4% in December 2017 compared to the same period in the previous year, according to figures compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office. The average volume of gold hallmarked in December fell by 6.9% to 322,033 compared with 346,082 the previous year. Silver fell by…

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Gem Diamonds recovers ‘exceptional quality’ diamond

Gem Diamonds has recovered an 910-carat diamond from its Letšeng mine in Lesotho, South Africa.   It is the largest diamond ever recovered from the mine and the fifth largest gem-quality diamond ever recovered by the company. Clifford Elphick, Gem Diamonds CEO, said: “Since Gem Diamonds acquired Letšeng in 2006,…

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Weston Beamor reaffirms ‘Ethical Jewellery business of the Year’ title

The ‘Ethical Jewellery Business of the Year’ award winner, Weston Beamor, has continued its good work with every member of its customer team becoming a Fairtrade Gold Sales Ambassador. Each member of the 12-strong customer facing team at Weston Beamor has successfully completed the Fairtrade Foundation’s online ‘Fairtrade Gold Sales…

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De Beers launches diamond blockchain pilot

De Beers Group has launched a pilot that uses blockchain technology to provide a tamper-proof and permanent digital record for diamonds registered on the platform. Following the success of an initial proof of concept trial, which resulted in a working prototype, a pilot is now underway involving a small number…

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High street sees sharpest footfall decline in four years

New figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard show footfall in the month of December suffered its sharpest decline since March 2013 Total UK retail footfall fell by 3.5% compared with December 2016, while the high street saw a sharper drop, down by 4.6%. Shopping centres suffered a…

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Israel Diamond Exchange announces diamond-based cryptocurrencies

The Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) will unveil two new diamond-based cryptocurrencies at the next 2018 International Diamond Week in Israel (IDWI) Created by startup Carats.Io, the group will host a seminar introducing its new diamond-backed financial instruments and explain the benefits it could have for the diamond industry. Carats.Io will…

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Partnership with retailers drives digital growth for Adore Jewellery

Adore Jewellery has grown its digital presence thanks to partnerships with some of the UK’s largest retailers. The Swarovski Group brand said it has seen increased online sales following a partnership with jewellery e-tailer The Watch Shop, and national department stores Debenhams and House of Fraser. Following the partnerships, Adore…

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Shoppers make 80% of retail purchases online

Online shoppers in the UK make 80% of their retail purchases online, up from 74%, according to a new report. The Royal Mail’s ‘Delivery Matters’ report found that the proportion of money being spent online has increased year on year. The average online shopper spends £40 each month on clothes…

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