£400,000 worth of watches stolen in Stoke-on-Trent jewellery store raid

Some £400,000 worth of watches have been stolen in a raid on a Beaverbrooks store in Stoke-on-Trent. Staffordshire Police said they believe 10 people were involved in the burglary, which happened just after 2:35am on Thursday, 10 March, at the Intu Potteries shopping centre in Hanley. The offenders, who were…

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Swiss watch exports fall for eighth consecutive month

Swiss watch exports fell for the eighth consecutive month in February, recording a total value of 1.7bn francs (£1.23bn). That’s according to new data from the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH), which found the total value represented a decline of 3.3% compared with the same month last year.…

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Hatton Garden raid ringleader jailed for six years

The man believed to be the ringleader of the Hatton Garden heist has been jailed for six years and three months for his part in the £14m raid. Brian Reader, 77, of Dartford, Kent, appeared by videolink at Woolwich Crown Court today and was sentenced after pleading guilty to conspiracy…

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Gem-A appoints Alan Hart as CEO

The Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A) has announced the appointment of Alan Hart as the association’s new CEO. A former member of the Gem-A Council, Hart is currently head of Earth Sciences Collections at the Natural History Museum, London. With a wealth of experience in the gem and mineral…

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Shirley Temple’s rare blue diamond ‘could fetch £24.2m’ at auction

A rare blue diamond that belonged to former child star Shirley Temple is set to be auctioned next month for an estimated price of $25m (£17.3m) to $35m (£24.2m), says Sotheby’s. The 9.54-carat ‘Fancy Deep Blue potentially internally Flawless’, VVS2 clarity diamond ring was purchased by Temple’s father for $7,210…

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Rising demand for coloured gemstones sees auction prices soar

There has been a surge in demand for coloured gemstones prompting rapidly rising prices, according to Bonhams. The auction house said sapphires have seen a particular rise in popularity, with consumers purchasing sapphire engagement and wedding rings. Bonhams said its clients are looking for something “a little bit different” from…

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F Hinds opens Doncaster store

Jewellery chain F Hinds has opened a new store in Doncaster’s Frenchgate Shopping Centre – its 118th shop in the UK. The store opened on Thursday, 10 March, with Emily Simpkins, full-time professional midfielder for Doncaster Rovers’ Belles Ladies Football Club, cutting the ribbon to its doors. The new shop…

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BUDGET: CBI welcomes business rates policy

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has called George Osborne’s Budget, announced today, a “strong and stable Budget for business facing global stormy waters”.  CBI director general, Carolyn Fairbairn, said: “The Chancellor has listened to our concerns about the mounting burden on firms and chosen to back business to grow the economy out…

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Online retail sales up 18% in February

Online retail sales in the UK were up 18% in February when compared with the same month last year, according to IMRG Capgemini eRetail Sales Index. The growth, which saw £18.9bn spent during the month, represented an increase on the 8% rise in online sales in February 2015 and was…

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BUDGET: Business rates relief “doubled permanently”

Business rates relief for small businesses will “more than double” during the next budget period. The Chancellor, George Osborne, announced that he was raising the threshold to £15,000 for the lower rate (up from £6,000) and to £51,000 got the higher band (up from £18,000). He said the measures would mean…

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