Unseasonable weather damages independent retail sales in Q4

A “dramatic reversal of fortunes” in the last three months of 2015 has brought an end to an 18 month run of turnover growth for independent retailers. The British Independent Retailers Association’s (BIRA) Sales Monitor for the fourth quarter of 2015 found unseasonably warm and wet weather, falling footfall, falling…

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Edinburgh Assay Office celebrates one year of Heathrow sub office

The Edinburgh Assay Office is celebrating its first full year of operating a sub office at Heathrow Airport. The Hallmarking in Transit (HIT) service, which launched in January last year, was developed to streamline the supply chain for gold and gem set importers. It allows importers of precious metal jewellery…

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De Beers rough diamond sales slump 39% in 2015

Rough diamond sales for De Beers slumped 39% to 19.9 million carats in 2015, according to the firm’s parent company Anglo American. In its production report for the fourth quarter of 2015, the company said that the drop in sales was due to a 12% fall in production to 28.7…

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Apple Watch reports record quarterly sales

US-based tech giant Apple has reported that its Apple Watch has recorded a record number of quarterly sales in its latest financial update. Apple – which does not break out sales of the Apple Watch, but includes them in its ‘other’ category alongside iPods, Apple TVs and Beat headphones –…

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Hot Diamonds makes two key appointments to drive retail growth

Jewellery brand Hot Diamonds has announced the promotion of two employees in an effort to drive retail growth in its independent channel. Andrew Mills has been promoted from brand manager to head of independent sales, while Makala McAuley has been promoted from customer services to brand ambassador administrator. Mills has…

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De Beers sells £380m worth of diamonds in first sale of 2016

De Beers has announced it sold $540m (£380m) worth of rough diamonds in the first sales cycle of 2016 – more than doubling the value achieved in the final sales cycle of 2015. The company, which holds 10 sales cycles each year, said that the sales achieved was a “significant”…

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Online sales ‘nearly double’ for jewellery on ‘Cyber Weekend’

Online sales of jewellery over Cyber Weekend – the weekend following Black Friday – nearly doubled, according to the Edinburgh Assay Office.  Figures from the office’s Hallmarking and Fulfillment Service, which provides online jewellery retailers with integrated hallmarking and direct final mile delivery to consumers, increased “significantly” in 2015 compared…

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Petra Diamonds revenue falls 28% in first-half results

Petra Diamonds has announced that revenue for the first six months of the financial year – ending December 31 – fell 28% to $154m (£108m). The fall in revenue was despite a 2% increase in production to 1,629,403 carats – compared with 1,601,069 carats in the same period last year…

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2016 ‘likely to be volatile’ claims De Beers CEO

De Beers Group chief executive, Philippe Mellier, warned of likely “volatility” in the diamond industry in 2016. Addressing a sightholder reception on Wednesday, Mellier said despite “encouraging signs” in the industry at the start of 2016, the recovery in the diamond sector remained “delicate” and there there is likely to…

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Edblad launches new ‘experimental’ brand

Swedish brand Edblad has announced the launch of what it calls a new ‘experimental’ brand – Edblad LAB. The company said that the brand, which debuts with a silver and gold collection, aims to test and try out new materials, techniques and designs in order to “develop and breathe life…

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