Police hunt two men after Warwick jewellery raid

Warwickshire Police are appealing for witnesses after a jewellery store was burgled on Warwick’s high street last week.  The robbery occurred around 2pm on Thursday, June 25, at Russell Lane Jewellers when four men were seen smashing the front windows of the shop with sledgehammers and taking jewellery. Warwickshire Police…

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RJC appoints Andrew Bone as executive director

The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) has appointed a new executive director, Andrew Bone, as part of the organisation’s ongoing management restructure.  Bone, who has extensive experience in the diamond and marketing sectors, has previously worked at De Beers and was also behind many industry initiatives including the Kimberley Process, the…

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Creative industry employment jumps 15.8%

Employment in the UK creative industries has jumped 15.8% since 2011 with 1.8 million jobs now in the sector, according to a new report.  According to figures released by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) the number of jobs within the creative industries increased by 5.5% compared to…

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The naysayers must now eat their words

Almost two years ago I wrote sceptically about the initial murmurings of a merger between the two major jewellery trade associations. Not out of any sense of doubt that a merger was possible, but because I was new to the industry and I asked dozens of people for their thoughts.…

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Consumer confidence at highest level for 15 years

Consumer confidence is at its highest level since the late 1990s, according to new figures from GFK.  Following a fall in consumer confidence in May, the research firm’s latest Consumer Confidence Barometer increased six points to 7 in June, with all five measures used to calculate the index reporting increases.…

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Joanna Lumley accepts Jeremy France brooch to celebrate Gurkha anniversary

Jeremy France Jewellers has presented actress Joanna Lumley with a bespoke brooch to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the United Kingdom’s Brigade of Gurkhas.  Staff from the store, including owner Jeremy France, attended a black tie evening at Her Majesty’s Palace and Fortress of London where France presented the brooch…

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Carat expands presence in Harrods

Fashion jewellery brand Carat has opened a new 100 sq ft shop in London department store Harrods.  Carat, which launched at Harrods in 2011, has expanded and taken up a new location in the ‘Designer Accessories’ room on the lower ground floor, following the success of its previous store. Scott…

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Beaverbrooks chairman awarded OBE

Chairman of jewellery chain Beaverbrooks, Mark Adlestone, was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2015.  The OBE for Services to Business and Charity was awarded to Adlestone in recognition of his charity and communal work, and how he “applies these philanthropic values to his business”. The news…

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JewelStreet to axe 120 brands in upmarket push

JewelStreet today confirmed that it is to remove over 120 of its designers and brands as it prepares to reposition the business as an international, luxury jewellery destination. The online jewellery marketplace said the move was a “necessary step” in its strategy to “become the premier jewellery website for the…

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Endless launches in 23rd market: Asia

Composable jewellery brand Endless Jewelry has hosted a colourful launch into Asia – its 23rd market worldwide – just two years since launching. In front of 300 VIP guests, celebrities, and more than 100 media representatives from Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, Endless Jewelry hosted the grand opening of…

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