£1m of items stolen from Christie’s London HQ

Antiques and jewellery believed to be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds has been stolen from Christie’s, one of the world’s top auctions houses.  According to the Daily Mail, valuable works of art, including rare pieces by Fabergé – the court jewellers of Imperial Russia – were taken from Christie’s…

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Raiders steal £150,000 of watches from Huddersfield Beaverbrooks

Raiders have stolen almost £150,000 worth of designer watches from a Beaverbrooks in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.  The raid, which took place at 8pm on Sunday December 21, saw the burglars enter the store via the roof, before forcing their way through two locked doors and accessing a locked display cabinet…

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New retail quarter to be developed in Sheffield city centre

Plans for a new retail quarter in Sheffield city centre are well underway with the city Council announcing that it is currently seeking a strategic development partner.  Sheffield City Council has said that this brings plans ‘closer to realisation’ and on target to deliver the first phase of the scheme…

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Pre-Christmas sales see biggest growth since 1988

Retail sales in the run up to Christmas have accelerated at their fastest pace for almost 26 years, according to CBI’s latest monthly Distributive Trades Survey.  The survey of 122 firms covers the fortnight ending December 11 and includes the sales-boosting effects of Black Friday. Grocers saw the strongest year-on-year…

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Mococo becomes official stockist of Michael Kors jewellery

Jewellery retailer Mococo has officially announced that it will be stocking Michael Kors jewellery in its Liverpool store and on its website. The brand will join Mococo’s extensive collection including Thomas Sabo, ChloBo, Swarovski, Daisy London, Clogau and Shaun Leane. Maureen Hooson, managing director, said: “Michael Kors is a world…

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IWC opens first UK boutique in London’s Mayfair

Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has officially opened its first UK boutique, located on London’s New Bond Street in Mayfair.  Following a four-month building project, the two-storey, 90-square-metre site welcomed its first customers on Friday December 19, just in time for the final weekend before Christmas. The store aims to…

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G-Shock Premium adds distinctive new MRG-G1000 timepiece

Casio has announced the MR-G range of G-Shock watches now has an exclusive new addition. With only three available to buy in the UK,  Casio claims the high specification MRG – G1000 is the first watch of its kind to incorporate shock resistant construction and GPS Hybrid Wave Ceptor capability into a full-metal case. Casio said:…

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Coloured stones in high demand, says Bonhams

Following its fine jewellery auction, Bonhams has reported that coloured stones, notably rubies and sapphires, are experiencing high demand and performing better than expected.  At the auction, a pair of Cartier Art Deco ruby and diamond clip brooches, circa 1930, smashed its pre-sale estimate of £80,000 to £120,000, selling for…

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RJC secures 100 new members in 2014

The responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) has released its end-of-year report, showing a strong end to the year.  RJC announced that in 2014 it secured 100 net new members of which 75% are now certified. The organisation also announced 14 Chain of Custody Certified Entries are now registered in the gold…

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New database helps jewellers identify stolen watches

A new initiative to help jewellers, pawnbrokers and police to identify and trace stolen watches is being launched in January by intelligence sharing organisation, SaferGems.  Acting as a central database of watches’ serial numbers, the SaferGems Watch Register will enable jewellers and pawnbrokers to check the provenance of second-hand items…

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