FEATURE: Hot Diamonds, hot results

A standout company for its sales performance in 2014 was Hot Diamonds. The firm’s revenue growth of 101%, however, is not an accident. We caught up with commercial manager Adryan Cresswell to find out what the secret is. First, it is important to state the figures – they are the…

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Thieves slip on jewellery store floor during raid

CCTV has captured a gang of thieves falling over on a polished floor after ram-raiding a jewellers with a stolen Mercedes.  Security cameras at Gem Jewellers in Station Street East, Coventry, show the silver car – which was stolen and had false number plates – smash through the glass shop…

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High Street footfall suffers against out-of-town shopping

Footfall on Britain’s high streets has declined yet further thanks to the rising popularity of out-of-town shopping complexes, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).  The BRC/Springboard Footfall and Vacancies Monitor found that town centre shopping malls reported the largest decline in footfall, falling 2.8% compared with the same time…

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SOAPBOX: Fancy colour diamonds in today’s market

Eden Rachminov, one of the founders of the Fancy Color Research Foundation, explores how the rising popularity of fancy colour diamonds is affecting the jewellery industry, and what the increasing prices will mean going forward. There is a growing trend in jewellery design: the post-recession global economy coupled with a…

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Hallmarking figures drop in January

After a strong year of growth for hallmarking figures in 2014 the total number of articles hallmarked was down 7.6% in January 2015 compared to the same time last year.  According to data from the four UK assay offices and compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office, there was a total…

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Fancy colour diamonds not affected by diamond price falls

Fancy colour diamonds are continuing to show consistent price levels, despite a backdrop of commodity value declines in Q4 2014.  This is according to the first Fancy Color Diamond Index developed by the Fancy Color Research Foundation (The FCRF), which was launched in November last year. The index revealed that…

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I Love a Lassie reports triple sales

Jewellery brand I love a Lassie has reported a strong start to the year due to “loyal” stockists and a strong showing at Jewellery and Watch Birmingham (J&WB).  Sales for the company have grown threefold compared to the same time last year, with the business attributing this to 12 new…

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COMMENT: You cannot overstate the importance of confidence in diamonds

This week the great and good of the jewellery industry descended on Antwerp for the annual Diamond Trade Fair. This event is a hugely influential spectacle, attracting representatives from the world’s top firms who trade up to 80% of the world’s rough diamonds. The impact of decisions made here reverberate throughout the…

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IJL launches new market focus initiative

International Jewellery London (IJL) has announced the launch of a new initiative – ‘the IJL Market Focus’ – aimed at creating global jewellery trade commercial and cultural partnerships.  Italy has been chosen as the first Market Focus for 2015 with ‘In Stile Italiano a IJL’ showcasing a selection of Italian…

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January like-for-likes enjoy modest increase after ‘subdued’ December

January retail sales grew marginally despite a ‘subdued’ December, according to latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC).  The BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor found that total sales were up 1.6% compared with the same period last year, and above the 12 month average of 1.4%. However this represented a…

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