Petra Diamonds reports 16% increase in revenue

Independent mining firm Petra Diamonds revenues have climbed 16%, despite a 2% fall in production, in its six-month results up to December 31, 2014.  The company reported revenue of $214.8m (£142.5m), up from $184.6m (£121.4m) in the same period the previous year. The report included the sale of two “exceptional”…

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Police competition winner bags FC Barcelona trip

Police Watches has announced the winner of its competition which will see the victor travel with FC Barcelona and meet the team.  Mark Purcell, who purchased a watch from Grade A jewellers in Manchester, won the prize. Over 300 people had entered. The in-store competition saw customers receive a scratch…

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Gem-A launches CSR course for jewellery professionals

The Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A) has announced its new ‘CSR for the Jewellery Professionals’ course is now open for enrolment.  The six-lesson course, developed in conjunction with Branded Trust and the World Jewellery Confederation Education Foundation (WJCEF), is now accepting applicants from across the trade for those who…

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CCTV images capture raid on jewellers by armed gang

CCTV images have caught the moment a gang of armed raiders smashed their way into a Rochdale jewellery store and stole several items.  The robbery took place at Naz Jewellers on Milkstone Road in Rochdale at around 12:30pm on Thursday January 22. According to Greater Manchester Police, the gang pulled…

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BCU students produce wedding designs for Weston Beamor

Weston Beamor has announced the four Birmingham City University (BCU), School of Jewellery, students short-listed to win the company’s annual design competition. The ultimate winner will be revealed in a prize-giving ceremony on Weston Beamor’s stand at the Jewellery & Watch exhibition in Birmingham. The four students in the running for…

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Cara Delevingne announced as new face of Tag Heuer

Tag Heuer has appointed supermodel Cara Delevingne as its new brand ambassador.  Delevingne was welcomed to the company in the Salle Melpomène, in the Ecole des Beaux Arts de Paris, and was presented with a One Steel and Black Ceramic Chronograph set with diamonds. In her first photoshoot for the…

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Gemporia launches new ring ‘sizer’ app

Online jewellery retailer Gemporia has announced the launch of its new ring sizer app, which will show both UK and US size measurements.  The app, which will be available on smartphones and tablet PCs, will allow customers to place their own ring onto the screen of the device and align…

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Jewellery Focus introduces metal prices to Daily Briefing

As of today, Jewellery Focus has begun publishing daily metal prices as part of the Daily Briefing newsletter offering. Subscribers to the Briefing can now read the top stories of the day, the week, the editor’s blog and check out what the price of gold is doing – all before midday. Prices…

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Birmingham Assay Office receives RJC recertification

The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) has announced that the Birmingham Assay Office has achieved re-certification.  The re-certification was achieved by meeting the “highest ethical, social and environmental standards” established by the RJC. Stella Layton, chief executive and assay master, who was recently appointed chairman of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, said: “[The…

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Retail employment grows marginally in December

December showed the strongest month-on-month growth in retail employment since February 2014, up 0.9% year-on-year, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).  The BRC-Bond Dickinson Retail Employment Monitor which found that growth in December was supported entirely by the non-food sector while the grocery sector continued to to cut back…

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