H&T Pawnbrokers to sponsor Pawn Stars on History channel

H&T Pawnbrokers has announced it is to sponsor History channel’s Pawn Stars UK programme.  A statement from the firm said it aims to bring pawnbroking to the “mainstream and the goal is to show the day-to-day of pawnbroking in order to allay any consumer fears and concerns.” Chief executive John…

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Petra share price soars after 232-carat white diamond find

Independent mining firm Petra Diamonds saw its shares soar on Tuesday after it announced the recovery of a 232-carat white diamond at its Cullinan mine.  Shares on the FTSE 250-listed rose by 8.65% finishing the day on 192.10p. The diamond is a D colour Type II diamond, one of the…

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Mococo to launch first in-house collection

Jewellery retailer Mococo has announced the launch of its first in-store jewellery collection – Coco Kiss, a bespoke wedding jewellery collection. The Coco Kiss collection primarily focuses on engagement rings and wedding bands that incorporate a contrasting ‘kiss’ design on each piece, and pieces are available in combinations of sterling…

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Guess launches Breast Cancer Awareness watch

Guess Watches has announced the launch of its 2014 Special Edition Breast Cancer Awareness Watch.  The ‘Sparking Pink’ special edition will feature a combination of sport design and chic fashion inspiration and will be available around the world this autumn. Its face will include the iconic, international, symbol for breast…

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GIA appoints new vice president of global compliance and ethics

The Gemmological Institute of America (GIA) has appointed Katherine Palmer Andrews to the newly-created position of vice president of global compliance and ethics.  Andrews’ past roles have given her “extensive experience developing enterprise compliance programmes and leading global teams”, including six years in chief compliance roles at General Electric, GIA…

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Graff Diamonds to return La Biennale

Graff Diamonds has announced it is returning to Paris-based show La Biennale des Antiquaires after a 12 year absence.  The firm said it plans to showcase some of its rare diamonds and gemstones along with two “outstanding” pieces of jewellery including the Royal Star of Paris brooch (which can also…

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18ct gold case edition for Apple smartwatch offering

US tech firm Apple has revealed its new ‘Apple Watch’, a wristwatch with a touch screen and iPhone-style apps, at a convention in California. The watch will be available from early 2015. The firm says the device, the most basic of which will retail for $349 (around £220), is of “a…

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BRC: August retail sales growth ‘best since January’

Retail sales in August grew 1.3% compared with August 2013 on a like-for-like basis, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).  In the best performance since January, the BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor showed total sales were up 2.7%, with growth largely driven by sales of clothing and footwear, which reported…

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Don’t argue with the data…just wait for your slice

It is beginning to feel more like a job as a leader-writer for the Financial Times than a jewellery trade magazine, but there is just so much positive news out there it cannot go without comment. Yesterday the Birmingham Assay Office release the all-office hallmarking figures, showing a year-on-year rise yet again,…

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Q&A with Mads Ziegler, STORY

Can you give us some background on the company? I started the company in 2003 and worked as a sales manager in Denmark. The original brand, along with my business partner, was called Kranz & Ziegler. My business partner left the company after three years because of poor health. By…

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