News

UK festive spending set to rise to £24.6bn, PwC survey finds

UK consumers are expected to spend £24.6bn on presents and celebrations this Christmas, a 3.5% increase on last year, according to new research by PwC. PwC’s Festive Predictions Survey forecasts average spending of £461 per adult over the period, up from £449 in 2024, despite continued pressure on household finances…

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Christie’s jewels sale totals $46.5m with record breaking Tiffany necklace

Christie’s Luxury Week continued in New York on 10 December with its Magnificent Jewels sale, which raised $46.5m (£34.6m) and was 95% sold by lot. The top result was a Tiffany and Co tourmaline and diamond necklace from the collection of Max and Cecile Draime, which sold for $4.22m (£3.14m)…

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Mappin and Webb returns to Birmingham with new showroom

Mappin and Webb has reopened in Birmingham after more than 20 years, with the Watches and Switzerland Group unveiling a refurbished showroom beneath the Burlington Hotel on New Street. The 260 sq mt site follows a seven-month rebuild and sits close to the city’s Jewellery Quarter. The group said the…

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Alexandria launches debut men’s high-end collection

Alexandria, a new London-based men’s high jewellery brand, has launched with a collection of 18k gold rings influenced by historic leaders including Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Genghis Khan. The company, founded by Ryan Bernell, aims to offer what it describes as a more distinctly masculine approach to fine…

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Diamonds Factory opens new Metrocentre store

Diamonds Factory has expanded its North East footprint with the opening of a new store at the Metrocentre, marking the brand’s latest investment in its UK retail network. The new space, which builds on the success of Diamonds Factory’s Newcastle showroom, will offer customers access to handcrafted jewellery, including engagement…

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Hockley Mint’s Gary Wroe receives 2025 NAJ Chair’s Award

The National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) has named Gary Wroe, managing director of Hockley Mint, as the winner of the 2025 NAJ Chair’s Award.  The award recognises his long-standing contribution to the UK jewellery industry, and was presented at the Benevolent Society Christmas Ball at the Grand Hotel in Birmingham…

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AG and Sons supports UK reforestation with planting of 200 trees

Family-run fine diamond jewellery brand AG and Sons has planted 200 trees in partnership with Time4Trees as part of its environmental sustainability efforts.  The initiative supports verified UK tree-planting and reforestation projects intended to improve biodiversity and contribute to long-term carbon capture. The company’s newly planted woodland is located at…

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Curious Gem unveils Edinburgh uni jewellery and silversmithing bursary

Edinburgh supplier the Curious Gem has launched a new bursary for jewellery and silversmithing students in partnership with the University of Edinburgh’s Edinburgh College of Art. The annual award will support a third-year student as they move into their final year of study on the BA (Hons) jewellery and silversmithing…

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Susannah Lovis opens larger boutique in Burlington Arcade

Jeweller Susannah Lovis has relocated to a larger unit within Burlington Arcade, opening a new boutique at 56–57 Burlington Arcade.  The move places the business a short distance from its previous site and provides more than double the former showroom space. The expanded boutique includes a Heritage Room designed for…

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Black Friday delivers limited lift to discretionary retail sales in November

Black Friday provided only a modest boost to discretionary retail sales in November, with total like-for-like sales rising 3.4% against a weak comparison period in 2024, according to BDO’s latest High Street Sales Tracker. The increase followed a 5.8% fall a year earlier. The month, which included the peak promotional…

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