Current Affairs
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Jul- 2015 -8 July
Summer Budget 2015: Sunday trading could be extended
Sunday trading hours could be extended to give businesses greater flexibility over their weekend opening hours, the Chancellor George Osborne has announced. Speaking at the Summer Budget 2015, the first all-Conservative budget speech since 1996, Osborne said that elected mayors and councils could be given powers to relax local laws…
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1 July
Creative industry employment jumps 15.8%
Employment in the UK creative industries has jumped 15.8% since 2011 with 1.8 million jobs now in the sector, according to a new report. According to figures released by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) the number of jobs within the creative industries increased by 5.5% compared to…
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Jun- 2015 -26 June
‘Human hair’ used for jewellery by design student
A student has taken ‘upcycling’ to a whole new level, designing a jewellery collection made from unwanted human hair. Designed and made by Olivia Hawley, a final year student at Birmingham City University’s (BCU) School of Jewellery, the collection aims to “challenge society’s perception of jewellery and to play on…
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11 June
Gem-A members call for emergency EGM
Members of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A) are calling for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to question the board. The online petition says that there has been concerns raised that the charity trustees are not fulfilling the charity’s “aims and objectives”, and that the charity is not being…
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1 June
‘Tax freedom day’ falls on 31st May
This year’s Tax Freedom Day, the day when Britons stop working to pay their taxes and start earning for themselves, falls on 31st May, according to Adam Smith Institute calculations. The Institute estimates that Britons will work 150 days this year solely to pay their taxes. This is one day…
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May- 2015 -13 May
WFDB express concern over undisclosed diamond treatment
The president of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB), Ernie Blom, today expressed his concerns over the discovery by the GIA of a shipment of allegedly treated diamonds. Yesterday, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) said that some 500 colourless to near-colourless diamonds have been submitted primarily to its…
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7 May
Hatton Garden raid has ‘ruined lives’
The Hatton Garden raid has “ruined lives” and victims have lost their “livelihoods”, according to a loss adjuster. Ricky Marchant, from Marchant and Marchant, told the BBC that he was dealing with seven clients who had lost items during the robbery, with an estimated value of £2m in total. Marchant…
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6 May
Polished diamond prices stabilize in April
Diamond markets were quiet in April despite a slight improvement in sentiment towards the end of the month as shortages helped stabilize prices. This is according to Rappaport’s Rapnet Diamond Index (RAPI) which said that many diamond suppliers did not lower their prices even though liquidity and profitability remain tight.…
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Apr- 2015 -24 April
Hatton Garden heist: £20,000 reward offered by police
A £20,000 reward has been offered for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the burglary at Hatton Garden Safety Deposit company. Appearing on BBC1’s Crimewatch last night, Detective Superintendent Craig Turner, head of the Flying Squad, appealed for witnesses to the robbery which took…
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16 April
Gemfields’ emerald and beryl production triples in Q1
Gemfields has reported an increase in its production levels as emerald and beryl production rose significantly during the first quarter (Q1) of 2015. Production of emerald and beryl almost tripled in the first quarter of the year (ending March 31, 2015) at its 75%-owned Kagem mine with 9.9 million carats…
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