Current Affairs

1/3 of Brits would gift second-hand jewellery for Christmas, survey reveals

Some 43% of Brits would “gladly” give a pre-owned gift for Christmas, according to a study by experts in pre-owned luxury jewellers, William May.  The study found that one in eight of the 3,000 Brits surveyed admitted they get more satisfaction from purchasing second-hand items than brand new. The survey…

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Louis Vuitton buys Tiffany for $16bn

Louis Vuitton (LVMH) has announced a “definitive” agreement with Tiffany and Co., whereby it will acquire the luxury jewellers for $16bn (£12.5bn), or $135 (£105) per share in cash. This is higher than the original offer, which proposed that each share was bought for $120 (£93), valuing Tiffany’s overall business…

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Third of UK gold jewellery sold online suspected as fake, warns BHC

A third of “gold” jewellery being sold online is suspected to be unhallmarked and therefore may be fake, raising concerns that UK consumers are being duped by internet traders, according to data released today from the British Hallmarking Council (BHC). A 10-day internet sweep by WRi Group in partnership with…

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Three-quarters of Brits can’t spot fake jewellery, study finds

Brits “don’t have a clue” when it comes to spotting fake jewellery, according to new research. The survey, conducted by metals specialist metals4U using high-resolution photographs, found that items which appear to be made from gold are the hardest to verify. More than three-quarters of Brits were challenged to identify…

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Boris Johnson reveals plan to rescue high street

Boris Johnson has pledged to “save the Great British high street” after unveiling a series of measures he will implement if he is elected as the leader of the Conservative party. The Tory leadership front-runner said he would implement a three-step plan that includes making it easier for shoppers to…

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Alrosa partners with De Beers to pilot Tracr programme

Tracr, the end-to-end diamond industry blockchain traceability platform being developed by De Beers Group has announced that Alrosa has joined the platform’s pilot programme. Alrosa will join industry leaders from the diamond manufacturing and retail sectors in creating the blockchain platform. Following the announcement of the Tracr pilot earlier this…

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De Beers successfully tracks first diamonds from mine to retail on blockchain

The De Beers Group has announced that it has successfully tracked 100 high-value diamonds along the value chain during the pilot of its industry blockchain platform. An immutable and secure digital trail was created for a selection of rough diamonds mined by De Beers as they moved from the mine,…

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Industry figures comment on overseas hallmark outcome

Leading figures in the industry have commented on the outcome of the British Hallmarking Council’s consultation on overseas hallmarking styles. The Council decided in principle that hallmarks struck overseas by UK assay offices should be distinguished by way of a special mark. Discussions are now taking place with assay offices…

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Scottish locals back petition to stop young jeweller being deported

Almost 3,000 Scots have signed a petition to stop a young Russian jeweller from being deported. Evgeniia Balashova, 23, is currently at risk of deportation after she was declined a visa extension by the Home Office due to problems registering her address with officials. Balshova, who has her own jewellery…

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Cred Jewellery imports biggest ever Fairtrade gold bar

Ethical jewellery brand, Cred Jewellery, has brought back the single largest Doré bar of Fairtrade gold so far in response to growing consumer demand. The bar weighed in at 15.517Kg and contained 82% gold and 16% silver. The next shipment, due in May and expected to be of a similar…

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