News
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Mar- 2020 -24 March
NAJ postpones 2020 summit
The NAJ has announced that it will be postponing its 2020 Seminar amid the current coronavirus situation. It is now scheduled to take place in June 2021. The Summit was due to take place between the 20 June and 22 June at the De Vere Staverton Park Estate in Northamptonshire,…
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24 March
Birmingham Assay Office closes operations
The Birmingham Assay Office has announced that it will be “closing all operations” from today (24 March) for the three weeks stipulated by the government. The office said that the decision came in light of the Prime Minister’s lockdown announcement on Monday evening, and said that the move would “protect…
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24 March
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – Advice for employers
The Job Retention Scheme is a huge incentive for companies to keep employees on payroll. To access the support companies need to classify employees as a furloughed worker, which means they should not undertake any work for the company while furloughed, including answering calls or emails. In exchange employers can claim a grant of…
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23 March
PM bans ‘non-essential retail’, instructs public to stay at home
The UK public are only allowed to venture out of their homes for essential supplies and one exercise outing per day, or face fines, under new measures introduced this evening by the prime minister. In a recorded address filmed in No 10 Downing Street, Boris Johnson said the police will…
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23 March
H.Samuel announces temporary store closures amid Covid-19 virus outbreak
High street jewellery store H. Samuel has announced the temporary closure of all its stores amid the recent outbreak of the Covid-19 virus. The retailer announced all store closures will take effect from today (Monday 23 March) but its website will be “open as usual.” In a statement, the retailer…
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23 March
F. Hinds and Chapelle close all stores until further notice
Family-run jewellery business F. Hinds, which also operates Chapelle, has announced that all sites for both brands are to close until further notice. In a newly released statement, the Hinds family said: “It is with great sadness that we have made the difficult decision to temporarily close all of our…
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23 March
Lebrusan Studio launches ready-to-order engagement rings
Lebrusan Studio has announced the launch of a “compact” new selection of ready-to-order engagement rings, entitled The Candy Pop collection. The collection, named after its “palette of sweet pastel hues”, features four hand-crafted rings with Sri Lankan sapphires in assorted colours and shapes. Each gemstone was hand-selected by the sustainable…
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23 March
Covid-19: Beaverbrooks to shutter all 69 stores
UK jeweller Beaverbrooks has revealed plans to shutter all 69 of its stores by 5pm today (23 March) amid the Covid-19 outbreak. Managing director Anna Blackburn said this decision will “greatly affect” its hundreds of store colleagues, and added that supporting them is its “number one focus right now”. She…
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20 March
Covid-19: Government to pay 80% of salary to staff unable to work
Chancellor Sunak Rishi has said the government will pay 80% of wages for employees who aren’t able to work due to the coronavirus, up to £2,500 a month according to the BBC. The “unprecedented measure” comes as the government has unveiled more plans to protect jobs and businesses amid the…
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19 March
Gold and silver down double digits in February hallmarking
The number of gold and silver pieces hallmarked in February 2020 decreased by 13.3% and 25.3% respectively, according to figures compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office. Gold hallmarked pieces decreased from 281,938 to 244,558 and silver items decreased from 344,104 to 257,212 during the month. Additionally, palladium decreased by 70.3%…
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