News
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Jan- 2016 -12 January
UK retail sales remain subdued as e-commerce sales surge
The growth of retail sales continued to slow down in December as e-commerce sales jumped compared with the same month last year. Thatโs according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG Retail Sales Monitor, which found like-for-like retail sales in the UK rose by just 0.1% in December compared…
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12 January
Camden Council to develop new jewellery workshops
Camden Council has announced its support of jewellery businesses in Hatton Garden through the development of new โaffordableโ work spaces. Camden, which said it hopes to help up-and-coming businesses who want to work in the area, has agreed to provide funding to business space operator Centa Business Services to refurbish…
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8 January
EXCLUSIVE: Winsor Bishop on track for โrecordโ sales growth
Norwich-based independent jeweller Winsor Bishop is on target to achieve the highest sales growth in its 185-year history, Jewellery Focus can reveal. In the financial year to date (from 1 April to 31 December), the jeweller – which was victim of an armed robbery earlier this year – reported a…
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7 January
Signet Jewelers reports Christmas sales growth of 5%
Jewellery retail giant Signet Jewelers has reported a 5% increase in total sales over the Christmas period when compared with the previous year. The US-based group, which is the parent company of UK retail brands H Samuel and Ernest Jones, also reported a growth in same-store sales of 4.9% during…
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7 January
Christmas spending up 4% but high street slumps
Year-on-year consumer spending was up 4% over the Christmas period but there was a huge divide between online retailers and high street stores, according to new research. The latest monthly spending data analysis by Barclaycard found that growth in this period (22 November to 26 December) was driven entirely by…
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6 January
Armed thieves raid Mayfair jewellery store three weeks after opening
A gang of armed raiders on mopeds raided a luxury jewellery store in Londonโs Mayfair district on Wednesday morning, just three weeks after it celebrated its opening. The Metropolitan Police are now appealing for information and witnesses to come forward following the smash-and-grab incident at Time Machine on Avery Row…
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6 January
Shop prices fall 2% in December
Overall shop prices fell 2% in December from the 2.1% decline seen in November, according to new data released today. The latest British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen Shop Price Index found that non-food shop prices, which includes jewellery, fell by 3% during the month – slightly lower than the…
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5 January
World’s largest blue star sapphire ‘discovered in Sri Lanka’
The worldโs largest blue star sapphire has been found in a mine in Sri Lanka, gemologists have claimed. Gemologists in the countryโs capital said they have certified the gem, which was mined in the city of Ratnapura, known as the City of Gems, as weighing 1404 carats – ย the previous…
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5 January
Polished diamond prices increase in December
The price of polished diamond continued to increase in December, boosted by last-minute Christmas holiday orders. The latest Rapnet Diamond Index (RAPI) from Rapaport found the price of 1-carat, GIA-graded diamonds increased 1.5% during the month. RAPI for 0.30-carat diamonds and 0.50-carat diamonds increased by 4.7% and 3% respectively, while…
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4 January
Greg Valerio awarded MBE for work in Fairtrade gold
The founder of Cred Jewellery, Greg Valerio, has been awarded an MBE in the Queenโs New Yearsโ Honours List. Valerio, who established the worldโs first traceable gold โfrom mine to wedding ringโ in 2004, was awarded the title for his work in Fairtrade gold and with gold mining communities in…
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