News

RJC officially recognises ‘Fairmined’ small-scale mining standard

The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) and the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) yesterday announced an official standard for artisanal and small-scale mining.  The ‘Fairmined Standard v.2.0’ is now officially recognised as a Responsible Mining Standard under the RJC Chain of Custody (CoC) standard for precious metals. The standard aims to…

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Tateossian to support Breast Cancer Care with bracelet launch

Tateossian is set to continue its support of Breast Cancer Care with a brand new version of its signature Pop Scoubidou leather bracelet.  A new orange-and-magenta version of the popular bracelet will be sold and will feature the signature Tateossian clasp. Robert Tateossian, CEO, told Jewellery Focus: “I am thrilled…

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Beaverbrooks adds Tudor watches to stock roster

Beaverbrooks the Jewellers has announced the introduction of Tudor watches to its range. Tudor, which is part of the Rolex group, has a history stemming from Hans Wilsdorf, a leading figure in the Swiss watchmaking industry and the founder of Rolex. In 1946 Wilsdorf founded Tudor with the aim of creating timepieces with all…

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Blancpain to open flagship store and first franchise boutique

Watch brand Blancpain is set to open two new boutiques in London in October and November this year.  The November opening will see Blancpain open a new flagship store on New Bond Street. The store will have two levels with an area of more than 43 square metres. Blancpain’s October…

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BRC responds to Miliband’s proposals on business rates

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has today responded to proposals on business rates from the Labour party leader, Ed Miliband.  Miliband has announced a 1% cut in business rates if labour is in power after the 2015 election. The move would involve reversing the inflation-linked increase scheduled for April 2015…

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New support programme launches for creative industries

A new support programme, Creative Industry Finance (CIF), will launch across the UK on September 23.  CIF aims to provide business support and access to finance to enable the growth and development of the UK’s creative and cultural industries. The programme will offer up to 12 hours of free sector-specific…

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Historical ring collection sells for over £300,000

A collection of 101 rings, The Ceres Collection, which range in date from as early as 400 BC were sold for over £3,000 at a Bonhams auction.  The collection of cameo and intaglio rings performed better than expected, ending with a total lot of more than £300,000, triple its pre-sale…

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Global diamond demand reaches record levels, says De Beers

Global demand for diamond jewellery reached a record high of $79bn (£48bn) in 2013, according to the inaugural Diamond Insight Report published today by De Beers.  However the report claims that “substantial investment will be required in diamond production, technology, and branding, marketing and retail standards” if the industry is…

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TAG Heuer ‘to launch a smartwatch’

A swiss newspaper has reported that TAG Heuer is planning a smartwatch product, according to Reuters. The comments, purportedly made by Jean-Claude Biver, head of LVMH’s watch business, were published in NZZ am Sonntag, a major Sunday newspaper. Biver is alleged to have said: “We want to launch a smartwatch at…

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F Hinds joins 100 firms demanding rates overhaul

Britain’s largest independent family jeweller, F Hinds has joined more than 100 of Britain’s biggest companies calling for business rates to be overhauled. The signatories of the open letter, published in The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday, call the conversional tax a “critical problem”, saying that business rates “are no longer…

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