Year: 2016

VOHS: Banks Lyon

Name: Rodney Banks Lyon Location: Lancaster Year Established: 1985 Number of Staff: 12 Website: www.bankslyon.co.uk When was Banks Lyon founded? Banks Lyon Jewellers was founded by myself in 1985. Having served various apprenticeships at H. Samuel, Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths alongside gaining a distinction in my FGA, my father was…

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Brand Q&A: Swatch

Calvin Klein Watches and Jewellery, part of the Swatch group of brands, enjoyed double-digit growth in the UK market last year. TOM DAVIS sat down with brand president, Laura Burdese, to learn about the brand’s UK footprint and its future expectations [divider style=”solid” top=”20″ bottom=”20″] Give us a bit of…

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Rare blue diamond sells for £22.5m

The world’s largest oval fancy vivid blue diamond to ever go under the hammer has been sold for $31.8m (£22.5m). The De Beers ‘Millennium Jewel 4’ was auctioned at the Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Spring Sale on 5 April, selling for the highest price ever paid for a jewel…

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Non-food shop prices continue to fall in March

Non-food prices in the UK continued to fall in march, as overall shop prices reported deflation of 1.7% during the month from the 2% decline in February. The latest British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Nielsen Shop Price Index, found that non-food deflation rose to 2.6% in March from the 3%…

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Why it’s important to be a boffin

So how is the industry holding up so far this year? A salient question, but a hard one to answer without some statistical context. On the face of it, the trade is only just holding onto its hat, with a minuscule 0.8% increase in hallmarking volumes in February compared with…

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Polished diamond prices remain stable in March

Prices of polished diamonds remained stable in March, according to the latest RapNet Diamond Index (RAPI) from the Rapaport Group. The company said prices were supported by steady dealer trading even though the outlook for consumer demand remains uncertain. It added, in the first quarter, sentiment improved as polished prices…

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Bonhams to auction jewels owned by an Indian royal family

A collection of jewels owned by an Indian royal family is set to go under the hammer, with the top piece set to sell for up to £70,000. The collection, which will be auctioned by Bonhams at its Indian and Islamic sale in Bond Street on 19 April, is owned…

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NAJ presents honorary membership to Retail Jewellers of Ireland

The National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) has presented an honorary membership to the Retail Jewellers of Ireland (RJI). The membership was presented to the association in recognition of the “close relationship” between the British and Irish jewellery industries. The NAJ said it had “enjoyed a very cooperative working relationship especially…

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Bizarre ‘talking diamond’ alarms miners

A rough diamond with bizarre auditory qualities has been uncovered in a mine in Botswana. The 4.23-carat gemstone, which was found by miners working in Jwaneng diamond mine last night, reportedly began issuing a ‘gargling’ sound shortly after it was dusted off. It is thought the type IIa D-colour stone…

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GIA predicts more synthetic diamonds to be introduced to the industry

Research published by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has predicted a “significant” rise in the number of high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) synthetic diamonds to enter the market. The announcement follows a visit in early March 2016, where researchers visited a diamond factory in China and obtained 50 crystals ranging from…

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