Year: 2016

Retailers ‘bullish’ for Black Friday and Christmas sales

Retailers are optimistic that they will achieve a positive result in their biggest sales period, with most anticipating increased revenues on Black Friday and across the Christmas period. The Barclays Christmas Survey 2016 found the majority of retailers are more confident about Christmas trading compared with 2015 (60%), with just…

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October online sales growth at highest since Black Friday 2014

The value of online retail sales grew 18.9% in October compared with the same month last year – the highest year-on-year growth rate for any month since Black Friday 2014. The latest IMRG Capgemini eRetail Sales Index found the growth was up on a comparatively low rate in October 2015,…

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Coloured diamonds steal show at Geneva auction

Coloured diamonds remain “highly desirable”, according to auction house Sotheby’s following its recent jewellery sale in Geneva. Leading the show was a 17.07-carat emerald-cut Fancy Intense Pink diamond that soared over its pre-sale estimate of 11.81m to 14.76m Swiss Francs (£9.5m-£11.8m) to sell for 20.8m Swiss francs (£16.7m). An Internally…

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Hatton Garden BID launches area’s first ‘Christmas gift guide’

The Hatton Garden Business Improvement District (BID) has launched the jewellery quarter’s first Christmas gift guide, in a bid to capitalise on festive spending. Created to promote Hatton Garden and its fine jewellery offering, the guide will showcase over 50 pieces of jewellery including precious designs, bespoke pieces and luxury…

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High street struggles to ‘meet demand of time-poor and tech-savvy customers’

High street retailers are struggling to meet the demand of time-poor and tech-savvy customers, according to a new study new research from Barclaycard. The survey of 2,000 UK adults found increasingly busy and technology-savvy shoppers cite lack of time as a primary reason for buying online more often (32%), with…

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Patek Philippe watch fetches record £8.8m at auction

A Patek Philippe reference 1518 in stainless steel established a new world record for any wristwatch to be sold at auction when it went under the hammer on the weekend. The timepiece – believed to be one of only four of its type to exist – was sold at Phillips’…

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Jeweller’s carpet worth thousands after collecting gold flecks for 15 years

A jewellers worn-out carpet is set to be valued at thousands of pounds after gathering specks of gold dust and and platinum for the past 15 years. Aurum of Jersey, in St Helier, Jersey, has decided to replace its workshop carpet, which will be sent to a bullion merchants and…

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De Beers reports ‘good demand’ in ninth sales cycle

The De Beers Group of Companies has reported ‘continued good demand’ for rough diamonds for the ninth sales cycle of the year. Provisional sales for the company’s ninth sales cycle of 2016 stood at $470m (£378m). This was down from the $494m (£398m) raised in De Beers’ eighth sales cycle,…

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VOHS: Cupitt Jeweller

Name: Asa Cupitt, Cupitt Jeweller Location: Bromsgrove Year established: 1946 Number of staff: 7 Website: www.cupittjeweller.co.uk What’s the history of Cupitt Jeweller? Claude Cupitt started the business in Bromsgrove, in 1946. When he retired in 1979 his son Jim took over the business with his wife Sue. They relocated the shop…

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London Diamond Bourse members vote in favour of resolution

The London Diamond Bourse (LDB) held an Extraordinary General Meeting on Thursday, 3rd November where the future of the organisation was discussed openly with all members present. The meeting was attended by members from all parts of the trade including workshops, specialist insurers, SME and major diamond dealers. The Council of…

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