Year: 2016

Make Your Mark winners announced

The winners of the inaugural Make Your Mark Awards were announced at a reception held at Goldsmiths’ Hall last week (1 November). The awards, which aimed to celebrate the hallmark and challenge entrants to use creativity in where it is placed on their design, featured six judges who assessed the…

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Helensburgh jeweller to close after 52 years

A jewellery store in Helensburgh, Scotland, is set to close its doors later this month after more than 50 years in business. Webster Jewellers – located on West Clyde Street for the last 52 years – will shut on Saturday 12 November after its owner, Iain Johnston, decided it is…

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BREXIT: Parliamentary approval needed to trigger Article 50

The government cannot kickstart Brexit without parliamentary approval and a vote from MPs in the House of Commons, the High Court has ruled. The ruling means Prime Minister Theresa May cannot trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty – the start of formal discussions to leave the European Union (EU)…

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Jewellery is the UK’s ‘most popular’ collectible investment

Jewellery is the most popular collectible investment in the UK, according to a recent study released by Lloyds Private Banking. It found that out of the one in six UK investors who held collectibles in their portfolio 9% of them invest in jewellery, compared with an average of 7% who…

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Diamond prices decline in October

Diamond markets were quiet in October with wholesale businesses closing for the respective Chinese, Jewish and Indian holidays. The latest RapNet Diamond Index (RAPI) from the Rapaport Group also found trading slowed as larger US holiday orders were already filled and dealers shifted to accommodate specific requirements from their retail…

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Graff Diamonds unveils world’s largest heart-shaped diamond

Graff Diamonds has unveiled the largest D colour, flawless, heart-shaped diamond in the world, weighing 118.78 carats. Named the Graff Venus, the stone has been graded a D colour, flawless type IIA with excellent polish, excellent symmetry and no fluorescence – the highest accolade a diamond can achieve. The Gradd…

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Diamond dealers jailed for laundering £53m to crime gangs

A London-based couple who ran a diamond trading business from their home in East Finchley have been jailed for laundering more than £53m for organised crime gangs. Danny Koort, 52, and Jeanette Rosen, 48, were convicted for money laundering at the Old Bailey after a joint investigation by the National…

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Heated discussion at Hatton Garden BID open forum

A heated discussion took place last night (27 October) as members of the jewellery industry attended an open forum to discuss the future of Hatton Garden. The forum was organised by the Hatton Garden Business Improvement District (BID) to discuss its investment plan and address concerns over the future of…

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Hancocks London named Mayfair’s ‘Best Independent Jeweller’

Luxury jewellery store Hancocks London has been named the ‘Best Independent Jeweller’ in Mayfair. The Mayfair Awards – run by The Mayfair Magazine – is now in its fifth year and aims to celebrate local businesses that are committed to “excellent as the best in their field”. Hancocks, which beat…

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Retail employment falls 3% in third quarter of 2016

Retail employment fell 3% in the third quarter of the year when compared with the same period in 2015, according to new data released by the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The fall in employment, which represented the third consecutive quarter for falls in employment, came as the number of retail…

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