Month: April 2020

Covid-19: Florence Jewellery Week 2020 cancelled

Organisers of the Florence Jewellery Week 2020 have said the event has been cancelled as a result of the latest provisions for extending the quarantine in order to combat the coronavirus. Organisers said it is now “inevitable, and we must accept reality” as exhibitions, conferences, seminars, and meetings have all…

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Scarves for face-masks will be part of the government’s post-pandemic advice

The government will advise the use of homemade facemasks once the pandemic measures are sufficiently relaxed for people to go back to work. As it tries to make sure that surgical-grade personal protective equipment (PPE) does not face supply issues for NHS workers, the government said scarves or ‘homemade cloth…

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One in six shopworkers abused daily during pandemic, says Usdaw

Shopworkers’ trade union Usdaw has released statistics revealing one in six shop workers have suffered abuse on every shift, during the coronavirus pandemic. The statistics revealed 62% of the 4,928 shopworkers surveyed have experienced verbal abuse, with almost a third being threatened by a customer. Usdaw also revealed 4% of employees were…

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19th Century Tiffany brooch sells for £50,000

A late 19th Century Tiffany Tiger Orchid brooch has sold for £50,000 at auctioneer house Elstob and Elstob’s first fully online auction on 18 April. Modelled in the shape of a Tiger Orchid, the Tiffany brooch dates from circa. 1890 and bears the Tiffany & Co signature. The flowerhead is…

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Merci Maman receives Queen’s Award for International Trade

Merci Maman has received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2020 in the International Trade category for a second time.  The jewellery company was founded in 2007 by Béatrice and Arnaud de Montille, and now employs a team of 40 with three offices in London, Paris and Berlin. Two members of…

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‘Business as usual’ for Curteis amid crisis

Curteis has announced it is “still talking, sending and making” amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis and nationwide lockdown. The manufacturer said it has continued operating within government guidelines since the lockdown began, making changes to operating procedures ‘as required’.  In its latest update, it assured customers that “the phone has…

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Covid-19: JCK Las Vegas postponed

JCK Las Vegas, the largest jewellery trade show in North America, has postponed its 2020 event after “careful consideration”. Organisers announced they had made the “difficult decision” that the JCK and Luxury event will now take place in June 2021 in Las Vegas.  For 2020, however, JCK organisers will “shift…

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Will there be coronavirus help for small company directors who are paid by dividend?

The financial plight of limited company directors has been raised by the Tory chairman of the Treasury select committee. Mel Stride, a former Treasury minister, said chancellor Rishi Sunak needs to view company directors as a tranche of people who have ‘slipped through the net’ of all the other largesse…

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The Goldsmiths’ Company launches £1m Covid-19 Fund

The Goldsmiths’ Company has announced the launch of a £1m Goldsmiths’ Covid-19 Fund to provide support to individuals working in the jewellery, silversmithing and allied industries. The group said that the funds intended to help these individuals through a “period of hardship”, and sustain the “craft, skills and future of…

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Companies House suspends strike-offs amid Covid-19 crisis

Companies House has announced it has temporarily paused its strike off process to prevent companies being dissolved amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The government announced changes to Companies House enforcement last week (16 April), which gives businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak the time they need to update their records and…

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