Jeweller April 2013

BaselWorld Preview

NAG’s Education Awards

Tucson report in Gems&Jewellery

JewellerApril 2013 £7.50 The Voice of The Industry

theJewellerthe

Gems&JewelleryIncorporating

The Voice of the Industry 3

Contents & Contacts |

Basel prepares for Big Business 22

A brand new hall housing almost 2,000 watch,

jewellery and gemstone exhibitors – we preview

the phenomenon that is BaselWorld.

Presentation of Awards 10 & 48

Miles Hoare reports on the NAG’s celebration

of academic achievement within the jewellery industry.

Pawnbroking for beginners 40

In our third feature on jewellers offering a pawnbroking

service we speak to a retailer who is just starting out

on the venture.

C O N T E N T S A P R I L 1 3

The National Association

of Goldsmiths

78a Luke Street,

London EC2A 4XG

Tel: 020 7613 4445

www.jewellers-online.org

Editor: Belinda Morris

Tel: 01692 538007

[email protected]

Sales Director: Ian Francis

Tel: 020 7613 4445

Fax: 020 7729 0143

[email protected]

Publishing Enquiries/

Classified Advertising:

Neil Oakford

[email protected]

Art Director: Ben Page

[email protected]

Contributors:

John Henn, Michael Hoare,

Miles Hoare, Amy Oliver

The Jeweller is published by the National Association of Goldsmiths for circulation to members. For more informationabout The Jeweller visit: www.thejewellermagazine.com

The magazine is printed on paper and board that has met acceptable environmental accreditation standards.

Although every effort is made to ensure that the information supplied is accurate, the NAG disclaims and/or does not accept liability for any loss, damage or claim whatsoever that may result from the information given. Information and ideas are forguidance only and members should always consult their own professional advisers.The NAG accepts no responsibility for any advertiser, advertisement or insert in TheJeweller. Anyone having dealings with any advertiser must rely on their own enquiries.

Communiqué 4

Editor’s Letter 7

Industry News 9

International News 14

NAG News 14

Member of the Month 16

IRV 20

Insurance 30

Ethical 31

Security 32

Opinion – John Henn 34

Legal 37

Brand Profile – Emozioni 38

Antique Jewellery 42

Notebook 46

Last Word 58

JewellerThe Voice of The Industry www.thejewellermagazine.com

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Cover ImageIn conjunction with

Emozioni – Hot Diamonds

Email: [email protected]: 01889 753331

or visit: hotdiamonds.co.uk/emozioni-trade-information

Gems&JewelleryA roundup of the latest news from Gem-A and around

the gem trade, including a further report on the Tucson

trade show, gem ‘talk’ from Gary Roskin and more…

At the tail end of 2000 I joined an industrywith which I was absolutely unfamiliar.

I thought my experience of looking afterfashion retailers at the old British Shops &Stores Association would stand me in goodstead, but I was wrong. In my naivety Ithought jewellers would see that their tradewas connected to the fashion sector, but Idiscovered that not to be true. In fact somehad more in common with the mind-set ofthe 17th Century goldsmith bankers thanthey did with 20th Century fashion retailers.How times have changed!

Today the coalition government is bickeringabout the economy; the liberal wing favouring stimulation through infrastructurespending, the conservative faction insistingwe hunker down for more austerity; and theprospects for growth diminish by the day.How different it seems to 2000 when grossdomestic product rose by one per centquarterly, and the century was still relativelyuntarnished. Lest we forget, the UK’s economic performance was strong duringthe period 1997-2010. GDP per capita grew faster than in France, Germany, Italy,Japan and the US. Productivity growth –GDP per hour – was second only to the US.And improvements in UK employment rateswere actually better than in the US.

These were halcyon days indeed, with thegold price at around the $280 mark andMintel estimating the sector’s sales growthat 36.5 per cent between 1995-2001 – toaround £3 billion – compared to 29.6 percent for the sector as a whole; and jewellerysales growth at 4.95 per cent year-on-yeareven outstripped clothing at 4.5 per cent.What could go wrong?

Plenty, it seems! Because about this timejewellers began to wake from a long slumber to discover that the world waschanging – and fast! Where once sales hingedon the cycle of Valentine’s Day, engagements,weddings, Christenings and anniversaries thatperpetually drove purchases and sustainedbusinesses for multiple generations, suddenlycustomers wanted more. And what’s more,the industry was soon to be confronted bycriticism from the Department for Trade andIndustry (remember them?), in the form ofa competitiveness analysis.

The DTI’s accusations came thick and fast,including failure to understand the shape orpotential of the market because of minimalconsumer research; feeble one per cent ofturnover advertising spend when comparedto the 10-11 per cent spent by sellers of mobile phones, holidays, electronics, entertainment, and other goods competing

for discretionary spending; little added valuein terms of environment, service, innovationand after sales; and lack of business positioning, such that customers didn’trecognise jewellers’ profile or brand values.Added to this jewellers stood accused ofpoor performance measurement, most onlylogging annual sales growth and sales persquare foot, having no idea how much they could sell. And finally, woeful under-investment, with most independent sectorprofits taken out as annual dividends, ratherthan re-invested in future business.

Manufacturers didn’t escape either, standing accused of sticking with tried andtested methods despite being uncompetitive,and of inefficiency and failure to adapt to orpredict trends. Their action agenda called for improvements in sector leadership;improvement of the design process; supplychain efficiencies; benchmarking and bestpractice; and greater education and training.You can decide if the last decade has seenimprovements in any of the above, but let’sask ourselves, “Is this fair criticism?” Well, thehallmarking figures for gold items, havingfallen from about 25 million in 2002 tonearer four million in 2012, might tell theirown story about manufacturing in the UK,but what about retail?

M I C H A E L H O A R E ’ S

CommuniquéIt’s an end of an era! As he takes his final bow, outgoing CEOMichael Hoare reflects on the various highs and lows of the jewellery industry during his 12-year tenure. That’s all Folks!

| Comment

4 The Jeweller April 2013

Certainly, my first impression was that, with enlightened exceptions, the independent turn of the century jeweller was still tograsp the power of visual merchandising, eschewing the ‘less-is-more’display techniques that their fashion brethren used to tantalise anddraw shoppers inside. Equally, most shop layouts didn’t encouragefree flow and browsing, with security almost used as an excuse todiscourage customers. Realisation of the power of brands to attractattention and drive add-on sales was yet to hit home.

The notion that the drop off in weddings might affect ring salesdidn’t register, and range planning and buying were regarded asblack arts, with little regard given to the shifting taste, demographics,celebrity culture, emerging urban tribes, or special interest – be itgay, grey, or extreme sports! As a result, many owner-buyers withtheir tried and tested ‘favourites’, were bewildered by depressedsales. The idea of controlled product ranges, increasing stock-turn,seasonality and merchandising discipline were alien concepts tomany. Plus, too many owners stuck to the claim that their ‘nameabove the door’ was their brand, but then failed to project its idealsor protect its values. And, I’m sorry to say, standards of sales andmanagement training weren’t of the highest order, often sinking tothe lowest common denominator at all levels.

Don’t misunderstand me. If this all sounds like a terrible indictmentof the jewellery trade… stop right there, because I want to makeone thing perfectly clear. Nearly all of its woes were the result ofdecades of success characterised by solid businesses handed downfor generations. Why else would so many independents still survive?Their only ‘crime’ was to be a little complacent and perhaps a littlenaïve in assuming that the good times would continue to roll.

With the benefit of hindsight we can now see that a decade ago we stood on the brink of massive change. The intervening years have brought us some unpredictable challenges – and somethat were all too predictable – but when you think of it we’ve donepretty well to deal with most; take regulation, certification and disclosure; the Kimberley Process and the ethics debate; threats to hallmarking; money laundering legislation; the Gold Standard,and countless other issues. Neither the internet, nor TV shopping,have killed the sector stone dead as predicted, nor will they – both playing a solid part in all our futures, if we use them wisely. Plus the retail trade has taken remarkable strides in all the areas listed above, even if the gold price has increased five-fold, we’vesacrificed a little bit of trust, and we’re all a little more hard-headedas a result.

As for the future, it would take several more pages to tell you whatI think that holds, but I haven’t the space or time, for my time is upand I must bid you farewell and take my leave. Thank you for having me along for the ride and letting me share the experience,it’s been fun. But now, that’s all folks!


Comment |

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Comment |

The very first thing I must do, before giving you a taster of what’s to come later in this

issue, is say hello to the NAG’s new chief executive. I met Michael Rawlinson at a recent

CMJ event as he was being introduced to our industry by Board member Andrew Hinds. He

looked absolutely nothing like a man being thrown in at the deep end, but, actually very

much up for it all and raring to get stuck in. And he hadn’t even officially taken over the helm

of the Luke Street team at that point! He’s here now though, so welcome to our world

Michael, we’re all looking forward to working with you.

If we really wanted to subject him to trial by fire, we could, of course, have suggested that

Michael attend BaselWorld later this month. The mind-boggling scale of this fair – which,

thanks to a new hall complex, has just got bigger – induces information and visual overload

in the most seasoned of visitors. For those that are making the trip to Switzerland though,

our Basel feature on p22 offers a Look Book preview of some of the watch and jewellery

collections being launched this year.

Those definitely in attendance at BaselWorld are the team members from Gem-A, who

will once again have a presence in the gemstone sector (Hall of Elements, Hall 3) after a

20-year hiatus from the fair. Apart from welcoming Gem-A members to the stand, they will

be bringing back reports for future issues of Gems&Jewellery and The Jeweller, but before

then there’s James Riley’s impressions of the Tucson Show following his first ever visit to the

gemstone event (p.13 G&J). There’s another Very Big One!

On a somewhat smaller scale, but nonetheless of huge significance to those in the NAG,

are the Education Awards which took place at the Goldsmiths’ Hall in London last month.

If you were one of the many triumphant students who collected your certificate that evening,

you will find your name listed in the honourable roll call, following Miles Hoare’s account of

the glittering occasion on p48.

Finally, I’m not going to mention the weather. So boring, I refuse to… duh!

Gems&Jewellerypage 15

Page 22

Editor’sLetter

“…Andrew Fellows and I(AKA Laurel and Hardy)competed to see who could find the most unusual and dangerous gemstone”

“In the past many wouldonly visit [Basel] if theyhad watch businesses…but there are so manynew jewellery brands to discover as well asnew trends…”

If you would like to comment on any of the issues raised in this edition of The Jewelleror any other trade-related matters please email the editor at: [email protected]

This month:

| Industry News


F Hinds signs up to Gold StandardJewellers F Hinds is the first and currently

the only national gold buyer to havesigned up to The Gold Standard – a voluntary agreement that ensures its customers will be treated fairly, will get agood price and will receive free face-to-faceadvice, item by item. It also makes it harderfor thieves to sell their stolen goods as comprehensive evidence of identity isrequired. The group has offered a Cash forGold programme in all of its 112 stores forthe last five years.

The Gold Standard is a voluntary codeof conduct for the purchase of second-hand precious metal and jewellery, and isa partnership initiative between the police,jewellery and pawnbroking industries. TheGold Standard is endorsed by the NAG,BJA, National Pawnbrokers Association,Association of Chief Police Officers,

Trading Standards Institute and NationalMeasurement Office. F. Hinds’ Cash forGold scheme has the support of thepolice who have expressed their satisfactionwith its practices and endorse it as a model of how a responsible gold buyershould operate.

The aim is for the public to be able to seeat a glance which retailers meet the GoldStandard and use them in preference to goldbuyers who can’t show that they don’t dealin stolen goods. “The Gold Standard is anexcellent example of how HertfordshireConstabulary is working in partnership withothers to make life difficult for the criminalwho wants to sell stolen gold and jewellery,”said Inspector Paul Lawrence, CommunitySafety and Crime Reduction DepartmentCounty Crime Prevention. “It spotlights thosejewellers who trade responsibly by introducing

a number of verification measures enshrinedin The Gold Standard. This initiative isintended to provide both the retailer and thecustomer with a sense of added security,whilst making it difficult for criminals to dispose of stolen property.”

Pravin Pattni, chairman of the NAG commented: “The Gold Standard is a vitalpart of halting the worrying increase inthefts of Asian gold and the targeting ofAsian households by burglars. Requiring theseller to prove full identity and the eweller to keep comprehensive records,makes it far harder for criminals to sellstolen gold. It will also help the police identify thieves. We believe that the publicwill strongly support those companies who follow the highest ethical practices byonly selling their gold and other preciousmetal at a Gold Standard retailer."

The Jewellery Show London announces content programmeThe Jewellery Show London (11th – 12th

June, 2013) has lined up key industryexperts, including retailers, for its speakerprogramme at this year’s exhibition. Thisyear also sees the launch of The WatchSalon London, which will run alongside themain event, offering a selection of premiumwatch brands including Seiko and B&QWatches, supplier of pre-owned Rolex,Cartier, Breitling, Omega, Bulgari, Hublot and Patek Philippe timepieces.

Taking over Somerset House, TheJewellery Show London and The WatchSalon London – organised by i2i EventsGroup – will also offer seminars and trend-led catwalks which will take placeacross two theatres.

Sharing her inside knowledge, HelenDimmick from Green + Benz will present anindependent’s perspective: Building a Brandfor Your Boutique; while a panel of experts willdiscuss how to interpret fashion trends into a

commercial jewellery collection. Other talkswill examine the ethical sourcing of materialsand adapting to an increasingly brand-drivenmarket, plus trend tips and styling advice andtalks from leading British designers AlexisDove and Babette Wasserman.

A dedicated seminar theatre to The WatchSalon London will welcome key speakersincluding Jon Parker, horology lecturer fromthe Birmingham School of Jewellery, whowill explore Innovations in Design – thenewest techniques and practices beingemployed within the industry. As the desirefor pre-owned watches increases WesleySuter, MD of Steffans The Jewellers willexplore jewellery retailers can capitalise onthis growing market.

Looking at how to incorporate pre-ownedwatches into other collections, the regulations with regards to servicing andrepair, advice on brands to stock and in-store marketing and sales tips Watch

Warehouse eCommerce director DavidEpstein will take to the stage to explain how to run a successful online businesswhile Robert Loome watches director,whose speciality is the quintessentiallyEnglish timepiece, will join C W Sellors director Chris Sellors, to discuss new developments taking place within the watch industry. For more information visit: www.thejewelleryshowlondon.com


Industry News |

S N I P P E T SDomino designers winGoldsmiths’ Awards

Natasha Bagnall and Siobhan Maher,designers in Domino’s New ProductDevelopment team, have won awards in the2013 Goldsmiths’ Craftsmanship and DesignAwards. Bagnall took the Gold Award in the‘3D Design – Contemporary Jewellery inGold or Platinum’ category for her ‘Heroa’necklace in platinum and diamonds with rubyhighlights set in 18ct yellow gold. This piecealso received the ‘IJL Special Award’, and willbe displayed at IJL in September. Maher tookSilver Award in 2D Fine Jewellery Design forher onyx and sapphire necklace. She was alsoa joint winner of the Marcia Lanyon SpecialAward for innovative use of coloured stones.

Warrenders hail cab for ads

Surrey’s long established family jewellerWarrenders has used one of London’sicons, the London taxi, to promote its business. Based from Sutton Station theWarrenders cab will be the first thing travellers see as they step off the train.Decorated in the company’s classic livery ofdark green and gold it features images ofjewellery to grab the attention. Inside thecab the advertising continues on the flip upseats giving passengers all the informationon the store that they need.

According to the British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA) the Chancellor deliveredtwo out of three of its suggestions made beforehand but also ‘turned the screw on the

high street’. Action on the job tax National Insurance and action on Corporation Tax was heeded, says a BIRA spokesperson, but he kept the pressure on high street retailers by pressing ahead with a 2.6 per cent increase in business rates, bringing down a blowweighing 175 million pounds on this ‘buckling sector’. “The Chancellor should think on the

fact that every independent that closes shuts the door on ten jobs,” he said.New NAG CEO Michael Rawlinson agrees that the Budget had negative as well as positive

aspects. “It was very disappointing that the Chancellor did not assist the high street by actingto reverse the planned increase in business rates. These will have a direct negative effect onevery NAG member, particularly our larger members, who have hundreds of stores on whichthey pay business rates,” he said.

“On a modest positive note, the increase in personal tax thresholds and the scrapping theplanned 3p hike in full duty, that was due in September, will provide some additional spending in consumers’ hard pressed pockets. We can only hope that they choose to spendsome of this extra cash on cheering themselves up with a new piece of jewellery or a timepiece. Times are tough in British homes and I can see no signs to encourage me that anything is going to change anytime soon,” he added .

TH Baker 125 years greatjewellery ‘giveaway’

TH Baker, the Brierley Hill-based jeweller which operates 20 stores in the Midlands andSouthern England, is marking its 125th year in the industry with the launch of a £125,000

jewellery giveaway. Customers old and new are invited to fill out forms in the store and answera question about the company for their chance to win prizes each month throughout the year.

As well as jewellery and watches from bestselling collections, a ‘star’ prize is awarded eachmonth, which so far have included a Mastercut diamond necklace and an Omega watch. In addition to the competition, TH Baker (which was founded in 1888 by Thomas HenryBaker on Brierley Hill High Street) the store will host various events during 2013, with themain anniversary party being held in October.

Budget implications for UK retailers

W Major & Sons to close its doorsFormer NAG chairman Nicholas Major has announced that his store, William Major & Sons

in East Grinstead, will be closing its doors on 15th April this year after 110 years trading.Brothers Nick and Keith Major are the third-generation of the Major family to run the

business which started trading in the West Sussex town in1903 and was famously commissioned to create replicas ofthe Crown Jewels for an overseas client in 1969. However,due to pending retirements the brothers plan to sell the family business and continue to work in the jewellery industry on a private, by appointment, basis. Nicholas wasupbeat about the business and the future, saying: “We havebeen an amazing team over the years and one just has torealise that this partnership is coming to an end.”

Assay Office mourns loss offormer Master Bernard WardBernard Ward OBE, the former Assay Master of the Birmingham Assay Office passed away

on the 15th March 2013 at the age of 78. He had been ill for some time and leaves awidow Margaret and children Val and Michael.

During his 15 years at the helm Bernard reinvigorated the business. He encouragedprogress through expansion and exemplary customer service, acquired new equipment andboosted team effort, to position Birmingham as the largest assay office in the UK in just threeyears. Today the Birmingham Assay Office enjoys areputation in the jewellery industry and beyond asleaders in the field of service and technical expertise – a fitting testimony to the ground worklaid down by Bernard Ward.

In recognition of all of his hard work and achieve-ments and for services to the jewellery industry,Bernard received an OBE at Buckingham Palace on20th May 1999, the day of his 65th Birthday.

| Industry News


S N I P P E T STustains expands store

NAG members Tustains has expanded itsRoyal Leamington Spa store to ‘accommo-date its growing stock and clientele’. A second private consultation room has beenadded, allowing staff the freedom to givemore time and attention to customers within a quiet environment. As well as thenew look, Tustains, which was established in1895 and is run by brothers Joe and TomMilner, is soon to unveil its new websitewhich will include a ‘click and collect’ service.

Mappin & Webb sponsorsYoung Ambassador Award

Royal Warrant holder Mappin & Webb wasthe sponsor of the Young Ambassador ofthe Year Award for The Prince’s TrustCelebrate Success Awards which took placein London on 26th March. The annualawards recognise the significant achievements of disadvantaged young people supported by the Trust who havesucceeded against the odds, improved theirchances in life and had a positive impact ontheir local community.

Nude Jewellery launchesdesign competition

Mayfair independent jewellery retailer NudeJewellery is running a competition forrecently graduated designer makers. Fromsubmissions received by 18th April ownerNikki Galloway will select the top threedesigners. The shop’s Facebook fans willthen have 14 days to choose their favourite.The chosen candidate will then have the chance for their work to be exhibited in Nude Jewellery for three months. Visit:www.nudejewellery.co.uk

This year, as part of Jewellery Week’s events in June (7th – 16th), a nationwide competitionis being launched to find the ‘best jewellery shop window’, across independents,

multiples and department stores. There will be five categories to cover the variety of retailoptions in the initiative which is being run in association with the BJA.

In answer to the Mary Portas’ call “to help ‘bring back the bustle’ to our town centres”Jewellery week is calling on businesses, local authorities and shoppers across the country toput jewellery retailers back on the map and get behind it’s campaign to help create highstreets that we can all be proud of”.

Jewellery retailers are being asked to design a shop window that will “entice passers-by,wow their customer base and put the shop in the running for a UK Jeweller Award, nationalpress coverage and lots of prizes. Jewellery designers are being encouraged to lobby theirstockists to get involved and feature them in their prize-winning window.

Interested retailers need to register and become a Jewellery Week member (£200 + VAT)and all window entries, with 250 words to describe the window, must be registered by30th May, 2013. The display has to be up for the duration of Jewellery Week – althoughit can be longer. Photos of windows must be sent by 7th June. For further information visitwww.jewelleryweek.com

UK shop window competition

New jewellery department for F&MPiccadilly emporium Fortnum & Mason launched its new jewellery department last month,

offering a showcase for a number of British and international jewellery designers. Locatedon the second floor of the store, the space provides a showcase for top names such asStephen Webster, Katie Rowland and Vivienne Westwood. In addition, the department hasalso played host to five designers in the British Fashion Council’s Rock Vault initiative, including Tomasz Donocik, Melanie Georgacopoulos and Fernando Jorge.

Summing up the new department, which will carry fashion as well as fine jewellery, buyerJo Newton said: “This is a curated collection of jewellery that is a perfect balance of the modern and the traditional. We will always seek out the unusual and the original for our store,and there will be a real sense of theatre around these beautiful pieces.”

Green + Benz launchesring design systemManchester-based jewellers Green + Benz

has got together with German fine jewellery supplier Henrich & Denzel (H&D) tolaunch a technologically-advanced online ‘customer configuration system’. The websiteallows the user to create his or her own H&D ring through 10 parameters: profile, width,height, material, size and type of diamond,number and position of stones, engravings andsurface finish. The available range encompasses wedding and engagement rings and sets, diamond bands, friendship and dress rings and partner bands.

Once configured the designs can be saved, emailed or downloaded as a PDF, after whichthey are taken to a Green + Benz store to discuss and amend if need-be and then finalisethe order. “Working with H&D we have created an individual, unique route that engages andexcites the customer as they experience the very best in technology and the physical retailexperience,” said Green + Benz MD Helen Dimmick.

| Industry News


S N I P P E T STomassa Goldsmiths launch

London-based on-line fine jewellery brandTomassa is targeting high street customersfor the first time as it goes into partnershipwith Goldsmiths. The Indian Summer collection will be available from early Junein 16 stores, including Westfield, London;Trafford Centre, Manchester andMeadowhall, Sheffield. The hand-finished18ct gold vermeil pieces feature gems.

Sophie Harley creates line forRoos Beach

Jewellery designer Sophie Harley has collaborated with new Cornish jewelleryboutique Roos Beach to create a sea andbeach-inspired collection of silver and goldvermeil pieces. Necklaces, earrings and anklebracelets will feature Harley’s signaturecharms as well as fish bones, talismanicsharks’ teeth, scallop shells, surfboards andsea horses. The line is available to otherretailers outside of the Cornwall area.

John Pass opens new shop

The Crewe-based third generation jewellerybusiness John Pass has opened a third luxury showroom in Newcastle-under-Lyme.The store is in a Grade II listed building inthe town’s pedestrianised shopping areaand includes a Rolex room and an Omegashop-in-shop as well as John Pass fine diamond jewellery. The store will also offer on-trend collections from Pandora, Links ofLondon and Thomas Sabo. Also part of thebusiness is The Box in Stoke-on-Trent.

Herts police seek help

Hertfordshire Constabulary is appealing forhelp following a house burglary, which happened between 12th and 19th ofFebruary, in Borehamwood. Photographshave been released of some of the manyitems of jewellery and watches stolen, including a double-row pearl and sapphirenecklace which the owner is particularly keento retrieve. The jewellery is not only expensivebut of sentimental value to the victim. Anyonewith information should contact DC GuyReynolds via the non-emergency 101 number,quoting crime reference J1/13/587. Imagesof the jewellery can be viewed under OpAkora on: www.facebook.com/hertspolice

Fable Trading clarifiesrecent Pandora dealFable Trading Ltd, the UK distributor for Danish charm bead brand Trollbeads, in the UK and

Ireland, has confirmed that Pandora is not set to take over all future intellectual property(IP) rights relating to Trollbeads glass bead designs. Pandora announced on 15th March thatit will pay Danish Trollbeads, £21.9m, for all IP rights relating to glass bead designs created byTrollbeads founder, Lise Aagaard.

The announcement was followed by speculation in the media that Pandora would take overfuture IP rights to Trollbeads designs. Fable Trading has confirmed that this speculation wasunfounded and clarified that the payment related only to an historic agreement made betweenAagaard and Pandora, when the company was in its early days. Aagaard provided glass-beadmaking guidelines and designs to Pandora to enable the company to develop glass beads forsale under the Pandora name. The company has now bought the IP rights to these designs; thereis no agreement regarding future designs and no effect on Trollbeads business going forward.

Gill Neil of Mallory Jewellers, Bath hasbeen announced the winner of Fope’s

annual Dream Ticket competition. Each year the Italian fine jewellery company incentivises its retailers by offering staff achance to win a luxurious experience, asreward for generating the most sales for thebrand over the Christmas period. As her prizeGill chose to visit the Fope factory and havethe chance to create her own Flex’it bracelet.

Mallory winner of Fope competition

THE RENAISSANCEwww.tresorparis.com


| NAG News

The National Association of Goldsmithshas appointed Michael Rawlinson as

its new CEO. Rawlinson who has held senior roles,

most recently as director general of UKIE, the UK Interactive Entertainment association that represents video gamesand interactive entertainment developersand publishers, joined the Association on2nd April. He has been an industryspokesperson with considerable experienceof working with the media, the UK government and in Brussels on behalf ofhis association, as well as holding a back-ground in retailing and consumer goods.

During his time as an association head,Rawlinson has introduced new services formembers, worked widely with related associations, developed codes of practiceand managed the full range of activitieswhich lively trade associations carry out.

Commenting on his new appointment,Rawlinson said: “I am really enthusiasticabout the opportunity to follow in MichaelHoare’s footsteps and to work with the teamof excellent people at the NAG: members,staff, officers and other directors. The jewellery industry is a vibrant and ever-changing one to be working in and there are exciting challenges ahead for the NAG…I look forward to leading the team that will deliver the right services for our members, who face a very challenging anddynamic marketplace, and I am keen for theAssociation to realise its full potential”.

NAG chairman Pravin Pattni commentedon the decision to appoint Rawlinson asCEO saying: “The selection panel workedwith an expert in recruiting senior staff forassociations and considered a very broadrange of candidates with diverse backgroundsincluding leading associations, the jewellery

trade, retailing and training, to mention but afew. A very thorough process narrowed thefield from almost 150 – leaving MichaelRawlinson as the right person to managethe NAG and work with the team to take theAssociation forward.”

Pravin went on to say: “We’re delightedthat Michael has accepted the position andlook forward to working with him over thecoming years.” Turn to p58 to learn a littlemore about our new CEO who has beengiven The Last Word.

Michael Rawlinsonappointed as new CEO

Kate Madelin namedtemporary educationmanagerAt the moment Luke Street is buzzing

with the promised pitter-patter of tinyfeet. No, we’re not starting a crèche – butas of April this year we will be losingEducation Manager Victoria Wingate as sheprepares to take maternity leave for thenext 12 months. Victoria has been with theAssociation for the last 23 years and hasbeen managing the education departmentfor 13 of those years.

With Victoria’s departure, the reigns of theeducation department will be handed overto Kate Madelin. Kate has over 13 yearsexperience of planning and implementingnational education and skills policy. Duringthis time, Kate has worked for an account-ancy body, two sector skills councils andbeen head of the workforce developmentdepartment at a London college.

Continuing with our staff introductions, theNAG is welcoming yet another new

member to the team. As of 24th April 2013the NAG will welcome Nieema Alom to the team to take on the position previouslyheld by Faye Hadlow – that of Policy andResearch executive.

Despite the somewhat political-soundingtitle, the role is an essential part of the workings of the NAG and includes resolving disputes and updating our members on consumer and retail law. Nieema will be supporting both the press and marketing teamsas well as the new CEO in driving forward policy issues and lobbying on behalf of the NAGmembers and the wider jewellery industry.

Nieema has a background in publicAffairs, development and politics, and joinsthe NAG from the London Borough ofNewham, the main Olympic host borough,where she campaigned extensively on

behalf of the local authority on various welfare reforms and National MinimumWage issues. During her time at Newham,Nieema worked to raise the profile of theborough during the Games and to secure ameaningful legacy for local residents. As partof this, she established and managed the All Party Parliamentary Group for UrbanRegeneration, Sport and Culture, which scrutinised Olympic legacy plans for eastLondon within Parliament.

Nieema has a wide range of experience ingovernmental, regulatory and developmentroles while also having completed a mastersdegree in anthropology, development andhuman rights at the University of London’sGoldsmiths’ College. She has also worked fora women's charity focussing on employmentrights and has previously worked within theretail jewellery sector for seven years withthe Signet Group, Pravins, and Selfridges.

New Policy & Research executive to join the NAG


NAG News |

New Member Applications

To ensure that NAG Members are aware ofnew applications for NAG Membershipwithin their locality, applicants’ names arepublished below. Members wishing to comment on any of these applications cancall Amy Oliver on 020 7613 4445 or emailher at: [email protected] three weeks of receipt of this issue.

Ordinary ApplicationsWinski’s of Kinross, Kinross

Alumni Associate ApplicationsJoanne Wicker, Ashford, Kent

Jacqueline van Heesewijk, Ripley, Surrey

Sabrina O’Cock, London

Alasdair Parker, Kilmarnock

Rebecca Share, Halesowen, Worcestershire

NAG Institute of Registered ValuersKarra J Willmott PJDip JPGemDip PJValDip FGA,

S Warrender & Co, Sutton.

Alan Wetherall PJDip FGA DGA, Cellini, Cambridge.

Retired Members 2012A. Horner Jewellers Ltd, Huddersfield,

West Yorkshire

Bucks Jewellers, Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire

Fournel Jewellers Ltd, Aldeburgh, Suffolk

Howkins Jewellers, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

K. Batchelor, Dartford, Kent

M. Naulls & Co., Louth, Lincolnshire

Percy A. Thomas & Son, Rhyl, Clwyd

S. A. Iles, Swindon, Wiltshire

Wilson McQueen, Craigavon, N. Ireland

Resigned Members 201221st Century Silver, Esher, Surrey

Ballymoss Retail Ltd, Dublin, Ireland

Bluestreams Ltd, Harrow, Greater London

C. L. Jeffries, Newport, Gwent

Charles Howell, Oldham, Lancashire

David Cormack, Wick, Highland

Greenspark Ltd, Cheadle, Cheshire

John Cadby FGA DGA, Trowbridge, Wiltshire

Kalischer, Finchley, London

Neal Gray Jewellers Ltd, Richmond, Surrey

Ruppenthal (UK) Ltd, West Wickham, Kent

Silver Mine, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

Swan jewellery, Thame, Oxfordshire

T A Mercer, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, N. Ireland

The Bench, St. Lawrence, Jersey

The Gem Den, Penrith, Cumbria

The PMC Studio Ltd, Chesham, Buckinghamshire

Uno, Swansea, Glamorgan

Westover Jewellers Ltd, Bournemouth, Dorset

William Taylor, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

NAG appoints new marketingand communications officer We know what you’re thinking: “Enough with the introductions already!” And we know.

We’re sorry. We’re even getting confused ourselves. However, we promise this is thelast one… honest.

Earlier this year we sadly lost a new member of staff. Charley Torr, who joined the NAG inlate 2012 did a sterling job of taking on the updates in NAG marketing and branding materials (as many of you will have noticed with the new prospectus and education logos).However, due to personal circumstances she had to leave the Association to find work closer to home.

We now have news of her successor however. As of 4th April we welcome Arafa Kumbukawho will join the Association as Marketing & Communications officer. Tanzania-born Arafajoins us from the London School of Science & Technology where she was marketing andadministrations officer. In 2010 she gained a masters degree in Strategic Management fromDe Montfort University. On accepting the post Arafa said she was: “looking forward to joiningthe NAG and the new opportunities this role will bring. Most of all I’m excited about workingwith everyone in and around the Association.”

International trophy preparations in full-swingNational pride is at stake this May as the titans of British golf go head-to-head for

another ‘bloody’ round at this year’s NAG International Golf Tournament. Taking place inthe home-country of last year’s winners, Ireland, the battle for the International Trophy willtake place at the awe-inspiring Druids Glen in Wicklow, on 20th May.

The International will see England, Wales, Scotland and last year’s champions, Ireland gomano-a-mano to clinch the much-coveted trophy which was first presented in 2011. Englandis seeking to dampen the hopes of cup-holders Ireland who took the trophy back to hometurf in 2012 and add to their first victory two years ago. Still struggling for players, the Welshteam has put out a desperate plea, with the team manager urging potential Welsh sign-upsto think about taking up golf, saying: “It’s like rugby, but with sticks and smaller balls and nophysical contact. There is also ample opportunity to drink cider.”

Frank Woods, NAG treasurer and enthusiastic golfer urged members to think about gettinginvolved saying: “It promises to be another really fun year. The course is fantastic. It’s situatedabout 20 miles south of Dublin and is renowned as one of the best golfing locations in Europe.Part of the Irish Open for four years, the course hosted the Seve Trophy (a prestigious prize oftencalled the ‘Augusta of Europe’) and has seen many famous faces throughout its long history.

To find out more about NAG golf days, talk to Frank on 01904 625274, or email him [email protected]

| NAG News


Sonkai is one of a growing number ofretail jewellery businesses established by jewellery designers; what was themotivation behind setting up in theretail trade?This was more opportunity than design…We had been looking for a suitable work-shop space when a tiny silver boutique cameup for sale. It was in the beautiful and historic ‘Norwich Lanes’ part of the city centre,and was therefore a perfect start-up locationand size for us to take on. We knew nothingabout retail and have been on a steep learning curve ever since.

This month you celebrate the 7th anniversary of the business – do you have anything special planned?We are planning some events but not untillate August/September time. We moved fromour original shoe-box of a shop to our currentspacious new premises just 18 months agoand in almost every way it has been likestarting up again from scratch, effectivelyborn-again. We had a first birthday event lastAugust and will continue with these eachyear. We’re also expecting a new baby quitesoon, as well as being in the process ofinterviewing and training new staff and soour hands are a little full this spring!

As well as all your bespoke and owncollection work, you offer jewellery rangesfrom other designers too. With so muchchoice in the industry, how do youchoose which designers to stock?Staying focussed and true to what our tastesand style suits is vital, as we are by nomeans sales people and so have to have areal love and respect for every item we sug-gest for our customers. We strive to sourcefrom British designer-makers (who are gen-uinely making their products in the UK), butare also very proud stockists of other highquality and well established internationalstars, such as Vendorafa from Italy and theexceptional talent of the Portuguese filigreemasters at Eleuterio. They all offer faultlesscraftsmanship, unique design and have gen-uine care and passion for their work.

We take great pride in our work and greatcare to maintain a very high standard withall our in-house commissions and hand-made pieces. Being able to feel confidentthat our non-Sonkai items offer the samelevel of service and skill for our customers isa very important part of choosing new stock.

There has been a lot of focus in govern-ment and in the national media regardingemployment schemes. You currently

employ an apprentice; what impactwould you say this has had on yourbusiness?I am so far undecided on the current schemes.It was enormously frustrating, difficult andconfusing when we took our apprentice on,with many months of conflicting informationand advice from varying sources. Ourprospective apprentices have so far beenmature art school graduates, rather than afresh teenage school-leaver and the age issueis a real barrier. In the end we didn’t follow anyscheme and worked out our own contract.

Would you recommend hiring apprentices to other jewellers?Ultimately we found that having the time toteach, while running a very busy workshop,was the hardest part to manage. Ideally weneed to have a second experienced jewellerto assist with the workload and training. For us, one person alone is not quiteenough to maintain what we consider to beadequate support and time.

On a lighter note, is there a memorablecustomer anecdote you’d like to divulge?Oh goodness, so many… from the plain daftsuch as one chap who couldn’t understandwhy we were unable to ‘fill’ his hollow goldpig pendant by pouring molten gold into it;and the people that are shocked to discoverthat their jewellery is not indestructible,regardless of what they do to it… Then wehave ‘Craig’s Following’; an abundance offlirty older ladies (who take a real shine tothe ‘young man’ and give the rest of us endless material to tease him with) makingcomments about fingers in rings and pearl necklaces – which often leaves Craig red-faced and attempting a delicateexplanation to any younger staff membersof what the customer was insinuating!

If you would like your business to be considered as Member of the Monthsendan email to: [email protected]

In this issue’s Member of the Month, Amy Oliver speaks to Sara Sweet of Sonkai, who along with her partner Craig Snaperuns an alternative jewellers in the heart of Norwich offeringbespoke services and many original pieces.

NAG Member of the Month

| NAG News: Education & Training


For those of you well-versed in the waysof The Jeweller and our education

department, you will know that this time ofyear is always reserved for the celebration of those people who have devoted hours

of their time to learning their trade. Not onlythat, the Presentation of Awards also givesus the chance to congratulate and recogniseexcellence, while also celebrating the peoplewho make it all happen – the knowledgeable

few who give something back to the trade.I’m of course talking about the tutors, moderators and members of the educationcommittee, many of whom have nurturedindustry-leading talent over the past somany years, giving hours of their time freelyand altruistically.

This year’s event was no exception. Withopening speeches from chairman PravinPattni and his predecessor Nicholas Major,audience members were invited to “relish in the success of their achievements”, asMichael Hoare quoted from behind thelectern. Father-daughter team NAG presidentJohn Pyke and NAG education committeechair Eleanor Pyke discussed the past and future of the education department –dwelling on the loss of a much-loved tutoras Anthony Sibley retires and that of anindustry leader, with the departure of CEO Michael Hoare.

However, with this sense of loss pervadingproceedings the Pyke team ensured us that“there lay plenty of challenges ahead, butwe’re excited about meeting them head-on”.Eleanor went on to discuss how over thelast few months the education departmenthas seen a complete re-branding and re-focusing of the NAG training packages.She went on to say how this, along with acomplete shift in the staff and culture at theNAG, spells a new era for the Association.Much like students who graduated this year,the award ceremony marks the turning of acorner for them and for the Association.

The evening continued with the presenta-tion of awards for students who’ve completeda JET course over the last year. PresidentJohn Pyke awarded certificates to each graduate, with the Greenough Trophy andGemstone Award going to the students whoperformed best on the JET 2 and Gemstonecourse, respectively – and the JET 1Bransom Award winners were invited to collect a certificate honouring their specialachievement. The winners of these covetedtrophies, along with a full list of graduates,are revealed on p48 onwards.

With all awards presented, there was onlytime left to pay a special tribute to AnthonySibley who has taught the NAG’s GemstoneDiploma for the past 30 years. Anthony waspresented with a special commemorativeplaque to remind him of his time serving theNAG and our students. On receiving thistoken of appreciation Anthony said: “I really

Students celebratedin annual awardsIn keeping with long-standing tradition the NAG invited students to the Goldsmiths’ Hall on Wednesday 13th March for its annual Presentation of Awards. Members of theProfessional Jewellers fraternity were in attendance for anevening that marked the successes of JET students over the last 12 months. Miles Hoare was there.

Although we’ve been busy with this year’sawards ceremony we’ve still found time

and space to announce the winner of thecoveted Bransom JET 1 Project AssignmentAward for 2013. Held in conjunction withour friends at Bransom Retail Systems, eachmonth the education department enters all JET 1 assignments into a competition for ‘best project’.

From assignments received this February– selected by the external examiners – the

award goes to Ruth Davis of auctioneersLyon and Turnbull in Edinburgh. The coursemoderator told The Jeweller: “Ruth’s finalpiece of course work on JET 1 was a masterpiece of gathering all the relevantinteresting information about the subject ofdiamonds, researching with a clear under-standing the nature of the answer online.The attention to detail was outstanding, particularly with regards to the coverage ofthe four C’s. One interesting addition wasthe mention of the fifth ‘C’ in diamond grading – ‘Certification’ – with strong evidenceof research having been carried out by thereference to diamond treatments.”

Ruth’s tutor, Mark Houghton was extremelyimpressed by Ruth’s professionalism andattention to detail which showed she was a“very worthy winner of the Bransom Award.All of Ruth’s assignments have not onlybeen extensive in their content but alsoextremely well researched and referenced,”he added. “Ruth has managed to supplysome excellent work-related examples whichhave helped to illustrate her responses. Thisis an excellent example of what hard work and effort can produce for studentsand has duly been acknowledged.”

The Jeweller briefly caught up with Ruthto ask how it felt to win the award. “I was

extremely surprised to be chosen – it’s greatreally. I definitely enjoyed doing it, and it’svery good to know all the hard work hasbeen worthwhile.

“I started JET 1 after about a month in thetrade, having joined Lyon & Turnball on aninternship straight from university. I joined as an auction house cataloguer – so thelearning curve is very steep. My employerput me onto JET 1 straight away and it really helped – so much so I’m taking JET 2this coming year.

“I’m now much more confident with dealing with clients and using my knowledgeto apply to the cataloguing. It’s given me a grounding of knowledge to work and build upon. I’d like to thank my managerTrevor Kyle, for giving me the opportunity to take the course.”

The education department would like tocongratulate Ruth on her extremely hardwork, and wish her continued success in herwork and future studies.

Students who successfully complete allfive assignments of JET 1 to a satisfactorystandard will be awarded a JET 1 certificateand are then entitled to continue on to JET2 and the completion of the ProfessionalJewellers’ Diploma.

For more information on the JET courses,go to www.jewellers-online.org or call 020 7613 4445 (option 1).

For information on Bransom goto:www.bransom.co.uk.


NAG News: Education & Training |

will miss it. It’s kept me in touch with thetrade and allowed me to put somethingback into an industry that has been myentire life.”

As the applause died down students wereinvited to a drinks reception with industryleaders – a chance to network, let their hairdown and continue their celebrations intothe evening. Leaving just an exhausted edu-cation department to pick up the leftovers!

Although, having said that – we’re notgoing to lie – we had a great time. And forthat we’d like to thank all students, parentsand tutors who came and showed their support. We’d also like to thank AnthonySibley for his years of service to the Association and we wish him all the best for the future.

Surely not more winners?Yes Shirley, more winners. And this time they’re Bransom’s…

Anthony Sibley receives his commemorative plaque from NAG President John Pyke

| NAG News: IRV Review


Fellowship of the InstituteThe Institute is delighted to report that sincethe 2012 Loughborough Conference IRVPaul Johnston PJDip FGA of John H Lunn,Belfast has become a Fellow of the Institute.Paul will be collecting his FIRV certificate infront of his peers at this year’s LoughboroughConference (you can read all about it innext month’s issue).

A MIRV can graduate to a FIRV and thusgain a higher level of visible professionalismand increased earning potential throughContinual Professional Development (CPD).Today CPD is the norm for a truly competentorganisation and increasingly a recognisedbadge of professionalism to the outside world.The Institute has embraced this concept.

Becoming a FIRV is open and accessibleto all MIRVs and can be seen as a trueachievement as opposed to a ‘right of passage’. It is based on a carefully balancedmenu of awards for contributing activitiessuch as attending seminars and conferences,passing trade-related examinations, attendingtrade fairs, exhibitions, etc.

To allow some flexibility, without dilutingthe qualification’s value, when a MIRV feelsthey wish to move to FIRV they can do thisin one to three years depending upon theirpreference and circumstances. Fellowshipwill be achieved by amassing 40 points overone/two years, or 45 points over three years,from a selection of different activities. Eachwill carry set points dependent upon the valueof the activity and the time it takes to do.

The current menu of qualifying activities

takes into account the nature of existing retailmembers’ work and the importance of suchthings as the Loughborough Conference.Details of the CPD options are available uponrequest from me (the IRV Co-ordinator) ontel: 029 2081 3615 or email: [email protected] The list of options is amended asthe market and circumstances change.

Certificate of Appraisal Theory –the first successful examineesYou will have read Miles Hoare’s interviewwith Alan Wetherall, one of the Institute’sCAT pilot exercise students, in the January/February issue of this magazine. Alan wasone of four people who took part in theexercise and we are delighted to announcethat he, along with his fellow pilots, all passedthe CAT exam. Here are their details:• Joanna Hardy, London• Barbara Leal, JEMS, Pinner• Benjamin Randell, Fellows, Birmingham• Alan Wetherall, Cellini, Cambridge

They will be presented with their CAT certificates at an awards ceremony held during this year’s Loughborough Conference.

Alan, who meets the pre-requisites for IRV membership has already applied tobecome a Member of the Institute. We hopehis fellow pilots will also apply soon.

Earlier date for NAG’s IRVLoughborough Conference 2013 This year’s Loughborough Conference takesplace over the weekend of Saturday 14th toMonday 16th September inclusive – a week

earlier than normal! Please can you makesure you leave this weekend free so thatyou can join in what is one of the trade’smajor networking events.Plans for this year’s programme are alreadyunder way and the Institute promises delegates yet another selection of top classexperts covering topics dear to a valuer’sheart. We already have Geoffrey Munn fromthe BBC’s Antiques Roadshow lined up for amain presentation and an array of popularworkshops in the pipeline.

As usual full details will automatically besent to all IRVs and non-IRV delegates fromthe 2011 and 2012 Conferences. If you’venot been for a while or have never attendedand would like to receive details please register your interest by contacting me ontel: 029 2081 3615 or email: [email protected]

And while you’re there. . .On the Friday before the LoughboroughConference we’ve arranged a tour of thefamous Blue John Cavern in Derbyshire.

A number of delegates like to travel up onthe Friday rather than risk sitting in a trafficjam on the M1 on the Saturday morning sowe felt we should offer something new andexciting for these individuals.

Full details of the tour will be availablewhen the Conference details are publishedbut if you are one of our regulars and wantto put your name down for one of theplaces (we can only take 30 people) let meknow as soon as possible!

NAG Institute of Registered Valuers R E V I E W

Qualifications to be proud ofSandra Page reports on the achievements of IRV members, an early Loughborough Conference and an opportunity to tour the famous Blue John Cavern while you are there!

If BaselWorld was considered to be huge inscale (think small city with village-sized

stands within) then the new-look Basel later this month promises to be particularlyimpressive… or daunting, depending onhow you view these things. With an overallinvestment of CHF340 million (£237 mil-lion), the new Hall 1 provides an extra74,000 square metres of exhibition space tothe total of 141,000 square metres of showground. Comfy shoes might be in order.

Of course the new developments – whichpromise to be exciting from an aesthetic aswell as a functional standpoint – will createa few changes. Regular visitors to the showmay well find that their suppliers are not intheir old familiar slots – a little more footslog might be necessary. At a glance though:Hall 1 – watch and jewellery brands ‘of glob-al significance’, Hall 2 – watch and jewellerybrands that are ‘internationally active’, Hall 3– stones and pearls; Hall 4 – machine andsupply industry and national pavilions.

Returning to Basel following a few yearshiatus, Gem-A will be in the redesigned Hallof Elements (Hall 3) where loose gemstone

merchants and diamond dealers will beshowcasing their offer. “The impact of thison [these exhibitors] will be interesting,” saysCEO James Riley. “It now lies on the route infor people bussing in from the airport andcar parks but is well away from the centralmeeting areas and tram stop. There is a significant danger that this group may havebeen marginalised but only time will tell.”

Meanwhile, elsewhere, there is a pre-showbuzz building as exhibitors large and smallprepare for the event. This year, for the firsttime, Ti Sento finds itself in the prestigiousHall 1 with the big boys (the likes of Gucciand Hermes) and that development hasobviously added to the sense of optimism.The upscaling of BaselWorld has alsoallowed for even greater flights of fantasy asfar as stands are concerned. In fact ‘stand’ isa wholly inadequate word for them – manybeing two or three-storey edifices. In the caseof Montres Hermes, the Japanese architect

has been employed to build a new pavilionwhich will “translate in an impressive way all the values of the House of Hermes”. We don’t doubt it.

And to mark the first time that Swarovskihas shown its jewellery collections at Basel, it has collaborated with the Japanesedesigner Tokujin Yoshioka to create a ‘Wingsof Sparkle’ concept for its stand. Expect to


Basel prepares for Big BusinessWith a sparkling new multi-million pound hall complex to marvel at, over 1,800 exhibitors to consider and the latesttrends to discover, excitement is mounting for BaselWorld,reports Belinda Morris.

Guess Jewellery

Nomos

Gemex


BaselWorld Preview |

be dazzled by 250,000 reflectors with a mirrored surface and 23,000 LED lights inthe 2,000 square metre space.

Added to this, there is a growing sensethat while BaselWorld is globally renownedas the place for watches, the show hasmuch, much else to offer. “Many of our UK customers are beginning to realise theimportance of a visit to Basel,” says JustinSimons of Euro Pearls. “In the past manywould only come if they had watch businesses, but in terms of the jewellery side,there are so many new brands to discoveras well as the new trends developing.”

This sense of optimistic expectation is certainly helping to dissipate thoughts offinancial doom and gloom. “The watchindustry is very resilient and its tradition is apowerful and positive influence on its stability,” says Kirsten Crisford of Seiko. “Wefeel that watch lovers will remain watch lovers,even in tough times, and that demand will continue to be stable and even grow inthe medium to high end of the market.”

Jennifer Keely, senior product manager atCasio agrees: “We’ve seen the watch marketincrease, despite the economic situationand don’t expect 2013 to be any different,”she says. With a number of new launches,innovations and developments, Casio usesthe show largely as a marketing exercise.

Lee Ruben of Gemex is in equally buoy-ant mood regarding his own sector. “Marketconditions are tough… but we’re not personally seeing any resistance to finebridal jewellery. I’ve said it all along – bridaljewellery is recession-proof.” While the UK is a particularly strong market for the company – almost to the point of saturation

– at BaselWorld last year it did business withretailers from the USA, Canada, Mexico,Europe (including Scandinavia), Russia, SouthAfrica and Australia. It goes without sayingthat the focus of many an exhibitor’s attentionwill be on the booming markets of China,India, Brazil and Russia.

“Despite the economic situation we are stillexpecting excellent business at the fair,” addsSimons. “Retailers and suppliers converge atBaselWorld from all over the world. Suppliersare exposed to more retailers than at anyother show and the retailer has more choice– which is why there will still be big businessin Basel.” British designer Stephen Webster,who has shown at the event for the past 12 years echoes the view: “It’s the onlyshow where we can connect with a trulyinternational customer – from Siberia toSouth America, from China to Edinburgh.The world shops at Basel.” �

Trends – Jewellery• Filigree work• Stone-set wedding bands for men• Yellow and rose gold• Pavé settings• Lockets• Key pendants• ‘Coin’ pendants• Carbon fibre rings• Colour – enamel and gemstones• Vintage looks (particularly 1920s)• Strong variety for engagement rings

Trends – Watches• Classic and modern styling combined• Military inspiration

(including ‘dash’ details)• Extreme/futuristic/super-hero looks• New technology features• Oversized buttons and levers• Alternative methods of viewing time• Multi-functions• Off-set hour and minute displays• Retro looks and heritage revisited• Simple and elegant styling• Matte and polished materials together• Crystal decoration• Yellow and rose gold• High-tech ceramics• Chronographs for women• Slimmer profiles• Openwork dials –

occasionally stylistically graphic

Furrer JacotNew for 2013 is a collection of rings featuringengraving on the outside as well as a line ofmulti-colour rings that the company hasdeveloped incorporating carbon fibre. The hightech material is used in combination withprecious metals for a very contemporary look.

G ShockThe Casio team in Japan worked with pilotsto develop the most useful features on awatch for a pilot and the result is the G ShockPremium GA-1000FC and the GA – 1000-1A, the ‘ultimate’ flight compass watches.The key feature is the bearing memory compass. The wearer is able to set their tar-get direction and if the watch goes off track,the LCD notifies the user – ideal for survival situations! The FC model has a resin strapcombined with metal for added strength.

The BaselWorld Look Book

A round-up of some of the new watch and jewellery launches at BaselWorld

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Victor MayerIntensity of colour is the very obvious statement that Victor Mayer is making withits new ring collection, with the emphasis ona bold playfulness as well as a harmonybetween the gemstones and fire enamel –the brand’s speciality. Each piece of VictorMayer jewellery is produced in a strictly limited and numbered edition which isrecorded in the archives of the company.

Euro PearlsThe highlight of Euro Pearl’s 2013 offering iscertain to be the new Yoko Exclusive collec-tion of one-of-a-kind pieces. In addition willbe the Yoko Essentials line of easy-to-wearjewellery incorporating cultured South Seapearls with diamond-set 18ct gold.

BreuningNew additions have been made toBreuning’s lines of pure love (wedding and engagement rings), pure elegance (high-end gold collections) and pure fashion –trend inspired jewellery in sterling silver. In particular bi-coloured precious metals are a strong feature of the pure love line.

BrumaniJust launched into the UK Brazilian fine jewellery brand Brumani focuses on vibrant colourand movement for a feminine look that mixes elegant, classic and contemporary. Sinuousand sensual forms reflect the movement and music of Carnival as well as the optimism thatpermeates this cultural hot spot.

Ti SentoThe new Portofino Collection (inspired by theDolce Vita) reflects the colours of the bay andthe bright, summery houses and the colourfullifestyle of this resort-inspired collection. Roseand yellow gold plated details have beenadded to many of its silver pieces with a wideselection of mix and match possibilities.

GcA clean design with sporty details sums upthe new Mini Chic line by Gc. The highlightof the collection is the rose gold (PVD) caseversion with white ceramic bezel – lookingparticularly feminine in combination with awhite croco-embossed leather strap. Therose gold hands and Roman numerals adda touch of glamour to this 28mm watch.

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| BaselWorld Preview


DominoA newly-designed and much more prominent stand in Hall 2 will be where vis-itors will be given a preview of Domino’sDiamond Ring Mount collection, due to belaunched later this year. Available in plat-inum and gold the line offers a huge choiceof solitaire, three stone, five stone andseven stone and eternity rings in both clas-sical and contemporary patterns. These areavailable in different diamond sizes – thesame look across a range of price points.

AdriaticaAn exhibitor at Basel for the past 10 years,Adriatica offers a more affordable Swisstimepiece – the range retails between £70and £400. New for this year is a ladies’ceramic collection and gents Twin Motionmodel, the latter being a multi-functionwatch with perpetual calendar, two timezone and chronograph function.

BurberryThe Britain watch has been created usingthe same design principles and craftsman-ship as applied to the brand’s iconic trenchcoat. Marrying heritage with function,modernity and innovation the look is ‘as elegant as it is relaxed’. Attention to detailincludes: distinctive bolts, D-rings, trench-coloured dials and alligator straps in theBurberry palette.

Roberto CoinNew statement rings in the CocktailCollection are among the new lines beinglaunched and shown here are styles in redgold, red satin gold and yellow satin gold,set with milky quartz and turquoise; browndiamonds, lemon quartz, agate and motherof pearl and brown diamonds, smokyquartz, agate and mother of pearl.

MondaineA new space-age looking stand and thelaunch of its Stop2Go model will be the focusof attention at Mondaine this year. The watchhonours the unique characteristic of the SwissRailways Clock which stops for two secondsevery minute. The clocks are featured at allSwiss railways and stop at 58 seconds to synchronise before jumping forwards.

Swarovski (Jewellery)Creative director Natalie Colin was inspired byrecent travels in Brazil for the new TropicalParadise collection. Vibrant colour, new materials and signature Swarovski techniquessuch as faceting and pavé settings are evidentthroughout the line which also features generously sized settings. And as well asmore eclectic designs, the diversity of SouthAmerica can be seen in forms such as birdsof paradise, exotic insects and palm trees.

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RadoFour new automatic chronographs havebeen added to the Rado D-Star collection –in black or platinum-coloured plasma-treated high-tech ceramic, these timepiecesare nothing if not masculine. Each watch incorporates a specially developed movement and has an extended 60 hourpower reserve and all (regardless of different details) are scratch resistant, havehypoallergenic properties and are designedfor wearer comfort.

Stephen WebsterFor 2013 the British luxury jewellery brandlooks to the archive for inspiration asStephen Webster revisits some of his mosticonic collections. The magical ‘Fly by Night’,twenties-inspired ‘Deco Haze’ and the deca-dent ‘Belle Epoque’ have been beautifullyreinvented; set with sparkling white andblack diamonds, emeralds, sapphiresand rubies.

Al CoroMezzaluna is one of the three key lines thatwill be launched by Italian jewellery brand AlCoro at Basel. In white gold set with 332brilliant-cut diamonds this ring is comple-mented by earrings and a pendant.Meanwhile the Cielo range combines rosegold with summer-coloured gemstones andDolce Vita features pavé set diamonds andbrown diamonds on rose gold.

Maurice LacroixFrom the new five-strong MasterpieceTradition line comes this Date GMT modelwhich combines a simple, timeless designwith a high quality mechanical movement.The hour markers and hands vary from oneversion to another, ranging from metallic blueto rhodium-plated finishes or pink gold. Thewatch also features a sapphire crystal back.

Grovana and Revue ThommenRecently launched into the UK market(through Since 1853 Ltd which already distributes the sibling brand RevueThommen) Grovana of Switzerland offers avalue for money, Swiss-made timepiece col-lection. With over 680 watches in the col-lection – from sporty to quietly elegant –there’s something for every taste.

Folli FollieTaking inspiration from the brand’s jewelleryheritage, Folli Follie has looked for creativeways in which to translate jewellery motifsinto its watch line. The combination of whiteceramic with rose gold is testament to thisin the case of this new model in theHeart4Heart collection – particularly giventhe crystal stone adornment highlighted bythe clear case.

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| BaselWorld Preview


MeistersingerThe Singular model – the single-hand watchwith a stop function – is now available inanthracite. The sportiness of the model isemphasised by the red hand and indiceshighlight, as well as the stitching on the crocoprint anthracite leather strap.

Montres Hermes‘Arceau Petite Lune’ is Hermes’ first female‘small complication’ watch, while the ‘Cape Cod’ is another very useful small complication, this time aimed at the traveller. The brand has also strengthenedthe Dressage line – in line with its saddlemaking heritage, there are new straps forthe ‘Arceau Chrono Bridon’ collection. Moreimportantly, the brand is also introducing anew unconventional complication.

SeikoAmong the new collections being launchedare several new Seiko Premier watches featuring the unique Kinetic Calibre. The5M84 model brings new functionality toSeiko’s Kinetic technology. It has a powerreserve of six months, so with normal usagewill work continuously. However, if unwornfor six months the watch will re-start once itis moved backwards and forwards two orthree times.

Ice WatchThe new Super-Slim Ice is the latest launchfrom the Ice-Watch brand. Made from onesingle piece from the strap to the case, it’ssoft, slim and like a second skin. Its singlecolour hands set the tone against the dial:black against a white background; white onblack; pink against grey; orange on blue,pink on sky blue, white on red, yellow onpink or blue on violet. �

Stubbs & CoFollowing its success with bridal suites at Inhorgenta recently, which saw “a renewed interestin engagement rings in that market”, Stubbs & Co will be showing suites that match hand-made solitaire mounts with wedding bands and eternity rings that are precision-engineeredfor a seamless flush fit – a complete bridal solution.

Alfred TerryFollowing a season of expansion, restructureand the opening of a new London HQ,Alfred Terry will makes its first appearance atBaselWorld this year. The company will bepresenting a number of brands under theumbrella of its luxury division, Leading ItalianJewels, as well as its own 1909 origins collection, Portamento stacking rings,Canadia rings using Canadian diamonds andRevv, its first line of men’s jewellery.

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Twin Motion Collection Adriatica ref. 1191Stainless steel case,Leather strap,Sapphire glass,Adriatica Soprod E06 Swiss Made Movement,Quartz Perpetual Calendar,Local Time,GMT Time,Chronograph,Waterproof 10 ATM,

Recommended Retail Price £415

Visit us at the Baselworld fair April 25 to May 2, 2013 Stand No. J27 / Hall 2.0

tel. 00353 (0)85 7629585e-mail : [email protected]

www.adriaticawatches.chA 1191.52B3CH

| Insurance Matters


But what about your key people? Whatabout the individuals, more than likely

including yourself, who help to make yourbusiness successful? Consider just for one moment how you would meet yourcustomers’ needs without the particularknowledge and specialist skills of the peoplewho make your business tick.

It has been said time and again that peopleare the most important assets to any business. And it is true – without peoplenothing would work, so shouldn’t protectingthem be one of your highest priorities? Certainindividuals in your organisation right now areprobably vital to its day to day operation, notto mention its future. So it is essential thatyou identify them and where they sit withinthe organisation. It is also vitally important toestablish exactly what they contribute in termsof knowledge and skill in order to protect yourbusiness against their temporary absence inthe event of illness or worse still, permanentloss in the event of death. • If one of your most important sales

executives became critically ill or diedwhat would be the impact on profits?

• If your goldsmith or another craft specialist was unable to work for a longperiod of time how would you manage?

• What if the person who has guaranteedyour business loans were to die? Whatwould be the view of the lending banks?

• What if a key employee was to becomeseriously ill for a long period? Could you

afford to pay his/her salary and that ofa temporary replacement?

Until a Key Person’s role is filled you couldlose both money and opportunities withcustomers or suppliers – in the worst caseyou may even have to close. The answer isto have a Key Person policy in place. THMarch’s Chartered Financial Planner, StevenClemence explains this below.

The policy is owned and paid for by thebusiness and in the event of a claim thebenefit is payable to the business to use as itsees fit to mitigate the impact of any loss.Whatever happens, the business will have alump sum readily available, or an incomestream to help cover ongoing salary obliga-tions. What this means is that you will havethe time and money to recruit and integratea replacement, you will be able to repaythose outstanding bank loans or acquire thefinance you wanted for expansion. It couldmean the difference between success andfailure for your business. Wouldn’t it be niceto have that peace of mind? It needn’t beexpensive either with minimum premiumsstarting at around £7.00 per month.

With statistics showing an increasing costto industry as a result of illness and absence,isn’t it about time you included your keyemployees among your insurance priorities?

There are three types of risk and each canbe protected with life assurance or withinsurance against illness. However, life coveris usually the priority and is often cheaper:

Business loan coverBusiness loans are often secured on thehomes of the directors or partners, butdepend on the confidence of the lender inone or more persons at the helm. All toooften the death of the borrower results inthe lender calling in its loan, at the very timewhen the business is most vulnerable andunable to release the capital. Banks oftenrecommend or require life assurance whenthe loan is offered but, depending on thestatus of the bank’s advisers, it may be sensible to seek independent advice tocheck that one is getting competitive termsand that the cover is arranged in the mosteffective manner.

Loss of future profitThis may be a lump sum to compensate forthe loss of the key person, but is bestregarded as a combination of the loss ofprofit and additional recruitment and trainingexpenses until a new person can effectivelytake over the deceased role.

Director/partner’s share or partnership protectionWhat will happen in your business if a directoror partner dies? To whom will his/her sharepass, and will the recipient be someonewho has the skills the surviving directors or partners need, and someone they canwork with? Often spouses and children want financial security, not responsibility for a business they don’t understand. Lifeassurance can solve both these problems. It can put money in the hands of the surviving directors or partners to buy thebusiness share back from the deceased’sestate, and provide the estate with thatfinancial security.

In a small business which faces all of theseneeds, a single insurance can often providecost effective protection. Take the case of a30 year old non-smoking male working inthe retail jewellery trade: Typical premiumsfor a 10 year policy with a £100,000 lifeassurance benefit can be as little as £7 permonth. Premiums would increase to £9.00per month for a 40 year old, or £18.00 fora 50 year old.

To talk over the best options for you callSteven on: 01822 855 555, email him at:[email protected] or visittheir website at: www.thmarch.co.uk

Got it all covered?Yes, of course you have! Premises, stock, transport, customers,flood, fire, theft – everything that is important to the continuingsuccess of your business…

Gems of BaselWorld

Highlights of the Tucson Show

Crystal Questions

April 2013 / Volume 22 / No. 2

ROOM 27-31, NEW HOUSE 67-68 HATTON GARDEN, LONDON EC1N 8JY

TELEPHONE: +44(0)20 7405 2169 FACSIMILE: +44(0)20 7405 9385email:[email protected]

A w i d e r a n g e o f p r e c i o u s a n d s e m i - p r e c i o u s s t o n e s , b e a d s a n d f r e s h w a t e r p e a r l s , p e r s o n a l l y s e l e c t e d

f r o m a r o u n d t h e w o r l d .U n u s u a l s t o n e s a s p e c i a l i t y.

MARCUS MCCALLUM FGAP R E C I O U S S T O N E S , B E A D S & P E A R L S

Gems&Jewellery / April 2013

Editorial

Page 3

Brilliant fashionRecently I had the good fortune to examine several large diamonds in private hands, includingtwo ‘historic’ stones which can be traced back several centuries to Indian mines. Both thelatter had been recut in recent times, a feature that started me pondering. When the famousblue Wittlesbach diamond was purchased by Laurence Graff in 2008 and then recut slightlyto improve its colour and clarity, there were some that saw this act as akin to repainting aRembrandt. I have sympathy here, and mourn the fact that many countries lack legislationto prevent the destruction or modification of portable items deemed to be of historic orartistic importance. There is nothing to stop me burning my Rembrandt.

However, there was another aspect about recutting historic diamonds that intrigued me.What factors determine how we recut them, and are those factors really valid? I can bestexplain this by citing a far earlier observer, an unknown correspondent in The London Review

a century and a half ago describing his impressions on seeing the Koh-i-Nur exhibited at the 1862 Great Exhibition. The Koh-i-Nur had been recut from its ancient Indian form 10 years earlier. He refers to the practice of ruining diamonds by cutting and notes that the Koh-i-Nur was “no more the luminous mound which delighted the eyes of the Moguls”.More precisely he stated that it “shows a huge face of diamond, but in order to attain thisvulgar attribute of size or ‘spread’, it has been cut so thin, that it is not a brilliant in the truesense of the word: it is a thin slab of diamond with facettes [sic] cut on it in imitation ofthose of a brilliant”. In his opinion the brilliant style of cutting was not even suited for diamonds over about 50 carats in weight. Large facets reduced play of colour, he said, andmade a stone look glassy; over 100 carats the brilliant style was really not effective at all.

This is an anonymous opinion, and an old one at that, but it should make us think.Large diamonds today are cut or recut, usually in a version of the brilliant style of cutting, so as to optimize colour and clarity. That’s what the market demands. But is that the wholeanswer? Sparkle or scintillation might not be quantified on a lab grading report, but are theyimportant to the diamond buyer? Might not a more multi-faceted look bring out a differentand potentially more appealing look to a large diamond? I don’t know how much work hasbeen done on ray tracing in large diamonds of varied cuts and shapes, but I do wonder iffuture generations might look back at how we cut large diamonds now and judge us to bewanting in so diligently serving the gods of clarity and colour. The brilliant cut is a fashion,not a universal truth.

Jack Ogden

Cover PictureRoyal Butterfly Brooch by Cindy Chao and donated by her to the Smithsonian Institution, Washington (see page 8). Photo by Cindy Chao

Gems&Jewellery

April 13Contents

10

Gems and Minerals

4

Gem-A News and Views

6

Gemstone News

15

Shows and Exhibitions

Calendar 9

From the Archives 18

Book Shelf 21

Stone Scoop 22

Published by The Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A)27 Greville Street, London EC1N 8TNt: +44 (0)20 7404 3334f: +44 (0)20 7404 8843e: [email protected] w: www.gem-a.comRegistered charity no. 1109555Copyright 2013 ISSN 1746-8043

EditorJack Ogden

Advisory BoardMary Burland, Roger Harding, Harry Levy and James Riley

Design and ProductionZest Design +44 (0)20 7864 1504

Any opinions expressed in Gems&Jewellery areunderstood to be the views of the contributors and not necessarily of the publishers

AdvertisingFor mediapack and advertising rates please contact Ian Francis at the National Associationof Goldsmiths on tel: +44 (0)20 7613 4445 or email him at: [email protected]



Page 4

Design AwardsIt’s always a pleasure to attend award ceremonies but doubly so when the peoplewinning the awards are young or genuinelyamong the best in their particular field. The Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design CouncilAwards 2013 fell into both categories.Gem-A, a sponsor of the event for manyyears, judges and presents the Gem-ADiamond Scholarship Awards — an annualscholarship for Gem-A’s one-week DiamondPractical Course. The scholarship is given toyoung designers who show flair and originalityin the use of gemstones and diamonds intheir design. What makes these designersspecial is that they are embarking on theircareers. What they might lack in commercialism is balanced by an uninhibitedapproach to design, allowing their true creativeside to be given full reign. For many it is theirfirst visit to Goldsmiths’ Hall and they have

the opportunity to mix with the real stars ofour trade. By stars I mean leading craftsmen,not stars from the pages of Hello and OK!

I was privileged to judge our award and weended up presenting two scholarships.

The Gem-A Diamond Scholarship Awardwinners were Katie Jamieson and StasiaTereszczuk, chosen from a very good selectionof designs. It was not an easy choice, butboth winners demonstrated something outof the ordinary which caught our eyes. Theirdesigns showed originality and interestinguse of gemstones. Stasia Tereszczuk haddesigned a unique piece exploiting the optical properties of andalusite, while KatieJamieson had submitted a collection of 3D jewellery. Shown here are her matchingring and earrings in faceted stones andhand-blown frosted glass.

Each year all the award-winning entriesare exhibited along with a selection of

Gem-A newsGem-A CEO James Riley FGA gives a round-up of what’s been happening at Gem-A.

Gem-A ShopDon’t miss this month’s SPECIAL OFFERS on instruments and books from the Gem-A Shop.

Visit www.gem-a.com/shop.aspx

Stasia Tereszczuk’s design: an andalusite and

sapphire pendant. Copyright The Goldsmiths’ Craft

and Design Council, photo by Lee Robinson.



Page 5

entrants’ work at what is normally a four-day exhibition at Goldsmiths’ Hall, London.The exhibition is open to the public, free ofcharge. There are categories for Junior — if you are serving a full-time apprenticeship,or on a recognized course of full- or part-time study and below the age of 30 on the final closing date for entries — andSenior if you are over the age of 30 on thefinal closing date for submission of entries.There is no upper age limit. More than one design can be submitted and there are various classifications for submissions.Thinking of entering for the 2014 Awards?We’ll see you there! For more details visit: www.craftanddesigncouncil.org.uk

Back to BaselBaselWorld 2013 is the showplace for1,800 watch, jewellery and precious-stonecompanies from around the world. It isEurope’s greatest watch and jewellery trade show and attracts some 100,000international visitors. This year between 25 April and 2 May BaselWorld will show off its new hall complex and, of particularinterest for Gems&Jewellery readers, present the world's top diamond, colouredgem and pearl dealers in the redesignedHall of Elements for the first time. We’ll be there too. This is the perfect timefor Gem-A to exhibit again in Basel after a

break of 20 years. It is not easy to getbooth space at BaselWorld, let alone agood location, but as the leading jewelleryshow in Europe and surpassed by only

Hong Kong and Las Vegas, it is somewherethat everyone goes to or aspires to go to.As the international enrolment on ourcourses grows, it is important to meet past, present and future students, show off what we do, keep tabs on the industryto spot trends and get feedback so our education can be improved. The Gem-Abooth is N12 in Hall 3.1 so if you are aGem-A Member — or a past, present or future student — come and say hello. I look forward to meeting you.

James Riley

Katie Jamieson’s ring and earrings in faceted stones and hand-blown frosted glass.

Copyright The Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council, photo by Lee Robinson.

Work on the new exhibitions halls, Basel. Copyright BaselWorld.

Gem market round-upGemfields’ CEO, Ian Harebottle, recently told the Wall Street Journal’s

Market Watch (8 February 2013) about his ambitions for the company’s future. He noted that worldwide polished coloured gemstones were only an estimated $2 billion market in 2012, compared with a $71 billion for polished diamonds. With bettermarketing of coloured gemstones Harebottle reckons that the market for them could grow to $10 billion in 10 years. Gemfields,with emerald mines at Kagem, Zambia, currently accounts foraround 20% of the world's emerald production.

Research and Markets (researchandmarkets.com) has recentlypublished its Global Gems and Jewellery Market Forecast and

Opportunities, 2018. The key findings are that currently the US isthe largest jewellery market in the world and more than 50% of thatis dominated by diamonds. Taken globally, the jewellery market isimproving and a compound annual growth rate in excess of 5% isexpected over the next five years, surpassing US$ 257 billion in2017. This growth will be primarily driven by the Asia Pacific andthe Middle Eastern markets.

This ties in with the recent announcement from the Thai NewsAgency that Thai exports of gems and jewellery are likely to grow by5% in 2013. With regard to the recent jewellery show in Shenzhen,there are reports that the high-end jewellery market in China seemsto be recovering after a slowdown in 2012, and that the Chinesemarket is increasingly open to new gemstones. The US has its ownmoment of glory. A long and thoughtful article in the New York Times

on the Tucson Shows (20 February 2013), and one for once notwritten from a trade perspective, quoted a Rhode Island jeweller atthe show as saying: “Probably 70% of the world’s coloured gemstones on the market pass through Tucson during the month of February.” It is not clear where that figure comes from but, if it is anywhere close to the truth, it is staggering statistic.

It is not smiles all round, though. Gem and jewellery exports fromIndia fell slightly in January this year compared to last year, with lessthan vibrant demand in the US and Europe being blamed (Provide.NDTV.com 22 February 2013). It is worse next door. According to areport in The Express Tribune (9 February 2013), in Pakistan “Thegemstones industry has been on a constant decline due to a spateof violent terrorist activities in the heartland of the industry. However,stakeholders also blame ‘pitiable performance’ on the part of thePakistan Gems and Jewellery Development Company (PGJDC), whichthey say has ‘destroyed’ the sector.” In turn a former director on thePGJDC board accused the government “of interfering in the functioningof the company and replacing board members with political appointees”.

Distinguishing sapphires from Kashmir and MadagascarIn the latest Facette, the newsletter (January 2013) of the SwissGemmological Institute, SSEF, director Dr Michael S. Krzemnickidiscusses the origin determination of sapphire and, in particular,the challenge of distinguishing Kashmir sapphires with some ofthose from Madagascar which can have very similar characteristics.Focusing on traditional gemmological techniques, he states that“Luckily, a comparison of internal characteristics between sapphiresfrom Kashmir and similar looking sapphires from Madagascar oftenreveals subtle but nevertheless valuable differences.” He goes on to say that in sapphires from Madagascar the exsolution particles— ‘dust’ patches and tracks — are more distinct and betterdefined than in Kashmir sapphires. Also the Madagascan stonesusually show much denser colour, and growth zoning which frequently dominates the stone along one direction.

The full report can be found here: http://www.ssef.ch/fileadmin/Documents/ PDF/640_Facette/SSEF-FACETTE-20.pdf


Gemstone News

Page 6

Gemstone newsJack Ogden FGA looks at developments in the UK and international gem markets.

Particles and dust

lines in a Kashmir

sapphire (top)

compared with the

‘millipede’-like

structures in a

Madagascan stone

(bottom).

Photos courtesy

of SSEF.


Gemstone News

Page 7

Lab group formedAt the end of 2012 independent gem labs from around the worldmet in Bangkok to inaugurate the International Consortium of Gem Testing Laboratories (ICGL), an organization formed to promote excellence in the field of gemmology. They foresee greater communication and cooperation between independent labs withjoint research projects as one aim. The ICGL was conceived by Dr Jayshree Panjikar (PANGEMTECH) and Henry Ho (AIGS) and its first newsletter was released at the 2013 Tucson Show.

Whiter than whiteFor some time there has been concern that there has been a tendency by some auction houses in particular to apply the term‘Golconda’ too widely to Type IIa diamonds. The name ‘Golconda’,referring to the old Indian diamond trading centre of that name, is seen to command a price premium, but not all type IIa diamondsare from Golconda. In its recent newsletter the Gübelin Gem Lab has confirmed that its present policy is to apply the term‘Golconda’ to type IIa colourless diamonds only if they weigh more than 5 ct and have D colour and IF or potentially IF clarity.The stones should also display “an antique cutting style” and show the signs of wear and age “expected of a diamond that has been around for a long time”. This does not preclude stones identified by the Gübelin Gem Lab as Golconda from being slightly repolished at a later date as long as their appearance has not been modified significantly.

Even so, the industry does need to decide what it means by‘Golconda’ as, so far anyway, definitive origin determination for diamonds is beyond our reach. Full text of the Gübelin statement at: http://www.gubelingemlab.ch/News/Current-Newsletter.php

Living in synThere has been much media coverage of Amsterdam’s RoyalAsscher diamond company’s introduction of its ‘Rebel Chique’range of synthetic diamond-set jewellery. The range of rings, pendants and earrings is available in several colours, includingcolourless (although the photos on the website do look as if the different colours have been created in Photoshop). Mike Asscher says: “Rebel Chique opens a new world for a next generation of diamond lovers, tapping into an entirely newmentality and experience.” As a guide, according to the website, a platinum-set ring with a colourless 0.52 ct brilliant-cut diamond,described as of VS1 clarity, and pave-set synthetic diamond shoulders sells for €6095 (about £5250, $8000).

Meanwhile in India the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) with the Indian Diamond Institute (IDI) and the Gemological Institute of India (GII), held a seminar on 16 March aimed at making diamond manufacturers and dealers more aware of the threat posed to their industry by synthetic diamonds.

Rubies and rantsIn a recent interview for the Daily Ticker for Yahoo Finance (8February 2013) for an article titled ‘Secrets of the Jewelry Industry:What Your Jeweler Won’t Tell You’, jewellery expert and authorAntoinette Matlins FGA spoke about treatments, rubies especially,and urged customers to ask three questions when buying a ruby:“Is this ruby treated?”, “How was it treated?” and “Is there leadglass in the ruby?”

Among the numerous reader comments that followed, mostlyunfavourable to the jewellery industry to say the least, one personsimply said: “If you are not a gemologist how do you know you aregetting the real stuff?” Another commented: “Never buy a set stone.Always loose, then have it set. Have the stone appraised before you buy. Bring a gemologist with you and pay them. Worth it.” The comments — often rants — that now trail after most web newsstories can make irritating reading, but they do give us all very useful insights as to how some consumers think. Companies anxiousto raise their brand image are often advised to ask themselves whatwould be the worst thing their customers could say about them.Reading comments following gem or jewellery-related web articlecan provide us with lots of clues.

Tanzanite 0.5The 2010 Tanzania Mining Act required that gemstone mining in thecountry should be carried out primarily by Tanzanians, but existingforeign companies working in the country would be able to havetheir mining licences renewed in return for their listing on the Dares Salaam Stock Exchange and floating 50% of their shares toTanzanians. This legislation obviously affects tanzanite miner TanzaniteOne, but the current situation is unclear. According to the Government,talks are concluded and 50% shareholding will go to the Government.At the time of writing, however, Tanzanite One insists that although

Purple colour flashes and bubbles in a lead-glass-filled ruby.

Copyright Gem-A, photo by Jack Ogden.


Gemstone News

Page 8

agreement has been reached in principle, talks are still in progressand that nothing has been finalized. (African Review 4 March 2013).

The 2010 Mining Act also imposed an immediate ban on theexport of uncut tanzanite, the purpose being to create moreemployment for cutters and increase the added value of tanzanite to the country.

The effect that the new mining regulations will have on tanzaniteand its availability and pricing is unclear. The Tanzanite Foundation’swebsite now states that there is probably 30 years supply remainingat the mine, an upped estimate from a few years ago.

Opals Miners in the Australian opal mining town of Lightning Ridge in New South Wales, Australia, are complaining that a variety of factors, in part due to regulatory changes, have increased the costs of mining to the point where they might decide to stop mining (according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation).

Meanwhile some 8,000 miles away, at a meeting at the end of February, the Ethiopian Ministry of Mines announced that in the previous six months Ethiopia had earned US $288 million from the export of gemstones, which included opals “and othergemstones”. This follows on from an announcement earlier thisyear that Ethiopia will soon ban the export of rough opal.(AllAfrica.com 26 February 2013).

Long in the toothIvory has long been considered an organic gem material and in thepast duly covered in gemmology books and courses. However, therehas been an increasingly negative attitude to ivory jewellery inrecent decades as conservation issues came to the fore. Thescourge of ivory poaching is well known to the jewellery trade and

public alike, with its often disturbingly graphic media coverage — it is estimated that daily some 50 to 100 African elephants areslaughtered to meet demand. The demand comes mainly from Asia.Thailand is well known for its own elephant population and ivoryfrom domesticated Thai elephants can be legally sold there. Theproblem is that, as campaigners point out, this legal trade can beused to launder illegal African ivory. So there was delight when atthe recent Convention on the International Trade in EndangeredSpecies (CITES) held in Bangkok, the Thai Prime Ministerannounced that she intends to amend national legislation to endthe ivory trade and bring Thailand “in line with international norms”.No timeframe was given. (Source: BBC News 3 March 2013)

ButterflyA beautiful butterfly has landed in a showcase at the Smithsonian’sNational Museum of Natural History in Washington (see cover andunder UV light above). The ‘Royal Butterfly Brooch’, set with 2,328gems is the work of Taiwanese jewellery artist Cindy Chao whodonated the piece to the museum. The gems, totalling 77 ct,include coloured and colour-changing sapphires, diamonds, rubiesand tsavorite garnets. Four large faceted diamond slices form themain parts of the wings.

Market slideUS marketing company Harmon, who issue an email newslettercovering fashion trends for the jewellery business, recently said:“Slithering through the tents of fashion week, we are seeing a trend that is sure to leave you feeling a little cold-blooded. Skins of all types, and snakes in particular, will be a major trend for spring 2013.” They suggest this is an opportunity to sell jewellery “with a naturalistic edge to it”. Will we see a renaissancein the use of serpentine?

Opal miners leaving town? The famous flying bus outside the

Lightning Ridge Hotel. Photo Jack Ogden.

Cindy Chao’s Royal Butterfly Brooch under longwave ultraviolet light.

Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution.

Gemstone News (cont.)


Calendar

Page 9

Workshop: Investigating gemstone treatmentsGem-A headquarters, London

Friday 19 April, 10:00 to 16:30

Gem-A / NAG / BJA members and Gem-A students: £80, Non-members: £100

Gem CentralGem-A headquarters, London

Monday 22 April, 18:15 to 20:00

Focusing on magnification: use of loupe 10x, 20x and microscopeStudents and members: FreeNon-members: £5

Gem-A Career ServiceGem-A headquarters, London

Monday 13 May, 18:15 to 20:00

Carry on teaching with Claire Mitchell FGA DGAGem-A students and Gem-A members:Free, Non-members, non-students: £10

For further details of Gem-A events

or to book go to www.gem-a.com

or email [email protected]

Gem-A Midlands BranchFluorescenceBirmingham University, Earth SciencesDepartmentFriday 26 April, 19:00 to 20:30Refreshments from 18:30For further information please contact

Georgina Kettle on tel: 07990 893768

or email: [email protected]

Gem-A South East BranchA visit to De Beers Group headquarters

Friday 17 May, 9:30 to 11:30

17 Charterhouse Street, London EC1N 6PA

This is your last chance to visit De Beers’headquarters in London before their moveto Botswana later in the year. De Beers,established in 1888, has been the world’sleading diamond company for more than a century; the De Beers’ name is synonymous with diamonds, with unrivalledexpertise in the exploration, mining andmarketing of diamonds.

To register send an email to:

[email protected]

Gem-A Calendar Show DatesGem-A will be exhibiting at the following shows:

BaselWorld25 April – 2 May 2013

Stand No. N12 / Hall 3.1

JCK Las Vegas 31 May – 3 June 2013

Booth L116

International Jewellery London 1 – 4 September 2013

Stand J94

Hong Kong Jewellery and Gem Fair 13 – 17 September 2013

CEC Booth 3M046

The Munich Show25 – 27 October 2013

The Scottish Gemmological AssociationSGA Conference 2013Peebles Hydro Hotel, Peebles, near Edinburgh, Scotland

3 to 6 May 2013

Confirmed speakers and workshop leaders include Chris Smith,Clare Blatherwick, David Callaghan, Rhiannon Henderson, AlanHodgkinson, Cigdem Lule, Claudio Milisenda, Jack Ogden, RonRingsrud and Stuart Robertson.

To book contact Pauline Jamieson, SGA Conference Organizer at:

[email protected]

The 5th European Gemmological SymposiumLeiden, The Netherlands

15 to 16 June 2013

The Netherlands Gemmological Laboratory and the DutchGemmological Guild cordially invite gemmologists, jewellers andanyone else interested in gemmology, to the 5th EuropeanGemmological Symposium that coincides with the 14th DutchGemmological Guild symposium.

To book go to: http://science.naturalis.nl/nel

Gemmological Conferences


Gems and Minerals

Page 10

Still talk on the ‘Talk’Before you turn the page thinking that thisyet another feature about “what to call it”, I will tell you that this is not about what tocall it. This is about how to prove to yoursupplier or to your client that this is ‘it’. The ‘it’ of course has to do with that ‘stuff’everyone on GemTalk has been talking about— what to call this reddish/purplish highlyfractured, non-gem-quality corundum that issubsequently filled full of high lead contentglass to allow it to be used as a gem material.In other words… what some of us havebeen calling ‘glass-filled ruby’ (1). We’re notgoing to revisit that, as this was a topic ofdiscussion in Gems&Jewellery Spring 2011,Volume 20, No.1. But it’s not surprising that we are still debating over what to callthis material. It is still very prevalent in thejewellery industry, and is often unknowinglybeing sold as ‘natural ruby’ (2).

It is perfectly all right to sell this material,but one must be prepared to disclose thetreatment, as well as all of the enhancements,not to mention the precautions for care andcleaning. The treatment is glass filling. Theenhancements are as follows: a) to enhance

its stability, making it durable enough that it doesn’t just crumble in your fingers, andso you can actually cut and polish it as anyother gem material; b) to enhance its clarity,so you don’t just see an opaque block ofcorundum. Now filled, it is a transparentgem material; c) to enhance its colour,starting out as a medium to dark somewhatreddish/purplish colour, the addition of theyellow high lead content glass gives thismaterial a beautiful ‘ruby red’ colour; andfinally, d) to enhance its weight, as there is a substantial amount of glass used in the filling of fractures, as well as being used as a binding agent to fuse together severalchunks/pieces of this material.

Even with all of our ‘Talk’, just within thispast year, I have been in two fine reputablejewellers and have helped them remove fromtheir ‘fine jewellery cases’ at least two dozenpieces of ‘ruby-set jewellery’ set with thismaterial. The store owners were shocked thattheir ‘reputable suppliers’ would send themthis instead of natural ruby. One supplierwas so adamant about not sending suchproduct, that he heatedly asked whether wehad a laboratory report proving our claim.

The jeweller informed the supplier that thisis not a difficult identification, and that wewould not be sending any of these pieces to a professional laboratory for a report.

So for those of you who are still beingchallenged by your suppliers — or clientswho may have already purchased suchmaterial — to identify this material, do nothesitate to show them. First, use overheadlighting to light up the highly fractured surface of the material (3). Next, using darkfield illumination, show them the blue flashand gas bubbles that will no doubt be present. With so many natural inclusions topeer through, there will be times when itmay actually take you a minute or so to find gas bubbles that will be obvious to thesupplier. Do not panic — you will find them.

Once identified, make certain that precautions on jewellery repair and cleaningare reviewed — no heat, or acids of any kind should come near this material.

What to call this material? Call it a composite, call it a hybrid, call it a man-madeproduct, call it glass-filled corundum… butwhatever you call it, make certain to discloseits treatment and its enhancements.

Gem ‘talk’ from Gary RoskinGary Roskin FGA presents a selection of recent gem news and comments from The Roskin Gem News Report. Here he looks at the latest talk on GemTalk, rock crystal jewels and the upcoming BaselWorld Show.

1. Using reflected light, one can easily see the

multitude of fissures traversing the surface of

the corundum. If nothing else, this is a sure

indication that this material was a great candidate

for glass filling.

2. Accent diamonds set in 14 ct yellow gold

featuring a 3+ ct glass-filled hybrid composite

corundum (glass-filled ruby). They make for pretty

jewellery, but there is not much value — $10 or

less for the red stone.

3. This close-up of a ruby’s surface shows

hundreds of fissures racing across the table.

A prime candidate for filling if it hasn’t been

done already.


Gems & Minerals

Page 11

It’s just rock crystalBeing in New York to teach gemmology toup-and-coming jewellery designers gives us even more reasons to visit the auctionhouses. At a recent Magnificent Jewelleryauction preview at Sotheby’s, there wereseveral pieces that caught our attention,not because of the rarity of the gem material, but for its use in design.

Seeing rock crystal as the jewellery, andnot as the classic faceted or cabochonedgem, always seems to stand out. We don’tsee it often enough, but the use of rockcrystal as the jewel, and not the gem, was considered more often in the Art Decoera than in any other time period. In thisexhibit there were two, both Deco in style,one from the early 1900s (4), and onemodern Aletto Brothers piece (5).

The gems of BaselWorld— 2013We’re all looking forward to this year’sBaselWorld jewellery show as they havecompletely rebuilt Hall 3 — the Hall ofElements — the Gem Hall. As the gemstoneeditor for the BaselWorld Daily News, it ismy job to write about all of the importantand exciting gems in the Hall, which usuallymeans not only writing about what I haveseen, but also taking images of them. In preparation for the show, I have been communicating with over 40 gem exhibitorsthese past few months. Saturated colour,large sizes, better quality, and untreatedgems always seem to be their focus. Hereare some of the organic gems we expect to be seeing at this year’s event (6, 7, 8).

About the authorGary Roskin is the author of Photo

Masters for Diamond Grading and hosts the online gem news magazine The Roskin Gem News Report. For more information please visit: www.roskingemnews.com.

4. This is a superb pair of platinum, rock crystal,

pink tourmaline and diamond Art Deco clips,

signed Cartier, circa 1935.

5. Here’s an 18 ct white gold, rock crystal and diamond bracelet, made by Aletto Brothers,

composed of 14 fluted rock crystal columns, spaced and accented by numerous round diamonds

weighing approximately 10.05 ct total weight. All photos by Gary Roskin.

6. Beads do not take second place easily at

BaselWorld as these fine quality angelskin

coral beads from Ruppenthal will attest,

measuring 14+ mm.

7. One of the most incredibly rare gem pearls

seen in Basel are the Melo melo pearls of

Southeast Asia. The feel of a 60+ ct Melomelo pearl gives one a better appreciation

for its rarity and beauty. At approximately

$1,000/ct, gems like this are definitely

there to impress even the veteran jeweller.

8. Large and ‘small’ South Seas pearls will be

on exhibit. Here we have a 22+ mm round

alongside a ‘smaller’ 10 mm cultured pearl.

6

7

8


Page 12

Gems and Minerals

At a gem lab one always expects unusualand interesting gem materials to come infor identification, especially if it is located at one of the major centres of colouredgemstones, like the Gem Testing Laboratory,Jaipur. Seldom does one find an interestingmineral specimen hiding on the shelf.

Recently, during an on-site testingassignment, the author was taken by surprisewhen he was setting up the equipment.While opening a fresh bottle of RI contactfluid, a solid object was seen attached tothe brush end of the fluid applicator. Initiallyit was thought to be impurities deposited on the brush. Therefore, the applicator wastaken out very gently so that the attachedmaterial could be removed without contaminating the fluid. The author was surprised when the attached solid materialwas revealed as a cluster of large, bright

yellow, bi-pyramidal crystals (1). These wereimmediately assumed to be sulphur.However, the author had not previouslyencountered such large crystals in a bottleof RI contact fluid, although fine grains arequite common. The largest crystal measuredapproximately 14.70 mm in length. Thecrystal was carefully detached from theapplicator and was kept safely for furtherstudy. The lab had purchased several bottlesof RI contact fluid bottles from the Gem-Ashop in London in August 2009 and whenchecked back at the laboratory another wasalso found to contain similar large crystals.One was of good quality (2) and alsoextracted for study.

Visual ObservationsThe two largest crystals weighed 1.62 and1.09 ct and measured 14.70 and 9.24 mmrespectively in their longest direction (3a, b). Both were bright yellow with abright vitreous lustre, but variable degree

of diaphaneity; the 1.09 ct specimen wastransparent while the 1.62 ct specimen wastranslucent. Both crystals displayed a char-acteristic bi-pyramidal habit associated withthe orthorhombic system and sharp crystaledges; the 1.62 ct crystal displayed a highdegree of twinning, with smaller crystals extending out of the main crystalfrom the pyramidal faces (3a). The 1.09 ctcrystal was also twinned, but the smallerdaughter crystal was attached to the maincrystal at one of the corners along the horizontal axis; in addition, this crystal also displayed distinct and sharp striationsfollowing its edges (3b).

Bottled upGagan Choudhary FGA of the Gem Testing Laboratory in Jaipur, India, tells of an interesting incident with an RI contact fluid bottle.

1. Large bright yellow, semi-transparent to

translucent bi-pyramidal crystals (of sulphur)

formed at the lower end of the applicator of the

RI contact fluid, obtained in August 2009.

2. Such crystals with high

degree of transparency

were also produced in

another bottle of the

contact fluid obtained

in the same batch.

3a, b. The two largest sulphur crystals extracted from the cluster displayed bi-pyramidal habit associated

with the orthorhombic crystal system, measured 14.70 mm (a) and 9.24 mm (b). Note the difference

in the transparency of the two crystals. Also note the striations following the crystal edges (b).

a b


Page 13

Gems and Minerals

Microscopic observationsFor curiosity, the crystals were observedunder the microscope. Although the 1.62 ctcrystal did not display any characteristicfeatures, the 1.09 ct crystal did. A group oflong and short tube-like features was present,where the tubes appeared to be oriented inthree directions following the edges of thepyramidal crystal face (4). In addition to thesetubes, a large negative crystal was alsopresent; this negative crystal also containednumerous smaller globules and little tubes (5).Some wavy colour and growth zoning wasalso present, oriented mainly along theplanes perpendicular to the c axis (5). Strongdoubling of inclusions (4) and crystal edgeswas also obvious, as expected for sulphur,which has a high birefringence of 0.291.

PropertiesTests were mainly conducted on the 1.09ct sample because of its better degree oftransparency. Hydrostatic SG was meas-ured at 2.04, while under UV light (bothlong- and short-wave) the sample dis-played a weak orange glow. However, inDiamondView™ the crystal appeared green(6). No observable pleochroism was seen.With a desk model spectroscope, com-plete absorption of wavelengths in the vio-let-blue region was observed; this was fur-ther confirmed by UV-Vis-NIR spectrometry.Raman spectra collected in the range200–2000 cm-1 using 532 nm green laserdisplayed sharp peaks at 218, 246, 437and 472 cm-1 (7), peaks consistent withelemental sulphur.

ConclusionAs expected, the crystals were confirmed as being elemental sulphur, one of thecomponents of the RI contact fluid alongwith tetra-iodoethylene and di-iodomethane.Although sulphur forming as a result of sub-limation from volcanic gases and/or due tobacterial actions is quite common in nature,formation of a crystal of significant size in aclosed bottle of contact fluid seems unusualand well worth a few minutes of a gemmol-ogist’s time.

Now the important gemmological question.Are these crystals natural or should they bedescribed as synthetic? A topic for GemTalk?

A commentGem-A’s Alan Clark, director of GemmologicalInstruments Ltd, comments: Over the yearswe and our customers have sometimesencountered crystals at the top of RI liquidforming a crust but never, to my knowledge,crystals of this size. I wondered what the RIof the liquid minus the sulphur that formedthese crystals was; Gagan Choudhary’sanswer was that he was still able to measurethe RI of sapphire using the same liquid, soit must have been 1.77 plus.

Possibly the bottles were on their sideswhen stored, allowing the crystals to formalong the applicator at the boundarybetween the liquid and the air in the bottle.In my experience, crystals usually form whenthe liquid is stored at too low a temperature— unlikely in Jaipur — or else the liquid hasevaporated slightly. Crystallization can beminimized if the RI liquid is kept in a warmenvironment and well-sealed.

About the authorGagan Choudhary is the deputy director of the Gem Testing Laboratory in Jaipur, India,and is involved in certification and research.

900 800 700 600

Wavenumbers (cm-1)

500

437

472

246

218

400 300 200

Ram

an in

tens

ity

7. Raman spectra of the sulphur crystals displayed characteristic peaks

at 218, 246, 437 and 472 cm-1.

4. A group of long and short tube-like features

was present in the crystal illustrated in 3b.

6. DiamondView™ image of the sulphur crystal.

5. The large negative crystal was also present

in the crystal represented in 3b, showing the

smaller globules and small tubes, and the

wavy colour and growth zoning.

All photos by Gagan Choudhary.



Page 15

Tucson really is an incredible place — over40 different ‘shows’ varying in size andquality dotted around the city. Part of theproblem, especially if you are an exhibitor,is to get around and see everything.Fortunately Gem-A had a star team inattendance to sniff out the unusual, interesting, new or just down right wacky.

As the new boy my skills were utilized in negotiating with the diverse sellers fromnumerous cultures and backgrounds. Jackwas on hand to take some great photosand tap up authors for our publications and speakers for our conferences. Fluorite

queen Claire Mitchell is an old hand atTucson and led the strategy to ensure wecovered all bases. I soon discovered that a good way of keeping the ‘Gaffer’ happywas to produce a piece of fluorite which she does not have in her collection. Helen Serras Herman (whose article onTucson appeared in the January/Februaryissue of The Jeweller) duly obliged with apiece from Kingman in Northern Arizona!

Meanwhile, Lizzie Gleave had a list ofstones required for teaching samples andas an experienced gem dealer and tutorwas ideally placed to execute her mission.

On holiday was Paveet Amrit from our education department. Silent but deadly —together with Davina Dryland, our guestgeologist — she continually reported onthings that might be of interest. Last and by no means least Andrew Fellows and I(AKA Laurel and Hardy) competed to seewho could find the most unusual and dangerous gemstone.

So what did we find to make yourmouth water?

Emeralds: what colourwould you like?Subscribers to our GemTalk forum will befamiliar with the heated discussions aboutnomenclature and specifically last year about‘yellow emerald’ or Emeryl as it has recentlybeen trademarked by the Yellow Emerald

The diversity of TucsonLast month Jack Ogden FGA gave his highlights of the recent Tucson Show. Here James Riley FGA talks about his first visit to the event and what Gem-A lugged back for its Book and Stone Library and Teaching collection.

Bonding with nature… Gem-A instructor

Claire Mitchell with a Tucson cactus.

Emerald crystals in pyrites from Muzo mine (left)

and in quartz from El Chivor mine (right).

Copyright Gem-A, photo by Henry Mesa Bedoya.

Bixbite crystal and cut samples. Copyright Gem-A, photo by Henry Mesa Bedoya.



Page 16

Mining Company. To the rest of us it’s justyellow beryl or heliodor. This nomenclatureissue presents problems for dealers.

Well-known emerald dealer Ray Zaijekhad signs on his stand saying Red Emerald,Red Beryl and Bixbite. Of course they are all the same stone and only the last two of those descriptions are correct — in my humble opinion. The thing is that the purchaser will probably call it what he likesanyway and that while Tucson is the leadingplace for this sort of thing, many people justdon’t have the knowledge to know whatthings are. So the seller has to cover all the bases to cater for the lowest commondenominator and then hope to educate his buyer without losing a sale.

In addition to some great teachingstones and crystals of bixbite, we purchasedtwo very different pieces of emerald rough

still in their host mineral from Ray. This isunusual because most of the material iscrushed. Even Ron Ringsrud, who will bespeaking at the Scottish GemmologicalAssociation Conference in May, is only ableto sell pieces which he has ‘assembled’ —with full disclosure however! The genuinearticles were examples from the Muzo andEl Chivor mines. The first was in pyritesexhibiting excellent termination structureand the other in quartz showing delicatehexagonal crystals of the finest material.Our “we want it but we can’t afford it” wasan amazing pair of trapiche emerald cabochons. Just don’t ask how much…

Opals, opals and more opalsOpals come from Australia — right? Mexico?Well OK maybe Ethiopia as well? All of theabove are true. We were able to purchasesome excellent examples of dyed andsmoked Ethiopian material where the art of negotiation was in force. How much are these? Offer half the price…

Very interesting were some specimensof fossilized wood and coral where opal hadreplaced the fossil. These were Australian.Very unassuming was a sample of Russianopal but the most unusual was a source of opal from Louisiana which is reversehydrophane. A mixture of opal and quartz,

it is harder than most opal at 7 on Mohs’ scale and it is reasonably heat-resistant. The deposit for this was verysmall and mined out in the 1990s. It isunlikely that there is another deposit making this quite scarce. Not my personalfavourite but…

For diamond lovers there were someexcellent examples of an alluvial depositfrom Brazil where the crystals have becometrapped in sedimentary rock. An unusualphenomenon was a stand selling diamondwhere the nitrogen had been replaced byhydrogen making an unusual pattern in thestone. Allegedly these were natural stones.

Jason Williams popped by our stand oneday with a ‘pink’ tanzanite. Apparently these

The Diversity of Tucson (cont.)

Two samples of Louisiana Opal. Copyright Gem-A, photo by Henry Mesa Bedoya.

Pink zoisite rough and faceted from Tanzania.


Rough diamond crystal in alluvial deposit of

sedimentary rock from Brazil. Copyright Gem-A,

photo by Henry Mesa Bedoya.



Page 17

lilac stones had been found in Block D. Wetracked down a piece of rough and a facetedstone at Idar-Oberstein cutter and dealerAugust Mayer. Details of this deposit can befound in last summer’s In Color magazine.

Perhaps the most bizarre stones wecame across were a donation of some peridotites from Charles Ellis. These stoneshave actually formed inside a meteoritesomewhere in outer space. Research is

ongoing about where and how they wereformed. It’s unusual for them to be largerthan 20 points however with as little as 2% being over 40 points. Or maybe it was a cat’s-eye demantoid topazolite donatedby Shawn Maddox. This stone originatesfrom the San Diablo range in California, and it took 12 years of prospecting to find the deposit. Now that’s dedication!

Speaking of demantoid, there were some

delightful Namibian demantoid garnets fromthe Green Dragon Mine showing thatdemantoid doesn’t need to be Russian.

For the book lovers among you Rock ofAges had an extensive selection of unusualbooks. Perhaps the sweetest was a little book entitled The Romance of your

Birthstone by Hope Swengel — published in the 1940s for $8.

My favourite thing? A Paraíba tourmalinecrystal in quartz from the Barrista mine inParaíba province. The true electric bluecolour is stunning. Some of you mayremember a talk at our conference twoyears ago by Brian Cook, the supplier of this piece. Thank you Brian.

Back to those dangerous gems.Radioactive willemite, mercury ore —cinnabar, arsenic-based realgar or myfavourite villiaumite which contains sodiumfluoride. Please don’t put this in your coffeeanyone — hydro-fluoric acid is not pleasant.

Paraíba tourmaline crystal in quartz from Barista mine, Paraíba province, Brazil.

Copyright Gem-A, photo by Jack Ogden.

Pick your poison. Faceted examples of willemite, realgar, cinnabar and villiaumite. Copyright Gem-A, photo by Henry Mesa Bedoya.

Peridotite from meteor, rough and faceted.



From the Archives

Page 18

One hundred years ago, on the evenings of 21 and 22 April 1913,20 people sat down to take the first ever gemmology examinationsset by the Gemmology Committee of the National Association ofGoldsmiths (NAG), the committee that eventually matured into theindependent Gemmological Association of Great Britain, the Gem-Awe see today. Of those 20 nervous candidates, eight were takingthe Diploma exam in the Central School of Arts and Crafts inSouthampton Row, London, now Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, and 12 were taking what was then called thePreliminary exam, six at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, six “in the provinces under duly appointed supervisors”.

It cost £1 18s to enter the Preliminary exam, £3 3s. to enter thetwo Diploma exams (theory and practical). The Preliminary exams wereopen “to any member of the trade, whether engaged in the wholesaleor retail sides of the business” and it was not necessary for thecandidates to be or become members or associates of the NAG.There was no age limit. For the Diploma exams, the candidate hadto be over 21 years old and be or become a member or associateof the NAG before being awarded the Diploma. Students could decidewhich level they wished to enter and there was no need to pass thePreliminary before taking the Diploma, although three of the 1913Preliminary graduates took and passed the Diploma in 1914.

‘Fellowship’ status (FGA) for Diploma graduates was a laterintroduction, but the early graduates were allowed to use the designation letters GD standing for ‘Gemmological Diplomate’.Interestingly, the Examinations Board of the NAG had previouslydebated the correct spelling of gemmology — one or two ‘m’s.Herbert Smith had preferred it with a single ‘m’, but in their meeting in September 1912 the Examinations Board had formally agreed and minuted that “in all matters relating to theexaminations the word Gemmology be spelled as herein written”,that is with two ‘m’s. The 1913 exam questions are shown opposite.

The way of denoting weight in carats and fractions of a caratmay bewilder modern gemmologists, but it reflects the way gemsused to be weighed with two-arm balances and little weights in various sizes which, combined, could be summed to any caratvalue. The method of calculating pearl values using the ‘base’ system is still used by some natural pearl dealers, and was part of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain’s gemmology syllabus at least as late as the 1960s. ‘Cape ruby’ was a pyropegarnet, jacinth was red zircon.

The British Jeweller magazine of 1 May 1913 noted that thequestions in the first exam covered “a very interesting, instructive

and well varied field.” The examiners were G.F. Herbert Smith (theory examiner), W. J. Lewis Abbott (practical examiner) and W. Augustus Steward (director of examinations). An extract fromtheir report following the exam notes that: “The character of thework in both the theoretical and the practical parts of the DiplomaExamination was very satisfactory. The candidates on the whole displayed considerable knowledge of the subject, and evinced someskill in identifying stones and in applying the needful physical tests.In the Preliminary Examination, on the other hand, the standard ofthe work was less satisfactory. The work of the candidates variedlargely in character, one returning almost perfect answers [A.W.F.Hamson with 92%], but others showing little accurate knowledge[such as A.F. Williams with 21%]. It may be noted that few of thecandidates in either Examination seemed familiar with the methodof calculating the value of pearls by the ‘base’ system.”Remarkably the director of examinations commented that: “Severalof the candidates expressed to me their thanks for the kindly manner in which they had been treated by the Examiners.” It wasnot expressly stated that the candidates were rather pressed fortime in the exams, but when the exams for the following year were planned it was agreed that the time allowed for both the

ExamsIn this hundredth anniversary of the first gemmology exams, Jack Ogden FGA looksback at that first examination in 1913.

A report on the first

ever gemmology examinations

by G.F. Herbert Smith, the theory examiner.


From the Archives

Page 19

Preliminary and Diploma (practical) exams should be increased tothree and a half hours each.

The pass mark in both Preliminary and Diploma exams was50%. Six of the eight Diploma candidates passed and seven of the12 Preliminary candidates passed. The two who failed the Diplomain 1913 retook the exam in 1914 and both passed. Three of thosewho failed the Preliminary exam in 1913 retook it and passed thefollowing year. The successful candidates received their Diplomasand, for the Preliminary exam, certificates, at a special meeting on17 July during the Jeweller’s Exhibition that year in Agricultural Hall,later the Royal Agricultural Hall, Islington, London, a magnificentexhibition venue founded in 1861 and prior to World War II the siteof numerous industry exhibitions. The Diplomas were designed bystudents of Central School of Arts and Crafts — the design beingapproved by the Examinations Board on 8 May. The jeweller Samuel

Barnett, a driving force in the establishment of the gemmologyexams and a contributor to the NAG Educational Fund, was one of the Diploma Graduates in 1913, but it was simply alphabeticalhierarchy that gave him Diploma number 1. His actual studentnumber in the exam was 3.

The British Jeweller magazine, in congratulating the NAG for its ‘innovation’ in establishing the 1913 exams, commented: “With the great increase in the use of gems in articles of jewellery,and the increase in the number of varieties of the gems themselves,not forgetting the varieties of imitation and synthetic stones whichare now so common, a thorough theoretical and practical knowledgeof gem stones is necessary for the properly equipped jeweller.”Those words are equally applicable today, although we might now also add treated gems to the syllabus, a category noticeablyabsent from those exams a hundred years ago.

The questionsThe questions asked in those first exams were as follows:

Preliminary (3 hours allowed)1 Define hardness, cleavability. What gem-stones are at least

as hard as topaz?2 Describe the brilliant form of cutting diamond.3 What is the specific gravity of a stone, and how may it be

determined? Calculate the specific gravity of a stone weighing10 1/2, 1/16 and 8 1/4, 1/32 carats in air and water respectively.

4 What species might be represented in a parcel of red stones?How would you distinguish between them?

5 Define refractive index, and describe a method of measuring it.6 How may paste and synthetic stones and imitation and

culture pearls be distinguished from the corresponding natural substances?

7 Describe the following species, so far as they are used in jewellery: Beryl, corundum, diamond, garnet, opal, quartz.

8 What is the orient of pearl? Explain to what peculiarity ofstructure it is due.

9 Calculate the value of: (a) a stone weighing 11 1/2, 1/8, 1/32

carats at £2 12s. 6d. a carat. (b) a bunch, comprising 150pearls as under, at 10s. the base: 5 pearls weighing 10 grains,20 pearls weighing 25 grains, 125 pearls weighing 60 grains.

Diploma Theory (three hours allowed)1 To what mineral species do the following stones belong:

Alexandrite, Cape-ruby, bloodstone, cat’s eye, jacinth, kunzite?What do jewellers mean by ‘olivine’?

2 Describe the brilliant form of cutting diamond. What are theprinciples governing its shape, and what are the effects ofneglecting them?

3 What is the specific gravity of a stone? Describe fully the variousmethods of determining it.

4 What species might be represented in a parcel of red stones?State clearly the characters upon which you would rely in distinguishing between them.

5 Define refractive index, and give a full description of a methodof measuring it. In what way does the double refraction of a stone affect the observations? How would you explain appreciable differences between the values obtained for different specimens of the same species?

6 Discuss the method by which gem-stones and pearls have beenartificially reproduced or imitated, and point out how such maybe distinguished from the corresponding natural substances.

7 Describe fully the following species, so far as they are used in jewellery, giving their physical properties and chemical composition: beryl, corundum, diamond, garnet, opal, peridot,quartz, turquoise.

8 Describe the principal gem-stones found in Brazil and Californiaand mention the more important localities.

9 What is the orient of pearl? Explain to what peculiarity ofstructure it is due. Describe briefly the principal pearl fisheries.

Diploma Practical (four hours allowed)1 Determine as far as you can the physical characters — including

the hardness, specific gravity, refractive indices, and the doublerefraction and dichroism (if any) — of the specimens set beforeyou; find the weight in each case. Identify the specimens.

2 Identify the mounted stones set before you, in each casedescribing the cutting and estimate the weight.

3 Calculate the value of a bunch of 19,558 pearls as under at8s. 6d. the base: 1,478 pearls weighing 220 carats, 2,794pearls weighing 271 carats, 3,778 pearls weighing 252carats, 4,868 pearls weighing 228 carats, and 6,640 pearlsweighing 222 carats.

UNITED KINGDOMFACET CUTTERS’

GUILD

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Gems&Jewellery is now incorporatedwithin The Jeweller giving the magazine a total circulation amongstNAG and Gem-A members of over 6,000 and a readership of around 25,000+.

Importantly this makes it one of theindustry’s most authoritative andbest read publications.

So if you really want to reach thepeople that matter and target yourproducts and services to the industry’skey decision makers, then make The Jeweller and Gems&Jewelleryyour first choice for advertising.

The Voice of the Industryjust got even louder. . .The Jeweller — now incorporating Gems&Jewellerymagazine!

Glass-filled rubies:

are they legal?

Tucson report 2013

Gems with feathers

March 2013 / Volume 22 / No. 1

Men’s Jewellery • Celebrating the NAG Graduates of 2012

New this issue – Gems&Jewellery magazine inside!

JewellerMarch 2013 £7.50The Voice of The Industry

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Book Shelf

Page 21

St. Petersburg was founded in 1703 byPeter the Great, Tsar of Russia, later theRussian Empire, between 1682 (when hewas just ten years old) and his death in1725. We have few details about thecraftsmen who first came or were broughtto the new city from Moscow and variousWestern European centres, but Peter’sknown enthusiasm for the arts helped goldsmiths’ work to flourish and the growthof St. Petersburg as a major centre for the jewelled arts was propelled by his foursuccessors, all women.

This book traces the jewellery producedin St. Petersburg from its foundationthrough to the cataclysmic impact of theRevolutions in 1917. The author, an acknowl-edged expert in the subject, takes us on anessentially chronological journey through the

jewellery, its makers and its wearers.Portraits and documents intersperse thehuge number of jewels shown, from privateand museum collections. Many of the largenumber of objects shown are in private col-lections in Finland, a reminder that Finlandwas a Grand Duchy of Russia between1809 and 1917.

The earliest St. Petersburg jewel illustrat-ed by the author is a gold and silver broochdepicting an eagle on a floral spray set withdiamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphiresdating to around 1750. From the secondhalf of the eighteenth century there aresome magnificent gold boxes, of course,but for the gemmologist gems of interestinclude a green chrysoprase set in a ringwith the cipher of Catherine II (1770s–80s).

Once into the nineteenth century jewelleryblossoms and we see a huge enthusiasmfor coloured gems alongside diamonds. Forthe gemmologist there is a paucity of detailabout the chronology and sources of thegems in this book. It would be good to see,for example, the fine pink topazes,amethysts and occasional demantoid garnetin the jewellery in the context of Russia’sown deposits of these gems.

Colour is all around. There are manyvarieties of gems set in the jewellery shown,including hessonite and almandine garnet,turquoise, opal and pearls, as well as thegems already mentioned. And, there is thelarge pink diamond in the tiara of MariaFeodorovna. This ornament, with its 13.35 ctpink diamond was made in St. Petersburgaround 1800. It looks an amazing colour,but we might ask whether some of theimages have slightly intensified the colour ofthe actual gems. There are also a couple ofpieces set with what is described as ‘Meccastone’. In the nineteenth century this seemsmainly to have been used to describe carnelian, but apparently Fabergé used it in a looser way to include other colours of

chalcedony — the current book includesmilky blue and lilac examples.

Once into the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries the jewellery reflectshaute epoch styles found elsewhere inEurope. Sparkling little diamonds are set in delicate platinum mounts, a trend seenacross Europe and America at the period,but also a reminder that Russia was a primary source of this precious metal.

The final section of the book includes alook at the Tillanders themselves. A youngAlexander Edvard Tillander (1837–1918),from Finland, travelled to St. Petersburg andat 11 was apprenticed to a goldsmith in the‘village of the Tsars’ — Tsarskoe Selo 15miles south of St. Petersburg. He and thenhis son, Alexander junior, rose to prominenceas important jewellers with son taking overthe business from his father in 1910. Withthe outbreak of the Revolution in 1917Alexander junior moved back to Finland withhis family; his father stayed in St.Petersburg where he died in 1918. A largenumber of those fleeing Russia in the after-math of the Revolution came to Finland,many bearing their jewellery as the easiestway to transport wealth. Buying and sellingthis jewellery re-established the Tillanderbusiness, now in Helsinki. The third genera-tion — Alexander junior’s three sons Leo,Herbert and Viktor — continued the busi-ness. Herbert Tillander will be known toreaders for his Diamond Cuts in Historic

Jewellery 1381–1910 (September 1996).Ulla Tillander-Godenhielm, the author of

Jewels from Imperial St. Petersburg, is thegreat-granddaughter of Alexander Tillander.She has written eruditely and with passion about a subject close to her heart,and has assembled a remarkable range of illustrations to bring her story to life. This isa beautifully produced book, a delight tolook at and essential for any jewellery historian’s bookshelf.

Jewels from Imperial St. PetersburgJack Ogden FGA reviews an impressive new book that chronicles the jewellery, its makers and its wearers of pre-Revolution Russia.

Ulla Tillander-GodenhielmJewels from Imperial St. Petersburg. Unicorn Press, St Petersburg, La Belièreand London 2012. ISBN: 978-1-906509-25-8


Page 22

Stone Scoop

In the last issue of Gems&Jewellery welooked at some UK press reports about diamonds from 1913. This time we switchour focus to coloured gems and what betterway than to start by quoting from The

Manchester Courier and Lancashire General

Advertiser (24 December 1913) “Diamondsare not by any means the most expensiveamong precious stones. Pearls are thedearest of all, and next to them are pigeon-blood rubies. Rubies are not very fashionable,but the best are so rare that their priceremains excessively high. After rubies comeemeralds, then diamonds and sapphires.”

Manchester bluesThe same press report went on to say: “The true dark blue sapphire is one of themost popular stones this year.” Sapphire hadactually been sparse in European jewelleryover the previous few centuries, up until theKashmir deposits were discovered in theearly 1880s. By the early 1900s sapphireswere becoming popular and The Manchester

Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser

was by no means the only newspaper tocomment on this — most mentions ofengagement rings in the press that yearwere described as being of sapphire anddiamond. And popularity, of course, breedsimitation. Luckily for the fashion-consciouswoman of modest means, synthetic sapphireswere now available; indeed their presenceon the market was worrying to jewellers andwas one of the factors that prompted thedevelopment of our gemmology courses.Earlier the same year The Manchester


had noted that “Wonderful imitation sapphires,too, are much worn. Because real sapphires are the stones of the moment...”(9 September 1913). The same paper hadalso mentioned synthetics, then describedas ‘reconstructed sapphire’ (17 May 1913).

Cartier chicThe frequent mentions of gems and jewelleryin a 1913 Manchester newspaper is hardlysurprising, Manchester was then a highlyprosperous city. Indeed, that same yearCartier exhibited jewellery at the iconic‘Edwardian baroque’ Midland Hotel inManchester, then just ten years old. TheCartier pieces shown included “a wonderfulpendant of oriental design” (The Manchester


14 November 1913). The report did, naturally, refer to Cartier’s diamond ornaments, noting that ‘'In most instancesthe diamonds are mounted with extremelylight platinum settings, which greatlyenhance their brilliance”, but also commentedon “A very charming innovation introducedby this firm is the new carved rock crystal.This crystal is transparent, and possessesthe attractive quality of reflecting the colour of the wearer’s frock. It is seen inmany fascinating aspects, surrounded by precious stones.”

Gem fields and polo fields

Sapphires and diamonds were not the only fashionable precious gems if we are to believe The Evening Telegraph for 1 September 1913 which noted: “For someunaccountable reason lately lapidaries have

been aware that the opal and the ruby areenjoying a popularity which is somewhatunusual.” It commented that opals hadbecome lucky and that a growing interest in rubies derived from people having greaterfamiliarity with “a little village called Mogok”even though “The civilized world knowsnothing of the famous mines there, for the road lies through forest which is seldomtrod by man. A few Englishmen who livethere have laid out a polo ground, andbetween this and the town are the mines.”It added that “Dealers are experiencing thebeginning of the boom in these gems, andit is expected that in a few weeks when theLondon season begins, the market will be in full swing.”

Jet setFor those with shallower pockets and nowish to buy imitations, many other colouredgems were available. There was apparentlya reawakening of interest in marcasite jewellery in England in 1913, although, we are told, it had been popular in Francesince the discovery of a large deposit in theJura Mountains in 1846 (The Derby Daily

Telegraph 30 July 1913). There was also “a distinct revival of the mode for jet” asnoted in several reports.

So, all in all it looks as if people in 1913liked coloured gems and there was a goodvariety to choose from. In fact little hadchanged since a century earlier. In 1813The Hampshire Chronicle (8 November) said that “red and white cornelian” wasbeing worn with less formal dress, but thatwith formal attire “coloured stones have adecided pre-eminence over pearls.Emeralds and rubies are highest in estimation; but sapphires, topazes,turquoises, in short every kind of colouredstones are worn.”

Colours Jack Ogden FGA takes a look at the coloured gem market a century ago, tfrom sapphires in ascendance to a jet revival.

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Ethical Jeweller |

Imay have been unaware at the time, butI’ve probably eaten horse. To be honest

I’m not particularly unsettled by the idea –what really troubles me, as a consumer, ishow this happened. There is somethingalmost sinister about a supply chain thatwillingly negates its responsibilities to bothclient and customer. But if the jewellery tradesneers at the food industry for knowingly orunknowingly deceiving consumers, it shouldtake a long, hard look in the mirror.

As I’ve been coming to terms with myequine eating habits, I’ve also been followingthe release of the Ethics Working Party’s(EWP) Gold Paper. The process it has gonethrough to make sense of the plethora ofoptions out there puts the issues into context.The Channel 4 documentary The Real Priceof Gold tried to shed light on what is a well-known but rarely mentioned aspect ofthe jewellery trade. The media often talksabout ‘blood diamonds’ however there is little or no mention of the same issues withinthe precious metals and minerals industry.

Although it tackled these largely unpubli-cised issues, Channel 4’s misinformed andunder-researched piece of film scored someseemingly cheap points against the industry,but played no role in representing a fair view of the facts. The Gold Paper on theother hand seeks to summarise the majorplayers and trade bodies involved in thegold supply chain in the UK. The document,first released at The Jewellery Show inFebruary, goes some way to detailing howthe industry in the UK is fairing rather well intracing gold around the UK chain of supply.

However, although there are points of happyconvergence, the paper also documents 10

recommendations for the UK jewelleryindustry. Carefully considered by GregValerio, Vivien Johnston, Michael Hoare andSimon Rainer these are small, obtainablesteps jewellers and manufacturers can taketo ensure complete transparency fromsource to sale.

Since the Gold Paper’s initial launch, theEWP has been lobbying the industry to takethe recommendations on board and beginworking toward realising their implications.The process really began in mid-March withthe NAG’s Council and Forum meetingwhich focused on one of the main recommendations – to increase the communication between both jewellers andsuppliers. The meeting invited jewellers tostart discussions in response to the paper.

It also provided a platform for the EWP toreceive direct feedback from trade members

as to how they see the recommendationsaffecting their businesses. Many were concerned about price points and profitmargins, with a number of attendees asking:“How many customers are actually askingfor this?” “Not many” was the response froma number of jewellers. Concerns were alsoraised about value and price points – withworries about how more expensive sourcematerials hit profit margins.

It was pointed out by those who sell‘ethically sourced’ gold that its ‘valueadded’ aspect offered potential for highermargins. However, one respondent added:“A number of us are active members in theCouncil and sit on CIBJO and we discussthese issues, but the UK jewellery industryis very apathetic. We like to talk the talk, butwhen it comes to jewellers on the groundtaking up the challenge, we do nothing.”Practical issues such as how to price andsell ethical gold meant many respondentsstill remain reticent.

That the sourcing of silver, diamond andgemstones is party to similar issues wasalso commented on. Should the scope ofthe paper expand beyond the gold industry? The EWP openly noted this as oneof its on-going priorities. Time constraintsmeant that the meeting ended without any consensus on how to move the recommendations forward.

Taking the ethical route can mean beingtough on suppliers and manufacturers,demanding the facts and forging relation-ships based more on trust and transparencyrather than price and profit. However, moreoften than not the process of demandinginformation will allow jewellers to realise thatif they are sourcing from within the UK, theirgold is most likely recycled and/or ‘ethicallysourced’. For some the idea of change isactually more scary than the reality and ifthe findings in the Gold Paper are to bebelieved, many traders who are fearful of thechange might already be sourcing ethically-sound gold without their knowledge.

There’s a chance to start moving forwardbefore the industry sees horse meat-typeheadlines. As these issues become morepertinent and more widely acknowledged,jewellers who fail to act will be answeringtough questions from newly-informed consumers who won’t accept pricing fearsor apathy as an answer – they will justshop elsewhere.

Gold: the newhorsemeat?Miles Hoare reports on how the Gold Paper can ensure thattraceability is not a concern within the UK jewellery industry.

| Security


With the high speed rail link to the northof England in the news again this week,

and this month’s SaferGems bulletin containing numerous reports of Europeanheists, it’s time to reflect again on the international nature of crime. Not only dowe receive more reports daily of thieves and fraudsters who are prepared to crossborders, more reports of migrant gangs and confidence tricksters, but we also hearof criminals able to use data and identitiesstolen in one country to commit crime inanother. The convenience of high speedtravel between continents and the extremitiesof the UK is not lost on criminals any morethan it is on international business men.

As well as the £32 million diamond heistat Brussels Airport and the three million

Euros of gems stolen from a Paris jeweller,our counterparts in mainland Europe haveprovided SaferGems with images of allegedoffenders whose methods are far moremundane, but equally objectionable. Theyrange from the Spanish-speaking male who stole a watch from a store in Breda,Netherlands to the male who distracted staff and stole a watch in Lausanne,Switzerland, and then is believed to haverepeated the same trick in Geneva twoweeks later. All are capable of jumping onEurostar and repeating their deeds overhere – hence SaferGems’ vigilance.

There has been some success in curbingEuropean robbers, with police reporting that two alleged Serbian members of the ‘PinkPanther’ gang of international jewel thieves

are to face trial in Switzerland. One of thetwo, a 34-year-old arrested in Turkey on aninternational warrant, will be extradited toSwitzerland to stand trial. He is accused ofthe armed robbery of a watch and jewellerystore in the northern city of Schaffhausen in March 2011. The haul, worth around 1.8 million Swiss francs ($1.96 million, 1.46million Euros), has never been recovered.The second man was arrested in Montenegroand extradited to Switzerland last year. The thieves in the Lausanne robbery madeoff with watches and jewellery worth500,000 Swiss francs ($545,000, 407,000Euros) which has also never been found.

Aside from extreme cases of cross-bordercriminality, we’ve also had our fair share of run-of-the-mill lowlifes conducting theusual dismal litany of robberies, attemptedrobberies, snatches, distractions and fraudsthis month. South Yorkshire Police are currently appealing for information regardingthe identity of three men following a burglaryat a heritage centre in Barnsley in December2012. In this case the antique jewellery and gold quill cover stolen were valued at£40,000, but the real loss is to the heritageof this country. SaferGems receives increasingreports of historical artefacts that have been stolen from under the noses of trusting museum staff who don’t understandthe base motivation of the philistines whocommit these acts.

We have to remain vigilant at all times,and thanks to an eagle-eyed jeweller in Yorka suspected father and son distraction teamwere arrested, having been recognised bystaff from SaferGems Alerts. The jewellercontacted local police who made the arrests.However, having visited numerous otherjewellery stores in the York area but committed no offences, they were releasedby North Yorkshire Police and handed overto officers from Humberside Police whocharged them for a jewellery theft in Hull.They were subsequently bailed to anaddress in Birmingham, but are believed tobe connected with offences in seven otherEnglish towns. These people will continuetheir criminal activity, but at least they nowknow we are watching.

More positively, two men wanted by theMetropolitan Police and circulated bySaferGems for a high value jewellery theft inAugust 2012, have been jailed. Jimmy Tippettand Mark Spinks, both from Beckenham, were

The threat ofcross-border crimeMichael Hoare offers an update on criminal activity across thechannel, which is now reaching our shores…


Security |

both jailed for 22 months at Croydon CrownCourt on 15th February 2013 after pleadingguilty to theft. Their flawed technique was to set up a pre-arranged meeting with adealer at a hotel, claiming that they workedfor a Saudi businessman. After about half anhour talking about a possible transaction,Tippett scooped up £250,000 of diamondjewellery and fled, with Spinks also attemptingto flee the scene in a taxi which wasstopped 100m away.

Less comically, two teenage robbers whoraided a jewellery store and then shot atmembers of the public as they gave chasehave been jailed. Momim Hassan and TajwarShah went armed with a hammer and ablank firing gun to a jeweller in Edgware,north London, on 16th November 2012. Theywere jailed for four years and three-and-a-half years respectively at Wood GreenCrown Court on 1st February 2013.

A gang who fleeced some of the best-known auction houses in the UK out ofnearly £1 million worth of jewellery andwatches are facing jail. Farouk Dougui, JabeyBathurst and Simohamed Rahmoun, usedstolen credit cards to obtain luxury goodsfrom firms including Bonhams and Christie'sduring the seven-month scam. The gang usedcredit card details stolen from people in the USand Canada to establish false identities andregister themselves with auction houses as

telephone bidders. A nationwide investigationled by Wiltshire Police found that more than40 companies across the UK were connedby the gang in a fraud worth more than£800,000 between April and November2010. Dougui, Bathurst and Rahmoun wereremanded in custody to await sentencing.

Lastly, here’s another story with an international flavour to which I was alertedby one of our friends in the Irish Republic.

Eugene Cullen first denied the robbery ofCartier Rolex watches valued at €108,887,from Hartmann Jewellers, Galway, in 2008,when he appeared before court in 2009.He absconded while awaiting trial but wasarrested in Holland last May and has been incustody since. He was brought back beforethe court last December and pleaded guiltyto the charge.

Cullen was one of three masked menwho entered the jewellery shop armed with a pistol with a silencer attached whilethe other two men had iron bars. Staff andone customer were ordered to lie on thefloor while Cullen used the gun to smash a glass cabinet containing the watches.Passing sentence, Judge Rory McCabe saidthe offence was extremely serious and the only mitigating factor was Cullen's plea.He sentenced him to ten years in prisonbackdated to May last year.

www.sa fe rgems.org .uk

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| Opinion: John Henn

Michael Hoare… I’m pleased he is off.He has given the NAG more time from

his very precious life, I think, than we haveever been given by any CEO in the historyof the Association.

In the beginning of 2001 there was awobble at the NAG. The Association was leaderless and blind to the world that waschanging around it. I was soon to be chairman and the current chairman Bill Grant,Frank Wood the treasurer and myself werein the market for a new CEO. We were interviewing for a position which had a jobspecification none of us really understood;fortunately we had someone who did knowto hold our hand. Bill was the details man,Frank the figures, me… I was just looking for the right spirit. This person would have to be able to work in an industry notknown for its ability to embrace change –and then change it.

Michael stood out from the other candidates, all of whom could do the numbers and had the skills to embrace thedetails of an association. This was not onlybecause he was taller than them, but alsohe seemed to have an engaging personalitythat would help him build the sort of relationships with people we were not talking to, those who mattered. TheAssociation had to reinstate credibility withthe variety of offices from UK and overseasgovernment, to the small independentmembers he would encounter.

So he was hired and on 30th October he started work at Luke Street. I became chairman at the AGM of 2002, and had thebest time a chairman could have, entirelybecause I had a fully reliable, alert CEO whodid everything behind the scenes and, whenleft to his own devices, exceeded my expectations. (We also, it must be said, had

a great treasurer in Frank Wood and of courseAmanda and the rest of the revitalised office.)

Michael has done everything we haveasked of him and more besides, and he isrightly proud – see his Communiqué in theMarch issue of The Jeweller. Not only is heleaving on his own terms, and by that Imean he hasn't driven the directors crazy,but he is still healthy and will, I hope, havemany more years of contribution to our tradeat whatever level he chooses.

It would be a missed opportunity, I think,not to mention one or two moments whenit didn’t all go swimmingly. One in particularoccurred in 2003 when we were looking fora right hand man for Michael. A number ofapplicants were sent to us from the recruit-ment company, all of who were supposedto have been eligible to start if offered thepost. We liked one chap above the rest butnobody was outstanding, so after somedeliberation we offered him the post. It onlyturned out that he was on a ‘reintegrationprogramme’ for prisoners whose parole wascoming up. Our candidate was finishing a stretch for gaining ‘lots’ of money by deception. It appeared everybody was in on

it except the potential employer. We were reliably informed our man would neverhave started work as his CV was fiction, butit was our first experience of someone sodeceptive. Since then we have both been abit more streetwise.

Michael is also held in high regard by allthe institutions he has become involvedwith on our behalf. I will be off to face theworld of CIBJO in May. It never ceases toamaze me how single-minded some countryrepresentatives are, however once you'veestablished their private agenda you beginto understand where their priorities lie. It seems to be left to the UK and some ofthe Europeans to give a less biased opinion,and stand up for the consumer. If it werenot for Michael's work behind the sceneswe would almost certainly have troubledefending our shores against undisclosedgemstone treatments and unwelcome government legislation.

On behalf of a grateful Association, andbecause he has exceeded our expectations,we the directors will present Michael witha rather unorthodox leaving present. Weare sending him and his lovely wife Anne(long-suffering of the NAG calendar ofevents) to Paris for a long weekend onthe Eurostar (he likes trains), staying in asmall hotel in Montmartre, where they willvisit the Louvre and the Rodin museums(his degree was in sculpting and fine art)and if we can afford it send him to theCrazy Horse to see a show (look it upeveryone should go once in their lives).

Michael, your qualities of courage, intellect and leadership during the last 12years will be much missed. Keep in touchand we look forward to supporting you inthe future if we can.

Far too good to be forgottenHaving worked alongside him for the past 12 years, John Hennoffers his tribute to the NAG’s departing CEO Michael Hoare.

Michael Hoare – hard at it as usual!

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Legal Jeweller |

Every business, whether large or small,must keep all customer information

secure, protect it from inappropriate disclo-sure and be open about what information isbeing collected and how it is being used.

Breaches of the DPAOne of the most common breaches of theDPA is unlawful disclosure of personal information. This most typically occursthrough accidently sending customer detailsto the wrong person via email, or hackersgaining access to payment and deliveryinformation via an insecure website. Fineshave the potential to be up to £500,000and managers and/or owners may be prosecuted in extreme cases.

Ways to avoid breachesThere are a number of things that retailerscan do to avoid getting caught out. Theseinclude regular testing of online security –including firewalls and encryption software,as well as having processes to record and

report suspicious activities including moneylaundering and fraud.

Where contractors, sub-contractors or outsourcers are used in processes thatinvolve customer information of any kind,contracts should be in place with them thatinclude data protection.

As far as websites are concerned, as aminimum there should be a notice or section

on the retailer’s home page (and also wherever personal data is collected as notall visitors will enter a website via the home-page) which explains who the retailer is andlets visitors know how their information isbeing collected and what it will be used for.

Also, only ‘necessary’ information shouldbe requested from customers who are registering or logging in and are asked toprovide their personal details when they are making an enquiry. When taking payment information, only the minimumamount of data required should be recordedin order to receive the payment. Once thishas been used, the information should notbe kept for any longer than is absolutelynecessary and at that point it should be disposed of securely.

If any of the personal informationrecorded is going to be used to send marketing materials, the customer mustbe given a clear choice to decide whetherto consent or not by ‘opt in’ or ‘opt out’boxes. The information collected and held

must also be current and kept up-to-date.To do this the customer should be regularlyasked to check the information held aboutthem which can be done through onlineaccess to their account details which givesthem the ability to update and changetheir records.

Also, don’t forget that people have aright of access to the information held

about them and staff should be regularlyreminded about the need to make surethat they recognise a ‘subject accessrequest’ and know how to deal with it.More information on subject accessrequests can be found at:www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/data_protection/subject_access_requests.aspx.

The importance of dataprotection for retailersBill Gornall-King of legal firm Boyes Turner explains the significance of the Data Protection Act(DPA) and how jewellery business owners can avoid breaching it.

“regularly test online security – including firewalls andencryption software, and have processes to record and report suspicious activities…”

If you don’t comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA)you may find yourself with:

• a six figure fine

• enforcement notices and ‘stop now’orders requiring you to take (or refrain from taking) certain steps

• the hassle and grief of conductingaudits under the supervision of theInformation Commissioner's Office

• a prosecution for criminal offences

There is also the chance of being namedand shamed with the resulting associated damage to both your reputation and brand.

Information in this article is for guidanceonly and not a substitute for taking legaladvice. If you would like to know moreabout data protection and how it affectsbusinesses or individuals please contactBill Gornall-King on 0118 959 7711 or [email protected]

If you accept that the ‘bead and charm’trend has been one of the more pervasive

and significant jewellery directions of thepast few years, then it’s possible that youmight be thinking that it’s about time anotherfashion phenomenon came along. And so it has. Visitors to the recent CMJ buying event in Birmingham, or The Jewellery Showat Spring Fair earlier in the year, will have noticed a few variations on the themeof ‘coin’ jewellery and already the interest in this latest interpretation of collectable,customisable jewellery is starting to gather significant interest.

Among the handful of key players in thismarket is Hot Diamonds which has thrownitself into the interchangeable coin conceptarena with Emozioni. The name obviouslysuggests feelings – but in this instance the collection is driven by ‘pure aesthetic’ –a feeling for colour and ‘the look’.

Although it’s relatively new to the UK (and has yet to hit the US) the coin idea has been hugely popular in mainlandEurope (Ireland, Holland and Germany inparticular) for around four years. Names like My iMenso (Unique) and Mi Moneda(Ti Sento) are already well-known at a consumer level. Last year Hot Diamondsresearched how those other similar brandswere servicing the market.

“We felt that we could add something significant and create a desirable and commercial USP for Hot Diamonds thatwould place us at the forefront of the trend,”says head of commerce Adryan Cresswell.“We imagine the Emozioni consumerpreparing for an evening out – choosing her dress, shoes, make-up and finally open-ing her jewellery box and experimentingwith different colours and textures of coin,until settling on the perfect ornamentationfor her outfit.”

Because this image is so key to the story(and of course because it’s a jolly good salestool for supplier as well as retailer!) the HotDiamonds team has also introduced aCollector Jewellery Box. In the same bitterchocolate tone as the rest of the Emozionipackaging it slides open to reveal a varietyof jewel coins to choose from. “It is intendedto be a joyful experience and is utterly integral to the idea of the whole concept,”explains Cresswell.

Intentional or not and, arguably in contrastto the bead and charm concept, coin jewellery – which revolves around pendants– has the potential to be more fashion-led,sophisticated and perhaps even grown-up.

| Feature


Brand ProfileEmozioni by

Hot DiamondsIt can’t have escaped your attention that a new ‘concept’ in collectible jewellery has reached the UK. Emozioni by

Hot Diamonds is one brand offering the ‘coin’ story.

Key Facts• Coin Keepers are in sterling silver and diamond or 18ct rose gold on sterling silver

and diamond• The three lengths of chain are available in sterling silver, silver plate or 18ct rose gold• The silver keepers, chains and coins are rhodium plated to ensure a consistent finish• Chain are available in three lengths: 16-18", 30" and 35"• Coins are typically silver plate and CZ, although other materials and textures are

included in the line• Coins are priced between £20 and £30 – the collectible price-point ensured by

the use of silver plate rather than silver

Beads and charms can appear child-like; coinsare for women – but it’s a look that wouldsurely appeal to any female between theages of 18 and 80. Depending on her choiceof Coin Keeper (Emozioni’s term for theouter pendant case which holds the jewelleddisk) and particularly that coin itself, the lookcan switch from casual to chic. Whether afaceted single-colour ‘jewel’, one sparklingwith CZ stones or an openwork design in silver plate, it’s a simple, yet effective accessory. Curb or belcher chains of varyinglengths further add to the versatility.

Research has also shown Hot Diamonds,initially at least, that the coin concept could

meet customer resistance on the groundsof cost. Which is why the company chose tooffer coins made with silver plate rather thansilver. “Silver would dramatically increasethe price of the coins – well outside the‘sweet spot’ which ensures the collection is a long-term success,” says Cresswell.

“The use of sterling silver would also restrictdramatically the aesthetic variety that couldbe offered at a competitive price point andthis would work to reduce the lifetime-valueperceived by the consumer.”

Protecting against any such negative connotations is clearly pretty important andit is where the brand’s launch offer comesin. “One of the key barriers to selling theconcept occurs when consumers calculatethe full price of buying into the collection byadding the cost of the holder, chain andcoin together,” says Cresswell. The answerhe says lies in one of Emozioni’s four launchpacks. With a saving of just under £50 the consumer can buy keeper, chain, coinand jewellery box for £89.99. “To defendthe retailer’s margin we take a hit on ourown and it makes the sale much easier forthe retailer while kickstarting the consumerinto collecting Emozioni,” Cresswell adds.The empty recesses, waiting to be filled

by further coins should ensure that aspect,aided and abetted by a coin ‘wish list’stamped by the retailer.

Of course a new brand wouldn’t be acohesive whole without the requisite lifestyleimagery (already a Hot Diamonds speciality)and so Emozioni has its own particular marketing support material. The image ofthe sultry model presenting her Azure cointo the camera was shot by internationallyrenowned and sought-after photographerGraeme Montgomery – a man with moreluxury brand campaigns under his belt thanyou can shake a stick at. Each season will seea new campaign accompanied by an audio-visual advert, available to all Emozioni stockists.

And to make sure that as many consumersas possible know about the coin story, Hot Diamonds will email all their customerswithin a 15 mile radius of every new stockist– that’s typically 5,000 loyal Hot Diamondconsumers per retailer.


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Hot Diamonds today• The brand is sold in 18 countries across

the world and during 2012-13 it addedsix key global distribution channels

• It is sold on 20 airlines including BA,Etihad, Qantus, US Airways, JapaneseAirlines and Korean Airlines.

• It is also sold in all the major UK airportsand is expanding its ground duty freepresence worldwide during 2013-14

• In 2012-13 Hot Diamonds’ salesincreased by 22% on 2011-12


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When did you start to consider offering apawnbroking service?We were fortunate enough to be introducedto the idea of pawn broking by the NAG’sEDF group meeting last year around June.We had a presentation by a pawnbrokingconsultant who explained how it works andthe pros and cons for our business.

What led to the decision?Over the course of the meeting it becameapparent that my previous prejudices weren'tjustified and that it could – with a bit oftweaking – really offer my clients a good addi-tional service benefit in a nice environment,especially in the current economic climate.

Did you canvas the opinion of your staff?I think that in order for this to work myentire team has to be educated to the prosand cons, see the benefit to the businessand how they can help the new programme move forward. We have had aday’s training in store so they could see themechanics of the business and they havegone on a mystery shopping day in Londonto see other high end pawnbrokers work.We then had a brain storming session overa glass of wine in order to figure out how toexplain about the service within the imageand brand of Marmalade.

What about your customers? We haven't asked our customers, but wedon’t plan to change our store or other services one bit – most of my clients wouldnot know about the service until they needit. I don’t intend to be a ‘cash for gold’ type business and I hope that my team and I canoffer our clients who are looking to realise

their assets an alternative that means in sixmonths they still own their valuable item.

What are the pros as you see them?A viable alternative for our clients to raiseshort term finance without committing toselling their item well below the current marketvalue. It’s also a great return on investment,returning about 100 per cent per year, whichin today's market is pretty good.

And what are the cons (what concernsdo you have)?Obviously we are concerned about security,but intend not to hold much cash on thepremises, we will definitely take a lot of ID andask relevant questions in order to deter anynefarious types. We are a bit nervous aboutmaking the loan to value offer right, but are allexperienced in the jewellery trade so I don’tsee that as too much of a problem. It costs

about £5,000 to set up with all the software,hardware, training and literature but a loan ofthat amount in the first year will cover that.

How will you market the service to customers?We intend to go softly softly at first to findour feet. We are going to join the NPAwhich means we will appear on their website and we’ll have a page on our website and some POS in store. I'm hopingthe majority of our new business will comefrom word of mouth and a well-educatedand motivated team.

What do you need out of your POS system to get this up and running?At this stage I don’t honestly know. Legallyyou have to have accredited software, alicense, some money to lend and insurance.Hopefully we’ll find the rest out as we go.

Pawnbrokingfor beginnersIn this final look at pawnbroking within the jewellery retail,we speak to Simon Johnson of Marmalade in Chiswick,who is about to offer this service to his customers.

Bransom’s PawnbrokingBuy-in and Cheque Cashing modules seamlessly integrates into its Retail StockManagement, Customer Relationship Management and EPOS systems. The latest moduleshave been developed with the same care and attention to detail so are easy to use, fastand very flexible. Key points are:• The modules are also available on their own for those with dedicated businesses or

who do not want an integrated system initially.• Simple and configurable data entry screens tailored to your requirements• Documents that you can change or format to your liking and print on standard A4 paper.• Business potential enhanced by utilising your customer database as a relationship

management system with mailing, email and text messaging capabilities.• Unredeemed pledges can be put into the BSMART retail stock system, scrapped or

auctioned and the pledge updated when sold.• Multiples can have live updates across the stores of customer details and transactions

in order to assess someone’s credentials.• Compliant with all current legislation and NPA approved documentation.


This month, I’ve chosen to look at a culture with a very different jewellery

background from many of the others I havepreviously written about. Ancient China –which was of course geographically vast andspanned an enormous amount of time –has an intriguing jewellery history that cantell us an awful lot about the spirituality, culture and social hierarchy of the society.Archaeological finds from the Neolithic inChina (5,000 BC) have uncovered pendantsmade from bone, and from 3,000 BC thereis evidence of polished stone such as

jade beads used as pendants and otherthreaded jewellery. First, let’s take a look atsome of the materials used in Chinese jewellery in general.

JadeGemstones, as with other cultures, wereoften attributed with special powers (suchas healing or bringing good luck) and spiritual meanings. However, the utter reverence for certain gemstones in ancientChina, which even affects the culture ofmodern-day China, is truly fascinating.

The most prominent and revered of thesegems was jade (nephrite and jadeite). Inuse from around 3,000 BC onwards, jadewas thought to encapsulate ‘Doa’ or ‘Tao’ –a philosophy meaning ‘the way/path’, which is considered both the essence and manifestation of the universe. Jade wasdescribed by ancient Chinese philosophersas “the concrete expression of both earthlyand spiritual power”. The most sought afterjade was ‘mutton fat’ jade or white jade,believed to be the most pure and perfectform of the stone. Jade’s appearance and

Ancient ChinaAmy Oliver reveals the history and many significances of gems andjewellery revered by the ancient Chinese people Jade cicada

Han jade burial suit by Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D., Professor of History, Sias International University, Xinzheng, Henan, China.

AntiqueJ E W E L L E R Y

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Antique Jewellery |

properties meant the list of qualities attributed to it was extensive. It representedtruth, loyalty, dignity, grace, beauty, morality, ceremony, charity of heart, duty, music (as itmade a clear and lasting note when struck),the earth, and even the heavens above. Infact, according to legend, Heaven itself was made of jade and gold (gold was thesecond most important material after jade).

Jade was used for making a variety ofobjects, such as crockery, hairpins, head-dresses, jewellery, and even weapons. Itwas also used in burials. There are manyexamples of jade figurines buried with people; a popular motif being the jade cicada, which represented immortality.During the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220AD), it became customary for royalty andthe nobility to be buried in funerary suitsmade of up of thousands of thin squares ofjade, sewn together with threads of preciousmetal depending on social rank: the emperors had gold thread, the emperor’sconsorts, princess and feudal lords had silver thread and the emperor’s sisters,other family and nobles had copper thread.

Other GemstonesAnother gemstone which was almost ashighly revered as jade was red coral. Arrivingmainly into China from Sri Lanka and Iranalong the Silk Road, red coral was veryexpensive and used only by officials of thecourt to indicate their positions, top rankingelites and royalty. It was associated with auspiciousness, high rank (hence it’s use by court officials), virtue and longevity. Itwas also associated with good luck andmenstruation for women.

Other gemstones which came via the SilkRoad included lapis lazuli from Afghanistan,and amber from Burma and the Baltic region.Amber was very expensive and highly prizedas it was very rare in China. As with coral, itsymbolised longevity as it came from long-lived pine trees. There is also an ancientChinese legend which claims that amber isthe fossilised heart of a tiger and it thereforealso represented courage. Turquoise wasoften used in jewellery as it represented the water below, sky above, and air around.It was thought to make the wearer invincibleto evil forces.

Pearls played a very important role inancient Chinese jewellery and freshwaterpearls were used most often. They were

thought to symbolise purity and preciousness,so are most associated with women’s jewellery. Apparently, pearls could even beused to pay taxes in lieu of money.

Interesting JewelleryAs in the other cultures we have looked at so far, bodily adornment was incrediblyimportant (it determined social class andrank) and much of the jewellery we associateas common – such as rings, earrings, neck-laces – were used in ancient China by peoplefrom all social classes. However, these typesof jewellery were not the most important forindicating social standing and the ones thatwere, were not what we would expect.

For women, hair ornaments in the formof pins, combs and hair pendants were themajor jewellery items. Not only did theyindicate wealth and social standing, butthey symbolised womanhood; every girl atthe age of 15 was given her first hairpin as a ‘coming of age’ right. Hair was considered a great mark of beauty inancient China, and was often the subjectof poetry and art. Therefore over the millennia women’s hairstyles becameevermore elaborate and a culture ofincreasingly ornate hair jewellery developed.

Some of the earliest hairpins date to theShang Dynasty (1,700-1,050 BC) and

were made of bone. Later, metals becamemore prominent, and there are manyexamples of hairpins and combs in silver– and in copper as a cheaper alternative.However, during the Han Dynasty (206BC – 220 AD) and beyond, gold seems tohave become more popular for hairpins,but only for wealthy or noble women androyalty. Many of them were made usingthe techniques of filigree, punching andpiercing, giving rise to highly detailed work.Some were decorated with gemstonessuch as jade, agate, quartz crystal, redcoral, pearl or turquoise and displayed animal motifs. Hair pendants called‘buyao’ were a kind of hairpin with movable pendants in a floral, dragon orphoenix design. They would constantly bemoving, creating a stunning visual affectagainst the hair (‘buyao’ literally means‘shake as you go’!).

Quite unique to China was the use of blue kingfisher feathers in head ornaments. Their vivid and vibrant electricblue colour was highly prized and celebrated in poetry and art. The techniqueof inlaying the feathers, usually on silver orvermeil, was called ‘tian-tsui’, which means‘dotting with kingfishers’. Still to this dayhair jewellery remains a crucial part of traditional Chinese dress.

Example of a kingfisher feather inlaid

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For men, belt hooks and belt buckleswere the most important pieces of bodyornamentation. Belt hooks came to Chinafrom the nomadic peoples in north andwest hinterlands before the 3rd century BC.They were often cast of bronze and wereused to hold up belts which carried weapons.Less commonly they could be made of silverand occasionally gold and many of the morefine pieces were inlayed with the favouritestone, jade. They were often cast in the shapeof animals associated with hunting, such ashorses or mules, or mythical beasts such asdragons. Belt buckles were favoured from the2nd century AD, and were decorated in muchthe same way as the belt hooks had been. Beltbuckles in fact became a necessary part ofdress for high ranking men or those in office.

Like the Roman bulla discussed in myearlier Roman jewellery article (The Jewellerp58 October 2012), young Chinese boyswere also given a type of talisman at birth inthe shape of a lock made of jade, silver orgold. This was meant to protect the childagainst death by ‘locking’ or securing themto earth so they couldn’t be taken into theafterlife. All levels of society would followthis tradition, the poorer people having toclub together with up to 100 other familiesto afford a talisman.

Symbolic DesignsThe designs, as much as the materials usedin jewellery, had significance. Animal andfloral motifs were popular, both real andmythological. Dragons are usually the firstcreatures that spring to mind when we thinkof mythical Chinese creatures. The dragonsymbolised both power and good luck, and was generally associated with masculinity. Phoenixes are more feminine,and hence were a popular design for headornaments, representing again good fortuneand righteousness.

Insects were common designs, as we haveseen with the jade cicada carvings for burials.Butterflies were very popular, and red coralwas often used to represent their bodies.Bats, too, were often made of coral for jewellery. Unlike in the west, bats in ancientChina were seen as an animal of happiness,health, wealth, serenity, virtue and long life. Itis reported that buttons made of jade in theshape of bats were attached to baby clothesby their mothers in the hope that the babywould have a long and prosperous life. Floraldesigns were also incredibly popular andpeony most of all. It was called the ‘king offlowers’, and symbolised wealth, good fortuneand high social standing. The iconic Chineselos flower stood for harmony and well-being.

Obviously, I’ve given a very brief overviewof the most prominent features of ancientChinese jewellery and its meaning. Thedepth and breadth of the subject has been,I have to say, quite overwhelming. It’s definitely one for further study if this articlehas whetted your appetite…

References• Chinese Art: A Guide to Motifs and

Visual Imagery By Patricia BjaalandWelch, 2008.

• Ancient China, DK Ltd, 2006• Ancient Chinese Art: The Ernest

Erickson Collection in the MetropolitanBy Maxwell K. Hearn, 1987

• http://arts.culturalchina.com/en/32Arts12188.html

• http://www.pearldistributors.com/pearl-history-mythology.php

• https://djcadchina.wordpress.com/cat-egory/assignments/assignment-2-2012/page/2/

• http://www.collectorsweekly.com/arti-cles/unraveling-the-ancient-riddles-of-chinese-jewelry/

• http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/life/2011-03/04/content_12117681.htm

• http://www.cultural-china.com/chinaWH/html/en/15Traditions1040.html �

Bronze belt hook inlaid with gold, Western Han Dynasty (202 BC- 9 AD), Freer and Sackler Galleries, Washington D.C, USA

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Treasures of the Habsburgs, by SophieHaag and Franz Kirchweger £45.00, Thames & HudsonThe House of Habsburg was one of thewealthiest dynasties in Europe and its members were renowned as avid collectorsand patrons of the arts. Their passion for magnificence is beautifully illustrated in this book which features around 150

masterpieces fromthe collections. Fine metalwork, weirdand wonderfulobjects, mechanicalmarvels and thefamous Saliera saltcellar are amongthe treasures which

attest to the dominance of the Habsburgsas well as their lasting artistic legacy. Thebook marks the re-opening of Vienna’sKunsthistorisches Museum Collection ofSculpture and Decorative Arts followingextensive renovation.

Diana Vreeland – Empress of Fashion,by Amanda Mackenzie Stuart£19.95, Thames & Hudson

Not, strictly-speaking, abook about gems, butcertainly a book about alife of style, rare tasteand originality (and onethat featured a signifi-cant amount of jew-ellery). For 50 years this

extraordinary woman was the ‘empress offashion’ in New York as fashion columnistand editor at Harpers Bazaar and Vogue,advising and inspiring the likes of JackieKennedy, as well as professionals and heradoring readers. This biography has beendescribed as ‘a tasty and erudite study of acomplicated woman’.

Exceptional Jewellery by Charo GonzalezY Santiero & Jorge Margolles£22.99, The Pepin Press (www.pepinpress.com)A combination of still-life and lifestylephotography, accom-panied by interviews,showcases the worksof 30 international,contemporary jew-ellery designers.Some pieces arehighly conceptual – such as the origami-likejewellery by Nel Linssen – others, like HelenBarton’s are sweetly quirky, or perhapsinspired by nature. All have an experimentalapproach to materials.

Sales & ExhibitionsAprilCurrently-2nd November, 2013 StudioSilver Today, Erddig House, Wrexham,North Wales Showcasing the work of silversmith RauniHigson, as well as her workbench completewith tools and equipment. Higson will be‘artist in residence’ on specified Saturdays. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/erddig/

May2nd-6th: Desire. RHS Wisley Gardens,Nr Woking.A Craft in Focus event selling the works ofcontemporary jewellery makers.www.rhs.org.uk/wisley

2nd-31st: Gold: Status and Glory –Masterpieces from the Middle Ages andToday, Moretti Fine Art, 2a-6 Ryder St,London SW1A collaboration between the gallery and art dealer Adrian Sassoon to celebrate thetimeless allure of gold and juxtaposes the

work of contemporary gold-smith Giovanni Corvajawith 14th and 15th centuryItalian gold-ground devo-tional paintings.www.morettigallery.com

31st-2nd July: Ultra Vanities, Goldsmiths’ Hall, London EC2A private exhibition of finely wrought, enamelled and bejewelled make-up boxesfrom the 20s to the 70s – the ‘Age ofGlamour’. www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk

Jewellery & Watch Trade FairsApril19th-22nd: Malaysia InternationalJewellery Festival, Kuala LumparConvention CentreAround 200 traders from over 20 countriesshowcasing gems, fine jewellery and costume jewellery. www.mij.com.my

25th-2nd May: BaselWorld, Basel,Switzerland

An updated look for this, the most exclusiveand extensive exhibition for the watch andjewellery market. Around 1,800 key international brands show – many using theevent to launch new lines. See p22 for a fullpreview. www.baselworld.com

May12th-14th: Pulse: Earls Court, LondonDesign-led gifts, including fashion jewellery.www.pulse-london.com

18th-22nd: VicenzaOro Spring, Fiera di Vicenza, ItalyHighlighting the fusion between jewelleryand fashion with exhibitors offering everything from fine gold and platinum jewellery, to coloured stone, silver and costume jewellery. www.spring.vicenzaoro.com

31st-3rd June: JCK Las VegasOver 2,500 exhibitors from 22+ countries,grouped into 20 product areas from finejewellery to services and supplies.www.lasvegas.jckonline.com

NotebookWhere to go, what to read, what to see…

THE N.A.G.’S INSTITUTE OF REGISTERED VALUERS

THE IRV CERTIFICATE OF APPRAISAL THEORY (CAT) TEACHES THE THEORY OF HOW TO VALUE.

It is a modular programme with a self learning approach that teaches the basic theory, methodologies and good working practices needed to become a competent jewellery valuer.

Three detailed modules of study support the syllabus on this 6-12 month programme. The Certificate of Appraisal Theory will be awarded to those who complete the six assignments and who reach the minimum standard required in the theory examination.

This programme is suitable for anyone with a desire to learn best valuation practice and is one of the pre-requisites required for entrance into the NAG Institute of Registered Valuers.

For more information on CAT please contact our IRV Co-ordinator Sandra Page Tel/fax: 029 2081 3615 Email: [email protected]

N.A.G.’s Institute of Registered Valuers, 27 River Glade, Gwaelod-y-garth, Cardiff, CF15 9SP www.jewelleryvaluers.org



As ever, the prestigious Greenough Trophyis given to the student with the highest

overall marks in the Professional JewellersDiploma JET 2 course. The winner of thisyear’s award was Anna Coppock of Payne &Sons in Oxford. Anna who has previouslybeen featured in The Jeweller as one of thewinners of the Bransom JET 1 Project Awardhas now trumped her competitors once moreby taking home the Greenough Trophy.

On receiving the award she said: “It was agreat honour to be awarded the GreenoughTrophy in tonight’s ceremony. I found outthis evening that it’s not awarded every year,so to have it bestowed upon me this year isa great honour.”

Anna went on to say: “It’s given me somuch more confidence with customers andmy day to day work around the store. Myknowledge on particular subjects hasincreased dramatically, and that has made memore comfortable in approaching customers,imparting my knowledge and making sales.

“I hope the award will open up moreopportunities in the future and I’d like tothank my employer Payne & Sons who putme through the course and funded thisopportunity for me. I’d also like to thank myfriends and family who put up with mewhile I was doing it!”

At the same time, the NAG also gave anaccolade to the student who’d achieved thehighest score in the Professional JewellersGemstone Diploma. What makes this award even more special for 2013 is thefact that this is the last time the Gemstone

Award is to be awarded as the course cameto a close in 2012. The winner, ThomasSinclair from Michael Jones Jewellers inNorthampton, said he was “especially proudto have been presented with the award inits last year. I was really pleased to pass theexam and this evening’s been very much ahighlight. I was just pleased to have theopportunity to do the course, so to win thisaward is really unexpected.”

Thomas noted that his biggest challengewas to take the gemstone course while also

being colour blind. “I did the JET 2 awardbefore and I received very high marks,” saidThomas.. “I think the fact that I came soclose to winning the Greenough Trophybefore spurred me on to try and win anaward this year,” he explained.

The Association would like to congratulateboth Anna and Thomas on their hard work– and wish them all the best in all theirfuture work and studies.

The Jeweller is always on the look-out fornew talent and it just so happened that

at this year’s Presentation of Awards wefound one of the NAG’s secret stars in themaking. Amy Duggan, who picked up aBransom Award for her outstanding JET 1project also happened to be exhibiting herlatest handcrafted jewellery as part of theGoldsmiths’ Growing Talent exhibition whichtook place at the Goldsmiths’ Hall recently.

Amy, who works for Pyke & Sons inShewsbury, was exhibiting as part of a private viewing ahead of the exhibition in

mid-April. She explained how she’d “won abursary at the 2009 Goldsmiths’ Fair and aspart of that got to be part of this exhibition.”Although she is humble about how this is afirst step, she notes how “having [my] workexhibited at The Goldsmiths’ Hall at thesame time as attending the presentationevening for NAG awards made for a veryexciting week for me and was another highlight in my career.”

Amy went on to say: “My passion for jewellery covers its theory, history, design andmanufacture and I thoroughly enjoy sharing

my new knowledge learned on JET1 withcustomers and clients. I am committed tolearning more, alongside designing my ownwork, and hope I can contribute further tothe jewellery industry as my career grows.”

We’ll be keeping up with Amy’s progressin further issues of The Jeweller – so watchthis space!

Greenough and GemstoneAward winners announcedWinners of the coveted Greenough Trophy and NAG GemstoneAward were announced at the NAG’s Presentation of Awardsceremony at Goldsmiths Hall.

Award ceremony showcasesGoldsmiths’ ‘growing talent’

Anna Coppock, Greenough Trophy winner

Thomas Sinclair, Gemstone Award winner



Professional Jewellers’ Diploma (P.J. Dip) – Pass with DistinctionSurname Forename(s) Town Company

Greenough Trophy winnerCoppock Anna Catherine Oxford Payne & Son

Bate Lesley Waterlooville Picketts & Pursers

Berkerey Sarah Bristol Pravins

Eagling Michelle Jane Norwich Beaverbrooks

Gait Jennifer Frome Allum & Sidaway

Holmes Leanne Jane Rossendale Sarah Layton

Jackson Carina Christi-Ann Derby W E Watts

Lloyd Samantha Leicester Barry Bott

Mason Stuart James Tewkesbury Martin & Co

McEvilly Bernadette Dublin, Ireland Weir & Sons

Miranda Corrina Lytham St Annes –

Moulds Kathryn Reading Douglas Jacobs

Nicolson Kirsty Weymouth David The Jeweller

O'Brien Paula Glasgow Hilson

Rice Lyndsay Megan Edinburgh Macintyres

Scott Eleanor Lichfield Salloways

Taborda Sally Elizabeth London —

Warwick Elizabeth Tracey Cramlington Goldsmiths

Willett Sarah Crawley A R Whibley & Son

Wilson Rose Berkdale Whittles

Professional Jewellers’ Diploma (P.J. Dip) – Pass: Grade ASurname Forename(s) Town Company

Ashton Lynette Elizabeth Northampton Michael Jones

Ball Susan Jane Swindon Beaverbrooks

Bowe Sarah Elizabeth Keighley Lister Horsfell

Brett John Guildford Mappin & Webb

Broddle Joanna Kate Bristol Fraser Hart

Brooks-Olpin Michelle Stroud J P Supplies

Calver Michael Norwich Beaverbrooks

Cartwright Nicola Jane Borehamwood Goldsmiths

Christian Elaine Wallasey Jewellery by Design

Cole Natalie Stoke-on-Trent John Pass

Collins Zoe Leanne Tunbridge Wells G Collins & Sons

Cosgrove Mark Adam Lincoln Martin Wilkinson

Flowers Joanna Peterborough Boodles

Fox Anthony Manchester Harvey & Thompson

Guymer Paul Salisbury Allum & Sidaway

Harrison Emma Northallerton —

Hayball Lisa Warminster Gold and Platinum Studio

Hayden Rachel Ilkley Lister Horsfell

Heal Michelle Donna Bridgwater Kemps of Bridgwater

Hines Jeanene High Wycombe Goldsmiths

Ingledew Nichola Darlington J S Gray

Ingram Thomas Anthony Warwick Francis & Gaye

James Hannah Amy Gunnislake Scruples

Kartupelis Laura Aimee Leicester Francis & Gaye

Kealy Jennifer Dublin, Ireland Bernard John

Keen Karen Aylesbury Hester Clarke



Laskowska Sylwia St. Helier Hettich

Leadbetter Laura Liverpool S S Milton

Lewis Emily Burton-on Trent Judith Hart

Longbottom Christina Keighley Thomas’s

Marshall Theodora Hitchin Harriet Kelsall

Meakin Jade Thorpe-le-Soken Upchurch & Son

Megson Laura Wakefield Herbert Brown

Morgan Dionne Shepperton Swag

Morris Hannah Crewe John Pass

Moseley Dominic Mathew Doncaster Bell Brothers

Munday Kerry Louise Gravesend Swag

Murphy Frances Wirral Waltons

Newson John Calne The Loss Management Group

O'Brien Jenny Russell Jersey E J Gallichan & Co

Plumb Laura Ann Salisbury —

Rattigan Aoife Wexford, Ireland John Rattigan

Ray Anneka Jane Exeter Beaverbrooks

Robinson Ian York Cavendish

Robinson Xavier Brandon Romark

Senior Lauren Garforth Herbert Brown

Smith Matthew Portsmouth Young George

Stanley Catherine Danielle Cardiff Crouch the Goldsmiths

Tomkins Cassie Tricia Beckenham Swag

Toms-Ashcroft Hannah Southport Connard & Son

Wadsley Donna Louise Nottingham The Gold Shop

Walsh Lyndsey Elizabeth Wigan Beaverbrooks

Welford-Ranson Daisy Baughurst Nash & Company

Wicker Joanne Ashford Payne & Son

Williams Kirsti Harrow D M Robinson

Willoughby Emma Thatcham David Dudley

Wilson Keiko Norwich Winsor Bishop

Winstanley Philip John Jersey E J Gallichan

The tutors: (L-R) Eddie Stanley, Mark Houghton, Don Taylor, Anthony Sibley, Mary Garland and Michelle McCormick.



Professional Jewellers’ Diploma (P.J. Dip) – Pass: Grade BSurname Forename(s) Town Company

Abbott Mhairi Glasgow Beaverbrooks

Acklam Sharon Hull Hugh Rice

Atkinson Stevie Anne Bristol —

Barker Kayleigh Sutton-in-Ashfield Albemarle & Bond

Bell Jaime Marie Carlisle Peter Jackson

Blaszkowska Alexandra Dominika Edinburgh Laing

Brooks Elaine London Albemarle & Bond

Buddle Scott Huntingdon Fraser Hart

Burkett Barry Chingford Harvey & Thompson

Campbell Vanessa Kingston-upon-Thames Harvey & Thompson

Carter Nicole Leeds Herbert Brown

Choudhury Mohibun Leicester George Tarratt

Cook Janine Ann Kirkcaldy Jessop

Corcoran Jennifer Co. Meath, Ireland Weir & Sons

Corfield Sally Jane Wigan Harvey & Thompson

Dalton Erin Cealach Dagenham Harvey & Thompson

Davison Alex James Westcliff-on-Sea Alex John

Deacon Steven Frinton-on-Sea Upchurch & Son

Drydale Luke Hull Hugh Rice

Elmy Genette Felixstowe Hills

Flack Kelly Joanne Selby Asquith

Freygant Paulina Guildford John R Fox

Gaudin Emma Torquay Doble

Gianfrancesco Christina Leatherhead John R Fox

Gillings Marc Birmingham J J Rudell

Glover Victoria Kate Manchester Albemarle & Bond

Goater Gemma Louise Croydon Swag



Goodridge Jade Louise London Albemarle & Bond

Harris Emma Bury St Edmonds Romark

Hollingworth Clare Norwich Winsor Bishop

Ife Samantha Norwich —

James Andrew Wombourne Beaverbrooks

Jones Karen Tieno Reading Pravins

Joyce Deborah Pontefract Albemarle & Bond

Kaddus Abdul Mohid London Lyons

Kay Claire Louise Manchester Albemarle & Bond

Kelley Barry Ormskirk David M Robinson

Kennedy Nathan Neston Balducci

Knowles Mark Lytham St Annes Beaverbrooks

Lacey Deborah Eastbourne —

Locke Fiona Brighton —

Mann Giles Stroud Mann

McDonald Claire Liverpool Albemarle & Bond

McHugh Ben Thomas Basingstoke Beaverbrooks

Neil Joanna Swansea Clive Ranger

Pamment Jane Melissa Colchester Upchurch & Son

Pillai Jamie London The Money Shop

Priest Hayley Macclesfield Boodles

Read Daniel Goole Arthur Read

Rhodes Claire Louise Telford Allum's

Rickard Jessica Oxford Terence Lett

Rigby Emma Louise Wolverhampton Ian Rigby

Robinson Linda Barnsley Goldsmiths

Rowland Luke Alexander Blandford Horrocks & Webb

Shirtcliffe Christopher Reading Pravins

Smithers Grahame John Longfield Swag

Speight Melissa Selby Beaverbrooks

Stafford Luke Arthur John Hemel Hempstead Fish Bros



Stevens Rebecca Horsham T H Baker & Co

Stott Kelly Jane Carshalton Harvey & Thompson

Sunderland Olivia Jayne Oldham Fraser Hart

Suter Michael Southampton Pawnbroker

Taylor Emma Jane Stroud Mann

Tracy Philippa Bath Nicholas Wylde Goldsmith

Upcraft Jennifer Marie Witney Terence Lett

White Susan Frodsham David M Robinson

Whiting David Croydon Harvey & Thompson

Wicker Natalie Anne Coulsdon Albemarle & Bond

Woodward Aron Haverhill Hanningtons

Worthington Camilla Wilmslow Mark Worthington

Wright Alex Bath The Loss Management Group

Professional Jewellers’ Gemstone Diploma (P.J. Gem. Dip) – Pass with DistinctionSurname Forename(s) Town Company

The Gemstone Award winnerSinclair Thomas James Northampton Michael Jones

Professional Jewellers’ Gemstone Diploma (P.J. Gem. Dip) – Pass: Grade ASurname Forename(s) Town Company

Boyden Emma Louise Waterlooville Picketts & Pursers

Pearson Mandy Jane York Fraser Hart

Rashid Attif Northampton Michael Jones

Professional Jewellers’ Gemstone Diploma (P.J. Gem. Dip) – Pass: Grade BSurname Forename(s) Town Company

Blankley Gillian Baldock Baker Bros

Bloodworth Deborah Lorraine Kings Lynn David Auker Jewellery

Fortune Emma Oxford Reginald Davis

Hawkes William Nottingham —

Parker Alasdair Kilmarnock —

Prosser Amelia Louise Banbury Michael Jones

Simcox Natalie Harrogate Goldsmiths

West Kerry-Elizabeth Solihull Goldsmiths



Professional Jewellers’ Management Diploma (P.J. Man. Dip) – Pass Surname Forename(s) Town Company

Adams James Anthony Chislehurst Fraser Hart

Adenaike Bosun Lanre Stevenage —

Balchin Katrina Reading Pravins

Bialas Katarzyna Reading Pravins

Buckley Claire Ellen Felixstowe Hills

Dudman Rachel Lisa Reading Pravins

Fenwick Gillian Benton Richard Sinton

Johnson Lydia Mae Horsham Wakefield

McCarthy Nicola Cork, Ireland John Neville

Murphy Kay Frances Wirral Wm Pyke & Sons

Nunes Carla Patricia dos Reis Jersey Rivoli

Thompson Brenda Slough Harvey & Thompson

West Mark East Grinstead W Major & Sons

Institute of Registered Valuers Fellows (FIRVs) Surname Forename(s) Town Company

Johnston Paul Belfast John H Lunn

Certificate of Appraisal Theory (CAT) 2012 – PassSurname Forename(s) Town Company

Hardy Joanna London Joanna Hardy

Leal Barbara Pinner JEMS

Randall Benjamin Litchfield Fellows & Sons

Wetherall Alan Hitchin Cellini


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Who has been the biggest influence onyour life?My Mother. My father died when I was sixand I’m so grateful to my mother whoworked tirelessly to bring my brother and meup. She gave me strong values especiallymutual respect and determination, a positivework ethic and, above all else, honesty.

Your favourite holiday destination? I love to travel to France. I enjoy wine, par-ticularly a good bottle of Bordeaux, and theFrench do have a special way with food.

What three words describe you best…in your view and according to others?I think – detailed, friendly and action orientated. Others say – approachable, reliable and optimistic.

Looking back at your career, what onething would you do differently if you hadyour time over?Study for formal qualifications. Last year Itook time out to obtain a Level 7 certificatein Leadership and Management. It was arewarding experience that equipped mewith solid theory to back up all of the practical learning and experience I havegained in my working life so far.

Early days of course, but what are yourfirst impressions of our jewellery industry?So far I think it is like the NAG – steeped inhistory and heritage, and yet evolving andmodernising. The people I have met so farare friendly and approachable, willing tohelp and inform me.

The last film you saw at the cinema?Skyfall with a special Q&A with JavierBardem, the villain Silva. As a member ofBAFTA I am very fortunate to be invited toview a large number of films ahead of thevoting session. I enjoyed this latest Bond,particularly because of the references toprevious Bond films and the outing of thebeautiful Aston Martin DB5.

Tell us something surprising about you?I have performed as a member of a boyband in a video games industry spoof video.It’s on YouTube if you want to try and find it!I loved the singing, but the dance routinewas a real challenge.

To what do you attribute your success?An attention to detail with a focus and desireto get the job done. I am a practical person,so having thought things through I want toroll up my sleeves and get things done.

Favourite shopping destination? Why?Singapore. It is a shoppers’ paradise withlots of malls and stores open late. Everyconceivable brand, product and style isavailable, and everywhere is air conditioned.They have many interesting shirt designswhich are my weakness as I like to wearsomething a bit different.

If not this one, what might your alternative career have been?After completing my A-levels my originalintention was to be a quantity surveyor. I amreally glad I didn’t pursue that choice as I’vehad the opportunity to work in so many different industries and roles. I have servedin a shop, sold sheds and greenhouses,worked in glazing and run UKIE.

Do you Tweet? If so, how often?I love to tweet and you can follow me at mikerawly. I regularly tweet about personal aswell as work topics of course. I find Twitter isa great way to keep up to date with what is happening.

What is your chosen form of exercise?I enjoy rowing in the gym. Half an hour isenough to get my heart pumping, and I findthe rhythm strangely hypnotic. I like to setmini targets then strive to achieve or betterthe goal.

Quick Fire• Red or white wine? RED• TV or radio? TV• Jewellery on men? Yes or No? YES• Delegator or control freak?

Both depending on the situation• Beatles or Rolling Stones? Beatles –

I know loads of the lyrics to their songs.• Paperback or e-reader? I am a techie,

but you cannot beat a paperback book on the beach.

Last WordThe

This month we throw the NAG’s new CEO, Michael Rawlinsonin at the deep end by subjecting him to the probing andrevealing interrogation that is The Last Word

Personal ProfileMichael joins the jewellery industry from the world of video games – in 2009 he was appointed director general of UKIE, the Association for UK Interactive Entertainment. In that role he oversaw all aspects of UKIE’swork, championing the needs of that industry. More recently Michael wasappointed as the videogames industry’s representative on the executiveboard of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety and is also vice chairman of the Alliance Against IP Theft.

B E R I N G S L I M T I T A N I U M W I T H S C R A T C H R E S I S T A N T S A P P H I R E C R Y S T A L

S l im T i tan ium-Case . Mul t i func t ion . Mesh Band

i n s p i r e d b y a r c t i c b e a u t y

Visit our website to see the ful l BERING col lection: www.beringtime.com

Jeweller April 2013

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Transcript of Jeweller April 2013