Here at the British Academy of Jewellery we like to stay up to date with what’s happening in the jewellery and design world. Welcome to the next instalment of our BAJ Digest – a weekly series dedicated to keeping you up to date with the latest news.
What does the Budget mean for the UK jewellery industry?
Any jeweller hoping to set up their own business should keep a keen eye on the government’s Budget as it can have a huge impact on your finances. This year, there is some good news for small businesses (SMEs) as the government authorises £900 million-worth of business rates relief for SMEs. It is also planning to pump £650 million into efforts to rejuvenate the UK’s high streets.
View the full article at Professional Jeweller
Jewellery worth £400k seized in UK’s first McMafia-style investigation
The wife of an Azerbaijani banker jailed for defrauding his state-owned bank out of hundreds of millions of euros has had to give up some of the jewels she bought with what the courts are calling “dirty money”. The jewels of Zamira Hajiyeva, which are worth hundreds of thousands of pounds and include Boucheron pieces bought at Harrods, have been detained.
View the full article at The Guardian
Chanel’s new Sous le Signe du Lion fine jewellery collection champions Coco’s favourite beast
Gabriel Chanel, known as Coco to friends and followers, was a Leo, and being a superstitious woman, the symbol of the lion become hugely important to her. The latest fine jewellery collection from Chanel celebrates this powerful motif in a range of guises. Another interesting element of the collection is the heavy use of yellow gold, which is unusual for the house.
View the full article at The Telegraph
Jewellery designer and celebrity favourite Fernando Jorge opens London showroom
He left Brazil to study jewellery in London and since then has become a highly respected designer across the globe. Now, Fernando Jorge is ready to take the next step in his career by opening his own boutique. His new space in Shoreditch was once a wax factory but is now a temple to jewels, decorated with glints of gold, exposed brick and a jungle of house plants.
View the full article at Vogue
Experts forecast 12% sales surge for Black Friday week
Black Friday discounting started out as a pre-Christmas retail initiative in the US, but in recent years this fever-pitch sales opportunity has had a huge impact on British retail. Black Friday discounting predominantly takes place online, with many jewellery brands, big and small, now using it to offer discounts or special deals.
View the full article at Professional Jeweller
Jewellery by artists such as Dali, Picasso and Calder fetches high prices
It was their artworks that made them famous, but many of the best-known artists also dallied in jewellery making. Often elaborate costume jewels, this arty section of the jewellery industry has been doing well at auction as collectors of both jewels and art seek to expand their hoards with these unusual trinkets.
View the full article at Australian Financial Review