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Greg Valerio, a Chichester jeweller, is rustling a few feathers with his ethical jewellery sales pitch.
J-dex tries to get behind an increasingly heated debate about ‘dirty gold'. We spoke to Greg Valerio of the Cred Foundation and Dr. Chris Corti of the World Gold Council.
Ethics and Fairtrade are a hot topic in Greg Valerio's home town of Chichester, which has recently declared itself a Fairtrade city. The Mayor, Councillor Rob Campling, accepted Chichester's Fairtrade certificate on behalf of the people of the city at a ceremony held last year. Recently Chichester cinema screened a Fairtrade fortnight highlighting issues of concern with the showing of films such as Blood Diamond, Fast Food Nation, Black Gold (about the coffee industry) and The Corporation. Greg spoke prior to the screening of Blood Diamond.
In an interview to the Chichester Observer magazine Greg explained his point of view. “Walk into any jewellers and ask where their gold comes from and they will look blank.” He continued, “ A couple could set out with the happy task of choosing an engagement ring or wedding ring – a symbol of love, trust, integrity, purity and all their partnership means to them. But they could unwittingly end up with a tiny but toxic testament to exploitation, oppression, poverty and environmental damage.”
Greg has been campaigning for the last six years to address these issues and has set up Cred jewellery to buy ethically mined gold, to support the gold industry by addressing social and environmental issues and make sure that his gold is mined in a responsible way with a strict criteria of standards including safe working conditions and no inhumane treatment, discrimination, child labour and toxic chemicals, including no mercury and cyanide in the mining process.
Greg has the one shop in Chichester from which he runs his charity, The Cred Foundation. He buys gold from Columbia dealing with The Green Gold Corporation which operates in the communities of the biogeographic regions of Choco. The Corporacion Oro Verde (Green Gold Corporation)and Amichoco Foundation developed the Certified Green Gold Program (GGP) in Chocó, Colombia, and are expanding it to other regions of the world. GGP provides a sustainable development alternative for underprivileged communities by fostering fair trade practices and 10 certification criteria as a guarantee of socially and environmentally responsible ASM (Artisan and small-scale mining).
Certified gold and platinum are sold to local and international fair trade and green markets, and miners receive a bonus on the market value of gold. Greg is charged a 10% premium over the London gold price which is used to develop local communities.
The Green Gold Corporation
The website, www.greengold-oroverde.org, for the Green Gold Corporation explains. “Since we began, nearly 1,400 miners have joined the GGP. Together, they protect about 7,900 hectares of one of the world's most bio-diverse forests. Green Gold miners are making significant improvements in their living standards. They are receiving better prices for their metals, diversifying their productive activities and increasing their food security. Moreover, their leadership and organizational skills are stronger, and miners are now recognized as responsible citizens who actively contribute to the well-being of their communities and their ecosystems' health.”
Dr.Chris Corti of the World Gold Council.
To find out more about these issues and gold mining J-dex contacted Dr.Chris Corti of the World Gold Council. He provided some background. “Gold is mined either from surface deposits (often former river beds, etc) (alluvial deposits) which produces ‘gold dust' or small grains or may be panned from rivers/streams or mined from below surface, increasingly quite deep mines. They are as deep as 3000m (2 miles) in South Africa and plan on going down to 3 miles; this poses some major engineering problems. Gold is also a by-product of copper mining.
The major gold mining companies, be they opencast or deep mining, have good technical skills and are adopting ‘best practice' in terms of environmental pollution and health & safety as well as production efficiency. They have not been perfect in the past, but are very much focused on these issues. A classic environmental problem has been cyanide leaching and there have been some major cyanide spills/leaks in the recent past, causing havoc/destruction to fish stocks, etc in rivers. There have been some major improvements in standards and this should not be a problem in the future. The risk of damage is now much less.”
Dr. Corti attended a seminar at which Greg Valerio made a speech about which he comments. “When mining for gold, one mines about 1 tonne of rock for every 10-15 grammes of gold recovered. This is not necessarily toxic as Greg Valeria claims, although it may be an eyesore! However, in most Western countries, mining companies are required to restore the heaps to a ‘green' state and there are ever tighter regulations about damage to the land and river systems. One also recovers some copper and other base metals too, by the way.”
Dr.Corti commented on small scale mining operations.
“Small scale mining is done by artisans/peasants, often illegally and sometimes by force by terrorists to pay for their conflict. Such mining is often done unsafely, with much damage to the environment, especially if mercury is used to recover the gold. [Proper mining companies would never use mercury!] Mercury damages the land and the miner's health. Such artisanal mining is generally not done under good mining practice and miners are in danger for their health and young children may be involved too. Hard work to say the least. This approach will also create large amounts of fine rock which is just dumped.
Greg told us at his GIA lecture that his source (in Colombia) pans the gold in the traditional way from surface deposits and that the artisans care for the land, hence it is ‘ethically' sourced. This may be true, but it may leach toxic components into local streams. I cannot say. I doubt there are strong analytical testing and controls as there would be with large scale mining.”
“With regard to ethical mining of gold, there is no doubt that this is becoming a substantial issue which the mining companies recognise and are trying to put a system into place as we now have with diamonds (Kimberley agreement). A problem here is that all mined gold needs to be refined at a refinery so traceability must involve the refineries. I know some refineries are not ‘particular' about the sources they buy from! Many are, however.
One must put gold mining into some perspective in terms of its contribution to the economies of many poor ‘developing' countries. It is a major part of many of these economies and provides huge numbers of jobs. Greg and other similar ethical gold people only involves a few kilograms of gold per annum, so it is small beer in terms of total demand. Greg made several emotional sweeping statements about gold mining, which whilst having some elements of truth, are actually quite misleading, not recognising some of the improvements being made by the mining companies. No doubt he is making good money on the back of his ‘ethical' approach and his suppliers are better off, which is a good thing. He indicated that he gets his gold refined at a small refinery, so I am sure it will be refined by the Aqua Regia process, probably here in the West. This involves use of hydrochloric and nitric acids and creates nasty nitric fumes (NOx). No doubt the refiner employs good practice and scrubs his gases before releasing them into the atmosphere and so does not pollute the atmosphere, and disposes of his spent acids responsibly. This would not be true if done by local unregistered refiners in these poor countries.”
Chris Corti has also recently responded to a CAFOD, Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, lobbyist who questioned the ethics of gold mining and also challenged the necessity of jewellery purchasing. He commented, “ I am sure we all subscribe to the ethical issues involved in any type of mining activity and particularly non-ethically sourced precious materials and the impact they can have on conflict between people in Africa as well as environmental destruction.”
The remarks attributed to the CAFOD volunteer, Clare Palmer, compound the impression that purchase of jewellery is frivolous, if not irresponsible. However, the report gives an unbalanced view of gold mining and the impact it has on the economic well-being of many developing countries. I would like to correct that impression. I talk specifically about gold, about which I have some direct knowledge. Most gold is not ‘dirty'.
Chris Corti: Let me give you some salient facts.
About 80% of the approx. 3,500 tonnes annual gold demand goes into jewellery worldwide. This demand supplies employment to substantial numbers of people in ‘developing countries' in Asia, Africa, Central & South Americas, etc, both in mining it and in manufacturing jewellery.
A further 12% goes into industrial and medical applications. Gold is essential to our modern way of life. Electronics and dental are the largest sectors, but anti-arthritic treatments and body implants are typical of other smaller uses. The electrical contacts in your car safety air bags, aircraft and other security/safety oriented computer control systems, and much more besides are examples of safety-critical applications where gold is essential.
New applications for gold are currently being developed that will have a significant social & environmental impact - gold catalysts for pollution control, fuel cell systems in the new hydrogen economy and water purification, as well as manufacture of chemicals; gold nanotechnology for medical diagnostic testing (pregnancy testing kits are already commercial) for a range of diseases and for targeted delivery of drugs; anti-cancer drugs, materials for opto-electronics, solar cells, etc are some examples here.
Mining of gold provides much local employment and business to local suppliers in many countries around the world. More significantly, it is vital to the fragile economies of many poor countries worldwide, including those of Africa. Over two-thirds of gold production comes from such poor countries. Gold is the leading export of Mali (59% of all exported goods), Tanzania (44%) and Ghana (32%) for example.
For the 27 ‘heavily indebted poor countries' that have received some debt relief, gold exports in 2003 amounted to 87% of debt service payments. Thus, gold mining's impact on developing countries balance of payments is strongly positive.
Export revenue is not the only benefit. It brings income to governments through taxes and royalty payments, technology transfer, skilled employment and training for local peoples and, in some cases, has been the foundation for establishing a significant jewellery manufacturing industry, much of which goes for export.
Much of the annual gold supply comes from responsible international mining companies who pay much attention to safety and working conditions and to minimising environmental damage. Anglogold Ashanti, for example, have pioneered provision of free drugs for employees suffering from HIV/AIDs in South Africa.
Only a relatively small amount of gold is produced (often illegally) by ‘armed groups' or by local artisans, who do not mine safely, socially responsibly or with regard to damage of the environment. Mined gold is impure and needs to be refined via a gold
refinery. The refiners produce the gold in the form of gold bars and sell it into the market. Thus, the ethical sourcing of gold by the jewellery industry relies on the gold refiners.
Most of these are accredited members of the major international gold exchanges such as the London Bullion Market Association. Some smaller ones are not. The gold industry is working towards a scheme that will guarantee ethical sourcing, such as is in place for diamonds.
If the public stops buying gold jewellery over concerns about conflict and destruction of the environment, gold demand will fall, and this will lower the gold price: both factors will have a major economic impact on many people and the economies of poor countries who will slide deeper into poverty and debt. The best solution to the concerns is to allow the industry to introduce an ethical sourcing scheme as we now have with diamonds. The ‘ring on your finger' is not responsible for the conflict seen in a few countries, but it does impact the lives of many people, who depend on it for their employment, and contributes to the economies of poor countries worldwide. You might like to look at the World Gold Council website and read the essay about the role of gold in poor countries,
”The Value of Gold to Society”, www.gold.org.”
J-dex considers that this is the beginning of a very long road
By its own admission ARM is at the beginning of a quest to improve the lives of the poorest miners in the world, stop pollution and highlight child labour. After a great deal of travel and research Greg Valerio is dealing with the Green Gold Corporation in Columbia. The systems used to mine the gold ore are generally simple panning and water pumps with sluices which catch the gold grains. These are very low environmental impact, certainly not open pit and only 1/10th of a hectare is mined at any one time. At full operating capacity the miners can produce about 2 kilos per month. This is a tiny amount in world production terms.
So where does this leave the rest of the industry?
Many illegal miners use chemicals to separate out the gold they mine, so as to put it into an amalgam, which can be sold to traders.
By some estimates there are 11-12 million artisanal miners working in alluvial and open pit mining throughout the world. These unlicensed, unregulated people are a major cause of pollution. There needs to be legislation and policing of these miners if our industry is to start to become ethically based. The big mining companies are being pressured into becoming clean players in the gold production world and with encouragement will find ways of certifying the production pipeline as ethical and clean. Up until now they have seen no need to prove an audit trail which satisfies the end consumer. It is men like Greg who are getting the consumer to question the provenance of the gold they are buying.
In conversation with jewellers and refiners there is also a route yet to be explored which could satisfy consumers. Recycled scrap is considered to be ethically acceptable of which there is a considerable quantity in this country. Tony Baird of Baird & Co is one of the few gold refiners in the UK. He explained,
“Particularly during times such as these, when the price of gold is high, we recycle all our gold scrap into products for our own use and sell the balance for jewellery manufacturing to our clients.”
J-dex believes that it might be possible to either certify or invoice recycled gold on request and therefore satisfy the consumer, but there would be an ‘audit' cost.
I think that the ARM campaign is laudable and should be supported. However I also believe that Western standards of ethics cannot be imposed on every artisanal miner at this stage, for example there is often a very good reason why a 10 year old African boy is a miner and not at school. Pressure at governmental level needs to address land rights, child labour and pollution issues. But, I do not want us to make ‘western' judgements on third world practises, it is too easy to condemn others sitting in the comfort of my office!
Greg needs to be very careful in his pronouncements to the media. He is painting the whole industry as uncaring and gormless. This is not the case. The jewellery industry spends a great deal of time and thought on ethics and the emotion of buying jewellery. The gems industry is sorting out its act, as is the diamond industry. A ‘Blue Book' is being developed to address just these issues by the major jewellery and allied industry bodies.
Chris Corti comments on behalf of The World Gold Council that,
“The gold industry is working towards a scheme that will guarantee ethical sourcing, such as is in place for diamonds.”
We think they should get a move on. The consumer won't wait.
There is another conundrum that Greg and many future ‘ethical' jewellers should also consider: If his small range of wedding jewellery is ethical does that mean that the other gold products in his shop are unethical?
J-dex considers that if a more well thought out message is not considered, the consumer will just turn to other products, metals and even industries to celebrate the most important day of their lives. I believe that Greg is ultimately doing the right thing in the wrong way. Negative advertising rarely works especially if it is on shaky ground. A small re-think of his sales pitch will pay dividends.
Dr.Corti speaks on behalf of the WGC. However he does not represent the big mining organisations.
Greg is the UK representative and Vice Chair of the Association for Responsible Mining (ARM) dealing with artisanal and small scale miners. ARM states its aims on its website, www.communitymining.org “ARM, is an independent, global-scale effort, and pioneer initiative, created as an international and multi-institutional organization to bring credibility, transparency and legitimacy to the development of a framework for responsible artisanal and small-scale mining.
Its goal is to enhance equity and wellbeing in mining communities through improved social/environmental mining practices, governance and the implementation of ecosystem restoration practices. ARM will establish a process whereby universally accepted standards and criteria for the certification of responsible and ecologically sound community mining practices can be defined. This process aims to create and accredit viable, reliable, and transparent certification processes for artisan and small-scale minerals development.
To this end ARM will seek to work in collaboration with ongoing global, national and local initiatives. It will work with a bottom-up approach, as a way of recognising the key role that local groups of small-scale miners, government authorities and related groups must play in the transformation of ASM, and the need to ensure that certification schemes take into account cultural, ethnic, and ecosystem diversity, and set out feasible contextual processes for the desired transformation.”
ARM's main purpose is to act as an accreditation body for local certifiers, and to use certification and ecological restoration, together with access to fair trade and ethically responsible markets, as tools to promote more responsible community mining practices.
Artisanal and small-scale mining is here to stay.
Artisan and small-scale mining (ASM) is a reality that will not disappear. Its social and economic importance cannot be ignored. Indeed, the rising price of precious metals and gems has generated an increase in ASM activity all over the world.
ASM usually takes place in fragile ecosystems characterized by cultural and biological diversity, but it also occurs in the poorest sectors of urban areas, and as a social legacy in large-scale mining areas. Widespread material poverty in ASM regions is aggravated by environmental impacts that directly affect ecosystem and human health, reflecting on the sustainability of local livelihoods in its area of influence.
ASM is plagued by huge governance challenges, not only because of the illegality and informality of many ASM operations, but as a result of the inappropriate legal and regulatory frameworks for the activity in many countries. This is aggravated by the often limited technical and financial capacity of developing country governments to effectively manage the activity, despite ongoing efforts in many countries.
ARM will also focus on the improvement of ecological restoration practices in areas where ASM takes place, building on local traditional knowledge and responding to community food security and other requirements in support of improved local sustainable livelihoods and the restoration and preservation of vulnerable ecosystems.
ARM will play an active role in bringing together miners, researchers, government authorities, jewellers, consumers and NGOs from different experiences worldwide, to reinforce improved practices and jointly create an enabling environment for a sustainable ASM. ARM will also lobby towards improving policy and regulatory frameworks governing ASM and will use its website and networks to increase awareness among mineral producers and consumers of the potential of a responsible ASM sector for poverty reduction.
• Collaborate with key international institutions in setting up a process for the development of a framework for responsible artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM)
• Lend support to applied research in the developing world responding to the demands of this process
• Explore schemes for guaranteeing traceability and for the establishment of tracking systems or chains of custody for ASM products
• Train certifying teams from independent local and regional institutions
• Lend support to the organizational strengthening of ASM organizations affiliated to the process
• Lend support and provide information for the transfer, adaptation and use of clean ASM technologies and processes
• Train ARM affiliates and members in ecosystem restoration techniques
• Collaborate with ongoing efforts to build awareness among key actors around core ASM issues and the potential of using a fair trade and ethical markets as drivers for the transformation of the activity
• Produce policy papers and lobby for public policies and laws supportive of the transformation of ASM
Most of the questions asked for more information on how to assess colour in gemstones, so this month I will expand on that subject slightly.
In the early chapters of most gemmology reference books, the authors try to define ‘what is a gemstone'. Often cited as “Beauty, durability and rarity”, this is not wrong, but lacks enough detail to help a trade professional evaluate a stone.
So how do you assess, colour. The most valuable asset is experience, the more you see, the easier it is to make a comparative judgement. However the market and technology changes rapidly so beware. Knowing this, It is rare that we do not find the time to meet with a supplier [existing or potential new] as part of this process of continuous learning of goods and market trends.
One of the harder stones is Aqua, with material pastel in colour the hue is often very subtle to discern. Pale or greenish stones are lower in price, but comparison gives the most reliable pricing.
Similarly with Rubelite which can easily be overdark or sleepy.
And the shade of pink is crucial too.
Pink tourmaline may go brown in sunlight hence the price difference between the 2 ‘sibling' materials.
With opal; the base material can be white or grey and the colouring which varies from small pinpricks up to large ‘sheets', is assessed separately.
One material that presents numerous pitfalls is Ruby, the amount of incandescence in a light source can influence the colour significantly. Even experienced dealers can find their prime stock has darkened more than expected when the stock is viewed in overcast UK.
Above all, the best quality gemstones look good in all light conditions. This is soundly reflected in the price.
Palladium
A word of Warning
By Apollonius Nooten-Boom II,
CRAeC. FGA. DGA. FIPG.
Director of Hean Studio
There is a growing interest in this metal, as a jewellery material in its own right. In addition there are moves to introduce a hallmark for this metal at some point in 2008.
There may still be a few craftsmen who recall working with this material some 50 to 60 years ago. It certainly has some interesting and curious working characteristics.
Wrought palladium when being bent and formed by hand has a property whereby by you can “feel” internal cracking. In addition Palladium has excellent work hardening characteristics. Combine these two factors and you will discover that palladium will then crack very easily.
At the other end of the scale, annealed Palladium can be very soft. Pure Pd has a hardness of 55 Vickers. To put this in context for the none technical here are some comparisons. Pure Platinum = 90, Platinum / cobalt alloy (used for casting) = 120, 18ct yellow = 120, 18ct white = 130 to 150.
Most of the Pd alloys on offer have a hardness below 100 in annealed / as cast form. However, they will readily work harden, but generally cast jewellery parts are not subject to work hardening processes.
Various bullion suppliers are working to address these issues, but with only 4.9% to play with to dramatically alter the character of pure Pd, scope is somewhat limited, but there are some promising new alloys on the horizon.
From a casting perspective Pd is more problematic than Platinum. Why?
Pd has a lower melting point than Pt so that should help.
But Pd has half the density of Pt, and is very sluggish in molten form, and therefore less fluid, this means that greater forces are required to try and fill fine forms.
Pd has a great affinity for absorbing oxygen. This results in porosity, and embrittlement. Once this has happened all the material must be scrapped and sent for refining, that is an extra cost which is rarely required with Pt. The way to avoid this is the introduction of Argon atmosphere to prevent this happening, that is another expense, not encountered with Pt.
Several companies now charge for castings by weight, and some continue to charge per unit. The later will have no problem with their price structure. However, those that charge by weight have to take metal density into consideration. As Pd is half the density of Pt, it is logical that the per gram charging rate for Pd should be double that charged for Pt. However, the overall unit cost for PD, and Pt will end up the same.
Pd will require much the same finishing processes as for Pt, which is considerably more involved and costly than processing 9ct white gold. So really when all is taken into account, the manufacturing costs will be at much the same level as those for platinum, and labour costs are just one of a raft of production costs that are a burden to competitiveness in a global market. So, we will end up with still less manufacturing in the UK, and more importing of product from the Far East. Some is well made, but much is of poor manufacturing quality. What are you, the Retailers, going to do when there is no one left to make adjustment and repairs in the UK, and you have to send everything back to China, Thailand or India?.
Finally, we come to the market, and why Palladium could end up putting you out of business. As soon as a hallmark is introduced the material becomes a more attractive proposition for retailers to take on board. Some multiple retailers are already stocking goods in Pd.
The trend for Pd started in China, and quickly spread to America. For China which has a rapidly expanding economy, and when there is a rapidly growing consumer demand, the addition of Pd product works well. This is because there are many Chinese who want the new products, but cannot afford 18ct white gold, or Platinum product. Therefore the cheaper Pd product creates choice and opportunity, but without effecting market share of other precious metals.
In America which is a well developed economy, I suspect the picture is somewhat different. The current price of Pd means that it is broadly in the same price point for like for like product, as 9ct white gold. My fears are that Pd will be mis-described, and mis-sold, as a Platinum type material, and due to its current lower price will actually take market share from 18ct white gold, and platinum product, thereby reducing the overall value of the market.
As for Europe, which is a more sophisticated and fully developed market, the consequences of Pd taking market share from 18ct white gold, and Platinum, will in my opinion be even more dramatic.
The facts: Pd seems to a trend that will not go away. The price will have broader appeal. It is like Platinum, so is easier to sell than 9ct white gold alloy. On this second point be very careful. Pd is an important material for the automotive industry as it is used in catalytic converters in the exhaust systems of cars. The supply of Pd into the market has sometimes been erratic. This has resulted in Pd priced going through the roof literally overnight sometimes. In fact three years ago the market was in turmoil, and Pd was more per gram that Pt. Now how to sell Pd, what’s the difference, what’s better, what’s worse. I am sure this scenario will happen from time to time, as history invariably repeats itself.
My personal recommendation would be for the European jewellery industry not to adopt a Pd standard for jewellery. Protect your business, by protecting the value of what you sell. Give a consumer a cheaper option and they will take it. As a well established person in our industry once said to me, “The number of engagement rings and wedding rings sold each is about constant. If nobody supplied 9ct anymore, and only 18ct gold, or platinum were on offer, I am sure that we would still sell the same number of engagement rings and wedding rings, but the value and profit would be better”.
THE BIRMINGHAM ASSAY OFFICE LAUNCHES INNOVATIVE NEW WEBSITE – EARLY SILVER HALLMARKS
The Birmingham Assay Office has just launched its new, Early Silver Hallmarks website. Any silver collector who may have acquired, for example an early Birmingham silver snuff box with a maker’s mark they don’t recognise, or perhaps a recent beneficiary of a will who has inherited a set of nineteenth-century Birmingham silver salts and would like to know who made them will find this website of immense value.
You can visit the website at www.theassayoffice.co.uk and on the home page click on the icon ‘Early Silver Hallmarks’, to enter the site.
This innovative, interactive website will be demonstrated during the forthcoming Antiques for Everyone Show at the NEC from 12th to 15th April, where pieces from The Birmingham Assay Office Silver Collection will be on display. Under the banner ‘A Celebration of Silver’ a rare opportunity will be afforded to members of the general public to see some fabulous treasures from Birmingham’s industrial heritage.
Since 1773, records have been kept of every sponsor’s mark registered with The Birmingham Assay Office. On the website, you can research Birmingham hallmarks, including sponsors’ marks and dates. You can also access the other information contained in the registers, such as, the date the mark was registered, the name of the sponsor, their trade, and their address.
At present, the database contains sponsors’ marks registered with The Birmingham Assay Office between 1773 and 1858. Many of these marks, however, continued in use for many years beyond 1858, so a search on the website for later marks may be successful.
Dr. Sally Baggott, Curator said ‘This is an exciting and innovative project that, for the first time, makes the early registers of sponsors’ marks at The Birmingham Assay Office accessible to the public. I hope that eventually all Birmingham sponsors’ marks will be added.’
New Opportunities
Limited only by your imagination . . . Gordon Hamme spoke to Marion Wilson of The Birmingham Assay Office
Designers let your imagination run riot; manufacturing jewellers reassess what all that expensive new technology can really do. Recent changes to the Hallmarking Act with regard to marking Mixed Metals have opened up new opportunities for jewellers, silversmiths and watch brands overnight.
There has been an immediate and enthusiastic response to the long awaited changes to the Hallmarking Act which came into force on April 6th 2007.
These create new opportunities for the Jewellery industry and offer consumers more accurate descriptions of the items they are purchasing.
Historically the Hallmarking Act prevented the Assay Offices from hallmarking items made of a mixture of precious and base metals, and the regulations for mixed precious metal items were very restricting. This resulted in misleading descriptions because if a precious metal item is not hallmarked then it cannot be described or sold as such. Significant anomalies have arisen, with 18ct Gold described as “yellow metal” and platinum as “white metal” in many instances. Consumers and all sectors of the jewellery industry will benefit from the changes which will no doubt prompt an influx of new fresh looking pieces made from a variety of mixed precious and base metals.
Marion Wilson, Marketing Director at The Birmingham Assay Office believes the changes to the regulations will make a noticeable difference to the UK retail jewellery trade. “Research shows that the UK consumer looks for a hallmark and appreciates the reassurance that it offers” says Marion. “The market is strongly driven by female self purchase and the trends for 2007 are all about stylish high quality pieces and ‘something a bit different’. Hallmarked mixed metal items will definitely open up new horizons for designers at every level of the retail market.”
Helen Harding, Buying Controller for Ernest Jones sees great potential to develop jewellery with a different design edge.
“The changes to the Hallmarking Act offer phenomenal scope for us to be innovative and offer our customers the individuality they are looking for” she says. “This will modernise the fine jewellery retail trade and allow us to take advantage of new technology to produce imaginative new collections.” Ernest Jones already offer a range in titanium and silver which will now be hallmarked, and therefore accurately described, for the first time, increasing the perceived value of the pieces and giving the customer more confidence in what they are buying.
There are many other opportunities to mix metals and produce vibrant new styles in combinations such as titanium and silver , 18ct yellow gold and platinum or stainless steel, silver and brass and countless others. The watch industry will benefit too; ranges can now include a “gold watch” with a stainless steel back, drastically reducing the cost of the case while doing little to reduce the perceived status of the item.
Silversmiths have enormous fresh scope to create contemporary variations on classic themes. A silver jug or candlestick with a gold handle or rim, personal gifts such as key rings, book marks or business cardholders made from silver and brass ; silver and copper biscuit barrels; the potential is unlimited and now all these articles can be hallmarked.
The changes to legislation are already proving advantageous to the second hand jeweller. Since the beginning of April, The Birmingham Assay Office have been pleased to be able to hallmark many articles which could not have been marked previously, including the 18ct Gold ring with a Palladium head and 18ct Gold ring with diamonds held in silver settings shown here.
Ken Vaughan of Harvey & Thompson says “Hallmarking means we can guarantee the quality of the products we offer for sale. There is an improvement in sales and customer confidence as a consequence. Our customers are always looking for reassurance and value for money is important to them. It has been difficult to deliver this when we could not legally describe the items correctly. The new legislation will help us enormously.”
A summary of the details of the new legislation is shown below.
For more information please visit:
www.theassayoffice.co.uk
SUMMARY OF CHANGES TO THE HALLMARKING ACT APRIL 2007
1. MIXED METALS
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
• Any article which is to be described and sold as silver, gold or platinum must be hallmarked unless it falls beneath the appropriate exemption weight.
• Standard Exemptions weights apply for Mixed Precious and Non-Precious Articles but are based on the total weight of metal in the article so, for example any article with a component to be described as gold in which the total weight of all metal is over 1 gram will need to be hallmarked.
• All precious metals must be of the minimum legal fineness or the article cannot be hallmarked ie Gold 375. Silver 800. Platinum 850.
REGULATIONS FOR ARTICLES OF TWO OR MORE PRECIOUS METALS
• The item can only be marked if, in the opinion of the Assay Office, an ordinary person will be able to determine which part is which precious metal.
• The full hallmark (Assay Office and fineness mark) struck will be that of the least precious metal, in order, silver, gold, platinum. This will normally be struck on the appropriate metal.
• The minor (fineness) mark only will be stamped on the “higher” precious metals.
REGULATIONS FOR ARTICLES OF PRECIOUS METAL PARTS AND OTHER MATERIALS
• A mixed metal article containing only a single precious metal will be hallmarked on the precious metal part only.
• Base metal parts must be clearly distinguishable from precious metal parts by Colour, or by having the word METAL or the name of the metal struck on the base metal part (brass, stainless steel, titanium etc).
• NB Articles must still comply with the UK Nickel Regulations.
2. PRE 1950’S EXEMPTION
6th April 2007 also sees another amendment to Hallmarking legislation in respect of items brought onto the market pre 1950.
Until now un-hallmarked items manufactured after 1920 could not legally be described as silver, gold or platinum. The amendment extends the exemption date to 1950 and allows un-hallmarked items to be sold as gold, silver or platinum as long as the seller can prove the fineness of the precious metal and that the item was manufactured before 1950.
Domino Design Competition
Award winners announced
Each year Domino is proud to sponsor a competition for HND students of the University of Central England, School of Jewellery. This year 23 students were asked to demonstrate their innovative thinking abilities and create a piece of jewellery by using components from the handbook.
The winners were announced and presented with their prizes on the Domino stand at the Spring Fair.
First prize of £500 was awarded to Kathleen Baird who created a stunning necklet and earrings using some of Domino’s CR22 four claw settings as an interesting feature.
The £250 second prize went to Katie Roberts who used Domino’s CRS settings to make an ingenious magnetic checkerboard ring.
The third prize and £100 was given to Emma Darrell for her interesting lapel pins made using CX10 square settings.
All three award winners will also be given the opportunity of work experience at Domino.
Lesa Phelps, Domino’s Product Development Manager, said of the competition: “We were pleased at the high calibre of work that had been entered this year, it made picking our winners a difficult decision. The winners should be commended for their innovative thinking when using components from the Handbook, it demonstrates how versatile Domino’s products can be. We feel it is important to continue to support jewellery students by running these competitions, they are, after all, the future of the industry.
Gaynor Andrews, Course Director for HND Jewellery & Silversmithing added:
“The opportunity presented through a competition of this sort is highly beneficial to the students and provides a good insight into the industry. Receiving recognition for their efforts at the Spring Fair created a real sense of professionalism and was an ideal conclusion to the successful collaboration. We would like to thank Domino for all their support and also Emagold for showcasing the competition entries at the fair. “
DAVRAN JEWELLERY LIMITED
Davran has used the ultimate bespoke tool, the Cad cam, since we purchased the system over a year ago.
It can produce almost anything if you have the time, knowledge and patience but we have found it most useful for logos and personalised jewellery like the cufflinks above. The Cad Cam system is excellent for making letters and numbers which are notoriously difficult to make accurately by hand.
Three initials together as cufflinks, tie tacks, pendants or rings can never be a volume production product; there are no usual initial combinations!
The popularity and cost of personalised car registration plates indicate what a great gift item Initial Jewellery can be.
For more information contact John at Davran
Tel: 0121 523 1662
Stuart Page -
Manufacturing Jeweller By Gordon Hamme
Gordon Hamme visited Stuart Page in Cambridgeshire to catch up on all the latest developments of the company since it acquired the Western Precision padlocks product line - a company which supplies independent jewellers through to the biggest multiples.
I can guarantee to find the scenic route to anywhere by using my new car’s satnav system. So I had a leisurely and interesting journey through the Cambridgeshire Fens to get to the factory of Stuart Page and talk to the managing director Mark Page. Mark is a jewellery making enthusiast who mixes hand-made skills, casting and engineering technology seamlessly throughout his company.
I often forget that manufacturing the same piece of jewellery can be approached in so many different ways. Generally a prototype is made by hand which can then be made into a master pattern for casting. Once the product has been established as a piece of jewellery for mass production that is likely to sell well, the most economic type of production is through stamping and forming which requires a completely different set of engineering skills to casting and hand making techniques.
I fondly remember sitting through product development meetings at a large company I worked in where the jewellery designer, myself and the engineers managed to talk completely different languages with the end result being a disaster.
The Stuart Page factory is one of the few fully integrated jewellery making facilities left in the UK. With the full instalment a year ago of the padlock making stamping, soldering and finishing equipment Mark expects to make 500,000 units this year in gold and silver. To support the business he is using any quiet periods to build stock for a next day padlock delivery service.
Having been established in 1929 the company benefits from a huge back library of expensive tooling for stampings and also a vast range of master patterns of charms and jewellery patterns. The company supplies many standard products such as crosses, St.Christophers, I.D. bracelets, bangles and stone set jewellery which benefits from the ‘stones cast-in’ technology. To compliment the ranges Stuart Page manufactures its own chain range covering curbs, ropes, belchers, snake, box and albert chains.
The addition of the padlocks business has emphasised to Mark the shrinking of the UK manufacturing base. However he does see an expanding role for his own company supplying standard items to other more specialist manufacturers. By specialising in jewellery for the UK market the company has a bright and busy future.
Contact details:
Stuart Page,
Unit 16 Norman Way,
Over, Cambridge CB4 5QE
Tel: 01954 231776 Fax: 01954 206696
E-mail smpageltd@hotmail.co.uk Back to top
Rising Stars
A blazing trail of new talent is to be revealed in an exciting exhibition of innovative silverware and jewellery at Goldsmiths’ Hall,
London EC2 from Friday June 1 to Saturday July 14, 2007
THE GOLDSMITHS’ COMPANY’S summer exhibition features jewellery and silverware by some of the brightest designer-makers in the creative galaxy. Entitled “Rising Stars”, this inspirational and exciting exhibition is on view at Goldsmiths’ Hall from Friday June 1 to Saturday July 14, admission free.
Janice Blackburn, contemporary applied arts curator and journalist, who was invited by the Goldsmiths’ Company to guest curate the exhibition, has chosen 18 designers, who she considers to be “up and coming” in terms of their skills, talent and public recognition. Between them they demonstrate a wide range of personalities, styles and working techniques.
In Janice’s opinion, “‘Rising Stars’ represents the diversity and innovation of jewellers and silversmiths working in the U.K. today. No longer can we expect the ‘expected’ but the work in this exhibition demonstrates the makers’ integrity of skills with enormous flair, imagination and surprise”.
Each of the designers has adapted the ancient skills of their craft while simultaneously questioning the traditional perceptions of silverware and adornment. The results are startling. The highly individual work reveals each designer’s intense creativity and represents a wide-ranging source of inspiration from architecture, throw-away cartons and packaging, to nature and the elements. Although hugely diverse the works all exhibit their makers’ mastery of craftsmanship and passion for working in precious metals.
All the designers will be presenting pieces made especially for the exhibition, together with other examples of their recent work, which collectively demonstrate their dazzling skills and accomplishments.
To enhance these qualities, the exhibition rooms at Goldsmiths’ Hall will be appropriately transformed into a black abyss out of which these creations will sparkle like bright stars in a clear night sky.
“Rising Stars” is full of challenges and surprises. For instance the jewellery by designer Chrysanthe Staikopoulou is intrinsically linked with architecture both in its inspiration and its design. The jewel is one component of a larger being such as a piece of furniture or some other structure – it is not dependent on being worn to be admired or have a purpose.
In contrast romance is the starting point of Tomasz Donocik’s jewellery which is designed with a male metro-sexual audience in mind. Tomasz’s highly fanciful creations are subtle, innovative and challenge traditional preconceptions of what is considered appropriate male jewellery. His jewels combine precious metals and gem stones with other luxurious materials such as leather and silk.
New technology presents exciting possibilities for today’s designers and David Goodwin and Jo Hayes-Ward are perfect examples of young jewellers who have embraced techniques such as Computer Aided Design and rapid-prototyping to great effect. With totally different, but equally breathtaking results both have used these technologies to achieve superior complexity and accuracy in their work.
Silversmith Chien-Wei Chang’s striking silver ladles and vessels explore the process of moving knowledge and experiences from one place to another. He combines his passion for working in silver with a reassessment of the traditional usage of ladles, vessels and other domestic objects in modern society. Chien-Wei believes there is an intimate relationship between an object and its collector – each is on a journey.
It is the “take-away” and transitory mentality of today’s culture that intrigues silversmith Maike Dahl. Inspired by modern packaging, Maike takes very thin silver sheets, which she then folds and solders together to make a fascinating collection of tumbling tumblers, bowl and containers.
Wayne Meeten, in contrast, creates intensely sculptural hand-raised silver vessels inspired by Tai Chi Chuan (a Chinese form of exercise), where everything in nature moves in complete harmony with the elements. Wayne is also a master of the Japanese technique of mokume game – the layering of different metals creating a subtle effect of colour and surface pattern.
The Goldsmiths’ Company has been promoting excellence in the design and craftsmanship of silver and precious metals for more than 700 years. The summer exhibition at Goldsmiths’ Hall is a traditional showcase for a particular skill or aspect of the craft or individual designers.
This summer, with “Rising Stars”, visitors will be dazzled by the vibrancy and creativeness of the work on show and will leave with no doubt as to who are the trailblazers in today’s jewellery and silversmithing firmament.
If there is one jeweller associated with the era of art nouveau, it is Boucheron. Claire Adler pays a visit to the Boucheron archives in Paris and chats to CEO, Jean-Christophe Bédos, about jewellery as culture and archives as a source of inspiration.
Some weeks ago, I paid a visit to Paris to see a collection of new Boucheron jewellery watches, produced in collaboration with Swiss watchmakers Girard Perregaux. Some weren’t what I expected – beautiful angular bezels, several assymetrical, lined with rows of delicate stones of varying sizes. But some were just what I had suspected and I was secretly pleased that my predictions had turned out to be accurate.
Given Boucheron’s predilection for rich coloured stones crafted into twisting and turning creatures of nature, I was met with undulating jewel encrusted snakes and frogs hugging the edges and undersides of watch bezels and watch cases. There were transparent crystal casebacks and watch parts bearing ultra playful engravings on the watches of a tortoise, snake and chameleon – a fun Boucheron signature and an alternative to the usual approach of traditional engraving styles, known as perlage.
It always surprises me how when I see these type of beautiful and super indulgent objects showcased and experienced in the right setting, some of the most over the top and indulgent objects seem almost normal. And Place Vendôme is most definitely the right setting. Boucheron made jewellery history when in 1893 it was the very first jeweller to install itself on the Place Vendome, a square now lined with the world’s top jewellers. Still today, the view of the Place Vendome from its fourth floor workshop rooms must be hugely inspirational for its small team of craftspeople.
Speaking to Jean Christophe Bédos, CEO of Boucheron since 2004, we moved straight onto one of his favourite topics – the burgeoning creativity which has defined Boucheron’s work and the central influence of art nouveau on the objects which have emerged from its workshops.
“The turn of the twentieth century was a time of contrasts”, he explained. “On one hand, the industrial revolution championed an increased reliance on machinery and mechanisation. At the same time, the artists and those with a spiritual sensibility were unleashing their creativity and the potential of their craft in a kind of rebellion to the new technologies.”
It is against this backdrop that the art nouveau period found expression. Playful, undulating curves, sinuous lines, floral and plant-inspired motifs and mysterious elements - these were the hallmarks of art nouveau, a movement which reached its peak between 1880 and 1914.
For the previous two centuries, the emphasis in fine jewellery had been on gemstones, particularly on the diamond, and goldsmiths were far more concerned with providing settings to show off stones to their best advantage. With art nouveau, a different type of jewellery emerged, motivated by the artist-designer rather than the jeweller as setter of precious stones. Jewellery was undergoing a radical transformation and the French designer-jeweller-glassmaker René Lalique was at its heart. He glorified nature in jewellery and inspired by his encounter with Japanese art, he incorporated aspects not seen before in jewellery, such as dragonflies or grasses.
“My brief to members of our creative team is always to go to the archives and create, but never copy,” says Bedos. “I also urge my creative team to visit theatres, museums, cinemas and immerse themselves in the Boucheron museum and archives so that they can merge Boucheron history with contemporary influences.”
Boucheron’s twisting snake pendant, Trouble, which came out in 2005 is a result of this approach. According to Bédos, at a time when terrorism and the safety of the planet’s future are high on people’s minds, it’s an artistic expression of its time. It is a kind of talisman that speaks of the quest for comfort and spirituality, but the mouth of the snake is open to signal a startling hint of aggression.
Philosophizing about jewellery as an art form may seem pseudo-intellectual to some. But what Bédos is passionate about is creating beautiful objects which reflect the spirit of their time and are recognised over time as becoming classic pieces of design. It is clear that this approach is intended to keep a luxury brand at the top of its game and prevent it from being associated with passing fads. Bédos is vehemently against capitalising on trends and is far more concerned with objects that are relevant to their time.
“The democratisation of the luxury sector has led wealthy buyers to make new demands and look for more exclusive products. Such a high number of special orders requires creative flexibility. Boucheron is a free-spirited jeweller, it is not set on copying the brand’s archives,” he says.
The Boucheron museum, a high ceiling room above the boutique showcases watches ranging from as early as 1870. A long necklace or chatelaine hides a delicate watch while a bell-shaped watch littered with rubies, sapphires and emeralds from 1953 holds the watch movement inside. A 1942 pure rock crystal cube encases a watch with a magnified effect on the top.
Other antique Boucheron pieces owned by the company have recently been touring Tokyo, New York’s Forbes Institute and San Francisco’s Legion of Honour Museum. According to archivist Odile Emmanuelli, the rarity of these pieces is often due to the fact that these pieces stay within families.
Behind the boutique, up a staircase with a threadbare carpet and a short ride up in a rickety lift brings you to the main Boucheron workshops. Designers here work on pieces which end up in the windows of Boucheron’s most important stores – downstairs on Place Vendome as well as in San Francisco, London and Moscow.
Even a brief look around confirms that just as in Boucheron’s early days, the look and design of the jewellery is still more important than the showiness of the stones – be it jewellers working on a poison ring which will conceal a watch or a special order dragon ring with a pink sapphire cabochon waiting to be set from underneath over a period of 150 painstaking hours of work. It’s tiring just watching them. I think I’ll stick to the boutique next time.
Contemporary artist jewellery is currently grabbing the auction world’s attention. Prices are soaring way beyond expectations and Sotheby’s is calling artist jewellery the antiques of the future. Claire Adler investigates why jewellery is the new art.
When a shark suspended in formaldehyde by British art world darling Damien Hirst fetches millions of pounds, why should precious jewellery fetch mere thousands? This is the starting point for Joanna Hardy, head of jewellery at Sotheby’s London, in her mission to see people enjoy contemporary artist jewellery in the same way they take pleasure from art.
Hardy is the brains behind London Rocks, a selling exhibition taking place for the second time this September at Sotheby’s Bond Street. She’s currently busy preparing for the 2007 show, carefully curating pieces which will be on sale for a week at Sotheby’s without going on the block. Artists participating and attending this year’s London Rocks are likely to include Andrew Grima, born in 1921, known for “creating wearable pieces of art”, according to Jean Ghika of Bonhams, which held a sale dedicated to his work last December.
The idea of a selling exhibition of contemporary jewellers is not entirely new. The Goldsmiths Company holds an annual fair to promote the work of British jewellers. What sets the Sotheby’s event apart is that it is designed to encourage people to treat jewellery as art and as objects worth collecting.
A major factor driving the jewellery as art movement is the fact that supplies of antique jewellery, a more traditional area of collecting, are becoming scarcer.
The next logical step is contemporary jewellery and Sotheby’s is hoping to both promote the artists and educate a discerning public towards a new collection subject.
But Sotheby’s is far from the only auction house buzzing with excitement about artist jewellery.
“The high selling prices seen in jewellery are mirroring the record-breaking year in modern and contemporary art,”
said Francois Curiel, international head of jewellery and chairman of Christie’s Europe, recently. “We are seeing an explosion in the jewellery market, particularly for contemporary creations that are rare and one-of-a-kind. For these, as well as for diamonds and precious stones of high quality, prices have risen to a whole new level. This is partly due to the participation of new buyers from China, India, Russia and the Middle East, where in January 2007 we launched our first jewellery auction in Dubai.”
Meanwhile, progressive auction house Phillips de Pury which prefers to be known as an art house, staged their first jewellery selling exhibition in Paris in March and April. It comprised 62 pieces by artist Luigi Scialanga, an artist who studied architecture. Scialanga claims to have found inspiration in the primitive art of Africa and India alongside influences from jewellers Faberge and Lalique as well as Parisian fashion designer from the 1920s and 1930s Elsa Schiaparelli. His jewellery takes the form of sculpture incorporating hand cut stones, beaten metal and the ancient method of lost wax casting.
Philips de Pury is also putting together a programme of sales and selling exhibitions which will incorporate contemporary artist jewellers. “We’re interested in the crossover where jewellery is used as a medium of artistic expression for architects, artists and designers,” explains Alexander Payne, Philips de Pury head of design.
While Joanna Hardy of Sotheby’s refers to artist jewellery from the likes of Stephen Webster, Andrew Grima, Leo de Vroomen, Jessica McCormack and Pippa Small as “antiques of the future”, over at Christie’s, jewellery specialist David Warren is even more optimistic.
“Artist jewellers are already a powerful force in the market today,” he claims. “We’re witnessing a mood swing towards the modern and away from the antique jewels of, say, the 19th century and earlier. This mirrors the current market for contemporary art. A great deal of kudos is to be gained by wearing a piece by JAR or Hong Kong based jeweller Michelle Ong.”
So what’s the definition of artist jewellery? “It’s a remarkably subtle blending of multi-colours and different gems, not seen in traditional jewellery, extraordinary attention to clasps, galleries and unseen areas and the use of rare antique stones juxtaposed in modern settings,” according to David Warren of Christie’s. “Innovative, new designs are often coupled with remarkable engineering skills,” he says.
Warren knew something was up when in 1998, Christie’s Geneva sold a pair of diamond earrings created by JAR, the mysterious Parisian jeweller Joel Arthur
Rosenthal, for $1.6 million. Such is the influence of JAR, arguably the biggest name in the coterie of sought after artist jewellers, that a less than flawless diamond ring sold for $1.8million, simply because it had been crafted by JAR’s hands – a man whose tiny Paris workshop has no windows and which only a select few have ever visited. At Christie’s Ellen Barkin sale, 17 items by JAR sold for a staggering total of $7,685,000, vastly outstripping their original retail prices.
International head of jewellery at Christies, Francois Curiel, says private buyers are increasingly asking for contemporary jewellers such as JAR, Lorenz Baumer, Michelle Ong, Edmund Chin, Viren Bhagat, James de Givenchy and Daniel Brush, who makes jewel objects.
“Investment is not the prime reason that people are buying jewels by these designers. Collectors are saying they want something special and one-of-a-kind and are happy to travel to Hong Kong or London to bring it back to their own country,” says Curiel.
Interest in jewellery as art is encouraged by increasingly savvy consumers who are demanding one-off pieces of jewellery made by a single named artist. New Zealand born jewellery designer Fiona Knapp says 75% of her business is private commissions. “Even the youngest buyers want something completely different. It is not so much about status but what the customer wants.”
The Sotheby’s Institute even offers courses and seminars lasting between two days and two weeks for collectors and dealers who come from as far afield as the Middle East and America. “These courses are more than a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum or the British Museum, you really examine the jewellery up close,” says Joanna Hardy, who as a tutor brings 29 years of industry experience.
Phoenix Far East Pearls - Michael Houghton retires after 46 years.
Michael says of his time in the pearl trade. “It has been a pleasure to be a supplier and gained so much knowledge regarding all aspects of the cultured pearl industry. During that time I have met and talked to Yoshitaka Mikimoto and his family on several occasions, visited the homes of many Japanese cultivators and pearl experts, visiting the very remote islands of Southern Japan, where very few outsiders are allowed to observe pearl processing.”
Michael continued. “It has been a fascinating career and I do appreciate how lucky I have been to enjoy going to work every day. However, times move on and I am very pleased to pass my connections on to Michiko Pearls run by Richard Gardner and his father Keith.” Michael explained. “When I joined Mikimoto in 1964, Keith was sales director of Lotus Pearls who in those days was Mikimoto’s biggest competitor in cultured pearls.”
Michiko Pearls was founded in 1978 and with the addition of four new sales agents this year now covers the UK, Ireland and the Channel Islands. Richard Gardner sees the addition of the Mikimoto customer as a challenge and has declared that, “It is our intention to be so efficient and reliable that customers will be able to satisfy all cultured pearl business from just one supplier.” In addition to the range of pearls available the company has just added saltwater Akoya cultured pearls and will begin to stock a range of Tahitian pearls and Tahitian pearl jewellery.
J-dex wishes Michael and Jean a happy retirement in New Zealand to be closer to their grandchildren.
Capital Gems - Bringing Sparkle to Clerkenwell.
By Gordon Hamme
Gordon Hamme visited Ian Brooks, managing director of Capital Gems, a gem company in one of London’s hippest neighbourhoods.
A few hundred yards east of Hatton Garden are the artisan workshops of Clerkenwell where hundreds of jewellers, silversmiths, setters and polishers work behind closed doors. The area used also to be famous for artisan watchmakers, barometer makers and musical instrument makers. Nowadays the district has transformed again into a media centre with the Guardian and Observer newspapers just down the road and many high tech printing companies open 24 hours a day with blazing lights facing onto the street. Clerkenwell even boasts a trendy hotel, The Zetter, as part of its transformation. Amongst all this upmarket development tucked away in Great Sutton Street is Capital Gems.
Many things have changed at Capital Gems since I visited last a couple of years ago. The new managing director, Ian Brooks, explained.
“We are developing our website www.capitalgems.com as an information site. It was launched in September and had over 1000 hits in the first few weeks.”
I asked Ian to explain the fundamentals of the company as he saw it. “We are a service driven company. If an order comes in by 2pm, and we’ve got it in stock, it will go out the same day. We are aiming to extend this level of service soon to include a full in-house supply and repair service. With the recent advent of such high postal costs it no longer makes economic sense to send a piece to several places – we think that customers will demand a one-stop shop solution. We’re nearly there.”
The stock holding of Capital Gems is impressive with full coverage of the standard qualities of ruby, sapphire, emerald and jobbing diamonds as well as specimen pieces of unusual stones for bespoke jewellery making. Ian commented. “ We are no longer aiming to supply manufacturing jewellers but do need to carry stock for a wider range of more demanding clients who want to make unusual jewellery with better quality stones. If a particular stone is not available we always offer an alternative which a client may not have thought of. Also we offer a stone cutting service which takes about 5-10 days, less if it’s really urgent.” More recently Ian has forged an alliance with a Bangkok based stone company which specialises in calibrated gemstones. “They offer us a 3-4 day delivery service. It’s just all about depth and quality of service nowadays.”
J-dex magazine 
