Solar Designs calls in the Administrator

One of the UK's best-known jewellery suppliers has become a casualty of the current retail climate. Following a dramatic 30% down turn in sales during the pre-Christmas period, Solar Designs has appointed PWC to run the business in administration, while potential buyers are sought.

Earlier this year the company merged with J.A. Main, the long-established Birmingham manufacturer of watch bracelets and cases, lockets and crosses; a marriage which brought the company new products and new strengths and which was acknowledged by all parties to have been a great success.

“Having started the year so positively with the merger and the backing of all our stakeholders it has come as a huge blow to myself, our manager director David Willey who joined the company in 2001 and was instrumental in the merger and to all our hardworking staff that we cannot continue in our present form:” says Dennis Allen, who co-founded the company in 1971. Allen attributes Solar's current position solely to the downturn in sales and remains hopeful that some solution can be found to save the company's most popular brands and maintain supply to its many customers.

Solar was founded in 1971 in a converted barn in the Cotswolds. Dennis Allen was unusual in so far as he had no background in jewellery and so brought fresh, new ideas to the trade – his innovative, and not always conventional approach remained at the heart of Solar's philosophy throughout its 30 plus years in business.

Design was always a key tool for Solar and by the early 1980s its in-house designers were at work producing all types of wristwear for the High Street. By the 1990s it had changed its focus. It was manufacturing more and more of its product for the independent sector and had developed the clean, simple designs that became its trademark, especially the ‘Diamonds by Solar' collection, which successfully launched seven years ago.

More branded lines followed with the ‘Reflections of Charles Renee Mackintosh' Collection, which provided a new twist on an old idea and soon proved a firm favourite with retailers countrywide. It was however ‘Touch – loving diamonds', the company's diamond accent collection in gold and silver, in its unusual, tactile box that was the firm's most recent success. This well-designed, well-priced collection has, ever since its launch in 2003, featured regularly in the Retail Jeweller magazine's ‘Top Five' branded lines.

“I've been extraordinarily fortunate to have a company like Solar for so long. Over the years I have worked with some wonderful people and I am deeply sorry this has happened to those still employed. My apologies also go to the suppliers affected, many of whom have worked closely with us for many years. Lastly, I hope that a buyer can soon be found to ensure that the key Solar brands can still be supplied to our strong customer base,” says Allen.

G.F.WILLIAMS
Passionate about Gems

WHAT DOES YOUR STONE DEALER OFFER YOU?

The services provided by a good coloured stone dealer are numerous, some obvious, some less obvious.

The most frequent questions we are asked are:-

• Have you got it?

In global terms the British market for gemstones is extremely small; if a large market such as the US has a big demand for a particular item it will either become unobtainable or escalate in price. Therefore to ensure supply, a depth of stock is necessary to provide a consistently reliable service. A good dealer will carry sufficient stock to offer a selection of stones in a variety of materials in a good range of prices.

This may involve multiple stock lines of a material e.g. Ceylon, Australian or Kanchanaburi Sapphire.

• How much is it?

The answer to this question requires extensive market understanding, for the dealer to buy at the correct price. In order to achieve optimum value for money the dealer has to buy across a range of sizes and shapes and cannot return unsuitable stock.

The stone dealer gathers important market information through long term relationships. These invaluable ‘Gems', are often entrusted during less formal business discussions and have in the past revealed vital information such as the existence of glass filling in Ruby and the new treatments of Corundum.

These updates often forewarn pitfalls and new trends protecting both client and dealer from expensive purchasing errors.

• When can I have it?

Call and find out! 0207 405 5477

Giddings Design Scoops ‘Multiple' National Awards for ‘Landmark' Jewellery Shop Design

Giddings Design has won a series of accolades for the creation of the revolutionary gallery style contemporary jewellery shop, ‘Nicholas James' in Hatton Garden, London's most famous jewellery quarter.

Breaking all traditional boundaries, the impressive ‘landmark' retail concept has taken Hatton Garden and the world of interiors by storm. Giddings won ‘Best Fashion' project (highly commended), Best shop fitting' (joint first prize with Benbow Interiors) and ‘Best Display' project (commended) at the * Retail Design Awards.

On winning the awards, Mark Giddings, MD of Giddings Design said “ I am very proud to have won the awards. It was essential that the design of the shop reflected the Nicholas James brand, philosophy and identity.

Giddings Design is located at 1 Park Lane, Cheam, Surrey. Tel: 020 8643 7534 www.giddingsdesign.com

Forthcoming changes to the Small Firms Loan Guarantee scheme

Sweeping changes to the Small Firms Loan Guarantee (SFLG) scheme came into force in December 2005.

The changes switch the focus of the scheme to start-ups and younger businesses.

Barry Gardiner, Competitiveness Minister, confirmed that the Government has implemented in full the recommendations of the Graham Review.

The SFLG scheme guarantees loans from banks and specialist lenders for small businesses which would otherwise be unable to obtain a loan, because of a lack of security.

Eligibility for the SFLG is limited to those small businesses which have been running for less than five years.

The new scheme will also see an expansion of the lending limits, and an increase in the turnover limit for SMEs.

Changes include:

• the application of a single £250,000 lending limit to all eligible SMEs;

• increasing the turnover limit for all eligible SMEs to £5.6m;

• reserving resources to enable additional SFLG lending by banks that demonstrate a ‘clear focus' on high growth SMEs;

• reserving resources to incentivise a range of new lenders to join the scheme;

• removing the limit on the level of borrowing that individuals can be associated with (the ‘connected persons' rule).

Big Single-sale Rivalry Heats Up Online for Holidays ‘05 in the USA

According to online diamond retailer Blue Nile Inc., the company says its individual transactions of $20,000 or more have increased 72 percent in 2005.

Twenty-percent of Blue Nile revenues come from purchases of more than $15,000 the company reports. Blue Nile announced two large single-sales of diamonds days after rival diamond website Abazias Diamonds announced it had sold a $90,000 diamond ring in early December.

Blue Nile spokesman John Baird said that the online retailer has expanded its $20,000 and over selection of goods to meet demand. In November, the holiday season kicked off with the purchase of a $170,000, 5-carat diamond solitaire, Blue Nile reported. On Cyber Monday, the Monday following Thanksgiving weekend, the website sold a $114,000, 3-carat diamond engagement ring.

For the 2004 holiday buying season, Blue Nile launched an Extraordinary Gifts Collection, and for 2005 the company expanded the collection to 50 product sets with prices ranging from $2,600 to $70,000 for goods.

School of Jewellery
Birmingham Short Courses 2006

The famous School of Jewellery in Birmingham has over 60 exciting course in its 2006 Short course programme, all designed to give training oopportunities to those involved in the jewellery industry or other creative industries, to develop their existing skills or to learn highly specialized new techniques in a short time frame between 1 and 5 days. In keeping with our commitment to excellence there will be several respected international tutors contributing to our wide range of courses.

The courses include:

• Masterclasses; Granulation, Wireworking, Electroforming, Silversmithing, Platinum and others.
• Jewellery making and Stonesetting at various levels, including Beginner.
• G.A Diamond Grading with Exam, Gemmology Basics & Pearl/Bead Threading.
• 3 Dimensional Cad courses scheduled on a variety of software programmes including ArtCam, JewelCad, and Rhino.
• Commercial courses including Marketing, How to Sell Jewellery, Valuation and Maximizing the impact of your exhibition.
• Design courses including From Concept to Design, Technical Drawing for Jewellers, & Dynamic Branding.
• Other specialized courses including Anticlastic Raising, Laser Welding, Mokume Gané, Wax Sculpting, & Cold Enamel techniques.
These are just a selection of the courses in our extensive programme for 2006. The Programme will be launched in February 2006 and credit card bookings will be taken for all courses from that date, places are limited to 8-12 per class, therefore please book early to avoid disappointment.

For further information or to request a brochure, please contact Tel/Fax 44#(0)121 2484582 or email dawn.meaden-johnson@uce.ac.uk.

CALL TO ACTION FOR CANDIDATES FOR NEW LONDON GROUP
New London Jewellery and Allied Industry Group

Between September 2004 and June 2005, research was undertaken with a cross section of London's industry in order to develop the Jewellery Sector Investment Plan. JSIP - a strategic programme to reinvigorate competitiveness of the London jewellery sector. The JSIP was funded by the City Fringe Partnership, the London Development Agency, the London Borough of Camden and The Goldsmiths' Company.

Throughout the JSIP process, the businesses expressed the need for London's industry to have a forum that is representative of the region's industry and could act as London's voice on key issues as well as steer the delivery of the JSIP. The NJSG and London partners have asked the City Fringe, a local independent economic development partnership, to oversee the establishment of this new London group to ensure probity and transparency with this process.

To this end, it is proposed that a new group is recruited from across the sector in London. The City Fringe Partnership will nominate an appropriate independent panel, who will be responsible for the short listing and interviewing of candidates. It is anticipated that this process will take place over the next few months, with the new body in place by the first quarter of 2006.

• The impact of the Jewellery Sector Investment Plan (JSIP) relies upon the New London Group, and the industry to drive the process, triggering both public and private sector investment.. The Group will become advocates for the sector, leading on the future development of support mechanisms for industry and provide a “check and balance” for the public sector. This will include: providing advice for the effective delivery of the JSIP; providing a business-led approach for evaluating JSIP project proposals; acting as a catalyst for future initiatives; acting as a ‘voice' for the London industry on specific issues, both internally and externally, and to actively support positive cultural change within the industry. The New London Group will be supported in the execution of these tasks by the public sector.

• Candidates for the New London Group must demonstrate robust and effective management skills, and have a strong commitment to co-operate, and to combine skills, talents and resources, to make our industry the worldwide success it deserves to be.

The British jewellery industry is at a crossroads. We need to act. And act quickly. Attitudes need to change. So does the way we go about our day-to-day business. It's time we saw the bigger picture.

For an application pack, please email Alexi Cawson at the City Fringe Partnership (Alexi.cawson@corpoflondon.gov.uk).

BLING IS KEWL

Consumers who want their music accessories to have as much bling as the average hip-hop star can now satisfy their itch with a diamond-encrusted case for the Apple iPod Nano.

For those with cash to spare, the $12,495 case makes its sparkly debut at the International Gem and Jewelry Show in Chicago this weekend, according to a release from show organizers.
Composed of 586 diamonds for a total of 10.36 carats, the case's gems are set in 14-karat white gold. At four gigabytes, the iPod Nano holds up to 1,000 songs and measures 3.5 by 1.6 inches, at just .27 inches thick.

“This season, jewelry goes beyond simply being an accessory to wear on the ears, around the neck or on the wrist,” International Gem and Jewelry Show Vice President Roxane Duke said in the statement.

The diamond-encrusted iPod case will be on display and available for special order at select International Gem and Jewelry shows or via the group's Web site. The International Gem and Jewelry Show is one of the largest exhibitions of gems, minerals and jewelry in the world, with over 80 shows a year throughout the United States.

For more information, visit: www.intergem.com

Signet Group

Increased sales at U.S. Signet Group stores continued to rise, buoying overall results, as sales continued to decline at stores in the United Kingdom throughout the holiday season.

For the nine-week holiday period that ended Dec. 31, total same-store sales at Signet Group, the U.K.-based jewellery chain, rose 1.1 percent. Broken down geographically, same-store sales increased 5.5 percent in the United States and dropped 9.3 percent in the United Kingdom.

Total sales for the holiday period rose 11.7 percent (4.8 percent at constant exchange rates).

Same-store sales for the fiscal year that ended Dec. 31 increased 2.2 percent, with a 6.8 percent increase in the United States and an 8.4 percent decline in the United Kingdom.

Total sales for the fiscal year period increased 8.3 percent (5.8 percent at constant exchange rates).

Signet said that holiday advertising again proved successful this year. Diamond fashion jewellery, bridal and engagement categories and watches performed particularly well, the release said, while gross margins declined, as expected.

As of Dec. 31, Signet operated 1,820 specialty retail jewellery stores, including 1,219 stores in the United States under the names Kay Jewellers, Jared the Galleria Of Jewellery and several US. regional names.

Rio Tinto to sink for pink.

The fate of the fancy pink diamond took an upswing Thursday, as Rio Tinto announced it would develop a $760 million block cave underground project at its wholly-owned Argyle diamond mine in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

An additional $150 million will be spent on a related open-pit cutback to enable continuity of production between the closure of open-pit mining in 2008 and the ramp-up of the underground mine, the company said in a release issued Thursday. Development work associated with the present exploratory decline will continue with construction of the underground mine, slated to begin once government approval is finalized.
The average annual production over the life of the underground mine from 2007 to 2018 is expected be about 60 percent of Argyle's historical annual average—approximately 34 million carats per year—and of similar quality.

“This investment springs from Rio Tinto's proven capacity to develop large-scale underground mines, and to compete successfully in the global diamond business,” Rio Tinto Chief Executive Leigh Clifford said in the release. “It will allow the Argyle mine—the world's largest diamond mine—to operate beyond 2008. Furthermore, it will ensure that the mine's high levels of indigenous employment will continue to deliver economic and social benefits to the Kimberley region.” Argyle is the largest single contributor to Kimberley's economy, with a quarter of its present full-time workforce indigenous, and another 50 percent living locally, the company says. Clifford noted that the Western Australian government's agreement to provide royalty relief and waive some secondary processing obligations was a key factor in Rio Tinto's decision to go underground.

Pad Supplies changes to Finer Packaging Ltd

The reason for the recent name change apart from the sensible commercial reasons, is due to having been continually bullied by Arsenal FC, who require their property to build a luxury block of flats as part of their plans for the new stadium. Their 20,000 sq foot area is situated within very close proximity of the new stadium and the development on their site would bring in extra revenue for the club. Pad Suppliers had been fighting the club for correct compensation for close on 5 years and unfortunately, as with most high profile cases the only winners are the lawyers and the large corporations. After their recent case in the high courts, Arsenal had finally got their way and the local council issued them with a CPO order to move out, which will probably take place within the next 2 years.

After nearly a half a century of trading under the name Pad Suppliers and running the company from the same premises, with the company passing from one generation to the next, this forced change of events is both emotional and unfortunate.

However, as they will be continuing in their supplies and manufacture of Jewellery and Gift Packaging, we can well look forward to at least another half century of quality products with a friendly and reliable service.

The address, telephone and fax numbers and contacts all remain the same.

The new company trading name will be instantly recognisable for its links to the Feiner family, who are still running the company, and Finer because it affirms the quality of their products....”, the new company slogan being...Finer Packaging...' the future of Fine Packaging '.

For further information, they can be contacted on their Free phone telephone number: 0800 619 6661

xvii evolves

The close of 2005 saw the emergence of a new British design house – xvii London – launched with an advertising campaign at Oxford Circus underground station. Spearheaded by designer and published poet Jasmine Alexander and held together and propelled forward by Director, Margaret Stewart.

Speaking to the somewhat reclusive Jasmine, one immediately appreciates her love affair with Rock ‘n' Roll, her ardour for other-worldly phenomena and her devotion to all things exquisite, one is obliged, dare I say compelled to ask, why the collection appears to be deep rooted in various religious and philosophical notions; ‘are you religious?'

‘I guess you could say I'm religiously irreligious... but I've an almost taunting fascination with all things holy...'

Statements like ‘religiously irreligious' followed by sentences that predicate with a ‘taunting fascination' and end ‘...with all things holy...' identify something of an enigma in this modest, talented and extraordinarily gifted designer. It is pertinent to add that Jasmine, who stayed awake for five days and nights in search of ‘literary perfection' and lived on a roof with a notebook, a pen and a sleeping bag is surprisingly rational, albeit... unconventional.

Director Margaret Stewart, the other ‘worldly' brain child behind British design house xvii London is convinced her partner is a genius, revealing that Ms Alexander consumes endless cartons of milk, is angst ridden, sings in a rock ‘n' roll band and oh... erm... comes up with ‘fastidious, flawless, impeccable designs that are sumptuous and opulent'. Well, why not? Van Gogh cut his ear off and that's a bit rock ‘n' roll isn't it? Parallel or not – let's let the discerning public decide.

So, having both ate, slept and breathed life into xvii London for two years prior to launching, they are already striking an anarchical chord in the psyche of those that love by and live by all things intellectual or, well let's face it, spiritual. The word is spreading about this innovative, dynamic duo but more importantly, xvii have already launched a fabulous new design to kick start 2006 and celebrate Valentine's Day.

‘Evolution' is nothing short of the saving grace of love... it manages to exist dualistically as both classic, edgy and perhaps more importantly, ‘original'.

This piece is a true heavyweight in ingenuity, ushering in a new era in British design and standing alone in new realms of discerning design for a discerning public, not to mention oodles of luxurious ‘punk chic'.

Weighing in at approximately 21 grams of 9ct white gold, boasting a solid single link, adjustable choker and solid heart centre piece, which has been lavishly set with 12 brilliant cut inverted diamonds and a single natural pink inverted diamond, totalling 0.26ct diamonds.

It's at this point that we wonder if xvii can move forward with such lofty expectations on its shoulders, but a brief perusal through their current collection and a privileged peek at their forthcoming coveted collection leaves only a single thought in mind: ‘My credit card number is...'

Ana De Costa

Ana has hit the Vogue List of 100 people to watch in 2006 with her ‘Cusp' jewellery collection featured at the Johnny Rocket Gallery.

Ana is fast making a name for herself with stylish, colourful jewellery using high quality gemstones coupled with her great designs.

2006 promises to be a busy year with Ana looking forward to the Childwickbury Arts Fair with Christine Kubrick, the wife of Stanley Kubrick and the jeweller Fiona Rae too.

In addition Ana has been asked to do art therapy workshops for young people in psychiatric units.

Ana explained, ‘This is another side of what I do within the community, and feel that through art and design I can help troubled young people develop and grow. This is an area which is close to my heart and one which I hope to run as a parallel to my own work.'

Childwickbury Arts Fair, Childwickbury House, St Albans, Hertfordshire.
From June 24th - 26th 2006.

GIA Alerts Trade as Counterfeit Grading Reports Surface in Antwerp

The GIA Laboratory recently discovered two counterfeit GIA Diamond Grading Reports in Antwerp, and is taking steps to alert the trade and point out the security features in authentic GIA reports, and how to verify the reports.

Tom Moses, senior vice president of the GIA Laboratory and Research, said this is the latest instance of counterfeit GIA reports that have been seen over the years. In 2003, for example, the Institute uncovered a scam in which fraudulent GIA reports were used to help sell clarity-enhanced diamonds, mainly through the Internet. After GIA coordinated with international law enforcement agencies, the scheme ended, with one of the perpetrators being arrested in Italy.

“The two reports discovered in Antwerp purported to represent high quality-diamonds,” said Moses. “Both were more than three carats, and the report information indicated they were D color and Internally Flawless. We were told that a buyer became suspicious and had one of the diamonds tested. It turned out to be high pressure/high temperature (HPHT) annealed.”

Moses explained that after receiving a copy of that report, “We confirmed that GIA had issued a report for this diamond, but that its color on the original report was E and its clarity was VVS1. In addition, our normal screening and testing process had determined that the diamond was HPHT annealed. The diamond left our laboratory with full disclosure of the treatment on the report, and an inscription on its girdle indicating it had been HPHT-processed. That inscription had obviously been removed. We were told that both diamonds were purchased in a pawn shop in Asia.”

Moses added that the GIA Laboratory has previously encountered some instances in which original GIA reports were deliberately mismatched with different diamonds with similar measurements and slightly different grades. “The intent apparently was to deceive buyers, who presumably would not examine the diamond closely enough based on a quick inspection, and the ‘wrong' diamond would be accepted as the diamond described on the original report,” said Moses.

Moses pointed out that GIA goes to great lengths to incorporate strong security measures in its grading reports. “We want to make the industry aware of this and to remind everyone in the diamond trade that authentic GIA reports include a number of important security features.”

All of GIA's Diamond Grading Reports and other Laboratory reports incorporate security features that exceed document industry security guidelines. These include a hologram, security screen, microprint lines, chemically sensitive paper, and other proprietary security components. To view an example of a GIA Diamond Grading Report or GIA Diamond Dossier® visit www.gia.edu and click on GIA Gem Trade Laboratory, then Reports & Services.

“We ask that anyone who comes across a suspected counterfeit report inform us as soon as possible,” said Moses. Anyone who has a question about the authenticity of a GIA Diamond Grading Report, or the validity of the information contained therein, may contact the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory by telephone at 760-603-4500 or fax 760-603-1814. Report numbers can be verified through these contacts.

Moses also said, “GIA takes these violations very seriously and cooperates with law enforcement agencies worldwide to help prevent these activities. In addition, we provide whatever support we can to diamond bourses and trade organizations to prevent these frauds.”

GIA report information can be verified over the phone by a grading service account representative. The report data can be read, and the GIA representative will confirm that the information is consistent with the GIA record. If is does not match the “GIA file” the client will be informed immediately. The GIA Laboratory also offers a verification process that allows the holder of an original GIA report the option of submitting the report with the diamond to confirm that the information on the report matches the accompanying diamond. Alternatively, the original grading report can be updated, meaning that the diamond is submitted to the laboratory and is fully graded again, including the all of the screening steps for treatments.

“GIA invests heavily in conducting our own investigations to seek out and prevent these fraudulent activities,” Moses said. “Our assistance has led to the successful prosecution of people who have violated the integrity of GIA reports, and we are dedicated to maintaining this commitment to further support the industry's and the public's confidence in GIA.”

Soul of Brazil Showcased in GIA's New Brazilian Jewellery Collection

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has created its first international jewelry collection that highlights the spirit and soul of Brazilian jewelry and showcases both traditional and contemporary designs.

Featuring pieces from Brazil's top designers and manufacturers, the GIA Museum will debut the collection at the Institute's Collection Booth during the 2006 AGTA GemFair in Tucson. It will also be displayed in the AGTA Pavilion at the Las Vegas JCK show in June.

“The gem wealth, exuberance, and flora and fauna of this South American country are reflected in each and every piece in this collection,” said GIA Museum Director Elise Misiorowski. “These beautiful jewels will inspire all who see them.”

Long known for its abundance of fine gemstones, Brazil is enjoying an emergence as a source of innovative jewelry design worldwide, said Director of In-Kind Gifts Patricia Syvrud, who lived in Brazil for more than 10 years. She became inspired by the country's creative jewelry and has built the collection with the support of the industry and the Brazilian Institute of Gems and Precious Metals (IBGM).

“There has been a lot of international attention to Brazilian jewellery design in the past few years,” Syvrud said. “The creation of this collection is a great way to acknowledge the creativity that has caught the eye of so many within the industry.”

Renowned Brazilian designer Ruth Grieco helped inspire the idea for the collection after archiving her contemporary, handmade tourmaline cross pendant and gold necklace with GIA, which was mentioned in a book review in the Summer 2003 issue of Gems & Gemmology.

Cathrine Clarke, also a well-known Brazilian jeweller, has been helpful in expanding the collection, both through introductions to other designers and a personal contribution of a multicolour gold and eroded watermelon tourmaline brooch/ring.

More pieces from Brazil followed. Long-time GIA supporter and large Brazilian retailer, Daniel André Sauer, director of Amsterdam Sauer, is participating with his historical “Constellation Ring,” which is an award-winning South American-designed piece.

“GIA is among the few institutions focused on improving the high standards of the entire jewelry trade,” he said. “The [Constellation] Ring is an icon and a landmark for the Brazilian jewellery industry.”

Hans Stern, president of internationally recognized H. Stern Jewellers, Inc., included an Art Nouveau-Classical fusion style brooch, set with a 55-ct. aquamarine and 38 diamonds in 18K white gold. The piece represents a classic Brazilian design characteristic of the 1960s.

“GIA's Brazilian Jewellery Collection is a wonderful addition to the GIA Museum that our students and the public can learn from,” Syvrud said. “We are grateful for the support of the Brazilian jewellery industry in creating this special collection.”

For more information about GIA's Brazilian Jewelry Collection, or other GIA collections, e-mail Patricia Syvrud at patricia.syvrud@gia.edu, or call (760) 603-4432.

New Stimuli for Retailers – Record Participation of Young Jewellery Designers Expected at inhorgenta europe 2006

Retailers and jewellers, who want to be first to find out the trends in the designer jewellery area, can't pass up inhorgenta europe 2006. Hall C2, the designer jewellery hall of the leading European trade fair for jewellery and timepieces, has been a synonym for new talent, almost unlimited creativity and innovative variety of materials for many years. Approximately 300 highly creative jewellery designers will face the critical judgments of the trade buyers from February 17 to 20. The experts all agree that inhorgenta europe has not only the greatest skill in detecting trends in the designer jewellery area worldwide, but it also provides a preview of future developments in the complete jewellery market to retailers.

One of the most important reasons for this is the targeted promotion of the next generation by the organizers. In 2006, there will be more young designers than ever before in the history of the trade fair, who use this opportunity provided by inhorgenta europe to present themselves for the first time to the international market. inhorgenta europe has reported record participation for 2006, both for the next generation forum “Brand New – New Brand”, at which graduates of national and international hotbeds of talent exhibit, as well as for the “Forum Innovation” where young, already working jewellery designers and goldsmiths exhibit their works.

The “Brand New – New Brand” forum has recorded a more than 30 percent increase. In this area, jewellery designers, who graduated in 2005, can use this possibility designed specifically for them to present themselves. “Brand New – New Brand” is a springboard to independence and makes it possible to establish important business contacts and collect professional know-how for one's own further development and position in the field of competition.

The “Forum Innovation” will also provide retailers with an expanded range of creative ideas in 2006. With almost 50 exhibitors, approx. 16 percent more creative jewellery designers will exhibit to the international market than in the previous year. In addition to design talents from throughout Europe, numerous schools for jewellery and fashion design will exhibit their works pointing the way to the future. Project Manager Armin Wittmann states about this: “We want to and will provide European retailers with new ideas and stimuli next February with the strategic and targeted promotion of young talents and the resultant variety of ideas and innovative concepts.”

The promotion of talent of inhorgenta europe will again reach its peak in 2006 with the inhorgenta innovation prize for outstanding jewellery design pointing the way to the future. Messe München is going to award this much sought-after prize within the framework of the Design Podium for the seventh time. The award has developed into one of the most respected distinctions in the industry during the years of its existence. All exhibitors in Hall C2, i.e., jewellery designers from throughout Europe and beyond, can participate. The prizewinning works will be shown in a spectacular special exhibition on “Designer's Avenue” in Hall C2. The formal awarding of the prize will also take place there on Saturday, February 18.

Contact:

Messe München GmbH Abteilung Marketing und Kommunikation Konsumgüter

Gunther Bauer

Messegelände Grimmstraße 3

81823 München 80336 München

Tel.: (+49 89) 949-20640 Fax: (+49 89) 949-97 20640 bauer@messe-muenchen.de