G.F.WILLIAMS
Passionate about Gems

Changing Seasons

For the jewellery trade Christmas is a peak season. This is not new nor is it a startling revelation. However, the Christmas trade is changing and with it, a whole new series of challenges are arising.

Some of these changes include jewellery sold on TV, Online, in the supermarket and, jewellery tourism. Who also could miss of course, the much talked about Gerald Ratner making a return to the High Street.

So certainly the commercial end of the jewellery business is active and evolving. Does this mean the death of the ‘real' jeweller?

No, absolutely not, but the range of products and services must become more focused on the businesses particular customers.

Among other local factors are the following:-

• The correct price range with good value for money.

• To be able to sell a higher value item, to an ever bombarded customer.

• Product knowledge and confidence in fine jewellery.

• Above all will be service.

This will only be possible to achieve with an effective organisation a balanced range and an appropriate network of suppliers.

We answer questions from existing and new customers on a daily basis, some - ‘ruby is the red one isn't it ?' - are basic,

Others - ‘what temperature might Kunzite discolour at' - take a little head scratching.

In any case we take them seriously and the service we try to give is to provide confidence in the trade as a whole.

If you or a member of staff has anything you want us to help with we are happy to oblige.

Jason

David Webdale
Not for the feint hearted

David Webdale is not designing Jewellery for the feint hearted, bold, dramatic, shapes, colours and materials make up the jewellery of his latest body of work, as show at the New Designers exhibition in Islington.

His main piece, the Natural Defence Bracer wouldn't look strange on the set of the latest Sci-fi blockbuster and is most certainly the deadliest item on any dance floor. His work is appealing to a large range of modern outgoing people with the smaller pieces of the range being the thing to be seen wearing at any of the top evening venues or nightclubs.

Inspiration for David's Natural Defence range comes from the dichotomy between danger and beauty in natural forms such as: thorns and petals; claws and feathers. The defences of the natural world protect and enhance the delicacy of plants and creatures, just as his work fans around the body.

Each piece of jewellery encases and flatters the human body. The inspiration for his Stasis and Aspect ranges comes from industrial design and modern architecture. The pieces in the Stasis range capture and enclose titanium elements in strong graphic lines, while the Aspect range follow more fluid forms.

All the ranges take contemporary design to the extreme, they make a striking statement, yet they are shaped to the lines of the body making them comfortable to wear.

The ready-to wear collections start from £80 and will soon be available to purchase directly through his website.

David is designing and making his unique pieces to customer requirements on a commission basis.

Website: www.djwjewellery.com

News Briefs

Businesses ‘unprepared' for age discrimination laws

Despite the fact that the new laws come into effect in a couple of months' time, research suggests that many businesses remain unprepared for the legislation which will ban age discrimination in the workplace.

According to the Age Partnership Group's sector-specific reports, businesses are facing a number of challenges as a result of the regulations, which come into effect on 1 October.

The reports investigated a number of sectors of the economy including: business services, construction, education, health and social care, hospitality, manufacturing, retail, transport and logistics, media and the arts. The research found that eight of the sectors relied on length of experience when fixing salaries and in the selection and retention of staff, while seven of the sectors used age or length of service as a basis for making decisions about redundancies. Five supplied information about the age of candidates to those short listing and interviewing staff and four set maximum or contractual retirement ages, many of which were below the age of 65.

These are exactly the kinds of practices that the new legislation outlaws.

James Purnell, Minister for Pension Reform, said, “We recognise that we have an ageing population, with many older people who want a choice to continue working rather than retire. We are working closely across the sectors to ensure that businesses have all the information they need to make the necessary adjustments”.

To learn more about how the new legislation may impact upon your business go to: www.acas.org.uk .

NEW ROWING TROPHY FOR HENLEY ROYAL REGATTA DESIGNED BY LEADING BRITISH SILVERSMITH

HECTOR MILLER

HECTOR MILLER, one of the country's foremost silversmiths, was recently commissioned by Imperial College, London, to design and make a new silver trophy for Henley Royal Regatta.

The resulting trophy, now called The Prince Albert Challenge Cup, in honour of the Regatta's first Royal Patron, Prince Albert, was presented to the Regatta at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace which took place in June in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen. The Rector of Imperial College, Sir Richard Sykes and Hector Miller were also invited to attend the event.

Hector Miller said: “It was a very special moment to witness the trophy being formally presented to the Regatta at Buckingham Palace and was the culminating moment of three months of intense work.”

The Prince Albert Challenge Cup is visually stunning and simultaneously graceful. A three layered silver cup it stands an imposing 80cms in height. The inner lining bowl is gold plated inside and out and fits into the main cup. The central part of the design takes the profile of a traditional bladed oar which springs upwards to meet a ring of pierced panels at the top. The recurring motif of the gilt panels replicates a five repeating coxed four boats with wake lines flaring out from the bows and concentric rings at the end of the oars making perfect puddles. The five outer handles of the cup are designed to replicate the clean elegant lines of the boats, as well as making reference to the number of people in a coxed four team. They flow seamlessly into the domed foot, which has an incised ring around the base which carries the hallmark and is engraved with the inscription, The Prince Albert Challenge Cup, Henley Royal Regatta. Hector spent several hours by the river observing and sketching rowers before he started on the design to help him capture the movement and essence of the sport. A silver disc on the rosewood plinth bears the inscription Commissioned and donated by Imperial College London, Designed and made by Hector Miller, 2006.

Aside from the trophy's obvious aesthetic beauty it also represents a triumph of new technology. While the trophy gives the impression to the untrained eye of being one cohesive object it is in fact made of 38 component parts. Traditionally these would have been soldered together using a silver alloy and irrespective of the silversmith's soldering skills these solder joints would always be visible due to their slight discolouration thereby distracting from the overall beauty of the object. Hector overcame this problem by using the TIG Welding process.

TIG Welding was first experimented with in the early 1940s as a means of joining magnesium and aluminium. It is more commonly used for stainless steel alloys but is now being developed by the silversmithing industry.

Hector first looked into the possibilities of TIG Welding back in the late 1980s. This initial foray was one of those “rare, eureka moments” and he quickly realised that it had the potential “to open a door to a whole new world of silversmithing”. While he admits that it does not replace traditional silversmithing skills, such as soldering, it now provides him with a creative freedom which is “liberating, exciting and satisfying”.

This creative freedom is much in evidence in his latest creation The Prince Albert Challenge Cup, where the lines and forms of the design flow smoothly into one another, uninterrupted by visible joints, and Hector is the first to admit that its complex and ambitious design could not have been achieved using conventional methods. The only process not completed in the Hector Miller workshop was the engraving of inscriptions and the Imperial College crest.

Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine London is renowned for its association with the advancement of science – it also has a strong rowing tradition – hence the decision to commission a trophy to be presented to Henley Royal Regatta. Hector's brief specified that the trophy reflect Imperial College's prowess both in the field of scientific discovery and on the river. The College's crest was thus incorporated into the design and it was fitting that the first Crew to win the Prince Albert Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta on Sunday July 2, 2006 were from Imperial College.

Hector Miller said “Watching the race and then witnessing the presentation of the trophy to the Imperial Crew was exhilarating – the icing on the cake!”

Professor Bob Schroter, Chairman of Rowing at Imperial College, said: “It is a rowing cup through and through, with clean, elegant, powerful lines clearly typifying the essence of the sport. Hector has done a marvellous job of creating a trophy that will be striking for the future, not just today”.

Hector Miller is a member of the Court of Assistants of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths and is one of more than 200 leading British silversmiths, jewellers and art-medallists to be featured on the Goldsmiths' Company's on-line directory www.whoswhoingoldandsilver.com.

PRINT'OR 2007, A SHOW NOT TO BE MISSED

PRINT'OR, the leading trade show in France for the watch and jewellery profession, will celebrate its 15th edition on 4th, 5th and 6th February 2007 at the Lyon Eurexpo exhibition centre.

Launched in 1993, the trade show has gained speed over the years, with more than 600 exhibitors and brands exhibiting in 2006, positioning it as the reference event in the French watch and jewellery sector.

Eurexpo's recently-constructed hall 6 is a perfect setting for visitors to discover exhibitors' new products for 2007 and to forge new professional contacts.

THE SWISS ARMY KNIFE AS SYMBOL FOR PRINT'OR 2007

“The essential tool”: PRINT'OR has carved itself a standing as a source of solutions for the entire watch and jewellery profession.
Thanks to a wide range of products, in tune with current trends, and effective information and training solutions, PRINT'OR is the perfect venue for retailers and distributors to meet, find suppliers, detect new ideas, stay informed, etc.

As an essential meeting point for manufacturers, PRINT'OR is the ideal opportunity for them to present their products to French and European points of sale and to publicize their brand image.

Two reasons that make PRINT'OR the essential tool for the entire watch and jewellery profession.

The visual design, created by Paris-based agency CM Editions, features a Swiss army knife, which is a well-known tool, internationally recognised as a symbol of quality, precision and efficiency. It unfolds its blades like trends, reflecting the wealth of solutions offered on the watch and jewellery market. Essential for all daily activities, it brings to mind the concept of work well done as well as Switzerland, a country with watch making traditions close to Lyon. The message intends to be simple and powerful: Print'Or is an essential tool for everybody in the profession.

PRINT'OR 2007 TROPHIES: GIVING FREE REIN TO THE IMAGINATION

For several years, the PRINT'OR Trophies have been rewarding the quality of watch and jewellery designs, from a technical and creative angle. For the 2007 edition, the Trophies are looking for originality, based on the theme Utility - Futility. Designers will be asked to think along the following guidelines:

“When a jewel or a watch goes from being a precious accessory to being a useful tool in everyday life. How would you design a ‘useful' jewel: one that might carry a message, for example, or intelligently incorporate a gadget? Or can you transform a handy accessory into a jewel with the addition of precious metals and gemstones?”

For the 2nd time, exhibitors will also be able to take part in the Trophies, alongside students from international jewellery, design and creative schools and craftspeople who have never before exhibited at PRINT'OR.

This original theme gives free rein to the imagination, paving the way to a wide range of creations from exhibitors and craftspeople and designs from students. It recalls Print'Or's 2007 image: the Swiss army knife, displaying pearls, silver and diamonds. The object becomes refined, and the jewel becomes useful or multi-purpose.

All items made for the Trophies will be displayed in the Designers' area dedicated to the competition.

The Trophies, which will be subject to a widespread press campaign among the professional and general press, will be awarded for each category of participants during the show after deliberation by a jury made up of journalists and professionals. The prize money awarded to craftspeople and students is 1,800 euros.

FELLOWS LAUNCHES SILVER DESIGN COMPETITION

Birmingham based auctioneers and valuers Fellows & Sons has launched a special silver design competition to highlight the creative and manufacturing skills still prevalent in the UK.

Marking the company's 130th year in business, the competition invites candidates from two categories: students (including those who have graduated since June 2004) studying to be a goldsmith, silversmith or designer at a recognised UK based college, and practising Goldsmiths, Silversmiths or designers, to submit a design for a piece of utilitarian silver. The item can be anything, from toast racks to gravy boats, salad servers to sugar shakers.

The winner from each category will receive £1,500 for their design plus up to £1,500 towards the cost of getting the item made.
Stephen Whittaker, managing partner at Fellows, said: “The production and design of silverware was at its peak when the company was founded in 1876 and we thought this competition was a fitting way to celebrate our 130th anniversary and the current level of silver design talent in the UK.”

The deadline for submission of entries is 1 November 2006 and the two winners will be announced in December 2006, with a presentation ceremony in spring 2007.

Tel Stephen Whittaker
0121 212 2131

DIAMOND INDUSTRY LAUNCHES DIAMONDFACTS.ORG WEB SITE
AND MAJOR CONSUMER AND TRADE ADVERTISING
AS IT RAMPS UP EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN

As part of its recently announced campaign to educate both consumers and the trade about important diamond-related issues, the diamond industry announced today the launch of a new informational web site, www.diamondfacts.org, along with a major advertising effort that includes full-page print ads in ten major U.S. and international newspapers including The New York Times, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, The Times (UK), International Herald Tribune and Financial Times.

Diamondfacts.org offers a wealth of information about diamonds: from facts about the history of the trade and the social and economic benefits diamonds provide nations around the world, to reporting on how the industry is grappling with various challenges including conflict diamonds.

“The primary goal of Diamondfacts.org is to offer people a wealth of factual, balanced information about diamonds,” said Eli Izhakoff, Chairman of the World Diamond Council, which is leading the education campaign. “We want people to feel good about their diamond purchases, so we attempted to help eliminate some of the myths and misperceptions about the industry. We tapped countless academics, industry organizations, and other experts to ensure that the information we publish on the site is accurate and offers many perspectives and points of view.”

At the new web site, visitors can understand how diamonds are making a difference globally.

From the countries where they are mined to the countries where they are sold and polished, diamonds create jobs and opportunities that support millions of people around the world. The web site also highlights the significant role diamonds are playing, particularly in southern Africa in contributing significantly to supporting healthcare, education and other infrastructure needs. Specifically, they are helping tackle the HIV/AIDS pandemic, helping fund necessary counseling, testing, education, treatment programs, clinics and hospices, along with homes and care for orphans. In addition, the website features personal stories from people whose lives have been changed due to diamonds.

Diamondfacts.org contains detailed explanations of how retailers and the jewelry trade can guarantee that the diamonds they sell are conflict-free and how consumers can buy diamonds with confidence. Visitors to the site can walk step-by-step through the Kimberley Process and System of Warranties; read what various experts have to say about conflict diamonds; and also keep abreast of the latest relevant news.

A trade pack of materials were launched earlier this year, as part of the industry's educational initiative to raise awareness of the positive impact the diamond industry has on Africa, as well as its progress in virtually eliminating the trade in conflict diamonds. Along with the World Diamond Council, this industry-wide campaign includes the American Gem Society, Diamond Dealers Club, Diamond Manufacturers & Importers Association of America, Jewelers of America, Jewelers Vigilance Committee, Jewelry Information Center and the Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America.

For more information, please visit www.diamondfacts.org .