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The first edition of New York City Jewelry Week just started!

NYCJW is the first and only week dedicated to promoting the world of jewelry through educational and innovative NYC focused programming. In its inaugural year, NYCJW will feature exhibitions, lectures, workshops, studio tours. Aimed at supporting and fostering jewelry of all types, the initiative also includes participation from both established and emerging brands, individual jewelers, artists, and designers. Image: A yashmak made in the 1990s from aluminum and Swarovski crystals by British jewelry designer Shaun Leane for fashion designer Alexander McQueen Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Created by two industry leaders from the worlds of art jewelry and

Getting Things Done: How to Achieve Stress-free Productivity

CV Audit

Need some help putting your CV together?  Have a one hour 1-2-1 with Benchpeg’s Rebecca spent going through your CV getting it optimised for your next career move. Rebecca has 25 years worth of experience in the craft and industry and has helped individuals find their next job move for over 18 years. Having given CV Audits at shows like International Jewellery London, the Goldsmiths’ Company’s Getting Started course, the GIA’s Careers Fair and the School of Jewellery – Birmingham’s Connect Careers event, Rebecca is used to assessing how to optimise a professional CV for targeted career moves. The session www.paypal.com

UK Export Academy

Department for Business & Trade: UK Export Academy Learn how to sell your products or services to the world. The UK Export Academy can support your business to grow by giving you the confidence and know-how to land your first, or next overseas deal. Over 18,000 businesses across the UK have already joined our training programme. It’s totally free and takes only a few minutes to get started. Are you new to selling overseas? Join our brand-new How-To series From choosing your export markets and finding the right customers, through to winning the contract, making the sale, and successfully getting

Q&A: Ruth Tomlinson

Ruth Tomlinson is the Creative Director of her eponymous jewellery brand. She has developed an internationally recognised luxury jewellery business from her central London based atelier which has associations with some of the world’s most prestigious names. She has been hailed with influencing a new generation of jewellers with her design aesthetic and ipseity. Ruth graduated in 2001 with first class BA (Hons) degree in Three Dimensional Design from Manchester School of Art. After being selected to attend the Goldsmiths’ Company’s Getting Started course, she went on to study on the Bishopsland Post Graduate course and then was appointed as

20 Years in the Making

20 Years in the Making 27 April - 22 June 2024 Part of Craft Festival’s 20-year celebration Amazingly, Craft Festival has been going for 20 years. What started as a small project with 2000 visitors in Bovey Tracey has grown into the fantastic, diverse and vibrant event it now is, shaping the town where it started into the ‘Capital of Craft’, spreading the word to Cheltenham, Cardiff and online, and perhaps even transforming our views of making to appreciate the handmade that little bit more. In recognition of this, Sarah James, Director of Craft Festival and Find a Maker, was

Suri Jewelry: Memories from Renaissance

The women painted by the great Venetian Masters wear jewelry and precious stones, fabrics from the East, embraced by smoky atmospheres of incense and fragrances writes Ilaria Ruggiero. Since childhood Giulia Vecchiato admired the jewels of the eccentric ladies who live in Venice, as they were amulets to access the past and ancient times. She started very little to build her own jewelry by assembling scrap metal found in her house, seals, scraps of fabrics mounted on curtains’ pendant. Growing up and studing traditional techniques of goldsmith, she started her own journey into the jewelry field, by developing a very

The passing of industry stalwart Chris Sellors

It is with great sadness family jewellers C W Sellors announce the passing of their founder Christopher William Sellors. Surrounded by his family, Chris passed away in the early hours of Monday 4th September at Ashgate Hospice in Chesterfield where he had been receiving wonderful support and care from their fabulous team of staff and volunteers. Tracing back the success Chris made of his life and business, the journey started with a love of his Derbyshire surroundings and a passion to make his own jewellery designs using the locally sourced Blue John gemstone. What started as a hobby with early

Area Manager, Presman Bullion Ltd - Hatton Garden, London

Area Manager Presman Bullion Ltd Hatton Garden, London Do you have a hands-on, go-getting attitude? Could you manage and advise Jewellers on reclamation? Do you want to join our friendly team of UK Area Managers? Are you are self motivated? Do you have a clean driving license? Can you pass an enhanced DBS check? This is a rare opportunity to join the UK field team, of the most trusted precious metal reclamation company in the jewellery industry. If you have jewellery manufacturing experience, a desire to succeed and live in the Greater London area, we will offer you a competitive

Head of David Fowkes Jewellery Climbs New Heights

Dr Rona Mackenzie, Chief Operating Officer of jewellery designer, David Fowkes, is to embark upon the challenge of a lifetime in order to support UK innovators in business. Rona has pledged to climb the highest points in each of the seven continents of the world, starting with Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, last month. All funds raised by Rona will support a new charity, D3, launched to help support businessmen and women in getting creative, innovative and dynamic projects off the ground. David Fowkes is generously supporting D3 through the creation of a unique, handmade piece of jewellery

Farnham Crafts Month

Farnham Craft Month 1 - 31 October 2019 Farnahm, Surrey Craft Month Full of Hidden Treasure Makers and craft organisations across Farnham - which was designated as England’s Craft Town in 2013 - are getting set for a month of craft festivities. Each October, Farnham hosts a celebration of craft with hundreds of opportunities to get involved with events featuring countless makers, pieces, organisations and venues, throughout the town. This is your chance to see makers in action; take a craft walk; get making and buy work from local designer makers. Farnham Craft Month celebrations have been growing steadily each

Hot Watch: The Pieces to Clock onto this A/W'18

Just like shop windows and displays are getting dressed up in a flurry of new autumn vibes, designs and style, the watch world has struck our magpie eyes with an array of buzzy, exciting and charasmatic designs guarenteed to make you kickstart the autumn fun with a bang! Whilst the watch world likes to tick to its own beat and not follow the fashion whimsies of our ever-changing seasons, it is without a doubt as much as a fashionable accessory as the new it bag of the season! Whether it's pantone-selected colour combinations, intricate, structural design or modern updates on

Tropicool Charm for Summer

You've got the paradise destination ready and booked, your holiday wardrobe is getting locked down and your suitcase is already out of the attic loud n'proud so what 's left to take your SS18 holiday style to the next level? Pile on the colour, texture, print and shapes with the perfect summer colour-popping jewellery! Life becomes a whole lot more fabulously fun with a taste of the exotic so dive into the tropical world of summer with palm leaf prints, juicy fruit motifs, multi-coloured parrot pendants and brighten your life with statement style. Transform your life in rich ornamental synergy

Dial Into Botanical Beauties of Time

With Spring well & truly sprung and scandalous summer getting ready to sashay onto the scene, it's time to work some bodacious blooms and fiery florals into your new season look.  With Greenery hailed as the trans-seasonal Pantone colour of the year, this fresh and zesty hue of vitality has been dominating the trend forecasts and has now clocked onto our wrist-wear adornments. The beauty of nature is emblematic throughout this botanical theme in watchmaking with themes of escapism, urban revival and restorative wellbeing captured through the floral studded craftsmanship.  Flora and fauna have blossomed their way into our Springtime-wrist

Craft Festival 2019

Craft Festival 2019 We proudly present Craft Festival 2019, it’s 200 makers, workshops and brand-new website. As well is getting to know our selected makers, we hope you enjoy browsing this year's programme which includes new features  The Forge  and  The Common Room  with returning favourites including  Craft Cinema  and  Out of the Woods.   FULL DETAILS HERE Dates 7 - 9 June 2019 Venue Directions SAT NAV co-ordinates TQ13 9AL Bovey Tracey is only 2 miles off the A38 Exeter to Plymouth Expressway. Exit the A38 at Drumbridges Roundabout and follow signs to Bovey Tracey town centre.  Follow the

Felieke Van Der Leest: Jewelrassic Park @ Mobilia Gallery

Felieke Van Der Leest: Jewelrassic Park @ Mobilia Gallery Mobilia Gallery 18th May  - 21st June 2019 "When I am working with color, I feel like a painter, When I am Working with metal, I feel like a constructor, And when I am working with toys, I feel like a child". Recently returning from China and getting ready for its United States debut at Mobilia Gallery, each Dino sculpture is wearable or has a wearable element. Editions held in the Collections of:              CODA Museum Apeldoorn, The Netherlands Stedelijk Museum Den Bosch, The Netherlands National Museum of Decorative Arts and Design,

Inhorgenta Munich 2020

INHORGENTA MUNICH Messe München, Germany 16 - 19 February 2024 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of INHORGENTA INHORGENTA has been the showcase for the industry and the key to opening up new markets since 1974. The 50th anniversary edition of INHORGENTA will take place from February 16 to 19, 2024 with a large supporting program. INHORGENTA started in 1974 as the “1st International Trade Fair for Watches, Jewelry, Gemstones and Silverware” and was a success right from the start. That was because the industry wanted to establish its own, dedicated trade fair for Germany and Europe. An opportunity for Messe

London Edge 2019

London Edge Business Design Centre, London 1 - 2 September 2019 Started in 1999 in response to an urgent call from the fashion industry to provide an inclusive & respectful platform for the lifestyle & alternative markets. Rooted firmly in an exceptional customer service ethos, the LondonEdge team support, guide & advise our exhibiting & retail partners at a level that’s second to none. As we begin our 3rd decade we look forward with excitement to the future for this cornerstone of global lifestyle fashion. Whilst we continue to adjust to reflect new trends & allow for changes in business

Officine Nora: Preciousness in human relationships

After visiting Officine Nora, the feeling that pervaded me was of an open, free and independent place. Officine Nora is a co-working for jewellery makers and a jewellery shop based in Florence writes Ilaria Ruggiero. It was started in 2014 by the Florentine jewellery designer Margherita de Martino Norante that, after graduating at Alchimia Contemporary Jewellery School, wanted to preserve the practice of comparing ideas and techniques with other jewellery makers in a collaborative and lively environment. A place of creation therefore, but without preconceptions or ideologies. A laboratory certainly directed by professional artists, but especially a space for sharing ideas

Q&A: Mary Michel

Mary Michel is the Director of the Incorporation of Goldsmiths in Edinburgh. She has been with the company for 15 years and is responsible for initiatives such as Elements and the forthcoming online Ethical Making Resource . She also sits on the board of Craft Scotland and is their Vice-Chair. She answers the Benchpeg Q&A. What’s your name, and what do you for a living? MM: Mary Michel, I’m the Director of the Incorporation of Goldsmiths in Edinburgh . How did you come to work in the jewellery industry? MM: By happy accident – I started here 15 years ago on a

Former National Association of Goldsmiths CEO Michael Hoare passes

Veteran jewellery industry stalwart Michael Hoare has passed after a long battle with cancer. Michael studied in the mid seventies at Leicester Polytechnic now De Montford University, and achieved a BA Hons Degree in Fine Art. After graduation he started his professional career in the retail business and joined the Co-operative Midcounties where he worked as a Department Store Manager until 1988. As a brief spell as a Training Consultant he joined the British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA) as saw a very speedy transition into management, and Executive management level. Furthering his interest in both training, retail and trade bodies, [youtube

Munich Jewellery Week 2020

Munich Jewellery Week 2020 9  - 15 March 2020 Munich, Germany Munich Jewellery Week statement on Coronavirus: Due to multiple cancellations, we are now back to about 63 confirmed events, just like when we first started making a map in 2013. With the Week constantly growing, and more and more international visitors flocking to Munich, this year was supposed to be the biggest to date – 120 events. But we have to face the crisis, and it will surely be a different kind of Munich Jewellery Week, more local, than international, less crowded and less noisy. With many gallerists and

Robert Baines: Living Treasure and Fabulous Follies

The exhibition Robert Baines: Living Treasure and Fabulous Follies  is organized by Gallery Loupe for Contemporary Art Jewelry, Montclair, New Jersey, in collaboration with the Arkansas Arts Center and aims at celebrating the dazzling and witty work of the master goldsmith, craftsman and leading scholar in the field of archaeometallurgy. Everything in his creative research started when The Metropolitan Museum of Art encouraged him to make copies of pieces in their collection and testing them. This has developed his personal understandings that jewelry artifact crystallizes “human drama” and this knowledge base has empowered my trajectory into playing with jewelry history and

Q&A: Gary Williams

Gary Williams is a Director at Presman Bullion Ltd, a company based in Hatton Garden which is one of the largest reclaimers, processors and recyclers of precious metal jewellery scrap, sweeps and residue services to the UK’s jewellery trade. He also sits on the Board of parent company, Mastermelt Ltd. Gary's career in the jewellery industry spans some 40 years, having started out working as a representative for a jewellery wholesaler, then for award-winning manufacturer Brown & Newirth Ltd, leaving as their Sales & Marketing Director. Gary was also a Director with Amore Cranleigh Ltd, a Surrey based retailer specialising

Q&A: Tiffany Browne

Tiffany Browne is a Micro Diamond Setter and has worked on some of the most intricate and luxurious pieces which adorn London's Bond Street. With an unconventional entry into industry, she answers the Benchpeg Q&A. What’s your name, and what do you for a living? TB: My name is Tiffany Browne, and I'm (mostly) a diamond setter specialising in very fine, close pavé work which I do under microscope. How did you come to work in the jewellery industry? TB: It wasn't the obvious choice for me! I started out studying languages and have an MA in translation. Meeting my husband, whom

Manon van Kouswijk - Sources & Resources at K2 Academy of Contemporary Jewellery, London

Manon van Kouswijk - Sources & Resources at K Academy of Contemporary Jewellery, London 17 - 20 July 2019 A 4 Day Masterclass led by Manon van Kouswijk at K Academy Of Contemporary Jewellery, London Masterclass - Sources & Resources The project of contemporary jewellery started out as an idealistic one that aimed to change our thinking about what jewellery was and what it could be. In our increasingly image-driven era of late capitalism how do you articulate and shape your position within contemporary jewellery practice? What is it that draws you to work with this particular subject matter and

A Touch of Noir

When we think of diamonds we're used to picturing white sparkly stones, so what if we were to say that alongside those bright glistening stones is a dark step sister that is becoming equally popular? In recent years, the demand and popularity for nonconventional stones - particularly in engagement rings- has found black diamonds to be one of the most popular choices of fancy-coloured diamonds. Previously held in low regard, natural-colour black diamonds continued to be unpopular until designers started to implement them into their collections in the late 20th century; often contrasting them with colourless pave diamonds. Perhaps the

De Vroomen: Harmony in Colour and Form

De Vroomen: Harmony in Colour and Form The Goldsmiths’ Company is delighted to present  De Vroomen: Harmony in Colour and Form,  a celebration of five decades of artistic collaboration between renowned husband and wife team, Dutch goldsmith Leo de Vroomen and British jewellery designer and artist Ginnie de Vroomen. The showcase brings together over 100 pieces of De Vroomen jewels, sketches reflecting the creative process, as well as Ginnie’s vivid paintings inspired by nature and the urban landscape. In essence, bold, sophisticated jewellery with flowing lines is placed in conversation with polychromatic abstract art.  When Leo and Ginnie started working together in the early 70s, they developed

Felieke van der Leest: Once Upon A Time In My West

Felieke van der Leest: Once Upon A Time In My West A showcase from the celebrated Dutch jeweller Felieke van der Leest. This exhibition celebrates the fantastical world of fairy tales and the Wild West. Felieke van der Leest is a trained metalsmith, graduating from the jewellery department at the Rietveld Academie (The Netherlands) in 1996. She has lived and worked in Øystese, Norway since 2008. Living close to a Zoo, her passion for animals probably started in her childhood just like her love for crocheting in textiles. Combining this with precious metals and plastic toy animals, she developed her

Celebrating Sarah Letts

Celebrating Sarah Letts Sarah Letts: 1936 – 2017 A unique opportunity to view the drawings, paintings and jewellery created by Sarah Letts in her lifetime. Curated with her family, Studio Fusion is proud to present this work in the gallery where Sarah was co-founder and co-director for over 20 years. Sarah Letts originally trained as a fine artist before she started to focus on making one-off pieces of jewellery. All her metalwork had its own distinct identity, with her signature striated engraving bringing depth and luminosity to the enamel. Inspired by her garden, the land and seascapes of north Scotland,

Meet the Benchpeg Team

This is us. We are the team that bring the Benchpeg website, newsletter and social media feeds to our lovely readers, subscribers and followers.   Rebecca van Rooijen MA CMktr FCIM FRSA Co-founder | Editor Co-founder | Editor Rebecca is the creator of Benchpeg, she has 20 years of experience in the industry (she started young!), her vision was to create a resource where the jewellery industry could share and access information. Along with being Editor-in-Cheif of Benchpeg, Rebecca is a Trustee of the Bishopsland Educational Trust , Committee Member for the  Communications and Marketing Committee at  The Goldsmiths’ Company ,

Point of No Return with Christoph Zellweger at K2 Academy of Contemporary Jewellery

Point of No Return at K2 Academy of Contemporary Jewellery with Christoph Zellweger 4 ½ Day Workshop 14th – 17th August 2018 This workshop 'POINT OF NO RETURN' will be led by Swiss jewellery artist and designer Christoph Zellweger, who’s commitment to applied research as a visionary practitioner and experienced coach has gained international recognition. The workshop is aimed at professional colleagues from all parts of the world, as well as ambitious students and amateurs, who wish to progress their work and to give direction to their practice. Point of No Return Get going, get started, carry on, stretch far, move forward, retreat,

Rebecca van Rooijen

Meet the Co-Founder and Editor of Benchpeg.    Rebecca van Rooijen MA CMktr FCIM FRSA Co-founder | Editor Rebecca is the creator of Benchpeg, she has over 25 years of experience within the jewellery industry (she started young!), her vision was to create a resource where the jewellery trade could share and access resources in order to democratise information. In addition to editing Benchpeg and the weekly newsletter (which just celebrated its 800th issue) which she created 18 years ago, Rebecca is a Trustee of the Bishopsland Educational Trust and Chair of the Goldsmiths' Fair Advisory Board at The Goldsmiths'

Nel Linssen 1935 - 2016

Renowned Dutch paper jewellery artist, designer and maker Nel Linssen has died on 1 August 2016 aged 80. We write an obituary. The meticulous and mathematically minded Linssen lived in Nijmegen, the Netherlands and was renowned for a jewellery career which was dedicated to working in and experimenting with paper as a material. Nel was educated at the Academy of Arts in Arnhem, when she embarked after graduation on work with mosaics, tapestries and stained glass windows. However in the 1980s she started to experiment with folded washable paper making forms of jewellery in the shape of bracelets, necklaces and decorative

Danni Schwaag: A long search for pearl

Nacre also known as mother of pearl, is an organic-inorganic composite material produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer; it also makes up the outer coating of pearls writes Ilaria Ruggiero. Nacre also known as mother of pearl, is an organic-inorganic composite material produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer; it also makes up the outer coating of pearls. It is strong, resilient, and iridescent. Danni Schwaag’s obsession for mother of pearl started during her studies in Idar-Oberstein, when she was looking for a pearl necklace – not a classical one. She wanted to do one on her own, being fascinated by the variety of the material, its luster, the sensitivity and brittleness. Visiting all