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'Digital Meets Handmade' New York Symposium Review

PhD researcher Karen-Ann Dicken writes a review for Benchpeg of the recent symposium held at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York - Digital meets Handmade. In May this year I was fortunate enough to attend the ‘Digital meets Handmade’ - Jewellery of the 21 st  Century symposium at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York. Professor Wendy Yothers of FIT organised the event in conjunction with Alba Cappellieri from Politecnico di Milano. This three day symposium was a brilliant collection of researches, speakers and industry specialists. All with the linked theme of what the world of jewellery looks like now we

Domino to present diverse, design-led product portfolio at IJL

Domino Jewellery are set to delight UK and international buyers with their diverse, design-led product portfolio at International Jewellery London this year. The Birmingham based manufacturer has received excellent feedback on collections launched so far in 2019; the team are confident that their focus on high quality design with on trend pieces driven by market research and customer feedback, will drive continued demand for Domino collections. At IJL this year, the team will exhibit product from all of its 2019 collections including Fusion – interlocking, stackable diamond rings, Empire – clustered diamond engagement and lifestyle rings, and the recently refreshed

Blowing Truths: A special review on Joya Barcelona 2019

I recently went to hospital to take a test for lactose intolerance. A four-hour test, which consisted of blowing into plastic bags every 30 minutes, after drinking a liquid substance that was as sweet as it was nauseating writes Ilaria Ruggiero. The bags were unfortunately not exciting and fun like those of Christine Jalio who, with intelligence and irony, invites us to expel the daily frustrations of which we are victims, blowing into them, to lighten and in some way to exhale an inner saturation that is wearing us out. Provocative, pop, effective. Compared to the other arts, the peculiarity of About

Silver Market Review 2019: Silver prices plummets to lowest level in more than ten years in early 2020 due to COVID-19 impact

GFMS team at Refinitiv publishes annual Silver Market Review 2019, which includes provisional supply and demand estimates for 2020. Investment demand records healthy growth in 2019, while industrial demand declines as trade wars impact orders across the supply chain. After rising to a five-month high by late February, the silver price experienced a calamitous fall in March, as precious metals got caught up in a broader market sell-off amidst the deteriorating virus outbreak according to the annual Refinitiv GFMS annual Silver Market Review 2019. As a result, silver lost 30% of its dollar value in the first three weeks of

University of the Arts London: Central Saint Martins

Central Saint Martins , often abbreviated to CSM, is a public tertiary art school in London, England. It is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. It offers full-time courses at foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and a variety of short and summer courses Undergraduate: Jewellery Design – BA (Hons) www.arts.ac.uk Postgraduate: MA Design (Jewellery) www.arts.ac.uk Foundation: 3D Design Portfolio - The 3D Design Portfolio course includes the areas of product design, ceramics and jewellery. www.arts.ac.uk  

Appointment: Monika Kamycka Appointed as Chair Of British Society of Enamellers

Jewellery designer and Mona Pink founder, Monika Kamycka, has been appointed as Chair of The British Society of Enamellers’ at the trade organisation’s Annual General Meeting, by unanimous vote following her successful year as Vice-Chair. Under Monika’s leadership the trade organisation has realised a number of notable achievements including an innovative and successful online exhibition, a full review of membership benefits, evaluation of website and social media platforms with renewed focus on member and follower engagement, improvements in terms and conditions – both online and offline, digitisation of the organisation’s finances, membership database review (with a view to digitise fully

Fei Liu Launches New Website

Fei Liu Fine Jewellery is continuing to enhance its brand presence with the launching of their new website to meet international demand. Fei Liu Fine Jewellery is continuing to enhance its brand presence with the launching of their new website. The new Fei Liu Fine Jewellery website focuses on easy navigation and an engaging customer journey. The essence of the brand is reflected by the sophisticated imagery, which illustrates their elegant portfolio of fine jewellery. Under the new domain www.feiliufinejewellery.com , the new website is sleek with clean aesthetics, which showcases the brand’s portfolio of luxury and accessible jewellery. Its

Jewellery runs Adagio

Adagio is an artistic project about time writes Ilaria Ruggiero in her exhibition review. As photography teaches us, an image is the pure settling for rhythm, the sense of time descending into vision. This is a delicate project that deals with light and movement through the diverse artistic forms of photography and jewellery. A minimalist and conceptual work that is reflected in the dual aesthetic soul of the image and the jewel: both evanescent yet present, stylized and essential. Letizia Maggio's technical and artistic research evolves into a sophisticated and complex narration, which mixes materials such as cotton, silver and

Narratives In Making, National Craft Gallery - Kilkenny

Narratives In Making An exhibition of new and innovative works from the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland’s PORTFOLIO: Critical Selection 2017-18. The 28 designer makers represented were selected by an international panel, for demonstrating excellence in craftsmanship, design quality and technical skill. Narratives in Making, curated by Gregory Parsons, considers the provenance of the objects, who made it, where it was made, how it was made and what it is made of. All this is inextricably linked. It informs our relationship with the object. There are fascinating stories here, from the love of material, rituals of making, the design

LVMH confirms it has submitted Tiffany transaction for approval by the European Commission

In a flurry of press releases this week LVHM have stood firm with their position in the failed acquisition of Tiffany which have led to legal action by the American jeweller which have filed a suit in the American state of Deleware. “LVMH confirmed on the 18 September that immediately after receiving approval to proceed by the European Commission, it has submitted the proposed acquisition of Tiffany for antitrust review, as it has always stated it would do. Eight of the ten requisite antitrust clearances have already been obtained. LVMH expects to receive approval from the European Commission and Taiwan

Kassandra Lauren Gordon Fund awards £21k in grants

The Kassandra Lauren Gordon Fund (KLG Fund) has awarded a total of £21,000 in grants to Black people working in the jewellery industry who need support for their businesses and have faced financial hardship because of the current crisis, following a review by a panel of five independent industry judges, who said they were “overwhelmed by the talent, creativity and enthusiasm of the applicants”. In June, Black jeweller and activist Kassandra Lauren Gordon successfully raised £19,483 on a Go Fund Me page, exceeding the original £14,000 target. 328 people, businesses and trade organisations made donations ranging from £5 to £5,000.

Major overhaul of higher technical education announced

New package of measures for higher technical education will build on the work to transform technical and vocational education in Britain Measures to boost the quality and take-up of higher technical education to help plug skill gaps, level up opportunities and support the UK’s economic recovery have been announced by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson. A major review last year revealed that higher technical education – technical qualifications like Higher National Certificates and Higher National Diplomas that sit between A Level and degrees – can unlock the  skills employers need  and lead to highly skilled, well paid jobs. Despite this, not

PGI China Win the China International Business Awards 2022 for Its Culture of Innovation

In 2019, Platinum Guild International (PGI® ® ) initiated Project Reboot, a programme that aims to capture more younger consumers into platinum’s market share in jewellery. The success of this programme led to PGI being awarded the China International Business Awards 2022 for the Non-Profit Organisation category. The China International Business Awards is organised by Asian Business Review to   honour notable achievements of outstanding international firms in China, particularly achievements anchored by innovative business strategies that adapt to changing business landscapes.  In 2019, Platinum Guild International (PGI®) initiated Project Reboot, a programme that aims to capture more younger consumers

Talent Spot: Six Exciting New Jewellery Designers to Watch from New Designers 2019

The array of talent on display at New Designers 2019 was phenomenal- it would appear the future of the jewellery industry is as sparkling as the displays that were on show. Following on from our recent exhibition review and award announcement , Benchpeg shines a spotlight on six exciting designers to watch. Tianyu Zhao  Tianyu’s work stood out at New Designer’s as a delightfully juvenile departure from the seriousness of the more traditional work on display. Working from a deliciously pastel colour-palette, she evokes the naivity of  childhood to instil the wearer of the “adult amulet” with the courage to

Jewellery & Watch Database hits a record £3billion

The secure online jewellery and watch database e-Register celebrates a record £3billion worth of items registered, incidentally coinciding with its 30th Anniversary. e-Register was launched back in 1994, where it was built to protect and recover jewellery, watches and silverware items. Created by The Guild of Valuers & Jewellers as a complimentary database to their innovative valuation software, GuildPro. The e-Register database now holds in excess of £3billion worth of items with over 350,000 customers protected. The secure online database centrally stores Guild Valuations; allowing Insurers, brokers and underwriters to view their client’s valuation portfolio before setting a premium or

CONTEMPORANIA

CONTEMPORANIA 28 - 30th September 2023 Palau Reial Pedralbes, Barcelona  CONTEMPORANIA High Craftsmanship Barcelona is a brand new exhibition promoting national and international contemporary crafts. It is organised by the Consortium of Commerce, Crafts and Fashion of Catalonia (CCAM), and Le Département. In this first edition, international institutions such as World Crafts Council Europe, World Crafts Council Africa, CCAM, Fundesarte, JORGC, Sudakas – Habitantes del Sur (Chile), and Sichuan Fine Arts Institute will present the best of high craftsmanship worldwide. Participants have been selected based on their professional portfolio, the innovation and artistic vision in their craftsmanship across different types of

Richemont completes the acquisition of Maison Vhernier

Further to the  announcement  of 7 May 2024 of its agreement to acquire 100% of distinctive Italian jewellery Maison Vhernier S.p.A. (“Vhernier”) in a private transaction, Richemont announces that this transaction has now been completed following fulfilment of customary conditions and clearing of applicable regulatory approvals. The transaction will have no material financial impact on Richemont’s consolidated net assets or operating result for the year ending 31 March 2025. The results of Vhernier will be reported under the Jewellery Maisons business area.  At Richemont, we craft the future. Our unique portfolio includes prestigious Maisons distinguished by their craftsmanship and creativity.

Fei Liu Secures Six Figure Orders at JCK Las Vegas

On their second showing, British brand Fei Liu Fine Jewellery reports a hugely successful JCK Las Vegas show. Fei Liu Fine Jewellery returned to Las Vegas, after their debut in 2016. This year, Fei Liu Fine Jewellery showcased their fine jewellery portfolio of jewellery to the US market, which proved lucrative. Fei Liu Fine Jewellery recorded sales totalling six figures. One of the sales included Fei Liu’s masterpiece, the Gothic Rubellite Set, which was sold to a private collector.   Fei Liu says, “The market is soft but there is a shift. People are looking to invest in jewellery with value

Pathways to Making II

Pathways to Making II Symposium Rugby College, Rugby 10am – 7pm, Friday 9 March 2018 Professional development for established, emerging makers and craft and design students. Professional craft skills include valuable material knowledge and problem solving. This symposium will explore the value of maker’s skills to potential partners or collaborators both within and outside the craft sector. Speakers will present case studies of self-generated wide-ranging opportunities; inspiring delegates to be more innovative and resourceful in their portfolio careers. This symposium supports the Made in the Middle touring exhibition and further explores themes highlighted in the exhibition. The day will close with

Designer Sophie Breitmeyer launches new website

Jewellery designer and maker Sophie Breitmeyer has launched her new website, with the tag line ‘the modern-day family jeweller’. With her ancestry steeped in jewellery heritage, the re-positioning of her brand hails back to days gone by when families had one go-to trusted family jeweller. The website is clean, bright and owns a photomontage appeal reflecting her own modernity in jewellery design and style, and acts as both an ecommerce site as well as offering a comprehensive portfolio of work to commission and work up bespoke designs from. Breitmeyer’s great-grandfather was one of the founding members of De Beers, and

Appointment: Julie Driscoll announced Managing Director, Pure London

Pure London, the fashion buying trade show, has announced the appointment of Julie Driscoll as Managing Director with immediate effect. Previously the show’s Portfolio Director, Julie’s promotion to Managing Director will drive a host of exciting changes and new launches for the February show, taking place from the 11th – 13th February 2018. Julie Driscoll said of the appointment: “It is a very exciting time in the evolution of Pure London and I’m looking forward to working with our fantastic team, our partners, suppliers and exhibitors to continue to improve on  what we offer, making Pure London truly unmissable. Our AW18/19 manifesto sets

The Bristol Artisan

The Bristol Artisan is the newest addition to a portfolio of successful events organised by Designers/Makers in collaboration with cultural venues. This two day weekend selling event is highly consumer oriented and offers visitors the opportunity to meet the designers and view, buy or commission products from over 40 Designer Makers. The event targets and appeals to an informed and highly motivated audience of consumers, collectors and aficionados as well as a select audience of professionals; including those who represent corporate and public sector buyers. Dates 25 & 26 March 2017 (Mother’s Day Weekend) Open 11.00am – 6.00pm  Venue Arnolfini,

Captivating Brilliance by Peter Schmid

Peter Schmid, world-renowned jewelry maker, is launching his all-new exhibition at Patina Gallery,  Captivating Brilliance , inspired by the Santa Fe Opera’s 2018 production of Giacomo Puccini’s  Madame Butterfly , writes Ilaria Ruggiero in this exhibition review.   The exhibition will open on August 10th at Patina Gallery at 131 West Palace Avenue, Santa Fe.  Captivating Brilliance  will showcase pieces greatly influenced from the movements of Orientalism and Exoticism that were popular at the time of Puccini’s  Madame Butterfly  debut. An amazing crossover of inspirations and ideas, on one hand coming from the most current interpretations of Puccini's opera, on the other hand from ancient rituals,