Thursday 20 June 2013

TOTAL TREASURE AT THE JEWELLERY SHOW, LONDON

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One of the biggest trade-only UK shows in the jewellery world's calender, The London Jewellery Show, finished this week after 6 days of pure materialistic pleasure.  Held at Somerset House for the second consecutive year, the show was a big success and has once again left its mark this year on the jewellery and fashion world.  Our very own Director, Wesley Suter, attended and gave a seminar entitled "Timeless classics: A retailer's guide to pre-owned watches" on 11th June, which focused largely around how to capitalise on the growing pre-owned watch market and advice on servicing, repair, regulations and marketing.

Catwalk Collections
As would be expected at such an event, the catwalk took centre stage with 4 shows pre day and a whole host of models in different styles of both jewellery and clothing, including statement pieces, delicate diamonds and bangles.

Brand New & Established
From the well-known to fresh faces, a glittering array of brands exhibited this year, all with their own unique styles and takes on modern fashion.  Brands "strutting their stuff" included.

  • Fope - Established since 1929, this Italian goldsmith is an official partner of the show and distinctive for not only their creative footprint, but also their new projects and worldwide image.
  • Soley - Soley fine jewellery are based in London and have been established since 1901.  With a reputation based on their use of gemstones, stylish designs and traditional craftsmanship, it is no wonder many of their pieces are award winners.
  • CW Sellors - A somewhat newer player in the jewellery field, Chris Sellors has nonetheless made a name for himself since 1979 with his retail boutiques and independant jewellery outlets across the UK.
  • Kirsten Goss - New for this year but not the jewellery world, Kirsten Gss has returned to wholesale thus year and had a wide selection of her pieces on show.
The Watch Salon London
The Watch Salon London was new this year and launched in conjunction with Retail Jeweller magazine.  A luxurious setting for trade buyers to browse through a wide range of mid-to-high end watches from a selection of brands, the Watch Salon also hosted seminars throught the week.  Leading brands within the Watch Salon included Seiko, Ted Baker, Festina, and Bering Time.

New Collections
The Jewellery Show presents itself as a grea time to launch new collections, something a fair few different brands took advantage of with their own new pieces, including:

The Sound Waves Collection - Willow & Clo
Inspired by the use of sound waves, these pieces are plated in 22kt gold and designed to be worn close to the heart.

Etna Collection - Willow & Clo
Inspired by founder Chloe Thompson's experiences whilst climbing Mount Etna, the collection is made of faceted metal pieces to glint the same as the volcanic rock on the volcano.

Kate Chell Jewellery
With 44 new pieces over 9 different collections, inspirational newcomer Kate turned heads with the pieces on offer, all designed to her brand motto of "natural jewellery made with love".

A/W '13 Collections - Clogau
Launched exclusively at the show, these collections are inspired by our own Royal Family and created in association with Historic Royal Palaces.  The collections include the Baby Steps bead charms (in honour of Kate and William's baby due in July), and further pieces within the brand's Key Notes and Tree of Life collections.

Speakers & Seminars
No show would be complete without speakers and seminars throughout, and this year we weren't disappointed - a whole host of seminars took place throughout the week, including:

Overview of the UK jewellery industry and planning for the future - Michael Allchin
  • The Passage of time: The growth of the watch industry and what the future holds - James Gurney, Editor and Director, QP Magazine and Salon QP
  • Sculpting time: Innovations in design - Rebecca Struthers - Director - Heritage Watch Company
  • Time for online: Insights from Watchfinder - Lloyd Amsdon, Director, Watchfinder
Coming soon....
Next year's show has already been booked, so put these date in your diary - 10th - 11th June 2014!

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