Jewellery Focus June 2018 | Page 6

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AWARDS

Pragnell wins the queen ’ s award for enterprise

Family owned jewellers Pragnell has received The Queen ’ s Award for Enterprise .

The awards are presented each year by the queen , on the advice of the prime minister , who is assisted by an advisory committee that includes representatives of government , industry and commerce and the trade unions .

A statement made by the group said : “ It is through the development of our jewellery offering , our high quality customer service and our comprehensive training programmes that Pragnell has achieved this prestigious award .”

Charlie Pragnell , managing director , added : “ This is a tremendous honour for us . We set out to further excel in the quality of our jewellery and customer service in 2010 , and with the help of a carefully designed international growth strategy , we have achieved some success .

“ Investing in the diversity of our in-house expertise has been particularly effective in helping us to become a leading creator of the finest handcrafted British jewellery . I ’ m very proud of our team and am excited for the next chapter in the Pragnell story .”

JEWELLERS

Osylia reports strong year of growth

Jewellery designers Osylia London has revealed an increase in the company ’ s visibility over the past year .

The group uses a combination of both modern technology and traditional craftsmanship , and their portfolio features a range of earrings ,

rings and necklaces in a variety of precious metal finishes .

Laura and Cemal , founders , said : “ We have been so pleased to see our brand grow in popularity , partly due to the positive reception from social media exposure and the coverage from fashion influencers which has opened us up to a greater audience .

“ We are the perfect mix of on-trend designs and timeless style , which we believe has universal appeal . Our jewellery is unique , of exceptional quality and has a distinctive design aesthetic that our customers have come to know and expect .

“ Plus , our pieces are all affordable , so can be loved by women with a discerning eye for affordable and contemporary luxury .”

BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY

Jewellery leaders announce blockchain initiative with IBM

IBM and a consortium of gold and diamond industry leaders have announced the first cross-industry initiative to use blockchain to trace the provenance of finished pieces of jewellery across the supply chain .

Asahi Refining , Helzberg Diamonds , LeachGarner , The Richline Group and UL have launched the TrustChain Initiative , powered by the IBM Blockchain Platform , delivered via the IBM Cloud .

TrustChain is initially tracking six styles of diamond and gold engagement rings on the blockchain network . As the program continues

to develop , Trustchain jewellery is expected to be accessible to consumers in participating retail stores by the end of 2018 .

Mark Hanna , Richline Group ’ s chief marketing officer , said : “ This initiative is important for our industry as we seek to raise the collective responsibility and provenance practices to new heights . TrustChain is the first blockchain of its kind within our industry , designed as a solution that marries IBM ’ s leading blockchain technology with responsible sourcing , verification and governance by third party organizations , led by UL as the administrator .

“ Consumers care deeply about the quality and source of the jewelry they purchase ,” said Bridget van Kralingen , IBM senior vice president , global industries , platforms and blockchain .

“ This is evidenced by the fact that 66 % of consumers globally are willing to spend more to support sustainable brands . TrustChain is an example of how blockchain is transforming industries through transparency and viable new business models that specifically benefit the consumer .”

The TrustChain Initiative tracks and authenticates diamonds and precious metals through every stage of the supply chain as it becomes a piece of finished jewellery . It provides digital verification , physical product and process verification , and third-party oversight .

The collaboration ’ s goal is to instill trust in the origin and ethical sourcing of jewellery by bringing together a community of responsible and ethical organisations across the complex and multi-tiered jewellery supply chain .

Hallmarking in May fell by 3 %

to 665,344 items ( compared with the previous May )

6 JEWELLERY FOCUS

June 2018 | jewelleryfocus . co . uk