It’s unfair that opal has a bad name in Australia. It can be attributed
to poorly made jewellery, paper thin doublets that would easily chip,
and tacky souvenirs created for the tourist market, harking back to the
80s.
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You’ve heard it said countless times that the jewellery industry has
changed forever, manufacturing in particular, and the advice to adapt to
change or perish are hard words to swallow. But that is the reality.
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Knowledge is power … but it also helps you sleep at night if you deal with gems on a regular basis.
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The history of hallmarking in the UK dates back more than 700 years and
in all that time its purpose hasn’t changed: to protect the public
against fraud, and the trader (supplier) from unfair competition.
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Last Christmas, Australia Post had to employ more delivery staff to
handle the expected increase in the number of postal articles, mainly
packages, originating from online purchases. The organisation expected
to deliver an additional 3 million parcels over the Christmas period.
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The Great Insurance Debate continues with some jewellery retailers feeling “cheated” but GREG BEAUMONT says the insurance industry needs to be educated about the jewellery industry ... and vice versa. Sure, but is there really a problem?
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Possibly the least favourite aspect of the jewellery trade is the issue
of security. Toby Bensimon believes better communication between
jewellers could help in the fight against crime.
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I’ve watched the Australian jewellery industry evolve for 20 years and some of the changes mean that trade fairs have become more important, not less important.
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