Buying group CMJ hosts its biggest trade event
BIRMINGHAM, England, August 12, 2012 – The Company of Master Jewellers (CMJ), the UK’s largest buying group, held its biggest ever trade event, inviting a wide variety of suppliers to showcase their latest products to independent retailers.
Brands such as Pandora, Swarovski, Folli Follie, Links of London, Shaun Leane and Roberto Coin were in the mix of suppliers presenting their latest collections to independent retailers at the biggest CMJ Trade Event to date at the Hilton Metropole Hotel at the Birmingham NEC, on August 12-13, 2012.
“This is the biggest CMJ show ever,” said CMJ Media director Sarah Carpin.
“The real purpose of the CMJ is enabling our retail members and suppliers to work together more efficiently.”
Watches featured heavily at the event, which now presents more watch brands than any other show apart from BASELWORLD, according to CMJ Media. Brands included Skagen, Citizen, Casio and Bulova.
Footfall was brisk at the stands of manufacturers and gem suppliers on the first day of the event.
“Our list of approved suppliers continues to grow, to reflect the number of categories and types of business you – our members – want to be involved in,” CMJ Chief Executive Willie Hamilton said in a brochure distributed at the event.
CMJ also announced plans to host a UK jewellery conference, open to CMJ members, at the Hilton Metropole at the Birmingham NEC on October 2-3, 2012, to address the pressing issues facing the industry.
Key speakers will include Jacqueline Gold, Chief Executive of Ann Summers; John Ayton, founder of Links of London and Chairman of Bremont Watches; and retail expert Clare Rayner.
“There is a real learning need,” said Hamilton.
“I see a vacuum within the UK jewellery world,” he added, referring to the need to inform jewellers about priority issues that concern them, such as conflict diamonds and the security of their stores.
Hamilton announced plans for the CMJ to boost cooperation with CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, which helps to set standards across the global industry.
Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO, spoke of the importance of setting the highest ethical standards in the jewellery sector to ensure that consumers had confidence in the products that they were buying.
Among news from CMJ suppliers, manufacturer Brown & Newirth has partnered with Hatton Garden’s Holts Academy to provide an opportunity for emerging jewellery designers to become part of Brown & Newirth’s 45th anniversary celebrations.
A group of designers at Holts Academy were asked to take inspiration from the events of 2012 – the Diamond Jubilee, and the Olympics, for example – to produce work to celebrate Brown & Newirth’s 45th anniversary.
The shortlisted designs have been selected and are now being manufactured.
They will be presented in an exclusive product launch at the International Jewellery London (IJL) show, from 2nd to 5th September 2012.
Molly B Couture presented the “Betty” diamond alphabet collection at the CMJ Trade Event.
The delicate, feminine and personal necklaces comprise round brilliant diamond alphabet lower case letters set in sterling silver.
Diamonfire jewellery collections, an alternative to traditional diamond jewellery, were also introduced to the trade at the CMJ event.
The Diamonfire zirconia stone has been developed as an exceptional synthetic stone and, just like diamonds, it is measured in carats.
Each Diamonfire stone is carefully weighed, cut and polished.
The final result is a sparkling stone with 57 facets.
Jewellers attending the CMJ event spoke of tough market conditions as the recession in the UK dragged on, with margins in silver jewellery squeezed due to high prices of the precious metal.
Jewellers spoke of the importance of cutting-edge design to win business from independent retailers wishing to show a variety of products in their stores.
