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JEWELLERY SHOW – EARLS COURT LONDON

POP-UP POST

Short, but sweet, post today because I have just got back from Earls Court Exhibition Centre where the International Jewellery London show was being held.  This was a HUGE presentation of retail jewellers, small craft jewellers, high-end jewellers, precious stone retailers, jewellery making suppliers – in fact every aspect of  the jewellery world was represented at Earls Court today.

SECURITY was massive, with at least five checks on proof of identity, registration and jewellery association credentials.  Hardly surprising really, considering the collections of expensive jewellery that were on display.  My main aim was to go to one of the seminars that were taking place in the show.  It was a talk entitled “Can Forgotten Skills Help the Modern Jeweller?” by Jamie Hall.  I first heard of Jamie through WORDPRESS.  His blog called PRIMITIVE METHOD came up in tag surfer and his interest in the silversmithing techniques used by older civilisations got me hooked.  I am constantly amazed by the incredible metal objects that have been produced by our technology-less ancestors.  I look at these objects showing high levels of technical skill and artistic ability and wonder “How did they do that?”.  Jamie is researching HOW THEY DID DO IT!!!

His talk was excellent.  Explaining how learning old metalwork techniques will help with  modern computer technology that is beginning to emerge in the jewellery design and manufacture industry.  He outlined some of these new ways in which jewellery will be designed and made in the near future.  He also illustrated his talk with interesting slides and humour.  Jamie was also keen to emphasise how this new technology way of producing jewellery will, in the long run, be better for the economy of the UK as more people will be employed in this country, instead of outsourcing production of pieces abroad.

Anyway – it was a good day and I learnt a lot, not least that there are a lot and I mean A LOT, of great jewellers out there all competing for a share of the jewellery market.