The UK’s leading jewelry trade fair, International Jewellery London, opened in Earls Court Sunday. The four-day event has more than 600 exhibitors – jewelry designers, manufacturers and suppliers from the UK and overseas.

New to IJL 2008 is the Design Gallery, home to the British Design Pavilion, the new International Design Pavilion and new Designer Brands product destinations.

Other show sections include luxury and on-trend collections in Fine Jewellery and Silver and Fashion destinations. Loose stones, from beads to diamonds, as well as jewelry at all price points can be found in the Gems and International Jewellery destinations.

The show also includes watches, giftware and jewelry solutions sections.

Among the scheduled events, World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) Secretary General Michael Vaughan will give a presentation entitled “The WFDB Mark in pole position – the diamond trade’s Mark of Confidence that leaves all others behind.” The lecture will be held Monday.

Vaughan’s presentation is part of the WFDB’s efforts to create awareness of the WFDB and its Mark of Confidence in the jewelry retail market.

Michael Allchin, President of CIBJO’s Precious Metals Commission will be presenting CIBJO’s new Precious Metals book on Tuesday. Allchin will discuss the new precious metals standards that CIBJO advocates.

Source: www.idexonline.com

The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) said Thursday that 73 Antwerp-based diamond companies would participate in its pavilion at the Hong Kong Jewellery and Watch Fair in September.

“Together, the Antwerp diamond companies are by far the most important foreign presence in Hong Kong,” the AWDC said.

The AWDC will host pavilions at two different locations, at the HKCEC in the Expo Drive Hall and the AsiaWorldExpo, Hall 5 and 9.

AWDC added that it plans to launch its HRD Awards 2009 jewelry competition, a biennial diamond jewelry competition, at the opening ceremony of the fair.

The competition is open to professional and non-professional designers from all over the world, who submit original designs which have not previously been put on display or commercialized before.

Source: www.diamonds.net

More than 50 Israeli diamond manufacturers and exporters will be participating in the upcoming Hong Kong Jewellery & Watch Fair scheduled for September 17-21.

Forty Israeli companies are set to exhibit as part of the Show’s Israel Diamond Pavilion, which is being organized by the Israel Diamond Institute Group of Companies (IDI). The companies will show off polished diamonds and diamond jewelry all specifically tailored to Asian markets. The Pavilion will also feature the IDI’s image booth, which will provide information on the Israeli diamond industry.

In preparation for the Show, the IDI has created a mini-site for the Pavilion, which enables buyers to virtually visit it prior to the Show. The mini-sit, which can be accessed through the IDI portal www.israelidiamond.co.il/exhibition/index.aspx?id=5 includes details of all Israeli diamond exhibitors and a map of their location at the Show.

“There was an increase of 35% in Israel’s net polished exports to Hong Kong in the first half of 2008 and that trend is expected to continue during the year,” says IDI Managing Director Eli Avidar. “If we continue in this way, this market is going to account for more than 25% in 2008.”

IDI Chairman Moti Ganz says, “We se Asia as the major growth market for Israeli diamond exports. In the coming years, IDI will be focusing its marketing efforts on developing these markets, especially Hong Kong, China and India.”

Today Hong Kong is the second largest market for Israel’s polished diamond exports, representing 19 percent of total sales. In 2007, net exports of polished diamonds to Hong Kong reached more than US$1.3 billion.

Source: www.diamondintelligence.com