Frequently Asked Questions Part 3 – Online Resources for Jewellers (Updated)
(This online resources for jewellers list continues my series of Frequently Asked Questions. See the rest of the FAQ pages.)
Trade and Technology Online Resources for Jewellers
(Updated January 2023)
Possibly one of the most common questions I’ve seen new students ask has been: “Where should I go looking for information on the jewellery industry?”
In 2011 I began delivering a new technologies lecture for new diploma students at the BAJ to encourage and empower students to find out for themselves more about what is happening in the jewellery industry in terms of both trends and new technologies. In a later section of the lecture, we all shared knowledge on places you can go to get this information. As time went on, I gathered their answers together into a compendium of shared online resources for jewellers.
This page is what became of that compendium. It remains arguably one of the most extensive starter lists of online resources for jewellers anywhere on the Internet, and certainly an essential set of information for every aspiring jewellery student.
Of course, don’t take my word for these– have a look at these yourself and decide which ones are most useful for you.
I’ve divided categories into types of media…
Online Resources for Jewellers Index
- Printed Magazines
- UK
- Europe
- USA
- Reference Websites and Newsletters
- Online Jewellery Resource Websites
- Online Retail Communities
- Fashion and Jewellery in Social Media
- Professional Organisations
- UK
- Europe
- USA
- Trade Shows
- UK
- Europe
- USA
- Asia
- Television Shows
- Books
Printed Magazines
Many of these now have a website presence which is as valuable as their printed magazines, especially the first three.
UK
- Professional Jeweller (also has an excellent e-mail newsletter)
- Retail Jeweller
- Jewellery Focus
- Craft (Released by the Crafts Council)
- How To Spend It (Financial Times supplement)
- JFW
- The Jeweller
- The Hockley Flyer – Birmingham Jewellery Quarter news
- Making Jewellery Magazine
- Asiana Wedding Magazine
Europe
- Vogue Gioiello (Italian Vogue quarterly for jewellery)
- L’Officiel Mode– French fashion magazine
- La Cote des Montres – French watch magazine
- Schmuck Magazin (German jewellery magazine)
- Magazine Dreams – Edgy French jewellery magazine
- Drapers – Fashion industry news and trends
USA
- INSTORE (also has an excellent reference website)
- Jewelry Artist (formerly known as Lapidary Journal)
- JCK
- Metalsmith (Released by SNAG)
- Rock and Gem
Reference Websites and Newsletters
(Besides Google Images, Pinterest, and Instagram)
Online Jewellery Resource Websites
- A-N – Artists Online Magazine and Network
- ArtQuest – Online Resources for Visual Artists and Craftspeople
- At the Bench – Online Tutorial Videos for Jewellery Making
- Benchpeg.com
- Creative Choices – Case studies, testimonials, and expert help on how to change careers to get into the jewellery field.
- Fashion Insight
- Ganoksin.com – Knowledge base for all manner of things related to jewellery making
- Klimt02.net – International Art Jewellery Online
- Metalcyberspace – A rather old list of links featuring several useful North American jewellery resources
- Who’s Who in Gold and Silver
- Worn On TV – Shows where to buy what celebrities are wearing on television.
- WGSN – Trend forecasting
Online Retail Communities
- asosmarketplace
- Wolf and Badger
- etsy.com
- folksy.com
- notonthehighstreet.com
- Watches.com (formerly known as Watchismo) a retailer for creative watch designs
Fashion and Jewellery in Social Media
(The following are the websites for these pages, with links to social media from there. Most of these also have their own Instagram accounts, and some have Pinterest accounts as well.)
Professional Organisations
UK
(listed in order of difficulty in becoming a member)
- National Association of Jewellers (NAJ)
- Association of Contemporary Jewellers (ACJ)
- Crafts Council
- Gem-A – Gemological Association of Great Britain
- National Pawnbrokers Association
- Cockpit Arts
- The Guild of Jewellery Designers
- Institute of Professional Goldsmiths (IPG)
- Company of Master Jewellers (CMJ)
- Houlden Group
- WGI (World Gemological Institute)
- Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths
- WTA (Watch Trader Association)
Europe
- Fondation Cartier (France)
USA
- Manufacturing Jewellers and Silversmiths of America (MJSA)
- Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
- Rappaport – Worldwide diamond organisation
- Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG)
- Guild of Metalsmiths
Trade Shows
Organised by Region and Date
UK
- Spring Fair International – Late January/Early February
- London Fashion Week – February and September
- Dazzle – Edinborough/London/Manchester
- Desire – Chelsea – March
- Collect – Saatchi Gallery – May
- London Jewellery Week – Early June
- Treasure UK – Somerset House – June
- New Designers – Late June/Early July
- Goldsmiths Fair – Late August/Early September
- IJL – First week of September
- Origin – Sept
- Made in London – Marylebone – October
- Brighton Made – November
- National Asian Wedding Show – November
Europe
- Vicenza Oro (Italy) – January, March and September
- Inorghenta (Germany) – February
- Amberif (Gdansk, Poland) – March
- Baselworld (Switzerland) – March
- Schmuck Show (Germany) – March
- Bijorcha (Paris, France) – September
- Premier Classe Paris (France) – Sept-Oct
- Le Biennale des Antiquaires (France) – September
- Kosmima Athens (Greece) – October
USA
- Tucson (USA)- Most of February (there are too many websites for this to mention, but here is a start)
- MJSA Expo New York (USA) – March
- JCK Las Vegas (USA) – Late May/Early June
Asia
- HKTDC (Hong Kong) – March
- Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition (Qatar) – Late Feb/Early Mar
- Jewellery Arabia (Bahrain) – November
Besides the links above, you can also find an excellent list of jewellery exhibitions organised by date can be found at the website for the Society of Jewellery Historians.
Television Shows
Note that most TV shows about jewellers tend to be thinly-veiled advertisements for those companies who choose to be featured. But sometimes they do offer useful glimpses into their particular market and how business is done.
Books
Since I’ve been collecting jewellery books for years, I decided to make a list of useful books for new jewellers looking to sharpen their skills. This list has now been converted into a kind of mini bookstore on this site, offering direct links to purchase straight from Amazon.
Conclusion and Disclaimer
Obviously, this will never be an exhaustive list of what is out there. However, at least this can make for a good place to start.
Likewise, all the information on this list is subject to change as new events appear, magazines appear and disappear, and as visitors and colleagues recommend new resources.
As always, if you feel you could add something here that isn’t already here, please feel free to contact me with your suggestions.
Jack Meyer
Bespoke jewellery designer, and specialist in jewellery CAD/CAM and emergent technologies that affect jewellery.
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Hello Jack,
Apologies if this is not the best way to contact you about letting you know about my book ‘Digital Crafts: Industrial Technologies for Applied Artists and Designer Makers’ for possible inclusion on your book list. Here is the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Crafts-Industrial-Technologies-Designer/dp/1408127776
I am a jeweller and after 8 years as a research fellow at Edinburgh College of Art I spun a company out to realise a product based on the research we undertook to investigate haptics as a more familiar way for people in the applied arts and design to work and 3D model digitally. You have my direct email if you want further information.
Best wishes, Ann Marie Shillito
Hi Anne Marie:
Sure. Why not? I’ve added your comment to this post, and I’ll take a look at your book the next chance I get. Thanks for that.
If you want to reach me more directly next time, simply call me or email me through Holts Academy.
Best Regards,
Jack
Hi there, Thanks for the website and all the amazing info. I am very interested in doing a 3D CAD jewellery design short course with you if you run them. I have looked and searched the Holts site but it says that they are not available. Can you send me a link or let me know if you are running any courses in the second half of 2015? Thanks again, your time in putting together this website is much appreciated. Best, Farah
Hi Farah:
I am indeed running courses later this year, and I would love for you to join us.
About the website…hmmm… I don’t understand why it didn’t work. I just checked the Academy’s website, and it seems to be working okay. Perhaps one of my links on the page is not set up properly.
Try again, perhaps? http://www.holtsacademy.com/. Failing that, message me again here and I’ll give you the direct contact details.
Regards,
Jack
Hi regarding courses CAD Rhino matrix please inform me.. Want to join this courses .well no contact numbers available for further communication.. Please reply
Hi Bhavi:
You’re looking in the wrong section. Go to the section on Rhino courses, and look towards the bottom for the links:
https://www.cadjewelleryskills.com/cad-jewellery-software-rhino-3d/