The Company of Master Jewellers has announced its official supporting sponsorship of SaferGems, the UK-wide initiative combating crime in the jewellery, pawnbroking, arts and antiques industry. From July 2024, for an initial two-year commitment, the Company of Master Jewellers will be SaferGems’ first affiliated sponsor. The initiative is founded and funded by the National Association of Jewellers and TH March and hosted by the British Security Industry Association.
Emmet Cummins, Managing Director of the Company of Master Jewellers, said: “We are all aware of the rising threat of criminal activity in the jewellery industry. SaferGems provides a unique, invaluable service to its members and has been successful in tracking down and convicting numerous criminals. “As an organisation, the Company of Master Jewellers believes that we are individually strong but it is together that we thrive – this partnership with SaferGems sits perfectly with our fundamental belief and how we look to support our own members.”
Simon Dawe, Managing director of TH March, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Company of Master Jewellers as the first affiliated sponsor of SaferGems. The CMJ fully understands the importance of SaferGems to our industry, the extremely effective and widespread communications that it provides to bring our industry together to fight crime, and obviously, the protection it provides to our members. It speaks volumes that the CMJ is the first to provide its support and collaboration, which is a great credit to them and fully appreciated by TH March, the NAJ and BSIA.”
Ben Massey, Chief Executive of the National Association of Jewellers, added: “SaferGems has been and will continue to be, a crucial resource for the industry to raise awareness and share intelligence to tackle organised crime. The more the trade can collaborate and work together on key initiatives like this, the stronger and more united we can become. We are delighted to welcome the Company of Master Jewellers as the first affiliate sponsor of SaferGems and invite other parties to register their interest in championing the work it does for retailers, suppliers, and other businesses in the professional jewellery community.”
Launched in 2009, SaferGems provides targeted intelligence to help keep the jewellery industry safe and informed about the risks of crime. Co-ordinated by a specialist independent team with direct access to police intelligence, the SaferGems initiative facilitates the sharing of information received from the trade and the police to alert members across the UK to the possibility of crime in their geographical area.
Full members of the NAJ and clients of TH March receive regularly updated bulletins, helping to keep their businesses and people safe. In 2023 alone, the initiative reported nearly 300 cases of robberies, thefts, burglaries and fraud, impacting the trade at a monetary value of almost £6m.
