British Jewellers' Association

We asked some very different members to tell us what they value most about their BJA membership and its work supporting the industry. Submit a testimonial about your BJA membership experience today.

BJA Website           

           The new BJA website has been extremely helpful for our business. Not only has it been a great resource in helping us find new suppliers for all jewellery related matters but we also get new clients on a weekly basis who have found out about our bespoke ring service by searching the member database. Well done to the BJA web team in particular for putting together a genuinely useful and easy to use service for both industry members and end consumers alike. - Manu Bhardwaj, Hot Pink

            Lobbying has always been a key role for the BJA and its ability to speak out on behalf of its members on matters which affect the industry is for me one of its greatest strengths. It has been doing this throughout its history and over the years has won a number of notable battles. Most recently, together with other trade bodies, it campaigned successfully to keep the UK hallmarking system when it was threatened as part of the Government's 'Red Tape Challenge'. This ability to provide a strong voice for us all is for me reason enough in itself to belong. - Martyn Pugh, Silversmith

           When my business was still in the early stages, I was chosen to exhibit with the BJA at Inhorgenta, something that without their support I would not even have been able to consider. It was wonderful to have their advice and Lindsey is fabulous at introducing me to galleries and collectors. In fact their support network and mentoring is for me almost the most important thing. When you start off you don’t know how things work and I always feel I can email or call to ask for their help. Their design contracts and the design deposit scheme are excellent too and provide something that would otherwise be extremely expensive. - Ute Decker, Designer Jeweller

            When one of my early designs was copied and the offending pieces spotted on another stand at a major UK trade show, lawyers from Royds who provide the BJA's Copywatch Intellectual Property Service gave me instant, on-thespot advice and secured the immediate removal of the offending item from the show. Protecting my designs is very important to me and I particularly value the BJA's work in this area. - Shaun Leane, Shaun Leane Jewellery Design

            To sell successfully you must understand the business you are in, so having free access to the latest industry information such as the Mintel Report courtesy of our BJA membership is a real plus. As more people turn to the internet to source jewellery, we also appreciate the leads we receive from the BJA website from the B-2-B sourcing service. - Barry Bennett, Gecko

            I’ve belonged to the BJA for many years but for me the most useful service currently is the discount members receive on card payments through Streamline. It is a very favourable rate, and better than I could achieve alone, which is all-important at the moment. - Kim Wood, Kim Wood Jewellers

            We are great supporters of the BJA’s Confidential Credit Letter, which is of great service to the industry. We regularly send in information about our own poor payers and find the monthly report compiled by the BJA, using feedback from others, invaluable. We are particularly wary of dealing with new customers who appear on the CCL list and know that it helps us to avoid bad debts. - Joseph Smith, AGI Gems

            As a company that buys in around £5 million worth of precious metals a week, we naturally work very closely with the Birmingham police. In late 2011 we discovered that the BJA had signed up to Safergems to get email alerts. No sooner had we done this than the first alert we looked at showed seven suspects wanted for a number of robberies and distractions-type crimes, covering an area from Harrogate to Devon. I recognised all of them and contacted the police. The upshot is that most of the seven have been arrested, which is excellent news! - Nigel Blackbrun, Lois Jewellery