British Jeweller's Association
In 2001 a report into the UK jewellery industry, commissioned by the Department of Trade and Industry, commented 'There is no relationship between the designer maker sector and the jewellery manufacturers. As a result the creativity and design flair of the designer makers makes no contribution to sector competitivenesss'. Three years on does the same criticism hold true? Visit any mainstream UK jewellery show in Britain and you will find whole areas designated for designer makers and jewellery manufacturers featuring new product ranges that have resulted from collaboration with designers, many fresh from jewellery school.
What is more, the UK jewellery market is one of the strongest in Europe, with over 35 million articles hallmarked for sale in 2003. So what has changed? Well, the shift towards manufacturing in the Far East has not slowed but more product is simply being designed in the UK and production subcontracted abroad. Where manufacturers want to keep their production in the UK they have to find a 'wow' factor which offsets the cheaper cost of overseas products and increasingly that comes from collaboration between the manufacturer and designer, coupled with strong PR support to drive demand from retailers.
Traditional boundaries are becoming blurred as designer makers find that they can move in both circles - as producers of their own designs - but also as freelance designers working for manufacturers and importers. The impact of CAD based design means that drawings and design details can span the globe by e-mail, overcoming time differences and language problems.
This brave new world brings expanded opportunities for designers to exploit the potential in their copyright by selling their designs outright to a manufacturer or by licensing the manufacturer to produce and sell jewellery to their designs. These can be difficult choices for a designer maker - Should I design and make all my own jewellery? Do some of my designs have commercial appeal that could generate demand I cannot meet? Am I charging too much for my own labour? Can I get someone else to make it for me more cheaply? Am I a designer or a jeweller?
Then come the questions - What are my designs worth to a manufacturer? Will he just copy my designs? How can I avoid being exploited? What royalties should I ask for? Do I need a confidentiality agreement? If he offers me a contract, will it be fair?
The British Jewellers' Association is planning to meet some of these concerns by designing a series of contracts to encourage
co-operation between designers and manufacturers. In addition to a standard assignment of copyright, BJA proposes a licensing agreement and a confidentiality agreement. They will be agreed between the BJA and associations representing designers and will be recognized as fair and equitable to both parties. The package will also include a plain English explanatory note setting out what the terms of the contracts mean for each party.
BJA cannot, of course, advise on prices and values etc - these will remain negotiable but it should be possible for contracts to be signed in the knowledge that both parties are committed to helping each other.
