Basel 2012

Looking back on my recent trip to Basel this year I realise I came home feeling rather more up beat than I had done on the last couple of annual trips. There was alot more to look at and I got the feeling that people where feeling more inspired and positive and this really showed when I was looking around the halls. I brought some stunning yellow and white diamonds, which I intend to put into some ring designs I am working on at the moment. This year was a real family affair with my wife Tanya, my son Thomas and my daughter Natasha joining me. It was very special to be able to spend some time together with just the four of us, which doesn’t happen as often as I would like.

So all together a successful trip. The only down point was when I was walking past the Indian Pavilion and spotted an out and out copy (all be it inferior to the extreme) of my “Damask” necklace. Plagiarism is alive and well! It was manufactured by Glorious Jewellery (I) Pvt, Ltd I had my solicitor serve a notice on the company so hopefully that is the end of the problem. But I find myself asking, where is the personal pride of people that steal other people’s designs. I totally understand how sometimes designers may be inspired by the same things and inadvertently end up designing pieces that may have the same feel and a similar look. But to absolutely and with out shame make and exact copy of someone’s work is beyond me. When we invest time, money, heart and soul into our pieces they are very dear to us.

Obviously we all are in business to earn a living but a note to all those unscrupulous people who have no design skills of there own – without the passion, talent and inspiration of the people in this business who strive constantly to design, develop and evolve there would be no industry.