It should preserve this world famous chain

The subcontractors of the large houses of jewellery of place Vendôme, Chaumet, Boucheron, or Van Cleef & Arpels, yesterday unveiled their plan to revive the sector. It should preserve this world famous chain.

With the crisis, these independent workshops that manufacture for the claws of luxury in necklaces and other bands in the most precious materials, saw their orders. With consequent recourse to unemployment, and deposits of balance. The profession includes some 3,500 companies, representative 11.300 jobs. With the decline in production, their turnover has fallen year last of 17, to EUR 1.8 billion.

To preserve the know-how, the French Union of jewellery, jewellery, silver, traders in diamonds, precious stones and pearls (BJOP) decided to establish a diagnosis before setting with large donors to order a recovery plan. A Steering Committee was established bringing together Eleven workshops and dealers and twelve houses, among which Boucheron, Dior Joaillerie, Mellerio or Piaget. "We wanted to move quickly, because there was urgency, said Frédéric Mathon, its President." As if the reports are sometimes strained, dialogue has never been broken.

"The crisis has revealed structural weaknesses in the sector," said the mediation Office, lead this state of affairs. Since 30 years, manufacturers and donors of orders have gone from a "system based on a relationship of trust historic and highly localized to a breakdown of sources of supply, but also workshops and sales sites".

New links

Once family, place Vendôme homes were purchased by large groups of luxury that pushed their internationalization. While, on their side, the workshops have been mount power competition to other countries such as the Italy, the Germany, the Switzerland and Asia, to inexpensive jewelry.

Where the need for new links, said the study. With three issues: pass the mutation of the jewellery industry, in terms of innovation including; in return the French know-how; and inventing "a new mode of cooperation."

To achieve this, a battle over eighteen months plan was prepared, with four major actions launched before the summer. And first the drafting of a Charter of good practices in the minds of those that have signed the luxury brands in clothing with their contractors and the State. "Workshops want to have an order in the long term management." They had much hired in 2007 and 2008, then a blow over nothing, repeats Frédéric Mathon. "On their side, they will commit themselves to shortening manufacturing time to limit the stocks in the houses."

To do this, these subcontractors will benefit from audits carried out by consultants in organization to improve their practices and their competitiveness. 15 Large companies, who work for the big names in jewellery, were identified.

Another initiative, the organization in June of a forum called "Speed Networking" with six bites of 20 minutes between workshops and claws to find opportunities for collaboration. "Many do not know." When a workshop is to meet with a House, it is often found closed door, resumed the Chair. There they will have the opportunity to show what they can do and give ideas to trademarks.

Finally, France jewellery label launched in 2006 ensure now, and a high French quality, traceability of raw materials used for jewellery. Strong demand for major brands, to certify the extraction conditions for example. "We have a long history in common." "If we ask donors to order to support us, we want to also show that we can adapt to their needs", concludes Frédéric Mathon.