Its “Quantre Sand” capsule was made using a 3D sand printing technique borrowed from the automotive and aeronautics industries.
Birks Completes Sale of Mayors Chain of Stores
The $108 million proceeds from the sale helped it pay down most of its outstanding debt.

Montreal--Birks Group announced that it has completed the sale of its Mayors subsidiary to Aurum Holdings Ltd.
United Kingdom-based Aurum Holdings operates more than 130 watch and jewelry stores in the United Kingdom under the Watches of Switzerland, Goldsmiths, Mappin & Webb, Watchshop, The Watch Hut and The Watch Lab nameplates.
It also just announced the opening of a flagship Watches of Switzerland store in the New York City retail development Hudson Yards.
In acquiring Mayor’s Jewelers Inc., Aurum took control of a chain of 16 stores in Florida and Georgia that operate as Mayors, and one Rolex store in Orlando.
Gross proceeds from the sale, first announced in August, were about $108 million, Birks said, which were used to pay down most of its outstanding debt.
Concurrent with the close of the transaction, Birks entered into a new credit facility with Wells Fargo for a maximum amount of about $67.1 million, allowing it the funds to implement the next phase of its strategic plan. This includes the renovation of its Canadian flagship stores, new store concepts and e-commerce and wholesale activities for the Birks jewelry brand collections.
As part of the agreement between Birks and Aurum, the Birks Brand collections of fine jewelry will be offered in 16 locations in the U.S. through the Mayors network as well as in 12 locations in the U.K. at various Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths stores and on their respective e-commerce sites.
Birks will continue to offer fine jewelry and timepiece brands to the Canadian market through its Birks and Brinkhaus banners as well as its own e-commerce site.
In its most recent fiscal year ended March 26, Birks reported that same-store sales rose 1 percent, including a 9 percent increase in comps in the U.S. mainly driven by higher watch sales but an 8 percent decrease in comps in Canada.
In the new 2017 State of the Majors, Birks Group fell at No. 22 in the list of $100 Million Supersellers, down from the No. 21 listing in 2016. It also was listed at No. 23 in this year’s list of Top 50 Specialty Jewelers by store count.
The Latest

Four individuals have been charged in the “takeover-style” robbery of Heller Jewelers last month, and additional charges are expected.

The month’s birthstones, tourmaline and opal, complement the palette of autumn.

Smith shares the importance of looking at your company with openness and honesty to identify opportunities you may be missing.


Associate Editor Natalie Francisco visited Italy to spot jewelry trends at the September Vicenzaoro show and share her top finds.

Respondents were concerned about job availability and rising prices.

With their unmatched services and low fees, reDollar.com is challenging some big names in the online consignment world.

Its latest interim financials revealed a challenging first half due in part to production troubles at its mines.

Two men allegedly used counterfeit bills to purchase luxury watches and jewelry from a North Carolina jeweler.

The “Lovestruck” collection, designed with the Academy and Grammy award-winning siblings, is the brand’s first lab-grown diamond offering.

The brand, celebrating its 15th anniversary, has popped up at Market, a luxury fashion destination in Highland Park Village.

She was remembered as a creative and generous woman of faith, who also had a sweet tooth.

Move over neck mess, the ear story is the way to make a layering statement today.

The New York-based brand is set to launch a limited-time offering for the holiday season at Holt Renfrew in Toronto.

The “Volume 7” bridal catalog features best-selling engagement rings, trending styles, and a new section highlighting anniversary bands.

Holiday sales growth is expected to slow as consumers grapple with inflation and tariff-related uncertainty.

Jamie Turner Designs is among the winners of the local “Austin Shines” contest, hosted by Eliza Page, a jewelry store in Austin, Texas.

The red and azure colorway is one of many fun enamel pairings offered, bringing whimsy to the classic style of a monogramed signet ring.

A trade deal with Switzerland seems probable, but reaching an agreement with India remains a challenge, David Bonaparte said.

Botswana’s president said his country wants a controlling share, while Angola envisions multiple countries holding minority stakes.

The manufacturer is adding 1,400 chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactors to its growing facility in India.

The jeweler to the stars has worked with Drake, A$AP Rocky, Tyler the Creator, and other celebrities.

The Scarsdale, New York-based jeweler donated a professional-grade watch cleaning machine.

The 50 percent tariffs on diamonds shipped from India to the U.S. have pushed midstream manufacturers to the edge.

De Beers’ refreshed, multipronged approach, which includes generic promotions and retail partnerships, is delivering positive dividends.
They are trying to balance the need to sustain well-established relationships with the pressure higher tariffs have put on margins.