The announcement coincided with its full-year results, with growth driven by its jewelry brands.
Oxford Now Wants to Remove Statue of De Beers Founder
Oriel College, where the statue of Cecil Rhodes stands, will also launch an independent inquiry into the issues surrounding it.
Last week, protestors took to the streets of Oxford in the United Kingdom, demanding the statue of the British businessman be removed from its place of honor on the school’s façade.
Rhodes was a central figure in British imperialism at the end of the 1800s, encouraging the empire to take control of vast areas of southern Africa.
He attended Oriel College, part of the University of Oxford, in the 1870s. After his death in 1902, he left Oxford money and endowed the sought-after scholarships that still bear his name.
The protest movement around public likenesses of Rhodes, dubbed the Rhodes Must Fall campaign, started in 2015 at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and then moved north to England, adopted by those who say Rhodes represents white supremacy and his views don’t align with the university’s inclusive culture.
When students asked Oriel College to take down the statue the first time, in 2016, the school declined to do so.
Now, the global Black Lives Matter movement sparked by the murders of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky have reignited calls to remove the statue of Rhodes in the U.K.
Last week, Oriel College said in a statement it supports Black Lives Matter and the right to protest but told the BBC it hadn’t changed its stance regarding the statue.
But in a second statement released Wednesday, the school said its governing body has expressed its wish to remove the statue of Cecil Rhodes and its corresponding King Edward Street plaque and voted to launch an independent inquiry into the key issues surrounding the statue.
Embed from Getty Images
The inquiry commission will be tasked with dealing with the issue of Rhodes’ legacy, improving access and attendance of black, Asian and minority ethnic faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and reviewing how the school’s modern commitment to diversity can “sit more easily with its past.”
The college said there will have to be consultations over planning regulations before it can take down the statue.
It remains to be seen if it will be removed in the end.
De Beers said last week it agreed with calls to take the statue down, stating: “Symbols matter, and we will not achieve equality, social justice and healing unless those bearing symbols of inequality, injustice and pain take them down.
“Cecil Rhodes was one of our founders in 1888. We reject what he stood for, and while we can’t rewrite that history, we can bear the responsibility of history to build a better legacy.”
The Latest
Looking ahead, the retailer said it sees “enormous potential” in Roberto Coin’s ability to boost its branded jewelry business.
Jewelry trade show veterans share strategies for engaging buyers, managing your time effectively, and packing the right shoes.
Despite the rising prices, consumers continue to seek out the precious metal.
This little guy’s name is Ricky and he just sold for more than $200,000 at Sotheby’s Geneva jewelry auction.
Though its website has been down for a week, Christie’s proceeded with its jewelry and watch auctions on May 13-14, bringing in nearly $80 million.
Despite the absence of “The Allnatt,” Sotheby’s Geneva jewelry auction totaled $34 million, with 90 percent of lots sold.
Tradeshow risks are real. Get tips to protect yourself before, during and after and gain safety and security awareness for your business.
Lilian Raji gives advice to designers on how to make the most of great publicity opportunities.
The mining company wants to divest its 70 percent holding in the Mothae Diamond Mine in an effort to streamline its portfolio.
Why do so many jewelers keep lines that are not selling? Peter Smith thinks the answer lies in these two behavioral principles.
The “Argyle Phoenix” sold for more than $4 million at the auction house’s second jewels sale.
The annual list recognizes young professionals making an impact in jewelry retail.
Owner David Mann is heading into retirement.
While overall sales were sluggish, the retailer said its non-bridal fine jewelry was a popular choice for Valentine’s Day.
The mining giant also wants to offload its platinum business as part of an overhaul designed to “unlock significant value.”
Christie's is selling one of the diamonds, moving forward with its Geneva jewelry auction despite the cyberattack that took down its website.
The ad aims to position platinum jewelry as ideal for everyday wear.
Retailers can customize and print the appraisal brochures from their store.
The move follows a price-drop test run in Q4 and comes with the addition of a “quality assurance card” from GIA for some loose diamonds.
The site has been down since Thursday evening, just ahead of its spring auctions.
The late former U.S. Secretary’s collection went for quadruple the sale’s pre-sale estimate.
Three fifth graders’ winning designs were turned into custom jewelry pieces in time for Mother’s Day.
Kimberly Adams Russell is taking over the role from her father, David Adams, marking the third generation to hold the title.
As a token of womanhood, this necklace depicts when Venus was born from the sea.
The deal gives the retailer control over the distribution of Roberto Coin jewelry in the U.S., Canada, Caribbean, and Central America.
Show your mother some love with a piece of fine jewelry.