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Tuesday, 25th May 2004 (6359 views)

Innovative designs are being used in South Africa to promote gold jewellery.<BR/><BR/>New designs are a move by the world's biggest gold producer to expand in the profitable jewellery market, according to the Khaleej Times.<BR/><BR/>People in poverty are now being helped by the government by encouraging them to work in gold jewellery crafting, which also helps to improve economic growth by adding value to rings, necklaces and brooches and raw gold exports.<BR/><BR/>Examples of the products some women are trained to create are necklaces with gold knitted like yarn into a cross-hatched weave which sells for about 10,000 rand.<BR/><BR/>In addition a law is to be enforced by the government to get mining companies to keep a certain percentage of gold produced in the country so that it can be processed in industries like jewellery making.<BR/><BR/>Ethnic designs have had a mixed response, with items selling best in specialist boutiques rather than in big retailers.<BR/><BR/>Although South Africa makes about a fifth of global gold supply, manufacturing only accounts for 0.4 per cent of gold jewellery in the world.<img src="http://directnews.dehavilland.co.uk/dn.gif?feedid=196&itemid=2690070"/>

 

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