“But the companies are holding on for now, there is no information that anyone would give it up,” said Pavel Kopáček, chairman of the Association of Glass and Jewelery Manufacturers, which in the Jablonec region unites about 60 jewelery companies with 4,000 employees.
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According to Kopáček, the government’s Antivirus program in particular helped to keep companies in spite of minimal sales and loss of orders. “A small advantage is that many companies are in their own houses and businesses,” added Kopáček. According to him, most jewelery manufacturers do not dare to take out loans from the COVID program, with the exception of the largest ones. However, some will apply for subsidies from the COVID – Rent program.
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The big problem is that the production of jewelery is mainly focused on exports, historically the vast majority of what is produced in the Czech Republic goes abroad. However, coronavirus trade in major world markets has almost stopped. “For example, the Italians stopped taking goods and stopped paying,” Kopáček added. According to him, exports are at some ten to 15 percent. “Overall, we estimate that production has fallen by a third, 11 years ago, sales fell by about half. It’s worse now, “added the chairman of the union.
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Regional Councilor Květa Vinklátová, who, together with others, is in charge of the Křišťálové údolí project, confirms Kopáček’s words. “Křišťálové údolí provides marketing support to glass and jewelery manufacturers in terms of tourism. We try to bring tourists to their establishments. With sales, especially abroad, where many markets are closed, but of course we can’t help manufacturers, “she said.
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Jewelery production has a two-hundred-year tradition in the Jablonec region. Its position in the world was significantly shaken by the disintegration of the Jablonex Group, which in mid-2009 was one of the largest jewelry manufacturers in the world. For smaller producers in the region, the company provided sales of sales and some modifications and components. It exported to 90 countries. When the shareholders decided to liquidate the group at that time, they seriously endangered the existence of the industry in the region.
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However, the disintegration of Jablonex forced small and medium-sized jewelery companies to come together and fight for their own rescue together, and the union significantly helped in this. Nevertheless, it took several years for manufacturers to recover from the crisis. Today, the industry in the region employs about a third less people than before the economic crisis.
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The traditional industry should help maintain tourism. The mentioned regional project Křišťálové údolí wants to open up local companies and unique production to tourists. “For next year, we will have a million-increased budget of five million. We are currently targeting domestic tourists, because foreign ones are not here yet, but I believe that we can still help glassmakers and jewelery manufacturers, “added councilor Květa Vinklátová.
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The decline has increased interest in the show Fragile Beauty
The decline in sales has increased the interest of companies in this year’s sales show of glass and jewelery Křehká krása. The Eurocentre in Jablonec nad Nisou will take place for the ninth time in August. 41 companies should present their production there, not only from Jablonec, but others are still applying. He probably won’t get it all, space is limited.
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Krystal, a new extension of the Jablonec Museum.
“Fragile Beauty is the largest non-commercial exhibition of glass and jewelery in the whole of Europe,” said Milada Valečková, director of the Jablonec Museum of Glass and Jewelery, which is a co-organizer. The museum will join the Triennial project and, among other things, will offer a unique exhibition Handmade Dreams, which presents contemporary fashion jewelery. The exhibition, which toured the world for five years, was prepared by the museum for the Czech Centers. “It will be on the second floor of our extension – the crystal,” Valečková added.
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