Jeweller - October Issue 2017

VOICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN JEWELLERY INDUSTRY
OCTOBER 2017
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HOT SEASON TRENDS ARE
JUST THE TRICK FOR RETAILERS
Man jewels
+ +
TIME TO EMBRACE A NEW
FRONTIER IN MEN’S JEWELLERY
Industry flair
CELEBRATING THE 2017
DESIGN AWARD WINNERS

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Brilliant Precision
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VISIT SWAROVSKI-GEMSTONES.COM

HOT SEASON TRENDS ARE
JUST THE TRICK FOR RETAILERS
VOICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN JEWELLERY INDUSTRY
TIME TO EMBRACE A NEW
FRONTIER IN MEN’S JEWELLERY
OCTOBER 2017
CELEBRATING THE 2017
DESIGN AWARD WINNERS
CONTENTS
OCTOBER 2017
15/
20/
31/
FEATURES REGULARS BUSINESS
15/ FASHION FORWARD
Uncovering the hottest trends of
the season. Lobe layering anyone?
20/ A MAN’S WORLD
Suppliers have upped the ante to
meet the modern man’s demands.
28/ SYDNEY FAIR
Inside goss on the 2017
International Jewellery Fair.
31/ WINNING TALENT
Showcasing this year’s jewellery
design award winners.
9/ Editorial
10/ Upfront
11/ News
45/ Gems
Colour investigation: garnet
46/ 10 Years Ago
47/ Events
48/ My Bench
50/ Soapbox
Confront fears and take action,
says Bryan de Caires.
39/ Business feature
Denyse Drummond-Dunn lists
seven ways to build respect.
41/ Selling
Discounting can prolong sales,
Bryan Pearson reports.
42/ Management
Gretchen Gordon shares how
to hire the best salespeople.
43/ Marketing
Keep it simple to come out on
top, Thomas Young advises.
44/ Logged On
Alfred Lua details the social
media mishaps to rightly avoid.
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Man jewels
+ +
Industry flair
Front cover advertiser:
Hardware by Cudworth – Urban
jewellery mixing stainless steel,
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beads and leather. Visit:
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October 2017 Jeweller 5

WE’RE IN THE
BUSINESS OF
GROWING YOUR
BUSINESS.
What you receive
• Easily accessed advice and professional services
• World class training systems + free ARA membership
• Marketing and digital resource guidance
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• Access to exclusive Showcase brands
• Member owned jewellery focused business
• Maximum supplier discounts to you the retailer
• No ongoing monthly management fees
What it delivers
• Increased productivity
• Exclusive incentives back to members
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What our members have to say
“Head Office provides me with everything from catalogues to marketing, technology
support and so much more. They’re invaluable to my business.”
Rosie Ficarra Kennedy’s Showcase Jewellers, Swan Hill
“I’ve previously been with another buying group, so I appreciate what I now receive as real, tangible
benefits to my business for its future and success.”
Neil Watson Watsons’ Jewellers, Launceston
“The simplicity and professionalism of being able to utilise all of Showcase’s digital and training tools perfectly
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Email: enquiries@showcasejewellers.com.au
www.showcasejewellers.com.au

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is a trademark and proprietary design of Lili Diamonds

EDITORIAL
A STORY PROVING THERE’S STILL VALUE IN RETAIL
News that Pandora Australia is set to open a
flagship store in Melbourne’s Bourke Street
Mall is interesting on many fronts. For starters,
the building at 280-282 Bourke Street is
six levels and Pandora is reportedly paying
around $1 million in annual rent. Secondly,
Pandora already has three other stores
close by – Little Collins Street, Emporium
Melbourne and Melbourne Central.
Pandora will allocate three levels of the
gothic-style building formerly occupied by
fashion retailer Nine West to retail space.
The three remaining floors will be dedicated
to staff training and office space.
There is no doubt that Pandora’s successful
and innovative approach to retailing in the
digital age will see a retail fit-out designed
to offer new and unique shopping styles to
accommodate the new-age customer.
The Bourke Street Mall has a reputation
for achieving some of the most expensive
retail leases in Australia with suggestions
that space can fetch as much as $10,000 per
square metre. Regardless, the retail precinct
continues to gain the attention of many
international jewellery and fashion brands.
Michael Hill moved into the Mall last year
after signing a lease in July for a high profile,
70-metre store with two street frontages on
the corner of Bourke and Swanston Streets.
Swarovski established a flagship store on
the north side of the Mall in August 2011,
taking over a location that had housed
Bevilles Jewellers for a decade. It was reported
that Swarovski trumped Bevilles when the
landlord sought expressions of interest from
international retailers.
At the time Swarovski was supposedly paying
more than $1 million for the 105-squaremetre
store. Since, the business has grown
from seven stores in Victoria to more than 15.
Such retail behaviour flies in the face of the
doom and gloom reporting on bricks-andmortar
shopping. Yes, it’s true that flagship
stores such as the new Pandora location could
possibly be loss-leading marketing vehicles
that help businesses maintain their highprofile
brand images but I think that mentality
has changed. The high cost of retail tenancies
in prime locations and the challenging
environment for traditional retailers means
every dollar counts – today, each store must
contribute to profitability.
It is difficult to compare the business model
of multi-national jewellery companies such as
Pandora and Swarovski – and even Michael
Hill – with small, Australian jewellery stores
selling a wide range of products and brands
but it is worth noting that the need to stay
up-to-date with consumer shopping trends
is one thing that ‘internationals’ recognise and
do not underestimate.
Faced with an ever-increasing array of online
shopping options and business models,
bricks-and-mortar retailers find themselves
having to adapt to the needs of customers,
SUCH RETAIL
BEHAVIOUR
FLIES IN THE
FACE OF
THE DOOM
AND GLOOM
REPORTING
ON BRICKS-
AND-MORTAR
SHOPPING
specifically the need to deliver a seamless,
multi-channel shopping experience complete
with multiple delivery options such as click
and collect.
Consumers want a shopping experience
that provides great customer service as a
mandatory inclusion and not a discussion
point. That is, consumers believe that physical
stores must accommodate their every
whim or they’ll opt to shop online instead,
which is often cheaper and can be more
convenient. The prevailing view is not to pay
for something you don’t receive.
This new consumer behaviour has meant
there is a need to review store layouts, staff
positioning and displays. There’s also a need
for them to boost staff training, especially in
retail categories like jewellery and other luxury
goods that still rely upon consumers wanting
a touch-and-feel experience.
All of the above may be true, meaning it
can be daunting for small retailers; however,
the good news is that not all consumers are
attracted to high-profile brands. It’s somewhat
ironic that women don’t want to wear exactly
what everyone else is wearing when it comes
to jewellery.
They still wish to express their own personality
and style with unique, often-customised
items, which is the niche that local jewellery
stores must fulfil to remain competitive.
Coleby Nicholson
Managing Editor
October 2017 Jeweller 9

UPFRONT
“They would be:
Trust. Personal.
Inspired.”
What three words would you say to your best customer?
MATTHEW ELY,
MATTHEW ELY BY
YORK JEWELLERS
“Thank you [your
name] – Our
best customers
augment our
drive to keep
creating.”
LUCY FOLK,
LUCY FOLK
“Yes we can –
We do our
outmost
to turn client
wishes/ideas
into reality.”
DENISE FARACO,
LITTLE DARLING CO
VOICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN
JEWELLERY INDUSTRY
jewellermagazine.com
Managing Editor
Coleby Nicholson
Editor
Emily Mobbs
emily.mobbs@jewellermagazine.com
Journalist
Talia Paz
talia.paz@gunnamattamedia.com
Advertising Manager
Gary Collins
gary.collins@jewellermagazine.com
Digital Manager
Angela Han
angela.han@gunnamattamedia.com
BULLETIN BOARD
n LIVING JEWELLERY?
Scientists from MIT Media Lab have
developed jewellery prototypes that
can ‘move’ and ‘interact’. The Kino
project involves miniature robots
that have the ability to perform tasks
such as transition from a brooch to a
necklace. The developers hope these
robots will eventually be small enough
to seamlessly integrate into existing
jewellery pieces. Watch this space.
n BENCHIE SPOTLIGHT
Benchie jewellers are often hidden
in backrooms but smart operators
introduce them to the customers who
are the recipients of their awe-inspiring
pieces. Not only does it strengthen
customer relationships but it can also
increase the jeweller’s work satisfaction.
n COFFEE SMILES
This month is International Coffee Day
and World Smile Day. Celebrated on
October 1 and October 6 respectively,
jewellers can make the most of the
events by simply shouting the team a
coffee or organising a referral system
with the local coffee shop for the day.
This is the time to take a break from
the daily grind – pun intended.
DIGITAL
BRAINWAVE
A YOUTUBE REVOLUTION
YouTube has had a significant makeover. The
12-year-old video website now possesses a new
logo but the important changes for jewellers are
the host of features expected to enhance the user
experience and show off videos in the best way possible. According to YouTube’s blog,
the mobile app will soon have a responsive design where videos will change shape to
fit a vertical, square or horizontal screen – that means no more black bars on the sides
when viewing in vertical mode – and a Dark Theme on the desktop platform that is said
to give videos a more cinematic look.
TOP PRODUCT
Engelsrufer’s Balance pendant is
adorned with symbols of the lotus flower,
scales and elephant. The piece, distributed
by Duraflex Group Australia, features an
interchangeable sound lens that creates
a noise when swung. It was the most
popular product last month ranked by
views at jewellermagazine.com.
Production Manager
& Graphic Design
Jo De Bono
art@gunnamattamedia.com
Accounts
accounts@gunnamattamedia.com
Subscriptions
info@jewellermagazine.com
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Copyright: All material appearing
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Reproduction in whole or in part is
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Gunnamatta Media Pty Ltd strives to
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10 Jeweller October 2017

NEWS
NEWS
Jewellers petition for stricter penalties
The Victorian branch of the Jewellers
Association of Australia (JAA) has organised a
petition calling upon the state government
to introduce heavier sentencing for people
committing armed robberies.
JAA Victoria state committee chair Michael
Oboler and vice chair John Michaelis said
they were aiming to gain 40,000 signatures
for the appeal that would ask the Andrews
Labor government to “match the coalition
policy and introduce mandatory sentencing,
toughen up the justice system and hold
criminals to account”.
Oboler explained that jewellers should print
the petition and encourage customers to
sign the form. Retailers were also asked to
give the petition to other businesses in their
local areas.
Oboler stated that the JAA Victorian branch
had been active in helping jewellers to thwart
armed robberies by providing training and
information; however, there were pitfalls in
the justice system. “One of the things that
became clear early on was that we were
dealing with a big problem in terms of the
police being able to do their job successfully,”
he explained. “They were identifying and
catching culprits and putting them before
the courts but these kids were being released
to commit further crimes.”
Signed petitions must be returned in
original form via post to Georgina Crozier,
representative for Southern Metropolitan
Region in the Legislative Council of Victoria.
A copy of the petition can be accessed and
printed here: tinyurl.com/JewellerPetition.
Industry’s finest talents recognised
Australian and New Zealand jewellers were
celebrated at two lavish design award events
in Sydney.
Winners of the inaugural Jewellery Design
Awards (JDA) and the Jewellers Association of
Australia (JAA) Australasian Jewellery Awards
were announced during separate ceremonies
held at the International Convention Centre
on August 26 and at the Sheraton on the Park
on August 25, respectively.
The JDA competition, organised by Expertise
Events and held in conjunction with the
International Jewellery Fair, received 105
entries from which 59 finalist pieces were
chosen. Yuji Satomi was crowned the
overall Supreme Award Winner for his
interchangeable men’s tie necklace and
women’s brooch.
The 24th edition of the JAA Australasian
Jewellery Awards garnered 54 entries with
30 finalist pieces selected across various
categories.
Alistair Kelsey took out the pinnacle Jeweller
of the Year Award for his 1980s-inspired ring
called Rapture.
A showcase of all winners from both
competitions begins page 31.
Pressure test
The skills of up-and-coming
jewellers were put to the test during
the Worldskills Australia regional
competitions held at the International
Jewellery Fair (IJF).
The contest took place on the show
floor, with participants from Western
Australia competing on Saturday August
26, Queensland on Sunday 27 August
and Victoria on Monday 28 August.
Worldskills Australia general manager
and technical delegate Brigitte Collins
said this was the first time regional
contests had not been held at a TAFE
facility. “This year Expertise Events offered
space at the IJF to run the competitions
and we were then supported by our
partners, Pallion and Australian Jewellers
Supplies, who provided the equipment/
materials and silver,” she explained.
Competitors had six hours to
manufacture a symmetrical slider-type
sterling silver pendant with one main
bezel setting in the centre surrounded
by smaller grain settings. Collins said
each state would hold an awards
evening at a later date where the
winners would be announced.
October 2017 Jeweller 11

NEWS
IN BRIEF
*
CENTENARY FETE
Wallace Bishop commenced its 100th
birthday celebrations by hosting an
event at its flagship Brisbane store as well
as collaborating with Brisbane Festival
organisers to create the Wallace Bishop
Treasure Hunt. Additional giveaways and
“mystery events” are also planned.
*
DIAMOND PROMOTION
De Beers Group announced it would invest
more than US$140 million (AU$174 m) in
advertising diamond jewellery globally, the
highest figure the company has spent in
nearly a decade. While the majority of the
spend would support the company’s own
diamond brands, a statement confirmed it
would also increase ‘partnership marketing’.
*
BRANCHING OUT
Fashion watch brand Cluse has expanded
into jewellery. The debut collection
included three bracelet ranges that use
the brand’s ‘signature’ metal and raw
marble accents. Simon Garber, director
of the Dutch brand’s Australian and New
Zealand distributor Heart & Grace, said he
expected the range would be successful as
local Millennials had already embraced the
layering bracelets and watches trend.
*
TIFFANY VS COSTCO
Tiffany & Co’s high-profile trademark
case against Costco Wholesale has been
resolved, with Costco ordered to pay the
jeweller US$19.35 million (AU$24 m) for
trademark infringement and trademark
counterfeiting. Tiffany & Co was entitled
to US$11.1 million (AU$13.8 m) in
compensatory damages and US$8.25
million (AU$10.2 m) in punitive damages.
*
OFFICIAL RESIGNATION
The JAA board has confirmed that Amanda
Hunter left the association in all capacities
on August 11. The news followed
confusion over Hunter’s position given that
she resigned as executive director in May
and, while no official announcement was
made, her LinkedIn profile stated that she
was appointed JAA ‘Project Manager’ in
July. Hunter joined the JAA in June 2014.
+ MORE BREAKING NEWS
JEWELLERMAGAZINE.COM
Sams Group takes on Samsung
Sams Group Australia has secured the
distribution rights for Samsung’s latest Gear
S3 smartwatch.
Sams Group Australia CEO Steve Der
Bedrossian explained that under the
agreement, the supplier would handle
the exclusive distribution of the Samsung
smartwatch for jewellery retailers in Australia.
The range, comprising the Gear S3 frontier
and the Gear S3 classic, made its debut at the
Sydney International Jewellery Fair in August.
Der Bedrossian said he had been very pleased
with the response and interest received.
“We had Samsung experts attend the Sydney
fair and they spent time explaining to
jewellers the ins and outs of the product,”
Der Bedrossian explained, adding, “This was
really beneficial and we will continue to focus
on educating retailers.”
The deal marks a significant change in
strategy for Samsung, with Der Bedrossian
stating that the company has, until now,
limited supply of smartwatches to electronic
and mobile phone retail stores.
“Because it’s such an amazing watch,
Samsung’s head of marketing wants to see
the product alongside other watches in
jewellery stores,” he said.
Der Bedrossian explained that the launch
in Australia coincided with a roll-out to other
jewellery retailers in international markets.
Pandora moves into Bourke Street Mall
Pandora is set to open a retail store in
Melbourne’s iconic Bourke Street Mall after
signing what is believed to be one of the
biggest retail leasing deals this year.
Annual rent for the six-level building is
understood to be close to $1 million, and the
store will add to the company’s three other
stores located in the Melbourne CBD.
Pandora Australia and New Zealand
managing director Mikael Kruse Jensen told
Jeweller that three levels would be used for
retail, while the other three levels would be
used for staff training and office space.
Kruse Jensen said the store, expected to open
in November, would be the company’s first
multi-level outlet in Australia.
“The space gives us potential and
opportunities to change and adapt to
consumer needs,” he explained.
“Customers will be brought closer to the
jewellery, with touch-and-feel displays so
they can experience the quality and
craftsmanship of each piece of hand-finished
Pandora jewellery.”
World first for Australian pearls
Additional marketing opportunities now
exist for Australian South Sea pearls with
the announcement that they have been
certified sustainable by the independent ‘gold
standard’ Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
The South Sea pearl industry of Western
Australia and the Northern Territory received
certification after an 18-month assessment
and represents the first time a wild pearl
fishery has achieved MSC accreditation.
Pearl Producers Association executive officer
Aaron Irving said it was a milestone for the
Australian South Sea pearl industry. “MSC
certification recognises our long history of
sustainable management and stewardship
of our pearl oyster fishery and ensures the
highest level of confidence for our discerning
customers in making an ethical purchase
choice,” he explained, adding producers were
eligible to use the MSC eco-label on pearls
sourced from the wild Pinctada maxima pearl
oyster fishery effective immediately.
12 Jeweller October 2017

FASHION JEWELLERY
PETITE GRAND
Raising the
fashionstakes
LOBE LAYERING AND BOLD STATEMENT EARRINGS ARE JUST SOME
OF THE BIGGEST FASHION TRENDS RIGHT NOW. ANGELA TUFVESSON
SCOURS THE GLOBE IN SEARCH OF WHAT’S HOT THIS SEASON.
ashion is fickle and never more so than in the world of fashion jewellery
where bold statement pieces can quickly surpass the delicate look and
old rules about which metal goes with what can be thrown out faster
than retailers can keep up.
So what’s hot this season? Jeweller has investigated the local and international
fashion scene to provide insight on how consumers will accessorise with jewellery
this spring-summer. From lobe layering to statement earrings and mixed metals,
the push for personalisation is in full swing as consumers gravitate towards
unique looks.
LAYER IT ON
Fashionistas have been layering fine necklaces and delicate rings for several years;
however, the newsflash this season is that the trend of stacking jewellery item
upon jewellery item has expanded to include bolder pieces.
Tal Manning, production director at Mezi, says the layering trend is visible across
both the Sydney-based fashion jewellery business’ bold fashion statement pieces
and ‘petite’ range, which caters for customers who prefer smaller items.
“Whether it’s layers of long fashion necklaces or a mix of petite necklaces in an
array of tones, or even mixing the two – fashion and petite – you can never go
wrong with layering,” she states.
According to Aristides Fine Jewels founder Claire Aristides, layering is indicative
of a broader shift away from consumers favouring just a select few traditional
jewellery pieces. It’s a trend she believes is likely to endure.
“Layering – it’s like creating a story,” Aristides says. “Layering and mixing and being
adventurous is here to stay because traditionally only having your engagement
ring and wedding ring and, say, one special set of pearls or something, all that’s
gone. Now we’re seeing people wanting more delicate pieces and layering a lot
more together.”
Further, consumers are enjoying greater freedom to mix metals.
“Rose gold was probably seen as a bit ‘granny’ but it’s such a pretty gold and
people are coming around to it, especially as everyone is really into mixing metals,”
Aristides explains. “We see people buying a thumb ring, a forefinger ring and a
pinkie ring in different metals and layering them all together.”
With multiple ear piercings commonplace among younger female consumers,
layering isn’t limited to necklaces and rings. Dubbed ‘lobe layering’, this trend is
October 2017 Jeweller 15

MEZI
ARISTIDES FINE JEWELS
Timesupply
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popping up everywhere from New York
and Paris to Seoul.
A recent report by Women’s Wear Daily, the
renowned fashion-industry trade journal,
states that the “piercing paradigm” has
changed and secondary holes are now
so popular that they are a viable sales
opportunity for retailers.
“Until recently, secondary piercings were
a sentimental bonding exercise amongst
young women or an opportunity to add
some pizazz,” the article read. “But now,
many girls receive piercings without
emotional pretence – considering a new
hole as routine as buying a t-shirt. Drop in
on any dinner table full of twentysomething
New York girls, and you’d be hard-pressed
to meet an attendee without a fleet of
secondary piercings.”
Tanja Kovacevic established her business
Petite Grand in 2010 following a 15-year
career in the fashion industry. She says
the lobe layering trend is evident among
Australian consumers and driven by a broad
consumer push towards personalisation.
“We have noticed that our customers love
pieces that they can layer, particularly with
earrings,” Kovacevic explains. “The trend to
have more than two ear holes is becoming
extremely popular. Our customers love to mix
up miss-matching unique earrings to create
a completely customised look.”
Still in the ear region, Manning says layered
studs, suspenders, ear jackets and crawlers
go especially well with the classic casual wear
apparel that’s currently on trend.
“Denim is still key for day-to-day wear mixed
with casual tees and an oversized blazer,
which leaves your palette very neutral to
be more daring with your jewellery choices
or allows for a cool layering look,” she states.
“A cool androgynous look with a layered
lobe [is] often worn by our customers in our
Bondi boutique.”
MAKE A STATEMENT
Despite the popularity of layering, there is
one trend that many industry commentators
nominate as the key look this season:
statement earrings.
“Statement earrings continue their run of
popularity and are the jewellery piece of the
season,” states Maia Adams, head of global
research at jewellery trend analysis and
market intelligence agency Adorn Insight.
Indeed, Harper’s Bazaar reports one of the
biggest talking points at this year’s Fashion
Week Australia was sculptural jewellery
pieces like bold, miss-matching earrings
and exaggerated half-moon shaped earrings.
Adams says statement earrings are indicative
of a larger trend that makes use of unusual
shapes and textures.
“Across the board from fast fashion through
to bridge and up to fine and high jewellery,
we are thrilled to see an interest in material
innovation,” she explains. “At the fashion
end of the market this can be seen in mixed
media – fabric, wood, recycled plastics – and
‘found object’ pieces – shells, in particular,
[like] Prada’s puka shell necklaces.”
Roza Topolnicka, head of creative and retail
marketing at Swarovski Gemstones, and
Manning list hoop earrings and oversized
tassel earrings as characteristic of this trend.
“This season our Zola Tassel Earrings have
been a sell out,” Manning says. “This style

FASHION JEWELLERY
I N D I R I
mixes the delicate threaded tassels with beautiful Swarovski crystal
elements. The rich texture found in these bohemian earrings have
made them one of our most popular items this season.”
Why so big? Industry online journal Business of Fashion attributes
the popularity of statement earrings to the not-so-humble selfie
and paired-back trends in apparel.
“Whereas once costume jewellery was excessively piled on with a full
face of make-up and bouffant hair, today it is an accent to oversized
shirting and distressed denim; the focal point of the ‘no make-up’
make-up look and abbreviated elfin hairdos. Earrings (or earring,
singular) can create a sense of personality for someone who dresses
simply,” the report read.
“It can even create an entire look for a FaceTime or Skype conversation,
even if one’s bottom half is still dressed for sleep. Essentially, statement
earrings are what shoes were to Carrie Bradshaw for a generation who
wear Stan Smiths [sneakers].”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Ultimately, Topolnicka says these trends speak to a broader shift in
fashion that’s less about rules and more about expression of individual
style. Consumers are mixing pieces from luxury and high-street
jewellery brands to create eclectic, unique looks.
“Eclecticism is what we see everywhere – on the streets, on the
catwalks and in social media,” she states. “There are no boundaries in
mixing and matching – we have already got used to the look where
a Chanel bag can be paired with a basic H&M t-shirt and the same
becomes more and more relevant for jewellery.”
Kovacevic agrees: “High-end brands such as Gucci and Versace are
really influencing trends by using bold and experimental shapes,
colours and materials that consumers want to incorporate into their
everyday wardrobe to add some personality. There is also a desire for
handcrafted pieces that customers feel an emotional connection to
and which reflect their own unique style.”
In fact, Topolnicka believes dramatic consumer preferences for mixing
and matching may even cause a shift in the way new designs become
available to consumers.
“In 2016, brands like Burberry, Tom Ford, Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph
Lauren offered instantly shoppable ‘see now-buy now’ collections
during their shows,” she says.
“More designers are questioning the whole system and pace of the
fashion industry, like Raf Simons who left Dior in 2015 and the recent
announcement from the uber-successful Gvasalia brothers from
Vetements informing that they will stop doing seasonal collections
and are moving from stressful Paris to quiet Zurich. All this creates a
very interesting mood of change which will, for sure, also shape the
jewellery industry.”
The future of the ever-changing fashion jewellery sector might be
anyone’s guess; however, retailers can be sure that layering and bold
statement earrings are capturing consumer sentiment right now,
and trends in apparel and macro influences like social media and
personalisation will continue to impact what consumers demand. i
D E S I G N E R S T E R L I N G S I L V E R & G O L D J E W E L L E R Y
NEW TO AUSTRALIA
HANDCRAFTED
FAIR TRADE
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www.INDIRI.com.au

Trend forecast
A new season is here, bringing with it a host of on-trend pieces
to tempt the local market. Suppliers outline the key trends and
inspirations influencing the fashion landscape.
“Trends are impacted by a combination of the fashion industry,
social (customer behaviour) and the retail environment. We have
our own in-house designers at Les Georgettes, and our main
inspirations are nature, architecture, and of course, women.
Our spring/summer collection of new cuffs with more vibrant
leathers and vinyls have been really well received, and should be
a great hit going into the brighter spring days.” – Frederic Brunel
Acquaviva, international vice president, Les Georgettes
“Earrings are this season’s fashion statement and they are
without uniformity – dare to be different and mix it up! We love
our Love Goes Round earrings, designed to be worn with two
different earrings but also available as a uniform pair. We very
carefully follow international fashion trends, especially with our
growing European market. We are also seeing more
demand for geometrically and precision-shaped pieces.”
– Helen Thompson-Carter, director, Fabuleux Vous
“A statement piece from the latest collection by Pernille Corydon is the
Icon necklace. Available in sterling silver and gold-plated sterling silver,
the item is iconic Danish simplicity at its very finest. Pernille did her first
sketches of the new collection after a walk on the Golden Gate Bridge,
where she was inspired by the iconic shapes and construction.”
– Debbie Faraday, creative director, Hipp
“The Buckley London AW17 collections are inspired by the iconic
landmarks of London, playing tribute to the brand’s British
heritage. The collections include classic profiles such
as long crystal drops and snowball pendants
that have been updated with contemporary
elements. The Buckley London design team
takes inspiration from the latest catwalk
trends and also the wider environment, such
as the geometric shapes found in architecture
to the vivid colour of natural elements.”
– Jodie Tilia, director, JLM International

FASHION JEWELLERY
“This season is all about layering fine necklaces. We have a wide range of
stunning fine necklets in sterling silver, rose gold plate and black rhodium
plate that can be mixed and matched. This trend has been hot overseas,
seeing many celebrities out and about wearing the layered necklet look. It’s a
great way to create a wow factor without having to rely on heavy jewellery.”
– Janelle Wood, marketing co-ordinator, Stones and Silver
“The inspiration this season for our Jetset
collection was summer vacations and
exotic travel. Who doesn’t love escaping the
everyday? From sparkling blue oceans to
golden deserts, there is a look and style for
everyone. The key trends that inspired this
range were designs made for layering, new
cherub pendants that slide over the necklace
and art nouveau filigree detailing.”
– Kat Gee, designer and founder, Kagi
“Our new collection combines faceted natural turquoise and mother of pearl
with an 18-carat gold vermeil finish over bright sterling silver. This bracelet is
a standout piece for spring and works well alongside other pieces in the range
such as drop earrings, rings and pendants. All over the world,
current trends state that turquoise, silver and gold are
strong partners – a classic match.”
– Josh Smith, owner and designer, Indiri
“Our latest collection features statement
pieces incorporating my signature
Scandinavian look. Items can be mixed as the
wearer pleases – take the Miss Match earrings
for example. I love to make designs that can
be used in more than one way; it gives a lovely
flexibility in personal styling and makes sure
there’s always a nice piece to dress up
any look.” – Malene Storm, creative
designer, Dansk Smykkekunst
THE ANNIVERSARY
COLLECTION.
BY CAROLA ECKRODT
“The new collection is all about the pearl. There’s an entire generation
who’ve not experienced pearls as a modern piece in their wardrobe and
we wanted to bring the pearl into their world in a way that’s relevant
and interesting. We’ve used silver and gold banding on rings and earrings
that suggest tiny strings of pearls and we’ve brought pearls into these
pieces also to punctuate them. We’ve used only pink pearls to once again
reinterpret the idea of what a pearl can be.” – Karen Walker, designer
and founder, Karen Walker Jewellery
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THOMAS SABO
20 Jeweller October 2017

MEN’S JEWELLERY
A new
frontier
for men
OPTIMISM ABOUNDS THE MEN’S
JEWELLERY SECTOR AS SUPPLIERS
REFINE PRODUCTS IN LINE WITH
THE AUSSIE MALE’S CONSERVATIVE
BUT FAR FROM DULL DEMANDS.
EMILY MOBBS REPORTS.
en’s jewellery is traditionally a subject met with trepidation
but the tides are turning. Indeed, 2017 could be the year
that men’s jewellery solidifies its place as both a necessary
and highly sought after category.
“Jewellery used to be a divisive topic for men, but almost every guy we
saw on the streets was wearing at least one necklace,” Vogue.com reported
in June as part of its street style coverage of the spring 2018 menswear
fashion shows.
The renowned fashion publication also highlights the return of the ‘male
cleavage’ – yes, that 1970s Mick Jagger look is being embraced by a new
crop of men, championed by the likes of former One Direction band
member and now soloist singer Harry Styles.
It’s not only necklaces of course. Type ‘men’s jewellery 2017 trends’ into
Google and a bevy of results will show guys wearing unique combinations
of bracelets, rings and necklaces.
Industry sceptics who assume that the penchant for men to adorn
themselves with jewellery is restricted to international markets, and doesn’t
translate locally, best think again too.
If there’s one thing men’s jewellery suppliers in Australia can agree on it’s
that the landscape has changed, largely for the better.
“The market for men’s jewellery has come a long way for us in the past
October 2017 Jeweller 21

CUDWORTH ENTERPRISES
CUDWORTH ENTERPRISES
15 years since acquiring Cudworth,”
Cudworth Enterprises director Darren
Roberts says.
Roberts is the fourth owner of Cudworth,
the men’s jewellery business that was
founded in 1918, and is arguably well
positioned to comment on the sector’s
evolution and future.
“There is still a lot of potential and growth
in this sector because men are feeling more
comfortable as they embrace wearing
jewellery,” he continues.
As an example of his confidence in the
category, Roberts recently added luxury
London-based men’s jewellery range
Tateossian to the Cudworth portfolio.
The range made its official local debut at
the International Jewellery Fair in August
and is primarily targeted at affluent males
aged 25 years or more.
While Roberts says that men’s jewellery
offerings have come and gone in recent
years, he welcomes competition that
provides high-quality product.
“I think it is healthy to have competition
as we cannot supply all retailers, especially
in the same city or town,” Roberts explains.
“[However] the sector is damaged when
poor quality products enter the market
at low prices; it diminishes the overall
product offered.”
Another business specialising in men’s
jewellery is Kavalri, which has a retail store in
Melbourne as well as national retail stockists.
Like Roberts, Kavalri founder and director
Tom Boie says the sector is expanding
Down Under.
“I think it can now be widely accepted that
men’s jewellery and accessories has rapidly
evolved from a niche category towards
becoming a mainstream product for men,”
he states. “Even in the five years since
launching Kavalri, I have most definitely
witnessed the pace of growth picking up.”
Boie explains that today’s male consumers
– and their partners – are more inclined to
purchase ‘lifestyle’ jewellery pieces worn to
complement a certain style or look rather
than limiting themselves to a one-off
expensive item.
“This shift in purchase behaviour probably
highlights the biggest change, with men no
longer being one-off jewellery purchasers
but far more likely to repeat-purchase
jewellery and accessory items that appeal to
them,” he says.
“This has certainly been our experience;
our customers repeat-purchase different
jewellery and accessories to wear with
certain outfits or for specific occasions –
sometimes they get a variation of the
same bracelet so they can mix it up.”
A TAILORED OFFERING
Aussie males may be increasingly accepting
of accessorising with jewellery; however,
many seek a conservative, refined and
masculine look, which is often a different
set of requests to other parts of the world.
By all accounts, suppliers are dedicated in
ensuring that products are meeting the
demands of local men.
“We have worked hard to differentiate
ourselves by tailoring products that blend
both masculinity and contemporary style,”
Boie says.
“It’s something we feel appeals directly with
men and has helped us develop a heavilyengaged
local customer base.”
Roberts explains that he monitors
international trends and adapts them

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Trendsetter
Current hot looks for men include:
Bracelets, bracelets and more bracelets
– teaming with a watch is where it’s at
right now, but there’s nothing wrong with
layering bracelets on their own either
TOM HOPE
Beads, gemstones, leather and stainless
steel are a perfect match
Aged or antique plating that gives a ‘worn’
appearance
Anything nautical-inspired
accordingly to local demands. “I watch what is happening overseas
for trends, which is not always suited to our market. I sometimes get
inspiration and then rework pieces that will suit our market,” Roberts
says, adding that retailers can increase a man’s interest in jewellery
by keeping the offering masculine and fashionable.
So what jewellery styles are currently defining the sector?
“Right now, it’s the fashion of mixing real gemstones with leather,”
Roberts states. “It is the strongest part of our jewellery business at
the moment.”
He adds that old-time favourite stainless steel remains popular
owing to its durability and that pieces with antique plating – be
it a pendant, bracelet or cufflink – are performing well.
Commenting on the top-performing categories, Roberts points to
the supplier’s bracelets featuring leather and gemstones as well as
items with a nautical theme.
Speaking of bracelets and the nautical-inspired, Tom Hope is a
recent entrant into the local jewellery scene that combines both
of these areas.
Distributed locally by BYMR, the Swedish collection of unisex

handmade bracelets feature whipping twine in various colours
that are secured with an anchor made from sterling silver, IP plated
stainless steel or solid brass. They are often paired with watches,
which is a major trend at the moment.
BYMR managing director Nils Rasmussen announced the exclusive
distribution deal in July and says the feedback and support since
has been overwhelming.
“Independent jewellers love the fact that this is a range that will
appeal to customers who already have purchased a watch from
the many trend-based brands that are now so strong in the market,”
Rasmussen explains.
“It is expected to add momentum to the trend for watches with
pastel and striped Nato watch bands, and provide a nice little add-on
sale for these customers.”
Importantly, Rasmussen is confident that the range will be popular
amongst men.
He explains that global online sales data shows an even split of
the male and female consumer, and this is a trend expected to
continue offline.
“It will be popular among Australian men, as it’s a trend-oriented
product with a nautical theme but is unlike any of the more
traditional men’s jewellery available, which has always been hard to
sell,” Rasmussen says, adding, “The colour palette of the collection is
quite conservative, not unlike the Australian male when it comes to
selecting jewellery. Online sales have been from 18-24-year-olds but
we are expecting offline sales to skew to an older age bracket.”
HOT ARMS
Arm candy sure is hot right now in the men’s department.
“For the Thomas Sabo Rebel at Heart collection, bracelets are
definitely our top sellers – in particular beaded bracelets,” explains
Phil Edwards, managing director of Duraflex Group Australia, the
local distributor of Thomas Sabo.
Tiger’s eye and matte obsidian beaded bracelets are heroes in this
season’s Rebel at Heart range, which celebrates its 10th anniversary
this year.
Edwards points to injections of agate, treated red bamboo
coral, reconstituted turquoise and jasper as being other new
season updates.
KAVALRI
KAVALRI
WWW.CUDWORTHENTERPRISES.COM

FEATURE
and cufflinks are key-performing categories for Kavalri.
“One of our fastest-moving products are our leather and stainless steel
combinations, in particular our double-wrap leather bracelets with a matte
black steel clasp,” he states. “Men like this product, as it’s a simple and stylish
accessory that they can wear each day – this is also a fantastic option for a gift.”
Like Roberts, Boie says the aged – or antique – metal look is currently in high
demand. He also expects a soon-to-be released ‘ultra-masculine-edgy’ cuff
collection to be a hit with Aussie men.
THOMAS SABO
THOMAS SABO
He too notes the increasing trend to combine bracelets and watches: “It’s
all about layering for Thomas Sabo wearers, creating a statement on the
wrist – hence, our beaded bracelets being the hero for sales. It’s the perfect
complement to a watch as you will see in our advertising campaign.”
Boie says men are just as often wearing bracelets sans watch.
“With the emergence of the smartphone it may be fair to say that the primary
purpose of watches is less important, as such bracelets can somewhat fill a void
of something stylish to be worn on the wrist,” he explains, adding that bracelets
Without taking away from the ever-popular bracelet phenomenon, Boie sees
opportunity in fashion rings as well.
“One product category that we recently launched is our custom-made black
zirconium fashion rings,” he states. “With so much focus on bracelets there has
been less attention on men’s fashion rings and I feel that in the coming years
they too will become increasingly popular.”
EXTRA ENCOURAGEMENT
Males may be more accepting of jewellery but a little nudge to encourage them
and their partners to make a purchase never goes astray.
When asked how retailers could make more men interested in jewellery, local
suppliers were unanimous in the importance of promoting high-profile and
relatable associations.

Roberts says celebrity endorsements always help, and Edwards notes
that the key lies in projecting a certain ‘lifestyle’.
“It’s about more than just jewellery, it’s a lifestyle,” Edwards states.
“Thomas Sabo also has strong affiliations in the sporting world,
with various international sponsorships that span a variety of sports
including ice hockey, motor sports and football.”
Boie says any ‘celebrity’ references used in an effort to tap into a
man’s willingness to purchase jewellery must be easily relatable.
“For example, sporting stars are a fantastic reference point as this
showcases strength and masculinity while highlighting confidence
in men wearing jewellery,” he explains.
“People like soccer superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham,
F1 racing car driver Lewis Hamilton, rugby player Sonny Bill Williams
and actor Orlando Bloom are just a few easy to relate to personalities
that wear jewellery and accessories.”
Ultimately, Boie says jewellers need to realise the opportunities
presented by men’s jewellery and thus take the category seriously.
“I am confident that the men’s jewellery and accessories space will
grow extremely quickly here in Australia,” he states.
“You only need to look at the US, Canada and Europe where men’s
jewellery is fast becoming a mainstream product category. Australia
has started a little slower but the momentum has really picked up
over the past few years. It is such a complementary product category
for any jewellery retailer to have in store.”
With new suppliers and product ranges emerging and existing ones
stepping up, the opportunities have never seemed greater.
Wedding rings, watches and cufflinks will remain staples but the
men’s jewellery scene now represents so much more.
While the ‘male cleavage’ is definitely an acquired taste, the
comforting news for jewellers is that the majority of offerings are
versatile and relatively low-key – all perfect for the Aussie man who
typically applies a less-is-more philosophy to accessorising.
It’s time to embrace a new frontier in men’s jewellery. i
KAVALRI
WWW.CUDWORTHENTERPRISES.COM

INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR
Inside scoop
on Sydney fair
THE 2017 IJF HAS CONCLUDED
WITH THE ORGANISER AND
EXHIBITORS DELIVERING ON
THE PROMISE OF EXCITING NEW
INITIATIVES BUT WAS IT ENOUGH
TO UNITE THE INDUSTRY?
EMILY MOBBS REPORTS.
xpectations were high leading into this year’s International Jewellery
Fair (IJF): the event, which took place from Saturday August 26 to
Monday August 28, was returning to Darling Harbour following the
three-year, billion-dollar redevelopment of the International Convention
Centre; it was being supported by Australia’s three buying groups; and it boasted
a record number of exhibitors compared to figures of recent years.
There was also no denying that it’s been a difficult year in the local industry –
for numerous reasons – and there was an underlying sense of anticipation that
the IJF would inject some much-needed optimism into the trade.
While many of the 200 exhibitors were still processing orders at the time of
writing, Gary Fitz-Roy, managing director of fair organiser Expertise Events, said
feedback was so far positive.
Fitz-Roy also explained that visitor numbers were not finalised at the time of
publication; however, early indications suggested an increase on the past year
when the fair was held at the Sydney Exhibition Centre at Glebe Island.
Colin Pocklington, managing director of Australia and New Zealand’s largest
buying group Nationwide Jewellers, said the attendance numbers of his members
28 Jeweller October 2017

exceeded predictions; an additional 80
unregistered jewellers attended the group’s
morning briefing on the Saturday.
Fitz-Roy and Pocklington’s comments aside,
many exhibitors expected more foot traffic
across the three days.
“While the quality of the retailers that
attended was brilliant and they were ready
to purchase new products, the attendance
of retailers seemed down and that was
disappointing,” Cudworth Enterprises director
Darren Roberts said.
Phil Edwards, managing director of
Duraflex Group Australia (DGA), had similar
sentiments: “I have no specific figures to back
this up, it is just a hunch, but it felt like there
was less foot traffic. I would have expected
more visitors, especially given the new venue.”
Indeed, exhibitors seemed excited about the
‘you beaut’ venue, with a generous number
presenting fresh stand designs and fit outs.
Edwards explained that his team went to
great efforts to develop a fun and interactive
stand this year.
“We took the ‘fair’ concept quite literally by
staging a carnival-themed space complete
with rotating clown heads, popcorn and icecream,”
he said.
The booth generated much hype and was
awarded the Best Large Stand award by
Expertise Events.
Supplier Ichu embraced its Mexican roots and
was crowned the Best Small Stand award,
while industry veteran Peter Beck said he was
excited to introduce a modern stand design
for his namesake business.
Of course, a flashy stand isn’t everything and
as is traditionally the case, suppliers with
fresh product – there were also about 50
first-time exhibitors – received the bulk of
visitor interest.
A new area on the floor, called The Village,
was developed by the show organiser in an
attempt to showcase contemporary local and
international designs. It appeared to strike
a chord as it was noticeably full of people
across the three days.
The Village was just one of the value-adds
developed to enhance the visitor experience
in 2017. A comprehensive schedule of retailfocused
seminars took place, along with the
Victorian, Western Australian and Queensland
regional Worldskills jewellery competitions.
From a retailer perspective, Judy Cameron of
Cameron’s Fine Jewellers in Swan Hill, Victoria,
said she was impressed with the product
offerings on show.
“We found new product at the fair, which
is what we are always looking for. Last year
I left the fair a bit flat because everything
looked the same, but this year we found
new product that I am sure will boost our
Christmas sales,” she said.
“For a lot of rural retailers, the fair is a time that
brings jewellers from all over Australia and
New Zealand together. Talking with suppliers
and other jewellers brings a balance to our
business and makes you realise we are all
facing new challenges,” Cameron added.
Yes, the local industry is not without its
challenges; however, the IJF showed that
there is plenty of opportunity to band
together in order to strengthen the trade in
the lead up to Christmas and beyond.
So who’s up for it? i
GERMANY
FAMOSA
MY BANGLES
DGA WAS AWARDED BEST LARGE STAND
ICHU WAS CROWNED BEST SMALL STAND
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Buying group accolades
The 2017 International Jewellery Fair provided an ideal opportunity for
Australia and New Zealand’s three buying groups to meet with members
and preferred suppliers.
Each group hosted various activities during the trade show as well as
in the days prior, with the most entertaining events arguably being the
annual member dinners that celebrated industry achievements.
Leading Edge Group Jewellers had its Diamond Awards evening at Doltone
House, Hyde Park, while Nationwide Jewellers hosted a party at the Cockle
Bay Room in the new International Convention Centre.
The Showcase Jewellers masquerade ball, held in conjunction with the JAA
Australasian Jewellery Awards, took place at Sheraton on the Park.
Below is a list of some of the winners from the three annual member evenings.
LEADING EDGE GROUP JEWELLERS
MEMBER EXCELLENCE
Aspire Jewellery (top left)
MEMBER OF THE YEAR
Regency Group
STORE OF THE YEAR
Jim Hughes & Sons
SUPPLIER EXCELLENCE
La Couronne Jewellery (bottom left)
SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR
Duraflex Group Australia
NATIONWIDE JEWELLERS
MEMBER OF THE YEAR
The Gem Cave – AUS (top left)
Jamies Jewellers – NZ
SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR
Jewellery Centre – AUS (bottom left)
Peka Agencies – NZ
APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR
Ryan Kitchen (Diamond Boutique)
SHOWCASE JEWELLERS
RETAILER OF THE YEAR
Kennedy’s Showcase Jewellers
SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR
Jewellery Centre

JEWELLERY
DESIGN
Awards
THE INAUGURAL JEWELLERY DESIGN
AWARDS WERE INTRODUCED BY
EXPERTISE EVENTS WITH THE AIM
OF SHOWCASING THE DESIGN AND
MANUFACTURING PROWESS OF
THE INDUSTRY’S MOST TALENTED
JEWELLERS WORKING IN ALL AREAS
OF THE TRADE. READ ON TO SEE WHO
TOOK OUT THE TOP PRIZES …
SUPREME AWARD WINNER
Yuji Satomi
Name of piece: The Mistress of the Adriatic
Sponsor: Armaguard, Etihad Airways and The Australian Women’s Weekly
This year, the competition’s highest honour went to
Yuji Satomi for his piece The Mistress of the Adriatic.
The interchangeable men’s tie necklace and women’s
brooch featuring a black opal was inspired by
Mediterranean culture, and the win will see Satomi fly
business class with Etihad Airways to Baselworld next
year, among other prizes.
Although unable to attend the awards ceremony –
he was in Japan at the time – Satomi said it was a
“very, very happy moment” when he heard the news.
“I was delighted when my colleague texted me
the great news when the opal design award was
announced,” Satomi stated.
“But the truly exciting moment was later, when I
received another text message and they told me that
I also won the Supreme Award!”
October 2017 Jeweller 31

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1ST AND 2ND YEAR APPRENTICE/
STUDENT AWARD
Sumaya Bakkar
Name of piece: Passion Sponsor: Pandora
Simply participating in the competition turned out to be a
great confidence boost for Sumaya Bakkar.
“This contest is inspirational for designers wanting to present
their work to the globe and meet with the best designers
in the field,” Bakkar explained. “Winning gives me a great
motivation to come back next year with new ideas.”
3RD AND 4TH YEAR APPRENTICE/
STUDENT AWARD
Kelly Ryu
Name of piece: Sun & Moon Sponsor: Pandora
It turns out a little coaxing from her classmates at New
Zealand’s Peter Minturn Goldsmith School did just the trick
for apprentice Kelly Ryu, who won the 3rd and 4th Year
Apprentice/Student Award for her Byzantine Empire-inspired
earrings. “I think this was the first time I’ve won anything.
I’m still a little shocked,” Ryu said of her win.
AUSTRALIAN OPAL AWARD
Yuji Satomi
Name of piece: The Mistress of the Adriatic
Sponsor: Paterson Fine Jewellery
Yuji Satomi took out the Australian Opal Award prior to being
named the Supreme Award Winner.
“It took me two weeks to design The Mistress of the Adriatic
and another three weeks to make this piece,” Satomi stated,
adding, “[I am] proud of doing opals and wish to increase the
public recognition and awareness of this gemstone.”
BRIDAL AWARD
Gary Thyregod
Name of piece: Tie the Knot
Sponsor: Cosmopolitan Bride
Commenting on his winning marquise cut diamond ring,
Gary Thyregod didn’t hesitate in noting the appeal for
entering: “The prize pool of $80,000 was a good incentive.” He
added, however, that it was heartening to know his work was
appreciated within the industry. “It’s great to be recognised
for a piece of jewellery that you design and create.”

CAD/CAM/CAST AWARD
Mindika Haddagoda
Name of piece: Modern Classic
Sponsor: Chemgold
For Mindika Haddagoda, entering the competition was all
about having an opportunity to push the boundaries and
be judged by well-experienced members of the trade.
“Hopefully next year the jewellery design awards will be
bigger and more jewellery businesses will recognise the
talent of Australian designers and craftsmanship,” he added.
Well-designed
Findings for
Fashion Jewellery
COLOURED GEMSTONE AWARD
Ben Preston-Black
Name of piece: All Wrapped Up
Sponsor: Cerrone
Ben Preston-Black offered convincing reasons for why he
decided to enter the awards: “The main motivation is to
challenge yourself and to really produce work that is a little
bit different, and try and create a little bit of interest for your
business.“ What else? “There were also some pretty good
prizes, which you don’t often see,” Preston-Black said.
DIAMOND AWARD
Nicholas Theochari
Name of piece: Pente
Sponsor: Sams Group Australia
Stay on trend
& enhance
your masterpieces
with our components
Nicholas Theochari is the managing director of MDTdesign.
His team collected several awards this year and Theochari
couldn’t be more proud. “I encourage all my jewellers to
enter awards as it provides an opportunity to make what
they want,” Theochari said. And make what you want he did –
Theochari’s Pente ring featured five tension set diamonds.
Jason Ree was aptly crowned the Fair Visitor Choice Award
for his ‘chaotically symmetrical’ Klif-hang-er ring. Ree
explained that it was special to have peers recognise his
design and craftsmanship. “As jewellers, we often lead a bit
of a solitary worklife without a great deal of feedback at all so
it’s wonderful to win an award,” he said.
FAIR VISITOR CHOICE AWARD
Jason Ree
Name of piece: Klif-hang-er
Sponsor: Jewellery Institute of Australia (JIA)
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MEN’S ACCESSORIES AND
JEWELLERY AWARD
Albert Tse
Name of piece: Memento – Sydney
Sponsor: Peter W Beck
Albert Tse is an emerging jeweller who predominately makes
men’s jewellery. When he saw the JDA contest was including
a men’s category, Tse decided it would be a great way to gain
feedback on his aesthetic and also exposure for his business.
“I’m happy that my pieces are resonating
with people and it lets me know I’m on
the right track,” he stated.
“Hopefully it will open some more doors
for me here and internationally.”
PEARL AWARD
Lynaire Kibblewhite
Name of piece: Dancing Light
Sponsor: Paspaley
Lynaire Kibblewhite, the self-employed goldsmith who has a
penchant for Australian South Sea pearls, was inspired to create
her winning Dancing Light bracelet after she was challenged to
“play with light”.
“It feels a little surreal achieving what I
was aiming for,” Kibblewhite said when
asked how it felt to win. The jeweller
added she was grateful to the judges,
sponsors and event organisers for
putting the JDA competition together.
PRECIOUS METAL AWARD
Jason Ree
Name of piece: Klif-hang-er
Sponsor: Pallion
Jason Ree not only received the Precious Metal Award for his ring
featuring a myriad of metals and a diamond but also went on to
be the recipient of the Fair Visitor Choice Award.
The multi-award winning piece was 20 years in the making and
inspired by Sydney’s coastal sandstone
cliffs. “Our customers love knowing that
we are entering design awards and
featuring as one of the finalists gives our
brand extra credibility,” Ree said of his
motivation to enter the awards.

JAA Australasian
Jewellery Awards
THE JAA AUSTRALASIAN JEWELLERY AWARDS HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF
CELEBRATING THE MESMERISING DESIGN TALENTS OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND’S
JEWELLERS, AND THIS YEAR WAS NO EXCEPTION. HERE ARE THE 2017 WINNERS …
Alistair Kelsey took out the pinnacle Jeweller of the Year Award for
his 1980s-inspired ring called Rapture.
Kelsey received a trip to Hong Kong
to compete in the 2018 International
Jewellery Design Excellence Awards
and $1,000 prize money.
While Kelsey was clearly honoured
by the win, he said it was also very
exciting to see the amount of
creativity in the industry.
JEWELLER OF THE YEAR/ROY
WORFOLD PERPETUAL TROPHY
Alistair Kelsey
Name of piece: Rapture
This year marked the first competition Hugh Thyregod has won as
a jeweller and he said it felt “amazing” to be recognised.
“It’s not often I get to make a piece
like this with absolute creative
freedom and at the same time be
as driven as I was whilst making it,”
he explained.
Now he has achieved success,
Thyregod said he would definitely
enter more contests in the future.
APPRENTICE/STUDENT OF THE
YEAR AWARD
Hugh Thyregod
Name of piece: Undergrowth
Sponsor: Australian Jewellers Supplies (AJS)
October 2017 Jeweller 35

1ST AND 2ND YEAR
APPRENTICE/STUDENT AWARD
Tonomi Otobe
Name of piece: Morning Dew
Sponsor: Leading Edge Group Jewellers
This year’s 1st and 2nd Year Apprentice/Student Award was
awarded to Tonomi Otobe for her Morning Dew sterling silver
ring, featuring 24-carat gold leaf and an Akoya pearl.
Tonomi said she was “awed” by the creativity and talent on show.
“I’m aiming for the day when I can
produce pieces of that calibre,” Otobe
stated. “Since getting the award, my
confidence in my jewellery has increased
– now I want to push myself more and
more to stimulate my creativity.”
”I saw a tree with a super cool texture on its bark and I thought
I would try and replicate it in a piece of jewellery,” Thyregod said
of the motivation behind his bangle made from sterling silver,
9-carat gold and 18-carat gold.
“What excited me the most about
entering the competition was the
idea that I could make anything I
wanted, with a chance to showcase
the piece. It’s so nice knowing that
people like the piece I have made.”
3RD AND 4TH YEAR
APPRENTICE/STUDENT AWARD
Hugh Thyregod
Name of piece: Undergrowth
Sponsor: JAA
CAD/CAM/
CAST AWARD
Roberto Mattei
Name of piece: Contact
Sponsor: Chemgold
It’s all about “healthy” competition for Roberto Mattei, who has
been working in the jewellery industry since 1991.
Mattei’s described his piece, an 18-carat white and rose gold
diamond ring, as being similar to a satellite antenna that ‘needs’
contact – hence the name Contact.
“I like to be in competition every now
and then because these [awards] push
the artists to produce the best pieces
ever,” Mattei said. “That’s the way to
produce the best piece you can.”

COLOUR AWARD
Alistair Kelsey
Name of piece: Rapture
Sponsor: JAA
PRECIOUS METAL AWARD
Shiree Hobson
Name of piece: Into the Woods
Sponsor: JAA
Alistair Kelsey’s geometric, angular ring not only granted him the
Colour Award but also the prestigious Jeweller of the Year Award.
Commenting on what advice he would give other jewellers
considering entering jewellery design competitions, Kelsey said,
“Don’t be afraid to enter or to try new things.”
He added: “You will always grow from the
experience and even if you don’t become a
finalist, or succeed in what you’re attempting,
you will always learn something in some way.”
Shiree Hobson took out this year’s Precious Metal Award with her
whimsical Into the Woods ring, which was motivated by timeless
tales and childhood daydreams.
Hobson explained that it was a great feeling to be recognised and
receive kind responses by the people in her
local community and “awesome” customers.
“They really are the most important element
of our business and allow us to do what we
love everyday,” she added.
CONTEMPORARY/
NON-PRECIOUS AWARD
Kirra-Lea Caynes
Name of piece: Alabastra
Sponsor: Marsh Advantage Insurance
After receiving the Contemporary/Non-Precious Award for her copper,
titanium, wood and freshwater pearl necklace,
Caynes was keen to explain the importance of
the competition and the JAA’s decision to add a
contemporary/non precious category.
“It [the category] allows pure design to be
promoted not a show of wealth,” she stated,
adding, “It feels amazing to be recognised for
the award and validates my discussion to be a
jeweller and jewellery designer.”
READER’S CHOICE AWARD
Jeremy Fleming
Name of piece: Daughter’s Inspiration
Sponsor: Marie Claire
Jeremy Fleming’s winning platinum and 18-carat rose gold ruby and
diamond ring is aptly titled Daughter’s Inspiration. “My two young
daughters said that I should make something with the ruby they loved
at the shop. [They wanted to] see a piece their dad had made at the
jewellery fair,” Fleming said.
Marie Claire fashion editor Chloe Buttenshaw
was tasked with making a shortlist for the
category; she selected 10 pieces from all
entries received and the public was then
encouraged to vote for their favourite.
DIAMOND AWARD
Gregoire Vende
Name of piece: Arum
Sponsor: Showcase Jewellers
Gregoire Vende was rightly ecstatic when he was crowned winner
for his flower-inspired piece, especially given this was the first design
competition he had ever entered.
“My boss told me when the awards
came up that we had all won the
first day we entered the competition
because what a beautiful thing to do
what you’re passionate about,” Vende
said. “And he’s right! I feel lucky to be
as passionate as I am.”
$10,000 CAREER AND EDUCATION
ACCOLADE
Leah Straughair
Name of piece: Nocturnal Light
Sponsor: Anonymous
Leah Straughair won this newly-created category, which was
developed after an anonymous benefactor donated $10,000 to
the JAA earlier this year, for her ring inspired by the moon.
“The purpose of the moon is to light the night and the diamonds
in the craters represent this,” she explained.
Straughair said she wanted to thank the
donator who made the award a reality.
“I know it’s anonymous, but it’s such a beautiful
thing that they’ve done and I’m so grateful.”
October 2017 Jeweller 37

Completing my Diploma in
Gemmology has benefited
me as a jeweller in more
ways than I ever expected.
I have always had an interest
in gemstones and found
the course was not only
informative and challenging
but immensely rewarding.
Studying with the GAA has also
allowed me to meet like-minded
people from many facets of the
jewellery industry and grants me access
to resources that I will continue to use
throughout my professional career.
Emma Meakes FGAA
Jeweller, John Miller Design - WA
Diploma in
Gemmology
Enrolments now open
For more information
1300 436 338
learn@gem.org.au
www.gem.org.au
Be
Brilliant
Gem-Ed Australia
ADELAIDE BRISBANE HOBART MELBOURNE PERTH SYDNEY
Passionately educating the industry, gem enthusiasts
and consumers about gemstones

BUSINESS
SEVEN WAYS TO RESPECT CUSTOMERS
There are right and wrong ways to
request customer data and DENYSE
DRUMMOND-DUNN says using the right
protocol is essential for establishing
long-lasting customer relationships.
Everyone must be aware by now that
nothing on the internet is anonymous
and that both Google and Facebook know
everything about everyone.
They know the ages and genders of users,
what they’re browsing, what ads they click
than ever before, they must remember
to adhere to various best practices in order
to ensure customers feel respected and
not abused.
After all, without customers, there are
no businesses.
Businesses that are truly customer-centric
know that it’s important to build mutuallybeneficial
relationships in which both
parties gain from exchanging information
and services.
TOO MANY
BUSINESSES
ASK TOO MUCH
OF THEIR
CUSTOMERS
WITH LITTLE, IF
ANY, BENEFIT
FOR THE
CUSTOMER
IN RETURN
ALWAYS ASK PERMISSION
Whether a business is contacting its
customers by mail, phone, email or some
other online medium, it should always
request permission to ask questions and
gather information.
Not only should they ask permission but
businesses should also double-check that
a customer has indeed given permission,
especially when the data is gathered via
email or the web.
on and what products they buy.
Amazingly, consumers seem to have
allowed this final barrier to their privacy to
fall without a fight, perhaps because some
don’t even know!
The same is true of business. Retailers
collect all manner of information about their
customers but do they ever stop to wonder
if customers care that they are repeatedly
identified, with their buying habits recorded
and stored in CRM software for use in
targeted marketing campaigns?
As businesses push to gather more data
Too many businesses ask too much of their
customers with little, if any, benefit for the
customer in return.
Concern about online profiling and data
collection may have quietened in the past
few years; however, it’s useful to remember
the major points to keep in mind when
collecting information about customers.
Yes, businesses can argue that it helps
to provide them with better products
and services, which ultimately benefits
the customer, but they still have the right
to know.
Being attentive to privacy when starting to
build a relationship with customers is vital
and shows a business’ respect for them. It
also means asking customers to confirm
their agreement not once but twice.
Double opt-in ensures that customers are
correctly identified and that they have
indeed requested to provide or receive
information and be put on a mailing list.
THERE MUST BE MUTUAL BENEFIT
When a customer has agreed to provide
personal information, a business should
immediately thank them in return.
October 2017 Jeweller 39

BUSINESS
BUSINESSES MUST BE RESPECTFUL WHEN ASKING CUSTOMERS FOR PERSONAL INFORMATION
AS THE
OBJECTIVE
SHOULD BE
TO BUILD A
LONG-TERM
RELATIONSHIP,
BUSINESSES
CAN EASILY
COMPLETE THE
INFORMATION-
GATHERING
EXERCISE
OVER TIME
acquaintances. If the intention is to keep
ideas secret then perhaps seek feedback
from a carefully screened online panel.
ALWAYS OFFER A WAY OUT
Once a business has made a connection
with a customer, always recognise that this
might change in the future. A shopper may
wish to be unsubscribed from the mailing
list, for example.
Making this as quick and simple a process as
possible will show respect for a customer’s
decision and also enable them to leave with
a positive opinion of the store.
This can be as simple as offering coupons
for products, some valuable information not
easily available elsewhere, a free guide on
a relevant topic or other special privileges.
Another thing to keep in mind is not to
overwhelm customers by asking everything
in one go. As the objective should be to
build a long-term relationship, businesses
can easily complete the informationgathering
exercise over time. This also
has the added advantage of keeping
conversations more frequent than they
might otherwise have been.
MAKE CUSTOMERS FEEL SPECIAL
Increasingly, small businesses offer loyalty
programs or a form of ‘club membership’,
especially to their higher-value customers.
These usually provide targeted privileges
and give customers the opportunity
to preview new communication or
product concepts.
This is probably one of the more intimate
win-win relationships that can be
developed with customers; however, it
does take a dedicated team, ideally within
the organisation, to manage such a club
or program.
These customers are naturally the most
demanding for services. They are also the
most interested in offers so they expect to
receive regular updates and breaking news
before everyone else.
KEEP RELATIONSHIPS FRESH
Once a business starts building and
increasing its customer-relationship activity,
it must continue to interest shoppers by
offering news, information, photos, videos
or articles of interest. This can place quite
a strain on internal resources so businesses
may want to consider including customergenerated
content.
Not only does this ensure continuously
updated content but it also incorporates
customers into what is shown so that
content remains relevant and of interest
to them. People love to post and comment
so include message boards, tip-sharing
platforms or photo albums, whatever
is relevant to the brand and its targeted
customer demographic.
ASK FOR ADVICE FREQUENTLY
For customers to appreciate how much a
business values them and their patronage,
retailers should involve them.
Ask for feedback on how the business is
doing, for example. If the business has new
ideas or plans, share details with customers
or enable them to vote for new designs,
concepts or advertising ideas.
Enable them to preview ads or products
before they are launched and use this
as an opportunity to also provide them
with some great information about
these promotions.
After all, a great way to stimulate wordof-mouth
promotion is when customers
share the information with their friends and
family members.
Involving customers in this way will
make them feel like the special and
valued customer they are, enabling them
to talk about the business with their
Who knows when they might wish to come
back in the future? They may even change
their minds on the spot and stay after all!
TREAT CUSTOMERS AS INDIVIDUALS
It was difficult to make this the first point or
the last point. Everyone craves to be treated
as an individual and to receive special
recognition and services. Therefore this
point is really a summary of all that has been
previously discussed.
Retailers must remember the golden rule:
to treat others how they themselves wish
to be treated. Nowhere does this apply more
than in business, where it is exemplified by
how a store treats its customers.
It is amazing how many people willingly
‘take off’ their consumer hats when arriving
at work.
Employees accept things in business that
they would never accept in their personal
lives or from family and friends. Why?
Retailers can test this by asking themselves
what customers would think of any new
decision. If the feeling is that customers
would disapprove then the business might
need to reconsider the change.
With so much choice available to customers
today, it is the retailer’s responsibility to build
an engaging and respectful relationship
with shoppers. If there is no trust, there may
soon be no sales. i
DENYSE DRUMMOND-
DUNN has more than 30 years’
management experience. She
runs C3Centricity consultancy.
Learn more: c3centricity.com
40 Jeweller October 2017

SELLING
DISCOUNTING COSTS DOLLARS
STILL POPULAR AS A WAY TO ATTRACT CUSTOMERS, DISCOUNTING CAN ACTUALLY COST BUSINESSES MILLIONS
IN LOST SALES. IN FACT, BRYAN PEARSON SAYS A HIGHER MARKDOWN CAN PROLONG A SALE.
In the fashion world, hemlines may rise
and fall by the season but the shelf life of a
discounted $500 skirt can drag on for days
– 106, to be precise, according to an analysis
of 114 luxury, premium and mass-market
apparel and accessory retailers that found
that’s how long it can take an online luxury
retailer to sell a piece of women’s wear, even
when discounted.
Furthermore, when luxury items such as
jewellery are marked down at a higher
percentage, say 40-50 per cent, they take
19 days longer to sell than if marked down
30-40 per cent.
According to the research by Edited, a
retail-analytics company with offices in New
York, London and Melbourne, this extra time
translated to millions in lost revenue among
select women’s luxury goods in 2016.
Meanwhile, mass-merchandise items sell
faster at discount, especially when marked
down by less.
Women’s wear products sold 11 days quicker
when first discounted from 30-40 per cent,
rather than 40-50 per cent. The difference
cost retailers millions in needless reductions,
according to the research.
The same unusual trends occur across other
fashion sectors, from luxury apparel to kids’
clothing, but why? What does it mean?
According to Katie Smith, senior retail
analyst at Edited, merchants fail to factor in
several basic but highly-relevant factors and
pricing strategies can be blurred by a range
of issues, such as shopper behaviour and
competitive distraction.
TIMING, POPULARITY, OTHER FACTORS
A key benefit for retailers is that they have a
large volume of data available to help them
analyse pricing, Smith says; however, this
also requires that they understand what they
have and how to use it.
Retailers still miscalculate how much to
discount because they fail to include
RETAILERS STILL
MISCALCULATE
HOW MUCH
TO DISCOUNT
BECAUSE THEY
FAIL TO INCLUDE
PERTINENT
FACTORS IN
THE FORMULA,
SUCH AS TIMING,
PRODUCT TYPE,
CATEGORY AND
POPULARITY
BEWARE OF THE DANGERS IN MARKDOWNS
pertinent factors in the formula, such
as timing, product type, category
and popularity. There may also be a
psychological effect at play in that the
shopper may perceive a larger discount to
mean the product is undesirable.
As consumers purchase more goods
online and expect to only buy those goods
when they’re ‘on sale’, Smith believes that
retailers must invest in technologies that
give them a holistic view of the market
and consumer demand.
“Today, retailers can use analysis tools to
understand a trend’s demand before they
even put a style into production, which
helps buyers know how many orders
to place,” she says, adding that real-time
analysis of competitors and other market
segments helps merchandisers track a
trend’s performance, spot saturation and
clear stock before a decline.
Retailers need to become more adept at
considering how different factors may affect
performance. Take colour as an example –
a specific item may perform better in one
colour versus another and the result may
require a business to take very different
strategies to ensure the most value is
captured from the line.
LEARNING FROM THE GROCERY AISLE
Similar factors, from customer spending
habits to selecting which items to discount,
cause supermarkets to make missteps when
determining a pricing or discount strategy.
These elements should inform pricing and
promotions and can result in a 1-3 per
cent increase in sales and profits above
organic growth, according to Precima, a
retail analytics firm, but what tools put
these elements into play? Among the most
popular is the competitive price index. This
is the practice of identifying a competitive
price set among competitors and
establishing a target price relative to that.
The challenge with using this strategy on
its own is it treats all categories and items
equally and doesn’t factor in spending data.
If the retailer combined insights on
customer price sensitivity, along with
competitive price information and price
compliance, they could determine
promotions based on a broader, data-driven
pricing strategy.
Lastly, there is the oversold power of the
loss leader – discounts on price-sensitive
items like soft drinks or eggs – used to
lure shoppers in with the expectation
they will spend more elsewhere, offsetting
the discount.
In truth, 25-50 per cent of loss leaders don’t
actually increase traffic or lead to ancillary
purchases, Precima reports, so analysis is
required to find the ones that do work.
Of course, for multi-store retailers, all this
will make a significant difference if prices
are consistent across all stores. i
BRYAN PEARSON is
president and CEO of
LoyaltyOne and a retail
contributor to Forbes. Learn
more: pearson4loyalty.com
October 2017 Jeweller 41

MANAGEMENT
WHY SALES HIRING IS SO HARD TO GET RIGHT
HIRING QUICKLY MIGHT HELP TO FILL SHORT-TERM VACANCIES ON THE SALES FLOOR BUT GRETCHEN GORDON
BELIEVES HASTY DECISIONS CAN DRAMATICALLY INCREASE RESOURCING COSTS.
Hiring salespeople can be much more
difficult than hiring for other positions. Why?
candidates based on necessary requirements
to be effective in the position.
Sales candidates can be better at asking
questions than the interviewers themselves.
It is all too frequent that the interviewee
then becomes the interviewer and then
all a candidate needs to do is ask a couple
questions to get the interviewer to quickly
4. Interview with intent – conduct a thorough
interview of the highest-scoring candidates
after the screening process. To do this, ask
everyone a set of the same questions, ones
that help to understand how the candidates
will fit in with your available position.
offer all kinds of information. This is usually
because interviewers would rather boast
about their companies than ask tough
questions that might make interviewees
feel challenged.
Furthermore, because the interviewers
end up doing most of the talking, they will
inevitably preference these candidates ahead
of others.
Managers who don’t normally conduct
interviews are also most susceptible to hiring
on gut feel. Rather than approaching the
interview with a plan in place, they simply
try to determine whether the interviewee
will fit in the organisation.
In other words, they look for someone
similar enough to themselves whom they
will enjoy managing. Gut calls are less likely
to be successful and yet are still a popular
determinant of hiring decisions.
Another mistake small businesses make
when hiring sales staff is not providing an
adequate workplace introduction to enable
the new staff member to excel quickly.
Too often the burden of ‘on-boarding’ a new
salesperson is placed on the manager’s
shoulders even when he or she already has
a full plate.
The manager has every good intention but
ends up getting pulled in other directions
and the salesperson is left floundering.
Some managers even view it as a test to see
if the salesperson can make it. This is shortsighted
and costs businesses money and
time in lost productivity.
WHEN THE
MARKET IS TIGHT,
BE PROACTIVE
ABOUT GOING
AFTER THE TYPES
OF CANDIDATES
THAT HAVE
EXPERIENCE
SELLING IN THE
SAME METHODS
THE BUSINESS
USES
AVOID HIRING STAFF ON GUT INSTINCT
FIVE WAYS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM
Instead of settling for the way it’s always
been done, managers should commit to a
process and have a vision of an upgraded
sales team.
Here’s a five-step, plan of attack that uses
effective and efficient sales hiring to upgrade
any sales team.
1. Attract the right candidates – bust out of
boring sales ads and really describe the ideal
person the business is seeking. This will at
least get the right candidates thinking about
the position. When the market is tight, be
proactive about going after the types of
candidates that have experience selling in
the same methods the business uses.
2. Complete an objective assessment tool
before wasting time reviewing resumes –
before falling in love with any candidates,
implement the use of a predictive,
completely-objective assessment like the
Objective Management Group battery of
tools, the only ones designed specifically
for sales roles.
3. Screen candidates first – briefly screen
all recommended candidates via phone
or video. Create a repeatable template of
interview questions to use in the screening
then implement a scorecard system to rate
Focus on their resumes and ask behavioural
questions based on their stated performance.
A great, easy-to-read book that provides
good guidance on conducting this portion
of the interview is Who: A Method for Hiring
by Geoffrey Smart. Use the questions from
the assessment report to dig into those areas
lurking beneath the surface of the candidate
and find out if the gaps in their skills will
be too significant to overcome. Once you
follow this process and have the objective
information from the assessment, feel free
to become subjective. For example: do they
have the right swagger, the right handshake
and the appropriate confidence?
5. Follow a repeatable and predictive
on-boarding program for the successful
candidate – the key components of
successful on-boarding include shifting the
responsibility to the new person for getting
what is necessary to be successful out of
the program. Start by determining what the
individual needs to gain or master from each
step of the on-boarding program.
In summary, it’s much easier to demystify the
hiring and on-boarding of new salespeople
by following this repeatable five-step
process. Just remember to use analysis to
avoid falling in love with any candidates. i
GRETCHEN GORDON owns
Braveheart Sales Performance,
a company helping clients to
improve sales. Learn more:
braveheartsales.com
42 Jeweller October 2017

MARKETING & PR
A SIMPLE GUIDE TO KEEPING IT SIMPLE
WHEN CONSIDERING SALES AND MARKETING, BUSINESSES CAN UNLOCK SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS AND INCREASE
SALES BY CONCENTRATING ON THE BASICS. THOMAS YOUNG REPORTS.
The most successful sales and marketing
approaches are based on common-sense and
there is genius in their subtle simplicity. These
approaches may first appear obvious and easy
to implement, as if they are simply common
knowledge; however, common sense is not
always so common.
Here is a collection of marketing and sales
principles considered basic but often ignored
by businesses.
LET THE MARKET LEAD
It is very common for entrepreneurs or
established businesses to approach their
markets with an idea, product or service
they believe will be successful. They may
have conducted extensive market research,
consulted with focus groups and sampled
sections of the public to amass data that
appears to give them the green light, only to
find that their idea, service or product fails to
take flight.
Market research is a measuring stick, not the
final outcome. As companies develop new
ideas, they must make these ideas flexible
to market changes by following the leads of
their target markets. How often do companies
attempt to push a product onto their
customers for little success?
GIVE AWAY SOME SECRETS
Competitive advantage is a critical
component of marketing and sales success.
Yet, many companies keep their competitive
advantage a secret. They do this out of the
fear that competitors will steal these ideas and
take away their market share.
In fact, the opposite is true. A clearly stated
competitive advantage increases market share
and drives more customers to a business.
Operational secrets are one thing but the
benefits that separate one business from its
competitors must be shared with customers if
they are to understand them.
For example, if one were looking for an office
cleaner, wouldn’t it be nice to know what
OPERATIONAL
SECRETS ARE
ONE THING BUT
THE BENEFITS
THAT SEPARATE
ONE BUSINESS
FROM ITS
COMPETITORS
MUST BE
SHARED WITH
CUSTOMERS
THE BEST SALES AND MARKETING IS BASIC
makes one cleaning company better than
another? Now, the cleaning company owner
might be thinking, “If we give away the secrets
that make us a great cleaning company, our
competition will steal those secrets and put us
out of business.”
On the contrary, if customers don’t know the
features and benefits of the business, they’re
unlikely to choose it.
Closer to home, if a store excels at jewellery
repairs and remodelling then it should boast
about this service. Tell customers why the
business is so good at repairs. The rewards a
business gains from sharing its competitive
advantage overwhelms any minor gains that
might flow to competitors.
LOVE THOSE CUSTOMERS
It is so hard to acquire, foster and retain loyal
customers in today’s competitive markets
that businesses should never take them for
granted. Treat every customer like gold and
remove any obstacle that might deter a
consumer from doing business with the store.
I have known business owners who do not
even want to place their phone numbers on
their websites because they don’t feel they
have time to answer calls. This is an example
of a hurdle that customers have to jump in
order to contact those businesses.
Why would a business make it difficult for a
potential customer to make contact? Don’t let
operational issues make it hard for customers
to shop. Have a passion for customers and
make an extra effort to understand how they
think and why they buy.
IT’S ABOUT PEOPLE
The people who implement a business’
marketing plans are the real key to that
business’ success. These people must
develop the skills needed to understand
customers and keep the company moving
in the direction of meeting target-market
needs. Teamwork is critical to the success
of any marketing plan as everyone in the
business usually sees themselves as marketing
professionals. This includes not only making
things easier for the customer but also making
operations easier for the company.
MARKETING TAKES TIME
Never give up. Marketing takes time and
managers who are committed to the project
will succeed as long as they give customers
what they want.
Remember the infamous line, “If you
build it, they will come.” Now make some
modifications: “If you build it, they will come…
but only if you tell them where to
go and ensure you can service them.”
Be confident. Ask for help when necessary and
keep focus on meeting the needs of prospects
and customers. In this way, businesses that
can implement common-sense sales and
marketing that are not so common will soon
be on the road to higher levels of success. i
THOMAS YOUNG is CEO
of Intuitive Websites. He has
25 years’ marketing and sales
experience. Learn more:
intuitivewebsites.com
October 2017 Jeweller 43

LOGGED ON
DON’T MAKE THESE SOCIAL MEDIA MISTAKES
IN PART ONE OF A TWO-PART SERIES, ALFRED LUA FROM SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT PLATFORM BUFFER
DISCUSSES HOW BUSINESSES CAN EASILY LEARN FROM THE ERRORS OF OTHERS.
Despite being a specialist in social media
management, Buffer has committed a good
number of social media mistakes, errors that
have cost the business reach, engagement
and maybe even customers.
In an effort to prevent small businesses from
committing the same mistakes, here is an
overview of some of the social media mishaps
made by Buffer and how they can be avoided.
CONTENT OVERLOAD
Focusing on quantity over quality – Just last
year, we were posting four to five times to our
Facebook page and tweeting up to 14 times
per day. Having enough material to share
wasn’t the problem as much content was
being produced on our blogs and podcasts;
however, we noticed that the reach and
engagement of those posts increased threefold
when we cut posting to once or twice
per day.
Limiting Facebook posts to just two per day
forced us to share only our very best content.
The higher-quality posts resonated with our
Facebook fans and the Facebook algorithm
surfaced them to more people.
Small business owners don’t have the time to
create or find enough high-quality content
to post five times a day on Facebook or tweet
10 times a day on Twitter. By reducing the
number of times a business posts each day,
it can focus on the quality of its posts rather
than the quantity.
SPREAD TOO THIN
Spreading across all social media platforms –
As a social media management company,
we feel a duty to test out all social media
platforms so that we can understand how
each platform works.
We then share what we’ve learned about
succeeding on each platform but what we
haven’t been so great at doing is deciding
when to stop using a certain platform. It was
only when Instagram introduced a similar
feature called Stories that we gradually
stopped posting to Snapchat and focused
instead on Instagram.
For the time and effort we put into Snapchat,
we weren’t getting the results and most of
the users on Snapchat weren’t our target
audience anyway. Instagram, on the other
hand, provides several advantages such as
better discoverability, analytics (including
audience insights) and audience targeting
through ads.
Every additional platform a business
incorporates will require additional time and
effort to create great tailored content for that
platform. Take stock of social media profiles
and consider which channels are performing
for your business and which are not.
By moving away from social media platforms
that might not suit a business or those that
are not performing well, businesses can
double down on those that are.
WRONG ORIENTATION
Using only landscape videos and images –
We were accustomed to posting landscape
videos and images because that was the
ideal image size for most social media
platforms, like Facebook and Twitter (1,024
pixels by 512 pixels); however, that might
not be true anymore.
As square videos and images are no longer
cropped on Facebook and Twitter, they take
up more real estate on someone’s feed – 78
per cent more, in fact. After spending $1,500
on experiments, we found that square videos
actually generate higher average views and
greater engagement than landscape videos,
especially on mobile phones.
Another fun experiment to explore might be
posting vertical (portrait) videos and images,
especially since Facebook is showing a larger
preview of vertical videos on its mobile feed.
NO SHOW
Not uploading videos onto social media
platforms – Quintly, a business that provides
social media analytics tools, analysed more
LEARN FROM THE SOCIAL MEDIA MISTAKES OF OTHERS
TAKE STOCK OF
SOCIAL MEDIA
PROFILES AND
CONSIDER WHICH
CHANNELS ARE
PERFORMING
FOR YOUR
BUSINESS AND
WHICH ARE NOT
than six million Facebook posts and found
that videos uploaded to Facebook received
more engagement and shares than YouTube
videos on Facebook.
“The interaction rate for Facebook native
videos were on average 109.67 per cent
higher than for YouTube videos,” Quintly
reported. “Facebook native videos had on
average a 477.76 per cent higher share rate
compared to YouTube videos.”
Just a year ago, we were still sharing YouTube
links to videos rather than uploading videos
onto social media platforms.
When YouTube links were posted, the best
video post only reached 3,397 people. Now,
videos uploaded onto Facebook receive an
average reach of 53,254 people.
Hopefully there are takeaways here for small
businesses looking to improve their social
media strategies. Stay tuned for the second
part of this series where more mistakes will
be revealed as well as the lessons learnt. i
ALFRED LUA is the content
crafter for social media
management business Buffer.
Learn more: buffer.com
44 Jeweller October 2017

GEMS
COLOUR INVESTIGATION: GARNET
metal oxides during crystallisation.
In the late 1960s, a new variety of pyropespessartine
was discovered – Malaia garnet
(or Malaya), also known as Umbalite after
the Umba Valley in Tanzania. Malaia garnets
offer delicate pale pinkish-orange to darker
pink-orange shades when coloured by
manganese and some iron. The presence
of varying amounts of chromium and/or
vanadium can produce a colour change
that flashes from reddish-purple to a steely
blue, green or greyish tone. Other possible
colour combinations are reddish-orange
to red, greenish-yellow to pinkish-red, lightred
to purplish-red and bluish-green to light
violet-purple.
Colour change in gemstones is dependent
on the source of the incident light. Natural
daylight or fluorescent light contains higher
IMAGE COURTESY GREG C GRACE
proportions of blue and green wavelengths
and will cause the gemstone to appear to be
green, whereas incandescent light sources,
The spectacular phenomenon of colour
change can only be seen in a small
handful of gemstones. The garnet group,
usually recognised for its rich reds, can
supply fine examples of this playful
effect. STACEY LIM reports.
Deep crimson garnets have a long history
and can be traced back throughout the
ages adorning kings, queens, pharaohs
and priests. Modern consumers continue
to celebrate this group of minerals and
the many other coloured varieties that are
currently commercially available.
Within the garnet group are six species
important to gemmologists; these can be
divided into at least 17 varieties. Garnets are
produces different properties and colours by
which the garnet varieties can be identified.
In chemical terms, the most famous
garnet varieties are aluminium-rich
silicates consisting of pyrope, almandine
and spessartine. Typical colours are red,
brownish-red, violet-red and orange-red.
Although red garnets are the most
common and widespread – forming in
metamorphic rocks on every continent –
this gemstone can be found in a multitude
of hues including yellow, orange, pink,
purple, brown, black, green and a colourchange
variety.
Interestingly, the cause of colour in garnet
varies; some species are idiochromatic,
COLOUR CHANGE
GARNETS
ARE A RARE
OCCURRENCE,
WITH LIMITED
DEPOSITS IN
SRI LANKA,
TANZANIA AND
MADAGASCAR
such as a globe or candle, that contain a
higher proportion of red wavelengths will
cause the gemstone to appear red. As the
light source is altered so is the colour of the
gemstone in view.
Colour change garnets are a rare occurrence,
with limited deposits in Sri Lanka, Tanzania
and Madagascar. Fine quality gemstones can
produce a strong and attractive red to green
colour change, rivalling that of alexandrite, a
gemstone so famous for this effect that it is
often referred to as the ‘alexandrite effect’.
The garnet group of gemstones is vast,
complex and variable, offering so much
more than a simple red gemstone. i
rarely completely pure; they usually contain
a mix of two or more varieties. Each garnet
essentially has the same crystal structure but
varies in chemical composition due to the
substitution of various elements, and this
that is, they are ‘self-colouring’ and owe
their colour to metal oxides inherent in the
chemistry of the gemstone, while others
are described as allochromatic, coloured by
the inclusion of traces of different
STACEY LIM FGAA BA Design, is a qualified
gemmologist and gemmology teacher/assistant.
She is a jewellery designer, marketing manager
and passionate communicator on gemmology.
For information on gemstones, visit: gem.org.au
October 2017 Jeweller 45

10 YEARS AGO
WHAT WAS MAKING NEWS 10 YEARS AGO?
A SNAPSHOT OF THE INDUSTRY EVENTS THAT MADE NEWS HEADLINES IN THE OCTOBER 2007 ISSUE OF JEWELLER.
Holloway Cut Advisor wins US patent
The story: An Australian diamond
cut-expert and retailer has been
granted a US patent for a system
that evaluates the previously
unmeasurable characteristics of
a diamond’s visual appearance.
Designed and developed by
Garry Holloway of two-store
Victorian jewellery retailer
Precious Metals, the Holloway
Cut Advisor (HCA) is a computerbased
program that allows
Correction
In 2007, Jeweller published a correction in the
Jewellery World
backs down on
allegations
The story: The publisher of Jewellery
World has been forced to “set the record
straight”, retracting allegations and
claims made against the JAA Australian
Jewellery Fair and its organiser Expertise
Events in the industry magazine’s August/
September 2006 issue.
That story, which announced plans for
the magazine to launch its own trade
fair titled the Jewellery World Show,
detailed a number of alleged problems
with the JAA fair.
users to gain an estimate of a
diamond’s potential physical
appearance by matching its
proportions against a database
of look-up charts to help
determine estimates for
characteristics such as brilliance,
fire, scintillation and spread.
The patent is a breakthrough
for Holloway, who has endured
a six-year wait because of the
October issue about a story published the previous
month: September Jeweller featured a news report
entitled Dymocks Building Sold. The story stated that
the Dymocks Building on George Street, Sydney
had been sold. This is incorrect. The sold building
is located at 34 Hunter Street, Sydney.
complexity of the subject matter.
JAA AND DCLA DEBATE
ETHICAL GRADING LABS
The story: An online poll from the
Diamond Certification Laboratory
of Australia (DCLA) has sparked a
flurry of media attention that could
have a negative impact on Australian
jewellers. Conducted by DCLA and
published on the website of diamond
information service The Gem Exchange
(Gemex), the poll showed that almost
70 per cent of respondents did not
trust their jeweller.
The report has generated substantial
media interest with newspapers
around the world issuing the results
alongside comments from DCLA
managing director Roy Cohen on the
trustworthiness of diamond grading
laboratories. International diamond
news source Rapaport News published
the story under the headline “Diamond
lab takes issue with rampant use of
bogus certs”, while Idex Online stated,
“Australian consumer concerned
about certification, valuation.” Closer to
home, The Age was less forgiving: “Most
consumers ‘don’t trust jewellers’”.
In clarifying his stance, Cohen insisted
DCLA was not propagating that
jewellers should not be trusted, but
issued the press release in order to
protect diamond-buyers – something
he believed the industry hasn’t done.
But JAA CEO Ian Hadassin suggested
that any article portraying the jewellery
industry in a negative light could
impact industry sales.
“The average single-operated jewellery
store is finding it harder to make ends
meet,” he said, “and the last thing they
need is negative industry publicity
– particularly when the claims made
cannot be substantiated.”
46 Jeweller October 2017

EVENTS
JEWELLERY AND WATCH CALENDAR
A GUIDE TO THE LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY AND WATCH EVENTS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE IN THE YEAR AHEAD.
OCTOBER 2017
MIDEAST WATCH &
JEWELLERY SHOW
Sharjah, UAE
October 3–7
Learn more: mideastjewellery.com
JEWELERS INTERNATIONAL
SHOWCASE (JIS)
Miami, US
October 8–11
Learn more: jisshow.com
ISTANBUL JEWELRY SHOW
Istandul, Turkey
October 12–15
Learn more: october.
istanbuljewelryshow.com
INTERNATIONAL COLORED
GEMSTONE ASSOCIATION
CONGRESS
Jaipur, India
October 21–24
Learn more: icacongress.com
SINGAPORE JEWELLERY
& GEM FAIR
Singapore
October 27–30
Learn more:
singaporejewellerygemfair.com
NOVEMBER 2017
CIBJO CONGRESS
Bangkok, Thailand
November 5–7
Learn more: cibjo.org/congress2017
CHINA INTERNATIONAL
GOLD, JEWELLERY
& GEM FAIR
Shanghai, China
November 17–20
Learn more: exhibitions.
jewellerynetasia.com/shj/zh-cn
JEWELLERY ARABIA
Manama, Bahrain
November 21–25
Learn more: jewelleryarabia.com
JANUARY 2018
SALON INTERNATIONAL
DE LA HAUTE HORLOGERIE
(SIHH)
Geneva, Switzerland
January 15–19
Learn more: sihh.org
VICENZAORO T-GOLD
Vicenza, Italy
January 19–24
Learn more: 10times.com/t-gold
TUCSON GEM, MINERAL &
FOSSIL SHOWCASE
Tucson, US
January 27 – February 11
Learn more: visittucson.org/events/
gem-show
FEBRUARY 2018
JEWELLERY & WATCH
Birmingham, UK
February 4–8
Learn more:
jewelleryandwatchbirmingham.com
NATIONWIDE JEWELLERS
TIME OUT CONFERENCE
Canberra, Australia
February 9–11
BANGKOK GEMS
& JEWELRY FAIR
Bangkok, Thailand
February 21–25
Learn more: bkkgems.com
HONG KONG
INTERNATIONAL DIAMOND,
GEM & PEARL SHOW
Hong Kong
February 27 – March 3
Learn more: m.hktdc.com/fair/hkdgp-
en/HKTDC-Hong-Kong-International-
Diamond--Gem---Pearl-Show.html
MARCH 2018
HONG KONG
INTERNATIONAL
JEWELLERY SHOW
Hong Kong
March 1–5
Learn more: http://m.hktdc.com/fair/
hkjewellery-en/HKTDC-Hong-Kong-
International-Jewellery-Show.html
BASELWORLD
Basel, Switzerland
March 22–27
Learn more: baselworld.com
COOBER PEDY
GEM TRADE SHOW
Coober Pedy, South Australia
March 31 – April 1
Learn more:
cooberpedygemtradeshow.com.au/
Home.aspx
APRIL 2018
NATIONWIDE JEWELLERS
ANTWERP TRIP
Antwerp, Belgium
April 8–13
MAY 2018
NATIONWIDE JEWELLERS
AFRICA TRIP
Africa
May 3–11
JUNE 2018
JCK LAS VEGAS
Las Vegas, US
June 1–4
Learn more: lasvegas.jckonline.com
HONG KONG JEWELLERY
& GEM FAIR
Hong Kong
June 21–24
Learn more: jewellerynetasia.com
JULY 2018
WINTON OPAL TRADESHOW
Winton, Australia
July 13–14
Learn more: qboa.com.au
LIGHTNING RIDGE OPAL
AND GEM FESTIVAL
Lightning Ridge, Australia
July 26–29
Learn more:
lightningridgeopalfestival.com.au
October 2017 Jeweller 47

MY BENCH
Stelios
Palioudakis
WORKS AT:
Stelios Jewellers
AGE: 36
YEARS IN TRADE: 20 years,
6 months, 4 days, 3 hours,
26 minutes and 3 seconds
TRAINING: Apprenticeship
FIRST JOB: Milton Boston
Jewellers
Favourite gemstone:
Tsavorite because I love
the intense green the
gemstone produces.
Favourite metal:
18-carat yellow gold –
there’s no rhodium
plating involved.
Favourite tool:
Wax pen. A wax pen can
fix and create anything!
Best part of job:
The surprise on clients’ faces
when they open the box.
Worst part of job:
Bills!
Best tip from a jeweller:
Don’t even think about it…
Best tip to a jeweller:
Uncle Jimmy says there is
nothing Blu Tack can’t fix.
Biggest health concern
on the bench:
Bench-itis. The concern
is falling in love with my
bench and leaving my wife
for my bench peg.
Love jewellery because:
I love to create something
from nothing; putting a
picture in your mind and
creating a 3D model.
Industry frustration?
No standards or control
of diamond sales.
My bench is always:
Immaculately organised
because I don’t use it!
Favourite sporting team
or sport:
Soccer – the team depends
on the year.

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SOAPBOX
TURNING FEAR INTO POWER
The recent spate of attacks on jewellery
stores and other retailers in Melbourne
has understandably generated fear
among some business operators;
however, rather than letting this fear
get the better of retailers, it is important
to explore ways of channelling these
energies into confronting fears.
The goal should be to respond in a way that
gives a retailer greater strength and power
… not less.
Fear is something that has gripped the
world. Attacks in Nice, Paris, Berlin, London,
Manchester and Barcelona have seen
everyday people becoming the tragic
victims of terrorist attacks, but there’s a
powerful message to emerge following each
of these attacks, and that is the collective
strength of the community in confronting
the fear of terrorism by getting on with their
lives. It’s something I witnessed for myself
recently whilst visiting London’s Borough
Market a few days after it re-opened
following the recent attack. The streets,
shops, bars and restaurants in and around
the markets were abuzz with activity and
people as they reclaimed an area that has
been in operation for more than 1,000 years.
To me this represents a clear statement of
strength and power among the community,
just as the actions of the thousands who
have taken to the streets in other cities
affected by terrorism have done. As former
US first lady Eleanor Roosevelt once said:
“You gain strength, courage and confidence
by every experience in which you really stop
to look fear in the face.”
While on an altogether different scale and
dimension, the recent spate of burglaries
targeting the jewellery industry has been
challenging and disturbing for store
operators and staff. It is important to keep
a sense of perspective on this issue – by
and large we live in a society where crime is
under control. Yes, from time to time we see
flare-ups in some crime types in some areas
but I want to stress that there is no need for
panic or fear. Over recent decades we have
seen many crime rates trending downwards
as the community becomes savvier by
embracing new security measures.
Take banks as an example. In the 1970s
and 1980s criminals regularly targeted
them; however, today one rarely hears of
banks being the target of an armed holdup.
A key reason for this is that the banks
have confronted the threats faced and put
in place a range of measures – physical,
electronic and environmental – to targetharden
their operations and make them
an altogether unattractive proposition
for criminals.
I urge jewellers who have been the victim
of a robbery, or know of a business that
has, to try and channel this experience and
knowledge in a positive manner. How can
business operations improve?
Often applying a bit of common sense with a
few changes on how a business is run, along
with some investment in a security upgrade,
can get retail owners back to focusing on
what they do best – selling jewellery!
It is disappointing to see that security is far
too often viewed as a grudge purchase that
JEWELLERS WHO
HAVE BEEN THE
VICTIM OF AN
ARMED HOLD-UP
WILL ATTEST TO
THE ENORMOUS
EMOTIONAL AND
FINANCIAL TOLL
IT TAKES ON THE
BUSINESS AND
EMPLOYEES; THERE
IS NO ROOM
FOR COMPLACENCY
isn’t always paid the attention it requires.
I’ll admit, I may be a little biased, but in all
seriousness, isn’t security an integral factor in
enabling a retail operation to be successful?
Jewellers who have been the victim of an
armed hold-up will attest to the enormous
emotional and financial toll it takes on the
business and employees; there is no room
for complacency.
Once retailers have got their heads around
this, it’s important to understand that not
all security providers are created the same –
as with any industry, there are the good, the
bad and the downright ugly. When looking
for someone to assist with security, due
diligence and seeking a quality provider is
paramount. One of my greatest frustrations
is the shift towards a world where lowest
price is the key driver rather than quality and
value for money. This short-term outlook
leads to a world where mediocrity becomes
the norm. I’m sure readers have a similar view
in regards to jewellery in the market.
So, the next time there’s a report on
the news of a jewellery or retail store being
the victim of burglars or armed attackers,
ask yourself, what have I done to ensure the
same thing doesn’t happen to me? If the
answer is ‘nothing’, then it’s time to confront
any fears or concerns and do something
about it. i
Name: Bryan de Caires
Business: Australian Security Industry
Association Limited (ASIAL)
Position: CEO
Location: Sydney, NSW
Years in the industry: 17 years and six months
50 Jeweller October 2017

Excite
Engage
Experience
Do it all at the International Jewellery Fair
The International Jewellery Fair will return August 25 – 27, 2018
International Convention Centre Sydney

The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council
Exhibition Cell-Unit No. G2-A, Trade Centre, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Bandra (E), Mumbai 400 051, India
Tel: +91-22 4354 1800 • Fax: +91-22 2652 4764 • Email: international@gjepcindia.com • Website: intl.gjepc.org