Jeweller - April Issue 2018

VOICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN JEWELLERY INDUSTRY
APRIL 2018
It’s time
THE LATEST FASHION WATCH
TRENDS ARE TAKING CENTRE STAGE
Colour me
+ +
COLOURED DIAMONDS
ARE A RETAILER’S DREAM
Charmed life
WHY CHARMS ARE MORE
THAN JUST A PASSING FAD

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Meet skilled
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quality and design.
See the latest
fashions and dazzle
your competitors as
you stay ahead
of trends.
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One of
ASIA’S
TOP THREE
Fine Jewellery Events
JUNE
Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair
21 – 24 June 2018
Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre
UBM Asia Ltd
Tel : (852) 2585 6127
Fax : (852) 3749 7344
Email : visitjgf-hk@ubm.com
www.JewelleryNet.com

THE LATEST FASHION WATCH
TRENDS ARE TAKING CENTRE STAGE
VOICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN JEWELLERY INDUSTRY
COLOURED DIAMONDS
ARE A RETAILER’S DREAM
APRIL 2018
WHY CHARMS ARE MORE
THAN JUST A PASSING FAD
CONTENTS
APRIL 2018
15/
21/
26/
FEATURES REGULARS BUSINESS
15/ WATCH OUT
Jeweller’s latest insight into the
enduring fashion watch category.
21/ COLOURED AFFAIR
It’s time to take advantage of
coloured diamond sales.
24/ WATCH FAIR
Watch connoisseur Martin Foster
explains why luxury watch fairs are
reassuring the industry.
26/ A REAL CHARMER
Why charms present untapped
opportunities for retailers.
7/ Editorial
8/ Upfront
9/ News
29/ Gems
Colour investigation: ruby
37/ My Store
Be inspired by the most unique
store layouts around.
38/ 10 Years Ago
39/ Calendar
40/ My Bench
42/ Soapbox
Coloured gemstones are seriously
underrated, Charles Lawson declares.
31/ Business feature
Francesca Nicasio discusses how
to boost customers through instore
experiences.
33/ Selling
Sales can be greatly improved
with technology, Gretchen
Gordon notes.
34/ Management
Bryan Pearson lays out how
to use data to boost sales.
35/ Marketing
Use in-store data to spot the next
big trends, David Brown states.
36/ Logged On
Melissa Megginson describes
how to use Instagram to reach
more customers.
It’s time
Colour me
+ +
Charmed life
Front cover description:
Cluse watches are distributed
by Heart & Grace.
April 2018 Jeweller 5

The Original customisable jewellery with interchangeable colours
Mother’s Day
Collection
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EDITORIAL
PAGE #1 OF GOOGLE; HOT DIGGITY DOG!
You have probably received the emails
yourself – you know the ones; they tell you
that your business is not on the first page of
a Google search or that your website “doesn’t
have major keywords in your niche, which
affects visibility”.
If you believe these promotional emails from
search-engine optimisation (SEO) businesses,
you’ll soon think you have far greater
problems, such as low ‘Domain Authority’ and
‘Page Authority’ or, even worse, “Your website
seems to be attracting traffic but this traffic is
almost stagnant and limited.”
Nothing worse than stagnant traffic, right!
Well, actually there is because your
website has now “been diagnosed with
coding issues”.
Of course, these SEO emails always tug at
your heartstrings; they promise to put you on
the first page of Google and, ideally, within
the first 10 listings!
“As a business owner, you might be
interested to attract more visitors. So despite
having a proficient website, you might be
wondering why you are not able to overturn
your competitors from the top search results.”
the sales pitch goes.
There’s no doubt that all retail businesses
would love to sit at the top spot on the first
page of Google but it’s not as simple as a
pay-to-play solution. These spammers will
claim that they will propel you to the top –
for a handsome fee, of course – but can it be
guaranteed and would it generate any real
value to your business anyway?
For example, and to stretch logic to expose
silly and false claims, is there any sense or
benefit in appearing on the first page of a
Google search for ‘hot dog shops’ if you own
a jewellery store? Of course not but let’s deal
with some other issues.
A recent email told me, “While doing a
search, we found that Gunnamatta Media is
not on the first page of Google.”
Knowing that to be bullshit, I checked
anyway as one should always be sceptical
and check the facts. Of course what I found
was the opposite of what I was told by
Daniel, my international “digital marketing
expert” who, by the way, operates from a
personal Gmail account.
Well, not only was Gunnamatta Media on
the first page but it also occupied the first 30
listings related to the company. So much for
not being “on the first page of a Google”!
I am sure that if you search your own store
name it would, or at least should, appear
on the first page, depending on how many
jewellery stores have similar names. If it
doesn’t, then adding your suburb to the
search should fix the problem.
You see, being on the first page is
determined by keywords and how specific
those terms are, such as whether they
include your store name and suburb.
WHAT’S THE
USE OF BEING
ON PAGE ONE
FOR SEARCH
TERMS THAT NO
ONE IS USING?
YOU MAY AS
WELL BE ON
PAGE ONE
FOR ‘HOTDOG
SHOPS’.
Obviously, if you search ‘jewellery stores
NSW’, it’s unlikely a small store would be on
page one, which is dominated by the major
jewellery chains. That’s because this is a broad
search term and it is unlikely that any SEO
service could guarantee you the first search
page on such a broad criteria. Again, even if it
were possible, what benefit would it be?
On the other hand, if the keyword search is
more specific, such as ‘diamond jewellery
Melbourne’, then there’s way more value for
stores to appear on page one, which is where
the competition for position heats up, as
does the work, effort and cost!
So how do these SEO businesses claim to get
you a page-one ranking? Well one way is that
they rank your website for keywords that no
one is searching. That’s one trick but what’s
the use of being on page one for search
terms that no one is using? You may as well
be on page one for ‘hotdog shops’.
Google searches and ranking are not only
dynamic but are also unstable. You will get
different results in different geographic
locations because local results skew Google
rankings, as do reviews.
Retailers should be very cautious about
SEO ‘consultants’ who make claims about
getting your business onto the first page of
Google searches and, even if true, is there
truly any value?
Coleby Nicholson
Managing Editor
April 2018 Jeweller 7

UPFRONT
“I miss a lot of
independent
retailers in
regional towns
who closed. Many
became not just
customers, but
friends.”
What do you miss about the industry 10 years ago?
RITA WILLIAMS,
SUNSTATE JEWELLERS
BULLETIN BOARD
n YES, YES YES!
Suppliers must be inventive to keep up
with consumer’s evolving demands.
Case in point: one company created
a smartphone case to conceal an
engagement ring and record the user’s
proposal. With the trend for couples to
share their proposals on social media
becoming more popular, retailers would
do well to think how they too can meet
such demands.
n PINNING IT DOWN
Pinterest has revealed its top three most
pinned engagement ring styles for the
year so far. According to the company,
moissanite gem styles are up 294 per
cent, marquise diamond art deco styles
have increased 173 per cent and oval
engagement stones are up 125 per cent.
n HEALTHY PROFITS
According to a JewelerProfit.com article,
keeping inventory over a year old,
wrong price points, under-charging for
repairs, low web traffic and poor sales
staff are key reasons why retailers find
themselves in financial distress. Solution:
jewellers should focus on “excellent
sales, good salaries and excellent cash
flow,” the article states.
“I miss how
personal it used
to be, spending
time getting to
know customers.
Everything is so
fast paced now,
people don’t build
a connection
anymore.”
JESS RICHARDS,
SECRETS SHHH –
CHADSTONE
DIGITAL
BRAINWAVE
“Ten years ago, we
had a very robust
business. Our retail
was booming and
everybody was
happy. When we
had the election,
everything
changed and it
became tough.”
TIM HAAB, HAAB
DESIGNER JEWELLERS
HIT PLAY
Thinking about getting into video marketing? An
article by business2community offers some hefty
best practice tips for retailers wanting to incorporate
videos into their marketing efforts. First, it
recommends to plan what is going to be said before
pressing record – that means no ‘winging it’ and rambling. Instead, it advises to practice
but don’t read from a script – the more conversational the tone, the better. Other top
tips include creating videos that double as teaching moments, calling on consumers to
take action, and ensuring all keywords – including the video title, description and tags –
are catchy and natural. Time to get recording!
TOP PRODUCT
Dansk Smykkekunst’s ‘Tamara
Orbit’ earrings feature a silverplated
ball on 7cm rose goldplated
copper. They are also
available in haematite with a gold
coloured ball, rhodium with a rose
gold coloured ball, and silver with a
haematite ball. They were the most
popular product last month ranked
by views at jewellermagazine.com.
VOICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN
JEWELLERY INDUSTRY
jewellermagazine.com
Managing Editor
Coleby Nicholson
Assistant Editor
Alex Eugene
alex.eugene@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
Production Manager
& Graphic Design
Jo De Bono
art@gunnamattamedia.com
Accounts
Paul Blewitt
accounts@gunnamattamedia.com
Subscriptions
info@jewellermagazine.com
Jeweller is published by:
Gunnamatta Media Pty Ltd
Locked Bag 26, South Melbourne,
VIC 3205 AUSTRALIA
ABN 64 930 790 434
Phone: +61 3 9696 7200
Fax: +61 3 9696 8313
info@gunnamattamedia.com
Copyright: All material appearing
in Jeweller is subject to copyright.
Reproduction in whole or in part is
strictly forbidden without prior written
consent of the publisher.
Gunnamatta Media Pty Ltd strives to
report accurately and fairly and it is
our policy to correct significant errors
of fact and misleading statements in
the next available issue. All statements
made, although based on information
believed to be reliable and accurate at
the time, cannot be guaranteed and
no fault or liability can be accepted
for error or omission. Any comment
relating to subjective opinions should
be addressed to the editor.
Advertising: The publisher reserves
the right to omit or alter any
advertisement to comply with
Australian law and the advertiser
agrees to indemnify the publisher for
all damages or liabilities arising from
the published material.
8 Jeweller April 2018

NEWS
NEWS
Michael Hill closes Emma & Roe stores
Michael Hill International (MHI) has
announced it will close 24 of its 30 Emma &
Roe stores in order to refocus the “direction”
of the brand.
According to the company, the 24
Australian and New Zealand stores would
be closed by 30 June 2018. The remaining
six will be repositioned to take on the
demi-fine jewellery market in smaller,
concentrated stores.
“In January, MHI announced it had
undertaken a comprehensive review of
Emma & Roe to help shape the future
strategic direction of the brand,” a company
statement said. “The findings of this review
identified a major opportunity in the demifine
jewellery segment [up-market fashion
jewellery] and an emergence in customer
preferences towards fine fashion.
“These remaining stores will be focused in a
single market area, [as MHI] considers the six
store footprint will provide the opportunity
to iterate the new model at speed.”
The statement added MHI estimated it
would cost between $5.8 and $7.9 million to
exit the stores.
As previously reported by Jeweller, MHI will
also close all of its “loss-making” stores in
the US. MHI CEO Phil Taylor noted the nine
US stores had “struggled” with a reported
$12 million loss over the last 12 months.
He said a highly competitive market,
costly advertising and “significant” industry
pressure aided the decision.
The recent company statement added
negotiations for exiting the US stores were
“ongoing” and it would provide further
information at a later date.
MHI’s Emma & Roe range was launched
in April 2014. It specialises in a range of
charms, bracelets, necklaces, earrings and
stackable rings. Named after Michael Hill’s
daughter Emma and his wife’s maiden
name Roe, the range was launched to
complement MHI’s offering.
‘Unicorn’ watch up for auction
One of the rarest watches ever made is
estimated to sell for more than CHF$3
million (AU$4 m) at an upcoming
international auction. According to auction
house Phillips, the Rolex Cosmogaph
Daytona 6265 is the only known white gold
manual-winding Daytona ever produced.
EMMA & ROE JEWELLERY STORES SET TO CLOSE
Butterfly Silver in
administration
Well-known fashion jewellery chain
Butterfly Silver has been placed into
administration. Headquartered in
Brisbane, the retail business specialises
in sterling silver rings, earrings,
necklaces, bangles and charms. It
is understood that in mid-March
it appointed P.A Lucas & Co as its
administrator. Auctioneer house
Hymans is handling the expressions of
interest from potential buyers.
Advertisements offering the business
for sale have appeared in national
newspapers.
“This prominent and popular jewellery
retailer runs from 19 outlets across the
east coast of Australia, operating out of
a head office and distribution centre in
Brisbane,” a Hymans statement noted. “It
had an annual turnover of approximately
$6.5 million, with approximately
$800,000 stock on hand at cost price.”
It added that offers for all or individual
stores would be considered, with retail
outlets located throughout Queensland,
New South Wales and Victoria.
Jeweller contacted P.A Lucas & Co
and Hymans asking why the business
had been placed into administration
and how many expressions of interest
had been submitted. However, a
response had not been received at
the time of publication.
Butterfly Silver managing director
Michael Granshaw was also contacted
for comment.
Butterfly Silver was established in 2002.
At the time of publication the company’s
website had made no mention of being
“under administration”.
“Nicknamed ‘The Unicorn’ because of its
elusive nature, Rolex made this extravagant
Daytona in 1970 and delivered it to a
German retailer,” a Phillips statement read.
“Before the discovery of this piece, we
believed that only stainless steel and yellow
gold versions of the 6265 existed.”
More than 30 of the “most sought-after”
Daytonas will be on offer at Phillips’ Daytona
Ultimatum auction in Geneva, Switzerland
on 12 May. The headlining 6265 watch is
RAREST ROLEX WATCH EVER MADE WILL AUCTION
fitted with a sigma dial and white gold
hour indicator, and has a crown made from
stainless steel. It also features a white gold
bracelet with bark finish, which was added
by its current owner, Italian watch collector
John Goldberger. Proceeds from the sale will
go to charity Children Action.
+ MORE BREAKING NEWS
JEWELLERMAGAZINE.COM
A BUTTERFLY SILVER PROMOTIONAL SHOT
April 2018 Jeweller 9

NEWS
IN BRIEF
*
GENIUS RATING
A new industry report has revealed
the digital strategies of high-profile
jewellery and watch brands. The Digital
IQ Index: Watches & Jewellery 2018 report
released by L2 Research, analysed the
digital performance of several prominent
companies including Swarovski, Pandora,
Tiffany & Co and Alex and Ani. All were
ranked by five digital e-commerce
categories, from ‘genius’ through to
‘feeble’. Tiffany & Co and Cartier were the
only brands given ‘genius’ status.
*
INDIA EXPORTS STRONG
Indian polished diamond exports went
up in February, according to a Gem &
Jewellery Export Promotion Council India
(GJEPC) report. The 0.5 per cent increase
represented US$2.5 billion (AU$3.2 b)
annually, but a 6 per cent drop in volume
to 3.1 million carats. The average price
of polished diamonds rose 6 per cent to
US$791 (AU$1,028) per carat.
*
FITBIT GETS IN SHAPE
A significantly cheaper Fitbit smartwatch
model that “looks more like an Apple
watch” has been released, a recent article
by Fortune.com revealed. According
to the report, the company’s first
smartwatch was released in 2017, but
was met with “tepid” sales figures. The
revamped Fitbit design reportedly aims to
appeal to more women.
Alexandre Sidrov
Master diamond workshop announced
Sydney-based Jewellery Institute of Australia
(JIA) will host a workshop with Dutch
“master setter” Alexandre Sidrov this month.
Sidrov will deliver a class in micro-pave
setting, and highlight methods used by
the Alexandre School for Optical Diamond
Setting, Belgium.
“Sidrov is the pioneer in optical diamond
setting. He created setting techniques that
are faster, safer and more appealing, with the
ability to make your own custom tools for
each job,” Gabriel Owen, the founder of JIA
told Jeweller.
Synthetic prices on a downer
According to a recent report by the Mining
Journal, synthetic diamonds have decreased
in price.
Independent New York diamond analyst
Paul Zimnisky noted that the decreasing
cost of technology had contributed to
the fall. “The price pressure is directly a
result of supply growth leading to more
price competition, especially as generic
production coming out of Asia increases,”
Zimnisky told Jeweller.
However, this would help boost diamond
quality, he said. “The result of more
production facilities, and increased
Million dollar fail
“We are lucky here in Australia to have such
a master come and visit. Usually people have
to wait six months to a year for a seat at his
school in Belgium,” Owen added.
As previously reported by Jeweller, Owen, a
jeweller and graduate of the Gemological
Institute of America (GIA), founded the JIA in
2017. He started the school because there
were “no advanced classes for micro-pave
setting and hand engraving.”
Students are invited to attend either one
or two week courses, beginning Monday
16 April.
production capacity of existing facilities, will
impact both supply output and quality of
output going forward, with both metrics
inevitably improving.”
Zimnisky added he believed “consumer
sentiment towards laboratory-created
diamonds is improving, as awareness and
education about the product increases”.
According to the report, true gem-quality,
synthetic diamonds suitable for jewellery
represent less than 10 per cent of global
output. However, laboratories supply around
99 per cent of industrial-grade diamonds for
other applications.
*
SYNTHETIC RUBY LAYER
The Gemological Institute of America
(GIA) has identified two red stones as
colourless natural sapphires with a
synthetic ruby ‘overgrowth’. According to
the GIA, the outer layers were “a cover of
lab-grown stone that tinted the entire
gems red.” To “the naked eye”, they had the
appearance of chemically treated natural
rubies, it noted. “This is not the first report
of synthetic ruby overgrowth, but it marks
the first time the laboratories have had
them submitted for identification. The
resurfacing of these vintage overgrowth
synthetics shows that once a material is in
the trade, it is here to stay,” the GIA added.
+ MORE BREAKING NEWS
JEWELLERMAGAZINE.COM
The National Museum of Prague has
discovered that some of its diamonds,
sapphires and rubies are “fakes”. According
to reports, a routine audit exposed the
stones. One diamond was reportedly plain
glass with a diamond cut, while others were
synthetic instead of natural.
Ivo Macek, head of the museum’s precious
stones department said, “What we have is
still a sapphire, but it is not a natural stone as
was documented when the museum gained
it in the 1970s. It was artificially created so it
does not have the value we thought it did. It
was acquired for CZK$200,000 (AU$12,354)
and today it would have been worth tens
of millions.”
The museum’s deputy director Michal Stehlík
said the museum was now investigating
how the fakes came to be part of its
collection, adding that the museum would
“thoroughly” audit all its artefacts over the
next three years.
10 Jeweller April 2018

Pink Diamonds from Argyle
Suite 1108, 227 Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000
Tel: 61 3 9650 3066 Mobile: 61 (0) 411 331 777
pinkdiamondsfromargyle@gmail.com

NEW PRODUCTS
HERE, JEWELLER HAS COMPILED A SNAPSHOT OF THE LATEST PRODUCTS TO HIT THE MARKET.
SEIKO
The Seiko Astron GPS Solar
Dual-Time watch is powered by
light, connects to a GPS network
and automatically adjusts at
the touch of a button. It also
features a 12-hour sub-dial with
a separate AM/PM indicator
to keep track of a different
timezone. Visit: seiko.com.au
NAJO
The ‘Amarres Wide Bangle’ is 64 mm and features four
rows of vine-like coils wrapped around a beaten sterling
silver bangle, which can also be stacked. Visit: najo.com.au
OSJAG
These earrings are part of the
new 2018 Gold Collection. They
come with black diamonds,
and are crafted in 14¬-carat or
18-carat gold. Visit: osjag.com
STONES
& SILVER
These pieces are some of the latest
available from Australian designers
Stones & Silver. All products are
set in .925 sterling silver.
Visit: stonesandsilver.com.au
DYRBERG/
KERN
These ‘Shiny Gold Arc’ earrings
from Dyrberg/Kern are available
in a range of different finishes.
Supplied by JLM International.
Visit: dyrbergkern.com
PASTICHE
The new Rising Sun collection from
Pastiche is “inspired by light and shade,
and the beauty of the moments in
between”. These earrings and necklace
are crafted from rose gold-plated,
stainless steel. Visit: pastiche.com.au
WORTH &
DOUGLAS
New designs have been added to
the Ziro range of rings, which include
roman numerals and skulls engraved
in black zirconium, which has a
ceramic-like texture.
Visit: wdrings.com
12 Jeweller April 2018

NEW PRODUCTS
COUTURE KINGDOM
Mickey Mouse is nine decades old this year!
Celebrate with the 90th birthday Mickey Mouse
Limited Edition Collectable pieces from Couture
Kingdom, to be released in October 2018.
Visit: couturekingdom.com
NIKKI LISSONI
The secret behind Nikki Lissoni’s designs
is said to be that “each piece of precision
cast and hand-finished jewellery
provides the opportunity for women
to create their own signature style.” The
new range is available from Duraflex.
Visit: nikkilissoni.com.au
+ MORE NEW PRODUCTS
JEWELLERMAGAZINE.COM
SAMS GROUP
This Blush Arabella Pendant and
earring set features a floral
design of natural Australian
Argyle pink diamonds, with
fine white diamonds.
Crafted in 18-carat rose
and white gold.
Visit: samsgroup.com.au
FABULEUX
VOUS
The latest addition to the Heart Series is the
‘Captured’ design. Made in sterling silver, these
delicate earrings are “inspired by love and the many
shapes and forms it comes in”. They are available as
drop earrings or studs. Visit: fabuleuxvous.com
THOMAS
SABO
Available from Duraflex, the
Generation Charm Club has
been completely reinvented
this year. Over 250 new
pieces will be available.
Visit: thomassabo.com
CLUSE
This slim rose gold-plated necklace chain,
with an elegant, simple marbled hexagon
pendant is from the new Cluse collection.
Available through Heart & Grace. Visit: cluse.com
BAUSELE
Available from Bolt International,
the new Noosa After Dark watch is
said to “capture the breathtaking
beauty of two of
Australia’s most celebrated
beaches with sophistication
and style”. Pure white grains
of sand from Whitehaven
beach are nestled in the
crown. Visit: bausele.com
April 2018 Jeweller 13

Instyle Watches PTY LTD
02 8399 7300
adminw@instylewatches.com.au
www.pierrecardinwatches.com.au

FASHION WATCHES
About time: 2018’s
FASHION
watch styles
WHILE JEWELLERY TRENDS
COME AND GO, FASHION WATCHES
REMAIN STYLISH NO MATTER THE
SEASON. TALIA PAZ PROVIDES
THE LATEST INSIGHT INTO THIS
ENDURING CATEGORY.
very year, suppliers and retailers are introduced to luxury
watch manufacturers’ latest offerings, including their
updated versions, special editions, and a bevy of new,
unique styles.
After key releases are unveiled at the important watch fairs
– think Switzerland’s enigmatic Baselworld – the fashion watch trends
inevitably trickle down the supply chain, making their way to the local
market. Here is where the cascade of vibrant colours, striking bands,
simplistic details and ornate embellishments come into play, with
consumer demand for this category showing no signs of abating.
With that in mind, here’s a taste of the latest trends shaping the
ultimate statement accessory category.
PEAK DEMAND
Minimalist yet versatile styles continue to saturate the watch market,
Simon Garber, director of Cluse distributor Heart & Grace attests.
PIERRE CARDIN
April 2018 Jeweller 15

FASHION WATCHES
Sceats agrees with these sentiments, adding that it’s up to retailers to make sure
their stock is fresh and consistently in tune with consumer demand.
“The market is tiring of so many watches with leather straps or mesh bands and
consumers are looking for watches with linked, integrated metal bands,” Sceats
says. “As well as wholesalers, we are watch designers and we need to work hard to
find and design styles that the consumer is looking to purchase.”
HEART & GRACE
INSTYLE WATCHES
“Classic styles continue to stay on trend and always will,” Garber says. “They can be
adapted with new fashionable colours and fabrications each season to match any
wardrobe. Classic watches really can be dressed up or down to suit any look.”
Cluse expanded into jewellery mid-2017 when the brand debuted three bracelet
ranges. Capitalising on the trend of pairing watches with bracelets has paid off – it’s
one of the key trends making the rounds locally and internationally. Are there other
trends that retailers should consider this year?
“Square watch faces, rose gold, interchangeable watch straps and new bi-colour
mesh straps,” Garber declares.
Jeanette Sceats, managing director of Pierre Cardin supplier Instyle Watches, has a
few other ideas. She says simple, understated styles remain strong and what was
fashionable a few years ago also seems to be coming back for round two – albeit in
a slightly revamped way.
“Medium-size women’s watches are coming back but not as large as they have
been in previous years,” Sceats notes. “We have also been asked to release more
women’s watches with crystals so it looks like ‘bling’ may be coming back too.”
This appears to be the case for the men as well. “After the last few years of the
very simple and minimal style men’s watches, we have been asked for more
large, multi-function and chronograph men’s watches,” she continues. “There is
still a part of the market that wants understated, simple styles, but this look is
diminishing in popularity.”
David Faraday, managing director of Oozoo Timepieces and Dukudu distributer
Hipp, offers his own take on what consumers will want this year.
“While the 40 mm, oversized watches continue to be the most popular, retailers
need to be aware of the resurgence of desire for smaller-case watches – think
32 or 36 mm,” Faraday says. “Also, mesh straps are definitely in greater demand.
Understated, simple styles are classic, and classic will always be popular.”
Part of the game plan is to take more chances with stock, Garber adds: “Take a risk
with new styles and colours to see if they resonate with your customer. Fashion
trends now move at a fast pace, so it’s important to stay one step ahead and
educate customers on the latest offering.”
YOUNG AT HEART
A 2017 report by UK research firm Deloitte offered interesting insight into how
retailers can sell watches to younger generations. One of its main conclusions?
Gen Y and Gen Z shoppers care more about the style of a watch than any
of its functions.
“For all practical purposes we can assume that every Millennial consumer already
owns a functioning and highly-accurate timepiece in the form of a smartphone
or tablet,” the report begins. “Mobile devices can offer all of the functionality of an
analogue watch and more. They can also duplicate most, if not all, of the functions
of a smartwatch. Yet Millennials continue to buy analogue watches for reasons of
fashion and prestige.”
An article by US business publication Fast Company also provides insight into the
younger generation’s penchant for fashion watches.
“Many of us [Millennials] are feeling that we’re not consuming technology anymore;
technology is consuming us,” it begins. “Millennials have distinct memories of
wearing watches while they were growing up… [therefore] Millennials have a
nostalgic association with analogue watches. They’re looking for timepieces that
look more sophisticated than the plastic Swatch or Casio Baby G watches they
wore when they were children, but don’t want to shell out thousands for a highend
luxury watch.”
As Steven Kaiser, president of watch and jewellery consultant company Kaiser Time
also explained in an article with US publication National Jeweler, a watch should
always be treated as the emotional purchase it is. As such, this means some specific
selling strategies need to come into play for younger generations.
“Aside from being technically educated on the intricacies of quartz and mechanical
watches, sales staff need to romance the purchase by sharing the history of
the brand and by telling personal stories that resonate with potential buyers,”
STAYING AHEAD OF THE GAME
Fashion watches continue to experience healthy consumer interest; however,
suppliers and retailers agree that maintaining a share of the market is one of the
biggest issues they face. Those challenged with the task of maintaining robust sales
believe a well-considered strategy is integral to success.
“We all know many brands have entered the fashion watch market because of the
high consumer demand,” Faraday says. “Retailers should always consider the quality
of the watches and a supplier’s commitment to fast warranty servicing and aftersales
service when choosing which brands to stock.”
HIPP
16 Jeweller April 2018

INSTYLE WATCHES
Kaiser said back in 2016. “The ability of the
salesperson to key in on the emotional part
of the purchase is in many cases just as
important as the technical aspects of the
timepiece itself.”
Staff must also be equipped to counter
an all-too-common sales rejection: that
consumers don’t require watches when they
have mobile phones. The best way to do
this is to entice shoppers to physically try on
watches of interest.
“Phones do tell the time but nothing
will ever replace the feeling of having a
beautiful timepiece on your wrist,” Gretchen
Mathews, senior vice president of human
resources at watch retailer Tourneau, said in
the same article.
Faraday also offers some advice for
capitalising on the desires of younger
generations. “Choose models that are in line
with the current fashion trends,” he says. “Keep
your range looking fresh and always have
something new and exciting to catch your
customers’ eyes.”
FOR THE ‘GRAM
Employing some simple social-media
techniques can do wonders for watch
sales, and a good place to start is by
taking inspiration from some of the big
watch names.
Last year, Omega marketed its latest watch on
Instagram and then created its own hashtag
– #SpeedyTuesday – so that consumers could
upload images of their purchases or search
directly for the watch. The simple strategy
paid off as the watch reportedly sold out
within four hours!
Local retailers could use similar marketing
ideas to improve the visibility of their latest
HIPP
offerings. After all, as Faraday explains, social
media continues to be “very influential” for
shoppers.
“Consumers are more aware of the concept
of a fashion watch and are matching their
watches to their outfits and changing them in
line with the season,” he says.
Garber agrees with these sentiments.
“Social and digital media has had a huge
influence on consumers buying fashion
watches,” she adds. “Influencers, celebrities
and consumers love to share their watches
on social media; consumers follow these
fashion influencers to stay up to date with
the colours and styles trending globally and
buy into these new styles.”
Keeping track of what consumers are
following on social media isn’t the only
strategy retailers should be employing to
boost watch sales. Instead, Sceats advises
those seeking additional inspiration to take
notice of what’s on the fashion runways.
“Look to the more fashion-forward parts of
the market to determine what styles are the
focus of international icons. These styles will
usually trickle down the market but leave
their influence in many ways, such as sizes,
colours, simplicity or bling,” Sceats explains.
“Look for new styles that are wearable but
have features that will attract the eye of
passing consumers. By adding some colour
and imagery to the store windows, you will
attract customers more than by just showing
the same conservative styles you have been
selling for several years,” she adds.
Trends may come and go but consumers
continue to maintain a healthy appetite for
fashion watches. With a few savvy techniques,
retailers can ultimately gain the upper hand in
this robust sector. i
Exclusive Distribution by hiPP.com.au
in AU & NZ
info@hiPP.com.au | 1300 132 522
(NZ 0800 65 4477)

COLOURED DIAMOND REPORT
BOLTON GEMS WORLD SHINER ELLENDALE DIAMONDS
True
COLOURS
WITH CONSUMERS INCREASINGLY SAVVY ABOUT
WHITE DIAMONDS, COLOURED DIAMONDS
CONTINUE TO OFFER RETAILERS A BETTER MARGIN.
ALEX EUGENE REPORTS ON THE BEST WAY TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THESE HIGHLY-PRIZED STONES.
here’s a scene in the film Titanic where Kate Winslet’s character
Rose sits for a seductive nude portrait, wearing a 56-carat blue
diamond, strung upon a chain of white diamonds.
The fictional gemstone, known as ‘the heart of the ocean’, is a replica of
the famous Hope Diamond, a 45.52-carat stone reportedly stolen from
an ancient statue in India, and subsequently blamed for the misfortune that
afflicted its various owners. According to myth, the Hope Diamond is cursed,
but this hasn’t stopped it from enchanting the collective consciousness of
gemstone lovers since the 17th century.
History is abundant with intriguing tales of coloured diamonds, which have
only become more popular over time.
A HISTORY OF LOVE
Whether invention or fact, many of the greatest love stories have involved
coloured diamonds.
“There has traditionally been a romance associated with coloured diamonds
and this has always attracted a premium in their pricing,” says Gersande Price,
sales manager at Ellendale Diamonds. “There is no fixed price for exceptionally
fine coloured diamonds.”
Brett Bolton, Director of Bolton Gems confirms this is the case: “Consumers
believe price is secondary to finding the right stone for them. Colour is more
of an incentive.”
Add to that the dwindling supply of some colours, notably Australian pink, and
say hello to one of the most lucrative products available to jewellers.
“Despite producing 95 per cent of the world’s pink diamonds, the Argyle
mine’s total pinks production is under 1 per cent, and with the upcoming
closure in two to three years’ time, Argyle pink diamonds are a unique West
Australian sensation around the world,” says Price.
Miri Chen, CEO of the Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF) says that
fancy-colour diamonds are so rare and beautiful they have become a serious
investment opportunity.
“Out of all diamonds in the world, only a fraction of a percent actually
show special colours and are entitled to being called fancy-colour diamonds,”
she says.
Maulin Shah, director of World Shiner says, “Demand is increasing for the pink
diamonds; they are very unique. People are buying Argyle diamonds
for investment.”

COLOURED DIAMOND REPORT
Price agrees with that sentiment. “Everyone
in the market is after an Argyle diamond,
for love of their land, the beautiful arrays of
colours or for pure investment purpose.”
Steve Der Bedrossian, CEO of Sams Group,
is matter of fact about his pink diamond
stock. “A low end pink melee in a light
pink colour is still going to cost around
AU$1,900 a carat. But for white diamonds,
the best, cleanest, small melee white
diamond is never going to pass AU$750 a
carat,” he explains.
THE NEW PRESTIGE, A SEA OF WHITE
Once considered exclusive and for the
elite, white diamonds have become more
accessible to lower ends of the market,
which has made them more popular.
A wealth of online information has
demystified diamonds further.
More information means customers are
more knowledgeable, and generally know
what they want – although the quality
of that knowledge may be lacking. Gary
Holloway, one of the world’s leading
diamond experts and owner of Holloway
Diamonds says that more accurately,
“consumer confidence” is high. Customers
“come in confident of what they want,” he
explains with a smile.
On top of that, “the white diamond market
is saturated,” says Der Bedrossian. “Retailers
can only bill them at 5 to 10 per cent
markup. They make the money on the
ring mount, not the diamond. It’s really
cut throat.” Conversely, he says that pink
diamonds “are more unique and every
stone is individual. There’s less competition
and overall I think the retailers can make
more margin.”
He adds that because of the flooded
white market, retailers can still make more
margins on the sale of brown and black
diamonds, despite the fact that they are
cheaper to buy than white diamonds.
Brown and black diamonds from Australia
also have the upper hand due to their
local origin, he says. “If it’s a diamond from
Argyle, that’s what sells.”
According to Chen, there are many
misconceptions that harm the industry.
“Most people wrongly believe that
diamonds will come out of the ground
ELLENDALE DIAMONDS
forever. This is far from the reality,” she
explains.
THE PRICE ADVANTAGE
Consumers are a long way from knowing
everything about coloured diamonds.
Holloway points out that there’s far more
variation in the way coloured diamonds are
viewed for quality.
Bolton agrees: “Customers are trying to use
what they know about white diamonds
and apply it to colour. There is no finite
grading structure for coloured diamonds.
Consumers need to know that clarity
and symmetry is less important, and that
perfection in colour matching may not be
possible. Coloured diamonds are cut for
colour return.”
Holloway states bluntly: “The grading
system for coloured diamonds is not very
good. It’s quite common to have two
identical diamonds, but of a different grade.
So I might buy a brown diamond that looks
exactly the same as another diamond that
has a higher grade, but really, you can’t tell
them apart.”
Nonetheless, Der Bedrossian says
customers who come asking for coloured
diamonds will be well aware they have to
pay more for them. “When they’ve come for
a 1-carat pink diamond, it could be up to
AU$1million per stone…believe me they’re
going to do their homework,” he says. And
with the Argyle mine estimated to close as
soon as 2020, he says those prices are on
the increase.
Shah agrees that there is a huge difference
in the price when comparing white
and natural pink diamonds, so it’s not
Timeless outside.
Revolutionary inside.
• Timeless design
• Fitness tracking
• Water resistant*
* Certified IP68 water-resistant up
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E sales@samsgroup.com.au
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P 02 9290 2199

COLOURED DIAMOND REPORT
over-priced. Such a story reinforces the
importance for jewellers to educate their
customers.
A COLOURED POINT OF DIFFERENCE
Retailers who choose to stock coloured
diamonds are already ahead of the game
because they will attract customers looking
to fulfil a special request.
www.ClassiqueWatches.com
E pink@samsgroup.com.au
W samsgroup.com.au
P 02 9290 2199
BOLTON GEMS
comparable at all. “It depends on the
colour, it depends on the shade and there
is a different price structure,” he explains.
Chen confirms it is much harder for the
average consumer to understand what
makes them valuable. “The value of a
fancy-coloured diamond is impacted by
many parameters that are very different
from those used to estimate the value of a
colourless diamond,” she says.
These complexities have helped coloured
diamonds to retain their mystique, for
the most part shielding them from ‘price
hagglers’.
So not only are coloured diamonds rarer,
more unique and more likely to be graded
as high quality, but consumers also know
less about them. This makes them one of
the better products for increasing retail
gross margin.
Another benefit for bricks-and-mortar
retailers is that coloured diamonds are
much harder to properly assess on a
computer screen.
“Coloured diamonds are something that
customers really have to see to appreciate,”
Chen says. “How accurate is a website
description? Has the colour in the photo
been re-touched or colour enhanced? With
coloured diamonds, clients have to come
into the store to see for themselves exactly
what is on offer.”
Holloway stresses the importance of
the jeweller’s knowledge with a striking
anecdote. At a trade fair last year, he viewed
two yellow diamonds that were thousands
of dollars apart in price, but the lighting
had effectively reversed their appearance,
making each look excessively under or
Chen says “offering fancy-colour diamonds
helps retailers position themselves at a
whole different level. Because of their
rarity and the fact that each fancy-colour
diamond is different, they allow a much
more interesting dialogue with the client
who will want to understand what he or
she is buying.”
Shah agrees: “In white diamonds there is
a lot of competition and similar stones
available, but every coloured stone is
different and unique so it will be easier
for retailers to make a sale and a mark-up.
It’s not easy to find something exactly the
same at another jeweller.”
Price says low supply will always fuel
demand. “There is a marked increase in
the desirability of coloured diamonds
with a very restricted supply so prices
can be much higher for these diamonds,”
she explains. “Argyle pink diamonds are a
particular example; as the mine is closing
very soon and is the world’s major source,
supplier prices are revised regularly.”
The attractiveness of Australian pink
diamonds isn’t just about rarity. Der
Bedrossian says demand for ethically
sourced stones is increasing.
“It’s what people want in Australia. It’s
called a chain of custody…from ‘the
ground to the finger’ they say. Argyle
diamonds are always worth more. You can
find the same stone on the market with a
GIA certificate – it will be argyle material,
you can tell – but if it doesn’t have the
inscription or any paperwork saying it came
from Argyle, it will be at least 25 per cent
cheaper than exactly the same stone with
Argyle paperwork,” he explains.
Bolton Gems are delivering on that demand
from consumers: “If a retailer is an exclusive
stockist of Australian Chocolate Diamonds,
they get a stone with a story that starts
from the day the diamond is mined. They

also get diamonds at a price that allows flexibility in creativity to
make a statement piece with larger diamonds.”
It’s also good news for customers of Ellendale. “We supply coloured
diamonds with origin, namely from the Argyle and Ellendale Mine
– Argyle pinks, yellows, champagne, cognacs, Ellendale yellow
and whites. Our diamond inventory covers melee size, matching
sets, single stones to investment stones and are all supplied with
certificate of origin in addition to a lab certificate where available,”
Price says.
This demand also means customers who can’t afford a large stone
would still rather walk away with a small one than nothing at all.
Therefore, even smaller stones are fetching higher prices over time.
“Fancy-colour demand and supply go in opposite directions,” Chen
says. “Supply is dwindling and demand is rising sharply. As such,
we see that in the last three years, clients who look for rare colours
and cannot afford them anymore are willing to settle for very low
clarities or very small sizes.”
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
There’s no denying that coloured diamonds are in a class of their
own, and more unique than white diamonds in many ways.
Holloway also points to a lucky break the industry may gain thanks
to technology: “A lot of yellow diamonds that used to be on the
market were in the ‘D to Z’ scale… but those diamonds, by virtue of
the cutting technology, could be turned into fancy and fancy light.”
For now though, most of the focus remains on the shrinking yield
of Australian coloured diamonds, particularly pinks.
“In the past year, World Shiner has increased its inventory of Argyle
pink diamonds, because demand will definitely increase. People
are buying lots of coloured diamonds for reasons of culture and
fashion,” Shah says.
Der Bedrossian couldn’t agree more, saying that prices have
climbed so much in recent years that he wonders just how high
they can go. “Every year these diamonds are getting rarer. I don’t
know what’s going to happen to prices once it closes because it’s
already going up all the time.”
Price sums it up elegantly: “The famous ‘diamonds are a girl’s
best friend’ slogan is still very accurate; the demand for coloured
diamonds is forever increasing. In recent years, the fancy-coloured
diamond market has been reaching record sales.”
Chen, however, turns to numbers to make her point: “The price of
smaller fancy-colour diamonds between 1.5 and 9 carats rose over
400 per cent in the past five years, and it looks like this upward
trend will continue. Also, rare colours in low clarity – SI2 and
lower – used to be hard sellers, but in the last three years, they
have been in high demand as they are more affordable. These two
phenomena will keep gaining momentum for years to come.”
In a challenging retail climate, coloured diamonds offer retailers an
exceptional opportunity to make healthy sales. Salespeople who
are armed with expert information will be able to woo customers
with these unique beauties. i

WATCH FAIR REVIEW
GENEVA WATCH FAIR
reassures the industry
IN A WORLD WHERE THE SWISS WATCH AND CLOCK INDUSTRY IS SUFFERING
UNPREDICTABLE BUYING PATTERNS, THE GENEVA SALON PROVIDED LUXURY WATCH
BRANDS WITH MUCH-NEEDED INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION. MARTIN FOSTER REPORTS.
Each year when the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie Genève (SIHH)
opens for its annual trade fair, it marks the first showing of the newest high-end
luxury watches.
It’s a fabulous showcase with no equivalent anywhere in the world. The Geneva
Salon, as it is known, is as famous for its prestigious exhibitors as it is for the quality
of its infrastructure. SIHH represents the finest examples on offer from the major
luxury brands of the Swiss watchmaking industry.
This year’s event (15–19 January) expanded the successful presentation elements
of last year, again increasing the number of exhibitors despite an extremely tough
commercial environment.
With BaselWorld enduring a major restructure, Geneva Salon is currently the only
expanding European trade show. More than 20,000 visitors attended this year – a
record number – along with 1,500 media personnel – an increase over last year of
20 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively.
The exhibition area had to be expanded to 55,000 square metres to
accommodate this, a 20 per cent increase in floor space. This year also saw the
largest number of watch houses yet; there were 35 exhibitors, compared with 30
in 2017 and just 16 in 2014.
WHAT IS THE SIHH?
SIHH launched in 1991 as a private exhibition of the luxury house brands of the
Richemont Group. In 2005, the Richemont Group, Audemars Piguet and Girard-
Perregaux formed the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) which is now the
body that oversees the event. Subsequently, the scope of the Geneva Salon has
been expanded to include closely associated watch brands.
In 2016, SIHH added a new category titled Carré des Horlogers (the Watchmaker’s
Square), which consisted of a group of highly skilled artisan-creators representing
avant-guard watchmakers and independent workshops.
Carré des Horlogers brands of note included Christophe Claret, Chronométrie
Ferdinand Berthoud, DeWitt, and Grönefeld among others. Exhibitors in the main
hall included a grand offering of brands, including A.Lange & Söhne, Baume &
Mercier, Cartier, Hermès, IWC and Montblanc to name just a few.
Last year, for the first time the Geneva Salon was opened to the public on the
final day. Fabienne Lupo, President and Managing Director of SIHH said, “The
new approach has proven its worth. The Salon has successfully undertaken
a significant transformation process that implies evolving in order to offer
exhibiting maisons [houses] not only the best platform conducive to doing good
business, but also the finest showcase in terms of communication and visibility –
all firmly plugged into today’s world.”
WHAT IS PALEXPO?
Geneva Salon is held in the PALEXPO, a large exhibition centre located adjacent to
the Geneva airport.
The event organiser gains access to PALEXPO a month before its opening date to
construct an imaginative and attractive fantasy world. Absolutely no expense is
spared: the bare concrete walls are converted into an expansive luxury complex
of about 30 brand suites and showrooms with fine, lofty architectural style, soft
carpets, diffused lighting, and hushed, luxury ambience in keeping with its high
horology exhibitors.
This luxurious set must withstand the footfall of 20,000 visitors in the week of the
trade show, only to be torn down a week later and consigned to the horological
history books. PALEXPO then returns to its regular exhibiting role for the
International Motor Show and Arts Geneva.
The past 12 months was a reassuring year for the luxury watch market, improving
somewhat on the sliding trends of recent years. Reportedly, Richemont’s buyback
implementations were successful and delivered some good year-end results
for the company.
According to Richemont’s November interim report, sales increased by 10 per
cent for the previous six months, and operating profits for the period were up 80
per cent representing final figures of more than €974 million (AU$1.5 b).
Swiss Federal Customs Administration (FCA) confirmed this trend, reporting that
Swiss watch exports for November 2016 stood at just under CHF$2 b (AU$2.7 b),
equivalent to 6.3 per cent growth.
These are very comforting numbers for industry stakeholders, and the group’s
performance was reflected in the optimism around the brands at the fair. Fine and
inventive watchmakers find new ways of combining old ideas in beautiful ways,
and this is philosophically reflected across the exhibiting brands. The 2019 Geneva
Salon will take place from 14–19 January. i
24 Jeweller April 2018

CHARM BRACELETS
GET
Lucky
with charms this season
DURAFLEX NIKKI LISSONI
THEY MAY BE SMALL BUT THEY’RE NOT TO BE
IGNORED. ALEX EUGENE DISCOVERS WHY CHARMS
ARE SO MUCH MORE THAN A PASSING FAD.
K Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter children’s book series,
first received a charm bracelet when she was just five years old.
Remembering the event in 2013 for Harper’s Bazaar, she wrote, “I had
never been given anything more beautiful.”
Later in life, when the seventh Harry Potter book was released, Rowling’s editor
gave her what would become “my most treasured piece of jewellery: a bracelet
covered in gold and silver charms from the books. There was a tiny Golden
Snitch, a silver Ford Anglia, a Pensieve and a stag Patronus. There was even a
Philosopher’s Stone in the form of an uncut garnet.”
Like her books, Rowling’s personal story will hit a note for millions of people
everywhere: charms have been made and worn for deeply personal reasons
since the earliest times. And for retailers today, there’s no better item that taps
into the highly emotional market of jewellery, but also presents an opportunity
for repeat business on a regular basis.
IN THE HISTORY BOOKS
“The charm concept has been part of human history going back to prehistoric
times,” Isaac Jewellery director Annet Atakliyan explains. “The need to keep things
close to the body – individual treasure, things of beauty, cherished memories and
marking prominent moments in life – was always met through charm jewellery.”
Indeed, ancient charms have been discovered that were made from shells, wood
and bone long before fine jewellery existed. Christians used tiny fish charms
hidden inside their cloaks to identify themselves to each other during the Roman
Empire’s reign, between 64 AD and 313 AD.
Today it remains popular to wear charms as a symbol of personal meaning. Small
and delicate, they have a unique ability to capture significant moments in life.
This, combined with the sheer diversity of designs on the market, makes charms
a highly “collectable concept” that perfectly suits the personalised jewellery
consumer, says Phil Edwards, managing director of Duraflex.
“For consumers, the appeal of this category is the unique product concepts,
which allow wearers to celebrate their own personality and diversity – there are
innumerable jewellery combinations possible,” he explains.
Ken Abbott, managing director of Timesupply, echoes the sentiment with regard
to the Nomination bracelets, which feature unique interchangeable links. “Being
able to create stories link by link with endless combinations for women, men, girls
and boys allows the wearer to express their personality using an icon
based language.”
Edwards adds there is further appeal for retailers: “Charm bracelets and bangles
make the perfect gift, which can then be added to with additional charms to
celebrate birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas and more. This
generates customer loyalty and ignites consumers passion for a brand.”
THE QUIET ACHIEVER
In a price line-up, charms might seem negligible alongside engagement rings
and other big sellers; however, it’s this very affordability that means customers are
more likely to buy more than one and come back frequently.
Pandora has built an empire on these tiny heroes. The company’s managing
director, Mikael Kruse Jensen, admits that Pandora harnessed “a magic formula in
increasing customer basket size and engaging in a long-term relationship with
the customer”.
“Charms as a concept is built on gifting and repeat purchases. With Pandora,
consumers want to fill their bracelets and create different looks according to their
26 Jeweller April 2018

CONTACT: (02) 9417 0177

DURAFLEX - THOMAS SABO ISAAC JEWELLERY STONES & SILVER
PANDORA
style and sensibility, as well as mark the moments and milestones in their lives.
The broad spread of pricing also appeals to many consumers, therefore price is
not a barrier,” he explains.
For the quiet achiever to become that winning formula, visibility is crucial,
Edwards explains.
“The concept of collectability is key, and effectively marketing this is critical,” he
says. “This is why with Thomas Sabo, the launch of Generation Charm Club is
accompanied by a comprehensive marketing concept to support local retailpartner
marketing strategies. This includes a new generation Charm Club logo,
unique POS presentation, advertising campaign, value-adding promotions, staff
training portal, social media support and more.”
Atakliyan says charms lend themselves perfectly to today’s online sales climate.
“Charms are playful and full of meaning, and as marketing ingredients, they are
easily conveyed in today’s world of social media,” she says. “Charm material can
be presented with any occasion, memory or message you wish to pass on to
your clientele.”
For Abbott, personally helping the customer make the first step is key. “Be
interested in you customer, listen and ask questions, to be able to help them build
a story in iconic links that resonates emotionally,” he suggests.
GETTING BANG FOR BUCK
Charms don’t have to be limited to the bracelet domain either, Edwards says. In
addition to the Thomas Sabo Generation Charm Club, Duraflex also carries the
popular Nikki Lissoni range, which includes collectible charm bangles.
“They are essentially similar, but also provide options for interchanging,
personalisation and wearing more charms, further driving the passion for
collecting and sales,” Edwards says.
Even better, Atakliyan says retailers can benefit without blowing out the budget.
“Small collections of charms will benefit stores as customers will be attracted to
them. Once the offer is there as a choice, retailers can order on an as-needed basis
without committing a huge part of their yearly budget. They will stay relevant
with the current market demand, instead of missing out,” she explains.
“We have found the Australian consumer loves Australian quality products. The
messages ‘We are Australian’ and ‘Hand-made in Australia’ helps with successful
sales,” she adds.
A CHARMING FUTURE
The popularity of charms has exploded worldwide and the local market is
no different.
“Sell-through from existing Composable stockists has been strong, with
consistent reorders,” says Abbott. “And since the new distribution arrangement
that started in January, with a refocus on Composable Links, we have 25 new
retail partners.”
Edwards says: “Both Thomas Sabo and Nikki Lissoni continue to be strong
jewellery brands in both the Australian and New Zealand markets. The Thomas
Sabo Charm Club is the strongest-selling range in Australia, closely followed by
the sterling silver jewellery range.
“For Nikki Lissoni, the charm products are an excellent addition to the core
concept of interchangeable coins, which are the best sellers here locally.”
Atakliyan also says the Isaac charm collections “have performed very well since
our initial launch of the Surreal brand in 2008.” She puts it down to being an
Australian product, with a quality that inspires consumers to choose Isaac over
other brands.
With the trend still going strong, suppliers are hard at work keeping it new
and fresh.
“We are launching ‘Illuminate’, our new range of charms and jewellery with
luminous gems and diamonds, which are collectable items,” Atakliyan adds. “The
sky is the limit for mixing jewellery with charms; there is always room for
marvellous creations.”
Thomas Sabo also has an extensive new range of offerings. “With around 260
restyled, high-quality charm designs, including extra-large charms, single
earrings and a wealth of different carriers such as necklaces, bracelets and hinged
hoops, the new collection is a completely new and modern offering,” Edwards
says. “Generation Charm Club now addresses all Thomas Sabo target groups,
above and beyond the loyal fans of the collection. This is by means of the new
alignment of the collection, new pricing and combination options, and the
addition of the unisex ‘Vintage Rebel’ designs.”
As Atakliyan puts it, “Charm jewellery has been
in our lives and will be part of it for many
centuries to come.”
If history is anything to
go by, she may be right,
and retailers can be
the ones to help
turn it into
a reality. i
28 Jeweller April 2018
NOMINATION

GEMS
COLOUR INVESTIGATION: RUBY
African supplies have traditionally produced
darker stones, however the new mines
produce colours that bridge the gap between
those from the classic sources of Myanmar
(low iron, strong fluorescence) and Thailand/
Cambodia (high iron, low fluorescence)
suiting a range of different markets.
A ruby’s value is determined not only by
colour, but its clarity, cut and carat size.
Consumers must be aware of the multitude
of treatments and synthetics.
Heat treatment is common practice as it
parallels what can happen in nature. The
heating process removes silk inclusions,
enhancing clarity and richness of colour.
Although it does affect the price, if heat
treatment does not add anything artificial
to the stone, it is an accepted treatment
amongst gemmologists.
INTERPRETATION OF COLOUR IS SUBJECTIVE
Desire for ruby today is great as ever. With
fluctuating quality and supply, and a high
demand for stones over one carat, this
blazing beauty can demand the highest
price per carat of any coloured gemstone.
Once thought to have held the power of life
due to its likeness in colour to blood, rubies
are still a highly coveted gemstone, signifying
wealth, success, love and passion.
Ruby is the red variety of corundum,
a crystalline form of aluminium oxide.
Colourless in its purest state, corundum is
‘allochromatic’ – meaning it relies on trace
impurities to influence its colour. For ruby,
chromic oxide replaces some of the alumina
in the crystal structure.
The amount of chromium present
determines the strength of ruby’s red, while
the presence of other elements, such as iron,
influence tone and hue.
Other than the orange-red through to strong
purplish red stones, which are called ruby,
gem quality corundum is known as sapphire,
prefixed by its colour. Paler reds or pinks are
thus appropriately named pink sapphire.
The finest, rarest quality rich-red Burmese
rubies come from the Mogok (old source) or
Mong Hsu (new source) mines.
These chromium-rich crystals form in a white
marble and because they contain no iron, the
result is vivid pinky-red stones that can show
fluorescence in sunlight, adding to their
intensity and value.
In comparison, the rubies of Cambodia and
Thailand originate in iron-rich basalt and are
typically darker. These stones have an orangered
colouring because the iron impurities
diminish the vividness caused by chromium.
In the past eight years, Mozambique – a
location of recent ruby discoveries – have
become a dominant source of commercial
quantities of varying quality and colour.
THE DOMINANCE
OF TREATED
STONES ON THE
MARKET MEANS
THAT CONSUMERS
SHOULD TRUST
THEIR LOCAL
GEMMOLOGIST
OR REGISTERED
NCJV VALUER TO
ASCERTAIN THEIR
TRUE IDENTITY
In more recent years glass has been used
to fill fractures in rubies, but while the
stone is made more attractive, the glass
fill can dramatically decrease its durability.
Sometimes called ‘composite rubies’ – but
more accurately ‘glass fracture-filled natural
ruby’ – the nature of such stones should be
explained and priced accordingly.
Interpretation of colour may be subjective,
but there is no denying the beauty of an
intense red ruby.
The dominance of treated stones on the
market however, means that consumers
should trust their local Gemmologist or
Registered NCJV valuer to ascertain
their true identity. i
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
April 2018 Jeweller 29

Behind every gemstone,
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around the world. Studying
with GAA brings the
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career in a multimilliondollar
industry. Joining
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Gemmologist and Diamond Technologist
Sales Associate, Paspaley - VIC
Diamond
Courses
Practical Diamond Grading &
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Enrolments now open
For more information
1300 436 338
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Passionately educating the industry, gem enthusiasts
and consumers about gemstones

BUSINESS
DIGITAL AGE SHOPPING: THE EXPERIENCE IS KEY
Traditional stores hold an advantage
over online marketplaces that retailers
must learn to leverage if they are
to remain competitive. FRANCESCA
NICASIO discusses how to attract and
retain customers through amazing instore
experiences.
Back in May 2016, daily-deal site Groupon
released a video for its food delivery and
reservation service Groupon Go entitled
‘Haves vs. Have-Dones’. The video compared
shoppers who purchase items – ‘the haves’
– with shoppers who purchase experiences
– ‘the have-dones’.
The commercial applauded the latter
with the tagline, “If you’re going to own
something, own the experience.”
Groupon correctly identified that
consumers are increasingly shopping for
experiences instead of just products.
In today’s retail climate where shoppers can
buy anything they desire online, brick-andmortar
merchants must offer experiences
that will lure people back to the stores.
To accomplish this, retailers must think of
their locations as destinations.
LET SHOPPERS EXPERIENCE PRODUCTS
There’s no better way to showcase the
merit of a product than allowing customers
to test and play around with it before they
buy. Allocate a space in the store where
shoppers can interact with items.
Australian game-store franchise Good
Games AU puts this into action by
providing gaming areas for shoppers. In
doing so, Good Game AU not only brings
more people into the stores but also
enriches the local communities.
“Our local community plays a fundamental
CONSIDER
HOLDING CLASSES
OR EVENTS IN-
STORE. THESE
INITIATIVES
OFFER UP
OPPORTUNITIES
TO CONNECT WITH
CUSTOMERS AS
WELL AS GIVING
PEOPLE A REASON
TO VISIT – AND
STAY – IN THE
STORE
gaming space for anyone who comes into
the store.”
Another great example comes from
Samsung. The technology company has
a store in Los Angeles called Samsung
Studio, which is a virtual-reality space where
shoppers can try on the brand’s VR gear and
get transported into a whole new world.
It also has a Design Station where visitors
can design their own tank tops, tote bags
or caps. The Samsung Studio even features
a Home area where browsers can see how
different appliances work, including a juice
bar that provides free pressed juices to
those who complete a juice quiz.
HOLD IN-STORE CLASSES
Consider holding classes or events in-store.
This provides opportunities to connect with
customers. They also give people a reason
to visit – and stay – in the store.
Now this probably isn’t what jewellery
retailers want to hear. After all, they’re
mostly in the business of selling products
but gone are the days when stores could
entice shoppers with merchandise alone.
part in sustaining our business,” retail
manager Grady Chiu says. “Naturally, we
want to give them the best experience
possible! That’s why our Good Games
franchises focus on providing a free-to-use
Jewellers have many topics on which they
could hold educational classes, such as
diamonds, coloured gemstones or precious
metals, and stores don’t need many
April 2018 Jeweller 31

BUSINESS
FIGURE
OUT WHAT
CUSTOMERS
VALUE BY
DEVELOPING
A DEEPER
UNDERSTANDING
OF THE STORE’S
TARGET
AUDIENCE. WHY
DO PEOPLE SHOP
HERE? WHAT DO
THEY LOVE TO DO
WHEN IN STORE?
WHAT ARE THEIR
PAIN POINTS?
One example of this is the personalisedshopping
service offered by popular
department stores Myer and David Jones.
This custom service is available by
appointment to shoppers seeking a higherlevel
of assistance or personal attention
than they would otherwise receive if
shopping normally. Some might want
styling advice, but others might prefer a
private experience.
Whatever the reason, the service is just
another way that department stores are
working to boost the customer experience
and get shoppers into the store.
The big stores understand that there are
customers who don’t necessarily enjoy
buying clothes or who want an experience
that makes them feel special.
CUSTOMERS WANT AN EXPERIENCE THAT MAKES THEM FEEL SPECIAL
attendees to make the night a success.
One idea for jewellers would be a jewellerycare
presentation that shows customers
how to clean their jewellery and then offers
cleaning kits for purchase after the demo.
TEAM UP WITH DESIGNERS
Elevate a store’s look, feel, and overall
experience by showcasing works of art.
Bonus points for displaying the works of
local, independent jewellery designers!
This not only gives customers a new point
of focus while they browse the shop,
making their visit more memorable, but
it also boosts the store’s inventory with
interesting bespoke collaborations.
WELCOME SHOPPERS WITH AMBIENCE
The thing about destination stores is that
people want to spend time there. They
don’t visit destination stores to shop,
though they may indeed purchase items;
they visit the store because they simply
want to be there.
free WiFi, browse products and enjoy
demonstrations, classes and concerts.
This philosophy is central to the design
of Apple’s new Melbourne flagship store
that is set to open in Federation Square
sometime this year.
According to Angela Ahrendts of Apple
Retail, the public plaza concept means
Apple stores are “not just stores”: “We want
people to say ‘Hey, meet me at Apple...did
you see what’s going on?’”
Creating a large plaza for concerts and
other activities isn’t feasible for all retailers
but the key lesson here is to build a store
that shoppers will want to visit.
HELP CUSTOMERS ENJOY THEMSELVES
Importantly, retailers should see to it that
customers have a good time when they’re
shopping in store. Great products and
customer service are a given so stores must
go beyond these factors and do something
that will keep customers coming back.
One obvious way jewellers can use this
strategy is in the case of engagement rings,
which are primarily bought by young males
who lack the knowledge and confidence to
select their own styles.
An appointment service in which a sales
consultant simplifies the process and works
directly with a customer to find a style that’s
right for their fiancée would be worth its
weight in gold to both the customer, their
loved one, and the store.
FINAL WORDS
Retailers don’t have to decide between
selling products and delivering experiences
because they’re already in a great position
to offer both.
Keep stocking up on products that
customers love. Look to incorporate more
experiential elements into store locations.
Boosting the experience will not only
help sales but will ensure a store becomes
known as a destination that customers love
to visit. Once this happens, return visits will
surely follow. i
Apple is one company that understands
this well, which is why its stores now
feature a new look and amenities that place
a greater emphasis on hanging out.
One of the most significant additions to
Apple’s new store format is the generation
of what the company calls a public plaza,
space where people can gather to use
Figure out what customers value by
developing a deeper understanding of the
store’s target audience. Why do people
shop here? What do they love to do when
in store? What are their pain points? Use
the insights from these questions to create
an experience that shoppers will enjoy.
FRANCESCA NICASIO is
a retail expert from Vend, a
POS, inventory and customer
loyalty software for merchants.
Learn more: vendhq.com
32 Jeweller April 2018

SELLING
IMPROVING SALES WITH TECHNOLOGY
AS THE SALES LANDSCAPE CHANGES, RETAILERS MUST PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE. ONE WAY TO DO THIS IS TO STUDY
HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN ASSIST SALESPEOPLE, RATHER THAN REPLACE THEM. GRETCHEN GORDON REPORTS.
What will retail be like in 2020? It’s not that
far away but retailers are probably more
focused on achieving their annual targets to
think that far ahead.
Recently, I had the chance to ponder this
question when I was approached by Vistage
Research to consider what selling would be
like over the next two years. They wanted
me to provide insights for a book titled:
Customer Growth: Decisions for the SMB CEO.
Let’s start with the topic of technology and
the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in sales.
Will it disrupt or enhance sales in the future?
MORE OR FEWER SALESPEOPLE?
In 2015, Forrester Research predicted that
one million business-to-business people
would lose their jobs in the US by 2020.
This finding draws on the rise of
organisations and individuals buying goods
and services through online purchases,
unaided at all by salespeople.
I am still a firm believer, however, that a
growing number of complex and valueadded
services will require a human to sell
them effectively.
Further, there remains a large segment of
the population that values the interaction
they get with humans.
This could not be truer in retailer categories
such as fine jewellery where the touch-andfeel
aspect of the product is a crucial aspect
of the sales process.
Also fuelling job losses is the relentless
pursuit of sales efficiency and effectiveness.
Frequently, this involves some aspect of
phone selling instead of live interaction,
because the customer prefers the ease of it
and the sales organisation benefits from the
efficiency and cost savings.
THE EVOLVING SALES ORGANISATION
It was once rare to have ‘inside’ salespeople
close business, but it is now common. What
I FIRMLY
BELIEVE THAT
WELL-SKILLED
SALESPEOPLE WILL
BECOME MORE
VALUABLE AS THE
USE OF AI AND
TECHNOLOGY
INCREASES IN
SALES
AI WILL ENHANCE, NOT KILL OFF REAL STAFF
does this mean for humans in the future?
With increased advances in AI, smart
businesses will use this technology to
evaluate the effectiveness of their staff. The
efficient and focused sales organisation
will leverage AI by reviewing reactions to
certain words, phrases and interactions.
It will attempt to use this data to duplicate
the sales conversations that work and
eliminate the ones that don’t.
AI CAN ENHANCE SALESPEOPLE
Sure, a business can streamline further by
using voice prompts and AI to engage the
customer at the start of any sales dialogue
and this can be done without any human
involvement; however, it is my opinion that
this will only work for low-value services.
For other types of selling, I firmly believe
that well-skilled salespeople will become
more valuable as the use of AI and
technology increases in sales.
Those individuals who are committed to
improvement and are adaptable will be
valued highest in a future sales world.
They will also benefit the most from the
feedback and knowledge that AI can
provide because they will strive to adapt
their conversation style and phrasing to
produce significantly better outcomes.
Salespeople don’t need to be scared that
technology may streamline some sales
processes. Rather, they should embrace the
learning that can come from the increased
use of technology.
TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP IN OTHER WAYS
AI can be used for more than actual
conversational analysis.
There are other technologies to help
sales teams to find and qualify leads, stay
connected and score new business. I’m
intrigued by all of these; however, I am not
an expert on them.
If you really want to learn more about the
technologies that aid sales, there is no
shortage of online resources that discuss it.
One resource I use is www.smartsellingtools.
com, where sales and marketing expert
Nancy Nardin analyses the latest and
greatest selling technologies available.
WHAT TO DO NOW
Knowing that the salespeople of the future
will need to continuously adapt and grow, it
might make sense to get ahead, and hire for
that quality now.
The rate of change isn’t slowing down, and
2020 will be here soon.
Retailers who can show future adaptability
will go some way towards surviving in the
new retail environment. i
GRETCHEN GORDON owns
Braveheart Sales Performance,
a company helping clients to
improve sales. Learn more:
braveheartsales.com
April 2018 Jeweller 33

MANAGEMENT
DATA CAN BOOST CUSTOMER LOYALTY AND SALES
RETAILERS IN SEARCH OF WAYS TO BOOST LOYALTY AND ENCOURAGE REPEAT SHOPPING NEED ONLY LOOK TO THEIR EXISTING
DATA FOR ANSWERS. EFFECTIVE CUSTOMER LOYALTY STRATEGIES CAN LEAD TO EXTRA SALES. BRYAN PEARSON REPORTS.
According to a 2015 study from loyalty and
customer engagement firm Colloquy, the
average US household enrols in 29 loyalty
programs but participates in just 12 of these.
Perhaps this is because there are too many
loyalty programs or perhaps consumers
perceive that the rewards aren’t worth all the
extra effort.
Whichever the reason, it’s hard for retailers
to build loyalty if their customers aren’t even
interested in their loyalty programs. The time
has come for a loyalty revamp. Here are five
expert secrets that can be used to drive loyalty
and bump up business.
LET CUSTOMERS DRIVE
When it comes to developing or revamping
a loyalty program, retailers shouldn’t overlook
their most valuable information resource –
their customers.
Chip Bell, senior partner of customerexperience
consultancy the Chip Bell Group,
says retailers rarely ask their customers what
motivates their loyalty because they assume
they already know.
“Customers are constantly changing; today’s
fad is tomorrow’s antique,” Bell says. “Start a
loyalty program by asking customers [what
they would like to see in loyalty programs].
Look at the theme of frequent customer
complaints as a path to the opposite end of
the spectrum; it can reveal what matters most.”
START PERSONALISING
Once the foundation of a good loyalty
program is poured, it’s time to use the data
but knowing how to put it to good use is one
of the challenges of loyalty marketing.
Retailers have a wealth of data on their
shoppers but they often don’t know how
to interpret it. This makes implementing a
targeted rewards program difficult.
According to Debjyoti Paul, assistant vice
president of digital business at Mindtree, an
IT-services consultancy based in India and
MORE THAN NINE
IN TEN BABY
BOOMERS (93
PER CENT) FEEL
OVERLOOKED
AND
INADEQUATELY
REWARDED,
ACCORDING TO
ICLP RESEARCH
PRODUCT ASSORTEMENT IS A KEY FACTOR
New Jersey, “The first step is to clean up the
loyalty data to uniquely identify each shopper
and form a basic profile [for each customer]
that is trustworthy.” Once this is done, profiles
can be expanded with personalised data. As
a customer profile swells with information,
retailers can then customise offers to match
unique preferences.
TAKE A BREATH ON BREADTH
Product assortment is a large factor in luring
shoppers back in store. Inventory is often
derived from loyalty insights but striking the
balance between too much and too little
is arduous. Total-store optimisation helps
retailers assess the necessary breadth and
depth of various categories.
“Consider the yoghurt category,” explains
Graeme McVie, vice president of business
development at retail analytics firm Precima.
“How many flavours of yoghurt are required
versus how many sizes versus how many
brands? Now contrast this with the spices
category where breadth is required but not
depth – there are lots of different spices but
not many types of oregano, for example.”
This strategy enables retailers to align the
depth and breadth of each category with the
needs of shoppers. Then they can ensure the
correct amount of shelf space is allocated to
each category.
CUTTING PRODUCT CAN CUT PROFITS
Inventory is directly linked to loyalty and
retailers should be careful before deleting
slow products. Advanced analytics and
loyalty data can unearth hidden value in
items that may be slow sellers, according to
McVie. “Retailers often rank and yank when
evaluating their assortment; that is, they rank
all items in their category by sales and de-list
the bottom performers,” McVie continues.
Instead, he believes retailers should consider
an item’s true value and customer importance
when making decisions. An item’s true value
is calculated by taking the total sales and
subtracting the sales of any substitute items,
which are items that shoppers would buy
if the original item was no longer available.
Then add to this figure the sales of other
items purchased solely because they
complement the original item.
This true value shows retailers that the
removal of an item can cause flow-on
losses. When stores fail to offer alternatives,
customers are likely to take their entire
baskets to another retailer.
DON’T FORGET THE BOOMERS
Retailers are right to target Millennials,
particularly through mobile communications;
however, if those retailers fail to offer the
same opportunities to Baby Boomers, they
could miss significant opportunities. More
than nine in ten boomers (93 per cent) feel
overlooked and inadequately rewarded,
according to ICLP research. Consequently,
they are less loyal.
These five loyalty tips may not be secrets, but
they do offer insights into how to generate
loyalty. Retailers looking to boost their return
visits should use some of the above. i
BRYAN PEARSON is
president and CEO of
LoyaltyOne and a retail
contributor to Forbes. Learn
more: pearson4loyalty.com
34 Jeweller April 2018

MARKETING & PR
TRENDS: MEASURE THEM OR MISS OUT
IN-STORE DATA CAN SHOW RETAILERS THE NEXT EMERGING TRENDS, PROVIDING THEY KNOW WHERE TO LOOK. IT’S A SKILL
THAT’S WORTH LEARNING, EVEN IF IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE A CHORE IN THE BEGINNING. DAVID BROWN REPORTS
These days, business is all about big data;
the industry is inundated with hordes of
information that was never available to
retailers from previous generations.
Although this information can be invaluable
for its ability to shape the decision-making
process, the sheer quantity of it might
overwhelm retailers.
Using the information that comes from a POS
system can be a helpful way of spotting the
trends a business is encountering, enabling
that business to react ahead of competition.
The fashion industries are experts at trend
spotting; top designers will spend thousands
of dollars sending experts all over the world
to find trends.
It’s said that the fashion industry is capable
of predicting what styles consumers want to
wear before consumers even know it!
This early insight is essential due to the
constantly changing nature of their product.
Although aspects of the jewellery industry’s
product lines are consistent year-to-year
– diamond ring designs don’t change as
quickly as clothing choices – there are still
trends that shape what customers like to buy
and these change over time.
How does trend spotting work for a business
owner? The amount of information available
in the average store might be surprising,
especially when this information can help
retailers to spot current and upcoming
trends in their businesses.
From sales reports to inventory-ageing
and stock-imbalance statistics, there is a
sumptuous array of reports that can improve
a retailer’s ability to spot trends.
So much information, in fact, that those
retailers who aren’t spotting trends are
possibly not using their data effectively.
A deep curiosity is necessary for any owner
who wants to play the role of trend spotter
but it’s a skill that doesn’t come easily to
STOREOWNERS
CAN’T MANAGE
WHAT THEY’RE NOT
MEASURING. IT’S
DIFFICULT TO SPOT
TRENDS USING
ONLY BAD DATA
AND IMPOSSIBLE
TO SPOT TRENDS
WITH NO DATA
DON’T OVERLOOK POSITIVE TRENDS
everyone. Here are some common mistakes
to be avoided to ensure the best possible
chances of spotting trends early on.
LACK OF A GOAL
It’s one thing to look at a line on a graph
and say, “Hmm, this seems to have changed
course slightly.” It’s another to say, “This was
expected to move toward 25 per cent and
it’s only at 15 per cent.”
Having an expectation makes it easier to
identify when a trend has changed. This is
especially important in the case of negative
movements; retailers who don’t recognise
these might be late to make stock changes,
costing them time and money.
If it’s a positive trend that is overlooked,
retailers might record opportunity costs
because they didn’t capitalise immediately
upon emerging styles.
BAD INFORMATION
Storeowners can’t manage what they’re not
measuring. It’s difficult to spot trends using
only bad data – and impossible to spot
trends with no data.
Make a commitment to getting the data you
need to know how the business is doing
on all fronts and then create a roadmap to
establish a reliable stream of information.
Determine the necessary reports that
will provide the business with the key
information it needs.
WEARING BLINKERS
All retailers have different orientations to life
and this reflects in the expectations they
set their businesses. These expectations can
create biases that affect the way retailers
interpret and/or pick up on trends.
What biases might you bring to the way you
interpret your data? Are you an optimistic
person?
If so, you may want to complement that
perspective with someone who has a
different view so that you are looking for
trends with a well-rounded perspective.
After all, it’s very difficult to see that which
you are not seeking.
Trend spotting should be a part of every
store’s employee feedback loop. Regularly
collecting information from the sales team
can provide valuable feedback into what
customers are buying and what items no
longer interest them.
Combining data with anecdotal opinions
from the sales floor can help businesses to
stay ahead of the competition and keep
product lines on trend for much longer.
Retailers that can avoid the mistakes above
and bring a healthy dose of curiosity to big
data will be amazed by what they uncover
about their businesses.
Stores already have access to a mine of data
that will provide owners with the answers
they need. i
DAVID BROWN is
co-founder and business
mentor of Retail Edge
Consultants. Learn more:
retailedgeconsultants.com
April 2018 Jeweller 35

LOGGED ON
REACH MORE CUSTOMERS WITH INSTAGRAM
INSTAGRAM IS A GREAT TOOL TO BUILD CONNECTIONS AND ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE BUT CONSISTENCY IS KEY. MELISSA
MEGGINSON REPORTS ON HOW RETAILERS CAN USE A FEW SIMPLE TOOLS TO GET IN ON THIS IMPORTANT PHENOMENON.
The number-one question retailers ask about
social media is, “How do I build an Instagram
following from nothing?”
Before you start filling up your feed with cat
pictures or classic quotes, you need to define
your brand voice on Instagram. Images need
to align with your brand and must therefore
promote the brand’s values.
One way to start an Instagram journey is to
summarise your brand’s essence in a single
word or adjective.
Are you promoting beauty, confidence
or luxury? Narrow in on the consumer
experience that is key to your brand identity.
The better you become at curating content
that matches your brand and identifies with
your target audience, the faster your ideal
customers will connect with your business.
BUILD THAT FOLLOWING
Once you’re ready to post, it’s extremely
important to involve your brand in the right
kinds of user conversations.
This is where hashtags come into play.
Users follow hashtags to view content that
pertains to their interests.
When you use hashtags, Instagram
automatically lists your post in those search
results. For example, mark a custom piece
with the hashtags #jewellerydesign and
#bespokejewellery to appear in searches for
those categories.
Likewise, mark your posts as
#melbournejeweller, #adelaidejeweller or
#perthjeweller to appear in searches that are
made based on location.
Be aware that some conversations are very
loud, with hundreds of users adding content
to a topic every hour. These are the hashtags
with higher competition and more volume.
They may be highly relevant but it’s harder
to be seen. Try and use different hashtags to
increase engagement.
One very useful, but underused Instagram
strategy is @mentions. This is when one user
tags another user to draw their attention to a
post, and hopefully engage with it.
There are several different ways to go about
using this tool, but the best way for rapid
growth is to craft content that prompts
followers to @mention their friends in the
comments, where they interact.
Another effective strategy is to create a
‘tribe’ on Instagram. This is a group of users
who are all trying to appeal to the same
demographic. Agree to share each other’s
content to organically help each other
increase reach.
While building your tribe, use @mention
in your description to build rapport with
other accounts. Remember, social media is a
great tool to build connections and engage
with people. Like every social platform,
consistency is key. Similar to Pinterest,
it’s important to post regularly but avoid
posting too much.
THE BEST TOOLS FOR THE JOB
There are so many Instagram tools that can
provide in-depth insights into analytics and
keywords that social-media managers can
find the breadth of choice overwhelming.
The best place to start right now is actually
on Instagram.
The platform recently opened new business
insights under its business-page tools.
Designed to help users create better ads,
this tool unlocks useful analytics about your
Instagram account.
To build a list of relevant keywords, try using
Tailwind’s Hashtag Finder. This tool will
allow you to type in a few hashtags and will
recommend related hashtags.
They are organised by:
• Niche: unique, typically branded hashtags
• Competitive: the really popular hashtags
like “love”
• Better: hashtags that are used, but not as
common as the favourites
DEFINE YOUR BRAND VOICE BEFORE FILLING YOUR INSTAGRAM FEED
THE BETTER
YOU BECOME
AT CURATING
CONTENT THAT
MATCHES YOUR
BRAND AND
IDENTIFIES WITH
YOUR TARGET
AUDIENCE,
THE FASTER
YOUR IDEAL
CUSTOMERS WILL
CONNECT WITH
YOUR BUSINESS
• Best: commonly used but not particularly
overused hashtags
Once you find a great mix of hashtags, you
can save them to a list to use again.
For help creating spectacularly captivating
content, explore Canva and Adobe Spark.
Both platforms give you pre-formatted
templates for each social platform as well as
templates to start creating.
Soldsie helps turn a profile link into a virtual
storefront. Now you can do what you’ve
been craving by turning your photos into
a sales funnel. Soldsie has two different
options and it is the first one that transforms
your profile link into a buyable photo gallery.
Used effectively, a well-managed Instagram
account could be the key to creating
stronger relationship with customers. In
the digital arena, effective social-media use
can be the difference between delivering a
personal touch to potential buyers or generic
mass-marketing messages. i
MELISSA MEGGINSON is
marketing manager at Tailwind,
a leading visual marketing
tool for brands. Learn more:
tailwindapp.com
36 Jeweller April 2018

MY STORE
STORE: DIAMOND
BOUTIQUE
COUNTRY: AUSTRALIA
NAME: OLIVIA HUTCHISON
POSITION: DIRECTOR
When was the renovated space
completed?
We relocated to our current location in
the trendy Braddon shopping district,
Canberra in 2013.
Who is the target market and how did
they influence the store design?
Our store is a destination for couples
seeking high quality, unique
engagement rings and mature career
women who appreciate high end
bespoke jewellery. We also have a
strong clientele for remodelling existing
jewellery. This is why having a visible
workshop was such an important feature
for us to include when we designed our
current store.
With the relationship between store
ambience and consumer purchasing
in mind, which features in the store
encourage sales?
Our showroom has a nice flow with
an open space framed with display
cabinets. The collections displayed in the
cabinets are organised by gem colour
and type, which allows our shoppers to
search by their favourite gemstones.
Our branding is continuously
represented throughout the space
with our colour scheme reflected in the
grey carpet, paint and cabinets.
We purposely decided against an
industrial theme and aimed for a high
quality ‘homey’ feeling with very high
ceilings and luxurious thick carpet.
What is the store design’s ‘wow factor’?
With no street frontage, our store
is definitely a destination rather
than a location. Customers that
seek us out are always impressed
with the chandelier and bright
lighting in the crisp white cabinets.
Our unique one-off jewellery collections,
wall of certificates and awards are
a hot topic of conversation, along
with our visible workshop and
design space. i
April 2018 Jeweller 37

10 YEARS AGO
WHAT WAS MAKING NEWS 10 YEARS AGO?
A SNAPSHOT OF THE INDUSTRY EVENTS THAT MADE NEWS HEADLINES IN THE APRIL 2008 ISSUE OF JEWELLER.
Gift fair makes room for more
The story: Reed Gift Fairs has expanded in 2008,
attracting more exhibitors at both its Sydney and
Melbourne shows in February.
Reed Gift Fairs’ Sydney show in February welcomed
an additional 677 companies while its smaller
Melbourne fair saw 176 more companies than in
2007. Overall, Sydney and Melbourne had total visits
of 28,645 and 8,259 respectively.
Both fairs enjoyed an increase in first-time visitors.
Standards Australia
targets hallmarking
The story: Standards Australia (SA) is
preparing a set of requirements for jewellers
to properly identify their pieces.
According to Australia’s peak standards body,
the move is an attempt to eliminate the sale
of inferior goods to unwitting consumers.
While most industry members were doing
the right thing, SA claimed that some
were not: “These new standards will give
consumers an added level of confidence
in the true value of the jewellery they are
buying,” SA CEO John Tucker said.
According a release from Reed, the results indicate
that face-to-face buying remains a powerful
component of gift industry purchasing.
“Gift buyers increasingly value Reed Gift Fairs as an
important, pre-eminent way of doing business,” Omer
Soker, exhibition director of Reed Gift Fairs said.
“The gift industry is large but fragmented, and we
have worked hard to research with our exhibitors how
to manage our fairs to be in their best interests.”
AMAZON DIAMOND
SALES SPARKLE
The story: Diamond sales at Amazon.
com increased more than 100 per
cent in the fourth quarter of 2007,
when compared with the same period
in 2006, an announcement from the
company stated.
Pendants, stud earrings and createyour-own
engagement rings were
especially popular during the holiday
season, according to the mammoth
online retailer.
QUEENSLAND ANNOUNCES
APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR
The story: Robert Soom is
Queensland’s Apprentice of the
Year. The young jeweller working at
McKim’s Jewellery Design narrowly
beat out Belinda Smith (runner-up)
from LeGassick Collections.
The 3rd Year Jewellery Apprentice
Design Awards were presented
alongside other accoladees late
last year. Apprentices attend the
Southbank Institute of Technology in
learning blocks, during the first three
years of their jewellery apprenticeship.
Aussie diamonds fall in 2007
The story: The Australian Bureau of Agricultural &
Resource Economics (ABARE) has reported a drop in
Australian diamond production. According to a report
in Rapaport, local diamond production fell 24 per
cent to 6.2 million carats, while diamond exports by
value declined 8 per cent to $183 million in the fourth
quarter of 2007.
For the full calendar year, Australia’s diamond
production and export volume dropped 34.3 per cent
to 19.3 million carats.
Australia was the third largest producer of diamonds
by volume in 2006, and seventh by value, according
to Kimberley Process data. Total diamond exports fell
12.6 per cent to $684 million in the 2007 calendar
year, according to the ABARE report.
The country’s refined gold exports increased 21.7
per cent to $AU10.8 billion for the full calendar year,
while refined gold production fell 1.2 per cent to 375
tonnes. Australia’s total mineral resources exports
grew 5 per cent to $AU106.6 billion in 2007.
38 Jeweller April 2018

EVENTS
JEWELLERY AND WATCH CALENDAR
A GUIDE TO THE LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY AND WATCH EVENTS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE IN THE YEAR AHEAD.
APRIL 2018
APRIL 2018
TIMES ASIA JEWELS FAIR
Bengaluru, India
April 6 –8
Learn more: asiajewelsfair.com
PALAKISS TRADE AND
DELIVERY JEWELLERY
SHOW ITALY
Vicenza, Italy
April 7–9
Learn more: palakisstore.com/en
NATIONWIDE JEWELLERS
ANTWERP TRIP
Antwerp, Belgium
April 8–13
JEWELERS INTERNATIONAL
SHOWCASE (JIS)
Florida, US
April 14–16
Learn more: jisshow.com
SHOWCASE JEWELLERS
INDIA TRIP
India
April 15– 26
MASTERCLASS
Two week program with
Alexandre Sidrov
Sydney, NSW
April 16–27
Learn more: info@jewelleryinstitute.
com
CHINA INTERNATIONAL
GOLD, JEWELLERY
& GEM FAIR
Shenzhen, China
April 19–22
Learn more: exhibitions.
jewellerynetasia.com/szj
MAY 2018
GAA 71ST FEDERAL
CONFERENCE AND
SEMINAR
Hobart, TAS
May 3–6
Learn more: gem.org.au
NATIONWIDE JEWELLERS
AFRICA TRIP
Africa
May 3–11
INTERNATIONAL
JEWELLERY KOBE
Kobe, Japan
May 16–18
Learn more: ijk-fair.jp
JUNE 2018
JCK LAS VEGAS
Las Vegas, US
June 1–4
Learn more: lasvegas.jckonline.com
HONG KONG JEWELLERY
& GEM FAIR
Hong Kong, China
June 21–24
Learn more: jewellerynetasia.com
JULY 2018
WINTON OPAL
TRADESHOW
Winton, QLD
July 13–14
Learn more: qboa.com.au
LIGHTNING RIDGE OPAL
AND GEM FESTIVAL
Lightning Ridge, NSW
July 26–29
Learn more: lightningridgeopalfestival.
com.au
AUGUST 2018
AUSTRALIAN OPAL
EXHIBITION
Gold Coast, QLD
August 2–3
Learn more: austopalexpo.com.au
LEADING EDGE GROUP
JEWELLERS MEMBER AND
SUPPLIER CONFERENCE
Sydney, NSW
TBA
SHOWCASE JEWELLERS
MEMBER AND SUPPLIER
CONFERENCE
Hunter Valley, NSW
August 20–24
NATIONWIDE JEWELLERS
MEMBER EVENTS
(in conjunction with International
Jewellery Fair)
Sydney, NSW
August 25–27
INTERNATIONAL
JEWELLERY FAIR
Sydney, NSW
August 25–27
Learn more: jewelleryfair.com.au/2018
SEPTEMBER 2018
INTERNATIONAL
JEWELLERY LONDON
London, UK
September 2–4
Learn more: jewellerylondon.com
HONG KONG WATCH &
CLOCK FAIR
Hong Kong, China
September 4–8
Learn more: m.hktdc.com/fair/
hkwatchfair-en/HKTDC-Hong-Kong-
Watch-and-Clock-Fair.html
BIJORHCA PARIS
Paris, France
September 7–10
Learn more: bijorhca.com
JEWELLERS AND
WATCHMAKERS OF NEW
ZEALAND TRADE FAIR
Auckland, New Zealand
September 9–10
Learn more: jwnz.co.nz
NATIONWIDE JEWELLERS
ANTWERP TRIP
Antwerp, Belgium
September 22–28
April 2018 Jeweller 39

MY BENCH
Christopher
Green
WORKS AT:
Christopher Green Jewellers
AGE: 54
YEARS IN TRADE: 37
TRAINING: On the job
training with a diamond
ring maker for fifteen years
OTHER QUALIFICATIONS:
Diamond setter, diamond
ring maker, designer,
business owner, managing
director
Favourite gemstone:
Diamonds, for their sheer
magnificence in colour
and shape.
Favourite metal:
18-carat yellow gold
– I enjoy the hue of the
metal and it is a pleasure
to work with.
Favourite tool:
My saw frame. It is a skill
that takes years to master.
It’s the best tool for
diamond ring making and
hand piercing.
Best new tool discovery:
An Eschenbach headset,
as it is light and clips onto
current eyewear!
Best part of job:
Meeting people and
contributing something
meaningful toward the
special occasions in
their lives.
Worst part of job:
A lack of free time – my time
is always spent in business.
Best tip from a jeweller:
Every job and customer
is important.
Best tip to a jeweller:
You are only as good as
your last job.
Love jewellery because:
I get to be creative daily!
My bench is always:
Immaculately organised,
because I’m meticulous and
a well-organised person.

SOAPBOX
COLOURED GEMSTONES ARE UNDERRATED
In Australia, coloured gemstones often
play second fiddle to diamonds, and
outside the big three – ruby, sapphire and
emerald – the knowledge of the general
population is lacking. This is a problem
because not only are customers missing
out on an array of wonderful gemstones,
retailers are missing many opportunities
to make sales.
The classic example is opal: for years the
average person thought of it as something
that a tourist would purchase for $6 – or
alternatively, was sold overseas for tens
of thousands of dollars. However, artisan
jewellers and the custom-make market has
changed all that. Today there is a flourishing
market for opal varieties such as boulder, pipe,
fossil, crystal, plus standard white and black.
emerald, which has a tendency to chip, and
pearls, which are soft and susceptible to
chemical wear – are still widely used without
protest. With a refractive index exceeding
almost any other natural stone, and a range
of hues from pure white to sultry mauves
and pinks – not to mention the vivid blues
produced with heat treatment – zircon can
produce the most amazing sparkly gems.
Stones such as apatite, kyanite, fluorite and
facet quality varieties of minerals like sunstone
and moonstone have all been overlooked
often, due to slightly lower durability. But
these days, consumers are looking for
something fresh and exciting; less durable
gems, if set sympathetically and cared for
properly, can fill this demand and usually at a
fraction of the cost of other stones.
I have also noticed a growing interest for
raw gem material. As with the rise of opal,
people are looking for organic, naturally styled
jewellery, and this is the perfect avenue to use
more obscure and interesting rough gems.
If your customer shows an interest in less
mainstream styles – why not show them a few
more colour options?
The demand for deep red spinel in South East
Asia is filtering down to Australia too. Another
great looking gem with a refractive index and
hardness approaching sapphire, there is a
growing trend to use a diamond cut on spinel
to produce very attractive pieces, especially in
lesser known colours such as grey and steel
tones. Encourage your customers to admire
these combinations – if they don’t know
about them, they can’t buy them!
It’s up to us, the experts, to change
perceptions in a similar manner about other
gemstones. So, let me set the record straight
on a few of the most underrated stars.
The amount of times I’ve had people turn up
their nose at zircon is off the charts! This is
purely because the name sounds similar to
cubic zirconia, so the customer thinks you are
trying to sell them a synthetic.
It can be so bad, that once I had a jeweller
with over thirty years experience tell me
they weren’t interested in zircon, because
they didn’t carry synthetics – at which point I
politely informed them that was fine, because
the tray of stones I was presenting came from
an artisanal mine in the Northern Territory.
While zircon has an acceptable hardness
of around seven, it is seen as less suitable
for jewellery because it is less durable. But
There are also more obscure stones creeping
into the market. For those who have not seen
a stunning teal or vivid electric blue apatite, it
is definitely something to seek out.
Garnet is a durable and cost effective
gemstone that also has good recognition
with consumers. Most people think of garnets
as orange-brown or very dark, wine coloured
gems, yet green garnets like tsavorite and
demantoid can be unbelievably beautiful.
Rhodolite garnet is also becoming more
prominent: an amazing range of hues from
the most intense pure violet, to almost candy
like raspberry tones are now available – no
longer only the dark ruddy purple it was often
associated with. If that were not enough, it’s
also not uncommon to see colour-change
garnet on the market. These make an
excellent alternative for people looking for an
affordable multi-hued stone.
THERE IS A
GROWING TREND
TO USE A DIAMOND
CUT ON SPINEL TO
PRODUCE VERY
ATTRACTIVE PIECES,
ESPECIALLY IN
LESSER KNOWN
COLOURS SUCH AS
GREY AND STEEL
TONES
I enjoy the teaching process, and the
recognition a consumer gains when
they come to me looking for, say, a standard
blue sapphire, and end up with a steel blue
spinel they never knew they would fall in
love with. There really is an amazing world of
coloured gemstones to be discovered which
can provide beautiful, cost effective, and
unique alternatives for gemstone jewellery.
We just have to be willing to take the
plunge; first ourselves – then to help our
customers do it too. i
Name: Charles Lawson
Business: Lawson Gems
Position: Owner/Director
Location: Brisbane
Years in the industry: 12
Got something to get off your chest about the jewellery
industry? Let us know! editorial@jewellermagazine.com
42 Jeweller April 2018

“ i choose”
July 7 – 9, 2018 • Brisbane Exhibition Centre, South Bank
“ i choose...
...Gift HQ as it exposes us to
the latest products on trend
and offers us an opportunity
to meet our suppliers face to
face. It allows us to facilitate
orders that we place, directly
at the fair’.
Leanne De Martini Thousand
Island Dressing
Gift HQ is Queensland’s premier gift and homewares trade fair, catering to national
retailers in the gift industry. Year after year the event continues to inspire, develop
and generate ongoing support for the Queensland gift and homewares sector.
Visitors to the event are looking for new products and to place orders for the coming season. They come to
meet with existing and new suppliers and to network with their peers.
Exhibitors at the event are making connections with new and existing clients, unveiling their new product
lines, and staying abreast of industry trends.
“ i choose...
...Gift HQ to catch up with my
customers face to face, to discuss
and understand their needs. It is our
place to launch our new seasons
products which gives me an
immediate reaction and assists in
planning for the Christmas trade.”
Cheryle Roberts, Stones
& Silver
www.giftfairevents.com.au • P: 02 9452 7575 • E: info@fairevents.com.au

Argyle Pink Diamonds are beyond rare and amongst the most precious diamonds in the world.
Pink Kimberley jewellery is crafted from an exquisite blend of white diamonds and natural Australian
pink diamonds from the Argyle Diamond Mine, located in the East Kimberley region of Western
Australia. A coveted Argyle Pink Diamond Certificate accompanies all Pink Kimberley pieces
containing pink diamonds greater than 0.08ct.
SAMS GROUP
AUSTRALIA
www.PinkKimberley.com.au
E pink@samsgroup.com.au W samsgroup.com.au P 02 9290 2199