Jeweller - May 2019

VOICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN JEWELLERY INDUSTRY 

MAY 2019 

Watch list 

SELLING WITH STYLE IN THE 

FASHION WATCH SECTOR 

All Thai’d up 

+ + 

HANDCRAFTED EXCELLENCE AND A 

ROYAL TOUCH AT THE BANGKOK FAIR 

Cast track 

WHAT’S NEW IN THE CASTING 

AND REFINING INDUSTRY

New Certified Rubies 

In stock & online now 

Visit our website or call our Melbourne office for details: 

Room 405, 4th Floor, Wales Building, 227 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 

Ph: +61 (0) 3 9654 5200 / Interstate Orders 1300 843 141 E: sales@oagems.com www.oagems.com

WORLD SHINER PTY. LTD. 

www.worldshiner.com 

Sydney Brisbane London 

New Zealand 

Melbourne 

Tokyo Mumbai Florence Stuttgart Chicago

The Jewellery Design 

Awards are back 

Returning to the 2019 International Jewellery & Watch Fair, the Jewellery Design Awards represent the industry in 

recognising and celebrating the best of the best in Australian and New Zealand craftsmanship. 

The Awards Finalists will have their designs showcased as part of an exclusive display at the 

International Jewellery Fair 2019 held at ICC Sydney, with cash prizes to be won! 

AWARD CATEGORIES 

• 1st & 2nd Year Apprentice/Student Award • 3rd & 4th Year Apprentice/Student Award 

• Australian Opal Award • Bridal Award • CAD/CAM/Cast Award • Coloured Gemstone Award • Diamond Award 

• Innovative Timepiece Award • Men’s Accessories & Jewellery Award • Pearl Award • Precious Metal Award 

Do you have what it takes? 

Enter the Awards online at www.jewelleryfair.com.au 

INTERNATIONAL 

JEWELLERY & WATCH FAIR 

AUGUST 24 > 26, 2019 

ICC Sydney I Exhibition Centre I Darling Harbour 

Organised by 

For further information regarding the awards, including full terms and 

conditions, please visit www.jewelleryfair.com.au or give our 

team a call on 02 9452 7513

SELLING WITH STYLE IN THE 

FASHION WATCH SECTOR 

VOICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN JEWELLERY INDUSTRY 

HANDCRAFTED EXCELLENCE AND A 

ROYAL TOUCH AT THE BANGKOK FAIR 


WHAT’S NEW IN THE CASTING 

AND REFINING INDUSTRY 

CONTENTS 


17/ 

23/ 

31/ 

FEATURES REGULARS BUSINESS 

17/ PARTNER IN TIME 

When is a watch not a watch? Jeweller 

takes a look at why people love this 

stylish, affordable accessory. 

23/ THE CAST WORD 

How green technology and 3D 

printing are defining the casting 

and refining industry. 

28/ WATCH THIS SPACE 

Find out what’s next for Baselworld as 

it faces an uncertain future. 

31/ BANG ON 

Thailand’s signature craftsmanship 

wins fans at the Bangkok Gem and 

Jewelry Fair. 

9/ Editorial 

10/ Upfront 

11/ News 

33/ Gems 

Organic Gems Part II: Pearls 

41/ My Store 

42/ 10 Years Ago 

43/ Calendar 

44/ My Bench 

46/ Soapbox 

Martin Foster on the pain and 

politics of the Swiss shows. 

35/ Business feature 

Chris Petersen decodes how to sell 

digitally upgraded products. 

37/ Selling 

The biggest sales mistakes are the 

easiest to make, writes Brian Jeffrey. 

38/ Management 

There are two key elements for 

leadership, says David Brown. 

39/ Marketing 

Sue Barrett shows you how 

to apply your sales skills to 

everyday situations. 

40/ Logged On 

Simon Dell shares seven simple 

steps to online success. 

Watch list 

All Thai’d up 

+ + 

Cast track 

Front cover description: 

Thomas Sabo fashion watches 

combine the brand’s signature 

style and quality, and are the 

perfect complement to 

Thomas Sabo jewellery. 

Visit: thomassabo.com.au 

May 2019 Jeweller 5

conferences 

Designed to inspire, 

motivate, educate and 

build relationships. 

The lessons learned 

from our expert team 

and fellow members 

are some of the 

greatest benefits you 

can receive. 

stock 

ranging / 

merchandising 

Access to our 

best selling stock 

analysis reports plus 

defined category 

management, purchase 

& replenishment 

planning information. 

management 

training 

Business Mentoring, 

KPI Benchmarking & 

Business Analysis & 

Store Consultancy as 

well as extensive tailored 

management training 

programs & special HR 

/ Policies & Procedures 

packages available to 

every member. 

marketing 

Choose and pay for 

the marketing that 

you want to suit your 

business. Your choice of 

Catalogues, Brochures, 

Instore, Customer 

Loyalty, Direct Marketing 

and more. 

staff 

training 

Comprehensive industry 

specific staff training at 

an individual store level 

which is also accessible 

24/7 via our exclusive 

member extranet. 

online 

solutions 

Access a suite of 

extremely cost effective 

online solutions to 

keep your store ahead 

of the game. Including 

a highly sophisticated 

Direct Marketing / Loyalty 

Program, Social Media 

platform, Ecommerce 

gateway & more. 

DREAM BIG 

RETAIN YOUR NAME & YOUR INDEPENDENCE! 

We offer the most extensive retail support in the industry, 

with a young & dynamic head office team, with over 

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You’ve worked hard to build your own brand in your 

community - Join our family of like minded Jewellery 

Specialists, keep your independence & experience our 

dynamic group today! 

- We Specialise in HANDS ON Retail Assistance 

- Ask us about our Staff Training Programs 

- Enjoy the Best Prices in the Industry 

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EDITORIAL 

BUYING GROUPS ARE RIGHT TO UNITE 

In what can only be described as a big 

step forward, both Showcase Jewellers 

and Leading Edge Jewellers have decided 

to collaborate with Expertise Events and 

incorporate their annual conferences and 

buying days into the International Jewellery 

& Watch Fair (IJWF). 

Traditionally both groups have organised their 

events to take place a few days prior to the 

Sydney trade show. 

Unlike Nationwide Jewellers, which has 

always organised its educational program and 

buying days to be conducted on the actual 

fair floor, Showcase and Leading Edge held 

their activities off-site a few days beforehand, 

hoping that their members would stay on to 

attend the trade show proper. 

The fact that suppliers to both groups would 

have their costs doubled and even tripled by 

having to attend the groups’ annual events – 

at different locations – as well as the Sydney 

fair, was an ongoing issue. 

It’s been a major bone of contention for 

many years, because not only did suppliers 

incur multiple event costs, as well as flights 

and accommodation, staff would be out 

of the office for extended periods of time. 

And while suppliers have grumbled about 

the inefficiency and inconvenience for 

sometime, to a large extent they put up 

with it in the good times. 

However as trading conditions weakened, the 

suppliers’ voices got louder until grumbling 

became full-on complaints. That was 

especially true when the buying groups were 

not getting their members showing up to 

their own conferences in large numbers as 

they had previously. 

Something had to give. With the divide in the 

industry over the past three years, it was most 

welcome news that, for the first time since its 

inception, the Sydney trade fair will feature all 

three buying groups on the floor with their 

respective educational and training programs 

being conducted at the same time. 

The news was obviously welcomed by the 

suppliers who can ill-afford unnecessary costs 

in the current business climate. Every dollar 

and effort needs to go into reinvigorating the 

industry so the new arrangements will go 

a long way towards a more harmonious and 

focused attitude. 

The same attitude would also be ideal when 

it comes to industry awards. I remember a 

time when 600 to 800 people would gather 

at the Sydney Town Hall for the Australian 

Jewellery Awards. The talents of our 

homegrown designers and jewellers were 

put on show at a gala industry event. 

Sadly times have changed, and worse, we 

now have two competing jewellery design 

awards: the incumbent JAA Australian Design 

Awards and the new, larger, Jewellery Design 

Awards promoted by Expertise Events and 

showcased at the IJWF. 

While that’s not ideal, it’s worse because, 

THE UPSHOT 

WAS THAT TWO 

JEWELLERY 

DESIGN 

COMPETITIONS 

WERE HELD IN 

2017 AND TWO 

WILL TAKE PLACE 

AGAIN THIS YEAR. 

while both are biennial events, they take 

place in the same year! 

The clash came about when Expertise Events 

decided to launch a new style of jewellery 

design competition in the ‘odd’ years; the 

JAA’s competition had always been in ‘even’ 

years. However, in 2016 the JAA failed to 

secure support for its event and postponed it, 

deciding to hold it the following year. 

The upshot was that two jewellery design 

competitions were held in 2017 and two will 

take place again this year. 

That now causes new problems because the 

obvious sponsors for such an industry event 

are being asked to support two events at 

the same time – while there is no event the 

following year. And while sponsors do so as 

a way to support emerging talent, it seems 

rather silly to have two events at the same 

time one year and none the next. 

The obvious solution is for the JAA to go back 

to their even year competition and have the 

Expertise Events competition in the odd year. 

Even better still would be to have one 

event every year, with the JAA working with 

Expertise Events to promote the wonderful 

and talented jewellery designers Australia 

has to offer. 

Forget a big step forward – that would be 

a giant leap! 

Coleby Nicholson 

Managing Editor 


UPFRONT 

n HIDDEN GEMS 

A routine traffic stop took a very 

interesting turn in New Mexico last 

month. Eusebio Padillo, 23, was pulled 

over for riding his motorcycle without a 

license plate. In the course of his arrest, 

police found a small bag containing 44 

diamonds – believed to be stolen – in 

his anal cavity! A bumpy ride indeed. 

n SCENT OF SUCCESS 

Middle Eastern perfume company 

Spirit Of Dubai Parfums has broken 

the Guinness World Record for most 

diamonds set on a perfume bottle. 

The 6ft 5in-tall flask of Shumukh, a 

unisex fragrance, is inset with 3,571 

diamonds totalling 38.55-carats. It also 

features topaz, pearls, 18-carat gold 

and pure silver – so it’s no surprise it 

has broken the record for the world’s 

most expensive fragrance too, priced at 

$1.295 million per bottle. 

n HAIR TODAY… 

Melbourne man Hayden Peters’ 

650-strong jewellery collection is full 

of treasured pieces dating back to the 

Victorian era. But there’s one section 

that’s different from the others – the 

items are made from human hair! 

Known as ‘mourning jewellery’, they date 

back to the trend of the 19th century, 

which saw locks of the deceased’s hair 

turned into rings, lockets and brooches. 

EMERALD: 

MAY BIRTHSTONE 

DID YOU KNOW? 

Emeralds were mined as early as 1500BCE 

by the ancient Egyptians. Today, the world’s 

supply mostly comes from Colombia, where 

the native people hid their mines so well 

it took the Conquistadors 20 years to find 

them! This deep green gem is associated with 

rebirth, youth, good fortune and foresight. 

As the birthstone for May, it represents the 

coming of spring in the northern hemisphere. 

DIGITAL 

BRAINWAVE 

WHO SAID? 

“Millennials consider fashion 

watches to be an extension 

of their personality.” 

Turn to page 17 to find out > 

INSTASHOPPING 

Instagram has begun testing its new Checkout feature, which will finally allow users to 

buy products without leaving the app. The US-only trial includes more than 20 wellknown 

companies like Burberry, Nike and Zara. Previously, users would have to tap ‘View 

on Website’ buttons on images, which would then link them to an e-commerce site. 

The new feature will allow users to store their payment information – including PayPal, 

Visa and Mastercard – on their Instagram profile for one-click transactions. If successful, 

the feature is predicted to roll out globally by the end of 2019. 

TOP PRODUCT 

The new Cluse Le Couronnement watch 

combines modern appeal with refined details 

and innovative functionality. Bordered with 

faceted hexagons, this timepiece features an 

easily interchangeable soft strap in genuine 

leather. Available in a range of colours, making 

it fun to mix and match with your other 

jewellery, all Cluse watches are created with 

impeccable attention to design and the finest 

materials. Distributed by Heart & Grace. 

VOICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN 

JEWELLERY INDUSTRY 

jewellermagazine.com 

Publisher & Editor 

Coleby Nicholson 

Associate Publisher 

Angela Han 

angela.han@gunnamattamedia.com 

Journalists 

Arabella Roden 

arabella.roden@jewellermagazine.com 

Myles Hume 

myles.hume@gunnamattamedia.com 

Production Manager 

& Graphic Design 

Jo De Bono 

art@gunnamattamedia.com 

Accounts 

Paul Blewitt 

finance@gunnamattamedia.com 

Subscriptions 

info@jewellermagazine.com 

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Copyright: All material appearing 

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Reproduction in whole or in part is 

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10 Jeweller May 2019

NEWS 

NEWS 

Mixed news for Michael Hill 

Releasing its quarterly trade update recently, 

Michael Hill International revealed that 

same-store sales shrunk 1.5 per cent and 

total sales 0.8 per cent year-on-year. The 

share price slipped 7 cents to 60 cents in the 

wake of the news. 

But while those numbers may seem 

discouraging, they are a marked 

improvement on the international jewellery 

chain’s previous two quarters, which showed 

same-store sales falling 11 per cent and 2.9 

per cent consecutively. 

The company put the good news down to 

its new integrated, customer-lead operating 

model, adopted in March, which focuses 

on more closely aligning merchandise, 

marketing and retail. 

Daniel Bracken, CEO Michael Hill, said in a 

statement, “The company’s performance 

continued to stabilise during the quarter as 

refinements to the strategy improved our 

position,” adding, “We have already seen the 

potential for the new integrated model to 

lift customer engagement and sales, as well 

as improve operational efficiencies.” 

Michael Hill closed five under-performing 

stores during the quarter – including the 

final Emma & Roe location – and opened 

one new site. E-commerce now represents 

2.9 per cent of total sales, and is up 53 per 

cent when compared to the same period 

THE TIDE MAY BE TURNING FOR THE RETAILER 

in the 2018 financial year. The company 

also made redundant 27 staff at its Brisbane 

headquarters in mid-February, as part of 

cost-cutting measures. 

It was reported that the job losses came 

across ‘all sections, from manufacturing to 

office administration’. 

In Australia, same-store sales were down 

3.4 per cent, which analysts attributed to 

challenging overall conditions for retail. 

However, the results were worse across the 

Tasman, with the company’s New Zealand 

operations reporting same-store sales 

down 6.3 per cent due to falling consumer 

sentiment and spending in the wake of the 

Christchurch shooting. 

Michael Hill operates 171 stores in Australia 

and 52 in New Zealand. 

More management changes at Pandora 

Following several other high-profile exits, 

Pandora International’s chief operating 

officer (COO) Jeremy Schwartz tendered his 

resignation last month, just ahead of the 

imminent commencement of new president 

and CEO Alexander Lacik. 

Schwartz had been acting as ‘co-CEO’ of the 

company alongside chief financial officer 

Anders Boyer since September 2018, after 

CEO Anders Colding Friis quit the company. 

Some had speculated Schwartz – who was 

previously CEO of The Body Shop – could 

take on the top job full-time, before Lacik 

was named to the position in mid-February. 

Lacik – a Swedish executive who has been 

CEO of Britax since 2017 – took the reins 

on 23 April. 

Peder Tuborgh, chairman of Pandora’s 

board of directors, said in a statement, 

“I have sympathy for Jeremy’s decision 

considering the overlap of competencies 

between him and Alexander Lacik. I would 

like to thank Jeremy for his significant 

contributions to Pandora.” 

Elsewhere, the company has announced 

plans for its first nation-specific designs, 

releasing a peach blossom-inspired 

collection for the Chinese market. 

Huge diamond 

found in Botswana 

One of the largest diamonds in history 

has been unearthed in Botswana. The 

unbroken 1,758-carat stone was found 

at the Karowe Mine, which is owned by 

Canadian mining company Lucara. 

The diamond weighs around 350g 

and measures 83mm x 62mm x 43mm. 

It has been classified as near-gem 

quality with some areas of high-quality 

white gem, though analysis has not yet 

been completed. 

It’s the largest diamond ever recovered 

in Botswana and is thought to be the 

second largest found in history, second 

only to the Cullinan Diamond which was 

discovered in South Africa in 1905. 

Lucara also found a 1,111-carat gem 

quality diamond at Karowe in 2015. Both 

were discovered 

using TOMRA XRT 

technology, a 

ground-breaking 

sensor sorting 

system that has 

detected four of 

the top ten largest 

diamonds in the 

world to date. 

“Lucara’s technologically advanced, XRT 

diamond recovery circuit has once again 

delivered historic results,” Eira Thomas, 

president and CEO Lucara, said. “Karowe 

has now produced two diamonds 

greater than 1,000 carats in just four 

years, affirming... the likelihood of 

recovering additional, large, high quality 

diamonds in the future.” 

Lucara is also currently trialling its own 

online diamond selling platform, named 

Clara. The site allows Lucara to match 

buyers’ requirements rather than the 

traditional system, which has them buy 

‘by the bucket’. It incorporates blockchain 

technology to maintain traceability. 

The company is now attempting to bring 

other independent diamond producers 

on board, touting its service as an 

alternative to selling through the likes of 

DeBeers and Alrosa. 


NEWS 

IN BRIEF 

* 

WORLD’S LARGEST PEARL 

A Canadian man has unveiled what is 

believed to be the world’s largest natural 

pearl, which weighs in at a whopping 27kg! 

Abraham Reyes inherited the enormous 

gemstone from his aunt and had no idea 

it was even a pearl, let alone valuable. 

Nicknamed the ‘Giga Pearl’, it has now been 

appraised at between $60 million and $90 

million. It’s four times the size of the previous 

largest natural pearl, the Lao-Tzu Pearl – also 

known as the Pearl of Allah. 

* 

HISTORY FOR SALE 

British auction house Bonhams is set to sell 

the original agreement for the inspection of 

the legendary Cullinan Diamond between 

King Edward VII and diamond dealers M.J 

Levy & Nephews. The contract, which 

brokered the cutting of the 3,106-carat stone 

– the largest gem-quality diamond ever 

discovered – is dated January 29, 1908. The 

Cullinan was later used to create nine of the 

Crown Jewels of Great Britain. 

* 

LONDON HEIST STUMPS COPS 

An ‘audacious’ jewellery heist in the heart 

of London has the city’s Metropolitan 

Police pleading with the public for answers. 

The burglars drilled through the wall of a 

neighbouring bookmaker in order to gain 

access to George Attenborough & Son 

Jewellers on Fleet Street, obscuring a CCTV 

camera with white paint in the process. 

Once inside, the thieves stole more than 

$900,000 in jewellery before escaping. 

Police were called to the store at 2am. 

* 

DIAMOND SOLD FOR $14 MILLION 

A flawless 88.22-carat oval diamond has 

surpassed the highest estimates at a Hong 

Kong auction, fetching US$13.7 million. The 

D colour Type IIa brilliant-cut stone was the 

top lot of more than 200 items, and was 

bought by a Japanese collector after fierce 

competition from two rival bidders. He has 

named it the ‘Manami Star’ after his daughter. 

* 

RARE BLUE GEM FOUND IN CANADA 

A new study by the University of British 

Columbia has found that Canada’s Baffin 

Island is home to the prized cobalt blue 

spinel. The gemstone – known for its intense 

colour and durability – frequently lies in plain 

sight in the remote territory. 

Diamond inclusions hold secrets 

Geoscientists from the US and Canada have 

discovered that ancient sulphur-rich mineral 

deposits, trapped inside diamonds, can offer 

new insights into how Earth’s continents 

were formed. 

The research group from the Carnegie 

Institution of Washington, the Gemological 

Institute of America (GIA) and the University 

of Alberta demonstrated diamonds held 

details about historic geological events that 

led to long-term land stability, a key factor in 

supporting life. 

Lead study author Karen Smit of the GIA said 

that while mineral diamond inclusions may 

lack appeal in the gem trade, for geoscientists 

they have helped solve mysteries about the 

foundations of Earth. 

“We’ve found a way to use traces of sulphur 

from ancient volcanoes, that made its 

way into the mantle and eventually into 

diamonds, to provide evidence for one 

particular process of continent building,” Smit 

said following the study, which was recently 

published in the journal Science. 

The group’s analysis of Sierra Leonean 

diamonds indicated the West African 

continent experienced two ‘subduction 

events’, where oceanic plates sunk from 

the Earth’s surface into its depths when 

Rare gem unearthed at Argyle 

The iconic Argyle Mine in Western Australia’s 

Kimberley region has produced the largest 

gem-quality white diamond in its history. 

The 28.84-carat stone has been named 

Argyle Octavia after its octahedral shape, 

and is thought to be one of the most 

unique large white diamonds to come 

from the mine. 

Argyle, which is owned by Rio Tinto and has 

been operating since 1983, is best known 

as one of the world’s premier sources of 

natural colour diamonds. In particular, it 

accounts for more than 90 per cent of the 

global supply of pink diamonds. 

Gem-quality white diamonds above 20 

carats have accounted for just 0.0007 per 

cent of Argyle’s production since the mine 

opened, making the Octavia an ultra-rare 

find. It’s particularly special as Argyle is set to 

close in 2020. 

SCIENTISTS ANALYSED SIERRA LEONEAN STONES 

one tectonic plate slid beneath another. The 

sulphur-rich inclusions only exist in diamond 

samples from more than 2.5 billion years 

ago – before atmospheric oxygen became as 

abundant as it is today. 

“This means that the sulphur in these 

mineral inclusions must have once existed 

on the Earth’s surface and was then drawn 

down into the mantle by subduction,” the 

researchers wrote. 

The team’s comparison to diamonds from 

Botswana showed similar results, however 

diamonds mined from northern Canada 

did not show the same sulphur chemistry, 

meaning that the North American continent 

was formed differently. 

THE ARGYLE OCTAVIA WHITE DIAMOND 

Arnaud Soirat, chief executive of Rio Tinto’s 

copper and diamonds portfolio, said in a 

press release: “We are delighted with this 

discovery, which is a testament to the 

extraordinary Argyle orebody that continues 

to deliver these miracles of nature, even as it 

nears the end of mine life.” 

The Octavia will be sold by tender in 

Antwerp later this year. 


NEWS 

Breitling exits Baselworld 

Following last month’s Baselworld trade show, 

watch company Breitling has announced 

it will not return in 2020, blaming the 

scheduling shift from March to the end 

of April. 

Instead, it will pursue it’s own road shows and 

the Breitling Summit format, which involves 

inviting select groups of retailers, media, 

customers and collectors to see exclusive 

product launches and developments. The first 

one was held in London last October. 

But while the exit could be seen as a blow 

to Baselworld and its new CEO, Michel 

Loris-Melikoff, Breitling CEO Georges Kern 

emphasised that the door was still open for 

the future. “We will decide whether we will 

return to Baselworld from 2021 onward at a 

later date, and this will depend on the timing 

INSTEAD OF TRADE SHOWS, BREITLING WILL RUN 

ITS OWN ROAD SHOWS AND SUMMIT FORMAT 

of the event and the possibility of holding the 

Breitling Summit.” 

He added, “We would like to emphasise that 

the extensive innovations developed and 

implemented by Baselworld’s management 

under Michel Loris-Melikoff in such a short 

timeframe have had a positive impact 

and can lay the foundations to take 

Baselworld in a new direction in the future.” 

In more positive news for Baselworld, Rolex 

has decided to expand its presence at the 

2020 show, with sister brand Tudor taking its 

own stand in Hall 1.0 for the first time. 

“This is a strong demonstration of confidence 

in the successful future of Baselworld and 

gives us a boost for the tasks ahead,” Loris- 

Melikoff said. 

The announcement comes off the back of 

a new report into the global Swiss watch 

industry by Morgan Stanley and LuxeConsult, 

which showed Rolex Group, which includes 

Rolex and Tudor, is far and away the industry 

leader with 22.2 per cent market share. The 

company – which is privately owned by the 

Fondation Hans Wilsdorf family trust – turns 

over CHF11.5 billion ($16 billion) in retail sales 

per year. 

For more on Baselworld, turn to page 28. 

Lab-grown still out in Mumbai 

The world’s largest diamond bourse, the 

Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB) in Mumbai, 

India, has denied rumours it is planning to lift 

the ban on the sale of synthetic diamonds on 

its trading floors. 

Anoop Mehta, BDB president, was reported 

as saying that advances in synthetic diamond 

detection technology could form the basis 

for overturning the band, and that the policy 

would be reviewed at board level “in the next 

five to six months”. 

However, a spokesperson for BDB later 

clarified: “Local media quoted Anoop Mehta 

that he may consider allowing synthetic 

diamonds after six months, but the BDB 

management committee has rejected the 

proposal to allow synthetics. This decision will 

be finalised at the BDB general body meeting 

and presently there is no other proposal to lift 

the ban.” 

THE BHARAT DIAMOND BOURSE IN MUMBAI 

The policy has been in place since 2015, 

and was justified at the time due to reports 

of mixing lab-grown stones with mined 

diamonds. Reports that the ban would be 

withdrawn in 2017 were also proven to be 

false. 

Meanwhile, lab-grown diamonds have been 

given a boost in China. The Guangzhou 

Diamond Exchange (GZDE) has signed a 

strategic co-operation agreement with local 

synthetic diamond suppliers. 

+ MORE BREAKING NEWS 

JEWELLERMAGAZINE.COM 

Major US jewellery 

chains facing 

legal action 

Sterling Jewelers, the largest jewellery 

company in the US, is currently embroiled 

in a far-reaching arbitration case with 

thousands of female employees, who 

allege decades of sexual harassment 

and discrimination. 

Sterling, which is a subsidiary of UK-based 

Signet Jewelers, is the parent of wellknown 

US chains like Zales, Jared The 

Galleria Of Jewelry and Kay and is worth 

more than $6 billion. 

While the legal proceedings – which 

have been in process for ten years – were 

reported on in the past, a New York Times 

exposé, published in April, has revealed 

previously unknown sordid details. 

The piece includes multiple accounts 

of men being promoted above more 

qualified female colleagues, women 

being paid less per hour than men 

doing the same job, and women being 

overlooked for management positions 

despite their experience. 

More troubling are the allegations of 

a ‘boys’ club’ culture rife with sexual 

harassment, coercion and abuse, 

despite the company having a majority 

female workforce. 

Responding to the new report, a 

spokesperson for Signet said, “We’re 

disappointed that the New York 

Times decided to publish an article 

primarily based on decades-old 

allegations, and [that] we believe 

casts our company unfairly,” adding 

that women make up 74 per cent of 

management positions and that the 

board has achieved gender parity under 

CEO Gina Drosos. 

The story is another blow to the jewellery 

group, which reported financial losses of 

US$657.4 million for the 2018-19 financial 

year and has begun several rounds of job 

cuts in the US. 


NEWS 

Future of Canadian 

mining in doubt? 

Canada may be the world’s third-largest 

rough diamond producing country 

by volume, according to recent figures 

from the Kimberley Process, but the 

future of its mining industry has been 

called into question amid rising costs 

and low-value yields. 

A new report from Bloomberg found that 

every mine in Canada produces stones 

that fall well below the global average 

price per carat. 

In addition, Canadian stones have 

tended to be smaller and lower quality than 

expected. This sector in particular is facing 

increasing competition from synthetic 

diamonds, which are cheaper 

to produce and sell. 

Diamond mining is still a young industry 

in the country, with the discovery of 

kimberlite in its Northwest Territories 

occurring in 1991. But while there were 

once high hopes for the region, two of its 

main mines, Ekati and Diavik, are now at the 

mature end of their life cycle and nearing 

closure. Several other major mines have lost 

significant market value in recent years and 

have changed ownership several times. 

Establishing new mines has been 

hampered by the high cost of labour and 

the remoteness of the sites; northern 

Canada is frozen most of the year with 

temperatures as low as -50 o C and little 

existing infrastructure. 

However, recent technology breakthroughs 

including drones, autonomous vehicles and 

sensors could be the key to overcoming 

some of the challenges. 

A revival of the CanadaMark brand, 

emphasising the ethical practices and 

positive associations consumers have with 

Canada itself, is also taking place. 

MINING IN CANADA IS FACING CHALLENGES 

HORMONE-COATED 

BACKINGS FOR 

JEWELLERY ARE 

BEING TESTED 

Jeweller to the stars shines in Australia 

Celebrity jeweller Robert Procop has joined 

forces with Australian diamond expert Garry 

Holloway to launch his latest collection, 

which was designed with A-lister Angelina 

Jolie and her daughter Zahara. The Style 

of Jolie collection made its debut at Holloway 

Diamonds in Melbourne on April 30. 

Procop’s association with Jolie dates back 

many years. He has also created pieces for US 

President Ronald Reagan and was CEO of the 

UK’s Crown jeweller, Garrard. 

Procop was introduced to Holloway last year, 

saying: “We just clicked. He invited me to 

Australia, and I thought, what better place 

to launch the new Jolie Collection than in 

Australia with a true pioneer in this age-old 

diamond industry.” 

ROBERT PROCOP AND GARRY HOLLOWAY 

All profits from the Style of Jolie range go 

towards The Education Partnership for 

Children of Conflict, which builds schools and 

dormitories in Afghanistan and Cambodia. 

The launch also raised money for Dementia 

Australia, of which Holloway is a supporter. 

Contraceptive jewellery in the works 

Scientists have begun testing a new 

form of contraception: jewellery. 

Researchers from the Georgia Institute of 

Technology have developed a hormonecoated 

backing for jewellery including 

earrings, watches and rings, which can 

deliver doses high enough to prevent 

pregnancy through the skin. 

The method mimics nicotine patches and 

existing contraceptive patches, but on a 

much smaller scale. Scientists first tested 

the hormone backings on pigs before 

moving on to hairless rats. 

They used a 16 hours on, eight hours 

off cycle to mimic a woman taking her 

jewellery off before going to bed. “The more 

contraceptive options that are available, 

the more likely it is that the needs of 

individual women can be met,” said lead 

author Professor Mark Prausnitz. “Because 

putting on jewellery may already be part of 

a woman’s daily routine, this technique may 

facilitate compliance with the regimen.” 

While human trials are yet to begin, the 

initial positive results were published in the 

Journal Of Controlled Release. 

CIBJO president addresses OECD 

Addressing a forum of the Organisation for 

Economic Co-operation and Development 

(OECD) in Paris last month, CIBJO president 

Gaetano Cavalieri discussed the organisation’s 

plans to ensure responsible sourcing across 

jewellery, gemstone and precious metals. 

CIBJO released its Responsible Sourcing Blue 

Book in January this year, which references 

to the OECD’s Due Diligence Guidance 

for minerals from high-risk areas, and also 

promotes compliance with the Kimberley 

Process and the World Diamond Council 

System of Warranties. 

During his OECD speech, Cavalieri noted 

that the jewellery industry is largely operated 

by small-to-medium enterprises, which are 

frequently family owned and run and have 

limited resources. 

He noted that while awareness of responsible 

practices has grown among CIBJO members 

and the public over the past decade, the 

challenge was “meeting the requirements of 

a socially aware business community, while 

trying to protect the fabric of our industry”. 

As a result, the Blue Book was written so that 

all industry members ‘irrespective of size or 

financial capacity’ could apply its standards. 

CIBJO is also in the process of setting up a 

free online platform to educate members 

about due diligence. 


Partnering with 

Australian Jewellers since 1951. 

Palloys, your partner for all things jewellery. 

Design. Printing. Casting. Finishing. Fabricated Metals. Findings. Refining. 

1300 886 108 AUSTRALIA WIDE 

palloys.com

FASHION WATCHES 

HEART & GRACE 

All in good 

FASHION WATCHES HAVE SEEN A METEORIC RISE IN 

POPULARITY IN THE LAST TEN YEARS. ARABELLA RODEN 

DISCOVERS WHAT MAKES THIS MARKET TICK 

ashion watches are best defined by what they’re not, rather than what 

they are. They aren’t concerned with the high-tech features of Japanese 

timepieces like Seiko or Citizen, nor do they embrace the app-enabled 

futurism of Apple and Samsung smartwatches. They lack the toughness 

of rugged Swiss brands like Luminox, Omega or Victorinox. 

It’s not about haute horlogerie either – while consumers of fashion watches might 

admire the elegance of a Rolex, Jaeger-LeCoultre or Patek Philippe, they won’t be 

keeping their timepiece in the family for generations; nor will they be spending 

upwards of $10,000. 

As it turns out, the fashion watch is not actually a watch at all – it’s an accessory. 

And in terms of price, design and esepcially marketing, it should be treated 

as such. Ranging from around $100 to $500, with accessories from around 

$50, fashion watches are more akin to designer sunglasses than they are to 

other timepieces. 

There’s no denying their appeal to younger consumers either. Jake Kassan, cofounder 

of US fashion watch company MVMT – which now has revenues of US$70 

million per year with 88 per cent of its customers under 35 – recently told the New 

York Times, “Watches have evolved. Our audience cares more about the style of a 

watch than its function.” 

He added, “The belief that traditional watches are relics of the past is false. Our 

consumers may not be the most formal in their attire, but they are very intentional. 

They think about what they wear, about what is on trend and up-to-date... A watch 

is their statement piece.” 

John Rose, managing director West End Collection – one of the leading suppliers 

of fashion watches in Australia and New Zealand, representing Olivia Burton, Paul 

Hewitt, Christian Paul, Bering and Ice-Watch among others – has a similar outlook. 

“Millennials see their watch as an expression of their personality, a fashion item, 

and will generally purchase a new watch every year or two,” he explains. 

This repeat purchase power gives fashion watches an edge for retailers. And while 

fashion watch brands tend to be as digitally savvy as their target market – with a 


INSTYLE WATCHES 

WEST END COLLECTION 

strong social media and e-commerce strategy – there’s still a place for 

them in the traditional retail space. 

Like all watches, consumers often need to get a feel for a timepiece 

and try it on in person before they purchase. With many fashion 

watches designed to accommodate easily interchangeable 

wristbands and other customisable components, it’s all about 

the in-store experience. 

Dr Eloise Zoppos, senior research consultant and research fellow at 

Monash University’s Australian Consumer and Retail Studies unit, has 

found that bricks-and-mortar stores “still hold a special place in the 

hearts of Australian shoppers”. 

“The number of shoppers using physical stores has increased over the 

past four years,” she says. “In fact, from 2015 to 2018, the number of 

shoppers always using a physical store increased significantly from 

11 per cent to 21 per cent. This increase is thanks to our desire for a 

more sensory and social experience at physical stores – both of which 

can’t be replicated online.” 

Dr Zoppos adds, “Consumers today want a sensory experience 

where they can touch, feel and try on products, and they also want 

a social experience.” 

75 years of classic design – 

The Mondaine Swiss Railyway Watch 

Additionally, some retailers are combining in-store retail with 

e-commerce; ‘click and collect’ is one way to do this, as is ‘reserve in 

store’. “This provides customers with a completely integrated online 

booking platform that allows them to reserve an item in-store to try on 

within 24 hours,” Dr Zoppos explains. It’s a feature that works well for 

fashion watches, as well as jewellery pieces. 

Here, Jeweller takes a closer look at the fashion watch market and how 

retailers can take this category to the next level. 

HEY, GOOD LOOKING 

When it comes to fashion watches, image is everything – both in 

terms of how the watch itself looks and how it’s marketed. 

It’s a competitive sector driven by aesthetics, so design consistency 

and differentiation is key. Essentially, the appearance of the product 

should align across all channels both online and off-line, and stand out 

from other products in the same category. 

Proudly distributed by 

“The market has changed significantly,” says Phil Edwards, managing 

director of Duraflex Group Australia which distributes fashion 

watches including Thomas Sabo, JAG and Police. “There are more 

competitor brands now and customers are spoilt for choice.” 

02 9417 0177 | www.dgau.com.au

FASHION WATCHES 

Rose explains, “Each brand targets a different customer – for example, Olivia 

Burton targets a female-only audience. It only uses product and floral imagery in 

advertising and promotional materials, rather than a model or brand ambassador, 

because Olivia Burton watches appeal to all age groups and demographics.” 

While Olivia Burton focuses on florals, Paul Hewitt calls back to its Nordic heritage. 

Think Scandinavian minimalism – wide, solid faces with fine, slender metal hands – 

and subtle nautical themes like anchor-shaped hour markers. 

However, the brand also caters to its key demographic of Millennials, who are 

very aware of trends. As a result, rose gold, dark mauve and holographic details 

have played a role in recent collections. Paul Hewitt’s interchangeable straps are 

also similar to personalised jewellery in that they can be changed to suit a specific 

outfit or occasion – putting the ‘fashion’ in ‘fashion watch’. 

Cluse, which was founded in Amsterdam in 2013 and is distributed by Heart & 

Grace, defines itself by simplicity and femininity. Without numbered hour markers, 

Cluse designs show off the face of the watch, which is decorated with on-trend 

finishes like marbling, animal print and rose gold. Straps include everything from 

burgundy lizard to soft grey, changing the look and feel of the watch instantly. 

But more than just multiple straps, consumers also aim to buy multiple watches 

based on the season and rising trends. That’s where competitive pricing comes 

in. “The younger fashion watch buyer is more influenced by price,” says Rose. 

“Higher quality watches attract a slightly more mature customer, who is generally 

HEART & GRACE 

discerning about their purchase.” These watches tend to skew higher in price. 

A TOUCH OF LUXURY 

DURAFLEX 

Rachel Clay is an expert on the watch market and head of influencer marketing 

and social media at Matter Of Form in London. In contrast to fashion watch 

consumers, she says that “luxury consumers at the highest end are superpassionate 

about their watch purchases; they will likely be collectors with a love 

and respect for the timeless craftsmanship that goes into each timepiece. They 

view their purchases as investments and view collecting watches as a hobby.” 

These consumers tend to be older, wealthier, and willing to wait years – and even 

Christian Paul 

SYDNEY

INSTYLE WATCHES 

DURAFLEX 

SAMS GROUP 

AUSTRALIA 

PinkKimberley.com.au 

E pink@samsgroup.com.au 

W samsgroup.com.au 

P 02 9290 2199 

undergo an application process – in order to 

purchase a watch. The design stays the same 

not just season to season, but generation to 

generation. Heritage and tradition are the 

selling points. 

The fashion watch market couldn’t be more 

different. It’s all about younger consumers 

and the convenience they expect in every 

form of retail. Trends straight from the 

catwalk, and increasingly from social media, 

are featured in the collections, which are 

released several times per year – nearly as 

frequently as they are purchased. 

But as opposite as the two markets seem to 

be, they hold some things in common. 

Some of the most well-known fashion watch 

brands – like Daniel Wellington, Olivia Burton 

and Christian Paul – have a vintage appeal, 

despite being founded within the last five to 

ten years. 

They frequently claim inspiration from refined 

European travellers, exotic locations like 

Cuba, and antiques found at quaint English 

markets, calling back to the romantic heritage 

of timepieces without actually having those 

years of history behind them. Millennials are 

noted for their nostalgia and love of travel, 

which perhaps explains these elements in 

constructing the ‘story’ of the products. 

There’s also a sense of quality in the design, 

with classic elements like Roman numerals, 

leather or fine-chain metal straps, and subtle 

logos giving these pieces everyday elegance. 

Pierre Cardin, distributed by InStyle Watches, 

takes a similarly timeless approach – although 

these watches have a genuine history, being 

associated with the French fashion designer 

of the same name. The timepieces offer a slice 

of designer luxury, incorporating the likes of 

Australian opal, mother of pearl and crystal 

into the design, at an affordable price point. 

Thomas Sabo watches also have a glamorous 

feel, targeting a slightly higher price point 

between $350 and $850. The designs 

complement Thomas Sabo jewellery and 

come in a wide variety of styles and finishes. 

In retail terms, that sense of ‘light luxury’ 

as well as emotion and romance are great 

selling points. 

Dr Zoppos notes that “many consumers will 

seek a luxe experience without the luxury 

price tag, and also continue to complement 

their (mostly) High Street apparel and 

accessories with luxury high-end items.” 

For retail jewellers selling fashion watches, this 

presents the perfect opportunity to combine 

a mid-priced timepiece with complementary 

jewellery, such as bracelets, rings and cuffs. 

FROM LIKES TO BUYS 

Like luxury timepieces, consumers also 

love to show off their fashion watches by 

snapping photos to share with friends, family 

and followers online. 

The role of social media in fashion watch 

marketing can’t be overstated; it’s been the 

cornerstone of multiple companies, as this 

product category has matured at the same 

time as the explosion of its ideal marketing 

partner: Instagram. “For the younger 

generation, Instagram is the new Westfield – 

consumers look to Instagram to be inspired, 

informed and to shop,” says Edwards. 

In order to appeal to their target consumers,

fashion watch companies must be digitally engaged. The same holds 

true for the retailers who sell them. 

According to Dr Zoppos, consistency is key. “Retailers need to ensure 

that their physical and digital shopping channels complement each 

other and offer consumers a cohesive shopping experience. In doing 

so, it’s key that retailers understand exactly how consumers engage 

with each platform.” 

Clay has some succinct advice for those diving into Instagram. “We 

are educating all our clients that Instagram profiles are the new 

websites. Even up to a couple of years ago, if a consumer or brand 

fan wanted to know more about a product, they would Google it 

and go straight to the company’s website. Nowadays, they will more 

commonly search on Instagram first, and go straight to the company’s 

profile page – making the Instagram profile the first touch-point.” 

Indeed, the app has become a powerful tool for both brands and 

retailers to interact with their customers and drive sales – particularly 

with younger shoppers. Nearly three-quarters of Instagram users are 

under the age of 35 and 80 per cent follow at least one business. Even 

better, 75 per cent of users take action via Instagram – meaning they 

will click through a good-looking, shoppable post to the website 

where they can buy the product. 

When it comes to fashion watches, this form of social media works 

like an interactive catalogue. Retailers should post high quality images 

of fashion watches and always use the associated brand hashtags 

to boost traffic and sales through the Instagram platform, as well as 

making sure links to their online shop are visible and easily clicked. 

“With Instagram currently trialling in-app purchases in the US with 23 

brands, there is increasingly less difference in functionality between 

what you can do on an Instagram profile and what you can do on 

a website: you can showcase your full collection and also manage 

customer service,” Clay says. 

“Therefore Instagram profiles now need to be considered as a key 

online destination and branded with beautiful high-quality content, 

be well managed with a smart use of highlight albums to replicate 

website structure, and be super interactive,” she adds. 

Alongside how easy it is to display and shop for products, the other 

advantage of Instagram is the 

users themselves: influencers, 

who shape the taste and 

purchasing habits of their 

followers. 

Official Partner of ICE-SAR, 

the Icelandic Association for 

Search and Rescue. 

Discover the Arctic 1000 Series. 

More at www.luminox.com 

WEST END COLLECTION 

AN INFLUENCER ADVERTISES PAUL 

HEWITT THROUGH INSTAGRAM 

Now the proud distributors of Luminox timepieces 


Cluse has attributed much of its success to social media, harnessing 

the power of European influencers. It may seem shallow, but 

partnering with highly engaged accounts with relevant audiences is 

one of the most useful tools in boosting product sales – and building 

brand loyalty. Clay calls it “the most powerful form of marketing for 

almost all sectors, and particularly fashion and accessories”. 

While luxury watch brands frequently partner with celebrity 

ambassadors, having a famous face attached doesn’t always translate 

to better recognition from consumers. 

Meanwhile, far from being household names, influencers have an 

undeniable power to boost fashion watch brands in the digital realm 

and increase sales. Put simply, to consumers influencers feel like real 

people rather than stars being paid to endorse a product. 

“Influencers offer key advantages over celebrities – most importantly, 

they offer peer-to-peer marketing to a self-selected, democratic 

audience who choose to follow them and engage with their content. 

The psychology as to why influencer marketing works is simple: 

people trust people more than they trust brands,” Clay explains. 

One of the first fashion watch companies to embrace the influencer 

trend was Swedish brand Daniel Wellington, which was founded in 

2011 – shortly after Instagram itself. Retailers were able to capitalise 

on Daniel Wellington’s growing social media presence, as it increased 

curiosity and demand for the watches off-line as well as online. 

The strategy was simple, Clay says. “There was no creative, long-term 

narrative to the campaign; instead influencers were gifted product 

in exchange for space on their feeds. At this time, when Daniel 

Wellington began, influencer marketing was in its infancy, which 

allowed the strategy to work. Nowadays, the industry has evolved.” 

New collections 

‘Bohemian Dream’, ‘Fringe Appeal’ 

and ‘Mineral Glow’ now available 

with more releases coming soon 

Proudly distributed by 

Rose notes this evolution in strategy, revealing, “West End Collection 

has an in-house marketing team who focus a great deal of attention 

on social media marketing. We work with over 200 Australian and 

New Zealand-based influencers with a combined reach of over 8 

million followers. We recently hosted influencer events in Sydney 

and Melbourne for Paul Hewitt, which was attended by high profile 

influencers such as Belle Lucia, Taleisha Bonora and Kristina Mendonca.” 

For retailers, it’s important to note that influencer content falls under 

copyright so cannot be reposted without permission. However, if 

brands have built strong social media partnerships, the consumer will 

seek out the product in person. 

There’s also nothing stopping retailers from building their own 

interactive community of followers; encouraging customers to post 

photos of themselves wearing their new fashion watch is a good place 

to start, ensuring they ‘tag’ the retailer and the brand, and use the 

retailer’s own hashtag in the caption. 

Whether online or offline, fashion watches have built a strong niche 

and a loyal consumer base through appealing design, competitive 

pricing and savvy marketing. i 


CASTING REPORT 

casting 

AND 

refining 

continues to evolve 

WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY 

AND AN EMPHASIS ON 

CLEANER, GREENER AND MORE 

ECONOMICAL PRACTICES, 

ARABELLA RODEN DISCOVERS 

THE CASTING AND REFINING 

INDUSTRY IS IMPROVING 

EFFICIENCY ALL THE TIME 

hen it comes to casting and refining, technology is at the forefront. 

When Jeweller last reviewed the category 2017, the breakthroughs 

were focused on precious metal chemistry and new alloys, as well 

as the rise of 3D printing and CAD/CAM, induction melt pressure 

casting and acid-less separation (ALS). 

Today, the same themes are carrying through, with an added emphasis on faster, 

more efficient and – notably – more environmentally conscious processes. 

Chris Botha, operations manager jewellery division at Pallion, which is the parent 

company of custom jewellery manufacturing business Palloys, points to the 

use of “environmentally friendly precious metal that is responsibly sourced from 

guaranteed conflict-free areas”. 

In terms of technology, he cites Pallion’s use of ALS to refine precious metals, 

calling it “the most technologically advanced, environmentally-sound, non-toxic 

refining separation process that exists today”. 

Chemgold is equally committed to the environment. As well as utilising all 

available recycling techniques, the company has imported state-of-the-art 

PALLION 



furnaces from Japan and Germany, which then feed into a non-pollution exhaust 

system equipped with an advanced after-burner. 

New technologies surrounding ‘green’ or eco-friendly manufacturing processes is 

a major focus of local suppliers, with all making major investments in this area. 

The benefits of these improved processes – as well as steps like preventing 

packaging waste with biodegradable options, and reducing energy through solar 

power and more efficient machinery – are not only good for the planet, they also 

make economic sense. 

CAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 

Add Rapid to your Bench. 

There are two major developments in the casting sector. By far the biggest has 

been the increasing prominence of 3D printing, and by extension CAD/CAM. The 

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fully trackable casting company? 

major driver has been the significant fall in cost, leading manufacturing jewellers 

to embrace them as part of the production process. 

Add Rapid to CHEMGOLD 

your Bench. 

Ben Farago, production manager Rapid Casting, says, “We have gone from 

jewellers staring wide-eyed at the mention of 3D printing to it being common 

to have a low cost 3D printer in relatively small workshops,” adding that it’s now 

a prevalent and sustainable part of the jewellery trade. “We have seen jewellers 

go from seeing 3D printing as almost a threat and something they needed to 

compete with, to being widely accepted.” 



THE NITON XL2-100 USES XRF FOR METAL 

ANALYSIS. IMAGE: CHEMGOLD 

This presents a marked change from previous years and while some anticipated 

it would have a negative impact on printing volumes for casting houses, the 

opposite has proved true. The process of jewellery manufacture is now more 

integrated between jewellers and casting houses. 

Darren Sher, director Chemgold, explains: “The majority of jewellers that buy 3D 

printers use them to create a prototype to show their customer, or send the wax 

or resin to a reputable casting company such as Chemgold. Whilst the prices of 

3D printers are becoming less, so are print fees and most of our customers prefer 

to leave the casting to us to ensure its at the absolute highest quality, and so they 

don’t have to worry about other fees such as courier costs. Emailing a file takes a 

few seconds compared to processing, packaging and sending!” 

“Previously I predicted the cost of 3D printers would be below $1,000 within ten 

years – it happened in seven,” says Botha. 

It’s not just jewellers that have embraced this new technology, with Farago noting, 

“A few years back, casting companies wouldn’t even accept third party castable 

Add Add Rapid to your Bench. 

Bench. 

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Tradition meets Technology. 

Palloys. Your partner in all things jewellery. 

Design. Printing. Casting. Finishing. Fabricated Metals. Findings. Refining. 

1300 886 108 AUSTRALIA WIDE 

palloys.com


the multiple sprue tags, which George says cause additional clean-up time and 

lemel scrap. 

Botha agrees that printed wax has the edge as it casts more easily, with no support 

requirements. However, he points to the fact that the technology is extrusionbased, 

so wax prints tend to look rougher, at the same slicing profile, and need to 

be reduced – meaning it can take much longer for print cycles to complete. 

PALLION 

RAPID CASTING 

resins and if they did, they would take moulds from it, instead of changing 

their processes to try and burn the resin out. Today, most companies will generally 

use at least two different types of resin to print and cast from and will take 

on a number of others confidently knowing they can achieve good results 

casting them.” 

At Pallion, Botha says the volume of customer-printed material has “exponentially 

increased”, but while the cost of the printer itself is low, the labour and technical 

nature of getting a good print remains a learning curve, and manufacturing 

jewellers still have a financial incentive to use casting houses. 

“The largest cost centre for 3D printing is still the labour in running the CAD 

printer. In that regard, it’s not as simple or as time efficient as, say a photocopier. 

Many clients realise that for a small outlay they can outsource this function to a 

partner with a large printing capacity and keep their overall running costs low.” 

However, the process is not quite seamless. Burning out resin can be 

unpredictable, with Farago noting that Rapid Casting has had to “re-evaluate how 

the casting process works and slowly tweak and modify it”. 

Grant George, operations manager at Morris & Watson Group in New Zealand, 

has more than 30 years of experience in casting and says one solution his team 

has put in place is a rotating burnout furnace. “The latest models of control and 

the concept of the slow rotating air movement and differing positions of the 

flasks is crucial to managing difficult burnouts, like resins,” he says, adding that the 

machinery comes with an attractive green feature, it’s after-burner. 

Another upgrade at Morris & Watson has been the Projet 2500W CAD printer – 

which he calls the “one technical advance that stands heads above any other”, 

pointing to its “amazing advantages in quality, speed and efficiency”. 

Speaking of wax, while there’s consensus over the benefits of 3D printers, there’s 

more debate over the best material to use for creating cast prints – wax or resin? 

The advantage of resin is its ability to produce the best resolution from CAD 

for suitable designs, and therefore the best surface finish. However, Sher notes 

the reason resin may not always be suitable is it requires the printed parts to be 

supported by extra structures printed in the same material. 

“In certain cases the amount of extra structures supporting the part could make 

the cleaning very complex or alter the geometry of the parts. In these instances, 

the designs would be printed in traditional wax,” Sher explains. 

George sees even more drawbacks to using resin. Although the material has 

made “sizeable advances in castability” and come down in price, he says it “still 

can’t match the reliability and quality of the right wax printer”. It comes down to 

Yet wax, after sanding, beats resin’s divots and pips created by supporting, with 

Botha saying clients tend to insist on wax for general work, and resin “only for high 

finish parts”. “From a casting perspective, even the best resins are prone to casting 

issues as the parts get larger, and most large parts will be wax printed to ensure a 

good result,” he adds. 

Farago sees the pros and cons, saying that while resin printers will generally print 

smoother parts, they will be slightly inaccurate. 

“Resin can be problematic to cast and give inconsistent results but is generally 

quite solid material – easy to handle and work with. Wax, on the other hand will be 

very accurate which will make it seem like a bit of a rougher print as the digitising 

of the print process shows. It will cast consistently each time, but it is very fragile.” 

“FROM A CASTING PERSPECTIVE, EVEN THE 

BEST RESINS ARE PRONE TO CASTING ISSUES 

AS THE PARTS GET LARGER, AND MOST LARGE 

PARTS WILL BE WAX PRINTED TO ENSURE A 

GOOD RESULT.” 

Looking to the future, laser sintering and direct metal printing may well be 

possible but currently not commercially viable. Sher calls it “fantastic new 

technology” but cautions that the machines are still too expensive to run and the 

quality is not at the standards required. 

REFINING, REDEFINED 

CHRIS BOTHA, PALLION 

Refining technology has also been made more energy efficient, safer and cheaper 

by using more durable and accessible materials and electronics. In this sector, 

there’s an intersection between ‘green’ initiatives and economic decisions. 

“Traditional machinery has vastly improved and Palloys customers have been 

the beneficiary of that new machinery as part of our commitment to being a 

technological leader,” says Botha. 

The company does not use the traditional chemical processes, which involve acid 

or chlorine to refine gold and silver, but instead relies on vacuum pumps and 

chambers to separate gold from other metals. It’s claimed that ALS can achieve 

99.5 per cent pure gold with no chemical emissions, which means it’s safer for 

employees as well as the environment. 

Chemgold has moved towards non-destructive x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis, 

replacing some of the need for fire assay, which produces lead waste. XRF works 

by bombarding a sample with x-rays and using a spectrometer to determine the 

elements present based on their reaction. 

Meanwhile, Rapid Casting’s Farago says: “When it comes to the 

environment, we are on par with the industry standard and regulations. 

Anything that gets burnt out of a flask has to be captured and filtered 


so you don’t put the environment, the public or your employees at risk.” 

Morris & Watson, too, holds environmental sustainability is a core value. “Every 

green initiative we have undertaken over the years has repaid us many times over 

via reduced production costs and higher yield returns,” says George. “For example 

our filter press and water recycle programs have ensured substantial reduction 

in water rates and acid removal costs along with a double check on any precious 

metal content of the spent acid.” 

Chemgold takes an extra step, ensuring all slurry waste is filtered so it doesn’t end 

up in the sewerage system. This waste is then collected and treated by a specialist 

environmentally friendly company. 

Across both the casting and refining industries, reducing packaging waste with 

biodegradable options is becoming mainstream, as is becoming energy conscious 

by upgrading to newer, more efficient plants powered by renewables like solar. 

Botha says there is an “emphasis on environmentally friendly precious metal that is 

responsibly sourced from guaranteed conflict free areas.” 

To ensure its supply chain is as ethical as possible, Botha says that Palloys sources 

from its sister company, ABC Refinery, which is accredited by the London Bullion 

Market Association (LBMA) and the Shanghai Gold Exchange (SGE). “This has a 

major benefit that no other precious metals group in Australia can offer,” says 

Botha. “All Palloys precious metals comply with the strictest of sourcing controls 

that guarantee our metals are responsibly sourced and conflict free.” 

MORRIS & WATSON GROUP 

Chemgold also has an ethical approach to gold, stating that it sources from its own 

refinery, Australian mines and reputed dealers locally and in Europe. The company 

also uses all current recycling methods available on the market. Additionally, the 

company uses steam dewaxing – removing wax by pouring boiling water into a 

steam chamber before loading flasks into the furnaces – in order to maintain a low 

impact on the environment. 

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SWISS WATCHES 

A NEW DIRECTION FOR 

Baselworld 

NOW IN ITS 102ND YEAR, BASELWORLD IS – DESPITE THE DOUBTERS – STILL SETTING 

THE PACE AS THE HEART OF THE LUXURY WATCH INDUSTRY, WRITES MARTIN FOSTER 

nother Baselworld has come and gone in the midst of a torrent of 

industry speculation about its very survival. 

The show is navigating the shifting sands of evolution with its 

raison d’être under global scrutiny; it is enduring a fractured and 

partisan review of what it stands for, while the possibilities and outcomes of 

change are imperfectly understood. 

First and foremost, Baselworld is a trade show and the most important one for 

the watch industry. It’s where brands, buyers and the press congregate for a 

week to review the new products and give them the publicity they (mostly) 

richly deserve – even if some of the brand’s policies are a bit ungracious to those 

global resellers who have served them well over many years. 

It provides the only real opportunity to see the finest of Swiss production sideby-side 

with the quality and volume production from Europe, China and the rest 

of the world. 

And as it happens, the 2019 winnowing of the exhibitors – numbers were down 

20 per cent on 2018 – has produced a tighter and more manageable show. 

Eric Bertrand, president of the Exhibitors’ Committee, said, “This year’s event 

marks a fresh start for exhibitors, visitors and journalists.” 

Bertrand is convinced that Baselworld will remain the world’s most important 

meeting place for its industries, covering all categories from watches and 

jewellery to gemstones and precious metals. “Digital platforms cannot take the 

place of a physical trade show,” he added. 

At a subsequent panel discussion, Chopard’s CEO Karl-Friedrich Scheufele 

echoed his point, saying, “Baselworld has done its homework. We are heading in 

the right direction. A personal encounter cannot be replaced by digital formats.” 

Patek Philippe’s president Thierry Stern added, “I have a feeling that this will be a 

good edition. Business is picking up.” 

Jean-Daniel Pasche, president of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH, 

was also optimistic about the future – and based his optimism on solid data, 

revealing, “The Swiss watch industry’s exports increased 6.3 per cent in 2018. This 

is likely to exert a positive impact on the trade show.” 

However, there are many deep-seated problems that need to be faced 

by Baselworld’s organisers – and it will take time, money and patience 

from all the parties participating in this annual event, not to mention 


flexibility, informed debate and the support of the press. 

Following the loss of Swatch last year, special diplomacy will be needed to hold 

the loyalty of the majors of Hall 1.0 – Rolex, Patek Philippe, Chopard and the 

LVMH group (Bulgari, TAG Heuer, Hublot and Zenith). 

If any of them even blink then the ongoing prospects for Baselworld will be 

dramatically compromised. 

Still, the most intractable issues are cultural, with a significant dose of political 

intransigence from competing Swiss interests. Baselworld 2020 will commence 

on 30 April 2020, immediately after the Salon International de la Haute 

Horlogerie (SIHH) Geneva Salon. 

This is a superficial move toward unity, but it will take more than playing with 

diary dates for the politics to recede, as they should have done 20 years ago. 

In stark contrast to the SIHH, Baselworld is actively promoting the public 

relations exposure of its exhibitors. Management properly recognises that 

supporting press representatives – 3,300 of which attended the show in 2019 – 

has been an integral part of the promotional scenario over many years. 

It’s part of the reason why trade shows exist at all, and why brands decide to 

exhibit at them. 

In contrast, SIHH has embraced what some have called a ‘film-set 

pretentiousness’, with the construction and deconstruction of its Carré des 

Horlogers – once a compelling talking point and publicity tool which is now 

inflating exhibitor costs far above the equivalent exposure. 

Even in these depressed times, Baselworld still represents more than 15 times 

the exhibitors as SIHH; aligning its dates could lead to defections back to the 

larger show, and at the very least will make the Geneva Salon look like a minor 

distraction before the main event. 

SIHH – which split from Baselworld in 1991 – would be well served by forgetting 

the original tiff. There are now empty halls in Basel begging for a useful occupant 

– and what a wonderful opportunity to slash exhibitor costs! 

Speaking of which, the commercial interests in Basel and the MCH Baselworld 

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SWISS WATCHES 

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management need to seriously address price gouging in the city’s 

hotels and restaurants before anybody will believe there is a new 

outlook and recovery prospect for the trade show. 

For decades, Baselworld has been taken for granted as a local cash 

cow by the city – population less than 200,000 – and the visitors to 

Basel have taken it on the chin because they had no choice. 

In a brave – if perhaps overdue – move, the MCH attempted to 

address the price gouging in 2019 but with ho-hum results. Put 

simply, it did not get taken seriously. 

Despite these issues, there are still very strong reasons why 

Baselworld should survive the current turmoil. The task of 

restructuring falls to Michel Loris-Melikoff, the new managing 

director of Baselworld, who has proposed a three-year timeframe for 

the rejuvenation of the show. 

Loris-Melikoff has introduced himself as a watch industry novice, but 

carries with him many years of experience in event planning and 

implementation. 

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Fortunately, we know from years of history that if the event is 

sympathetically managed, the industry participants will certainly do 

the rest. 

The changes needed have nothing to do with dividends to MCH 

shareholders, and everything to do with the high standing of the 

Swiss luxury industry with the cashed-up buyers of the world. 

It is only through this industry recognition that there is support for 

some of the astronomic sums buyers will pay for watches made with 

quality, history and style. 

Would a buyer be more likely to spend say, $50,000 on a high-class 

watch made in South Asia, or one made in Switzerland? Yet, the 

Swiss are under much closer scrutiny these days – and not always 

with positive outcomes. ‘Made in Switzerland’ used to represent 

exceptional design, trust and value. Does it represent this today? 

In a world beset by Cold War-esque posturing, corruption and 

mistrust, the coming years may produce another round of caution, 

with buyers bypassing luxury timepieces. 

There are also distortions in the market that make long-term 

assessments a bit pointless – for example, Brexit uncertainty has 

produced significant forward ordering from UK resellers, as they have 

reason to believe prices will spike if the political divorce is achieved. 

But when will that happen, and in what form? 

For many reasons it is important that Baselworld’s reconstruction – 

its ‘Phoenix Moment’ – is successful, as many smaller brands rely on it 

for taking orders for their yearly production programme. 

It will take strength and determination to address the depths of the 

problems, and we have to hope that Loris-Melikoff is the right man 

for the job. i 

1800MINRES 

www.minres.com.au 

MARTIN FOSTER is a freelance journalist and 

Jeweller’s resident watch ‘guru’. Based in Sydney, Martin 

attends major international exhibitions covering the 

watch and timepieces categories.

BANGKOK REPORT 

Thailand’s time to 

shine 

THE THAI GEMS AND JEWELLERY INDUSTRY IS EXPECTING GROWTH DESPITE AN 

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN. COLEBY NICHOLSON REPORTS 

here’s positive news for the Thai gems and jewellery industry following 

last month’s Bangkok Gems and Jewellery Fair (BGJF) which, according 

the organiser, boasted more than 14,000 visitors from 118 countries. 

This represented an increase of 5.4 per cent over the 2018 event. 

Banjongjitt Angsusingh, director-general of the International Trade Promotion 

Department, said the fair “experienced great success, with sales generated at the 

event totalling more than 2 billion baht (AU$87.7 million).” 

She said the department remains positive that overall gem and jewellery 

shipments (including gold) will increase by 1–3 per cent this year from last year’s 

US$2 billion, which was an increase of 4.7 per cent from 2017. 

A post-Fair report stated that the trade generated at the BGJF was nearly 2.1 

billion baht, with immediate sales worth 700 million baht (AU$30.7 million), up 

85.2 percent compared to the February 2018 fair, while public days saw sales of 

approximately 360 million baht (AU$15.8 million). 

Chutima Boonyaprapatsorn, Thailand’s Deputy Commerce Minister, added that in 

the past year, Thai exports of gems and jewellery have been expanding in almost 

all markets. 

“Last year, export of gems and jewellery products excluding unwrought gold was 

worth US$7.6 billion, up 6.96 per cent, with high-growth products including gold 

jewellery, silver jewellery, imitation jewellery, and diamonds,” she said. 

Unsurprisingly, the products with the highest value of trade at the fair were 

gemstones, followed by fine jewellery, silver jewellery, machinery, and gold 

jewellery, respectively. 

The Thai jewellery industry is recognised for its intricate craftsmanship as well as 

high-quality production, which has led Thailand to be recognised worldwide as 

one of the world’s gem and jewellery hubs. 

This craftsmanship-style approach was evident to first-time fair visitor Helen 

Thompson-Carter, director Fabuleux Vous. 

“Thailand promotes itself with an ‘artisan’ approach to their jewellery craft, 

embracing tradition and use of ‘magic hands’ to deliver fine jewellery – versus the 

mass-machine production that we see from countries such as China,” the New 

Zealand-based supplier said. 

“The future of the Bangkok fair was often questioned, but by all accounts it does 

have a future,” Thompson-Carter added. “Like most international exhibitions, 


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especially in the jewellery industry, the 

challenge is enticing the exhibitor and then 

the visitors! It’s no different to what we 

experience in New Zealand and Australia.” 

Thompson-Carter noted that the Thai 

jewellery and gem industry is the country’s 

third largest export sector, employing 1.2 

million people. 

“The ASEAN countries are growing stronger 

together and there is economic confidence 

that the jewellery industry will continue 

to grow and thrive. While one in three 

diamonds are polished in India, the majority 

of the jewellery setting is done in Thailand,” 

she added. 

Her aim in visiting the fair was for “pure craft 

and workmanship; to see different products 

and styles and to see design and individuality 

– and I found it all. I loved my Bangkok Fair 

experience and definitely have it on the 

radar for 2020.” 

Brendan McCreesh, director O’Neils Affiliated, 

is a frequent visitor to the Bangkok show and 

attends at least one of the two fairs each year, 

depending on how the dates align with the 

Hong Kong Jewellery Fair. 

“There are exhibitors, and visitors, who 

obviously can’t attend both [Bangkok and 

Hong Kong], which can sometimes affect 

the Thai show. That said, there were a few 

pleasant surprises this year and I met some 

interesting new suppliers.” 

McCreesh lists one of the benefits of Bangkok 

as the ability to travel to visit dealers and 

cutting factories directly. 

“Immersing ourselves in the world gemstone 

community and engaging in important 

conversations about quality, supply and 

demand is so important. A lot of it is about 

maintaining good relationships. We also do 

our best to source special, single pieces – 

often-crazy requests – for our customers. 

It’s frequently the case that a lot of shoe 

leather goes on a special request. An 

international show can be the only way 

to fulfil these orders.” 

One of the highlights for the local visitors 

this year was the arrival HRH Princess 

Sirivannavari Nariratana, who chaired the 

opening ceremony before visiting the gems 

and jewellery exhibitions to show support 

for manufacturers in the trade as well as to 

inspire a new generation of designers. 

One of the trademarks of the Thai jewellery 

shows is the promotion and attention given 

to up-and-coming designers. For example, 

The New Faces exhibition showcased 

products from 123 small and medium-sized 

manufacturers and designers from 

21 Thai provinces. 

The Niche Showcase featured five product 

groups: high jewellery (jewellery associated 

with royals), heritage and craftsmanship 

(jewellery representing arts and culture), 

spiritual power (jewellery of belief and 

opulence), luxe men (jewellery for men) and 

beyond jewellery (other lifestyle products 

with an emphasis on gems and jewellery 

materials). 

The Jewellers & Innovation and Design 

Zone was another avenue for designers to 

present innovative products. According to 

the organiser, this area alone reported 120 

million baht (AU$5.3 million) in sales during 

the event. 

Of the more than 800 exhibitors occupying 

1,852 booths, 579 were Thai suppliers. i 

Coleby Nicholson attended the BGJF courtesy of 

the organiser, the Department of International 

Trade Promotion (DITP), Ministry of Commerce.

GEMS 

ORGANIC GEMS PART II: PEARLS 

pearls, and Pteria penguin pinkish pearls with 

the mabé shape. 

The iridescence of the nacre can create 

overtones of pink, green, purple or blue. 

While the perfectly spherical pearl is highly 

prized, each shape has its own beauty and 

suits particular jeweller settings. These shapes 

include button, oval, drop and baroque, as 

well as mabé, which is a pearl that is flattened 

on one side. 

Keshi pearls are a little surprise of nature and 

highly sought after due to their exquisite 

lustre and unique freeform shapes. These 

small baroque pearls are typically formed as 

by-products of pearl cultivation. 

Natural pearls are produced without any 

human intervention and are extremely rare, 

with almost all available pearls in the market 

today being cultured by man. Culturing 

involves ‘seeding’ live molluscs with a small 

shell bead, upon which the creature forms a 

nucleus and begins to secrete its nacre. 

Known as ‘The Queen of Gems’, pearls 

are our gems of the sea. These lustrous 

creations have been loved and admired 

throughout different cultures across 

thousands of years. This organic gem is 

produced within the soft tissue of certain 

species of molluscs and is found in a 

variety of hues and forms. 

Pearls are rounded concretions composed 

of calcium carbonate – specifically aragonite 

and calcite – and organic matrix, secreted 

from particular marine and freshwater 

molluscs. There are two kinds: nacreous and 

non-nacreous. 

The surface of a nacreous pearl is formed 

from thin layers of nacre, or mother-of- pearl, 

that are deposited as microscopic, tile-like 

crystals. The iridescence produced by a pearl’s 

nacre is caused by the diffraction of white 

light as it interacts with the arrangement of 

these aragonite crystals. 

Non-nacreous pearls may be produced by 

the pink or queen conch (Strombus gigas), 

the giant clam (Tridacna gigas) and several 

species of edible oyster. They do not display 

an iridescent surface. Instead, these pearls 

commonly have a porcelain-like appearance 

due to their calcite or mixed calciticaragonitic 

composition. They are still admired 

for their pale colours and lustrous surfaces 

and are used for both jewellery and art. 

The quality factors of a pearl may be 

broken down to: shape and size, body 

colour, iridescence, lustre and the presence 

and intensity of the ‘orient’ – a dramatic, 

multicoloured iridescent sheen. 

The body colour of a pearl is thought to be 

caused by organic pigments present in the 

matrix. The most familiar colours of nacreous 

pearls are white and cream. They may also 

be black, grey and silver. Pinctada maxima 

oysters tend to produce silver or champagne 

pearls, Pinctada margaritifera produce black 

A GEM THAT 

DOES NOT 

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IRIDESCENT SHEEN 

IS CAPTIVATING 

Commercial production of cultured pearls 

began in the early 20th Century and has 

changed a great deal since. Whilst there is a 

level of control over the size and shape of 

the pearls cultivated, the mollusc is still very 

much in charge of the process, alongside the 

forces of nature. 

A gem that does not require further polishing 

or faceting to enhance its beauty, a pearl is 

simply perfection in its natural form. Their 

delicate iridescent sheen is captivating 

and can be enhanced by the presence of 

other gems or simply dazzle on its own. 

Beautiful as single spherical shapes, baroque 

forms or long strands, pearls are a classic 

jewellery staple. 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 


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BUSINESS 

LOGGING ON TO THE INTERNET OF THINGS 

The internet of things can offer insights 

into what customers really care 

about. CHRIS PETERSEN reveals how 

retailers can leverage this emerging 

technology sector for a more effective 

selling strategy. 

The ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) has to go 

down as one of the worst-named product 

categories ever. A recent study indicated that 

79 per cent of consumers had no idea what 

IoT stands for or what it means; however, the 

path to purchase requires that retailers have 

some understanding of what it is and the 

opportunities it presents. 

According to Wikipedia, a British entrepreneur 

named Kevin Aston first coined the term 

Internet of Things in 1999 while working with 

radio-frequency identification devices. 

Hard to believe that there wasn’t another 

name but IoT seems to have emerged as the 

catch-all term to describe any object that can 

collect, share and transmit data. 

The IoT is a network of seemingly-everyday 

items like appliances, cars and even buildings 

that are connected to the internet. These 

devices can be connected in ‘smart grids’ to 

monitor a wide variety of machines 

and people. 

The result is that IoT devices can churn out 

a mountain of monitoring data, as well as 

creating a seamless experience for the user, 

group or business using them. 

Each IoT object is designed to work in concert 

with the others. For example, if a woman is 

returning home from work, her car could 

send a signal to her smart-home device, 

which would then set the air-conditioner to 

her preferred temperature so the house is 

cool when she steps inside. 

The garage door is also connected so it would 

know when she is arriving and open just as 

her car is pulling into the driveway. 

Enter smart jewellery. Combining society’s 

obsession with connectivity and style, 

smart jewellery refers to an assortment of 

rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings that 

aim to improve health, productivity and 

communications, all while maintaining a 

fashion-first stance. The latest iterations are 

less gimmicky and more wearable, shattering 

STORIES MAKE 

PRODUCTS 

REAL AND 

RELEVANT TO 

CONSUMERS. 

WHEN 

CONSUMERS 

CAN’T SEE THE 

TECHNOLOGY 

OR FEATURES, 

THEY NEED TO 

SEE AND HEAR 

HOW IT THESE 

FEATURES ARE 

PERSONALLY 

RELEVANT 

the notion that they can’t be worn daily and 

making a strong case for the title of jewellery. 

The IoT also includes wearable ‘smart’ 

jewellery, which combines society’s obsession 

with connectivity and style. Smart jewellery 

refers to an assortment of rings, bracelets, 

necklaces and earrings that aim to improve 

health, productivity and communications, all 

while maintaining a fashion-first stance. The 

latest iterations are less gimmicky and more 

wearable, shattering the notion that they can’t 

be worn daily and making a strong case for 

the title of jewellery. 

UNLIMITED POTENTIAL 

Estimates predict that there will be 25-billion 

IoT devices on this planet by 2020 – and this 

estimate may be conservative. All of these 

devices will be wirelessly connected to the 

Internet of Things, each transmitting data. 

There are untold uses for IoT and applications 

for every industry. Devices could monitor 

everything from manufacturing machines to 

planes and track the movement of products 

across every step of distribution. 


BUSINESS 

IoT devices can also monitor critical health 

functions in wearers and alert them to 

visit the closest doctor in the event of an 

irregularity. Wearable IoT devices – wristbands 

and even clothing – can already track 

exercise, sleep patterns and even intimate 

moments if required. 

In Australia, Melbourne researcher and 

jewellery designer Leah Heiss has created 

a range of ‘diabetes jewellery’ which can 

painlessly monitor and administer insulin as 

well as the Smart Heart necklace to collect 

and transmit heart data for cardiac patients. 

The role of IoT in documenting the lives 

of consumers would seem to be a perfect 

opportunity for retailers yet selling IoT devices 

in retail stores has thus far been a challenge. 

Why? Well, most consumers simply aren’t 

aware of IoT. 

As IoT sensors are embedded into their 

respective devices and not easily seen, 

consumers might not even know their 

appliances are IoT capable. Unless consumers 

are wearing Fitbits or similar devices, they also 

rarely use any of the information coming out 

of their devices to improve their daily lives. 

THE CHALLENGE FOR RETAIL 

Recent surveys indicate that four out of 

five consumers don’t have an 

understanding of IoT or appreciate the 

value of owning an IoT device. These 

findings are remarkable because most 

consumers already own a device with IoT 

capability – smartphones, smart TVs and 

most recent cars, which usually integrate 

Bluetooth connectivity, online radio and 

navigation, if not web browsing. 

Wearable technology has become 

mainstream too but there remains great 

potential to expand this category. Consumers 

are naturally cautious about products like 

Google Home and Amazon Echo. Voice 

activation makes these devices easy to use 

but also plays into wariness that people have 

about being recorded. 

Indeed, concerns about privacy and who can 

access this personal data are at the forefront 

of consumers’ minds. This is something 

retailers should address. 

Consumers don’t have any perceived value 

of how IoT can benefit them. A considered 

purchase requires that the buyer sees 

personal value before spending a significant 

amount of money on an item. 

When it comes to IoT, factors such as price 

aren’t the barrier to purchase; the problem is 

that people just don’t see how these devices 

can satisfy their needs or requirements. 

The bottom line is that consumers don’t buy 

what they don’t know, use or trust. 

ENCOURAGING ADOPTION 

IoT could represent a significant 

retail opportunity if retailers can shift 

focus. Retailers are stuck in a legacy of 

merchandising and selling things but IoT is 

not about selling things at all. 

If retailers are going to crack the code 

on selling IoT, they need to change their 

behaviours with consumers. Today’s 

consumers aren’t buying objects just because 

they connect to the internet so IoT devices 

will not sell well unless retailers change the 

customer experience (CX). 

With all the other objects competing for a 

share of the consumer’s wallet, IoT has largely 

been a non-starter because consumers can’t 

‘see’ the features in action. hey can’t see 

the embedded IoT technology and they 

especially can’t see the personal value in their 

daily life. This is a tailor-made scenario for 

retailers and consumer brands to leverage CX. 

THE POWER OF STORIES 

Stories make products real and relevant 

to consumers. When consumers can’t see 

the technology or features, they need to 

see and hear how it these features are 

personally relevant. 

The ability to watch other consumers use IoT 

products and benefit from them would be an 

excellent place to start. Since the consumer 

journey starts online, the IoT benefits stories 

need to be there to showcase value and ease 

of use. Retailers should focus on terms like 

‘personal’ and ‘use’. Nothing sounds more 

impersonal than data and network talk. 

Consumers don’t care so much about what 

makes something work; they are interested 

in what the IoT device does for them, how 

it makes their life better. For example, 

consumers need to be able to see how they 

can check if their garage door is open after 

they leave the house with an IoT device. 

This is real, practical value that gives 

IT’S A PARADOX 

THAT ALL THIS 

CONNECTIVITY 

STILL REQUIRES A 

HUMAN TOUCH 

TO SELL IT. AN 

ACCENTURE 

STUDY FOUND 

THAT 83 PER 

CENT OF 

CONSUMERS 

WOULD RATHER 

WORK WITH A 

PERSON THAN 

GET DIGITAL HELP 

consumers peace of mind and can also save 

them a trip home. Part of the experience 

comes from allowing consumers to see, 

touch, feel and drive.IoT devices by their very 

nature must connect to networks and the 

internet. Consumers need to see how IoT 

devices work and connect. 

They also need to know how simple these 

devices are to use. One reason Fitbit stylewearables 

are being sold is that consumers 

can put one on for a test drive in store. 

Retailers must emphasise the ways in which 

devices can make life better. A refrigerator 

that can keep track of its contents is certainly 

a novelty but do shoppers really want the 

refrigerator to send a report or even place a 

grocery order? 

That’s a question for the individual but there 

are devices that everyone can appreciate. 

For example, show a customer how an IoT 

smart-home device can send them a text 

alert if there is an intruder or if there is smoke 

detected in the house and they’ll probably 

agree that alleviating safety concerns is of real 

value in their personal lives. 

It’s a paradox that all this connectivity 

still requires a human touch to sell it. 

An Accenture study found that 83 per cent 

of consumers would rather work with a 

person than get digital help. If that isn’t a 

case for the power of customer service in 

store then what is? 

In addition to floor staff, another 

differentiation opportunity is support after 

the sale. US appliance store Best Buy’s Geek 

Squad has created a very profitable enterprise 

offering technical support to customers on 

the phone and also in their homes. Why not 

expand to include IoT devices designed for 

smart homes and security? 

Today’s retailers have to be more than a 

source of the product – much more! The 

retailers who differentiate value via CX have 

boundless opportunities for both sales and 

service with the billions of IoT devices due to 

enter the market in the next few years. i 

CHRIS PETERSEN is 

founder and CEO of retail 

consultancy Integrated 

Marketing Solutions (IMS). 

imsresultscount.com 


SELLING 

HOW TO LOSE A SALE – BEFORE YOU GET IT 

IT’S SURPRISINGLY EASY TO LOSE A SALE. FROM INADEQUATE COMMUNICATION TO BAD TIMING, BRIAN JEFFREY EXPLORES 

THE COMMON PITFALLS, OVERSIGHTS AND MISTAKES SELLERS MAKE WHEN INTERACTING WITH PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS. 

It’s a shame but there are salespeople who 

are losing sales before they even have the 

chance to begin them. 

That’s right – sales staff are reaching into 

their holsters, pulling out their pistols 

and shooting themselves in the foot 

before they even have a chance to talk to 

their prospect. 

SLOW OFF THE MARK 

A slow reaction time can annoy a prospect 

even at the very beginning of a sales pitch. 

As a case in point, I recently decided to enlist 

a company to revamp my website – to give it 

a face-lift, so to speak. 

I couldn’t do it myself because I have the 

creativity of a pebble. I also don’t speak or 

understand HTML, the language of the web. 

I contacted a couple of recommended web 

designers and waited for them to call me 

and here’s where my problem began. I 

waited and waited. Obviously, they didn’t 

need any more business as I’m still waiting 

for some of them to call! 

What goes through my mind is that 

if a business takes this long to make 

initial contact, how long will I have to wait 

for them to actually do the job? 

If your response time to a prospect’s initial 

request is too long, he or she might write 

you off before you even get a chance to 

start the process. 

Even if you do get to commence your pitch, 

you’ve got an uphill climb to recapture that 

prospect’s trust. 

FROM BAD TO WORSE 

It’s a safe bet that if a sales pitch is going 

badly during the early stages, it isn’t going to 

get much better. In fact, it’s more likely that it 

will get even worse still! 

You’ve undoubtedly had similar situations as 

a salesperson. You’ve got the prospect from 

hell and the sale is a bigger challenge than it 

really should be. 

IF YOUR 

RESPONSE 

TIME TO A 

PROSPECT’S 

INITIAL REQUEST 

IS TOO LONG, HE 

OR SHE MIGHT 

WRITE YOU 

OFF BEFORE 

YOU EVEN GET 

A CHANCE 

TO START THE 

PROCESS 

IF A PITCH STARTS BADLY, IT WON’T IMPROVE 

He doesn’t return your calls, wants to bicker 

over every little detail and, in general, he 

wants to jerk you around. 

If you think it’s going to be better after 

you’ve got his money, think again. It usually 

gets worse. After a sale, the prospect from 

hell can turn into the customer from hell. 

No salesperson wants a bad sale and no 

prospect wants a bad buy. Bad sales and 

bad buys are the same; they don’t start off 

well and they both degenerate into even 

worse situations. 

If your prospect even smells a hint of 

problems at the early stages of a sale, 

he’s going to be wary and start looking 

for alternate sources of whatever it is 

you’re selling. 

SENDING THE WRONG MESSAGE 

So what makes a prospect wary? Lack of 

hustle, for one! If it takes you too long to get 

back to a potential customer after his initial 

inquiry, you’re on your way to a bad sale. 

You’re sending the message that you don’t 

care and if you don’t care, maybe the rest of 

the company doesn’t care either. 

Little things can make a big difference. If you 

don’t think that little things matter, consider 

this – you’re sitting in a plane waiting for 

take-off and the tray in front of you pops 

open. You notice that it’s dirty and warped. 

Wouldn’t you then wonder about the 

engines? 

If they can’t fix and clean something as 

simple as a tray, how well do they maintain 

the rest of the aircraft?! 

Another thing that makes a person wary 

is when a salesperson fails to keep their 

promises. Remember when you told your 

potential customer that you’d call her back 

before the end of the day? 

Okay so you say you didn’t promise her 

and that you were just telling her what you 

intended to do, right? 

You may have been busy or unable to get 

the information she wants. 

Telling someone you’ll call at a specific time 

is perceived promise in the prospect’s mind, 

and prospects don’t differentiate between 

perceived promises and real ones. 

KEEP YOUR WORD 

Your ability – or inability – to respond 

quickly to inquiries or to get back to 

someone as promised are both measures 

of your reliability. People want to deal with 

and buy from reliable people. 

Make sure you start every sales opportunity 

on the right foot by being timely and 

proving yourself to be reliable. 

Do this and you’ll stand out by a country 

mile because your competition probably 

isn’t doing it. 

It’s the tiniest of things that can make the 

biggest impact. Remember this the next 

time you see a dirty tray on the plane. i 

BRIAN JEFFREY has more 

than 40 years’ experience in 

sales management, training 

and business consulting. 

quintarra.com 


MANAGEMENT 

THE POWER OF VISION AND CERTAINTY 

WHEN IT COMES TO SUCCESS, THERE ARE TWO MAGIC INGREDIENTS – EMPLOYED BY LEGENDARY STATESMEN AND TITANS OF 

INDUSTRY – THAT WILL TRANSFORM YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE AND HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS. DAVID BROWN REPORTS. 

All great leaders, from George Washington 

to Martin Luther King Jr, Winston Churchill 

to Steve Jobs, have an elusive quality that 

defines their success. 

of customers sit. These businesses are so 

careful to avoid offence that they become 

vanilla, indistinguishable from those around 

them on anything other than price. 

It’s something that lifts those around them 

and takes their cause to the upper reaches 

of achievement. 

As this is where the majority of the 

competition sits, everyone is left fighting 

for scraps. 

A SURE THING 

We often mistake this quality for charisma or 

confidence but it goes much deeper than 

that. These leaders have a belief that carries 

them through adversity and past the failures 

of those who doubt. 

Churchill is a classic case in point; despite 

the odds, he believed Britain would win over 

Germany during World War Two. 

Even after every European ally had fallen 

and Britain was left alone, protected only 

by the narrow English Channel, Churchill 

was fervent in his belief that Britain would 

be victorious. 

This belief provided the people of England 

with the confidence to withstand attack and 

eventually win through. 

George Washington also faced seemingly 

insurmountable odds. 

Heavily outnumbered in most encounters 

and using a ragtag group of militia to 

oppose the strongest military in the world, 

Washington was able to inspire confidence 

not only in his soldiers but in the leaders 

and politicians who would go on to form 

Western society’s first true democracy. 

The victories of the American revolutionary 

forces stemmed from Washington’s belief 

that they would be victorious. 

A shared quality of these leaders, and those 

business leaders who have grown their 

companies to incredible heights, has been 

certainty – a deep, unyielding belief that 

what they are doing is the right thing and 

that they will succeed no matter what. 

Look at any successful business of the last 

HOW DO YOU 

MEASURE UP ON 

THE CERTAINTY 

SCALE? DO YOU 

HAVE A CLEAR 

VISION OF WHAT 

YOU HOPE TO 

OFFER THE 

WORLD? THOSE 

WHO ARE CERTAIN 

ARE NOT ‘ME 

TOO’ OPERATORS; 

THEIR BELIEF IS IN 

SOMETHING THAT 

MANY OTHERS 

FAIL TO BELIEVE IN 

DEFINE YOUR GOAL – AND BELIEVE IN IT 

100 years and you’ll find a leader standing 

with certainty, one who has a vision and a 

certainty to match. 

This level of certainty transfers to small 

business as well. 

SEEING THE GOAL CLEARLY 

Look around at the businesses in your city 

that are successful and you will find they are 

led by people with a vision and a level of 

certainty in that vision. 

The success of these entities will be directly 

related to the certainty they have that they 

are offering something worth having and 

that people will want it. 

How do you measure up on the certainty 

scale? Do you have a clear vision of what 

you hope to offer the world? 

Those who are certain are not ‘me too’ 

operators; their belief is in something that 

many others fail to believe in. 

It’s not hard to believe that world is round 

today but it took some certainty 600 years 

ago when everyone else thought it was flat. 

Sadly, there are business owners who 

are willing to believe only in what the 

mainstream believes. As a result, they try 

to be all things to all people, playing it 

safely down the middle where the majority 

In politics, we see figures like Donald 

Trump, Bernie Sanders and Alexandria 

Ocasio-Cortez gaining support because 

they don’t water down their message to 

appeal to everyone. 

Love them or hate them, they have carved 

out their own powerful place – and gained 

plenty of followers – by not competing for 

the centre ground. 

There’s profit on the fringes where the 

audience is often ignored but where the 

competition is thinner. If you play in this 

area, you will find yourself outside the 

needs of the majority but with a profitable 

audience you can have all to yourself. 

Are you being all things to all people? Is 

there a profitable fringe to your business 

that could be explored? Are you positioning 

yourself where others can’t or won’t go but 

where there is an untapped market waiting 

to be heard? 

Elon Musk has become successful because 

of his willingness to go into markets where 

others fear to tread. Are you SpaceX or 

Chrysler? 

Think about it for a few minutes and it 

becomes clear – doing what everyone else 

does won’t bring you different results. 

A unique vision combined with an 

uncompromising certainty will win through 

in the end. i 

DAVID BROWN is 

co-founder and 

business mentor of 

Retail Edge Consultants. 

retailedgeconsultants.com 


MARKETING & PR 

SALES TIPS YOU CAN APPLY TO EVERYDAY LIFE 

THE KEY SKILLS AND INSIGHTS OF THE SALESPERSON AREN’T JUST LIMITED TO THE SHOP FLOOR; THEY CAN ALSO HELP 

YOU NAVIGATE TRICKY SOCIAL SITUATIONS AND UNCERTAIN INTERACTIONS OUTSIDE OF WORK, WRITES SUE BARRETT. 

Humans are social animals who need 

to engage with others in some way in 

order to be able to live effectively and have 

a meaningful existence. 

I didn’t know, I said, “Hi, I’m your neighbour 

from up the street. We have an abundance 

of fresh plums we cannot use and I was 

wondering if you would like to have some?” 

Whether you’re a salesperson or not, there 

are times in your daily life when knowing 

how to sell can turn an awkward situation 

into a positive one. 

THE FEAR OF REJECTION 

Consider the new school year as an 

example. There are often many new faces 

and new people to meet across the year. 

Whether you want to or not, you will 

find yourself in new situations. These 

could include setting up play dates for 

your children, welcoming new neighbours 

into your community, forming a parent 

group, meeting your child’s teachers 

and so on. 

For some, social scenarios like these are 

second nature but not everyone finds 

these types of tasks easy to do. 

Some parents might even consider it 

daunting. What if you arrange a playdate 

between two children and the other 

parent says no? 

People don’t like to be rejected, which is 

why it can be intimidating to break into a 

new tribe. 

But as it turns out, igniting new social 

relationships is just like setting up new 

client relationships at work. 

Both raise various questions and fear in 

our minds such as how do I get accepted? 

How do I make a good impression? How 

do I get along with these people? How 

do I build a trusting relationship with them, 

going forward? 

All of these tasks require us to know how 

to plan, prospect, enquire, understand 

others and find ways to engage in 

meaningful exchanges for the purpose 

of making a strong connection. 

PEOPLE DON’T 

LIKE TO BE 

REJECTED, WHICH 

IS WHY IT CAN 

BE INTIMIDATING 

TO BREAK INTO 

A NEW TRIBE – 

BUT AS IT TURNS 

OUT, IGNITING 

NEW SOCIAL 

RELATIONSHIPS IS 

JUST LIKE SETTING 

UP NEW CLIENT 

RELATIONSHIPS 

AT WORK 

MEETING A NEW PERSON IS JUST LIKE A SALE 

STRANGERS TO FRIENDS 

Let me share a specific example to 

illustrate my point. Recently I was 

harvesting our annual crop of plums. It 

has been a good season and we have 

harvested around 30kg. 

What we normally like to do is make 

a pflaumenmus, which is plum butter, 

and we also preserve the plums; however, 

given previous harvests, we had more 

than enough produce already. 

We didn’t need to cook anything this year 

but we also didn’t want to have these 

delicious plums go to waste. 

I devised a plan – I would take some excess 

plums door-to-door and offer them to my 

neighbours for free, some of whom I know 

well and others whom I do not know. 

Have you ever tried to go door-to-door 

selling something? It’s not easy, even if 

what you have won’t cost them anything. 

People can be wary because they are 

caught off guard; they’re wondering who 

you are and what you want. 

To address this and before I left for my plum 

distribution drive, I developed my VBR or 

valid business reason for calling on them. 

It went something like this: to people 

Immediately everyone knew why I was 

there and what I was offering. 

When they said yes to the offer, I instructed 

them to get a large bowl so I could give 

them plenty of plums. 

To people I did know, I said the same thing 

except I used their names. , 

“Hi [person’s name], we have an abundance 

of fresh plums we cannot use and I was 

wondering if you would like to have some?” 

I managed to visit 12 houses, which 

took me three hours because, besides 

distributing my plums, I got to have 

some wonderful conversations with 

my neighbours. 

I even got some corn and chillies in return 

and it was a lovely way to spend a Saturday 

afternoon. 

STRANGERS TO FRIENDS 

There are real skills involved here – 

knowing how to introduce yourself; 

helping people to quickly understand 

why you are there; giving neighbours 

a choice to say yes or no; being open, 

friendly and welcoming. 

All of these were integral to the success 

of the venture but having a clear plan and 

the right intentions made the biggest 

difference, helping me to build all sorts of 

relationships in the community. i 

SUE BARRETT is founder 

and managing director of 

sales advisory, consulting 

and education firm Barrett. 

barrett.com.au 


LOGGED ON 

HOW TO STAND OUT IN THE ONLINE MARKET 

JUST A FEW SIMPLE STEPS WILL GET THE ATTENTION OF PROSPECTS ONLINE AND BLOW AWAY THE COMPETITION. SIMON DELL 

REPORTS ON THE EASIEST TECHNIQUES FOR BOOSTING YOUR WEB PROFILE IN ORDER TO INCREASE TRAFFIC AND SALES. 

Standing out from the competition in the 

market is crucial to your business’ growth 

and success. With today’s technology 

upgrades, your online presence can be a 

great way to attract customers. 

If you’re looking to improve your virtual 

presence to enable your business to gain 

exposure online, here are a few tips to 

consider from the very beginning. 

START A BUSINESS WEBSITE 

If you want to have a place in a competitive 

market, creating a simple, well-designed 

website is a good idea to boost your virtual 

presence. The site helps customers know 

more about your business and the products 

or services you’re selling. 

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SEO 

If you want your business to be well-known, 

you should make sure your website is 

designed to increase your online visibility 

– think about incorporating search engine 

optimisation (SEO) components such as 

meta tags and keywords so people can 

find you fast. This will give you an edge 

on search-engine results. 

Build a smart strategy from the start to 

make sure you get favourable results. Talk 

to an SEO specialist to get started with your 

digital marketing strategy. 

MAKE YOUR SITE MOBILE-FRIENDLY 

There are many potential customers 

online and almost all of them use mobile 

devices at least occasionally to search for 

a particular product or service. Tap this 

market by ensuring your website is mobilefriendly. 

With so many jewellery stores in the market, 

you need to be one step ahead at all times. 

To do this, you should know how your 

website is performing within your local area. 

Having a mobile-friendly site is beneficial 

for your search-engine rankings and for 

your customers too. 

BUILD A BUSINESS PROFILE ON GOOGLE 

As an entrepreneur, you should be listing 

a business profile on Google and ensuring 

it is verified and updated. Make sure it 

includes all the important information, 

including the services you provide, your 

location and store hours, some relevant 

product photos and any links to blog posts, 

if you have one. 

Update this information regularly as the 

more you update your Google business 

profile, the higher you will appear in the 

search engine’s results. 

GENERATE USEFUL CONTENT 

You’ll stand out from competitors if you 

become a trusted expert in your industry. 

Apart from having a website, you can 

establish a good profile for your company 

by producing relevant content. 

If you want to communicate with online 

shoppers, start creating newsletters and/ 

or blogs. That way, you can share ideas 

about the industry, offer practical advice or 

discuss new product. This also encourages 

prospects to express themselves by posting 

comments, which you can use to build 

relationships. 

The more you communicate with potential 

customers while they are researching their 

purchases, the more they realise you are 

human. This builds trust, shows passion, and 

creates a veneer of authenticity across all 

your business dealings. 

BE SOCIAL 

Like other online platforms, social media 

can be a great way to introduce products 

and services to the online market. If you’re 

looking to spread the word about your 

business, become active on social media. 

Gaining leverage in the market means 

using social media for announcements 

and promotions, as well as to respond 

to questions and even criticism in a 

public forum. 

WHEN IT COMES TO THE WEB, IT’S ALL ABOUT STANDING OUT 

THE MORE YOU 

COMMUNICATE 

WITH PROSPECTS, 

THE MORE THEY 

REALISE YOU ARE 

HUMAN. THIS 

BUILDS TRUST, 

SHOWS PASSION, 

AND CREATES 

A VENEER OF 

AUTHENTICITY 

ACROSS ALL 

YOUR BUSINESS 

DEALINGS 

NARROW DOWN YOUR NICHE 

Your business can’t serve everyone, especially 

if you’re running a service-based company. 

Using a complicated approach is not always 

an effective way to service your customers. It’ll 

only make it difficult for people to determine 

whether your service is what they’re seeking. 

Instead, defining who it is that you serve 

can be the best way to stand out in the 

commodity market. For example, a New-York 

business called Movers NYC only targets those 

people who are moving within or out of New 

York City. Just by looking, customers will know 

immediately if that service is the right fit for 

their needs. 

CLOSING THOUGHTS 

Growing your business isn’t easy. You 

may have to undergo a few setbacks that 

will test your determination, courage, 

and skills; however, by following the tips 

above, you can begin to build your business’ 

online presence as well as differentiate it 

from other similar brands in the online 

commodity market. i 

SIMON DELL operates his 

own agency, focusing on 

digital marketing strategies 

and customer engagement. 

simondell.com 


MY STORE 

SMALL SPACE 

JEWELLERY 

LOCATION: Melbourne, Australia 

NAME: Robyn Wernicke 

POSITION: Owner and manager 

When was the renovated space 

completed? Small Space opened in 

2000, and in 2017 I decided it was well 

overdue for a face-lift. It was completed 

in April 2018. The renovation included 

new timber bench tops, floor sanding 

and staining in “Black Japan”, the addition 

of the feature pegboard, painting and last 

but definitely not least, a custom-made 

jeweller’s bench by Sam Johnson. After 

sitting at the same bench for more than 

30 years I have this schmick new one! 

Who is the target market, and how did 

they influence the store design?Our 

customer base is someone who likes 

to shop locally and knows what they 

purchase from us is unique, original and 

made by hand. I think the fact that the 

workshop is open to the customer and 

not hidden out the back holds intrigue. 

They can clearly see us working away; this 

reinforces that what we do is made by 

hand on the premises. So much of what’s 

on offer to the public is either imported 

or CAD or both, so l believe this is our 

point of differentiation. 

With the relationship between store 

ambience and consumer purchasing 

in mind, which features in the store 

encourage sales? Customers always 

comment on are the floor boxes which 

we use to display jewellery and other 

things that might relate to a new series 

of work or exhibition happening at the 

time. They are illuminated so they make 

a great contrast to the dark timber floors. 

Customers often comment, “Oh, l’m 

walking on the jewellery,” when they look 

down. The boxes are unexpected and a 

great starting point for a conversation. 

What is the wow factor? The expanse 

of pegboard, which spans the upper 

mezzanine level and displays a series of 

vintage tools that were my father’s. After 

he passed away l couldn’t bear to throw 

them away. I knew they would come in 

handy. They make a great impact when 

you walk in and Dad would’ve been very 

proud that they’ve got a second life! i 


10 YEARS AGO 

WHAT WAS MAKING NEWS 10 YEARS AGO? 

A SNAPSHOT OF THE INDUSTRY EVENTS THAT MADE NEWS HEADLINES IN THE MAY 2009 ISSUE OF JEWELLER 

JAA asks for input on 

terminology debate 

Enhanced 

gemstones alert 

The story: A spate of treated and enhanced 

gemstones, thought to have originated 

in Afghanistan, has recently appeared on 

the local market, sparking concerns for 

consumer confidence. 

Customers possessing the loose and unset 

gemstones have approached several jewellers 

for valuation and appraisal, according to the 

JAA. The clients claimed they’d obtained the 

gemstones – among them star sapphires, 

rubies and diamonds – from overseas 

and are interested in reselling, rather than 

manufacturing them into jewellery items. 

NATIONWIDE VISITS 

PANDORA HQ 

The story: Over 120 members of the 

Nationwide Jewellers group recently 

visited the Pandora headquarters at 

Mona Vale in Sydney for the inaugural 

“Day at Pandora”. 

Nationwide’s in-house travel agency 

co-ordinated the arrangements, with 

members coming from all parts of 

Australia and New Zealand. 

The members, all Pandora stockists, 

were split into groups and allocated a 

Pandora staff member as a guide for 

the day. 

Activities included a tour of 

each department, a marketing 

presentation, training with the 

Pandora International Sales Coach 

and viewing the new product range. 

The story: The JAA has called on its members to 

help nominate the correct descriptive term for a 

synthetic or laboratory-grown gemstone. 

A memo and survey was issued to members, asking 

whether retailers should use terms like ‘synthetic’, 

‘laboratory-grown’, ‘laboratory-created’ or ‘manmade’. 

The survey also asked whether members and 

consumers understood what synthetic meant. The 

JAA said the naming debate had raged for 20 years. 

“The ‘purists’ are only prepared to accept the word 

‘synthetic’,” read the release. “The more commercially 

minded wish to use the words laboratory-created, 

laboratory-grown or just created.” 

The issue was raised at the 2008 CIBJO conference 

and will be discussed at the next one in May 2009, 

with the JAA speaking on behalf of the Australian 

jewellery industry. 

“Our members really enjoyed the 

whole experience,” Colin Pocklington, 

managing director Nationwide 

Jewellers, said. “They had no idea 

of the huge size of the Pandora 

operation, and just as importantly, 

the plans that Pandora has in place in 

terms of products and marketing, to 

maintain strong growth.” Pocklington 

said the success of the day meant it 

could become an annual event. 

Skagen watches celebrates 20 years 

The story: Designer watch company Skagen recently 

celebrated its 20th birthday, releasing a limitededition 

Anniversary Collection for the occasion. The 

brand is now distributed in 60 countries, offering 

more than 250 watch designs in more than 5,000 

retailers worldwide. 

Charlotte Jorst, co-founder Skagen, said, “Given the 

challenging economy we are in, it’s an extra special 

time to be honouring how our small business 

venture began from just a simple idea to what is 

now a global design company with continued 

opportunity for growth.” 

The Australian distributor of Skagen, Jarass, planned 

a special event to mark the milestone at the 

International Jewellery Fair in Sydney. 


EVENTS 

JEWELLERY AND WATCH CALENDAR 

A GUIDE TO THE LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY AND WATCH EVENTS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE IN THE YEAR AHEAD. 


JEWELRY SHANGHAI 

Shanghai, China 

May 8 – 12 

newayfairs.com/EN 

PALAKISS VICENZA 

SPRING SHOW 

Vicenza, Italy 


palakisstore.com 

INTERNATIONAL 

JEWELLERY KOBE 

Kobe, Japan 


ijk-fair.jp/en 

INTERNATIONAL JEWELRY 

AND WATCH FAIR VIETNAM 

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 


jewelrytradefair.com/vietnam 

JCK LAS VEGAS 

Las Vegas, US 

May 31 – June 3 

lasvegas.jckonline.com 

JUNE 2019 

JUBINALE INTERNATIONAL 

JEWELLERY AND WATCHES 

TRADE FAIR 

Krakow, Poland 

June 13 – 15 

jubinale.com/en 

HONG KONG JEWELLERY 

& GEM FAIR 

Hong Kong, China 

June 20 – 23 

exhibitions.jewellerynet.com 

JULY 2019 

WINTON OPAL 

TRADESHOW 

Winton, Australia 

July 12 – 13 

qboa.com.au 

LIGHTNING RIDGE OPAL 

& GEM FESTIVAL 

Lightning Ridge, Australia 

July 24 – 27 

lightningridgeopalfestival.com.au 

AUGUST 2019 

AUSTRALIAN OPAL 

EXHIBITION 

Gold Coast, QLD 

August 1 – 2 

austopalexpo.com.au 

INDIA INTERNATIONAL 

JEWELLERY SHOW 

Mumbai, India 


iijs.org 

INTERNATIONAL 

JEWELLERY FAIR 

Sydney, Australia 


jewelleryfair.com.au 

JAPAN JEWELLERY FAIR 

Tokyo, Japan 


japanjewelleryfair.com/en 

SEPTEMBER 2019 

INTERNATIONAL 

JEWELLERY LONDON 

London, UK 

September 1 – 3 

jewellerylondon.com 

HONG KONG WATCH 

& CLOCK FAIR 



m.hktdc.com/fair/hkwatchfair-en/ 

BIJORHCA PARIS 

Paris, France 


bijorhca.com 

VICENZAORO 



vicenzaoro.com/en 

PALAKISS VICENZA 

SUMMER SHOW 



palakisstore.com 

BANGKOK GEMS 

& JEWELRY FAIR 

Bangkok, Thailand 


bkkgems.com 

SHENZHEN INTERNATIONAL 

JEWELLERY FAIR 

Shenzhen, China 


newayfairs.com/EN 

HONG KONG JEWELLERY & 

GEM FAIR 



exhibitions.jewellerynet.com 

OCTOBER 2019 

BHARAT DIAMOND WEEK 

Mumbai, India 

October 14 – 16 

bharatdiamondweek.com 

INTERNATIONAL 

JEWELLERY TOKYO 

AUTUMN 

Yokohama, Japan 

October 23 – 25 

ijt-aki.jp 

NOVEMBER 2019 

CHINA INTERNATIONAL 

GOLD, JEWELLERY & GEM 

FAIR SHANGHAI 

Shanghai, China 

November 28 – December 1 


MY BENCH 

Thomas 

Meihofer 

WORKS AT: Thomas Meihofer 

Jewellery Design, Perth 

AGE: 58 

YEARS IN TRADE: 31 

TRAINING: Apprenticeship 

in Switzerland. 

FIRST JOB: Carlo Pagani 

Goldsmith. 

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS: 

Gemmologist. 

Favourite gemstone: 

I adore most of them! 

Favourite metal: 

Gold – I’m a goldsmith, 

after all. It can’t be 

substituted and it appeals 

to people’s ancient desire 

to adorn themselves. 

Favourite tool: 

My trusty 18-year-old 

KAVO K11 Micro Motor 

Handpiece. It gets used 

on almost every job, one 

way or another, and it is 

combined with a dust 

extractor system. 

Best part of job: 

Coming up with a design 

concept for an interesting 

and beautiful gemstone 

and seeing it become 

a piece of jewellery. It’s 

a great platform for the 

creative mind. 

Worst part of job: 

Having to scrap the above 

mentioned piece after 

years of it being admired 

but not sold! 

Best tip from a jeweller: 

Try to use all of your talents. 

Best tip to a jeweller: 

Know what your talents are. 

Biggest health concern 

on the bench: 

A sore back and shoulders. 

Get up from your bench 

and stretch regularly. 

What frustrates you most 

about the industry? 

Don’t get me started! i





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SOAPBOX 

THE LUXURY WATCH MARKET CAN’T 

SUPPORT COMPETING TRADE SHOWS 

With new CEO Michel Loris-Melikoff 

set to the task of rebuilding Baselworld, 

now is the time for the Salon 

International de la Haute Horlogerie 

(SIHH) to set aside petty historical 

differences and return under the 

umbrella of the Baselworld show. 

In her opening address of the SIHH in 

January, Fabienne Lupo, CEO of organiser 

Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, 

announced a concession to industry 

solidarity by aligning the calendar dates of 

the two shows. 

In forming the ‘Swiss Shows Week’ from 

2020, she said their one objective was to 

serve the greater good of the industry. 

‘Serving the greater good of the industry’ is 

indeed a noble sentiment, but might it not 

be truly and genuinely demonstrated by 

bringing the shows under the one umbrella 

– instead of just superficially fooling around 

with dates of the calendar? 

Baselworld currently has unused halls, any 

one of which would easily adapt to the 

exclusive use of the SIHH. 

This would enable the latter to make big 

cost savings in an environment of unity – a 

feature of the MCH Basel management that 

SIHH imprudently abandoned back in 1991. 

It is critically important for Baselworld to 

focus and survive this cyclic crisis; many 

of the medium and smaller Baselworld 

exhibitors seriously rely on exhibiting for 

their annual production orders. 

By comparison, the SIHH is a distraction 

pursuing a political existence whilst 

attracting less than 10 per cent of the 

exhibitor numbers of Baselworld. 

Now that the two shows are together 

on the calendar, there will be a logical 

defection of the specialist exhibitors from 

the SIHH to Baselworld, even if simply on 

the basis of upfront rental costs. 

But there are more potent reasons than 

rent alone. Why, for example, would anyone 

stay in the SIHH’s Carré des Horlogers 

when the cost is significantly higher 

than a Baselworld exhibition space – and 

particularly where the cost of its press and 

publicity is artificially pumped up by its 

show-pony pretentiousness? 

This SIHH film-set environment was 

originally a talking point, a focus of 

difference from Baselworld. Now, it is 

a millstone around the neck of the 

exhibitors as the cost of annual 

construction and deconstruction 

pushes their fees way above the 

equivalent exposure in Baselworld. 

In Basel, the public relations policies do, 

at least, support the very reasons for 

exhibiting in the first place which is why 

the brands exhibit and it is why trade 

fairs exist at all. 

To avoid its own irrelevancy, the SIHH can 

return under the umbrella of the Baselworld 

Show and be a part of openly reuniting the 

Swiss industry. 

With his event implementation experience, 

Loris-Melikoff is probably a good choice to 

rebuild Baselworld loyalty. 

At least he can ignore the recalcitrant 

OF COURSE THERE 

ARE ALWAYS 

POLITICAL 

PROBLEMS. BUT 

THIS IS AN IDEAL, 

PERHAPS UNIQUE, 

OPPORTUNITY 

TO MEND THE 

POLITICS AND 

GENUINELY WORK 

TOWARDS POSITIVE 

GAINS FOR ALL 

STAKEHOLDERS 

Swatch Group and Nick Hayek can throw 

his toys out of the cot as far as he likes! 

Breitling has appeared nervous and 

stressed for this last year or so; even as 

we go to print, it has announced a trial 

separation in 2020 but is keeping the 

option open to return. 

In a further new development, Rolex sister 

brand Tudor will showcase at its own stand 

in Hall 1.0 in 2020 and Rolex will expand its 

stand to include the previous Tudor area. 

Loris-Melikoff has proposed that three years 

are required for the restructure of the show. 

This will allow a deeper understanding of 

the structural issues – which will surely 

come into clearer focus with the passing of 

a little time. 

As well, the cost of the planned changes will 

be very high if there is any correlation with 

the current spray of promo buzzwords and 

wordy platitudes. 

And of course there are always political 

problems. But this is an ideal, perhaps 

unique, opportunity to mend the politics 

and genuinely work towards positive gains 

for all stakeholders. 

SIHH could strongly support a 

single Baselworld Show otherwise ‘the 

greater good of the industry’ is simply 

empty chatter. i 

Name: Martin Foster FBHI 

Position: Freelance journalist 

Location: Sydney, NSW 

Years in the industry: 61 


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Jeweller - May 2019

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