Jeweller - June, Edition I 2020

10 Years Ago
Time Machine: May 2010
A snapshot of the industry events making headlines this time 10 years ago in Jeweller.
Historic Headlines
4 Hefty jump in tanzanite price
4 China buys up Belgian
4 Michael Hill’s Australian stores flying
4 Zale’s topsy-turvy fortunes continue
4 Trade fair wars update
Ebay wins counterfeit case
STILL RELEVANT 10 YEARS ON
Blokes and the Bling Thing:
Watches, cufflinks and wedding
bands remain men’s jewellery
mainstays, but contemporary men
are also embracing branded
adornments to complement a wellcrafted
fashion identity.
READ ALL HEADLINES IN FULL ON
JEWELLERMAGAZINE.COM
In a blow to jewellers in the fight against
counterfeitng, a US appeals court has ruled that
internet auctioneer Ebay was not responsible for
“knock-off” Tiffany & Co. product sold by users on
its website.
Tiffany & Co. accused Ebay of trademark
infringement and dilution; the auctioneer defended
the claims by stating that it was merely a hosting
service, and that any trademark infringement lay
with individual users breaking the rules of conduct.
In an official statement shortly after the ruling,
Tiffany & Co. CEO Michael Kowalski said,“Ebay
knew that counterfeit merchandise was being
sold on its site, and Ebay took no effective steps
to stop it. Ebay deliberately misled consumers for
profit, and unfortunately, the court has justified its
actions. The consumer is the real loser today.”
Tiffany & Co, which has had an ongoing battle
with Ebay since 2004, said it would consider
another appeal to the US Supreme Court.
Retailers meet Pandora founder
A delegation of members from the Nationwide
Jewellers buying group recently visited
Pandora’s Bangkok factories for a view of the
brand’s manufacturing processes.
Pandora marketing manager Jeff Burnes said
that it was the second retailer trip of its kind, the
first being when members of Showcase Jewellers
visited the factories in 2009.
“The primary benefit of a visit like this is for us
toshowcase the quality of our products and also
the fact that they are made of genuine material,
Burnes said. “A lot of retailers know Pandora as
the brand but they don’t know the work that goes
itno bringing the product to market.”
May 2010
ON THE COVER Riley Burnett
Editors’ Desk
4Tough Love: “The same people who
tell everyone else they should support
Australian manufacturers often do
not do so themselves. They want one
rule for them and another rule for
everybody else.
The next time you hear one bleat and
moan about Australian-made product,
follow them to their car. I’ll bet London
to a brick that it’s imported.”
Soapbox
4A Shopping Love Affair:
“Considering how much shopping
we do, it’s a shame our customer
service trails behind the service level
of other countries.
Sadly, the managers of many
Australian stores have allowed
themselves and their staff to
become lazy, ignoring the customer
in the process... Customer service
is not just about ‘servicing the
customer’, it’s about creating an
overall experience.”
– Gina Kougias, director Georgini
Australian red diamond
goes unsold
The first-ever Australian red diamond to be
offered for sale at auction has been passed in
after failing to reach even the low end of its
estimated selling price.
The rare 0.82-carat purplish-red Argyle
diamond – mounted in a platinum ring and
claw-set between two blue diamonds – was
offered at auction by Sotheby’s Australia in
Sydney in mid-April, with buyers baulking at
the $700,000–$1 million price estimate.
The record price for jewellery auctioned
in Australia is $456,000 for a 5.34-carat,
unmounted, brilliant cut diamond in 2007.
Exhibitor banned from
trade fairs
Melbourne-based diamond dealer A Weiner &
Company has been banned from exhibting at
this year’s International Jewellery Fair Sydney
(IJF) after hosting an “exclusive showing” at a
neighbouring hotel during the JAA’s Brisbane
trade fair in March.
Expertise Events managing director Gary Fitz-
Roy said, “Weiner & Company had advised us
that they would not exhibit at the Brisbane fair
this year because they could not trade on a
Saturday due to religious reasons and beacause
they could not justify the cost.”
Weiner staff will be denied access to any future
Expertise Events fairs and the organiser has
also toughened its fair entry requirements.
22 | June 2020