Jeweller - February 2021
• Generation next: how jewellery stores can appeal to Gen-Z and beyond • Golden age: exploring the enduring appeal of the antique jewellery category • Rough journey: an in-depth look at colour gemstones from mine to market
• Generation next: how jewellery stores can appeal to Gen-Z and beyond
• Golden age: exploring the enduring appeal of the antique jewellery category
• Rough journey: an in-depth look at colour gemstones from mine to market
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VOICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN JEWELLERY INDUSTRY FEBRUARY <strong>2021</strong><br />
Generation next<br />
HOW JEWELLERY STORES CAN<br />
APPEAL TO GEN-Z AND BEYOND<br />
Golden age<br />
EXPLORING THE ENDURING APPEAL OF<br />
THE ANTIQUE JEWELLERY CATEGORY<br />
Rough journey<br />
AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT COLOUR<br />
GEMSTONES FROM MINE TO MARKET
Helping you shine<br />
yesterday, today<br />
& tomorrow.<br />
worldshiner.com
Australian Argyle pink diamonds are beyond rare and amongst the most precious diamonds in the world.<br />
Pink Kimberley jewellery is crafted from an exquisite blend of white diamonds and<br />
natural Australian pink diamonds from the Argyle Diamond Mine, located in the East<br />
Kimberley region of Western Australia. A coveted Argyle pink diamond Certificate<br />
accompanies all Pink Kimberley pieces containing pink diamonds greater than 0.08ct.<br />
PinkKimberley.com.au
Access a diverse range of<br />
Argyle pink diamonds<br />
TENDER STONES | SINGLE STONES | MATCHED PAIRS | CALIBRATED MELEE LINES<br />
E pink@samsgroup.com.au W samsgroup.com.au P 02 9290 2199<br />
SAMS GROUP<br />
AUSTRALIA
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P R O M<br />
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I S E<br />
P A<br />
P R<br />
I C E<br />
B E A T<br />
G U A R A N T E E
Baumatic self-winding calibre, 40mm steel case<br />
baume-et-mercier.com<br />
Proudly distributed by<br />
(02) 9417 0177 | www.dgau.com.au
FEBRUARY <strong>2021</strong><br />
Contents<br />
This Month<br />
Industry Facets<br />
11 Editor’s Desk<br />
12 Upfront<br />
14 News<br />
22 Product Spotlight<br />
30 <strong>Jeweller</strong>s Showcase<br />
24<br />
26<br />
27<br />
29<br />
52<br />
54<br />
10 YEARS AGO<br />
Time Machine: <strong>February</strong> 2011<br />
MY STORE<br />
Filigree Fine Jewels<br />
NOW & THEN<br />
Abrecht Bird <strong>Jeweller</strong>s<br />
LEARN ABOUT GEMS<br />
Turquoise<br />
MY BENCH<br />
Richelle Perks<br />
SOAPBOX<br />
Damien Cody<br />
32 ANTIQUE JEWELLERY<br />
Better with time<br />
4ARABELLA RODEN delves into the<br />
fascinating world of antique and vintage<br />
jewellery in part one of <strong>Jeweller</strong>’s series.<br />
Features<br />
32<br />
38<br />
ANTIQUE JEWELLERY<br />
What’s old is gold<br />
COLOUR GEMSTONES<br />
Mine to market: Evolution of the rough trade<br />
38 COLOUR GEMSTONES<br />
Heart of the trade<br />
4 SIR-FARAZ ‘FAROOQ’<br />
HASHMI explores the<br />
shifting tides of the<br />
gemstone trade across<br />
the world’s continents.<br />
Better Your Business<br />
46<br />
48<br />
BUSINESS STRATEGY<br />
REILLY STEPHENS warns of the pitfalls of ‘generational marketing’.<br />
SELLING<br />
Understanding emotional perspectives is key to sales, writes SUE BARRETT.<br />
49<br />
50<br />
51<br />
MANAGEMENT<br />
DAVID BROWN reveals an iconic businessman’s secrets to success.<br />
MARKETING & PR<br />
MICHAEL KLING explains the important marketing and PR trends for <strong>2021</strong>.<br />
LOGGED ON<br />
Adding live chat to your website is essential for jewellers, advises ALEX FETANAT.<br />
29 LEARN ABOUT GEMS<br />
Turquoise<br />
4Discover the ancient history<br />
and modern relevance of this<br />
ocean-hued gemstone.<br />
FRONT COVER The apex of nature<br />
and mastery, Zenith is a rare and<br />
heavenly collection of fancy shapes,<br />
each possessing the highest<br />
colour intesity on the Argyle colour<br />
spectrum. Kunming Diamonds is<br />
a Rio Tinto Authorised Partner and<br />
winner of the Zenith suite at the<br />
2020 Argyle Tender.<br />
<strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong> | 9
#1<br />
FOLLOW THE<br />
LEADER<br />
Reader<br />
PUBLICATION<br />
GLOBAL<br />
RANKING<br />
TIME SPENT<br />
PER VISITOR<br />
COUNTRY<br />
1 <strong>Jeweller</strong> 66,785 26:06 Australia<br />
2 JCK 73,850 1:46 USA<br />
3 National <strong>Jeweller</strong> 133,653 1:55 USA<br />
4 Rapaport Magazine* 165,654 2:14 USA<br />
5 Instore Magazine 169,186 2:33 USA<br />
6 Idex* 237,195 2:33 Israel<br />
7 <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Net Asia 264,570 4:44 Hong Kong<br />
8 Professional <strong>Jeweller</strong> 500,294 2:17 UK<br />
9 Diamond World* 514,909 1:26 India<br />
10 The Jewelry Magazine 566,747 1:27 India<br />
There are many ways to measure #1, however; when<br />
it comes to media, there’s only one way... readership.<br />
Not only is <strong>Jeweller</strong> the #1 magazine in Australia<br />
and New Zealand by far, we are now ranked #1 in<br />
the world by Alexa, the global ranking system for<br />
analysing website readership.<br />
Yes, your own <strong>Jeweller</strong> is now ranked the most<br />
widely read industry publication in the world.<br />
Better still, according to Alexa, the daily time spent<br />
on jewellermagazine.com averages 30 minutes,<br />
which far exceeds all other business-to-business<br />
titles which average between 2–3 minutes per visitor.<br />
At the same time, <strong>Jeweller</strong>’s social media presence<br />
dominates and our eMags boast 12 million reads.<br />
It’s our commitment to excellence in reporting, high<br />
quality presentation, and reader engagement that sets<br />
us apart, which is why we say: Follow the Reader!<br />
* Alexa Global Ranking statistics as at 01 January <strong>2021</strong><br />
* Denotes magazines connected to diamond trading platforms<br />
VOICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN JEWELLERY INDUSTRY
Editor’s Desk<br />
Climb every mountain<br />
After a year that’s felt much like a tumultuous trek through the Himalayas,<br />
ANGELA HAN sits on a summit to take in the view and ponder the lessons learned.<br />
At this time last year, I had just moved into<br />
a new office, having taken over publishing<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>. Much like getting ready to scale<br />
Everest after years of rigorous training,<br />
I felt ready and looked forward to seeing<br />
what heights we could reach.<br />
Diligently equipped and planned for 2020,<br />
the first few steps into the new decade<br />
felt good; the future was pregnant with<br />
promise. However, you can’t prepare for<br />
an earthquake when scaling mountains,<br />
and the last thing I’d planned for, as a new<br />
business owner, was a pandemic.<br />
Looking back at all the crossed-out dates<br />
in last year’s diary, I recall how blissfully<br />
unaware I was of COVID-19 when I’d pencilled<br />
them in. As it turns out, the pandemic doesn’t<br />
care much for anyone’s plans!<br />
As incredible as that seems now, what was<br />
even more incredible was how quickly our<br />
team was able to adapt. Within 12 months,<br />
we evolved our processes to be leaner and<br />
more flexible to the ever-changing policies<br />
and business landscape.<br />
And while we may not be pandemic-proof,<br />
we are now pandemic-ready, owing to the<br />
events of 2020.<br />
Another surprise amid the chaos was how<br />
well the jewellery trade performed, all the<br />
way through to the Christmas season.<br />
While some were concerned the positive<br />
trend was down to the ‘sugar hit’ of tax cuts<br />
and wage subsidies, data reported by Retail<br />
Edge this January revealed that sales were<br />
up 23 per cent from last year in dollar-value<br />
terms across its 400 stores. This should<br />
alleviate concerns of a post-holiday lull.<br />
Coupled with Australia’s low COVID infection<br />
rates, it appears we are better positioned for<br />
recovery than most other parts of the world.<br />
So with all this good news, have we past the<br />
worst? Have we turned a corner?<br />
Slow acclimatisation<br />
Mountains teach you very quickly that the<br />
summit is not the final destination.<br />
Indeed, the moment of rapture is short-lived<br />
when you realise that you’re surrounded<br />
by an army of other mountains, standing<br />
shoulder-to-shoulder and stretching as far<br />
as the eye can see. It reminds you that the<br />
journey doesn’t end here.<br />
Rest is fleeting as you plot your next move:<br />
how to descend? Which way?<br />
Like a climber yet to take stock of their<br />
oxygen level at the top of the peak, we have<br />
yet to comprehend the full effects of the<br />
post-pandemic economy.<br />
While shares for companies like luxury<br />
group LVMH and China’s largest jewellery<br />
retailer Chow Tai Fook have recovered –<br />
and even hit record prices – since October,<br />
the nature of the virus cannot be so easily<br />
plotted on a chart.<br />
It’s difficult to tell if this is a lull, or<br />
something more permanent.<br />
While the future remains unclear, we are all<br />
slowly acclimatising to a new way of existing<br />
– and that’s the only thing we can do.<br />
The Nepalese believe that every step up the<br />
mountain is a step closer to heaven, and as<br />
such, it is in their nature to treat every inch<br />
of the ascent with reverence.<br />
As it turns out, slow ascents up steep<br />
mountains also have scientific merit given<br />
the need for our bodies to acclimate to new<br />
altitudes.<br />
It takes a month for Everest climbers to get<br />
from base camp to the summit, and many<br />
prepare for years beforehand by summiting<br />
nearby mountains.<br />
Those who try to ascend the mountain<br />
in record time often have to descend<br />
prematurely due to altitude sickness. In this<br />
case, slow and steady really wins the race!<br />
Just like our bodies need time to adjust to<br />
new environments and stress, businesses<br />
need time to acclimate to new trading<br />
conditions. Implementing change takes<br />
patience and perseverance, so it’s important<br />
to keep things in perspective as you adapt.<br />
Take time to consider your next steps while<br />
remaining receptive to your environment.<br />
This will allow you to i) savour the process –<br />
in mountain terms, enjoy the view along the<br />
The Nepalese<br />
believe that<br />
every step up<br />
the mountain<br />
is a step closer<br />
to heaven, and<br />
as such, it is in<br />
their nature to<br />
treat every inch<br />
of the ascent<br />
with reverence.<br />
way – and ii) adapt and respond swiftly as<br />
the wind changes.<br />
The truth is that the descent is often more<br />
brutal than the climb, and we must be<br />
prepared for that too.<br />
The next stages of recovery might not look<br />
the way we want them to – there’s always<br />
the possibility that it may get worse before<br />
it gets better.<br />
Yet right now we have the luxury of time to<br />
chart our course.<br />
Beyond the summit<br />
In a strange twist of irony, human beings<br />
attach so much sentiment to making the<br />
summit, that we often forget it is but one<br />
of many beautiful resting points along the<br />
mountain.<br />
Indeed, you don’t often stay on a summit<br />
for long; on Everest, you get 20 minutes on<br />
a good day before you run out of oxygen.<br />
The summit is a fraction of your journey; it<br />
exists to tell you, “There’s nothing more to<br />
see here, please keep moving.”<br />
In the pursuit of what lies ahead, we often<br />
neglect to celebrate how far we’ve come.<br />
As we prepare for the year ahead, it’s<br />
important to remember the one that has<br />
just gone, and to appreciate that we have<br />
gone through – and still going through – a<br />
global pandemic full of lessons that have<br />
changed humanity.<br />
It has been an unforgettable collective<br />
experience of survival, adaptation and<br />
creativity, and this resourcefulness is a<br />
testament to human resilience.<br />
While there were certainly moments in<br />
2020 when giving up might have felt like a<br />
good option, we need to celebrate that we<br />
didn’t, because we’re here today.<br />
As you look to the future, don’t be afraid<br />
to choose a mountain bigger than what<br />
you’re used to climbing – after all,<br />
you’re now acclimatised!<br />
Angela Han<br />
Publisher<br />
<strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong> | 11
Upfront<br />
#Instagram hashtags to follow<br />
#bracelet<br />
22.7 MILLION POSTS<br />
#cubanchain<br />
71,575+ POSTS<br />
#elegantjewelry<br />
194,630+ POSTS<br />
#engagementringideas<br />
86,468+ POSTS<br />
#highjewellery<br />
448,689+ POSTS<br />
HISTORIC GEMSTONE<br />
Dom Pedro Aquamarine<br />
The world’s largest cut aquamarine<br />
is the 10,363-carat Dom Pedro Ondas<br />
Maritimas (‘ocean waves’). Originally<br />
part of a 45kg rough, it was found<br />
in the Minas Gerais region of Brazil<br />
in the 1980s and named after two<br />
Brazilian emperors. German lapidary<br />
Bernd Munsteiner, known as ‘the<br />
father of the Fantasy Cut’, cut it into<br />
its iconic obelisk shape in 1992. US<br />
philanthropists Jane Mitchell and Jeff<br />
Bland later bought the Dom Pedro<br />
for a rumoured $US10 million and<br />
donated it to the Smithsonian.<br />
#luxuryjewelry<br />
Alpha Order<br />
1.1 MILLION POSTS<br />
#partisapphire<br />
12499+ POSTS,<br />
#peardiamond<br />
30,984+ POSTS<br />
#rubyring<br />
120,111+ POSTS<br />
#vintagenecklace<br />
201,456+ POSTS<br />
Seen On Screen<br />
4Netflix period drama Bridgerton has<br />
set pulses racing both for its romance<br />
and its breath-taking Regency-inspired<br />
jewellery, much of it custom-made<br />
by costumier Lorenzo Mancianti. Mini<br />
tiaras, dazzling diamonds, and delicate<br />
princess-length and choker necklaces –<br />
as worn by leading lady Phoebe Dynevor<br />
(above) – have been standout trends.<br />
Image credit: Liam Daniel/Netflix<br />
Image credit: Roberto Coin<br />
Stranger Things<br />
Weird, wacky and wonderful<br />
jewellery news from around the world<br />
Make bones about it<br />
4A US performer Azealia<br />
Banks has shocked fans with<br />
her plans to turn her dead cat’s<br />
bones into jewellery. During a<br />
social media video, Banks can<br />
be seen digging up the remains<br />
of her beloved pet, Lucifer, from<br />
her backyard. After boiling the<br />
bones and disinfecting them with<br />
peroxide, Banks reveals<br />
she wants to bring the feline<br />
“back to life” by turning<br />
its jaw bone into “titanium<br />
earcuffs”.<br />
Treasures of the deep<br />
4Residents of a remote, povertystricken<br />
Venezuelan fishing<br />
village have been discovering<br />
hundreds of pieces of high-quality<br />
jewellery and gold nuggets<br />
washed up on a local beach. The<br />
jewellery has not been traced,<br />
though tests commissioned by<br />
the New York Times newspaper<br />
found the jewellery was likely<br />
manufactured in Europe within<br />
the past 20 years.<br />
Pinterest has 442<br />
million monthly<br />
active users<br />
worldwide; 84<br />
per cent of users<br />
consult the app to<br />
inform purchasing<br />
decisions.<br />
Digital Brainwave<br />
4Pinterest has released its annual<br />
upcoming trends report, Pinterest Predicts. It<br />
includes more than 150 topics that are likely<br />
to be the most popular among Pinterest<br />
users worldwide this year. According to<br />
Pinterest’s analysis, its 2020 report correctly<br />
predicted 80 per cent of the most popular<br />
search trends on the app last year.<br />
The <strong>2021</strong> report can by filtered by audience<br />
– that is, Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X, and<br />
Baby Boomers – or category. For jewellers,<br />
relevant <strong>2021</strong> trends include low-key<br />
weddings and elopements, anniversary<br />
gifting, and comfort-based fashion.<br />
Trend Spotting<br />
4With Lunar New Year set to begin<br />
on 12 <strong>February</strong>, the watch and jewellery<br />
industry is embracing the Year of<br />
the Ox. Italian designer Roberto<br />
Coin’s (above) take is an 18-carat<br />
rose gold ring encrusted with onyx<br />
and orange sapphire.<br />
Face value<br />
4A US rapper has had a<br />
$US250,000 diamond surgically<br />
implanted into his face. Sauce<br />
Walka, from Texas, sourced the<br />
stone – a 3-carat, internally flawless<br />
pear shape with D colour – from<br />
local jeweller Johnny Dang & Co.<br />
The diamond was set in 18-carat<br />
rose gold before being implanted.<br />
Its pear shape and position below<br />
Walka’s eye gives the diamond<br />
the appearance of a tear drop,<br />
mimicking the look of the popular<br />
tear-drop tattoo design.<br />
VOICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN JEWELLERY INDUSTRY<br />
Published by Befindan Media Pty Ltd<br />
Locked Bag 26, South Melbourne, VIC 3205 AUSTRALIA | ABN 66 638 077 648 | Phone: +61 3 9696 7200 | Subscriptions & Enquiries: info@jewellermagazine.com<br />
Publisher Angela Han angela.han@jewellermagazine.com • Editor Arabella Roden arabella.roden@jewellermagazine.com<br />
Digital Co-ordinator Trish Bucheli-Preece trish@jewellermagazine.com • Advertising Toli Podolak toli.podolak@jewellermagazine.com • Accounts Paul Blewitt finance@befindanmedia.com<br />
Copyright All material appearing in <strong>Jeweller</strong> is subject to copyright. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly forbidden without prior written consent of the publisher. Befindan Media Pty Ltd<br />
strives to report accurately and fairly and it is our policy to correct significant errors of fact and misleading statements in the next available issue. All statements made, although based on information<br />
believed to be reliable and accurate at the time, cannot be guaranteed and no fault or liability can be accepted for error or omission. Any comment relating to subjective opinions should be addressed to<br />
the editor. Advertising The publisher reserves the right to omit or alter any advertisement to comply with Australian law and the advertiser agrees to indemnify the publisher for all damages or liabilities<br />
arising from the published material.
L O Y S<br />
P R O M<br />
L<br />
I S E<br />
P A<br />
P R<br />
I C E<br />
B E A T<br />
G U A R A N T E E
News<br />
In Brief<br />
De Beers lowers <strong>2021</strong><br />
production target<br />
4 De Beers, the world’s second-largest<br />
diamond producer, has reduced its <strong>2021</strong><br />
production target a second time, to 32–34<br />
million carats. The decision was made<br />
due to “ongoing operational challenges”,<br />
particularly at its Venetia Mine in South<br />
Africa, rather than reduced demand. The<br />
company recovered 25.2 million carats<br />
in 2020, impacted by widespread mine<br />
closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>’s association membership at all<br />
time low; annual losses stemmed<br />
Lab-created diamond<br />
council planned<br />
4 Diamond Foundry, a manufacturer of<br />
lab-created diamonds, has announced<br />
plans to form the American Diamond<br />
Council to promote lab-created stones<br />
and “advance the integrity of the<br />
modern diamond jewellery industry<br />
and to inspire, educate, and protect the<br />
consumer”. The name bears similarities<br />
to the Natural Diamond Council, which<br />
promotes mined diamonds.<br />
Tiffany & Co. to create its<br />
most expensive necklace<br />
4 Tiffany & Co. is planning to unveil the<br />
most expensive necklace in its 137-year<br />
history next year after purchasing an<br />
80-carat, D colour internally flawless<br />
diamond mined in Botswana.<br />
A spokesperson confirmed the finished<br />
piece will be priced within the “eightfigure”<br />
range, or more than $US10<br />
million. Tiffany & Co. was recently<br />
acquired by French luxury group LVMH.<br />
Man jailed over gemstone<br />
pyramid scheme<br />
4California resident Steven Chen has<br />
been sentenced to 10 years in prison for<br />
orchestrating a $US147 million pyramid<br />
scheme based on fake gemstone<br />
mines. Chen, 63, claimed to own a<br />
company which operated mines in the<br />
US, Dominican Republic, Argentina and<br />
Mexico, and recruited investors into a<br />
multi-level marketing scheme based on<br />
selling gemstone ‘packages’. More than<br />
72,000 people were reportedly duped.<br />
The <strong>Jeweller</strong>s Association of Australia (JAA) lost 20 per cent of its remaining membership in 2020, leaving it with<br />
just 431 members.<br />
The <strong>Jeweller</strong>s Association Australia (JAA) has<br />
released its 2020 financial results which show<br />
that membership continues to fall, reaching a<br />
new low over the past decade.<br />
More than 20 per cent of members quit the<br />
association in 2020, seeing its membership<br />
decline to 431 retailers and suppliers, down<br />
from 521 in 2019. As a result, membership<br />
income also declined, down 14 per cent<br />
($204,377 in 2019 to $179,543 in 2020).<br />
The JAA is required to provide its annual<br />
financial statements to the Australian Charities<br />
and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), the<br />
national regulator of charities. The chartered<br />
accounting firm, Saward Dawson, signed off on<br />
the ‘review report’ on 18 November 2020.<br />
However, there was some good news for the<br />
JAA – a $70,369 profit was recorded at 30 June<br />
2020, a turnaround from a $48,000 loss the<br />
previous year.<br />
The promising result was achieved by<br />
slashing costs such as office administration,<br />
occupancy, advertising and staffing expenses<br />
by a total $62,000.<br />
The financial statements also record an<br />
increase of $10,663 in total revenue, derived<br />
from $19,204 in ‘other income’ – which was<br />
zero in 2019.<br />
Yet, the JAA’s $19,204 ‘other income’ is<br />
insignificant today compared with five years<br />
ago, when the association was supported<br />
by external suppliers and sponsors to the<br />
tune of $550,000–$600,000 each year. Put<br />
another way, the JAA at that time received<br />
twice as much ‘sponsor’ income than revenue<br />
from memberships.<br />
Jo Tory, president JAA, told <strong>Jeweller</strong>: “We have<br />
spent a significant amount of time reassessing<br />
what the industry needs and are moving<br />
towards delivering that to our members. Our<br />
approach to partner with relevant and dynamic<br />
companies has helped us to assist our<br />
members in various areas to move forward.”<br />
“We have understood that this year<br />
has been particularly challenging for<br />
the jewellery industry and for many of<br />
our members, meaning that member<br />
numbers have declined”<br />
JO TORY<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>s Association of Australia<br />
While membership has been in decline for<br />
years, the recent decrease was pre-COVID and<br />
Tory is aware of the challenge facing the JAA<br />
this year, as <strong>2021</strong> renewals fall due.<br />
“We have understood that this year has been<br />
particularly challenging for the jewellery<br />
industry and for many of our members,<br />
meaning that member numbers have<br />
declined,” Tory said.<br />
“We have taken steps over the past few months<br />
to bring to our members additional resources,<br />
additional support networks and our team<br />
and the board have spent time listening to the<br />
industry to understand their new challenges<br />
in this time. We intend to continue to increase<br />
communication and therefore our ability to<br />
support our members on the ground.”<br />
The last “news” appearing on the JAA website<br />
was posted 20 months ago (July 2019) despite<br />
the ramifications on the jewellery industry<br />
caused by the pandemic throughout 2020.<br />
14 | <strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong>
Australian opal dealer challenges COVID-19<br />
insurance rejection; class action looms<br />
Damien Cody (left, pictured with brother Andrew Cody) is taking legal action after his business interruption insurance<br />
claim was rejected, despite providing infectious disease coverage. His National Opal Collection stores in Sydney and<br />
Melbourne were forced to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with sales plummeting by more than $3 million.<br />
Damien Cody, director of opal retail and wholesale<br />
business Cody Opal Australia, has publicly<br />
challenged insurance companies for refusing to<br />
pay out business interruption policies held by<br />
small businesses.<br />
The National Opal Collection (NOC) – the retail<br />
arm of Cody Opal Australia, with premises in the<br />
Sydney and Melbourne CBDs – had taken out a<br />
policy, underwritten by AXA and Lloyds, prior to<br />
the COVID-19 pandemic.<br />
The policy included a clause providing coverage<br />
in the event of an “outbreak of a notifiable human<br />
infectious or contagious disease occurring within a<br />
20 kilometre radius of the [premises]”.<br />
However, a claim against the policy was rejected<br />
in May 2020, with the insurer asserting that the<br />
business’ losses – which Cody estimates total more<br />
than $3 million – would need to have occurred as<br />
a consequence of COVID-19 cases within 20km<br />
of the premises, rather than “overarching factors<br />
resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic as a whole”.<br />
Cody has called this interpretation “self-serving<br />
and convoluted”, and his since joined a number of<br />
others in launching legal action against insurers.<br />
In response, the Insurance Council of Australia<br />
(ICA) brought a test case, arguing that these policies<br />
were not designed to cover pandemics, but rather<br />
localised outbreaks such as Legionnaire’s disease.<br />
It estimates that some 250,000 policies are in<br />
dispute, with potential payouts totalling $10 billion<br />
– an amount for which the industry does not carry<br />
sufficient reserves. While a NSW court found<br />
against the ICA’s test case, the association has<br />
since sought leave to appeal to the High Court.<br />
Andrew Hall, CEO ICA, said, “If the industry is forced<br />
to pay out for risks it has not collected premiums<br />
for, or sought reinsurance for, it would compromise<br />
our ability to provide the Australian business<br />
market with protection against other risks.”<br />
Cody issued a scathing response: “The National<br />
Opal Collection and other policyholders expect that<br />
members of ICA would act empathetically, ethically<br />
and professionally in responding to claims by small<br />
businesses suffering extreme losses as a result of<br />
COVID-19.<br />
“Policyholders expect that [insurance<br />
companies] would act empathetically,<br />
ethically and professionally in responding<br />
to claims by small businesses suffering<br />
extreme losses as a result of COVID-19”<br />
DAMIEN CODY<br />
Cody Opal Australia<br />
“Instead, the members of ICA appear to be<br />
spending from their reserve to finance court cases<br />
denying the claims of policyholders and sending<br />
their policyholders to the wall.”<br />
Melbourne law firm Berrill & Watson is<br />
representing Cody and managing more than 20<br />
other separate business interruption claims, as<br />
well as a potential class action in conjunction with<br />
Gordon Legal.<br />
Maurice Blackburn Lawyers and Shine Lawyers<br />
have also announced intentions to begin potential<br />
class actions.<br />
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Dates finalised for state-based<br />
jewellery industry Trade Days<br />
Organiser Expertise Events has shifted the dates of its upcoming Sydney Trade Days<br />
from <strong>February</strong> to March to better co-ordinate with its other state events.<br />
Proudly distributed by<br />
Expertise Events has announced a<br />
final change to its <strong>2021</strong> Trade Days<br />
schedule, with the Sydney event<br />
moving from 20–21 <strong>February</strong> to<br />
13–14 March.<br />
Gary Fitz-Roy, managing director<br />
Expertise Events, told <strong>Jeweller</strong> that<br />
the dates were shifted as a result of<br />
interstate border closures, as well<br />
as to make the overall Trade Days<br />
schedule more cohesive.<br />
“While the Trade Days are statebased,<br />
some suppliers need to travel<br />
interstate,” Fitz-Roy explained.<br />
“I believe the [interstate] borders<br />
will be opened by mid-<strong>February</strong>,<br />
but we wanted to build in time and<br />
confidence [for attendees<br />
and exhibitors]. The COVID-19<br />
vaccine will also start to roll out<br />
in <strong>February</strong>, which will build<br />
confidence, and the Trade Days<br />
now flow from one to another with<br />
less of a gap between,” he added.<br />
All other Trade Days – including<br />
the Gold Coast, Adelaide, Perth,<br />
and Melbourne Gift & Lifestyle<br />
Fair – are still scheduled to proceed<br />
as planned, with a final update<br />
to be provided on 16 <strong>February</strong>.<br />
The original Sydney dates would have<br />
been concurrent with the annual<br />
members’ meetings of two buying<br />
groups – Independent <strong>Jeweller</strong>s<br />
Collective and Showcase <strong>Jeweller</strong>s.<br />
It is not known how the date change<br />
will impact the groups’ participation<br />
in the rescheduled Sydney Trade<br />
Days. Nationwide <strong>Jeweller</strong>s,<br />
Australia’s largest buying group, is<br />
still expected at all Trade Days.<br />
“The opportunity to meet faceto-face<br />
and reconnect can’t be<br />
underestimated,” Fitz-Roy said.<br />
“We have developed a raft of safety<br />
plans and are committed to unite the<br />
industry where we minimise travel<br />
of large quantities of people and<br />
maximise the time in each city for<br />
retailers to meet, share experiences,<br />
and discover new ranges.”<br />
“The COVID-19 vaccine will also<br />
start to roll out in <strong>February</strong>,<br />
which will build confidence,<br />
and the Trade Days now flow<br />
from one to another with less<br />
of a gap between”<br />
GARY FITZ-ROY<br />
Expertise Events<br />
If the Trade Days are cancelled due<br />
to COVID-19 restrictions, attendees’<br />
deposits will be refunded.<br />
The amended schedule is:<br />
• Gold Coast: 7–8 March at QT Hotel<br />
• Sydney: 13–14 March at ICC Sydney<br />
(previously 20–21 <strong>February</strong>)<br />
• Melbourne Gift & Lifestyle:<br />
20–22 March at Melbourne<br />
Exhibition Centre<br />
• Adelaide: 27–28 March at Adelaide<br />
Convention Centre<br />
• Perth: 10–11 April at Perth<br />
Convention Centre<br />
In addition to the <strong>2021</strong> Trade Days,<br />
the International <strong>Jeweller</strong>y & Watch<br />
Fair is scheduled for 28–30 August at<br />
the ICC Sydney Convention Centre.<br />
02 9417 0177 | dgau.com.au
News<br />
Michael Hill records ‘outstanding’ results<br />
In the six months to 27 December 2020,<br />
Michael Hill International (MHI)’s same-store<br />
sales increased across all three of its key<br />
markets, with expected revenue – excluding<br />
COVID-19 government subsidies – increasing<br />
to $41–45 million, compared with $31.6<br />
million for the same period in 2019.<br />
The positive results came despite temporary<br />
closures of 37 stores in Australia and 46<br />
in Canada due to the ongoing pandemic.<br />
The company currently operates 289 stores<br />
across Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.<br />
E-commerce continued to perform strongly<br />
for MHI, with online sales increasing by 102<br />
per cent when compared with the same<br />
period in FY19-20. Digital purchases now<br />
make up 5.8 per cent of total sales.<br />
Indeed, while temporarily closed, the<br />
company noted that stores still operated on<br />
a contactless click-and-collect, click-andreserve,<br />
and ship-from-store basis.<br />
Daniel Bracken, CEO MHI, said, “The<br />
disciplined in-store execution by our<br />
dedicated retail teams delivered impressive<br />
results during the critical last few weeks of<br />
December. Considering the global challenges<br />
over the last year, I couldn’t be prouder of<br />
the dedication, energy and resilience<br />
consistently demonstrated by our teams,<br />
as we prioritise best-in-class health and<br />
safety protocols and continue to delight our<br />
loyal customers.”<br />
In September, MHI reported a profit of<br />
$3.1 million for FY19-20, a decline of 81<br />
per cent when compared with the previous<br />
year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<br />
However, given the strong performance in<br />
the second half of 2020, MHI’s dividend from<br />
last March – which was initially delayed to<br />
September <strong>2021</strong> – were paid in January.<br />
In addition, Bracken announced two new<br />
additions to the MHI executive team – Amy<br />
Sznicer, chief retail officer, and Jo Feeney,<br />
chief marketing officer.<br />
Andrea Slingsby, chief operating officer<br />
MHI, has left the company alongside chief<br />
brand and strategy officer Vanessa Brennan.<br />
Slingsby joined MHI in January 2019, while<br />
Brennan had been with the company since<br />
January 2018 and recently oversaw the<br />
launch of Medley <strong>Jeweller</strong>y, MHI’s digitalonly,<br />
Gen Z-oriented brand.<br />
Auckland jeweller targeted in $180,000 raid<br />
Two men have been arrested after stealing<br />
diamonds, a watch, and jewellery valued at<br />
$NZ150,000–$180,000 during a daylight<br />
robbery of an Auckland store.<br />
The men entered TJ Handcrafted in<br />
Auckland’s Botany Town Centre on<br />
Sunday 10 January at about 2pm, and<br />
held the store’s owner, identified as<br />
T Jordan, at gunpoint.<br />
Jordan – who was working in the store<br />
alone – told news website Stuff.co.nz<br />
that the robbers swiped custom gold and<br />
diamond jewellery, as well as a Rolex<br />
watch that had been in for repairs, before<br />
he was able to call for help.<br />
When security was called, “They panicked<br />
and then started running out,” Jordan said.<br />
The suspects did not reach the store’s safe.<br />
After following the perpetrators on foot and<br />
confronting them, Jordan says he was hit<br />
in the face with a bag, knocking his glasses<br />
off, while a gun was pointed at his head.<br />
The two men then fled on a moped, which<br />
was later found abandoned by police.<br />
“I’m still trying to digest what happened,”<br />
Jordan said. “It’s not what I want to see<br />
in New Zealand, we are one of the safest<br />
countries in the world, that’s the reason<br />
I immigrated to New Zealand.”<br />
A 41-year-old man and a 22-year-old man<br />
were later apprehended and charged with<br />
a range of offences – including aggravated<br />
robbery and aggravated assault – in<br />
relation to the crime.<br />
At the time of publication, they had<br />
appeared in Manukau District Court and<br />
Auckland District Court, respectively.<br />
It is not known if the stolen property was<br />
recovered by police.<br />
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News<br />
Tiffany & Co. CEO to step aside as LVMH names<br />
new executive team, strategy<br />
at Tiffany & Co.’s North America division, Harry<br />
Winston, and Cartier.<br />
In a statement, Ledru said, “I am delighted to rejoin<br />
Tiffany, the most iconic American luxury brand,<br />
which I have long admired.<br />
Following its successful acquisition of Tiffany &<br />
Co., LVMH has appointed (from left) Anthony Ledru,<br />
Alexandre Arnault, and Michael Burke. Image: WWD<br />
Following the successful acquisition of Tiffany & Co.<br />
by French luxury conglomerate Moët Hennessy<br />
Louis Vuitton (LVMH) in January, CEO Alessandro<br />
Bogliolo has departed the company, along with<br />
chief artistic officer Reed Krakoff, chief brand<br />
officer Daniella Vitale, and chief financial officer<br />
Mark Erceg.<br />
Bogliolo – a former executive with LVMH-owned<br />
Bulgari and Sephora – has led Tiffany & Co. for<br />
more than three years and is widely seen as the<br />
architect of its successful expansion within the<br />
Chinese market.<br />
He is succeeded by Anthony Ledru, executive<br />
vice-president of global commercial activities at<br />
Louis Vuitton. Ledru has significant experience<br />
in the jewellery industry; holding senior positions<br />
“Going forward, I have deep confidence in LVMH’s<br />
commitment to protect the brand, drive its growth<br />
strategy and apply the highest standards of retail<br />
excellence to Tiffany.”<br />
Indeed, Reuters reports that LVMH has already<br />
outlined a new ‘vision’ for the company to its<br />
employees, with CEO Bernard Arnault pledging to<br />
“invest heavily” in Tiffany & Co.’s future.<br />
In addition to renovating its US stores and<br />
expanding its presence in Europe and Asia, the core<br />
Tiffany & Co. range will reportedly move away from<br />
affordable sterling silver pieces and toward highend<br />
jewellery.<br />
Ledru’s appointment marks Tiffany & Co.’s fifth<br />
CEO in less than six years. Louis Vuitton chairman<br />
and CEO Michael Burke will join Tiffany & Co. as<br />
chairman of its board of directors, while Alexandre<br />
Arnault – the son of LVMH chairman Bernard<br />
Arnault – has been named executive vice-president<br />
of product and communications.<br />
Member of Modi family indicted over<br />
$3.4 million diamond ‘fraud’<br />
valued at more than $US1 million – over a series<br />
of transactions he undertook with US diamond<br />
dealer LLD Diamonds (LLD) in 2015 through his<br />
company Noble Titan Holdings.<br />
According to court documents, Modi, 41,<br />
purchased diamonds on consignment from<br />
LLD with the understanding that they were to<br />
be sold to discount retailer Costco – a deal that<br />
prosecutors claim “never existed”.<br />
Nehal Modi (centre), younger brother of Nirav Modi,<br />
has been charged with grand larceny in New York over<br />
a 2015 diamond deal.<br />
Nehal Modi, the younger brother of disgraced<br />
jewellery mogul Nirav Modi, will face court in<br />
the US after allegedly fraudulently obtaining<br />
diamonds valued at $US2.6 million ($AU3.4<br />
million) in 2015.<br />
In December, a jury indicted Modi on one count<br />
of grand larceny in the first degree – a charge<br />
that refers to the robbery or theft of property<br />
Instead, prosecutors allege Modi pawned the<br />
diamonds in order to secure loans, and also sold<br />
them to other retailers “at a steep discount”.<br />
Modi previously faced civil litigation by LLD and<br />
paid back $US1.2 million, before claiming Costco<br />
had a “fulfilment error” which prevented him from<br />
settling the outstanding $US1.4 million balance.<br />
Modi’s legal representative Roger Bernstein told<br />
Rapaport News, “This is a commercial dispute.<br />
The district attorney’s charges are only allegations.<br />
The underlying facts will be shown in court.”<br />
Grand larceny carries a minimum penalty of one<br />
to three years imprisonment.
JCK, Basel trade shows postponed<br />
The <strong>2021</strong> JCK Las Vegas and JCK Luxury trade shows have been postponed as the<br />
US continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.<br />
The <strong>2021</strong> editions of the JCK Las<br />
Vegas and JCK Luxury trade shows<br />
will shift from June to August due<br />
to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,<br />
organiser Reed Jewelry Group<br />
has confirmed.<br />
In a statement, Sarin Bachmann,<br />
group vice-president, JCK & Luxury/<br />
Reed Jewelry Group, explained that<br />
the decision was made in response<br />
to “candid feedback” from the<br />
jewellery industry.<br />
“After a year without an opportunity<br />
for the jewellery community to gather<br />
together, it is important to JCK to<br />
facilitate an in-person event in the<br />
most positive and safe way possible,”<br />
Bachmann said.<br />
At the time of publication, the US had<br />
recorded more than 25 million COVID<br />
cases and 425,000 deaths, according<br />
to data from Johns Hopkins University.<br />
A national vaccination program<br />
commenced in January.<br />
“Following thoughtful discussion with<br />
our advisory boards, partners, and<br />
customers, we have decided to move<br />
JCK and Luxury to a late August<br />
date,” Bachmann said.<br />
“We know our industry is eager<br />
to come together again, and we<br />
are excited to bring many new<br />
opportunities in <strong>2021</strong> to source,<br />
connect, learn, and ultimately<br />
conduct business on and off the<br />
show floor before, during, and<br />
after JCK and Luxury.”<br />
Meanwhile, a statement circulated<br />
to exhibitors has reportedly<br />
confirmed that HourUniverse, the<br />
replacement show for Baselworld,<br />
will also be postponed.<br />
UK publication WatchPro quotes<br />
the statement as saying: “Our goal<br />
is to host a live event in Basel,<br />
Switzerland, this year.<br />
“In view of the ongoing uncertain<br />
development of the pandemic, we<br />
have decided to postpone the show<br />
by a few months. We are currently<br />
assuming mid-June as the earliest<br />
possible date, but we will continue<br />
to monitor the situation closely and<br />
examine all possibilities.”<br />
HourUniverse was scheduled<br />
for 8–12 April in the city of Basel.<br />
However, coinciding Swiss shows<br />
including Watches & Wonders<br />
Geneva have already cancelled<br />
their physical events, shifting<br />
instead to a digital format.<br />
At the time of publication, a note on<br />
the HourUniverse website read, “Due<br />
to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic,<br />
we are assessing new dates to hold<br />
a live HourUniverse show in Basel<br />
in <strong>2021</strong>,” however no further details<br />
were publicly available.<br />
A number of other international<br />
jewellery shows have also<br />
been postponed, including the<br />
Istanbul Jewelry Show. Organiser<br />
InformaMarkets confirmed the event<br />
has been rescheduled from 25–28<br />
March to 27–30 May.<br />
Proudly distributed by<br />
02 9417 0177 | dgau.com.au
New lab-created diamond<br />
detector set to hit market<br />
The Sherlock Holmes 3.0 diamond detector, manufactured by Yehuda Diamond<br />
Company, will be available from <strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong>.<br />
Proudly distributed by<br />
Yehuda Diamond Company has<br />
launched the latest model of its<br />
Sherlock Holmes device, which<br />
can detect both chemical vapour<br />
deposition (CVD) and high-pressure<br />
high-temperature (HPHT) labcreated<br />
diamonds.<br />
The release comes amid increasing<br />
acceptance of lab-created diamonds<br />
in both the broader jewellery industry<br />
and among consumers.<br />
Members of India’s Bharat Diamond<br />
Bourse recently voted to reverse a<br />
long-term ban on trading the stones<br />
within its premises, while a report<br />
conducted by research firm The MVEye<br />
found approximately 38 per cent of US<br />
independent jewellery retailers now<br />
stock lab-created diamonds.<br />
Approximately 80 per cent of<br />
consumers were aware of the<br />
stones – compared with less<br />
than 10 per cent in 2012.<br />
Designed by Yehuda Diamond Company<br />
founder Zvi Yehuda, the Sherlock<br />
Holmes 3.0 retains the previous<br />
model’s 100 per cent detection rate of<br />
CVD and HPHT stones, as assessed by<br />
the Natural Diamond Council’s Project<br />
ASSURE testing process.<br />
At the same time, several<br />
improvements have been made.<br />
Dror Yehuda, CEO Yehuda Diamond<br />
Company, explained that the new<br />
model has a significantly lower falsepositive<br />
rate than the previous model’s<br />
rate of 2.2–2.5 per cent.<br />
The 3.0 model also boasts a more<br />
accessible design and easier detection<br />
of diamond simulants, such as c<br />
ubic zirconia.<br />
“The new Sherlock Holmes is user<br />
friendly with a laptop-style screen<br />
lift up, and we have fine-tuned the<br />
accuracy and added an array of tests,<br />
multiple sensitivities and views,”<br />
Yehuda said.<br />
“Using the new eight-times<br />
magnification view, a 0.005-carat<br />
diamond looks like a 2-carat diamond<br />
on the screen, making detection of<br />
the smallest diamonds and simulants<br />
very easy. Plus, the internal long-wave<br />
UV [ultraviolet light] test dramatically<br />
reduces the small amount of false<br />
positive results.”<br />
Yehuda added, “We are confident<br />
that our newest lab-grown diamond<br />
detector will outperform every other<br />
detector that is currently scheduled<br />
to be released, even the ones that are<br />
priced significantly higher.”<br />
“We are confident that our<br />
newest lab-grown diamond<br />
detector will outperform every<br />
other detector that is currently<br />
scheduled to be released,<br />
even the ones that are priced<br />
significantly higher”<br />
DROR YEHUDA<br />
Yehuda Diamond Company<br />
Yehuda’s first detector, the Sherlock<br />
Holmes 1.0, debuted in 2017; the 2.0<br />
model was released in March 2019<br />
and was widely adopted across the<br />
industry, being used by a number of<br />
international grading laboratories as<br />
well as jewellery companies Tiffany<br />
& Co. and Graff.<br />
02 9417 0177 | dgau.com.au
Indian trade body holds digitised<br />
international jewellery show<br />
The Gem & <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Export Promotion Council’s latest virtual event, the e-IGJS, was<br />
exclusively targeted toward international buyers.<br />
The Gem & <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Export<br />
Promotion Council (GJEPC), India’s<br />
jewellery trade body, held its virtual<br />
International Gem & <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Show<br />
(e-IGJS) from 18–22 January. Featuring<br />
100 exhibitors from across India, the<br />
e-IGJS registered more than 500<br />
buyers from 56 countries, including<br />
Australia and New Zealand.<br />
Described as an “exclusive exportoriented<br />
show”, the four-day digital<br />
event featured diamond jewellery,<br />
colour gemstone jewellery, gold, silver,<br />
and platinum jewellery, and loose<br />
gemstones and diamonds.<br />
It follows the GJEPC’s two successful<br />
digital India International <strong>Jeweller</strong>y<br />
Shows – known as IIJS Virtual – which<br />
took place on 8–12 January <strong>2021</strong> and<br />
12–16 October 2020. Those events<br />
were developed for both Indian and<br />
overseas buyers in the midst of the<br />
COVID-19 pandemic.<br />
Vipul Shah, vice chairman, GJEPC,<br />
said, “[The] e-IGJS is open to<br />
international buyers only. The<br />
show is curated based on the<br />
product needs of each region/<br />
market. The manufacturers are<br />
handpicked, capable of meeting<br />
high global standards.“<br />
”India has been supplying quality<br />
gemstones and jewellery over the<br />
years, and the pandemic has forced<br />
us to remain physically distant but<br />
stay connected in unique ways – like<br />
this virtual show.”<br />
Opening the e-IGJS, Hardeep Singh<br />
Puri, India’s Minister of State for<br />
Commerce and Industry, said,<br />
“[This] international trade show for<br />
gemstones and jewellery is organised<br />
at an ideal time, as demand from all<br />
major markets such as the US, China,<br />
Hong Kong, and the Middle East is now<br />
picking up.”<br />
“India has been supplying<br />
quality gemstones and<br />
jewellery over the years, and<br />
the pandemic has forced us to<br />
remain physically distant but<br />
stay connected in unique ways,<br />
like this virtual show”<br />
VIPUL SHAH<br />
Gem & <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Export<br />
Promotion Council<br />
Suresh Kumar, joint secretary of the<br />
Ministry of Commerce and Industry,<br />
added, “The disruptions caused<br />
by COVID-19 pandemic posed a<br />
serious challenge to the exporters<br />
of this sector. However, the industry<br />
remained resilient and has been<br />
gradually improving to move towards<br />
the path of recovery.”<br />
Kumar said gemstone and jewellery<br />
exports had recently returned to pre-<br />
COVID levels and praised the GJEPC<br />
for its management of the crisis.<br />
Data from the most recent available<br />
12-month reporting period, April<br />
2019 to March 2020, showed India’s<br />
gemstone and jewellery exports<br />
totalled $US35 billion, with its largest<br />
markets being the US and Hong Kong.<br />
According to national figures,<br />
gemstone and jewellery exports<br />
comprise approximately 15 per cent<br />
of the country’s total exports.<br />
Proudly distributed by<br />
02 9417 0177 | dgau.com.au
On The Market<br />
1 2 3<br />
4<br />
FEBRUARY<br />
Product<br />
Spotlight<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>’s monthly compiled<br />
snapshot of the latest and greatest<br />
products to hit the market.<br />
5<br />
6 7<br />
8<br />
1 COEUR DE LION | Timesupply This beautiful dark blue GeoCube, set from the Natural Selection collection, is a bestseller, featuring bold sodalite and haematite with sparkling blue Swarovski<br />
crystals. 2 PINK KIMBERLEY | Sams Group Australia The Kimberley Naya Ring is a terrific trilogy, showcasing two Argyle pink diamonds and a stunning Argyle white diamond centre stone, while the<br />
band features small diamonds on three sides. 3 IKECHO AUSTRALIA Part of the Contemporary Collection, these String Earrings feature 9-carat yellow gold with round and oval white pearls.<br />
4 PETER W BECK Create a bold look with the Peter W Beck Zirconium Collection, which contrasts the midnight black of zirconium with gold or rose gold. 5 WORTH & DOUGLAS With simple yet<br />
stunning machine-cut pattern designs, Worth & Douglas Wedding and Stacker Rings are crafted in a wide variety of beautiful metals including all gold alloys and plated samples. 6 REFLEX ACTIVE<br />
| Heart & Grace The Series 3 Midnight Garden Smart Watch showcases the prettiest of dials, with delicately detailed designs beautifully finished with a sprinkling of gemstones and an elegant<br />
nude strap. 7 THOMAS SABO | Duraflex Group Australia Unmistakably elegant and timelessly expressive, the Orange Stone Earrings from Thomas Sabo’s latest Magic Star Collection exude style.<br />
8 PANDORA Sustainably made with 71 per cent recycled silver, Pandora’s hand-finished Valentine’s Day designs show your love the beautiful, meaningful and ethical way.
Looking for new product ideas or suppliers?<br />
The <strong>2021</strong> Suppliers Directory – the “Bible” of the Australian and<br />
New Zealand jewellery industries – has all the answers.<br />
STILL<br />
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DIRECTORY<br />
280+<br />
Product<br />
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industry database, you can access it online through any device 24/7.<br />
www.jewellermagazine.com
10 Years Ago<br />
Time Machine: <strong>February</strong> 2011<br />
A snapshot of the industry events making headlines this time 10 years ago in <strong>Jeweller</strong>.<br />
Historic Headlines<br />
4 Kailis eyes US on back of Oprah exposure<br />
4 Michael Hill knighted<br />
4 Brisbane fair to shed light on PPS reform<br />
4 Black Eyed Peas coup for Ice-Watch<br />
4 Rhodium warning for New Zealand<br />
GAA to revolutionise training<br />
STILL RELEVANT 10 YEARS ON<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>y’s Personal Agenda:<br />
More than possibly any other retail purchase,<br />
jewellery is a reflection of the individual.<br />
From setting a grandmother’s stone into a<br />
new engagement ring, to selecting a gift that<br />
reflects the recipient’s personality, jewellery<br />
is about expression. As a new decade begins,<br />
more than ever personalisation has become<br />
the key to successful selling for every jeweller.<br />
READ ALL HEADLINES IN FULL ON<br />
JEWELLERMAGAZINE.COM<br />
The Gemmological Association of Australia<br />
(GAA) is to introduce more courses aimed<br />
specifically at jewellery retailers as part of a move<br />
to revolutionise its education scheme under a<br />
federal entity based in Victoria.<br />
The GAA established the educational subsidiary<br />
Gem-Ed as it created a long-awaited national head<br />
office, based on Spencer Street in Melbourne.<br />
The new subsidiary will be led by Peter Robertson,<br />
who has been hired as principal education officer.<br />
As head of Gem-Ed, Robertson hopes to turn it into<br />
a Registered Training Organisation and to secure<br />
accreditation for all its courses by June.<br />
Robertson has also been tasked with maintaining<br />
consistency across GAA’s different branches in<br />
every state.<br />
GAA president Terry Coldham said the central<br />
office would help the GAA be more responsive to<br />
the needs of its members, the jewellery industry,<br />
and the general public.<br />
Skagen Denmark’s festive<br />
‘secret Sale’ proves a hit<br />
Watch brand Skagen Denmark has hailed an<br />
unprecedented viral marketing Christmas<br />
campaign as a success.<br />
The digital campaign distributed $20 gift vouchers<br />
to 4 million Australians over email through a tie-up<br />
with Qantas.<br />
Nils Rasmussen, managing director of Skagen’s<br />
Australian distributor Jarass, said the campaign<br />
was intended to promote brand awareness.<br />
The vouchers were mailed out to coincide with the<br />
launch of a new Skagen Denmark website, tailored<br />
for the Australian market.<br />
<strong>February</strong> 2011<br />
ON THE COVER Baccarat<br />
Editors’ Desk<br />
4You Ain’t Seen Nuthin’ Yet!: “It’s a new<br />
year and a new decade, so we thought,<br />
‘What the heck? Let’s spruce up the<br />
magazine!’ Welcome to <strong>Jeweller</strong>’s<br />
new look.<br />
There are other changes too, many<br />
of which surround the phenomenal<br />
success of our new website – the level<br />
of which continues to astound. It really<br />
is amazing how far afield our stories<br />
are now being read!”<br />
Soapbox<br />
4The Enemies Within: “There is no<br />
doubt many of us are in this industry<br />
because we love it –but there are<br />
certainly others who view it as<br />
nothing more than a quick buck,<br />
easy money, and take advantage of<br />
an industry based on trust.<br />
In this respect our biggest enemies<br />
are not pressures on the jewellery<br />
industry, but pressures from within.<br />
To me, the biggest evils are internet<br />
diamond ‘wholesalers’ and the<br />
practice of discounting.”<br />
– John Temelli, director/owner<br />
Temelli <strong>Jeweller</strong>y<br />
Royal engagement puts<br />
sapphire in spotlight<br />
The oval blue sapphire engagement ring of<br />
British royal bride-to-be Kate Middleton could<br />
spark a resurgence in gem-set jewellery and<br />
heirloom pieces.<br />
Nicola Cerrone, of high-end Sydney jeweller<br />
Cerrone, believes Middleton’s status as a fashion<br />
icon will prompt many young women in couples<br />
to consider the use of sapphire in rings and gifts.<br />
Since the engagement, Cerrone has received<br />
increased enquiries about coloured gemstones.<br />
Meanwhile, Australian supplier Moi Moi Fine<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>y replenished its stock of its sapphireand-moissanite<br />
Princess Diana replica ring.<br />
Mixed Christmas trading<br />
for jewellers<br />
Trading was mixed for jewellery retailers over<br />
Christmas, with many reporting slow trade<br />
and a drop off in gold jewellery sales.<br />
Peter Turner of Flair <strong>Jeweller</strong>y in Warana,<br />
Queensland, said, “It was a lot quieter. I think<br />
people don’t have the disposable income<br />
to spend on luxury items like they used to<br />
because they’re reeling from the increases in<br />
water, electricity, and interest rates.”<br />
Other retail jewellers reported begin just as<br />
busy as last year. However, those that <strong>Jeweller</strong><br />
spoke to were unanimous in saying that gold<br />
jewellery sales were down. Retailers noticed<br />
increased demand for silver jewellery, products<br />
between the price points of $100 and $200, and<br />
branded jewellery.<br />
24 | <strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong>
INSIDE<br />
My Store<br />
Filigree Fine Jewels<br />
CHRISTCHURCH, NZ with Donna Hughes, design consultant and visual merchandiser • SPACE COMPLETED 2014<br />
4Who is the target market?<br />
Our target market is people who are looking for<br />
something individual, or bespoke, in design with<br />
high quality in the manufacturing and finish.<br />
Some people seek us out specifically for a custom<br />
design, while others come in totally unaware that<br />
custom design is what they were looking for until<br />
they see it.<br />
The store design is very much an extension<br />
of Filigree founder and lead designer Vanessa<br />
Stowers’ personal design aesthetic, her love of<br />
colour, detailed and thoughtful design, and a<br />
sense of timelessness defined by quality and style.<br />
4Which features encourage sales?<br />
Our service is very personal and very much<br />
about building a relationship with our customers,<br />
and the store reflects this with a sense of warmth<br />
and intimacy.<br />
We curate the displays carefully to show our<br />
jewellery at its best, alongside pieces that work<br />
within a story.<br />
It is important to us that customers feel they can<br />
touch and try on the jewellery as this is often<br />
where we find they really notice the outstanding<br />
handmade quality of our jewellery.<br />
4What is the store design’s ‘wow factor’?<br />
Customers will first often comment on our<br />
wallpaper, as it is such a visual statement.<br />
Vanessa chose Zoffany’s ‘Verdure’ wallpaper print,<br />
with its lush landscape and detail inspired by a<br />
17th Century Aubusson tapestry from France.<br />
This, alongside an eclectic mix of antiques and<br />
display cases, gives Filigree its unique identity.<br />
We love working in the showroom and being<br />
surrounded by beautiful jewellery and objects,<br />
and our customers find it inspiring too!<br />
26 | <strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong>
INSIDE<br />
Now & Then<br />
Abrecht Bird <strong>Jeweller</strong>s<br />
Founded 1875<br />
Celebrating 146 Years • MELBOURNE, VIC • A moment with Leon Corn, co-director<br />
MILESTONE S<br />
L to R: Fred Robt Abrecht’s founder Friedrich Robert Abrecht, who immigrated to Melbourne from<br />
Pforzheim, Germany; the J Bird & Son workshop in 1949; Peter, the fourth generation of the Bird<br />
family to take over the J Bird & Son business, with his father David.<br />
Beginning as two separate family<br />
businesses in Melbourne, the origin of<br />
Abrecht Bird <strong>Jeweller</strong>s dates back to<br />
15 December 1875 when, as a 17-yearold,<br />
Friedrich Robert Abrecht migrated<br />
from Pforzheim, Germany to Melbourne<br />
and founded jewellery manufacturing<br />
business Fred Robt Abrecht.<br />
Originally located in the City Chambers<br />
on the corner of Elizabeth and Little<br />
Collins Streets, he sold findings to local<br />
jewellery manufacturers – one of which<br />
was J Bird & Son.<br />
J Bird & Son was founded by Birminghamborn<br />
diamond setter John Bird and his<br />
son Leigh in 1910, with premises on the<br />
corner of Bourke and Elizabeth Streets<br />
and then at 343 Little Collins Street.<br />
Friedrich Robert Abrecht passed away<br />
in 1913, two years after a devastating<br />
robbery at the office.<br />
His sons, Herbert Brisbane “Bris” Abrecht<br />
and Percy “Pop” Abrecht took over and<br />
switched the focus to the importation of<br />
diamonds and gemstones as well as the<br />
manufacture of fine jewellery.<br />
During the Great Depression, Fred Robt.<br />
Abrecht quietly moved into jewellery retail<br />
when it acquired the failing Dumbrells<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>s on Bourke Street.<br />
Fred Robt. Abrecht and J Bird & Son<br />
enjoyed success throughout the first<br />
half of the 20th Century, expanding<br />
interstate and building their reputations<br />
for high-quality design and jewellery<br />
manufacture – both with customers and<br />
the jewellery industry alike.<br />
Both businesses were also awarded<br />
the Lord Mayor’s Generational Family<br />
Business Commendation, which is given<br />
to businesses which have employed three<br />
or more generations of a family.<br />
In late 1991, a serendipitous meeting<br />
occurred between John Bird’s grandson<br />
David Bird and myself, Leon Corn, son-inlaw<br />
of Friedrich Abrecht’s grandson<br />
Noel Abrecht.<br />
David had come to collect a job, to find<br />
that Fred Robt Abrecht was on the verge<br />
of closure after 117 years in business.<br />
David introduced me to his son, Peter<br />
Bird, and the two businesses successfully<br />
merged to form Abrecht <strong>Jeweller</strong>s,<br />
renamed Abrecht Bird <strong>Jeweller</strong>s in 2007.<br />
After ceasing trade work, Abrecht Bird<br />
has focused on individual handmaking<br />
for private clients, employing a staff<br />
of seven – three jewellers and four in<br />
administration.<br />
More recently, a gallery has been<br />
developed to showcase the awards and<br />
artistic talents of the workshop jewellers:<br />
Greg John, who joined the business as<br />
a partner in 2000 and was previously<br />
workshop manager at Fred Robt Abrecht,<br />
Eleanor Hawke, and Yuki Mathwin.<br />
Having experienced one of the toughest<br />
years in over a century in 2020, myself,<br />
Peter, and the Abrecht Bird staff have<br />
come through without too much of<br />
a downturn, thanks in part to the<br />
government assistance and to the clever<br />
use of social media. For most of the year<br />
the office was closed, but the email list<br />
saved the day.<br />
1875<br />
Friedrich Robert<br />
Abrecht migrates to<br />
Melbourne and founds<br />
jewellery manufacturer<br />
Fred Robt Abrecht at<br />
City Chambers<br />
1910<br />
Diamond setter John<br />
Bird and son Leigh<br />
found the J Bird & Son<br />
jewellery workshop on<br />
the corner of Bourke and<br />
Elizabeth Streets<br />
1913<br />
Friedrich passes away<br />
and his sons Herbert<br />
Brisbane “Bris” Abrecht<br />
and Percy “Pop” Abrecht<br />
take over his business<br />
1920<br />
John Bird’s second son<br />
Eric joins J Bird & Son<br />
1934<br />
Bris Abrecht’s sons John<br />
Brisbane “Bruce” Abrecht<br />
and Noel Robert Abrecht<br />
join the business, taking<br />
over when Bris passes<br />
away in 1941<br />
1945<br />
Leigh Bird’s son David<br />
joins the family business<br />
1971<br />
Noel Abrecht’s son-<br />
in-law Leon Corn<br />
begins working at<br />
Fred Robt. Abrecht<br />
1981<br />
David Bird’s son Peter,<br />
a stockbroker, changes<br />
careers and begins<br />
working at J Bird &<br />
Son, assuming primary<br />
control in 1988<br />
1992<br />
Leon Corn and Peter Bird<br />
merge the businesses to<br />
form Abrecht <strong>Jeweller</strong>s<br />
at 343 Collins Street<br />
2007<br />
The business is renamed<br />
Abrecht Bird <strong>Jeweller</strong>s<br />
and moves to a new<br />
premises in the Wales<br />
Corner Building, at the<br />
junction of Collins and<br />
Swanston Streets<br />
Above: The Abrecht Bird team – Greg John, Yuki<br />
Mathwin, Stephanie Taklcevic, Eleanor Hawke,<br />
Kylie Beachley, Peter Bird and Leon Corn.<br />
The 145-year history of the business<br />
has created a wealth of experience in<br />
producing high-quality jewellery as well<br />
as completing challenging repair work.<br />
We are acutely aware of our<br />
responsibility to uphold the traditions of<br />
our founders and their successors, and<br />
at the same time realise how important<br />
it is to keep up to date with the latest<br />
trends in fashion and marketing.<br />
Quality products, ethical business<br />
practices and loyal hard-working<br />
staff are at the heart of Abrecht<br />
Bird <strong>Jeweller</strong>s.<br />
This gives customers the confidence<br />
to continue to place their loyalty<br />
and trust in such an experienced<br />
organisation – and when it comes to<br />
jewellery, trust is paramount.<br />
To quote the first words imparted to<br />
me from my father-in-law Noel: “The<br />
customer’s jewellery is one of their<br />
most precious possessions which<br />
they are leaving in your care – always<br />
remember that son.”<br />
Succession plans are always in Peter’s<br />
thoughts as he approaches his 70th<br />
birthday, and some discussions have<br />
been undertaken to explore the options.<br />
Hopefully, the Abrecht and Bird names<br />
will live on, perhaps without any family<br />
involvement, but continuing in the same<br />
tradition as the past 146 years.<br />
Read the full length interview<br />
on <strong>Jeweller</strong>magazine.com<br />
<strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong> | 27
Completing my Diploma in<br />
Gemmology has benefited<br />
me as a jeweller in more<br />
ways than I ever expected.<br />
I have always had an interest<br />
in gemstones and found<br />
the course was not only<br />
informative and challenging<br />
but immensely rewarding.<br />
Studying with the GAA has also<br />
allowed me to meet like-minded<br />
people from many facets of the<br />
jewellery industry and grants me access<br />
to resources that I will continue to use<br />
throughout my professional career.<br />
Emma Meakes FGAA<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>, John Miller Design - WA<br />
Diploma in<br />
Gemmology<br />
Enrolments now open<br />
For more information<br />
1300 436 338<br />
learn@gem.org.au<br />
www.gem.org.au<br />
Be<br />
Brilliant<br />
Gem-Ed Australia<br />
ADELAIDE BRISBANE HOBART MELBOURNE PERTH SYDNEY<br />
Passionately educating the industry, gem enthusiasts<br />
and consumers about gemstones
REVIEW<br />
Gems<br />
Turquoise<br />
L to R: Tamir earrings; Chopard x Rihanna collier; antique swallow brooch<br />
Below: Turquoise rough; SJ Shrubsole antique brooch<br />
Turquoise has been used as jewellery<br />
material for thousands of years and is one<br />
of the best-known ornamental gemstones.<br />
Finds in archaeological digs in Egypt date<br />
back 7,500 years and examples of carved<br />
turquoise can be found from 3,000 years<br />
ago in China, making it likely one of the first<br />
gemstones ever mined.<br />
Turquoise is a copper phosphate<br />
comprising aggregates of tiny crystals.<br />
Deposits usually form in iron-rich limonite<br />
or sandstone. Limonite creates dark brown<br />
markings in turquoise, while sandstone<br />
creates tan markings.<br />
These markings, referred to as ‘matrix’,<br />
are remnants of the host rock and can<br />
resemble splotches or veins.<br />
While turquoise is often associated with<br />
a light to mid-blue colour, it can also be<br />
found in greyish shades as well as greenish<br />
blue through to green – though blue hues<br />
are more popular.<br />
The most prized turquoise displays midblue<br />
colour with no matrix, usually cut as<br />
cabochons and inlays. Matrix turquoise<br />
is appreciated when it has fine, delicate,<br />
web-like patterns across the surface of<br />
the gemstone, when it is often called<br />
‘spiderweb turquoise’.<br />
Usually a fairly porous mineral, polished<br />
turquoise has a waxy lustre – though less<br />
porous examples are tougher and can<br />
have a better lustre. It rates 5–6 on Mohs’<br />
hardness scale.<br />
The porosity of turquoise makes it difficult<br />
to handle as a gemstone. Constant<br />
exposure to liquids and grime – including<br />
perspiration, cosmetic sprays, fats, oils<br />
and greases – can stain or discolour the<br />
surface, causing it to turn a less attractive<br />
greenish colour.<br />
Consequently, the common, but nonpermanent,<br />
practice of waxing turquoise<br />
is an accepted treatment that need not be<br />
disclosed to customers.<br />
However, waxing is not a long-term<br />
preventative of discolouration and the<br />
turquoise trade has become blighted by a<br />
multitude of other treatments to seal the<br />
porous surface. Some of these treatments<br />
are very difficult to identify.<br />
Sealing the pores with paraffin, sodium<br />
silicate, organic polymers and sundry<br />
epoxy resins has taken place many<br />
times in recent years. Some are of a<br />
more permanent nature, but the use of<br />
manufactured compounds to seal the pores<br />
is considered less acceptable and such<br />
treatments should be disclosed.<br />
Turquoise offcuts and other broken pieces<br />
that have been powdered up and mixed with<br />
resins to produce so called ‘reconstituted<br />
turquoise’, is another less acceptable<br />
treatment that requires disclosure.<br />
Synthetic turquoise – that is, imitants that<br />
are neither the chemical nor physical<br />
equivalent of the natural material – can be<br />
convincing to the unaided eye.<br />
The many imitants include dyed forms of<br />
other minerals, sometimes with a lookalike<br />
Turquoise<br />
From French turquois<br />
meaning ‘Turkish’, as it<br />
was imported to Europe<br />
from Iran via Turkey.<br />
Colour: Blue-green<br />
Found in: Iran, US,<br />
Egypt, Australia,<br />
Afghanistan<br />
Mohs Hardness: 5–6<br />
Class: Pinacoidal<br />
Lustre: Waxy to<br />
subvitreous<br />
Formula:<br />
CuAl 6<br />
(PO 4<br />
) 4<br />
(OH) 8·4H 2<br />
O<br />
matrix effect. One such product, often<br />
manufactured in China, is ‘turquentine’<br />
– a non-gemmological term for howlite<br />
or magnesite that has been artificially<br />
coloured blue.<br />
Some of the best quality turquoise has<br />
come from Iran, previously known as<br />
Persia, and thus some refer to the bestcoloured<br />
turquoise as ‘Persian blue’<br />
turquoise.<br />
The southwest of the US is well-known for<br />
the turquoise mined by Native Americans<br />
and used in jewellery and as amulets; this<br />
region remains one of the largest consumer<br />
markets for turquoise. The Aztec civilisation<br />
– located in modern-day Mexico – also<br />
highly valued turquoise, considering it to be<br />
sacred.<br />
China’s Hubei Province is a new source,<br />
while the historic Egyptian mines in the<br />
Sinai Peninsula have been depleted.<br />
Closer to home, a turquoise mine worked<br />
in the Northern Territory was closed in the<br />
mid 1990s, and the gemstone was also<br />
briefly mined in Victoria and regions of<br />
NSW including Narooma and Bodalla at the<br />
beginning of the 20th Century.<br />
Kathryn Wyatt BSc FGAA Dip DT<br />
is a qualified gemmologist, diamond<br />
technologist, registered jewellery valuer,<br />
educator and member of the Australian<br />
Antique & Art Dealers Association. For<br />
more information on antique and vintage<br />
jewellery courses, visit gem.org.au<br />
<strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong> | 29
CELEBRATING<br />
Local Talent<br />
MBM JEWELLERY DESIGN<br />
Pearl Earrings<br />
Metal: Yellow gold<br />
Gemstone: Pearl<br />
Amanda Newton<br />
Mandurah, WA<br />
YORK JEWELLERS<br />
Audrey Ring<br />
Metals: 18-carat yellow<br />
and white gold<br />
Gemstones: Tsavorite garnet,<br />
black and white diamond<br />
Douglas Ely<br />
Sydney, NSW<br />
WHITAKERS<br />
Sri Lankan Yellow<br />
Sapphire Halo Ring<br />
Metals: White and<br />
yellow gold<br />
Gemstones: Yellow<br />
sapphire, white diamond<br />
John Whitaker<br />
Newcastle, NSW<br />
Australia and New Zealand are not only home to some of the<br />
rarest gemstones in the world, but also the most talented jewellers.<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong> showcases a tapestry of local masterpieces that have been<br />
meticulously crafted with great artisanship, right here on home soil<br />
RENÉE BLACKWELL<br />
JEWELLERY DESIGN<br />
South Sea Dreaming Ring<br />
Metals: 18-carat yellow<br />
gold, sterling silver<br />
Gemstones: Cygnet<br />
Bay pearl<br />
Renée Blackwell<br />
Maleny, QLD<br />
THE DIAMOND<br />
JEWELLERY STUDIO<br />
White Gold Argyle Pink<br />
Diamond Pendant<br />
Metal: 18-carat white gold<br />
Gemstones: Argyle pink and<br />
white diamonds<br />
Nick Ireland<br />
Brisbane, QLD<br />
30 | <strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong>
SEASPRAY<br />
JEWELLERS<br />
Pearls In Full<br />
Bloom Necklet<br />
Metals: 18-carat white,<br />
rose and yellow gold<br />
Gemstones: South Sea<br />
pearl and Akoya pearl<br />
Madeleine McDonald<br />
Umina Beach, NSW<br />
ARTISANS BESPOKE<br />
JEWELLERS<br />
Dragonfly Lady<br />
Pendant & Brooch<br />
Metal: 18-carat<br />
yellow gold<br />
Gemstones: Pink<br />
and green sapphire,<br />
white diamond<br />
Tammy Keers<br />
Brisbane, QLD<br />
STELIOS<br />
JEWELLERS<br />
Aquamarine,<br />
Diamond &<br />
Australian South<br />
Sea Pearl Pendant<br />
Metal: 18-carat<br />
white gold<br />
Gemstone:<br />
Aquamarine,<br />
Australian South Sea<br />
pearl, white diamond<br />
Stelios Palioudakis<br />
Perth, WA<br />
STEVE PALLAS<br />
BESPOKE JEWELLERY<br />
Custom Malocchio<br />
Corno Pendant<br />
Metal: 18-carat yellow gold<br />
Gemstone: White diamond<br />
Steve Pallas<br />
Melbourne, VIC<br />
PINK CARAT<br />
Platinum, Diamond &<br />
Purple Sapphire Ring<br />
Metal: Platinum<br />
Gemstones: Purple<br />
sapphire, white diamond<br />
Bevan Jones<br />
Adelaide, SA<br />
VAROUJAN JEWELLERS<br />
Elenor 2 Ring<br />
Metal: 18-carat yellow gold<br />
Gemstones: Argyle pink and<br />
white diamond<br />
Varoujan<br />
Djevahirdjian<br />
Sydney, NSW<br />
TOK JEWELLERS<br />
Keira Cocktail Ring<br />
Metal: 18-carat<br />
rose gold<br />
Gemstones: Kunzite,<br />
white diamond<br />
Alex Tok,<br />
Sydney, NSW<br />
<strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong> | 31
FEATURE<br />
Antique <strong>Jeweller</strong>y<br />
1880s Victorian<br />
Intaglio Necklace<br />
Antique Gold Ring,<br />
Gerard McCabe<br />
1870s Victorian<br />
Cameo Bangle<br />
Brooch owned by<br />
Marie Antoinette,<br />
Sotheby’s<br />
What’s old<br />
IS GOLD<br />
ARABELLA RODEN explores antique and vintage jewellery<br />
to discover what makes this category so compelling –<br />
for consumers, collectors, and curators alike.<br />
1870s Archaeological<br />
Revival Bangle<br />
1860s Cartier Bangle
Late Victorian Brooch, Klepners<br />
Antique and vintage jewellery has always<br />
stood apart. In a world seemingly obsessed<br />
with the latest innovations and cuttingedge<br />
technologies, these pieces – meticulously<br />
crafted by hand, built to last, often one-of-a-kind –<br />
offer a compelling contrast that appeals to a<br />
small, yet passionate subset of consumers.<br />
It is important to note that in jewellery terms, ‘antique’ refers to<br />
jewellery that is more than 100 years old. ‘Vintage’ is generally<br />
used to describe pieces made 50–99 years in the past (see<br />
Glossary).<br />
“There has always been a following for antique and vintage<br />
jewellery,” confirms Kathryn Wyatt, owner of Imogene<br />
Antique & Contemporary <strong>Jeweller</strong>y in Melbourne and<br />
publicity and marketing officer at the Gemmological<br />
Association of Australia (GAA).<br />
Far from being the province of older consumers motivated<br />
by nostalgia, the antique and vintage category has a<br />
broad following.<br />
Justin McCabe, sales director at Gerard McCabe <strong>Jeweller</strong>s<br />
in Adelaide – which stocks vintage and antique jewellery<br />
alongside modern collections – says, “We sell to newlyengaged<br />
couples buying vintage rings, younger people in<br />
their late teens and early twenties, and people in their<br />
eighties and nineties.<br />
“There’s certainly a wide range, and we have even seen a few<br />
younger gentlemen buying pocket watches.”<br />
Wyatt tells <strong>Jeweller</strong>, “Certainly, there are younger people under<br />
30 who are looking to invest in jewellery, and older people too.<br />
The people who buy pieces from me say, ‘I want something<br />
unique’; they don’t want the mass-produced jewellery that all<br />
their friends have. They want something different.”<br />
Indeed, it is that ‘one-off’ quality that draws Gerard McCabe<br />
customers toward the antique section.<br />
“The pieces themselves have a lot of character,” says<br />
Justin McCabe. “There is a distinction between them and<br />
modern jewellery. Many of our modern designs come in<br />
suites and collections, and they are often more streamlined<br />
and stackable.<br />
“Whereas the pieces of the past are just that one piece,<br />
with a lot of creativity and workmanship, and if you can find<br />
something special that’s in great condition and speaks a story<br />
to you, it’s like finding treasure.”<br />
Damien Kalmar, of Kalmar Antiques in Sydney – which<br />
deals in antique and vintage jewellery and pocket watches –<br />
also observes that antiques cut across age demographics,<br />
appealing equally to both men and women.<br />
1860s Carlo Giuliano<br />
Archaeological<br />
Revival Brooch<br />
1870s Victorian<br />
Cameo Pendant<br />
1860s Charles Duron<br />
Renaissance Revival Brooch<br />
Images (unless otherwise<br />
indicated): 1st Dibs<br />
He notes the “uniqueness” and “romantic feel” of older<br />
pieces, particularly those from the Victorian era.<br />
Caroline Tickner, of auction house Leonard Joel, points to the<br />
quality of antique jewellery as a major selling point.<br />
“Valuable antique jewellery is fundamentally based on<br />
beauty, craftsmanship and rarity,” she explains. “Some of the<br />
techniques undertaken by jewellers in the 19th Century verge<br />
on being lost artisan skills.<br />
“Workmanship such as enamelling, pietra dura, and<br />
cannetille are highly specialised forms of decoration that few<br />
can replicate.”<br />
Marlene Crowther, of Keshett in Melbourne, adds, “Antique<br />
jewellery combines so many appealing elements it would be<br />
harder to find reasons why it would not appeal to consumers<br />
than why it does!”<br />
“The style of different periods is captured in precious metals<br />
and gems. People who are likely to buy antique jewellery are<br />
those with imagination – those who can allow themselves<br />
to be transported to another time when they contemplate a<br />
beautiful period piece,” she explains.<br />
Crowther believes antique jewellery lovers “feel privileged<br />
to have custody of a fine antique piece of jewellery and can<br />
imagine those who owned it before and those who will<br />
own it next,” adding, “Antique jewellery is a celebration of<br />
fearlessness, creativity, and beauty stretching before and<br />
beyond us.”<br />
Aside from romance, craftsmanship, and history, Wyatt<br />
also points to the environmentally-conscious nature of the<br />
category:“My customers like the idea of buying something<br />
that is ‘recycled’. Antiques are sustainable; they already made<br />
their tiny ‘carbon footprint’ years ago, and if they’ve lasted 100<br />
years, they are usually going to last a fair bit longer!”<br />
Sales patterns<br />
McCabe estimates antique and vintage jewellery now<br />
comprises 15–18 per cent of sales across Gerard McCabe’s<br />
two stores, with seasonal fluctuations.<br />
“Christmas can prove extremely strong for our antique and<br />
vintage business, and some months it can be more than 40<br />
per cent of a store’s turnover,” he explains.<br />
While the COVID-19 pandemic limited the number of<br />
international customers in the stores, McCabe noted that the<br />
mid- to high-end market remained “alive and well”, driven by<br />
local shoppers who would ordinarily be travelling overseas.<br />
Rikki McAndrew, director of Melbourne’s McAndrew <strong>Jeweller</strong>y<br />
and a registered valuer with the National Council of <strong>Jeweller</strong>y<br />
Valuers (NCJV), has also observed strong higher-end sales,<br />
though the lower end of the market has seen increased<br />
competition from designer branded jewellery, particularly<br />
<strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong> | 33
Antique <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Feature | WHAT’S OLD IS GOLD<br />
1890s Carlo Giuliano<br />
Renaissance Revival Brooch<br />
1960s Cartier<br />
Griffin Brooch<br />
1925 Cartier Art Deco<br />
Cloak Clasp<br />
sterling silver collections.<br />
Like Wyatt and McCabe, he notes that the types of consumers<br />
who buy antique jewellery are not constrained to a particular<br />
age group, but rather are people who “don’t follow trends but<br />
prefer to have some individuality, and appreciate the history<br />
and workmanship involved in antique jewellery”.<br />
He explains, “Antique jewellery sells on its own merits;<br />
it doesn’t have the benefit of marketing campaigns or<br />
promotions, whereas fashion jewellery and branded jewellery<br />
often needs constant marketing to stay relevant to consumers.”<br />
In addition to the ever-present competition from contemporary<br />
jewellery, a number of other challenges remain for antique<br />
jewellery retailers, including reliable sourcing, developing a<br />
comprehensive pricing system, and adapting to e-commerce.<br />
Market trends<br />
Among antique and vintage jewellery retailers, one era stands<br />
head and shoulders above the rest in terms of consumer<br />
demand: Art Deco.<br />
“For the past 30 or 40 years of my doing business, Art Deco<br />
has always been popular and it is probably the most popular,”<br />
Wyatt says, adding, “Technically, it’s not antique – or only just –<br />
as the Art Deco period is defined as 1920–1935.”<br />
“In recent months there has been a resurgence of yellow gold,<br />
Victorian pieces too,” she adds.<br />
Crowther has observed similar trends in engagement rings:<br />
“In the last decade there has been a noticeable shift in the<br />
engagement ring market to the geometric designs of the<br />
Art Deco period, with symmetrical lines, unobtrusive white<br />
metals, and diamonds subtly accented by calibre-cut coloured<br />
gemstones appealing to young buyers,” she says.<br />
Tickner concurs: “Art Deco jewellery is always popular, with its<br />
fabulous streamlined form and simplicity,” adding, “Platinum<br />
is always desirable as well and stands the test of time, and<br />
‘significant’ antique pieces are most in demand in recent<br />
times – whether it is a large European cut or old mine-cut<br />
solitaire diamond ring, a fabulous pair of Georgian foil-back<br />
1870s Mid-Victorian<br />
Archaeological Revival Earring,<br />
Gerard McCabe<br />
Vintage 1920s Brooch,<br />
Keshett<br />
girandole earrings, or a high-Victorian heavy<br />
gold brooch.”<br />
McCabe has also observed a resurgence in demand for<br />
“statement pieces” in the past 12 months, in particular rings<br />
followed by necklaces and bangles with “a big splash of colour”.<br />
And while he believes Art Deco remains “everyone’s favourite”,<br />
purchasing patterns at Gerard McCabe have tended more<br />
toward the late-Victorian period, with yellow gold and brooches<br />
“making a comeback”.<br />
For McAndrew, “the classic Art Deco design is always in<br />
demand”, with Art Nouveau – traditionally dated between 1890<br />
and 1910 – also prized by collectors.<br />
“Early Australian ‘goldfields’ jewellery is rare and also always<br />
in high demand; some pieces have no stamp and others will<br />
have an Australian maker’s mark, some being rarer than<br />
others,” he says.<br />
“Trends and fashions come and go – nowadays most likely<br />
according to the latest marketing campaign, influencer or<br />
Instagram sensation, so there is no reason that certain styles of<br />
antique jewellery won’t be the next ‘must-have’.””<br />
Indeed, Crowther observes that ‘fashions’ are often fuelled by<br />
celebrities, such as the engagement rings of actress Scarlett<br />
Johansson and British socialite Pippa Middleton.<br />
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder – a beholder usually led by<br />
fashion and contemporary attitude!” she remarks.<br />
“Many customers are happy to have items made in the style<br />
of certain periods without having a need for authentic antique<br />
pieces,” she adds. “This is not a new development and<br />
reproductions have always had a significant market share.”<br />
Indeed, the prevalence of reproductions – made throughout the<br />
20th Century and in the modern day – frequently prove a thorn in<br />
the side of antique and vintage jewellery retailers.<br />
The genuine article<br />
Perhaps the most pressing challenge to stocking antique and<br />
vintage jewellery is sourcing authentic pieces.<br />
Kathryn Wyatt<br />
Imogene Antique &<br />
Contemporary<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>y<br />
“For the past 30 or 40 years<br />
of my doing business, Art<br />
Deco has always been popular<br />
and it is probably the most<br />
popular. In the past couple<br />
of months of the COVID-19<br />
pandemic, there has been a<br />
resurgence of antique yellow<br />
gold, Victorian jewellery.”<br />
Caroline Tickner<br />
Leonard Joel<br />
“Statement pieces that are<br />
unique command higher prices<br />
and are keenly sought after,<br />
and signed pieces – whether it<br />
is Cartier, Boucheron, Bulgari,<br />
Tiffany & Co. or other houses<br />
are of the highest quality in<br />
terms of craftsmanship, design<br />
and superior stones.”<br />
Justin McCabe<br />
Gerard McCabe<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>s<br />
“Rings are the most in-demand,<br />
followed by earrings. I’ve noticed<br />
in the past five to six years, the<br />
surprise has been brooches. In the<br />
past 12 months, statement pieces<br />
– in particular statement rings,<br />
but necklaces and bangles as well<br />
– are making a comeback, with a<br />
big splash of colour.”<br />
34 | <strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong>
WHAT’S OLD IS GOLD | Antique <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Feature<br />
Art Deco Ring,<br />
Keshett<br />
1890s Archaeological<br />
Revival Necklace<br />
1860s Victorian Locket<br />
1860s Victorian<br />
Brooch<br />
“It has become harder to find original and genuine antique<br />
pieces as they do wear out and become damaged. Repairs do<br />
impact their originality and value and there are plenty of cast<br />
reproductions in the marketplace,” Tickner observes.<br />
Wyatt notes, “If you think about it, things that are 100 years<br />
old – there’s not a lot of them [left],” notes Wyatt. “Even if we<br />
go back to the Art Deco period, there wasn’t actually a lot<br />
of jewellery produced at that time, particularly in Australia,<br />
because of the Depression. So there’s not a lot around, full<br />
stop – and if there’s not a lot around, people reproduce it to<br />
cater to that demand.<br />
“We tend to see a lot of Art Deco reproductions, because that<br />
is the largest market, and Victorian reproductions too. Pieces<br />
are often made in Bangkok and Argentina.”<br />
Wyatt notes that since reproductions have occurred<br />
throughout the 20th Century, authentication is particularly<br />
difficult given older reproduced pieces now show wear.<br />
“English late-Victorian earrings were reproduced in Spain in<br />
15-carat gold and sold right across the world, so now when<br />
you see those 20 years later, they look and feel ‘old’ – so<br />
who would be able to tell they were reproductions, other<br />
than those dealers who have been around for 30 years and<br />
know of these types of reproductions?” she explains.<br />
In order to identify whether or not a piece could be a<br />
reproduction, antique and vintage dealers rely on provenance<br />
– that is, established evidence of origin and a clear ‘chain of<br />
custody’ – as well as technical knowledge of jewellery, history,<br />
and gemmology.<br />
“Mistaking reproduction for a genuine antique is a common<br />
error,” says McAndrew. “Misidentifying a style can, in some<br />
cases, be a matter of opinion, but you can also have a<br />
diamond ring that is hallmarked ‘Chester 1890’ and another<br />
the exact same hallmarked ‘Chester 1930’.<br />
“Tastes and styles didn’t suddenly stop and start, but ebbed<br />
and flowed with some modifications; this is where the<br />
confusion between ‘Retro’ and Art Deco arises.”<br />
1980s Cartier<br />
Seahorse Brooch<br />
Images (unless otherwise<br />
indicated): 1st Dibs<br />
Keshett’s Crowther begins the authentication of jewellery first<br />
by examining the method of manufacturing, the materials<br />
used, metal purity, gemstones used, and cut styles, all of which<br />
can indicate the period of production, as well as stamping,<br />
hallmarks, purity marks and makers’ marks.<br />
“There is a plethora of reproduction jewellery in circulation.<br />
Many pieces are set with genuine old-cut diamonds and others<br />
with ‘new’ old-cut diamonds.<br />
“These items are often made with silver overset on gold in the<br />
Georgian/Victorian manner, or are in ‘aged’ platinum to give<br />
the appearance of an early 20th-Century antique. It is vital to<br />
have education and exposure to genuine items to identify these<br />
fakes,” Crowther says.<br />
An education in gemmology is of particular use, as certain<br />
gemstones are easily dated.<br />
“There was no Madagascan or Vietnamese ruby before the<br />
1940s, and no hydrothermal emerald prior to 1960 – so [pieces<br />
set with these gemstones] should lead you to conclude that you<br />
have an old setting with a replacement stone, not an antique in<br />
its entirety,” she explains.<br />
Another example is salt-and-pepper diamonds, which are<br />
exclusively used in modern jewellery, according to Wyatt.<br />
“Similarly, if someone tried to sell you an Art Deco piece with<br />
a tanzanite in it, you would know the original gemstone was<br />
replaced with tanzanite or that the piece is a reproduction,<br />
because tanzanite wasn’t discovered until 1967,” Wyatt explains.<br />
Tsavorite garnet is another ‘indicative stone’, as it may be used<br />
to imitate demantoid garnet.<br />
“We know Tsavorite garnet was discovered in 1967 in Kenya,<br />
whereas the initial source of demantoids was Russia. Mining<br />
stopped there in 1917 due to the Bolshevik Revolution, and has<br />
only recently begun again. Demantoid garnet has also recently<br />
been found in Africa,” says Wyatt.<br />
“Learning gemmology pays off every day in this way – it’s like<br />
being a detective.”<br />
Rikki McAndrew<br />
McAndrew<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>y<br />
“Trends and fashions come<br />
and go – nowadays most<br />
likely according to the<br />
latest marketing campaign,<br />
influencer or Instagram<br />
sensation, so there is no<br />
reason that certain styles of<br />
antique jewellery won’t be<br />
the next ‘must-have’.”<br />
Damien Kalmar<br />
Kalmar Antiques<br />
“Consistently, we find genuine<br />
Art Deco pieces from the 1920s<br />
to the 1940s to be always<br />
in demand, especially as<br />
engagement rings. Having said<br />
that, quality antique rings and<br />
bracelets have stood the test of<br />
time in terms of style, and are<br />
always consistently popular.”<br />
Marlene Crowther<br />
Keshett<br />
“In the last decade there has<br />
been a noticeable shift in the<br />
engagement ring market to the<br />
geometric designs of the Art<br />
Deco period, with symmetrical<br />
lines, unobtrusive white metals,<br />
and diamonds subtly accented by<br />
calibre-cut coloured gemstones<br />
appealing to young buyers.”<br />
<strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong> | 35
Antique <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Feature | WHAT’S OLD IS GOLD<br />
1873 Victorian<br />
Bracelet with Locket<br />
Holbeinesque<br />
Pendants<br />
Vintage 1920s<br />
Art Deco Brooch<br />
The Gemmological Association of<br />
Australia (GAA) offers specialist antique<br />
jewellery courses as well as broader<br />
gemmology education, while the NCJV<br />
also offers resources for assessing<br />
antiques accurately.<br />
On the topic of provenance, McAndrew<br />
notes, “Unfortunately or many people,<br />
a family story is not provenance. As a guide,<br />
you need evidence that would<br />
hold up in court.<br />
“Stamps, assay marks and hallmarks<br />
can give you lots of information, and a<br />
Cartier or Van Cleef & Arpels makers’<br />
mark is going to have a premium in value<br />
to anything comparable without a mark –<br />
more so if it has the original box, and even<br />
more again if the original invoice exists,<br />
though that is extremely rare.”<br />
He adds, “High-quality antiques are<br />
harder and harder to source, especially<br />
at realistic prices.<br />
“As a rule of thumb, there is a stock<br />
supply surplus of lower-end antique<br />
jewellery and a deficit of higherend<br />
antique jewellery.”<br />
1820s Georgian<br />
Necklace<br />
When sourcing antique<br />
and vintage jewellery at<br />
auction, Wyatt cautions<br />
that many pieces are not<br />
guaranteed.<br />
“You must check the fine<br />
print of the auction,” she<br />
advises. “Auction houses<br />
don’t make mistakes<br />
deliberately, but because they<br />
have a high volume of product<br />
things can be missed.<br />
“Or, they may rely on the<br />
specifications for a piece that<br />
were provided to them by a<br />
reputable, frequent seller –<br />
and that person could have<br />
made a mistake.<br />
“This is why it’s so important to<br />
be a gemmologist, particularly<br />
for antiques. You need to<br />
know what you’re buying.<br />
As a retailer, the buck stops<br />
36 | <strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong><br />
with you and by law you must guarantee<br />
what you sell to the public.”<br />
Sourcing pieces has been particularly<br />
challenging during the pandemic.<br />
“Obtaining good quality antique pieces<br />
has been increasingly and frustratingly<br />
difficult, as our antique dealers have<br />
not been able to go overseas to source<br />
stock,” says Kalmar.<br />
“Finding antique pieces in good condition<br />
is hard enough, and although repairs and<br />
restoration are usually required over the<br />
years, and we ourselves do this, finding<br />
pieces without lead solder, or incorrect<br />
diamonds such as a small brilliant cut<br />
instead of a genuine antique rose cut, is<br />
becoming difficult.”<br />
Yet despite these challenges, Crowther<br />
offers a positive counterpoint: the increased<br />
globalisation of the antique and vintage<br />
jewellery trade, through new technology.<br />
“The marketplace is now less regional and<br />
more global – perhaps not right now due to<br />
the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic,<br />
but in normal circumstances we can<br />
cast a very wide net in our search for fine<br />
antique jewellery,” she notes, adding that<br />
repair techniques have also substantially<br />
improved, leading to a greater abundance<br />
of “unobtrusively restored” genuine antique<br />
and vintage pieces.<br />
“There are also many more selling<br />
platforms and so it is easier to find items<br />
– and with valuer education increasing,<br />
it is also easier to have items properly<br />
authenticated,” she says.<br />
McCabe agrees: “Because of COVID-19,<br />
our overseas suppliers – many of which we<br />
have had relationships with for more than<br />
30 years – were not able to visit us as they<br />
normally would.<br />
“That required them to upgrade and<br />
provide us details of their goods online –<br />
which brought us closer to the source<br />
than ever before.<br />
“We can view things online and be the<br />
‘first in line’ with the rest of the world, as<br />
opposed to one of the last on the list for<br />
a supplier’s Australian trip, being based<br />
Inspired by the art of Hans<br />
Holbein the Younger and<br />
often copied from jewellery<br />
depicted in Holbein’s<br />
portraits of Tudor ladies<br />
from Henry VIII’s court,<br />
this Victorian style<br />
frequently features a<br />
central gemstone mounted<br />
in gold and embellished<br />
with colourful enamel<br />
work. Pearls are often<br />
suspended to offset the<br />
centre gemstone.<br />
CIRCA 1860s<br />
CIRCA 1870s<br />
CIRCA 1870s<br />
CIRCA 1880s<br />
Images: 1st Dibs<br />
in Adelaide – which is a much smaller market<br />
than the eastern states.”<br />
However, the supply chain is not the only part of<br />
the vintage-and-antique jewellery category that<br />
has been digitally transformed.<br />
The impact of e-commerce<br />
The past five years have seen the proliferation of<br />
online jewellery sales. The antique and vintage<br />
category is no exception – both in terms of<br />
sourcing pieces and retailing to the public.<br />
“Before the internet and online selling and<br />
buying, the choice of dispersion of an estate or a<br />
collection was limited to selling to a shop, dealer<br />
or an established bricks-and-mortar auction<br />
house,” McAndrew explains.<br />
“But with the wide choice available nowadays<br />
online, the stock has been ‘thinned out’ making<br />
sourcing so much harder. Estates are generally<br />
smaller nowadays too – a look through old<br />
auction catalogues makes this very apparent!”<br />
Conversely, consumers’ increasing embrace<br />
of online jewellery purchasing has also been<br />
something of a boon for retailers, particularly<br />
during the COVID-19 restrictions in 2020.<br />
This digital ‘secondary market’ now<br />
comprises online auctions, small-scale<br />
and consumer-to-consumer sellers using<br />
Etsy and other apps, as well as specialised<br />
e-commerce retailers such as Omneque.<br />
Launched in late 2020, the UK-based website<br />
sells antique and vintage pieces – both ‘signed’<br />
and ‘unsigned’ – which have been sourced<br />
and authenticated by jewellery historian and<br />
museum curator Vivienne Becker and fine<br />
jewellery specialist Joanna Hardy.<br />
Following authentication, pieces are then sorted<br />
and sold as part of themed biweekly collections.<br />
While a new business, Omneque’s presence<br />
in the market indicates the new potential of<br />
online antique and vintage jewellery sales, as<br />
well as the importance of establishing trust<br />
through expert authentication.<br />
Further illustrating the value of the antique<br />
and vintage jewellery market, in <strong>February</strong><br />
2020 international diamond trading service<br />
Rapaport launched its Rapaport Jewelry<br />
Catalog (RJC) platform, exclusively for estate<br />
jewellery and natural pearls.
1880s Victorian Necklace<br />
WHAT’S IN A WORD?<br />
GLOSSARY of TERMS<br />
ANTIQUE: The designation ‘antique’ refers to items<br />
that are at least 100 years old.<br />
RJC allows “retailers and<br />
dealers [to] trade with each<br />
other as well as with consumers”.<br />
“I think that we have a very different<br />
landscape ahead of us now,” McAndrew says.<br />
“The public, and especially the older generation,<br />
have become more accustomed to buying online<br />
and should this trend continue – and it probably<br />
will – jewellery sales should benefit.”<br />
He adds, “For established jewellery businesses<br />
with a known reputation, this could bring a new<br />
stream of income.<br />
“Backed up with a valuation by an NCJVregistered<br />
valuer, consumers will have<br />
more trust and be more likely to purchase<br />
something online depending wholly on<br />
the description. Online selling is<br />
the trend, and the trend is your<br />
friend.”<br />
However, Wyatt stresses that<br />
there are risks for consumers<br />
purchasing antique and vintage<br />
jewellery from unknown<br />
online sellers without the<br />
appropriate credentials.<br />
“I find that jewellery online is<br />
often misdescribed. Whether it’s<br />
intentional or unintentional, the words<br />
‘antique’, ‘vintage’, and ‘Art Deco’ are<br />
often misapplied. Art Deco in particular is<br />
a very abused term,” she tells <strong>Jeweller</strong>.<br />
“There’s no oversight, and it becomes ridiculous<br />
– try searching ‘Art Deco engagement rings’, or<br />
‘antique Art Deco’. Even if it is a genuine Art Deco<br />
piece, it would only be antique if it was made in<br />
1920. As specified by law in Australia, antiques<br />
must be at least 100 years old.<br />
“There are online retailers who will say anything<br />
to sell a product, and a lot of people just don’t<br />
have a good understanding of antique and vintage<br />
jewellery,” Wyatt adds.<br />
Still, Crowther believes times are changing,<br />
with consumer knowledge – particularly around<br />
the difference between authentic pieces and<br />
reproductions – significantly improving.<br />
Making the sale<br />
While antique jewellery tends to be deliberately<br />
sought out by passionate consumers, marketing<br />
and presentation are still<br />
an important part of the<br />
sales process.<br />
With online stores focused on grouping pieces<br />
into themed collections, bricks-and-mortar stores<br />
such as Gerard McCabe take a more traditional<br />
approach, including special in-store events and<br />
eye-catching window displays.<br />
“Our Adelaide Arcade window is where all the<br />
antique pieces go, and that’s our most popular<br />
window by far,” says Justin McCabe.<br />
“People know it for being unique and different, so<br />
whenever they walk through the Arcade they take<br />
a peek in the window to see what’s new!”<br />
15th Century Ruby<br />
and Diamond Ring<br />
16th Century<br />
Renaissance Pendant<br />
Engagement customers, in particular,<br />
may also find antique pieces when<br />
searching for ring inspiration via<br />
Instagram or Pinterest.<br />
When serving customers,<br />
McCabe advises staff to carefully<br />
explain the requirements of owning<br />
antique and vintage jewellery.<br />
“Having old pieces comes<br />
with the charm, but it also<br />
comes with the responsibility<br />
of something that has been<br />
around for 80 or 100 years – we<br />
hand that responsibility over to<br />
you!” he says.<br />
“Staff have to discuss maintenance. All<br />
pieces need maintenance over their<br />
lifetime, but it’s harder to explain that this piece<br />
has already had some wear, and so the customer<br />
has to take responsibility for how they are going to<br />
wear it. It’s not as easy as just buying a ring.”<br />
Crowther agrees, noting that while public<br />
awareness of the difference between original<br />
antiques and reproductions has improved, “It<br />
could be a challenge to explain that some items,<br />
due to age and frailty, are only suitable for<br />
occasional wear – particularly when customers<br />
had observed stronger reproduction pieces being<br />
worn by many daily.”<br />
Still, for those customers who are drawn to<br />
antique and vintage jewellery, extra care and<br />
maintenance is a small price to pay for the<br />
privilege of owning a uniquely beautiful piece<br />
of wearable history.<br />
APPRAISAL: An appraisal is the act of examining<br />
or assessing an item to judge its quality, rather<br />
than assign a monetary value. In the US, the term<br />
‘appraisal’ is interchangeable with ‘valuation’.<br />
ART DECO: Pieces may be described as ‘Art<br />
Deco’ if they were made during the Art Deco period,<br />
traditionally dated from 1920–1935, and display the<br />
principles of this design movement, particularly bold<br />
geometric forms and luxurious finishes.<br />
ART NOUVEAU: Dated circa 1890–1914, the Art<br />
Nouveau design period prioritised free-flowing,<br />
naturalistic qualities. Enamel work, cameos, and<br />
soft, curved forms – often inspired by nature, such as<br />
butterflies and flowers – are present in pieces from<br />
this time.<br />
EDWARDIAN: Roughly coinciding with the reign of<br />
Britain’s King Edward VII (1901–1910), the Edwardian era<br />
is usually dated from 1901–1915. Edwardian jewellery<br />
is characterised by ethereal, delicate, garland-style<br />
designs, with millegraining, use of platinum, and a<br />
preference for white gemstones and metals.<br />
ESTATE: The term ‘estate’ is used to describe<br />
jewellery that was previously owned by a now-deceased<br />
estate that is antique, vintage, or otherwise considered<br />
significant and valuable.<br />
MARRIAGE: A jewellery piece that has been re-made<br />
using two or more antique or vintage pieces may be<br />
described as a ‘marriage’. These pieces are considered<br />
less valuable because they are not original.<br />
PERIOD: A non-technical term, ‘period jewellery’<br />
may be used to designate a non-specific antique<br />
or vintage item – similar to the way ‘period drama’<br />
describes a film, play, or TV show set in a past era.<br />
RETRO: The designation ‘Retro’ does not have a<br />
standardised reference period, and pieces from 1935–<br />
1970 are often described using the term. However,<br />
many consider the late 1930s to the 1950s to be the<br />
‘true’ Retro period.<br />
SECOND-HAND: In legal and taxation terms,<br />
antique jewellery is classified as ‘second-hand goods’.<br />
Antique dealers in Australia must have a second-hand<br />
dealer’s licence in order to trade with the public, as<br />
does any jeweller who wishes to trade in second-hand<br />
jewellery not bought at auction.<br />
VALUATION: A jewellery valuation involves the<br />
assignation of a monetary value to a piece, based on<br />
its beauty, rarity, uniqueness, representation of its<br />
era, and materials used. While anyone can conduct a<br />
valuation, it is recommended to engage a professional<br />
registered valuer.<br />
VICTORIAN: In antique jewellery terms, ‘Victorian’<br />
refers to jewellery made during the reign of Britain’s<br />
Queen Victoria (1837–1901). It incorporates three<br />
design periods: romantic, aesthetic, and grand. The<br />
end of the Victorian era overlaps with Art Nouveau.<br />
VINTAGE: Unlike ‘antique’, ‘vintage’ does not have<br />
a specific definition. However, the term is generally<br />
used to describe pieces that are aged, but not antique –<br />
usually 50–99 years old. For accuracy, a decade should<br />
be appended, as in ‘Vintage 1970s Brooch’.<br />
<strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong> | 37
FEATURE<br />
Colour Gemstones<br />
Mine to Market<br />
Evolution of the Rough Trade<br />
SIR-FARAZ ‘FAROOQ’ HASHMI explores how cultural and geographic<br />
differences shape the journey of colour gemstone rough from the<br />
distant corners of Earth to the jeweller’s bench.<br />
38 | <strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong>
Facing Page Top: Amethyst<br />
and emerald rough Left:<br />
Bulgari necklace<br />
Rough is the lifeblood of the gemstone and<br />
jewellery industry. It is so indispensable<br />
that everything eventually stops without it.<br />
Thus, a working knowledge of the journey rough<br />
takes from mine to market – as well as its evolution<br />
and its outlook for the future – can assist jewellers<br />
in their planning process.<br />
Firstly, it is essential to understand that much of the rough<br />
gemstone trade exists in the shadows. The nature of dealings,<br />
and even mining itself, are highly secretive, with many detours<br />
and pathways that can almost never be entirely illuminated.<br />
And as markets are created or cease to exist, that path to the<br />
end consumer is always changing.<br />
The journey of rough begins at the mines. Even though mines<br />
are located throughout the world, most are left unworked. To<br />
make mining possible, the right set of variables has to come<br />
together in perfect balance.<br />
The key is economic feasibility; once mining is deemed<br />
economically feasible, it leads down the path of either artisanal<br />
and small-scale mining (ASM) or large-scale mining (LSM).<br />
ASM refers to mining activities carried out by independent<br />
subsistence miners or small-scale miners who are mainly<br />
local, with short-term outlooks. Most of these miners work<br />
informally, outside of a legal framework, in remote areas, and<br />
depend on manual labour with basic tools.<br />
LSM refers to more formal mining on a larger industrial<br />
scale, within a legal framework and operating with greater<br />
transparency. This often involves heavy equipment, large<br />
capital expenditure, and usually a foreign component or<br />
entity managing the enterprise.<br />
These definitions are general in nature, and sometimes<br />
country- or mine-specific, with the demarcation between<br />
the two not always black and white.<br />
The nature of mining<br />
Economic feasibility is responsible for the ASM nature of most<br />
gemstone mining.<br />
According to a report published by the International Institute<br />
for Sustainable Development 1 , an “estimated 40.5 million<br />
people were directly engaged in ASM in 2017, up from 30<br />
million in 2014, 13 million in 1999 and 6 million in 1993. That<br />
compares with only 7 million people working in industrial<br />
mining in 2013.”<br />
When looking specifically at gemstone mining, the numbers<br />
point to even greater ASM hegemony. African Mining Vision,<br />
working under the UN Economic Commission for Africa,<br />
found in 2009 2 that almost all African gemstones, other than<br />
diamonds, are produced by ASM.<br />
8.95-carat London Blue Topaz<br />
cut by Doug Menadue<br />
9.85-carat Bolivian Ametrine<br />
cut by John Dyer<br />
5.45-carat Oregon Sunstone<br />
cut by John Dyer<br />
44.71-carat Ametrine cut by<br />
Derek Katzenbach<br />
In the intervening years, LSM has made more significant<br />
inroads into the gemstone sector – however, it is still<br />
overwhelmingly ASM in much of the world.<br />
A great deal of investment in time and resources is needed<br />
before realising any profit in LSM – in contrast to ASM,<br />
which allows for great flexibility without much investment or<br />
planning. This has historically allowed ASM to flourish where<br />
local artisanal miners do not have to undergo the scrutiny and<br />
regulatory oversight of more formal LSM.<br />
Artisanal miners can, at times, mine out small gemstone<br />
deposits informally within the time it would take for larger<br />
competitors to acquire licensing alone.<br />
“It is essential to understand that much<br />
of the rough gemstone trade exists in the<br />
shadows. The nature of dealings, and even<br />
mining itself, are highly secretive, with many<br />
detours and pathways that can almost never<br />
be entirely illuminated.”<br />
To be lucrative for LSM, a deposit must possess significant<br />
long-term reserves. Many, if not most gemstone deposits,<br />
lack the scale of reserves needed.<br />
However, the size of some gemstone reserves has helped<br />
large investment groups like Canada’s Fura Gems and the<br />
UK’s Gemfields to enter the sector. These companies possess<br />
significant financial resources from public listings on major<br />
international stock exchanges.<br />
They have also developed business models offering their<br />
rough production at auction directly to select ‘sightholders’,<br />
emulating the De Beers Group’s strategy with diamond sales.<br />
It is interesting to note that what works in some countries or<br />
circumstances may not work in others. For example, in many<br />
developing countries, artisanal miners thrive because of lax<br />
laws, limited resources for enforcement, and corruption.<br />
Artisanal mining has a much more difficult time in developed<br />
countries with stricter laws or regulations, greater<br />
enforcement, and limited corruption, all of which favour LSM.<br />
Another significant force in favour of ASM in gemstone<br />
deposits is the difficulty in developing grading standards that<br />
are both economical and universally accepted.<br />
This is very different from mining for industrial minerals, with<br />
internationally established standards based on purity and raw<br />
weight. Additionally, if there are purity concerns with such<br />
minerals, they can be alleviated via purification processes.<br />
<strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong> | 39
Colour Gemstones Feature | MINE TO MARKET<br />
This is impossible with gemstones, where impurities are<br />
intrinsic and inseparable – be they detrimental or beneficial.<br />
Grading gemstones is also far more costly and laborious a<br />
process, as one goes from one to another manually in a far<br />
less objective manner than most industrial minerals.<br />
Indeed, grading gemstones is almost an art that can defy<br />
logic, where rough prices may occasionally outpace what<br />
their finished products command.<br />
Diamond is the only gemstone that has managed to<br />
come close to a universally-accepted standard. This<br />
partially accounts for why only about 20 per cent of<br />
diamond production is attributed to ASM, in contrast to<br />
80 per cent of sapphire production, which is much more<br />
subjectively graded.<br />
“Another significant force in favour of ASM<br />
in gemstone deposits is the difficulty in<br />
developing grading standards that are both<br />
economical and universally accepted. This<br />
is very different from mining for industrial<br />
minerals, with internationally established<br />
standards based on purity and raw weight.”<br />
Marketing, rising values, and gemstone deposits with large<br />
reserves have helped the development of international<br />
standardisation over the past few decades.<br />
Notably, Gemfields – which mines emerald and ruby – has<br />
incorporated state-of-the-art technology to develop such<br />
standards in its mining projects.<br />
For example, the company recently invested $US15<br />
million setting up an industrial-scale sorting facility at the<br />
Montepuez ruby mine in Mozambique.<br />
The facility incorporates diamond industry technology to<br />
extract, grade and sort rubies with enhanced consistency,<br />
ensuring a regular supply to sightholders.<br />
Such accomplishments and efforts have increased the<br />
appeal of gemstone LSM in the eyes of many governments.<br />
Governments and culture<br />
Many governments have traditionally favoured LSM activities<br />
over ASM because of more substantial capital investment,<br />
greater oversight, and higher potential for tax collection.<br />
This has led to a resurgence in attempts at greater<br />
government control over gemstone mining and exports.<br />
Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania, for example, have<br />
all moved towards establishing government-based values<br />
of gemstones to stop exports at deflated values, and help<br />
generate more tax revenue.<br />
These efforts are not always perfect, and some are better<br />
implemented than others. Often, regulations have indeed<br />
improved tax revenues, but also led to increased smuggling<br />
and mine closures.<br />
Jx &Co ‘King of Hearts’ pendant,<br />
by Jarex Schmidt and Hayden<br />
Mayer, with 15-carat garnet<br />
from Mahenge, Tanzania, pink<br />
spinel, and diamond.<br />
Katzenbach Designs untitled ring<br />
by Derek Katzenbach, with 6-carat<br />
bi-colour tourmaline from the<br />
Himalaya Mine, California, yellow<br />
diamond, tsavorite garnet,<br />
and pink tourmaline.<br />
Ser Jewelry ‘Foo Dog’ pendant by<br />
Christopher Ser, with tanzanite,<br />
garnet, and diamond.<br />
The right amount of government involvement is always a<br />
balancing act, with an elusive goal of perfection.<br />
Regardless of the scale of mining, gemstone rough begins<br />
its journey toward the end market almost immediately after<br />
extraction. The path it takes and the speed vary depending<br />
on many factors; there is no uniformity in the paths, even<br />
though they may occasionally overlap.<br />
Rough from African ASM production is generally sold<br />
immediately or shortly after extraction. This is primarily due<br />
to miner independence (though this is not always the case<br />
and is dependent on agreements, or even cultural norms,<br />
around a locality).<br />
In comparison, south and southeast Asian miners do not<br />
work as independently, though gemstone mining in Asia is<br />
still almost exclusively ASM.<br />
Most ASM in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Vietnam, for<br />
example, is composed of small groups working as<br />
cooperatives, usually funded by an outside investor<br />
that has some kind of claim over any production.<br />
The investor usually commands the loyalty of the<br />
cooperative members based on tribal or familial ties.<br />
Once the miners extract material, it is usually held ‘in trust’<br />
with the first buying rights given to any investor. These deals<br />
can take place in the mining areas, intermediate markets in<br />
neighbouring towns, or regional markets in larger cities.<br />
This has ensured higher prices and greater stability<br />
for Asian goods – contrasting sharply with those goods<br />
produced by more independent African gemstone miners.<br />
There are other differences between the African and Asian<br />
ASM paths too. For example, Asian production tends to<br />
move greater distances along the path to the end market<br />
between trades.<br />
This is particularly true of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where<br />
gemstone deposits are almost exclusively primary – that is,<br />
the gemstones are found where they formed, and must be<br />
extracted from tonnes of non-gemstone-bearing material.<br />
“Regardless of the scale of mining, gemstone<br />
rough begins its journey toward the end<br />
market almost immediately after extraction.<br />
The path it takes and the speed vary<br />
depending on many factors; there is no<br />
uniformity in the paths.”<br />
Indeed, the nature of primary deposits necessitates<br />
a cooperative work ethic; it is highly unlikely one would<br />
witness a primary deposit run independently by a<br />
single individual, whereas this can be very common<br />
in alluvial mining.<br />
As would be expected, the lack of alluvial deposits in<br />
Afghanistan and Pakistan has been a significant factor in<br />
the creation of a group ethic. Primary deposits in Africa<br />
have helped nurture the same.<br />
40 | <strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong>
A<br />
D<br />
E<br />
Rough is the<br />
lifeblood of<br />
the gem and<br />
jewellery<br />
industry. It is so<br />
indispensable<br />
that everything<br />
eventually stops<br />
without it<br />
F<br />
B<br />
C<br />
A<br />
B<br />
C<br />
D<br />
E<br />
F<br />
Garnet mining pit in Ipanko,<br />
Mahenge, part of the Morogoro<br />
Region in Tanzania.<br />
Farooq Hashmi (third from left)<br />
and local dealers reviewing<br />
tourmaline production from<br />
the Democratic Republic of<br />
Congo in the local trading<br />
market of Gisenyi, Rwanda.<br />
Mineral jig set-up in the<br />
Tunduru area of Tanzania.<br />
Local artisanal miners<br />
searching for garnet in Ipanko,<br />
Mahenge, part of the Morogoro<br />
Region in Tanzania.<br />
Sample of natural rough<br />
tanzanite.<br />
A miner searching tailings for<br />
tanzanite in Mirelani, Tanzania.<br />
<strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong> | 41
Colour Gemstones Feature | MINE TO MARKET<br />
The right amount of<br />
government involvement is<br />
always a balancing act, with<br />
an elusive goal of perfection<br />
ABOVE<br />
Wallace Chan ‘Whimsical Blue’ brooch<br />
by Wallace Chan, with jadeite, tanzanite,<br />
diamond, lapis lazuli and sapphire.<br />
RIGHT<br />
Rough tsavorite garnet from the Abdulahi<br />
Mine in Mirelani, Tanzania.<br />
FAR RIGHT<br />
Bluish-green tourmaline rough from<br />
Rubaya, Democratic Republic of Congo.<br />
Pathway to market<br />
Production from primary deposits tends to be in<br />
‘pockets’ with relatively uniform colour and quality.<br />
When a pocket is unearthed, it generally always<br />
finds its way to the initial investor’s hands. The<br />
larger-scale production helps to cut out smaller<br />
middlemen with limited financial means.<br />
Alluvial deposits, by contrast, produce stone-bystone<br />
– or in smaller quantities with considerable<br />
variation in colour and quality. Increased effort<br />
and time are required in collecting and sorting<br />
these stones.<br />
This creates greater competition along the path to<br />
regional markets as smaller dealers with limited<br />
financial resources compete in acquiring single<br />
stones or smaller parcels of alluvial findings.<br />
That structure is common in Tanzania, for example.<br />
There, networks of intermediaries and miners<br />
are established, creating a path to collect<br />
gemstones into larger parcels as they change<br />
hands repeatedly, moving along supply chains<br />
towards regional markets.<br />
In Asia, pockets of rough tend to move more rapidly<br />
to the markets – where the investors are usually<br />
based – and seldom change hands.<br />
Most rough supply paths begin merging in regional<br />
markets. Master dealers in African regional<br />
markets facilitate the collection of rough from a<br />
network of miners and intermediary sources.<br />
These dealers form the heads of regional supply<br />
networks, specialising either in a single gemstone<br />
or a variety of gemstones. Technology and the ease<br />
of modern travel have helped transform many of<br />
these once-stationary pillars of regional markets<br />
into versatile players that can function as local or<br />
international finished gemstone suppliers, rough<br />
sellers, mining investors, and transporters.<br />
Depending on the depth of their pockets, they may<br />
even be able to merge production from ASM and<br />
LSM. Asia has master-dealer counterparts in their<br />
regional markets.<br />
If rough survives the regional market without<br />
finding its way to the cutting wheel, it is sold as<br />
rough locally until it finds a buyer or transporter to<br />
export it to major international markets.<br />
The markets in China, Germany, Thailand, and<br />
the USA are where the material will ultimately be<br />
processed. These are the main markets where<br />
rough traders bring their acquisitions for resale.<br />
Culture, local trends, market demand, and<br />
structural realities set them apart.<br />
Increasing competition<br />
Globalisation, technological evolution, and ease<br />
of travel have not only helped master dealers and<br />
other network members in adopting versatile roles,<br />
but they have also opened up the exclusive fields to<br />
greater competition, from mine to market.<br />
In Mozambique and Nigeria, West Africans from<br />
Guinea, Mali, and Senegal helped find and develop<br />
rough supply networks over decades through<br />
immigration and assimilation. They have managed<br />
to extend their networks deep into China, Hong<br />
Kong, and Thailand.<br />
As West Africans moved outward and embedded in<br />
rough supply chains around the world, foreigners<br />
moved in, taking up various roles in the local and<br />
regional supply networks of Africa.<br />
It is common to now see Sri Lankan and Thai<br />
people embedded in sapphire and ruby supply<br />
chains all the way to the mines in Madagascar,<br />
Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania. Indian people<br />
have taken similar roles with different gemstones<br />
in the latter.<br />
“If rough survives the regional<br />
market without finding its way to<br />
the cutting wheel, it is sold as rough<br />
locally until it finds a buyer or<br />
transporter to export it to major<br />
international markets.”<br />
Afghanistan and Pakistan, by contrast, have been<br />
plagued with civil strife and insecurity in recent<br />
decades. This, along with cultural and familial<br />
norms, has functioned to prevent the same<br />
supply chain integration seen in much of Africa,<br />
ensuring the gemstone trade stayed firmly in the<br />
hands of locals.<br />
The limited integration, coupled with instability,<br />
have helped to push regional master-dealers into<br />
new roles and it is now common to see Afghani and<br />
Pakistani people integrated along supply paths to<br />
international markets.<br />
Increased demand from eastern Asia has<br />
accelerated this integration, and they now control<br />
a rapidly growing international market share of the<br />
gemstone industry with offices and storefronts in<br />
mainland China, Hong Kong, and Thailand.<br />
This rapid growth has pushed some to travel into<br />
42 | <strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong>
parts of Africa to continue to feed their markets with rough.<br />
While regional markets in major cities of Africa generally allow for trading<br />
with a high degree of security, there are elevated risks associated with the<br />
secretive and cash-based nature of the industry.<br />
Cash, in particular, tends to bring out the predators, and foreign currency<br />
limitations can severely compound the problem. Transactions done outside<br />
of regional markets are almost exclusively in local currency. Depending<br />
on the location and exchange rates, this may mean carrying highly visible,<br />
bulky local currency instead of US dollars.<br />
Proper networking and planning should be done before departing outside<br />
of regional markets with local guides, who have been thoroughly vetted.<br />
Many buyers have sought to trace their way back to mines in search of the<br />
legendary deals associated with buying at the source – yet the reality is<br />
quite different. If travelling buyers are not disciplined, well informed, and<br />
networked, they can find their safety compromised and quite often incur<br />
heavy losses; most miners and traders along the rough supply chain are<br />
well-versed in current market prices.<br />
Indeed, new finds with rapidly-developing ‘rushes’ – when a buyer can<br />
encounter phenomenal deals – are the exception, not the<br />
rule. This occurs when a discovery or production of<br />
rough is freshly extracted, and there is limited<br />
gemstone knowledge, or a lack of liquidity,<br />
in the local market.<br />
Such occurrences are rare, short-lived,<br />
and generally require rapid travel to<br />
remote areas before regional and<br />
international market exposure allows<br />
prices to stabilise.<br />
For buyers to take advantage of<br />
opportunities that international gem<br />
trading provides, traders must have<br />
extensive knowledge of their ultimate<br />
markets. In the world of gems, “You make your<br />
money when you buy, not when you sell.”<br />
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Colour Gemstones Feature | MINE TO MARKET<br />
ABOVE<br />
Gemfields’ UV optical sorter with<br />
concentrate split between coarse<br />
and medium sections. (Image credit:<br />
Gemfields)<br />
LEFT<br />
Aerial view of the rough sorting house<br />
at Gemfields’ Montepuez ruby mine in<br />
Cabo Delgado, Mozambique. (Image<br />
credit: Gemfields)<br />
Impacts and conclusions<br />
The global integration and evolution of the gem<br />
industry has altered the landscape and inverted the<br />
established paradigms; there has been a shift in<br />
the buying pattern and mindset of consumers.<br />
Their desire for greater accountability and<br />
authenticity has echoed up the supply chain, calling<br />
for greater accountability, Fair Trade, sustainability,<br />
and transparency.<br />
The marketing of these desires is a legacy adopted<br />
from the diamond trade.<br />
The benefit of these practices has been<br />
instrumental in the successful promotion of<br />
jewellery designers, lapidary artists, and even<br />
powerful mining companies accounting for a larger<br />
percentage of production, such as Gemfields.<br />
Meanwhile, the desire for greater transparency<br />
has led to calls for incorporating blockchain<br />
technology into the supply chain, and even the<br />
advent of the ‘Emerald Paternity Test’, which allows<br />
invisible ‘tagging’ of emeralds, at the source, with<br />
nanoparticles for future origin identification.<br />
There are several companies undertaking such<br />
efforts. However, their success remains to be seen<br />
in an industry governed by considerable secrecy.<br />
In the US, jewellery designers adopting and<br />
promoting these desires for accountability,<br />
sustainability, and transparency has helped<br />
facilitate the growth of independent lapidary artists.<br />
Consumers are willing to pay higher prices to<br />
support local manufacturing, moving away from<br />
both mass-production overseas and local<br />
corporate dominance.<br />
Greater awareness and demand for the services<br />
of lapidary artists, aided by cultural changes, have<br />
reversed their decreasing numbers over the last<br />
few decades.<br />
Many of these artists have developed massive<br />
followings of direct support for their domestic<br />
cutting thanks to the emergence of digital<br />
technologies and platforms, while jewellery<br />
designers’ efforts to provide the ultimate customer<br />
experience have facilitated the creation of vertical<br />
alliances with lapidary artists for complete inhouse<br />
services.<br />
“Meanwhile, the desire for greater<br />
transparency has led to calls for<br />
incorporating blockchain technology<br />
into the supply chain, and even the<br />
advent of the ‘Emerald Paternity Test’”<br />
Some designers have even mastered the skills<br />
necessary in all phases of jewellery creation,<br />
from drafting, to cutting or carving of gemstones,<br />
to fabrication.<br />
At the same time, the market demand has<br />
increased for larger quality rough gemstones,<br />
which are more economical to process.<br />
This demand has resulted in higher prices and<br />
greater international competition to select rough.<br />
Traders accustomed to production sales have<br />
altered their buying and selling practices to account<br />
for these developments and have modified their<br />
supply networks accordingly.<br />
They are selling smaller parcels and select stones<br />
aided by the emergence of digital technologies<br />
and platforms.<br />
Traditionally, miners and rough gemstone traders<br />
in source countries preferred to sell production<br />
primarily to commercial Asian cutting houses.<br />
However, greater competition and higher margins<br />
have motivated miners and regional masterdealers<br />
– who traditionally neglected the more<br />
selective buyers – to accommodate them.<br />
These developments have allowed consumers,<br />
designers, and lapidary artists increased access to<br />
rough without the need to travel.<br />
Meanwhile, the sense of accountability, with<br />
greater transparency of the supply chain, has<br />
provided a more intimate relationship with rough<br />
suppliers to develop.<br />
_________________________________________<br />
Footnotes<br />
1. Fritz, Morgane et al. (2017) “Global Trends<br />
in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM): A<br />
Review of Key Numbers and Issues.” International<br />
Institute for Sustainable Development<br />
2. African Union (2009) “Transparent, Equitable<br />
and Optimal Exploitation of Mineral Resources to<br />
Underpin Broad-based Sustainable Growth and<br />
Socio-economic Development”, Africa Mining Vision<br />
This article was originally published in InColor’s<br />
Spring / Summer 2020 issue and has been edited<br />
for <strong>Jeweller</strong>. Link to the full article available online.<br />
44 | <strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong>
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BUSINESS<br />
Strategy<br />
How to make Gen Z – and everyone else<br />
– love your brand<br />
With a new generation of consumers coming of age and economic power, REILLY STEPHENS advises the ways<br />
retailers can appeal to Gen Z without alienating their older customers.<br />
In 2017, soft drink brand Pepsi went<br />
to market with an advertisement that<br />
shook the marketing world. It depicted<br />
a protest in support of the Black Lives<br />
Matter movement, featuring a group of<br />
stereotypical Millennials marching in<br />
the streets in front of a group of police<br />
officers clad in riot gear.<br />
The ad reached a crescendo when<br />
supermodel Kendall Jenner, while in the<br />
midst of a photoshoot, glimpsed the nearby<br />
protest and charged in, ultimately diffusing<br />
the situation by handing a police officer a<br />
Pepsi to drink.<br />
As he takes a sip, he smiles and nods,<br />
the crowd cheers, and the protests are<br />
miraculously over – transforming instantly<br />
into a massive street-party.<br />
The backlash was instantaneous. Bernice<br />
King, the daughter of Dr Martin Luther<br />
King Jr, commented on the absurdity of the<br />
suggestion that Pepsi was the answer to<br />
police brutality and racism.<br />
The Internet echoed her sentiment; the<br />
most-used term to describe the ad was<br />
‘tone-deaf’. Pepsi withdrew it almost<br />
immediately. So what went wrong?<br />
With one ad, Pepsi reduced a highly<br />
sensitive political and social issue to a<br />
two-minute montage of stereotypes, made<br />
even more cringe-worthy by a gratuitous<br />
celebrity endorsement.<br />
PepsiCo, a multi-billion-dollar group with<br />
access to enviable budgets, resources, and<br />
top-tier research firms and advertising<br />
agencies, was mocked by their target<br />
market because their advertising was<br />
based on an oversimplified caricature and<br />
shallowly pandered to their concerns.<br />
And while PepsiCo offers a stellar<br />
example of ‘generational marketing’ gone<br />
bad, it is hardly the only brand to suffer<br />
the consequences.<br />
The limits of classification<br />
So, what are the most common pitfalls<br />
of generational marketing, and how can<br />
businesses avoid them?<br />
The answer starts with how we define a<br />
generation. The Pew Research Center,<br />
a non-partisan American think-tank,<br />
regularly reports on generational consumer<br />
behaviours, and classifies each generation<br />
based on these years:<br />
• Baby Boomers: born 1946–1964<br />
• Gen X: born 1965–1980<br />
• Millennials: born 1981–1996<br />
• Gen Z: born from 1997<br />
Each generation<br />
is comprised<br />
of consumers<br />
in completely<br />
different life<br />
stages, with<br />
different social,<br />
economic<br />
and cultural<br />
experiences<br />
However, census data, marketing firms,<br />
and demographers all use different<br />
years to mark the beginning and end of<br />
each generation.<br />
This confusion around generational cohorts<br />
means it’s entirely possible that when<br />
businesses decide on a target market,<br />
they may be discussing different age<br />
groups altogether.<br />
Indeed, the generational classifications<br />
from the Pew Research Center don’t<br />
necessarily group consumers in a<br />
logical way.<br />
Even if we accept the notion that a<br />
generation can span 15 years – rather than<br />
the accepted definition of 20 or more years<br />
– the oldest (‘leading’) Millennial would be<br />
turning 40 while the youngest (‘trailing’)<br />
would be in their mid-twenties.<br />
By grouping them both into the Millennial<br />
target market, we imply that these<br />
consumers are demographically and<br />
psychographically the same – and<br />
are therefore likely to share the same<br />
purchasing habits.<br />
Yet there are some key differences. In the<br />
US, leading Millennials have an average net<br />
worth of $300,000 while trailing Millennials<br />
are, on average, $40,000 in debt.<br />
46 | <strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong>
Business Strategy<br />
Leading Millennials remember dial-up<br />
Internet and went through school and<br />
university without social media, while their<br />
trailing counterparts have documented<br />
their entire lives on social media.<br />
And finally, leading Millennials had their<br />
early careers derailed by one of the most<br />
tumultuous times in economic history –<br />
the Global Financial Crisis – while trailing<br />
Millennials graduated from school and<br />
university during an economic growth cycle.<br />
These differences illustrate that each<br />
generation is comprised of consumers<br />
in completely different life stages, with<br />
different social, economic and cultural<br />
experiences, and who potentially require<br />
completely different products, services<br />
and technology.<br />
In essence, by trying to neatly categorise<br />
consumers, generalisations, stereotypes<br />
and clichés have been perpetuated.<br />
Marketing and stereotypes<br />
Baby Boomers were once typecast as potsmoking,<br />
peace-loving hippies who didn’t<br />
care about work or wealth.<br />
As it turns out, this is the same generation<br />
that was the catalyst for the economic<br />
excesses of the 1980s, the financial<br />
collapse of 2008, the environmental crisis<br />
that confronts us today, and numerous<br />
conflicts across the globe.<br />
Similarly, Gen X were labelled as ‘slackers’<br />
and seen as apathetic towards voting<br />
and education.<br />
It wasn’t until years later that<br />
demographers realised that they weren’t<br />
apathetic – their population was simply 15<br />
per cent smaller than the generation that<br />
preceded them.<br />
So, if we got it wrong with those two<br />
generations, perhaps the labels associated<br />
with Millennials – such as lazy, narcissistic<br />
and entitled – are also wrong.<br />
And if that’s the case, what are the chances<br />
businesses are going to fall into the same<br />
trap with Gen Z, the newest and largest<br />
generational cohort?<br />
As the old saying goes, “Those who cannot<br />
remember the past are condemned to<br />
repeat it.”<br />
Mistakes and missteps<br />
Businesses are endlessly trying to devise<br />
strategies that appeal to generations.<br />
In 2012, confronted with an ageing<br />
customer base and lagging sales, US<br />
department store Macy’s announced a<br />
plan to become the ‘store of choice’ for<br />
Millennials and launched OneBelow, a<br />
flagship location in New York .<br />
Supposedly designed with Millennials in<br />
mind, OneBelow could best be described<br />
as a clichéd attempt to pack the space<br />
with everything Macy’s management<br />
thought Millennials would want – a selfie<br />
wall, 3D printers and mobile phone<br />
charging stations.<br />
That year, Macy’s fell well short of<br />
analysts’ financial expectations and the<br />
disappointing sales trend has continued<br />
to the present day. It’s clear that these<br />
efforts didn’t generate enough traction<br />
with younger generations.<br />
Macy’s didn’t take the time to truly<br />
understand its customers outside of<br />
generational stereotypes – and so<br />
didn’t provide them with products and<br />
experiences they valued.<br />
In contrast, footwear and clothing company<br />
Nike has developed an acute knowledge of<br />
its customers.<br />
The company has used technology to<br />
understand how its customers shop, as<br />
well as who they are and what they like.<br />
The popular Nike+ app acts as a gateway<br />
for collecting customer information and<br />
also offers customers access to exclusive<br />
experiences in its flagship stores.<br />
For a more direct comparison with Macy’s,<br />
we can look to New York’s Showfields,<br />
which markets itself as “the most<br />
interesting store in the world”.<br />
It looks and feels more like an interactive<br />
museum than a store, with founder Tal Zvi<br />
Nathanel explaining that it is designed to<br />
“bring back the element of serendipity”.<br />
The joy of finding something rare or unique<br />
is integral to bricks-and-mortar success,<br />
and this justifies why Showfields only<br />
stocks products that are difficult to find in<br />
other stores.<br />
KEY<br />
INSIGHTS<br />
Age is just<br />
a number<br />
Generations<br />
defy easy<br />
classification<br />
when it comes<br />
to marketing<br />
Look beyond<br />
stereotypes<br />
Avoid falling<br />
into marketing<br />
traps based on<br />
assumptions<br />
and biases<br />
Focus on<br />
fundamentals<br />
Create a retail<br />
environment<br />
and experience<br />
that appeals<br />
to universal<br />
human wants<br />
and needs<br />
It also allows the store to appeal to a broad<br />
range of customers.<br />
While COVID-19 has limited our ability to<br />
experience bricks-and-mortar retail, I firmly<br />
believe that unique, real-life, visceral and<br />
social moments will be more important,<br />
post-pandemic, and ever – for every<br />
generation.<br />
Appealing to all<br />
In 2020, Gen Z became the largest<br />
generation by population. Instead of<br />
focusing on what makes them different<br />
from other generations, retailers should<br />
challenge themselves to think about what<br />
makes them the same.<br />
We all have fears and insecurities, we<br />
all seek friendship and love, we all want to<br />
be the best version of ourselves, and we<br />
all want to feel included. And along<br />
the way, we want memorable and<br />
shareable experiences.<br />
There are five key elements of the retail<br />
experience that don’t just appeal to one<br />
generational cohort, but to all:<br />
• Surprise – the shopping experience<br />
contains elements that are completely<br />
unexpected<br />
• Uniqueness – the business takes the old<br />
model or way of doing things and flips it on<br />
its head, offering an experience that feel<br />
fresh, new, different and exciting<br />
• Personalisation – the customer feels like<br />
they are experiencing something that was<br />
designed ‘just for them’<br />
• Engagement – the retail experience<br />
appeals to all the senses, and involves the<br />
customer in a visceral way<br />
• Repeatability – the business delivers the<br />
same results and achieves consistency dayin<br />
and day-out<br />
So, let’s forget what we think we know about<br />
generations – and instead focus on what it<br />
is to be human.<br />
REILLY STEPHENS is director of insights<br />
at Retail Prophet, a consultancy firm<br />
based in Canada. Visit: retailprophet.com<br />
47 | <strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong>
BUSINESS<br />
Selling<br />
Why emotional literacy is the key to making sales<br />
Selling and serving customers relies on the ability to understand their wants and needs, as well as<br />
their communication context, writes SUE BARRETT.<br />
Communicating with people who are<br />
similar to us – those with whom we have<br />
a lot in common, even down to the way<br />
we dress or speak – is simply easier, for<br />
the most part.<br />
From the brain’s perspective it is efficient;<br />
we can anticipate what these people want,<br />
or what they are trying to say, because we<br />
identify with them.<br />
Of course, who you interact on a daily<br />
basis with will depend on what you do<br />
for a living and the industry within which<br />
you work.<br />
However, what can be said with certainty<br />
is that you will always come across people<br />
who are different from you.<br />
In sales and service-oriented careers – in<br />
fact, in any customer-facing role – we are<br />
exposed to a variety of people, often from<br />
very different walks of life.<br />
It is when we need to work with or serve<br />
people who appear or speak differently<br />
from us that we might have problems.<br />
The first issue is making assumptions<br />
that aren’t necessarily correct.<br />
Building on these assumptions,<br />
salespeople can then fall into another<br />
trap of jumping to conclusions about<br />
what they are thinking or feeling, or<br />
even how they might react to what<br />
we say – and this can lead to difficult<br />
interactions.<br />
You can hear and see evidence of<br />
this when a staff member reacts badly<br />
to a customer, especially when under<br />
pressure; for example, when they are<br />
dealing with a complaint or what<br />
they perceive to be a completely<br />
unreasonable request.<br />
The communication channel usually<br />
breaks down quickly and the staff<br />
member can sometimes speak to<br />
– or about – the customer using<br />
derogatory terms, such as calling them<br />
an idiot or moron.<br />
Sound familiar?<br />
Emotional literacy is being able to read and recognise emotions.<br />
In a retail setting, the customer leaves<br />
this interaction dissatisfied and unlikely<br />
to return, while the staff member<br />
may feel demoralised or frustrated,<br />
which could impact future interactions<br />
with customers.<br />
But it doesn’t have to be this way. The<br />
reality is that most people aren’t really<br />
‘difficult’ or ‘impossible to please’, they<br />
are just different.<br />
The ability to neutralise conflict –<br />
before it even begins – and to see past<br />
a customer’s communication style to<br />
their true wants and needs are essential<br />
customer-service skills.<br />
Solving the problem<br />
Most customers are seeking help and<br />
guidance from a business’ staff.<br />
They simply want to buy something or<br />
use a service to achieve their own goals,<br />
as well as identify the businesses and<br />
service staff that they can trust and rely<br />
upon in the future.<br />
They don’t want a fight or to get into<br />
disagreements – that’s too stressful.<br />
What reasonable person wants that?<br />
Regardless of<br />
how similar or<br />
different other<br />
people are to<br />
us, we can<br />
use effective<br />
human-centred<br />
communication<br />
skills, combined<br />
with emotional<br />
literacy, to<br />
discern what<br />
they want<br />
One of the keys to creating a positive<br />
customer experience and sales<br />
environment is to enter each interaction<br />
with an open mind and an open heart,<br />
ready to listen to, understand, and help<br />
the other person.<br />
We need to be able to discern what they<br />
are thinking, what they are feeling, and<br />
the action they want us to take.<br />
An open mind involves thinking clearly<br />
and objectively about what the customer<br />
wants while looking past their method of<br />
communication.<br />
An open heart requires empathising<br />
with their frustrations rather than<br />
reacting defensively.<br />
Understanding emotions<br />
Emotional literacy is the ability to read<br />
or recognise your own emotions and the<br />
emotions of others so that you can figure<br />
out what they are feeling.<br />
It is different from emotional intelligence<br />
in that it emphasises love, co-operation,<br />
and the common good, which are ignored<br />
in definitions of emotional intelligence.<br />
Regardless of how similar or different<br />
other people are to us, we can use<br />
effective human-centred communication<br />
skills, combined with emotional literacy,<br />
to discern what they want.<br />
We need to listen and work with these<br />
three elements: thoughts, feelings, and<br />
actions.<br />
When we communicate and work with<br />
people across these three dimensions,<br />
difficulties usually vanish, common<br />
ground is established, and solutions are<br />
found, which leads to great customer<br />
experiences.<br />
SUE BARRETT is founder and CEO of<br />
innovative and forward-thinking sales<br />
advisory and education firm Barrett<br />
and online sales education platform<br />
salesessentials.com. Visit: barrett.com.au<br />
48 | <strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong>
BUSINESS<br />
Management<br />
The 10 most important management lessons<br />
taught by a business master<br />
When looking for guidance in business, follow the example of one of history’s most iconic entrepreneurs,<br />
oil baron John D Rockefeller, writes DAVID BROWN.<br />
The year 1839 marked the birth of one of<br />
the world’s greatest business titans. John<br />
Davison Rockefeller was born in Richford,<br />
New York to a less-than-scrupulous<br />
father and a pious mother – fortunately,<br />
it was the latter that had the biggest<br />
influence on his life.<br />
During the following 97 years he walked<br />
the earth, Rockefeller amassed a fortune<br />
unequalled in the history of humanity,<br />
becoming the world’s first billionaire at a<br />
time when millionaires were a rarity.<br />
As one of the early industrialists who<br />
made a fortune during the period after<br />
the US Civil War – he was the founder<br />
and largest shareholder of Standard Oil<br />
Company – Rockefeller was portrayed<br />
as mean-spirited and money hungry,<br />
obsessed with trampling competitors and<br />
dominating markets.<br />
The real Rockefeller, however, was a<br />
fair-minded man who single-handedly<br />
reduced the cost of kerosene for millions of<br />
Americans from 58 cents per hour to just 1<br />
cent per hour, allowing homes across the<br />
country to be lit at night.<br />
He was also the consummate family man,<br />
putting his loved ones ahead of even his<br />
passion for business.<br />
Still, his success in business delivered<br />
fantastic results, and the strategies and<br />
principles he employed in building his<br />
empire are still useful for business owners<br />
today, whether of a major international<br />
corporation or a small family enterprise.<br />
Here are 10 key lessons from the career of<br />
the world’s most iconic businessmen:<br />
1. Cost cutting can yield great profits<br />
– Rockefeller was focused on reducing<br />
overheads and increasing efficiency,<br />
which improved his margins. This strategy<br />
also allowed him to pass on savings<br />
to customers, making it difficult for<br />
competitors to match his prices.<br />
2. Focus where your competitors aren’t<br />
looking – Many sought to make money<br />
from the oil-refining industry, but<br />
Rockefeller saw opportunities beyond<br />
Rockefeller ran his business on the principle of fairness, and always paid debts.<br />
extracting and refining raw material.<br />
His masterstroke was creating products<br />
from petroleum processing ‘waste’ that<br />
others failed to perceive.<br />
3. Extract every revenue stream you can<br />
– While Rockefeller’s competitors would<br />
dump waste product, he was obsessed<br />
with extracting value from every stage of<br />
the refining process.<br />
He eventually created more than 300<br />
different product lines from the raw oil<br />
extracted from the ground.<br />
4. Be fair and honest – Despite his skinflint<br />
reputation, Rockefeller always offered fair<br />
value for any competitor he bought out.<br />
One of his early business associates once<br />
stated that if you owed him a cent he would<br />
expect to collect, and if he owed you a cent<br />
he would not rest until he paid you.<br />
5. Control each step of the process –<br />
Rockefeller took control of every step of<br />
the process in his business, employing<br />
his own engineers and plumbers to<br />
build and repair his pipelines. He also<br />
employed his own coopers to make<br />
barrels, undercutting the cost of those<br />
who supplied them to others.<br />
6. Sell the ‘picks and shovels’ – Much like<br />
those who made a fortune from selling<br />
equipment to people prospecting for gold,<br />
rather than digging for it themselves,<br />
Rockefeller avoided the riskier search for<br />
oil and instead focusing on refining the end<br />
product of other people’s efforts.<br />
Rockefeller<br />
was focused<br />
on reducing<br />
overheads and<br />
increasing<br />
efficiency,<br />
which improved<br />
his margins.<br />
This strategy<br />
also allowed<br />
him to pass<br />
on savings to<br />
customers<br />
7. Provide your customers with value –<br />
In the same way that Henry Ford made<br />
cars available to the everyday person,<br />
Rockefeller brought light and comfort to<br />
the masses at a price no-one could match.<br />
In the process, he created customers that<br />
had never before been able to afford his<br />
products yet could not live without them<br />
once they had them.<br />
8. Be prepared to go against common<br />
opinion – Rockefeller invested heavily<br />
in Ohio oil fields that were deemed<br />
unusable because of their stench of<br />
sulphur, offering to underwrite the<br />
investment with his own money when<br />
members of his board disagreed.<br />
He believed his chemists could extract<br />
kerosene from the vast quantity of cheap<br />
oil available, and he was proven right.<br />
9. Inspire and reward staff – Rockefeller<br />
was willing to work on the factory floor<br />
himself and was not afraid to pay his<br />
employees well.<br />
He would reward his top managers with<br />
long holidays, recognising their need for<br />
rest and replenishment.<br />
10. Follow your passion and surround<br />
yourself with good people – Rockefeller<br />
loved business, and he was also extremely<br />
committed to his church, philanthropic<br />
efforts, and family.<br />
Indeed, he often turned to his wife<br />
Laura Spelman for guidance, saying,<br />
“Her judgment was always better than<br />
mine. Without her keen advice, I would be<br />
a poor man.”<br />
Although Rockefeller established himself<br />
during the 19th Century – a very different<br />
time to our modern age – the principles of<br />
success that established his fortune are as<br />
relevant now as they were then.<br />
DAVID BROWN is is co-founder<br />
and business mentor with Retail<br />
Edge Consultants. Visit:<br />
retailedgeconsultants.com.<br />
<strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong> | 49
BUSINESS<br />
Marketing & PR<br />
Key marketing and PR predictions<br />
for the year ahead<br />
MICHAEL KLING identifies the major social and technological trends that will shape the PR and marketing<br />
strategies of businesses large and small in <strong>2021</strong>.<br />
No-one foresaw the abrupt disruption<br />
2020 would bring when they delivered<br />
their annual PR and marketing insights<br />
a year ago. However, that’s not stopping<br />
anyone from issuing another round of<br />
predictions for <strong>2021</strong>.<br />
The trends for the year ahead continue<br />
patterns that have emerged in PR and<br />
marketing over the past few years –<br />
namely social responsibility, multimedia<br />
content, and personalisation.<br />
Social responsibility<br />
An increasing number of consumers,<br />
particularly young adults, feel a sense<br />
of social responsibility and want to<br />
purchase from and work for brands that<br />
show this quality.<br />
More than a few communications<br />
experts predict that social responsibility<br />
will become essential for attracting<br />
customers, recruiting talent, and<br />
satisfying shareholders.<br />
Annique Simpson, a UK-based<br />
communications specialist and journalist,<br />
has said, “[In hindsight] 2020 will be<br />
defined by the word ‘humanity’ – its power,<br />
its fragility, its necessity. Communicators<br />
will need to continue to… ensure our<br />
strategies and messages remain as<br />
humane as possible in <strong>2021</strong> and beyond.”<br />
When it comes to marketing and PR, social<br />
media is a crucial tool for demonstrating<br />
social responsibility and transparency,<br />
another key value of younger consumers.<br />
“Because social media acts as a medium<br />
for brands to directly engage with their<br />
consumers, people are seeking out brands<br />
they can trust more frequently, so being<br />
transparent will help your brand gain the<br />
trust of more users,” Evanne Farmer, of<br />
Three Girls Media, a US-based PR and<br />
digital marketing firm, explains.<br />
To show transparency on social media,<br />
Farmer advises businesses to:<br />
• Engage with users and answer<br />
all questions<br />
• Openly admit mistakes<br />
• Show behind-the-scenes activities<br />
• Give credit to others when it is due<br />
By implementing a transparency policy and<br />
Use these principles to guide your PR and marketing strategy for the future.<br />
creating a socially conscious tone on social<br />
media, businesses can build trust, gain<br />
positive coverage and word-of-mouth, and<br />
create a community of loyal customers.<br />
Multimedia content<br />
Multimedia content represents the<br />
future of media relations. Videos, photos,<br />
infographics, and audio clips help PR<br />
professionals win the attention of both<br />
journalists and audiences to promote<br />
businesses’ brand messages.<br />
Madison Hausauer, a PR specialist at<br />
US marketing agency Flint Group, says,<br />
“Public relations are moving toward the<br />
production of visual content to convey<br />
a message. Integrated and flexible<br />
campaigns – in the forms of GIFs,<br />
infographics, and videos – are accessible<br />
and easily ‘digestible’ [for consumers].”<br />
Video may be the most popular and<br />
powerful form of content. While some<br />
videos attract new customers, others<br />
– such as product demonstrations and<br />
testimonials – encourage customers at<br />
the end of the sales funnel to complete<br />
their purchase.<br />
Think strategically when choosing the type<br />
of video to create in order to match it to<br />
the customer’s stage in the buying journey,<br />
and consider how it looks and sounds as<br />
well as the platform upon which it will be<br />
published, such as Instagram, Twitter,<br />
TikTok, Facebook, or your website.<br />
Victor Blasco, CEO of branded content<br />
agency Yum Yum Videos, advises showing<br />
Videos, photos,<br />
infographics,<br />
and audio<br />
clips help PR<br />
professionals<br />
win the<br />
attention of<br />
both journalists<br />
and audiences<br />
to promote<br />
businesses’<br />
brand messages<br />
real stories behind your business – as told<br />
by the people that work there.<br />
Company story videos, also known as<br />
‘About Us’ videos, do this in a way that is<br />
engaging and emotionally moving.<br />
“These videos show the human side of<br />
your company,” Blasco explains. “They’re<br />
directed at customers, and sometimes<br />
prospective employees, to form a deeper<br />
connection with them and your brand.”<br />
Personalised messaging<br />
Technology allows organisations to send<br />
their PR messages directly to their key<br />
audiences. Tools such as Facebook Live<br />
allow businesses to control their message<br />
and personalise interactions.<br />
Personalised marketing will continue to be<br />
essential to businesses in <strong>2021</strong>, and savvy<br />
operators will use analytics tools to help<br />
tailor their strategy.<br />
A report from management consultancy<br />
firm McKinsey & Company noted that<br />
analytics and digital data should be<br />
combined with “qualitative listening tools”<br />
such as an “ongoing shopper panel”.<br />
Social media analytics assist in managing<br />
the business’ reputation and help business<br />
owners to measure the impact of their<br />
efforts, while other forms of monitoring<br />
can provide a clearer picture of how<br />
potential customers view the business and<br />
where the strategy could be improved.<br />
In conclusion, when developing a<br />
marketing strategy for the year ahead,<br />
businesses large and small should focus<br />
on the areas of social responsibility,<br />
multimedia content, and personalised<br />
messaging, in order to improve brand<br />
awareness, create a positive image, boost<br />
customer loyalty, and increase sales.<br />
MICHAEL KLING is manager of<br />
marketing, PR and social media at<br />
Glean.info, a media monitoring and<br />
measurement company based in the<br />
US.Visit: glean.info<br />
50 | <strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong>
BUSINESS<br />
Logged On<br />
The simple website element that can boost<br />
sales and customer loyalty<br />
Adding a live chat function to your jewellery store’s website is one of the most effective ways to increase<br />
sales, retain customers, and identify ways to improve, writes ALEX FETANAT.<br />
When you create a website for your<br />
jewellery store, you understandably want<br />
customers to be able to reach you if they<br />
have a question – and for that reason,<br />
most jewellery store websites will<br />
include a telephone number, an address,<br />
and an email form.<br />
However, there is another form of contact<br />
which is more likely to increase sales and<br />
customer engagement – and it doesn’t<br />
involve the customer picking up the phone<br />
or waiting for an email response.<br />
Adding a live chat function makes a<br />
jewellery store’s website an extension of<br />
the sales team as it provides the customer<br />
with the immediate response they may be<br />
looking for when browsing.<br />
As a result, it helps to attract and retain<br />
more customers, and increases sales.<br />
Making contact<br />
Many think of live chat as the equivalent<br />
to a salesperson asking a customer, “Is<br />
there anything I can do to help?”, and that<br />
customers will reflexively answer, “No, just<br />
looking, thanks.”<br />
However, live chat typically goes much<br />
deeper than that – especially when<br />
customers are shopping for fine jewellery.<br />
Imagine someone is browsing your website<br />
for an engravable necklace for a Christmas<br />
gift. They’ve found something they like and<br />
are spending a great deal of time on the<br />
product page, but are not sure of the chain<br />
length, how long it will take to complete<br />
the engraving, and the font options.<br />
In a bricks-and-mortar store, the<br />
customer would ask a salesperson and<br />
have those questions answered right away.<br />
Similarly, online, it is crucial to answer the<br />
customer’s questions while their attention<br />
is focused on the product page.<br />
This is where live chat succeeds. Staff can<br />
answer questions immediately as well as<br />
create a dialogue with the client, just as<br />
they would if they walked into the store.<br />
However, there is a key difference; during<br />
the live chat session, the salesperson<br />
can gauge the customer’s interest level,<br />
their prospective purchase timeline, and<br />
The benefits of live chat go far beyond simply answering questions.<br />
test the waters before jumping in with<br />
recommendations.<br />
For the customer, facing a barrage of<br />
questions and recommendations in person<br />
can be off-putting and feel like a ‘hard<br />
sell’ – but in the online environment, this<br />
personalised attention is very appealing.<br />
The power of history<br />
One of the things retailers should be<br />
aware of is customers’ ‘pain points’<br />
– real or perceived problems and<br />
frustrations customers encounter<br />
on their path to purchase.<br />
Often, business owners guess at what<br />
these might be, but live chat can tell<br />
you concretely. Through the use of an<br />
organised chat history, jewellery store<br />
website owners can filter and identify the<br />
most common or significant problems that<br />
customers may have.<br />
This, in turn, can help you to improve your<br />
service and thereby increase sales.<br />
For instance, if you constantly have website<br />
visitors chatting about your returns policy<br />
or customised jewellery options, and<br />
you do not have that information clearly<br />
displayed on your website, you have a clear<br />
signal to update your website.<br />
Engaging the customer<br />
Another benefit of live chat is that it<br />
provides you with the perfect opportunity<br />
to direct the potential customer toward<br />
other pages on your site. For example, you<br />
could suggest a shopper searching for<br />
If there is<br />
anything that<br />
2020 taught<br />
business<br />
owners, it is that<br />
communicating<br />
with customers<br />
is essential for<br />
maintaining<br />
sales –<br />
particularly<br />
when in-person<br />
shopping<br />
restrictions are<br />
in place<br />
engagement rings consult your sizing guide.<br />
A shopper searching for gifts under $500<br />
for their mother could be directed to your<br />
Holiday Gift Guide, which helps to create<br />
the personal experience that every jewellery<br />
store strives to provide.<br />
While these suggestions may seem<br />
insignificant, they can have a great longterm<br />
impact on the customer’s experience,<br />
which in turn encourages word-of-mouth<br />
recommendations and better reviews on<br />
social media, as well as customer loyalty.<br />
Standing out from the competition<br />
Despite live chat’s increasing popularity –<br />
and the ease with which this function can be<br />
added to a website – it remains uncommon<br />
for jewellery store websites.<br />
Yet if there is anything that 2020 taught<br />
business owners, it is that communicating<br />
with customers is essential for maintaining<br />
sales – particularly when in-person<br />
shopping restrictions are in place.<br />
Live chat means potential customers can<br />
reach out to sales staff at any time and the<br />
business can still function – whether the<br />
physical doors are open or not.<br />
Reflecting the personal<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>y often represents milestone<br />
celebrations, marks the beginning of a<br />
couple’s life together, and becomes beloved<br />
heirlooms. Because the process of buying<br />
it is meaningful, jewellery stores and staff<br />
become part of the story and build close<br />
relationships with customers.<br />
Live chat helps to foster those relationships<br />
and personalises your website by providing<br />
customers with instant access to your<br />
staff’s expertise, making your website the<br />
best possible online representation of<br />
your store.<br />
ALEX FETANAT is founder and CEO of<br />
the GemFind Network, a US-based digital<br />
marketing firm for the jewellery industry.<br />
Visit: gemfind.com<br />
51 | <strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong>
My Bench<br />
Richelle Perks<br />
Stephen Dibb <strong>Jeweller</strong>y, Brisbane QLD<br />
Age 30 • Years in Trade 9 • Training Four-year apprenticeship • First job I started my apprenticeship in 2012 at Goldleaf Enterprises. This was my first job in the<br />
jewellery industry Other Qualifications Diploma in Graphic Design<br />
Spider can be<br />
worn separately<br />
as a brooch<br />
SIGNATURE PIECE<br />
NEPHILA LUCILIA NECKLACE<br />
WINNER – AUSTRALIAN PEARL DESIGN<br />
MASTER & PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD, AUSTRALIAN<br />
PEARL JEWELLERY DESIGN MASTERS 2018<br />
This necklace with a detachable spider brooch and green<br />
bottle fly clasp was handmade in 9-carat yellow and white<br />
gold, Australian South Sea Pearls, black diamonds and<br />
Tsavorite garnets. The name comes from the scientific terms<br />
for the Golden Orb Weaver spider and the green bottle fly.<br />
4FAVOURITE GEMSTONE Australian sapphires.<br />
I recently visited the Australian gemfields and it<br />
was so amazing to see where the sapphires<br />
come from.<br />
Peter Brown from Rubyvale Gem Gallery and his<br />
family gave me a wonderful insight into the whole<br />
process, from mine to beautifully cut gemstone,<br />
and I now have an even greater appreciation for<br />
Australian sapphires.<br />
4FAVOURITE METAL Platinum; I just love that<br />
it takes such extreme temperatures to solder<br />
and fuse.<br />
4FAVOURITE TOOL My favourite tools are the<br />
ones that were given to me by special people in<br />
my life, so when I use the tool I always think of<br />
them. They are mostly engraved saying who they<br />
are from.<br />
4BEST NEW TOOL DISCOVERY Lindsay graversharpening<br />
templates. They just make the most<br />
crisp surfaces on gravers.<br />
4BEST PART OF THE JOB I love making Mokume<br />
Gane billets from scratch – seeing the different<br />
patterns that come out is always exciting.<br />
I also love that every day is different, with different<br />
pieces to work on, and we get to see some<br />
amazing pieces of jewellery.<br />
4WORST PART OF THE JOB Repairing pieces of<br />
jewellery that are mass-produced and poorly made<br />
that just fall apart.<br />
4BEST TIP FROM A JEWELLER You are only as<br />
good as the last job you do, so do every job to a<br />
high standard.<br />
4BEST TIP TO A JEWELLER Don’t stop exploring<br />
the many interesting areas of our trade.<br />
4BIGGEST HEALTH CONCERN ON THE BENCH<br />
Breathing in dust and chemicals and keeping<br />
active outside of work, as we sit most of the day.<br />
4LOVE JEWELLERY BECAUSE I love creating<br />
unique pieces and making designs come to life.<br />
Even repairing jewellery can feel so satisfying.<br />
52 | <strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong>
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OPINION<br />
Soapbox<br />
Giving Australia’s national gemstone<br />
the respect it deserves<br />
For too long, stubborn myths have plagued the Australian opal market – unfashionable,<br />
cheap, too fragile – and it’s now time to set the record straight, writes DAMIEN CODY.<br />
COVID-19 has adversely impacted many<br />
businesses across a broad range of<br />
industries, and one of them is very close to<br />
home – opal retail.<br />
The retailing of opal products is largely built<br />
around a model which relies very heavily<br />
on international tourists; indeed, for most<br />
businesses upwards of 90 per cent of the<br />
customer mix is overseas visitors.<br />
As a result, many are positioned in highcost<br />
CBD tourism precincts.<br />
Yet with borders currently closed to foreign<br />
visitors, a significant number of opal<br />
retailers have either not survived or are now<br />
on their knees – and when the financial<br />
lifelines of JobKeeper and rental assistance<br />
are withdrawn, many more could falter.<br />
This situation has highlighted a sad fact:<br />
the vast majority of Australians show little<br />
interest in opal. But why do Australians hold<br />
their national gemstone in low regard?<br />
Could it be that the old superstitions about<br />
opals bringing bad luck are persisting?<br />
This bad-luck myth was promoted by the<br />
diamond industry who, in the 1920s, were<br />
worried about competition from the new<br />
opal finds in Australia.<br />
Surely in the 21st Century we can now<br />
dispense with these ridiculous notions!<br />
European opal was adored in Roman times<br />
and sought-after as a talisman for good<br />
fortune and improved eyesight. Today, there<br />
are many cultures globally that believe opal<br />
brings good fortune.<br />
Maybe there are some who worry that opal<br />
is fragile. However, the reality is that it has a<br />
hardness of around 6.5 on Mohs’ scale.<br />
Treasure it, wear it with care, and it will last<br />
for a lifetime – and beyond. If you can look<br />
after an emerald, you can look after an opal!<br />
There might be some who feel that opal is<br />
unfashionable, or that it is something that<br />
their grandmother would wear.<br />
Maybe they have been put off by the poorly<br />
designed and cheap opal trinket jewellery<br />
typically made with low-grade triplets or<br />
even synthetics.<br />
Yet, the world’s most prestigious jewellery<br />
houses – Tiffany & Co., Dior, Cartier, JAR,<br />
David Morris, Chopard, and many more –<br />
feature Australian opal in their designs.<br />
As a consequence, the very best of<br />
Australian opal is snapped up by overseas<br />
markets. In the world of colour gemstones,<br />
Australian opal enjoys a lofty position<br />
as one of the most sought-after alongside<br />
the heavyweight trio of ruby, emerald<br />
and sapphire.<br />
Yet at home it still suffers from a lack<br />
of cohesive marketing and government<br />
support, and as a result it is sold at a<br />
comparatively low price for its rarity<br />
and beauty.<br />
More Australians should be aware of the<br />
unique and colourful story opal has to tell,<br />
so that its true value can be appreciated.<br />
Firstly, Australian opal is very distinctive<br />
and is in a league of its own when compared<br />
with opal from other sources.<br />
Secondly, a 2019 study published in<br />
InColor, the journal of the International<br />
Color Gemstone Association (ICA), found<br />
that “consumers buying Australian opal<br />
can do so with the assurance that the<br />
gemstone they are buying is an ethical<br />
gemstone. The industry is an exemplar for<br />
many gemstone-mining activities around<br />
the globe.”<br />
Indeed, the industry is made up entirely<br />
of small business and family enterprises,<br />
Australian opal<br />
enjoys a lofty<br />
position as one<br />
of the most<br />
sought-after<br />
gemstones... Yet<br />
at home it still<br />
suffers from a<br />
lack of cohesive<br />
marketing and<br />
government<br />
support<br />
as big business has not been prepared to<br />
endure the speculative nature of production.<br />
Another unique selling point is that<br />
solid Australian opals are one of the few<br />
gemstones that are always untreated, as<br />
they cannot be improved by any method.<br />
A curious fact is that, on occasion, the<br />
fossilised remains of dinosaurs who lived 65<br />
million years ago were later preserved by<br />
being naturally ‘opalised’ – Australia is the<br />
only place on the planet where this occurs.<br />
Opal was revered by our indigenous people,<br />
who recount its virtues and wonders through<br />
Dreamtime stories which have been passed<br />
on for thousands of years.<br />
The early explorers of the vast interior of the<br />
continent, travelling atop horses and camels,<br />
were the first white people to see this<br />
phenomenal gemstone and excite the world<br />
with the discovery.<br />
In the following 140 years, opal has been<br />
mined by enterprising folk in our harsh<br />
Outback, and miners today still endure tough<br />
conditions and fickle yields to bring this<br />
magical stone to the surface – where, after<br />
tens of millions of years, it captures daylight<br />
for the first time and provides its colourful<br />
and extroverted display.<br />
It is high time that jewellery retailers<br />
in Australia re-discovered this magical<br />
gemstone and became ambassadors for<br />
Australian opal.<br />
This Aussie icon deserves the support of<br />
the Australian jewellery industry.<br />
Name: Damien Cody<br />
Company: Cody Opal Australia<br />
Position: Director<br />
Location: Melbourne, VIC<br />
Years in Industry: 23<br />
51 | <strong>February</strong> <strong>2021</strong>
e<br />
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t<br />
LIVE EVENTS ARE BACK IN <strong>2021</strong><br />
GOLD COAST SYDNEY MELBOURNE ADELAIDE PERTH<br />
We are coming to YOU<br />
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Reconnect with the industry and have a real conversation<br />
Local focused events – No travel needed, we are coming to you!<br />
Meet with key suppliers and discover what’s new<br />
Ensure you keep the sales momentum and have all the options<br />
ewellery<br />
• TRADE DAYS •<br />
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• TRADE DAYS •<br />
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March 7 – 8, <strong>2021</strong><br />
SYDNEY<br />
March 13 – 14, <strong>2021</strong><br />
MELBOURNE<br />
by Expertise Events<br />
March 20 – 22, <strong>2021</strong><br />
ADELAIDE<br />
March 27 – 28, <strong>2021</strong><br />
PERTH<br />
April 10 – 11, <strong>2021</strong><br />
Visit jewelleryfair.com.au for more information<br />
and to register for your free visitor pass.<br />
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Ran under Expertise Safety Matters Programme (ESM)<br />
ESM is our initiative to ensure we put the health and wellbeing of all our exhibitors and<br />
visitors as the priority of our events. Our initial guidelines will be further developed as State<br />
and Federal Health Authorities release specific guidelines.<br />
Organised by:<br />
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