Jeweller - February 2022

VOICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN JEWELLERY INDUSTRY 

FEBRUARY 2022 

Stronger together 

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The Great Retail Reset 

PANDEMIC DEMONSTRATES THAT 

EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING 

Vale Peter Beck 

TRIBUTE TO A JEWELLERY 

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Contents 

This Month 

Industry Facets 

11 Editorial 

12 Upfront 

15 News 

30 Product Spotlight 

28 

32 

35 

56 

A TRIBUTE 

Vale Peter W Beck 

10 YEARS AGO 

Time Machine: February 2012 

LEARN ABOUT GEMS 

Part II: Synthetic Diamonds 

MY BENCH 

Darren Nancarrow 

38 2022 PARADIGM SHIFT 


4There is no doubt that The Great Retail Reset 

is happening. While it’s understandable that many 

small businesses are wondering what the future 

holds, not everything caused by COVID should be 

viewed as adverse. 

36 Jewellers Showcase 

Features 

38 

43 

2022 PARADIGM SHIFT 


58 

SOAPBOX 

Gary Fitz-Roy 

BUYING GROUPS REPORT 

Rising stronger: valuable lessons from the pandemic 

Better Your Business 

43 BUYING GROUP REPORT 

Rising Stronger 

4Australia’s jewellery buying groups are 

in a unique position because they each 

have many members that are seen as 

part of a large family. Discover how each 

group has overcome the effects of COVID 

on businesses and in personal lives. 

50 

52 

53 

54 

55 

BUSINESS STRATEGY 

Christmas and New Year are over. JOSH STRUTT says start planning for it again now. 

SELLING 

SUE BARRETT has tips for rebuilding the mental well-being of your sales team. 

MANAGEMENT 

'First seek to understand, then be understood' – RYAN ESTIS encourages you to listen. 

MARKETING & PR 

STEVEN VAN BELLEGHEM shares the secret to an engaging customer experience. 

LOGGED ON 

GARRY GRANT outlines how your website user experience and SEO go hand in hand. 

35 LEARN ABOUT GEMS 

Synthetic Colour 

4With the success of growing gem-quality 

diamonds, the next step has been to 

produce an array of colour options. Learn 

about what gives the stones their hue. 

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colorful selection, quality, and service. 

To learn more visit: Stuller.com/About 

Stronger together 

Stuller.com 


Vale Peter Beck 

February 2022 | 9

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Editor’s Desk 

Retail is dead. Long live retail! 

For more than a decade, people have been predicting the end of physical stores as choice and convenience lured 

customers away from the streets and into the cloud. But one thing is certain, and as demonstrated by the past 

two years, nothing is as ever as it first seems. ANGELA HAN explores what the future holds for retail. 

“Retail is dead,” shouted some experts! 

In fact, so sure have some doomsayers 

been about the demise of retail that a 

new term was coined: ‘retail apocalypse’. 

The notion started around 2010 soon 

after the Global Financial Crisis when 

many major retailers began closing their 

brick-and-mortar retail stores, especially 

international chains. 

The term gained prominence around 2017 

when it was first mentioned in The Atlantic 

to describe major retail bankruptcies 

and mass store closures of major US 

chains. Only two years later in 2019 – just 

before the pandemic – the US witnessed 

approximately 10,000 more businesses 

close their doors, which was reported as 

a 60 per cent increase on the year before. 

So it’s understandable that the harbingers 

of doom were already painting a dire 

picture of the future of retailing – a decade 

on, the prophecies were all coming true. 

Then finally in 2020 the real impact took 

hold, as COVID-19 went global. 

You could hear Chopin’s Funeral March 

while watching the retail dominoes 

collapse – the pandemic was the final kiss 

of death, especially for businesses that 

were on life support, the pundits predicted. 

As of May 2020 only a few months into the 

pandemic, store closures and bankruptcies 

catalysed. Household names and 

department stores such as J. Crew, Neiman 

Marcus, and JCPenney were among the 

first major retailers to file for bankruptcy, 

although it is arguable that trouble was 

already brewing long before COVID. 

While an exact figure is almost impossible 

to ascertain, it was reported that a further 

12,000 retailers had closed stores across 

the US in 2020 alone. According to a 2021 

UBS Group report, it’s anticipated a further 

80,000 US stores are expected to shut 

shop in the next five years with onequarter 

of US shopping centres also 

expected to permanently close. 

The US economy is often seen as a 

bellwether for what happens here in 

Australia. So what does this mean for 

the future of retail? 

Closer to home, it has been reported 

that between 1,000 to 2,000 retail stores 

collapsed in 2020 and 2021 following 

on from a dismal year of pre-pandemic 

trading through 2018-19. Whether or 

not this estimate includes small shops 

on suburban strips is unknown, but it’s 

fair to say that no one was exempt from 

feeling the turbulence of the pandemic 

rollercoaster. 

Two years in, a quick stroll down the street 

reveals a string of ‘For Lease’ signs and 

storefronts closed until further notice. From 

K-mart to Woolies, we’re seeing empty 

shelves, a lack of staff and supply chain 

turmoil. These problems side-by-side make 

it easy to assume that we’re right in the 

middle of the, so-called, retail apocalypse. 

However, the wise and percipient know 

from past experience that economic 

instability and the challenges therein can 

lead to new opportunities. Instead, these 

events can simultaneously expose existing 

weaknesses and strengthen the position 

of a business. 

Indeed, while COVID-19 has accelerated 

store closures, it’s also ushered in a wave 

of digital revolution for the retail sector. 

With consumers now living, thinking 

and shopping differently, businesses 

have been forced to evolve and further 

experiment with what works and what 

doesn’t – a playground to freely explore 

the opportunities that had been put off. 

Certainly, if you were dragging your feet 

before 2020, the pandemic dragged you 

by the hair into the new world. 

KPMG’s 2021 Australian Retail Outlook 

Survey indicated that despite a huge shift 

towards omni-channel models – where 

more than 70 per cent of retailers have 

to increase their investment in digital 

technology – 25 per cent of respondents 

said their websites generate no revenue and 

21 per cent said that less than 5 per cent 

of their revenue comes from e-commerce. 

Fewer than 10 per cent of retailers 

indicated that their e-commerce platform 

generates up to 50 per cent of revenue. 

This is a double-edged sword: while there 

has been extraordinary development and 

growth in e-commerce, it’s clear that 

consumers still prefer to spend more 

in-store, which is a welcome revelation 

in amidst all the doom and gloom of the 

retail apocalypse. 

As customers have been forced into 

e-commerce, whether they liked it or 

not, The Law of Unintended Consequences 

came into play: firstly, people came to 

You could hear 

Chopin’s Funeral 

March while 

watching the 

retail dominoes 

collapse – 

COVID-19 was 

the final kiss of 

death, especially 

for businesses 

that were on 

life support, 

the pundits 

predicted. 

realise the importance of a tangible in-store 

shopping experience and secondly, with a 

surge in delivery fees and delay in delivery 

times, the price of items both instore and 

online became comparable. 

Coupled with this, the Australian Bureau 

of Statistics’ most recent turnover estimate 

(November 2021) for retail businesses, 

which include both physical store and 

online sales, is reported to have risen 

7.3 per cent month-on-month and 

increased 5.8 per cent on 2020. In essence, 

people haven’t stopped shopping, and 

instead, their consumption has increased. 

Moreover, what has come to light since 

2020 is to what degree consumers enjoy 

shopping for jewellery. 

In October 2020 I wrote: “When compared 

to other retail categories, there’s ample 

evidence that many fine jewellery retailers 

have remained resilient during the COVID 

pandemic and economic crisis”, which was 

backed up by soaring Pandora and Tiffany 

stock prices. 

“Hong Kong retailer, Chow Tai Fook, had 

seen its shares rocket back to its 2018 

heydays and both Michael Hill International 

and the US chain, Signet Jewelers, were 

recovering since the huge sell off in the 

depths of the crisis and LVMH stock prices 

are back to what they were pre-COVID.” 

And now, 15 months further on, Pandora 

has recorded all-time high revenue while 

Michael Hill reports its best second quarter 

in history. Richemont group’s sales have 

reportedly exceeded that of pre-COVID and 

even local jeweller Linneys reported historic 

Christmas trading. Sales are booming! 

In this month’s feature – The Great Retail 

Reset – we look at the ‘retail apocalypse’ 

from a different standpoint. Sure, while 

the catastrophic effects of the pandemic 

cannot be ignored, it has equally been an 

opportunity for brave and savvy retailers 

to reinvent, redefine and rebirth. 

In March 2020, I gave my humble advice 

in these difficult times: if you want to 

prepare yourself against the horsemen 

of the apocalypse, don’t build a bunker – 

learn to ride a horse! 

It appears that some have gone a step 

further and learned to tame a herd. 

Angela Han 

Publisher 


Upfront 

#Instagram hashtags to follow 

Alpha Order 

#argylepinkdiamonds 

17,078 POSTS 

#diamondlover 

184,966+ POSTS 

#dresstoimpress 

2.5 MILLION POSTS 

#engagementinspo 

56,407+ POSTS 

#fantasyjewelry 

82,535+ POSTS 

HISTORIC GEMSTONE 

Okavango Blue 

4The oval cut 20.46-carat Okavango Blue 

Diamond was first unearthed in 2018 from 

Botswana's Orapa Mine located in the lush 

Okavango Delta, and was given a clarity grade 

of VVS1 for its near-perfect condition. It was cut 

from a 41.11-carat rough diamond and despite 

only being a recent discovery, it has quickly risen 

ranks as a historic gemstone for its rare colour, 

size and clarity. 

#garnetring 

63,533+ POSTS 

#gouache 

6,534+ POSTS 

#joailleriefrancaise 

22,693+ POSTS 

#malachitejewelry 

41,802+ POSTS 

#signetring 

178,117+ POSTS 

Unlike most diamonds that were created around 160 to 

240 kilometres below the surface, the Okavango Blue is said 

to have formed for millions of years at the transition zone - around 

640 kilometers down - through a geological process called subduction. 

Blue diamonds contain borons, and as soon as boron becomes more 

abundant than nitrogen, the diamond turns blue. The boron gets pushed 

down to the transition zone where it contributes to the blue hue. 

Trend Spotting 

4From Bella Hadid and Olivia Rodrigo 

to Pete Davidson, every trendy celebrity 

and their dog seems to be adorned 

with strands of kitschy colourful glass 

beads with playful motifs featuring 

strawberries and mushrooms. Mixed 

with sterling silver and freshwater 

pearls, alternative jeweller Beepybella 

combines psychedelic chic and 

childhood nostalgia. 

Image credit: Instagram @beepybella 

Image credit: Chaumet 

Stranger Things 

Weird, wacky and wonderful 

jewellery news from around the world 

Just milking it 

4A New Zealand jeweller, 

The Spilt Milk Co., is turning 

breast milk into jewellery to help 

mothers keep memories of their 

breastfeeding journey forever. 

Mothers mail approximately 10ml 

of their breastmilk which is then 

preserved by being turned into a 

dehydrated powder that is used 

to create beads that are worn as 

rings, earrings and necklaces. 

Some sentimental stories include 

mothers who have lost their babies 

and want to commemorate them. 

Diamonds in orbit 

4Dianna Rae High, a jeweller 

from Louisiana, is reaching new 

heights in a collaboration with 

NASA to launch a limited number 

of diamond-set jewellery on a 

mission to the International Space 

Station (ISS). NASA has also 

confirmed that the Highs will be 

the very first to send diamonds to 

the ISS to return and be resold. The 

agreement allows for a parcel of 

1,000 carats to be sent into orbit. 

Digital Brainwave 

“Extraterrestrial” giant 

Retailers with 

an ecommerce 

platform need 

to prioritise 

cybersecurity 

measures. 

4Cybersecurity experts have alerted omnichannel 

retailers to be extra-vigilant in 2022. 

As more retailers have setup ecommerce 

platforms to deal with COVID disruptions 

and consumers are making more purchases 

online, hackers have also increased their 

ruthless attacks. With smarter AI and surge 

in smart-device usage, it's become easier for 

security breaches to occur. 

The solution? Don't skimp on your 

cybersecurity! Ensure you seek professional 

advice on how to secure your network and 

trading platforms to avoid any disruptions. 

Campaign Watch 

4French jeweller Chaumet has 

launched a new hexagonal diamond 

cut named Taille Impératrice 

(Empress), after its oldest client 

Impératrice Josephine, Napoleon's 

wife. Chaumet has claimed that it's 

the only cut to combine 88 facets with 

a star-shaped pavilion and boasts a 

superior brilliance to the traditional 

round brilliant. It is used extensively 

throughout the newly released 

'Bee My Love' collection. 

4A 555.55-carat rare black 

diamond named 'The Enigma' cut 

with 55-facets will be placed on the 

auction block in London by Sotheby’s 

next month, which is expected to fetch 

around £5 million ($AU9.46 million). 

Believed to have extraterrestrial 

origins, the shape of the stone is 

based on the Middle-Eastern palm 

symbol of the Khamsa, which 

stands for 'strength and protection'. 

Sotheby's will also accept 

cryptocurrency as payment. 


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Locked Bag 26, South Melbourne, VIC 3205 AUSTRALIA | ABN 66 638 077 648 | Phone: +61 3 9696 7200 | Subscriptions & Enquiries: info@jewellermagazine.com 

Publisher Angela Han angela.han@jewellermagazine.com • Journalist Richard Chiu editorial@jewellermagazine.com • Production Coordinator Lauren McKinnon art@befindanmedia.com 

Advertising Toli Podolak toli.podolak@jewellermagazine.com • Accounts Paul Blewitt finance@befindanmedia.com 

Copyright All material appearing in Jeweller is subject to copyright. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly forbidden without prior written consent of the publisher. Befindan Media Pty Ltd 

strives to report accurately and fairly and it is our policy to correct significant errors of fact and misleading statements in the next available issue. All statements made, although based on information 

believed to be reliable and accurate at the time, cannot be guaranteed and no fault or liability can be accepted for error or omission. Any comment relating to subjective opinions should be addressed to 

the editor. Advertising The publisher reserves the right to omit or alter any advertisement to comply with Australian law and the advertiser agrees to indemnify the publisher for all damages or liabilities 

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News 

Breakthrough with ‘floating diamond’ invention 

Australian jeweller celebrates 

five stores with gala evening 

It took two decades, millions of dollars, and a 

box of ruined and ‘exploded’ diamonds for a 

Wellington jeweller to finally be a step closer 

to a billion-dollar payout and create the 

'Floeting Diamond'. 

What was previously thought to be an 

impossible feat for traditional jewellery design 

and manufacturing has become a reality for The 

Village Goldsmith founder Ian Douglas, who 

announced the launch of the Floeting Diamond 

– a diamond-set jewellery collection without 

metal clasps or claws. 

Secured in place using proprietary tiny laser-cut 

grooves around the underside of diamonds, 

Floeting Diamond jewellery uses only highquality 

stones to achieve the desired strength 

and appearance for its collection. 

“The original concept came to mind almost 

20 years ago, but it’s really only been the 

advancement in a lot of technologies, in 

metallurgy, in the development of space-age 

metals, the science of engineering with lasers, 

that have enabled this cut to come about,” 

Douglas told Stuff. 

Record sales for Pandora Jewelry– "all-time high" 

Pandora has reported a “historical” 2021 fourth 

quarter (Q4) record performance and exceeded 

forecasts for the entire year based on its 

preliminary results. 

Estimated revenues in Q4 amounted to DKK9 

billion ($AU1.91 billion) and the full-year figure 

of DKK 23.4 billion ($AU4.96 billion) have been 

considered as the “highest ever for Pandora”, 

driven by “robust and broad-based growth” 

across key markets, especially in the US. 

Sales performance remained strong despite the 

temporary closure of several physical stores 

due to COVID-19 lockdown measures in the last 

quarter. 

"We are very pleased with the results in 2021," 

Alexander Lacik, chief executive officer, Pandora 

It is estimated that the value of diamond 

jewellery sales worldwide is $US90 billion 

($AU126.6 billion) annually, half of which is 

spent in the US. Douglas hopes to get a 2 

per cent share of the American pie, which is 

around $US1.8 billion ($AU2.5 billion) within 

the next five years. 

The pursuit for a design that highlights the 

optimal visual qualities of a diamond set “was 

thought to be an impossible dream,” Douglas 

said. "Every jeweller in the world has been 

asked by customers if it was possible to have 

a ring without the prongs, and until now the 

answer has always been, 'No’." 

Using precision-cutting laser technology, 

Canadian master diamond cutter Mike Botha, 

in collaboration with international experts 

composed of metallurgists, scientists, laser 

engineers, testing laboratories and patent 

attorneys, finally developed the patented 

diamond jewellery design. 

The result – a diamond secured in place 

using a precise laser-cut micro-groove at the 

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 

said in a statement, noting that the company 

"has returned to growth, and we deliver[ed] alltime 

high revenue. It is encouraging that we see 

broad-based growth." 

Full-year preliminary results saw an increase in 

organic growth by 23 per cent compared with the 

same period in 2020, which exceeded the “lifted” 

forecast guidance of 18-20 per cent issued in 

November last year. 

Earnings before interest and taxes were also 

reported at 25 per cent compared with the 24- 

24.5 per cent forecast guidance. 

The US market posted the highest revenue 

contribution in Q4 estimated at DKK2.5 billion 

($AU530 million) and full-year sales estimated at 

DKK7 billion ($AU1.48 billion). 

Simon Curwood, Nigel & Brooke Hunter with Shawn Latrell. 

The old adage, when the going gets tough, the tough 

get going came to light throughout the past two years. 

Not content with riding out the global pandemic, 

one independent jeweller expanded his store count 

regardless of the difficulties during COVID-19. 

Simon Curwood decided that 2021 was the year to 

break into the Sydney market by opening his fifth 

store. The problem was, he did so in June, a few 

weeks before a COVID lockdown. 

With four existing stores on the NSW central coast 

and Newcastle – Charlestown, Tuggerah, Kotara 

and Maitland – Curwood chose Parramatta for his 

entrée into the larger Sydney market. He recently 

“threw a party” for 130 people, in part to celebrate 

the new store but mainly to recognise the efforts of 

his staff throughout COVID. 

“We believe the people in our business are our 

biggest assets so every year for staff retention we 

organise an event to show our appreciation for 

their hard work and to celebrate their individual 

achievements”, he explained. 

The event took place at Bennelong Restaurant in 

the Sydney Opera House and, along with all of his 

staff, the night included; Erin Molan, Dave Hughes, 

Ricki-Lee and Bruce ‘Hoppo’ Hopkins. 

There were also special guest performances on the 

night from ‘popstars’ Jessica Mauboy, Dami Im, and 

The Buckleys. 

Curwood explained that 2021 was the most difficult 

year for staff because of confusion and controversy 

surrounding COVID laws. 

“Throughout the year there were all sorts of 

impossible situations for them [staff] to manage. 

So this year I wanted to go ‘all out' and put on an 

amazing event for my staff, to thank them for all 

their hard work during the covid pandemic. The kind 

of thing they’d always remember,” Curwood said. 

He explained that staff were being abused by 

customers for asking for proof of vaccination status 

while simultaneously being abused for not asking 

for proof of vaccination status! 

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 

MORE BREAKING NEWS 

JEWELLERMAGAZINE.COM 


News 

Costco's diamond and jewellery sales 

boom; history in the courts 

When Costco opened its first Australian store in 2009, few people would 

have believed that the US-style, large-format supermarket chain would 

offer diamonds and jewellery among the meat and vegetables aisles, let 

alone that they would become a major product range. 

However, a decade on, the 13-store chain has reported an increase in 

Australian revenue from $2.59 billion in 2020 to $2.82 billion in 2021, 

while its profit more than doubled from $22.22 million in 2020 to $46.39 

million this year. The results are recorded to 31 August each year. 

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Patrick Noone managing director Costco Australia told The Australian that 

the company had performed strongly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic 

and the resulting travel restrictions, and that Costco’s jewellery category 

was increasing sales in the face of the company not being considered as a 

‘typical’ shopping choice for diamond engagement rings. 

“Jewellery has done exceptionally well for us this year, I think people are 

at home and getting married, having babies and a lot of diamonds have 

been selling,” Noone said in The Australian article titled, Diamonds are 

Costco’s best friend as sales in Australia race to $3bn. 

“Diamonds did well, we sell gold, and that surprised us a bit as well in 

terms of selling well. I think it is mainly we are getting traction with the 

quality of the goods, we are seeing $10,000 diamond rings being sold 

for weddings, $15,000 earrings and things like that and when people 

compare the quality out there in the market place and the savings it has 

proven popular," Noone said. 

The trend is not restricted to Australia. Strong jewellery sales helped 

boost Costco’s internationbal Q4 e-commerce revenue by almost nine 

per cent, according to Richard Galanti, chief financial officer. 

On 9 December, during an Earnings Call - a conference call between the 

management of a public company, analysts, investors, and the media to 

discuss the company’s financial results during a given reporting period 

– Galanti told participants that jewellery was among Costco’s strongest 

departments with a 20 per cent jump in total revenue to US$1.67 billion 

for the quarter. 

The Motley Fool finance website reported that Galanti said: "We actually 

sold a couple of rings in the $100,000 range. In terms of e-commerce 

sales in the quarter, ex FX [foreign exchange] increased 13.3 per cent 

year-over-year, and that's, of course, on top of an 86 per cent plus 

increase a year ago in the first quarter. Stronger department in terms 

of year of percentages include jewellery, tyres, and home furnishings.” 

Costco is reported to be North America's fourth-largest retailer of fine 

jewellery and watches after Signet, Walmart and Tiffany, however; the 

company’s jewellery and watch departments have not been without 

controversy and legal action. 

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News 

December sales achieve “stellar performance” 

despite a drop in diamond jewellery 

Jewellery sales in December maintained a 

steady uptrend based on previous forecasts as 

overall sales dollars saw an increase by 1.8 per 

cent compared with the same period in 2020 

despite a decline in diamond jewellery sales, 

according to Retail Edge Consultant’s monthend 

report. 

Diamond precious metal jewellery became 

the sole outlier for December sales, which 

decreased by 8 per cent, compared with 2020 

but still maintained a significant positive twoyear 

difference (December 2019) at 38 per cent. 

The sale of comparative units declined by 5 per 

cent when measured against December 2020, 

however, there was a 3.9 per cent increase when 

compared with December 2019. 

According to Mike Dyer, sales manager, Retail 

Edge “As was stated in the November Vibe 

[member update], the indicators pointed to 

a stellar performance for jewellery retail in 

December and that's what happened.” 

Nonetheless, “there was good growth across 

most of the product categories,” he noted, 

explaining that the figures “indicate a strong 

consumer focus on buying something of 

significance that can be treasured and enjoyed.” 

Comparative average sales based on inventory 

continued to increase by 8 per cent from $161 

to $174 compared with December 2020, while 

it significantly went up by 26 per cent from the 

December 2019 figure of $138. 

Michael Hill International has reported a 

record sales performance to 26 December 

2021 – quarter two (Q2) of its financial year – 

thanks to “strong sales growth in all markets 

and channels” as per its second-quarter 

trading update. 

Overall sales across three countries 

- Australia, New Zealand and Canada - 

increased by 9.8 per cent compared with the 

same period in 2020 and 9.6 per cent based 

on a two-year difference when measured 

against the 2019 pre-COVID period. 

According to Daniel Bracken, CEO and 

managing director, Michael Hill International 

Limited “This strong performance now marks 

our tenth quarter of positive same-store 

sales growth since [Q3 2019] and further 

demonstrates the success of the continued 

transformation of the Michael Hill brand.” 

Bracken also noted that “the successful 

Sales dollars for colour stone precious metal 

jewellery was up by 23 per cent compared 

with 2020 and a significant two-year difference 

at 34 per cent. 

The same trend was seen for non-stone 

precious metal jewellery, which increased by 9 

per cent compared with December 2020, and a 

significant two-year difference at 59 per cent. 

Sales of silver and alternative metal jewellery 

also increased by 13 per cent when compared 

with December 2020 and a much significant rise 

at 41 per cent based on a two-year (December 

2019) difference. 

As expected during the holiday seasons, sales 

dollars for laybys saw a decline by 18 per cent 

as the pieces are claimed or collected, to be 

given as gifts. 

Similarly, revenue for services declined by 43.9 

per cent and special orders also followed suit by 

dropping at 21.4 per cent. 

“Now would be a great time to review your items 

that were short delivered (or back-ordered) prior 

to Christmas to make sure that you don't receive 

multiples of items that you may not require now 

that Christmas has passed,” he added. 

Retail Edge’s data is gathered from its POS 

software across more than 400 Australian 

independent retail jewellery stores. It is intended 

to present a representative sample of the wider 

jewellery industry. 

Michael Hill reports “best Q2” in its history 

planning and execution of Christmas 

underpinned this outstanding result” which 

included the company’s aggressive marketing 

campaigns, digital initiatives, supply chain and 

inventory management and holiday recruitment 

strategy “all came together to deliver Michael 

Hill’s best Q2 in the company’s history.” 

This year’s first-half earnings before interest 

and taxes are forecast to achieve between $49 

million to $53 million when compared with $44.6 

million for the first half of 2021. 

E-commerce channels also saw an increase 

in sales by 28 per cent. Digital sales year-todate 

represented 8.2 per cent of total sales 

compared with the 2021 full-year percentage 

of 6.3 per cent. 

Australian same-store sales increased by 5.2 

per cent and all-store sales were up by 2.2 

per cent. By the end of December 2021, all 

Australian stores (150) were trading. 

News In Brief 

Vikings, gold jewellery and 

legendary travels 

4 The unexpected discovery of an 11thcentury 

gold earring buried in Denmark 

could help shed light on whether the 

Vikings acquired intricate jewellery 

during their legendary journeys. The 

earring was one of a very few ancient 

jewellery pieces of the same and this is 

the first piece found in Scandinavia. 

New Hallmarking laws offer 

exemptions for gold jewellery 

4 The Indian government has issued 

guidelines on hallmarking exemptions 

for gold jewellery and artefacts, in 

response to protests from industry 

leaders on easing gold jewellery export 

and trade practices. India is one of 

the largest diamond and jewellery 

manufacturing and exporting nations 

in the world, estimated to be around 

$US40 billion. 

Gold jewellery and 

Egypt’s Queen Nefertiti 

4 Ancient gold jewellery and precious 

stones dating back to 1350 BC were 

unearthed alongside human skeletal 

remains from Bronze Age burial 

chambers in Cyprus. The artefacts 

resemble those worn by Egypt’s famed 

Queen Nefertiti and were discovered in 

a burial site for the ruling class in the 

ancient city of Hala Sultan Tekke. 

Australian diamond mine 

expected to be the biggest 

4 The Merlin Diamond Mine is 

expected to be the biggest commercial 

diamond mining operation in Australia 

with a targeted yield of 153,000 carats 

per year when it begins full-scale 

production in 2024. It aims to produce 

2.1 million carats throughout the 

expected 14-year ‘lifespan’. 

MORE BREAKING NEWS 



News 

Harry Winston stops sourcing Myanmar gemstones amid human-rights accusation 

The Global Witness report alleges that Myanmar’s current 

military leaders are taking advantage and control of what the 

organisation called “conflict rubies” to “tighten its grip on 

power and bankroll atrocities.” 

The jeweller made the announcement days 

before international non-profit watchdog Global 

Witness published a report regarding political 

and human rights abuses in the Southeast Asian 

nation known as a leading supplier for premiumquality 

gemstones. 

According to the report, of the 30 international 

brands contacted by Global Witness only Tiffany 

& Co, Boodles, and Signet Jewellers aside from 

Harry Winston, have also declared to stop sourcing 

gemstones from Myanmar. 

“In its ongoing commitment to responsible and 

ethical sourcing, the House of Harry Winston will 

no longer source gemstones from its suppliers 

that have Burmese origins, regardless of the 

importation dates,” the company posted on Twitter. 

The company also noted it takes “very seriously” 

how it sources its diamonds and gemstones. 

“We perform our due diligence prior to 

purchasing to ensure the gemstones used in the 

manufacturing of our jewellery collections are 

obtained responsibly, ethically, and in accordance 

with all applicable laws and regulations,” the 

statement also pointed out. 

A military coup in February seized control of 

Myanmar that triggered an embargo on key 

gemstone companies by the US. 

The Global Witness report alleges that 

Myanmar’s current military leaders are taking 

advantage and control of what the organisation 

called “conflict rubies” to “tighten its grip on 

power and bankroll atrocities.” 

“There is no such thing as an ethically sourced 

Burmese ruby. 

"These gemstones are sold as symbols of 

human connection and affection, yet the supply 

chain is steeped in corruption and horrific 

human rights abuses,” Clare Hammond, Senior 

Myanmar Campaigner at Global Witness, said. 

Among the other well-known luxury brands 

implicated in the investigation were Graff, Bulgari, 

Van Cleef & Arpels, and Sotheby’s. 

A conservative analysis of the value of the coloured 

gemstone industry in Myanmar is estimated to 

be between $US346 million ($AU478.5 million) to 

$US415 million ($AU574 million) based on official 

production data.

News 

Linneys reports “historic” trading 

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According to Justin Linney, creative director, Christmas trading saw 

an increase by 15 per cent fuelled by a rising Western Australian 

economy and COVID-related overseas travel restrictions which yielded 

an unexpected outcome where consumers invested in jewellery and 

luxury goods. The strong holiday trading performance is seen to 

increase the company’s annual turnover by 30 per cent in 2021-2022. 

Linney said “Western Australians can’t travel so they are investing 

in jewellery instead,” noting that stores were “extremely busy” at the 

start of the holidays as “customers are settling their accounts for 

presents in the last few days before Christmas.” 

Pink diamonds were in high demand “as they are very limited in 

supply, and clients don’t want to miss the boat,” Linney said, adding 

that consumers are still looking for “classic pieces, diamond pendants 

or stud earrings, [and] pearls are being featured on the fashion 

runway, so they are also in high demand.” 

Established in 1972, family-owned Linneys was among the Australian 

‘pioneers’ to showcase Argyle pink diamonds in its original jewellery 

collections since 1985. 

Rent assistance scheme helps jewellers 

A recent decision by the Victoria Government to approve a two-month 

extension of the Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme (CTRS) will 

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The scheme, which was extended until 15 March and takes effect on 

16 January, is available to businesses with a maximum annual turnover 

of $10 million and have experienced at least a 30 per cent decline in 

turnover due to COVID-related causes. 

Along with the CTRS extension, the suspension on rent increases will 

remain in effect, as well as the mandated moratorium on evictions. 

Under the program, landlords and tenants are required to mutually 

abide by the conditions stated in their respective agreements. 

Landlords are directed to provide proportional rent relief to tenants, such 

as businesses with a pre-pandemic turnover of 40 per cent could only be 

billed 40 per cent of its rent rate. With the remaining 60 per cent, at least 

half of the rent balance is waived and the remainder is to be deferred. 

Throughout the scheme, the Victorian Small Business Commission will 

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News 

Tiffany & Co. problems continue: 

French-US rivalry causes confusion 

When French luxury conglomerate Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) 

acquired Tiffany & Co. in January, LVMH management immediately 

signalled that big changes were afoot, whether customers liked them 

or not. Tiffany wasn’t just getting a takeover, but a makeover. However, 

not everything has gone according to plan. 

Barely two months into the acquisition, Tiffany & Co. cancelled its New York 

Times print-edition advertisement, which had run on page 3 since 1896. 

The re-branding continued with a controversial billboard campaign 

bearing the slogan, ‘Not your mother’s Tiffany’. The intention was clear 

– positioning Tiffany as a youthful, on-trend, and unpretentious brand, 

accessible to Gen Z 

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), “It seemed like a 

perfect union when LVMH acquired Tiffany & Co. and the two companies 

agreed to the takeover in late 2019. The combination combined a wellknown 

but faded jeweller with a deep-pocketed French conglomerate, 

betting its future on expansion into China and Europe.” 

However, Pauline Brown, who was chairman of LVMH North America 

from 2013 through 2015, believes Tiffany’s new management is 

underestimating the cultural challenges. 

“The senior-most decision makers in Tiffany’s C-Suite are not 

American,” she told the WSJ. 

Brown, who is now a Columbia Business School professor added: “They 

assume that because they speak fluent English and, in some cases, 

have worked in America, that they understand the American mindset. 

"But they are trying to impose a strategy that won’t necessarily gel for 

the brand’s core customers or employees". 

The article goes on to say that the French takeover of Tiffany & Co. 

started with insults, lawsuits and accusations of mismanagement. 

Then things got really uncomfortable. 

Soon after LVMH closed its $US15.8 billion acquisition of the American 

jewellery retailer in January 2021, it replaced several of Tiffany’s senior 

leaders with executives from other parts of the LVMH empire. 

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According to the WSJ report, in April a group of Tiffany staffers 

circulated an unsanctioned memo offering tips on “Franco-American 

cultural nuances and etiquette.” It advised against discussing weekend 

plans while waiting for a meeting to start. 

“French people share more negative feedback,” it warned. “Expect 

less warm and fuzzy: ‘amazing’, ‘fabulous’ and excessively positive 

comments are not the norm.” 

Tiffany’s new chief executive, Anthony Ledru, denounced it after 

it circulated, disputing the notion that people had to assimilate to 

succeed at their jobs. He told his team “we are not aligned with this,” 

Mr. Ledru said in an interview at his Manhattan office. 

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News 

Nationwide Jewellers annual conference heads to Brisbane in May 

Nationwide Jewellers has announced that more 

than 200 members will attend its ‘Time Out’ 

conference free of charge, thanks to the group’s 

member rewards program - saving $1,800 each. 

Additionally, member-participants will each be 

provided ‘Conference Cash’ valued at $30,000 

to $60,000, which can be used with exhibitors at 

zero-interest for a 6-month term, according to 

organisers. 

The conference will be held at the W Hotel in 

Brisbane from 13 to 16 May 2022, and will be centred 

around the theme: ‘Time Out – Time to Shine'. 

“We anticipate that we will exceed our usual 

attendance level, which typically ranges between 

180 to 200 members representing 100 stores,” 

Erin Keller, membership manager, Nationwide 

Jewellers said. 

“Our initial conference program was sent to 

members last week, and the first member 

registrations were received within an hour.” 

The $1,800 reward benefit for qualified members 

“includes accommodation, meals, functions, 

seminars and workshops” and organisers are 

expecting a high turn-out given next year’s 

conference will be the first time in nearly three 

years since the pandemic restricted public 

gatherings and events. 

The conference also marks Nationwide’s 30th year 

- which was originally planned for celebration last 

year but was cancelled due to pandemic restrictions 

- and recognise members who have been with the 

group for the past 30 years. 

“Our 30-year members are amongst some of the 

most successful jewellery stores in the industry,” 

Glen Pocklington, general manager, Nationwide said. 

“These members have been regular attendees at 

our annual conference, and it is often here that 

they have made new connections, discovered 

fresh products and learnt business strategies 

to keep them inspired and motivated.” 

Enhanced jewellery course 

Meanwhile, the group has announced it has 

streamlined its Retail Jewellery Business 

Management Course to allow more members 

to take advantage of the free training program. 

Several one-day training modules have been 

converted to webinars and course durations 

were reduced to half a day, which will be made 

available via Nationwide’s 24/7 online resource 

library. 

The online modules include Human Resources, 

Visual Merchandising and Understanding 

Financial Reports. 

“This has enabled us to reduce the course 

duration from one day to half a day, making it 

easier for more members to be able to attend,” 

Colin Pocklington, managing director, Nationwide 

Jewellers said. 

Several one-day training modules have been 

converted to webinars and course durations 

were reduced to half a day, which will be made 

available via Nationwide’s 24/7 online resource 

library. 

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News 

High profile jeweller sues 'copycat' over IP infringement 

New York-based jewellery designer David 

Yurman has filed a lawsuit against venture 

capital-backed rival Mejuri for copying several 

distinctive jewellery designs that bore striking 

similarities with Yurman’s Pure Form and 

Sculpted Cable collections. 

The complaint was filed in the New York Southern 

District federal court for infringement based on 

dilution of Yurman trade dress and violations of the 

state’s business law. 

Trade dress is a type of US trademark law that 

extends to the configuration (design and shape) 

of a product itself. If the overall image serves to 

distinguish the source of a product, or service from 

those of its competitors, one or more elements 

that make up the trade dress may satisfy the 

requirements for registration as a trademark. 

David Yurman sought an injunction against Mejuri 

for manufacturing products that “infringe” on the 

specified designs and demand the finished pieces 

be “melted down.” The company is also seeking 

redress for unspecified damages. 

Established in 1980, David Yurman operates 

33 US and 11 international stores. 

Mejuri is based in Toronto, Canada was founded 

in 2015 by Noura Sakkijha and focuses on 

millennial women looking to ‘self-purchase’ 

affordable jewellery. 

In 2019, venture capital firm New Enterprise 

Associates invested in the $US23 million Series 

B round for Mejuri, a startup capturing millennial 

women’s penchant for affordable and treat yo’ self 

type of jewelry rather than diamonds and precious 

stones for special occasions. 

A statement from David Yurman alleged that in 

2016 the company spent more than $US1.5 million 

($AU2.06 million) in marketing its Pure Form 

collection, while it spent more than $US5 million 

($AU6.88 million) in 2003 to promote the Sculpted 

Cable collection. To date, combined sales for both 

jewellery collections have exceeded $US235 million 

($AU323 million). 

In a statement, the company claimed Mejuri copied 

the designs and “caused customer confusion and 

damage the substantial goodwill that David Yurman 

has diligently built over four decades,” charging that 

the action makes Mejuri a “serial copycat.” 

“We celebrate the creativity of our peers in the 

industry who design their own jewellery, and we 

welcome competition from new and established 

designers alike,” Evan Yurman, president of David 

Yurman, said in a statement . 

“But we believe that competition should be 

fair, and unlawful copying is not good for the 

industry or its consumers, nor is it fair to our 

hardworking employees.” 

In an interview with JCK, a Mejuri spokesperson 

said the allegations “are categorically false and are 

fundamentally at odds with what we stand for and 

who we are as a brand.” 

“We look forward to demonstrating that [Yurman’s] 

accusations are entirely without merit and believe 

that there is enough space in our industry for 

artists and jewellery designers to coexist and thrive 

together without baseless attacks on one another,” 

the spokesperson added.

News 

Emerald-cut diamond ring sets new 

Australian auction record 

Auction house Leonard Joel claims to have set yet another Australian price 

record for a diamond ring. 

The record-breaking sale of a 20.05-carat diamond ring for $1.625 million, 

including buyer’s premium (IBP) edged out a 25.02-carat ring also sold by 

Leonard Joel in April 2021 for $1.25 million. 

The company celebrated 40 

years of jewellery in 2021 and 

capped off this celebration with 

the record-breaking sale of the 

magnificent solitaire diamond 

ring on 7 December 2021 during 

the final auction of the year. 

The record-breaking VVS2 

diamond was shown in 

Melbourne and Sydney. The 

emerald-cut stone is claw-set 

above a gallery pavé-set with 

brilliant-cut diamonds, flanked 

Record breaking VVS2 20.05-carat emerald-cut 

by trapezoid diamonds, mounted diamond ring sells for $1,625,000 at Leonard Joel. 

in platinum. 

It was sold to a local buyer and is said had fallen in love with the piece at the 

earlier viewing. 

Following these two stones is a 9.67-carat diamond and Argyle fancy pink 

diamond ring that sold for $725,000 IBP and a 17.34-carat diamond ring 

that sold for $575,000 IBP. It concludes 2021 with jewellery sales totaling of 

$9,787,750. 

32.32-carat pink diamond fetches $19m 

Multinational company Diacore has acquired an exceptional 32.32-carat 

pink rough diamond discovered at the Williamson mine in Tanzania for 

$US13.8 million ($AU19.06 million). The rough was part of the 26,000 carats 

from the mine’s first tender that was offered in Antwerp in November. 

According to Nir Livnat, 

chairman, Diacore, "This rare 

masterpiece of nature is a 

natural fit to our unique offering 

as cutters and marketeers of 

special diamonds." 

The stone was purchased from 

Petra Diamonds which operates 

the Williamson mine. It closed 

in April last year in compliance 

with COVID-19 lockdown 

guidelines, with operations 

expected to resume during the 

first quarter of 2022. 

The rare pink rough will be analysed and cut by 

the company's highly experienced team to bring 

out the beauty and best yield. 

Diacore has been specialising 

in rare colour diamonds and is 

known for purchasing some of the rarest stones, such as the 204.36-carat 

fancy intense yellow diamond called the Dancing Sun, early this year, 

which was reputed to be the largest polished diamond unearthed in North 

America. 

Among the other notable purchases of the company were the 203.04-carat 

De Beers Millennium Star and the 59.6-carat flawless Pink Star diamond.

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Breakthrough with ‘floating diamond’ invention 

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 

underside of the stone and does not impede light 

return or brilliance. 

The diamond is set on a high-tensile titanium 

alloy collet, which was found to be stronger than 

traditional settings based on independent tests. 

“Extensive independent testing against the 

ISO standard mimicked the scenario of a ring 

dropping repeatedly onto a hard wooden surface 

from one meter high,” Douglas said. 

“In a traditional setting, the diamond came loose 

after 298 drops, while the Floeting Diamond 

remained secure in its setting after several 

thousand drops.” 

Floeting Diamond pieces can hold stones between 

.20 to 100 carats and, in the future, may be developed 

for pear or oval gem shapes, as well as include 

sapphires and rubies. 

For the first time since 1886 when the standard sixclaw 

diamond setting technique was invented, the 

Floeting Diamond becomes a historical innovation 

for the international diamond jewellery industry. 

Douglas invested millions of dollars in the 

development of the ground-breaking technique and 

several test diamonds were destroyed throughout 

the process. 

“Secured in place using proprietary tiny laser-cut 

grooves around the underside of diamonds, Floeting 

Diamond jewellery uses only high-quality stones 

Australian jeweller celebrates five stores 

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 

“The pandemic was the hardest situation for staff 

to manage. In some cases we had police officers 

coming into the store giving staff a hard time about 

vaccination and check-in management, then other 

police would come in saying they don’t really care, 

they just wanted it to be over too! 

“So I wanted to celebrate their sacrifices and 

everything they have done throughout a difficult 

year and, at the same time, have a belated 

celebration of our first Sydney store given that not 

long after it opened NSW went into lockdown,” 

Curwood explained. 

The first Simon Curwood Jewellers store opened 

in 2016 at Charlestown, south of Newcastle, NSW. 

Curwood has been in the jewellery industry since a 

young boy. 

He worked on the bench for his father Christopher 

Curwood, who operated McCallum Gold in 

Ballarat, Victoria - one of Australia’s leading 

jewellery manufacturers – in the late 1970s and 

early 80s. The younger Curwood worked for the 

family business until he was 19 and left to join 

Harvey Norman, learning the art of successful 

to achieve the desired strength and appearance 

for its collection.” 

“We contacted one of the world’s leading diamond 

cutting companies based out of Israel and had an 

agreement with them to prototype and test this 

concept, and they absolutely ruined it. I paid for 

this batch of diamonds that just got butchered,” 

Douglas said. 

The journey was never easy, according to Douglas, 

who noted there were “heartbreaking” moments 

during the development stage when he was faced 

with a “massive bill”, especially when he was handed 

a “little box of cut and polished diamonds with the 

groove done completely incorrectly that had ruined 

their optical properties. So that got parked in the 

vault for a few years.” 

“It’s just been horrific. Ten years, trips around the 

world to everywhere you can imagine, talking to 

all sorts of people, these institutes, the testing 

costs, material itself,” he explained. 

“You can imagine having to test diamonds and 

things going wrong, we have literally blown 

diamonds apart.” 

After 20 years of rigorous testing, the Floeting 

Diamond became a reality and uses a speciallyengineered 

titanium alloy which was found to be 

20 times more impact tolerant and 10 times more 

durable than traditional diamond settings. 

Douglas said they are currently under scrutiny by 

industry rivals and added, “I think there’s probably a 

lot of people hoping that we’ll fail, but if we succeed 

they’ll be jumping on the bandwagon big time.” 

retailing for five years. 

“I missed the jewellery industry too much so I 

came back and worked for Michael Hill Jewellers 

for four years. But I always wanted to start my own 

business because I have always been passionate 

about high-quality jewellery made by independent 

craftspeople. 

“I set out with the aim of being an independent 

chain store – a business that sits between a single 

store quality jeweller and a large jewellery chain 

– bringing better quality jewellery to the mass 

market,” Curwood said. 

He believes he has had a good grounding 

to achieve his aim given that he learned the 

intricacies of fine jewellery production from his 

father from the age six. 

“I have been passionate about that and felt there was 

a niche for a multi-store retailer that focuses on highquality 

jewellery. More than 80 per cent of our entire 

business is custom-made jewellery,” he said. 

The 34-year old Curwood now employs around 

60 people and told Jeweller that he plans to open 

two new stores in 2022, “when the right locations 

become available”, one in Melbourne and one in 

Brisbane.

News 

Majority of engagement ring buyers shun online websites: study finds 

Despite the growth of specialist diamond jewellery 

websites, and the general increase in online 

shopping over the past two years, a new study has 

found 67 per cent of people who decided to marry 

purchased their engagement ring in-store, from a 

jewellery retailer. 

In addition, the 2021 Jewelry and Engagement 

Study – conducted by US-based digital wedding 

resource The Knot – found that about 50 per cent 

of the sales took place at local jewellers after the 

proposer visited 2-3 jewellery stores before making 

a purchase. 

The study concluded that engagement ring 

shoppers favoured visiting a jewellery store: “While 

online channels, such as social media and jewelry 

websites, continue to be the leading resource for 

ring research and inspiration, proposers value the 

importance of in-store shopping.” 

Diamonds are still the most preferred engagement 

stone, with moissanite catching up as a popular 

alternative and yellow gold making a comeback. 

"We're thrilled to see that proposals are returning 

to pre-pandemic behaviours. The majority of 

couples are already booking their weddings for 

2022, as the wedding boom is upon us,” Shelley 

Brown, senior fashion editor, The Knot said. She 

noted there has been a “renewed excitement” on 

proposals and the market has shown increased 

interest in custom engagement rings. 

According to Brown, “Oval diamonds, yellow 

gold settings and alternative centre stones like 

moissanite and sapphire are all gaining popularity, 

speaking to couples' increasing desire to invest in 

wedding traditions that represent their specific love 

story and personal taste.” 

The study revealed that 93 per cent of respondents 

exchanged engagement rings of which 83 per 

cent were diamond-set with an average size of 1.5 

carats, while one in four ring designs were more 

than 2 carats. 

Shape and setting were considered important 

features with round cut diamonds as the most 

popular at 41 percent, while oval cut diamonds 

have also seen an increase by 2 per cent in 2015 

to 19 per cent this year. However, ring size has 

become less important among respondents, 

according to the study. 

Of the 10 per cent of study respondents who 

chose non-diamond rings, 28 per cent preferred 

moissanite, which was also the most popular 

choice among Gen Z respondents (35 per cent). 

Sustainability awareness also became an 

emerging trend, where nearly one in four 

engagement rings were synthetic or lab-created 

stones, which indicated an increase by 11 per cent 

on the two-year difference when compared to the 

same study in 2019. 

Meanwhile, yellow gold engagement rings 

have become increasingly popular among 

study respondents while demand for white gold 

engagement rings has declined in recent years. 

From 61 percent in 2017, the demand for white 

gold decreased by 45 per cent this year. 

Overall, average spending on engagement rings 

for 2021 slightly increased to $US6,000 ($AU8,387) 

compared with 2019 pre-pandemic spending of 

$US5,900 ($AU8,247). 

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P: 03 9650 5955 | E: sales@millenniumchain.com.au 

www.millenniumchain.com.au

WORLD RANKINGS OF JEWELLERY 

INDUSTRY PUBLICATIONS 

As at 31 December 2021 Jeweller was ranked 54,878, in the world, 

well ahead of other jewellery industry titles in more populous 

countries. For example, the US magazines JCK, National Jeweler, 

and Instore ranked 82,055, 134,498, and 238,570 respectively, even 

though the population of the US is much larger than Australia. 

POSITION PUBLICATION COUNTRY 

WORLD 

RANKING 

1 Jeweller Australia 54,878 

2 JCK USA 82,055 

3 National Jeweler USA 134,498 

4 Instore Magazine USA 238,570 

5 Diamond World India 256,670 

6 Retail Jeweller India 269,464 

7 Jewellery Net Asia Hong Kong 307,988 

8 Professional Jeweller UK 580,385 

9 The Jewelry Magazine India 613,901 

10 Jewellery Outlook UK 692,146 

11 Jewellery Business Canada 745,214 

12 Art of Jewellery India 769,354 

Leaders and numbers 

have one thing in common... 

13 Jewellery World Australia 1,087,006 

14 Solitaire Magazine Singapore 1,142,751 

15 Indian Jeweller India 1,203,543 

16 Retail Jeweller Magazine UK 1,305,323 

17 Jewellery Focus UK 1,846,557 

18 Preziosa Magazine Italy 2,198,671 

19 The New Jeweller UAE / India 2,745,417 

Jeweller has been the leading voice of the Australian and New Zealand jewellery 

industries for 25 years, and today we rank #1 in the world. 

Alexa, the independent global ranking system for measuring website traffic and 

readership, now ranks jewellermagazine.com as the most widely read industry 

publication in the world – by far! 

Better still, the daily time spent on jewellermagazine.com averages 29 minutes, which 

far exceeds all other international publications, which average only 2–3 minutes per 

visitor. Moreover, our page views is miles ahead of all other industry publications. 

Moreover, Jeweller’s social media presence dominates and our eMags boast more 

than 12.3 million reads. 

The numbers speak for themselves - follow the leader, and follow the readers too! 

20 Canadian Jeweller Canada 3,726,881 

21 The Retail Jeweler USA 4,158,087 

22 Gold Book Magazine Turkey 4,942,352 

23 Jewellery Monthly UK 5,386,955 

24 Jewellers Network South Africa 6,005,766 

25 Bangkok Gems & Jewellery Thailand NO DATA 

26 Hong Kong Jewellery Magazine Hong Kong NO DATA 

27 Jewel Trendz India NO DATA 

28 Jewellery Time New Zealand NO DATA 

29 Solitaire International Singapore NO DATA 

POSITION 

TRADING PLATFORM / 

PUBLICATION 

COUNTRY 

WORLD 

RANKING 

1 Rapaport Magazine* USA 48,447 

2 Idex* Israel 84,120 


Denotes titles connected to diamond trading platforms / publication

NUMBER OF PAGES VIEWED BY READERS 

TIME SPENT ON JEWELLERY WEBSITES 

BOUNCE RATE / PAGE 'STICKINESS’ 

Page Views is the number of times a reader visits any page 

on a website. A higher Page View figure the better, because it 

means readers are more engaged in the content. Jeweller’s 

Page View count of 22 leads all websites while most others 

can only record a single Page View before the reader leaves. 

Time-on-Page is the average time a reader spends on a page 

while Time-On-Site is how long they spend on the site each 

day. Jeweller leads the world with a Daily Time of 29.6 minutes, 

while most other publications only manage 1-2 minutes. The 

more time spent on a website, the better the global ranking. 

The Bounce Rate measures the percentage of visits that 

consist of only a single page view. It indicates the percentage 

of readers that land on a website, and immediately leave 

(‘bounce off’) meaning a low bounce rate is optimal. Alexa 

records Jeweller’s Bounce Rate at less than 23 per cent. 

POSITION PUBLICATION COUNTRY PAGE VIEWS 


DAILY TIME 

(IN MINUTES) 


BOUNCE 

RATE 

1 Jeweller Australia 22.00 

2 Retail Jeweller India 9.00 

3 Jewellery Net Asia Hong Kong 3.60 

4 The Jewelry Magazine India 2.10 

5 Jewellery Business Canada 2.00 

6 Diamond World India 2.00 

7 Jewellery Focus UK 2.00 

8 Retail Jeweller Magazine UK 2.00 

9 Indian Jeweller India 2.00 

10 The New Jeweller UAE / India 2.00 

11 Canadian Jeweller Canada 2.00 

12 The Retail Jeweler USA 2.00 

13 Jewellery Outlook UK 1.80 

14 Instore Magazine USA 1.80 

15 National Jeweler USA 1.70 

16 JCK USA 1.70 

17 Professional Jeweller UK 1.50 

18 Art of Jewellery India 1.40 

19 Solitaire Magazine Singapore 1.00 

20 Jewellery World Australia 1.00 

21 Preziosa Magazine Italy 1.00 

22 Gold Book Magazine Turkey 1.00 

23 Jewellery Monthly UK 1.00 

24 Jewellers Network South Africa 1.00 






1 Jeweller Australia 29:60 

2 Retail Jeweller India 20:06 

3 National Jeweler USA 15:50 

4 Jewellery Business Canada 02:17 

5 Diamond World India 02:15 

6 Jewellery Outlook UK 02:11 

7 JCK USA 01:56 

8 Professional Jeweller UK 01:55 

9 Jewellery Focus UK 01:51 

10 Jewellery Net Asia Hong Kong 01:44 

11 The Jewelry Magazine India 01:43 

12 Instore Magazine USA 01:42 

13 Art of Jewellery India 01:38 

14 Retail Jeweller Magazine UK 01:11 

15 Solitaire Magazine Singapore 01:10 

16 Indian Jeweller India 00:54 

17 Jewellery World Australia 00:30 

18 Preziosa Magazine Italy NO DATA 

19 The New Jeweller UAE / India NO DATA 

20 Canadian Jeweller Canada NO DATA 

21 The Retail Jeweler USA NO DATA 

22 Gold Book Magazine Turkey NO DATA 

23 Jewellery Monthly UK NO DATA 

24 Jewellers Network South Africa NO DATA 






1 Jeweller Australia 22.80% 

2 Jewellery Net Asia Hong Kong 33.80% 

3 Retail Jeweller India 38.70% 

4 Professional Jeweller UK 50.00% 

5 Jewellery Outlook UK 52.00% 

6 Jewellery Business Canada 55.00% 

7 Art of Jewellery India 59.10% 

8 Indian Jeweller India 60.00% 

9 Diamond World India 61.50% 

10 The Jewelry Magazine India 63.60% 

11 Retail Jeweller Magazine UK 66.70% 

12 National Jeweler USA 68.30% 

13 Solitaire Magazine Singapore 70.00% 

14 JCK USA 72.70% 

15 Instore Magazine USA 73.40% 

16 Jewellery World Australia 92.30% 

17 Jewellery Focus UK NO DATA 

18 Preziosa Magazine Italy NO DATA 

19 The New Jeweller UAE / India NO DATA 

20 Canadian Jeweller Canada NO DATA 

21 The Retail Jeweler USA NO DATA 

22 Gold Book Magazine Turkey NO DATA 

23 Jewellery Monthly UK NO DATA 

24 Jewellers Network South Africa NO DATA 






POSITION 


PUBLICATION 

COUNTRY 

PAGE VIEWS 

POSITION 


PUBLICATION 

COUNTRY 

DAILY TIME 

(IN MINUTES) 

POSITION 


PUBLICATION 

COUNTRY 

BOUNCE 

RATE 

1 Idex* Israel 3.50 

2 Rapaport Magazine* USA 1.70 

1 Rapaport Magazine* USA 02:25 

2 Idex* Israel 02:19 

1 Rapaport Magazine* USA 60.60% 

2 Idex* Israel 75.80% 

All data collated as at 31 December 2021

A Tribute 

Laughter and legacy: 

tribute to Peter W Beck 

Australia lost a luminary of the jewellery industry 

in December when Peter Beck passed away. While 

the word ‘legend’ is bandied around all too often 

these days, in Peter’s case it is more than fitting. 

Born in 1945, he came from humble beginnings as the 

son of Lorna and William Beck, and attended Norwood 

Boys Technical College – now known as Marryatville 

High School – and from an early age he showed a love 

of sport, playing Rugby Union as a halfback. 

Peter loved fast cars, risky riding adventures on his 

motorbike, trips to trade shows and his dogs, however; 

the greatest of them all was his wife of 42 years Ann 

Beck, who sadly passed away before him in September, 

and with whom he started Peter W Beck Pty Ltd. 

Like most characters, Peter had many memorable 

monikers: Becks, Becky, Pee Bee (PB), and to his 

closest mates, “not a golfer's arsehole”. 

Before I’d even seen Peter, I heard him. Standing in 

Hong Kong’s famous Lan Kwai Fong laneway more 

than a decade ago, my eyes turned towards the roaring 

belly-laughter echoing from further up the hill. 

An industry colleague forewarned me: ‘What you 

heard now is Peter Beck. He’s a bit famous.’ 

Little did I know how famous! 

Wherever he went in the world, Peter was a 

charismatic Aussie industry icon and he did 

Australia proud. His unrestrained laughter would 

draw crowds and alert you to his arrival, but his 

warmth and integrity is what made you stay. 

From the very first greeting to our very last, every 

coffee and conversation with Peter was memorable. 

Anyone who has spent time with him will have 

experienced a ‘laughter hangover’, from his 

comments that were laced with equal parts 

wisdom and wise-crack! 

Peter was generous with his time, and despite a busy 

schedule, he’d always be present. He dedicated his life 

to building a business within the jewellery industry, for 

the jewellery industry. 

No one could possibly doubt Peter’s loyalty; he 

was fierce in his defence of everything he cared for, 

especially his dedication to Australian manufacturing 

and serving the needs of the local trade. 

Peter had little tolerance for imported jewellery 

seeing it as a blight on the local industry. While some 

may regard this as ‘old-fashioned’, it further fuelled 

his mission. Imports were just another challenge to 

overcome, and challenges were what PB enjoyed most. 

He was considered in everything he did. He chose 

carefully, and bravely, achieving many things in 

Australia before his competitors. He never lacked 

foresight or passion – traits that mark a true visionary. 

Peter fell in love with the jewellery industry while 

starting his career at Engelhard Industries in Adelaide. 

When it closed in the 1970s, he and his close friend 

Don Kearvel split the markets that Engelhard had 

covered, with Don focusing on industrial aspects and 

Peter on his passion: precious metals. 

Peter married Ann in 1979 and one evening 

proposed to her a simple plan: “We have $5,000 

in the bank. We can either a) buy a block of land 

or b) we can start a business”. 

We all look back on moments that appeared 

unimportant at that point in time, and decades 

later consider: “What if?” 

More than 40 years later, it’s astounding to consider 

what the Australian jewellery industry would be like 

today if Ann and Peter had chosen a) to buy a block 

of land. 

Where would we be today without their service 

and commitment? What would our industry look 

like if it had not been for Peter’s love of the 

Australian jewellery? 

It is true to say that ‘legend’ does not adequately 

describe PB, given his contribution over the decades. 

Indeed, the tributes below demonstrate the profound 

effect he had on many people's lives. 

Peter, you lived, you laughed and you loved. Your legacy 

and passion will continue to be a light unto our feet. 

Vale Peter W Beck! 

Angela Han 

Publisher 

28 | February 2022

Peter was the ultimate 

professional in our 

jewellery trade, and 

a true icon of our 

industry. In addition to 

always being the best 

dressed in the room, he 

always demonstrated 

an incredibly positive 

attitude in every 

situation. 

A pioneer, a real 

Australian, immersed 

in the success of the 

industry, fun and just 

a good bloke - that was 

Peter! His was a true 

Australian business 

that remained loyal 

to manufacturing and 

designing in Australia. 

Peter was a true friend, 

liked and respected 

by all in the jewellery 

trade. He was proud of 

the company he started 

and built to be a leader 

in his field, and also 

rightfully proud that 

he manufactured in 

Australia. Peter, I will 

miss you so much. 

Peter was an icon of 

our industry – always 

professional, positive 

and constructive. 

He was generous in 

his support for industry 

events, and for young 

people starting out in 

the trade. 

Peter was a true legend 

of the Australian 

jewellery industry. 

Personally, I always 

had a huge amount 

of respect for Peter. 

His signature laugh 

and larger than life 

personality will be 

deeply missed. 

Phil Edwards 

Duraflex Group Australia 

Gary Fitz-Roy 

Expertise Events 

Ted Pevy 

The Jewellery Centre 

Colin Pocklington 

Nationwide Jewellers 

Mark McAskill 

Mark McAskill Jewellery 

Peter was a fine and 

trustworthy gentleman, 

with the highest of 

ethics for business and 

people. Most of all I am 

proud to say he was 

my friend. 

Peter was a legend 

and always laughed 

at himself, and had 

that beautiful smile. 

We'll all miss him 

terribly as will the 

jewellery trade. 

Conversations with 

Peter were interesting, 

entertaining and 

enjoyable. Then there 

was the big smile while 

he quietly listened and 

nodded. I will miss my 

Mustang Mate! 

Peter's smile was 

infectious, he was the 

life of the party and 

always filled the room 

with his presence. 

Combined with his 

clever wit and charm, 

he was always ready 

to assist when asked. 

Peter was an 

unforgettable 

individual, genuine 

and encouraging 

with a strong 

commitment 

to the industry. 

Bruce R Rosewarne 

Heurs Jewellers 

Ross Paterson 

Paterson Fine Jewellery 

Ken Abbott 

Timesupply 

Josh Zarb 

IJC 

Rohan Milne 

Rohan Jewellers 


On The Market 

1 2 3 

4 

5 

FEBRUARY 

Product 

Spotlight 

Jeweller’s monthly compiled 

snapshot of the latest and greatest 

products to hit the market. 

6 7 

8 

1 STONES & SILVER Timeless and elegant this set from the Sealife collection is crafted in .925 sterling silver and features a shell motif with delicate freshwater pearls. 2 GERRIM Aptly named ‘The Temptress’ 

this 9-carat gold ring features a vibrant green amethyst centre stone, marquise chrome diopsides with white diamond accents. 3 PETER W BECK Dainty and stylish, adorned with shimmering diamonds, 

these versatile rings can be stacked, mixed and matched with other bands and worn as eternity, wedding, dress, or anniversary rings. 4 COEUR DE LION | Timesupply Perfect as a Valentine’s gift, uniquecut 

ruby red crystals are offset by semi-precious gemstones in this beautiful handmade set from Germany. 5 MARK MCASKILL Talon claws grasp a show-stopping blue Ceylon sapphire that is framed by a 

double halo of Australian Argyle pink and white diamonds in this statement-making Pink Caviar dress ring. Available in 18-carat white gold. 6 JK FINDINGS 16-inch long gold paperclip chain necklace with a 

2-inch extender is made of 14-carat yellow gold, with a bar that can be personalised by stamping or laser engraving. The bar measures 1mm thick with a dimension of 6.4mm by 31.75mm. 7 DESERT ROSE | 

Ellendale Diamonds Available in 18-carat white and rose gold, this scintillating double halo pear shaped ring features a 0.16 carat pear shaped Argyle pink diamond, framed by 0.13 carats of 6-7PP Argyle pink 

diamonds with a second halo of round brilliant white diamonds. 8 THOMAS SABO | Duraflex Group Rediscover the most iconic designs that formed the Thomas Sabo brand, and revisit glamour, rock and 

roll and nostalgia. DGA worked closely with Mr Sabo to exclusively relaunch the best-of-the-best jewellery designs into the Australian market for a limited time only.

S&S 

STONES& SILVER 

STERLING SILVER JEWELLERY 

Ph: +61 3 9587 1215 

stonesandsilver.com.au

10 Years Ago 

Time Machine: February 2012 

A snapshot of the industry events making headlines this time 10 years ago in Jeweller. 

Historic Headlines 

4 Consumers rank Pandora #2 for ‘luxury’ jewellery 

4 Australia’s $20 million, 12 carat pink diamond 

4 Professional gang targeting jewellery stores 

4 Roy King distributor now $1.3million in debt 

4 Death penalty surrounds opal dealer 

STILL RELEVANT 10 YEARS ON 

New Year jewellery resolutions 

The coming of the New Year is a 

perfect time for retailers to review their 

marketing strategies. Jewellers should 

clear their minds of everything but the 

financial data of the business and start by 

jotting down where they believe the new 

opportunities will be in the year ahead. 

READ ALL HEADLINES IN FULL ON 


Pandora drops 100 stores 

After a difficult 12 months where it saw weak 

international sales, Pandora has announced the 

closure of another 100 accounts in Australia and 

New Zealand. 

There is an element of déjà vu about the start of 

the new year for the Australian and New Zealand 

jewellery industries following Pandora announcing 

it will close around 100 wholesale accounts by the 

end of March. 

Pandora Australia President Karin Adcock 

announced the decision via email and letter to all 

Pandora retailers this morning, saying Pandora 

was looking to continue to grow its brand and 

needed to change its distribution strategy to do so. 

Sound familiar? It should, because just short 

of 12 months ago Pandora made a similar 

announcement, saying it would be closing 100 

accounts in an attempt to have greater control 

over the retail experience of the customers 

buying their product. 

Glamorous launch for new 

Thomas Sabo jewellery range 

A handful of special guests were on hand to 

welcome Thomas Sabo’s new jewellery range 

to Australia. 

Last month local and international stars were 

adorned in a variety of different pieces from 

the German fashion jeweller’s latest collection, 

‘Glam and Soul.’ 

The Polo Lounge at Sydney’s Oxford Hotel 

played host to the likes of David Campbell, 

Axle Whitehead and Elizabeth Hurley while 

Thomas Sabo’s international representative, 

Hanny Freund, made the trip to Sydney to 

launch the new collection. 

February 2012 

ON THE COVER Thomas Sabo 

Editor’s Desk 

412 words for 12 months: "I’d like to 

challenge you with 12 words: When was 

the last time you did something for the 

first time? 

I wish I could take credit for it but 

it comes from an Emirates airline 

television commercial, which had 

no voiceover and simply featured an 

elderly woman taking a helicopter ride 

before that powerful question is posed 

on screen and then ends with ‘Keep 

discovering’ 

I have always loved the ad, it’s marketing 

at its best, and it shows how a simple 

question can shake you to your core." 

Soapbox 

4 How much are you worth? : “I have 

once again found myself back ‘on the 

bench’, and immediately I find myself 

questioning the norms of the industry. 

What is a fair salary after all? 

Retailers need to ask themselves; 

are they prepared to invest money 

in quality bench jewellers by adding 

smaller margins to the customer, 

thereby allowing bench jewellers to 

charge reasonable rates for the skills 

and expertise which, in turn, will help 

the jewellery trade to grow? " 

– Dean Harrison, managing director, 

Alchemy Infusion Designs 

Millions stolen at global 

jewellery shows 

Two men were arrested for selling counterfeit 

jewellery at a US jewellery show while another 

exhibitor was robbed of nearly $US1 million in 

inventory. 

Federal agents arrested two men and seized 

approximately $US1 million (AUD$935,000) 

in counterfeit jewellery after receiving an 

anonymous tip from Homeland Security 

Investigations at the US Gem and Lapidary 

Wholesalers Show in Tucson, Arizona last week. 

The two men, vendors at the Tucson show, 

were charged with selling an estimated 

USD$1 million in replicated goods from 

companies including Tiffany & Co, Chanel, 

Gucci and Hermes. 

Ex-Pandora man to launch 

‘clicks & mortar’ stores 

Jeff Burnes, previously of Pandora Jewellery, 

will launch the first of 12 innovative jewellery 

stores this May. The new retailing concept 

will rely on world leading POS technology. 

Pandora Jewellery's former head of 

marketing and communications has formed 

Status (STA+US), a new concept store stocking 

a variety of international jewellery and watch 

brands including Guess, Skagen, Armani, 

Marc Jacobs, Diesel, and Thomas Sabo. 

Burnes identified the need to bridge the 

gap between bricks and clicks retailing and 

believes the new physical retailing concept 

can capitalise on the growing number of online 

shoppers and connect the two in a unique, 

multi-channel environment. 


Completing my Diploma in 

Gemmology has benefited 

me as a jeweller in more 

ways than I ever expected. 

I have always had an interest 

in gemstones and found 

the course was not only 

informative and challenging 

but immensely rewarding. 

Studying with the GAA has also 

allowed me to meet like-minded 

people from many facets of the 

jewellery industry and grants me access 

to resources that I will continue to use 

throughout my professional career. 

Emma Meakes FGAA 

Jeweller, John Miller Design - WA 

Diploma in 

Gemmology 

Enrolments now open 

For more information 

1300 436 338 

learn@gem.org.au 

www.gem.org.au 

Be 

Brilliant 

Gem-Ed Australia 

ADELAIDE BRISBANE HOBART MELBOURNE PERTH SYDNEY 

Passionately educating the industry, gem enthusiasts 

and consumers about gemstones

REVIEW 

Gems 

Part II: Synthetic Diamonds 

Above: Swarovski Created Diamonds 

With the success of growing gem-quality 

diamonds at a reasonable cost, the next 

step for the synthetic diamond industry was 

to achieve larger sizes, improve quality, and 

produce an array of colour options to offer 

consumers. 

Following production, synthetics are 

often assessed to determine treatment 

methods that will improve colour and 

achieve a higher price. 

These treatments are not exclusive to 

synthetic stones, low quality natural 

diamonds often undergo the same 

processes. 

The best course of action will depend 

on the characteristics of the diamond 

to begin with and the desired result. 

Though rare, it’s important to note that 

clarity enhancement has also been 

recorded in synthetic diamonds. 

Colour treatments, unlike clarity 

enhancement - a cosmetic treatment 

altering the appearance of the diamond - 

alter a diamond’s atomic lattice. 

Given colour is imparted by the defects 

present in the lattice, the goal of these 

treatments is to add defects, remove 

them, or a combination of both. 

One of the most common treatments 

that Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) 

synthetic diamonds undergo is High 

Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) 

treatment. CVDs are usually brownish in 

colour and therefore worth less than the 

colourless alternative. 

This colouring is a result of the much 

faster growth times of CVD synthetics 

compared to HPHT produced synthetics. 

When diamonds grow too quickly, 

dislocations happen in the lattice and 

these brown tones begin to appear. 

This is of no concern to the 

manufacturers, because HPHT treatment 

can take only minutes to perform. 

Growing stones faster then HPHT treating 

them to remove the brown will still result 

in a nice colourless diamond and is more 

cost effective than manufacturing the 

diamond at a slower pace. 

Altering the colour of CVD synthetics 

doesn’t end there – additional or 

alternative treatments can produce 

blues, pinks, yellows, and more. Again, 

the resultant colour will depend on the 

atomic structure and any defects present 

in the diamond to begin with. 

Yellow colouring like the ‘cape’ yellow 

colours seen in natural diamonds can 

also be produced with HPHT treatment. 

In other cases, following HPHT treatment 

with irradiation and low-temperature 

annealing can produce a range of pink, 

orangey-pink, purplish-pink, and even 

red hues. 

The colours produced can be beautiful 

and even similar to the colours of the 

rare Golconda-type natural, untreated 

pink diamonds. 

Post-growth irradiation alone can 

result in blue and blue-green hues. 

This irradiation treatment creates the 

same GR1 (general radiation 1) defect 

present in natural green and greenishblue 

coloured diamonds – a problem in 

itself for determining whether the origin 

of colour in a diamond is natural or 

introduced. 

How are 

synthetic 

diamonds 

coloured? 

PINK 

HPHT treatment 

and / or irradiation + 

annealing 

RED 



annealing 

GREEN 

Irradiation or nitrogen + 

boron together or nickel 

BLUE 

Irradiation or boron 

PURPLE 



annealing 

BROWN 

Dislocations 

YELLOW 

Nitrogen 

ORANGE 

Irradiation + annealing 

or nitrogen 

BLACK 

Inclusions or irradiation 

Unlike CVD synthetics that often owe 

their colouring to post-growth treatment, 

it’s more common for HPHT synthetic 

diamonds (that is, diamonds grown by 

the High Pressure High Temperature 

process) to be coloured ‘as-grown’. 

Steps such as removing or introducing 

nitrogen in the growth chamber itself 

can produce the desired colour in HPHTs, 

rather than treating the stone postgrowth. 

The pink, purplish-pink, and red colours 

seen in HPHT synthetic diamonds 

are induced by irradiation and lowtemperature 

annealing treatments 

post-growth. Green hues can also be 

a result of irradiation, though it is not 

always the cause. 

Given these diamonds are grown in a 

laboratory to begin with, there is less 

emphasis on determining whether colour 

in synthetic diamonds is ‘as-grown’ or 

introduced by further treatment, post 

manufacturing. 

On the other hand, determining the 

origin of colour (whether treated or 

natural) in natural diamonds can be one 

of the most difficult and important tasks 

gemmologists currently face. 

Mikaelah Egan FGAA Dip DT 

began her career in the industry at 

Diamonds of Distinction in 2015. She now 

balances her role at the Gemmological 

Association of Australia with studying 

geology at the University of Queensland. 

Visit instagram.com/mikaelah.egan 

For more information on gems and 

gemmology ,go to www.gem.org.au 


CELEBRATING 

Local Talent 

RED MANUKA 

'Pohutakawa' 

Necklace 

Metal: Sterling Silver 

with red ochre 

enamel accents 

Martyn Milligan 

Aotearoa, NZ 

Australia and New Zealand are not only home to some of the 

rarest gemstones in the world, but also the most talented jewellers. 

Jeweller showcases a tapestry of local masterpieces that have been 

meticulously crafted with great artisanship, right here on home soil 

Manufacturer of 

High Quality Findings 

Since 1975 

9K, 10K, 14K, & 18K Gold 

1/20 14K Gold Filled 

Sterling Silver 

TEL: 001.585.292.0770 

sales@jkfindings.com 

www.jkfindings.com 

NEIL ADCOCK 

DESIGN 

'Amber Glow' 

Ring 

Metals: 24-carat 

gold and titanium 

Gemstones: New 

Zealand amber 

Neil Adcock 

Aotearoa, NZ 

ADA HOGSON 

'Rosette' Rings 

Metals: Available 

in 9-carat yellow 

gold or 18-carat 

yellow gold 

Gemstones: 

Sapphires 

Ada Hogson 

Melbourne, VIC

BILL HICKS 

DESIGNS 

'Twisted Rose' Ring 

Metal: Available in 

platinum, 18ct white, 

yellow, or rose gold 

Gemstones: Diamonds 

Bill Hicks 

Sydney, NSW 

COLOUR IS 

EVERYTHING. 

BLACK & WHITE 

IS MORE. 

BETHAMY LINTON 

SILVERSMITH 

'Bloom' Series 

Metals: Handcut 

anodised titanium 

and sterling silver 

Bethamy Linton 

West Perth, WA 

HOLLY RYAN 

Meteor Pearl 

Double Drop 

Earrings 

Metal: Available in 9ct 

Yellow Gold, 18ct Gold 

Plated Sterling Silver, 

or Sterling Silver. 

Gemstone: 

Freshwater pearls 

Holly Ryan 

Sydney, NSW 

TOLL FREE 1800 GERRIM 

PO Box 3168 Yeronga 

Queensland 4104 

sales@gerrim.com 

www.gerrim.com 

FOLLOW US

2022 PARADIGM SHIFT 


THE YEAR OF THE 

GREAT 

Retail 

RESET 

While the harbingers of doom like to paint a dire picture of the future of retailing - aided 

by closed stores, empty shelves, lack of staff and economic instability – the wise note 

that, with great challenges come new opportunities. The pandemic may have simply 

catalysed a long-overdue ‘great retail reset’ which has helped savvy retailers rebirth.

2022 PARADIGM SHIFT | The Great Retail Reset 

There is no doubt that The Great 

Retail Reset is happening, and 

will continue for at least another 

12 months, or more. 

However, while it’s understandable that many 

small businesses, and specialist retailers will be 

wondering what the future holds, not everything 

caused by COVID should be viewed as adverse. 

During previous times of upheaval, such as 

recessions, world conflict and other pandemics, 

amongst all the turmoil, we usually discovered 

a few examples of The Law of Unintended 

Consequences. In addition, the old proverb every 

cloud has a silver lining rings true. 

From the outset, COVID-19 caused the flight 

to digital consumers all around the world – 

at least in the West – who were forced into 

online shopping as government restriction and 

lockdowns meant they could not visit stores. 

This had two impacts, the first: obvious, and the 

second could be described as an unintended 

consequence. Digital adoption across industries 

dramatically increased in the past two years 

because, for many, there was no other way to 

conduct business. 

In essence, it accelerated what was already 

in progress. However, for specialist retailers 

it fast-tracked investment in digital technology. 

Ironically, it accelerated the consumer’s use 

of online shopping, too - among people who 

had avoided it- or at least had not fully 

adopted the option. 

As consumers purchased household groceries 

and staples – because they had little choice 

– it helped instill confidence in ecommerce in 

non-essential categories. And with all this new 

activity the greatest unintended consequence 

came to the fore: people came to realise the 

importance of instore shopping. 

Perhaps it’s a human trait that we don’t 

appreciate things until they’re gone; something’s 

value is not realised until it is too late. The 

acceleration of ecommerce and online shopping 

caused by COVID-19, therefore, made people 

understand the importance of life’s little things. 

For retailers this was great news because for a 

decade or more the pundits have been saying 

physical stores would go the way of the dinosaur. 

The global pandemic showed that to be false, 

though it did cause businesspeople to reevaluate 

the importance of their digital offerings. 

Indeed, one feeds off the other and vice versa. 

Jewellers also learned that it can be one thing 

to have a website, but it’s another thing entirely 

to be found by the consumer. Digital acceleration 

meant they needed to work harder on their 

technology and website. For many, without 

shoppers entering their physical store, they 

found their online presence wanting. 

It’s akin to having a jewellery store in a back 

laneway, rather than on the high street. 

Perhaps it’s a human trait that 

we don’t appreciate things until 

they’re gone; something’s value 

is not realised until it is too late. 

The acceleration of ecommerce 

and online shopping caused by 

COVID-19, therefore, made people 

understand the importance 

of life’s little things. 

The next example on The Law of Unintended 

Consequences – shock to loyalty - arrived 

holding the hand of digital acceleration. They 

are effectively two sides of the same coin. 

What might have been called ‘normal consumer 

behaviour’ changed as people discarded their 

loyalty to specific brands and stores. 

True, some of this was forced upon them when 

international supply-chains were affected. That 

is, when consumers couldn’t find their preferred 

product or shop at their favourite store, they 

looked elsewhere, thereby quickening the shock 

to loyalty. 

This is both a blessing in disguise and 

damnation; you can be more easily introduced to 

new customers while losing existing business. 

Therefore, The Great Retail Reset will mean that 

greater focus will be placed on maintaining longterm 

customers. 

The pandemic brought to the fore a new 

consumer: the homebody. Prior to COVID, the 

homebody represented a group of people - 

largely Millennials - who are said to spend all 

their time at home because they can’t afford to 

do much more. The homebody economy thrived 

during COVID because people worked and 

shopped from home. 

Their spending reflected a shift, with more 

people being forced to be homebodies spending 

money on at-home activities and small luxuries. 

Many workers not only enjoyed this new way of 

life, they wanted it to continue. 

This has had a huge impact on CBD retailers 

who rely on office workers, however, it has 

been a boon for suburban businesses as they 

found new customers working from home 

during the day. 

Every debit has a credit! 

Of course, not all retailers survived the 

pandemic. It’s difficult to accurately gauge how 

many businesses have closed because of COVID, 

but it’s fair to say it will be in the thousands. 

It is also fair to say that the pandemic caused 

landlords to genuinely consider The Great 

Retail Reset too, when stores could not pay 

rent because they were banned from opening. 

This created a more balanced approach to 

new discussions (read: ‘debate’) on more 

appropriate (read: ‘reasonable’) rents and 

tenancy costs. If governments were forced to 

step in with legislation to safeguard against 

landlords abusing the situation, then you knew 

it was serious. 

Therefore, another unintended consequence 

could be a huge benefit to retailers as landlords 

appreciate their customer, signifying another 

side of The Great Retail Reset. 

The points above are just a few of the lessons 

that we have learned since January 2020 - there 

are many others, see David Brown’s (below) – 

however; for retailers the two most important 

changes might seem diametrically opposed but 

they reinforce the importance of the other. 

The Great Retail Reset takes place with the 

knowledge that: 1) Buyers and sellers alike 

befriended technology and there’s no going 

back and 2) humans are social creatures. 


The Great Retail Reset | 2022 PARADIGM SHIFT 

The importance of resetting in 2022 

Resetting seems to have become the buzzword in the past 18 months. DAVID BROWN says everything from COVID-19 

to the economy is spoken about as the opportunity to flick the switch on the wall and boot things back up again. 

Whether it’s in your personal life or 

business life, recent times may have 

caused you to rethink your priorities. 

The purpose of this column is not to 

focus on your personal priorities but 

those of your business. 

Are you engaging your business activities 

in an area that will provide you with what 

you want – both in terms of satisfaction 

and financial rewards? 

If not, then in which areas do you need 

to clean the hard drive and relaunch the 

applications, so to speak? 

As I often point out, many of our 

business practices grow haphazardly 

and happen without planning and it pays 

to re-evaluate whether these practices 

are achieving what is intended or, 

indeed, if they are even needed at all. 

When undertaking a review, it pays 

to focus carefully on the following 

key areas. 

Who are your preferred customers? 

This question differs from ‘who are 

your customers’ because it doesn’t 

assume you are currently attracting the 

customers you want – with no disrespect 

to your existing customer base. 

Who are you aiming to attract? What 

is the demographic and profile of your 

typical customer? 

The more clearly you can see your ideal 

customer, the more likely you are to 

attract them. 

The more carefully defined your target 

market, the more likely they will hear 

what you have to say. 

Consumers are inundated with 

thousands of messages every day from 

hundreds of business entities. 

If you’re not speaking specifically to your 

ideal customer and their current needs, 

you will be drowned out by those who do. 

Where are your opportunities? 

What are the best opportunities for 

your business in the future? Is it where 

you are currently concentrated? What 

new opportunities are opening in your 

region or market for which you can take 

advantage? Who could you be working 

with to expand your business? 

Many other businesses already have the 

customers you may want to appeal to. 

For example, before newlyweds buy 

their wedding rings, they have probably 

booked their photographer. 

What can you do to build a relationship 

and a win/win with that photographer? 

In what similar situations can you 

develop your relationships? 

Who is your competition? 

Your competitive threats are not only 

from your local jewellery competitor. In 

fact, increasingly your major competitor 

could be from other businesses who 

don’t even operate in your country. 

Anyone who aims to take dollars from 

your clientele is a threat to you. 

In today’s business environment stores 

face competition, not only from other 

jewellers and even other retailers, 

but from the online world and the 

‘experiences’ industry. 

Social media has seen huge growth in 

people wanting to show what they have 

done, as much as what they have got. 

The travel industry, restaurants and 

other activities have suffered greatly in 

recent times and many jewellers have 

benefitted from their loss as consumers 

spend their money on other luxuries. 

However, this situation won’t continue 

indefinitely and you need to prepare for 

K E Y TA K E AWAYS 

Ready 

to Reset 

It's easy to let 

business processes 

get out of control. 

Taking too long 

to do things? It 

pays to re-evaluate 

whether some 

practices are 

needed at all. 

It's a glocal world. 

Increasingly your 

major competitor 

could be from other 

businesses who 

don’t even operate 

in the same 

country as yours! 

If your message 

or vision isn't 

clear, then your 

customers will 

flock to your 

competitors who 

can communicate 

their message 

more effectively. 

If you're losing 

momentum and 

revenue, ask 

yourself: what new 

opportunities and 

markets are there 

to take advantage? 

Expand your key 

players! Who could 

you be working 

with to expand 

or redirect your 

business? 

a resumption of normal activity if they 

haven’t happened already. 

What processes need improving? 

Are your management systems 

suitable for your current business 

needs, or did they ‘come about’ by 

chance? When did you last undertake 

a review? Do you have processes 

and/or procedures that can be 

improved or eliminated altogether? 

What are the current threats to 

your livelihood? 

I recently became aware of a successful 

retail business on the edge of a town 

that had a busy road passing in front 

of their store. 

The authorities decided to replace the 

road with a motorway that took two 

years to build, and the business was 

ruined practically overnight. 

Not all problems can be foreseen but 

where we are aware of threats, we need 

to be proactive about how we will deal 

with them. 

What staff do you need? 

Much like your systems, your 

staffing requirements can 

increase of their own accord. 

Not only do you need to consider 

the number of staff, but the skill 

set they require. 

The roles you require filled don’t always 

match your current staff and the skills 

that they have. 

It’s important to review your staffing 

requirements and the performance of 

the keys players you have in each role. 

If you want to increase diamond 

sales and you don’t have the staff 

with the skills to do this, you will 

be facing issues. 


2022 PARADIGM SHIFT | The Great Retail Reset 

Retaining staff during the Great Resignation 

In periods of great upheaval, the Law of Unintended Consequences comes into play. Few people would 

have predicted the problems businesses are having retaining and finding staff, writes DAVID BROWN. 

Much has been made about the 

changing nature of employment 

since COVID-19 and the pandemic 

impacted our lives. 

Many people, in the face of changing 

circumstances and government 

payments, are re-evaluating their 

priorities and where they want to work, 

or even whether they want to work, at all. 

Many have opted to take early 

retirement; others have resigned 

when faced with compulsory vaccine 

requirements. 

This has had an impact on finding staff 

across many industries – from truck 

driving to café workers, and the retail 

industry is no exception to this. 

The Great Resignation is perhaps less 

about resignations as much as it reflects 

workers moving into areas that provide 

more pay opportunities. 

But either way, it presents greater 

challenges for small businesses looking 

to attract and retain quality employees. 

In periods such as this, staff churn can 

and will increase. 

Employee change costs such as paying 

out holidays, running recruitment 

advertisements or using an employment 

agency, and lost productivity while new 

staff are ‘nursed’ up to speed, can all 

cost a business thousands of dollars that 

can often be avoided. 

So, the questions are: how do we keep 

our existing employees happy so they 

don’t go, and how do we attract the best 

quality replacements in a competitive 

marketplace when we do have to hire? 

Here are a few suggestions on making 

this process more successful for you. 

1. Compensation: Let’s start with the 

elephant in the room. 

Not offering a competitive salary in 

the current climate will have a greater 

impact than in the past. 

Inflation is a new reality and staff will 

become increasingly frustrated with 

rising costs if their personal income 

doesn’t at least keep pace. 

This doesn’t mean that wage 

negotiations should be open slather, but 

you need to at least be sure you reflect 

market rates. 

2. Work environment: One of the largest 

factors that decide whether staff staying 

with your business - or leave - is the 

work environment. 

If there is continual conflict and tension, 

you’ll find many staff heading for the 

door. 

Effective communication and responding 

quickly to issues will help ensure that 

minor disagreements don’t turn into 

major problems later. 

3. Flexibility: More and more staff are 

seeking a lifestyle element to their jobs. 

Employment that provides this will 

tick a lot of boxes for staff members 

and ensure longer-term employee 

satisfaction. 

4. Leadership: In the 1995 movie An 

American President, Michael J Fox’s 

character unleashes at the President 

(played by Michael Douglas) “People 

want leadership Mr. President. They are 

so thirsty for it they’ll crawl through the 

desert towards a mirage, and when they 

discover there is no water, they will 

drink the sand.” 

Most people want 

clear, concise, 

and decisive 

direction yet 

it’s a quality 

CONSIDER THIS 

Time for 

Change 

Many people 

are re-evaluating 

their priorities 

and where they 

want to work 

– some seek seachange 

and others 

want to explore 

other options 

Ask yourself: 

how do we keep 

our key existing 

employees happy 

so they don’t leave? 

The Great 

Resignation is less 

about resignations 

but more about 

workers moving 

into areas that 

provide more 

pay or different 

opportunities 

All staff have 

different priorities 

and there is no 

one-size-fitsall 

solution to 

keeping or hiring 

staff. Don't take it 

personally! 

If staff leave, take it 

as an opportunity 

to implement 

new processes 

and seek talent 

that can take your 

business to new 

heights. 

that seems to be in 

short supply. 

According to Inc.com 

only 10 per cent of 

people are natural 

leaders however, 

those organisations 

with strong 

leadership achieve 

earnings of 147 per 

cent higher per share 

than their competitors. 

If you are one of the 10 per cent then you 

possess a unique ability to attract and 

retain staff. If not, then it is a skill that can 

be learned and used effectively. 

5. Career paths: For younger staff, 

an opportunity to progress can be a 

significant factor in joining or staying with 

a business. Have you outlined to your staff 

how they can advance in your business? 

Do you discuss opportunities with them 

regularly? 

A friend’s son currently works for a 

cutting-edge tech company that exposes 

him to a state-of-the-art environment, 

that includes an onsite gaming area in 

addition to regular work retreats to 

luxury destinations. Moreover, he has 

the opportunity to be mentored by a 

billionaire business owner. 

However, despite these conditions he’s 

ready to leave because four years in the 

role and he’s still doing the same tasks. 

All staff have different priorities and there 

is no one-size-fits-all solution to keeping 

or hiring staff. 

It’s important that you take the time to 

determine the individual needs of each 

person and attempt to cater to what 

keeps them happy. It will be worth the 

investment in time and energy. 


The Great Retail Reset | 2022 PARADIGM SHIFT 

TRACK YOUR PRODUCTIVITY 

THE ULTIMATE RETAIL RESET 

CHECKLIST 

Sales 

Remove your holiday social media campaigns – it's a good time 

to switch from Christmas to Valentine's Day promotions. 

Review your customer database to identify upcoming 

celebrations such as birthdays and anniversaries and contact 

customers who will be planning to buy gifts. 

Pick up post-holiday sales by offering free shipping or 

promote a delivery service for repairs and custom design. 

Send out 'Let's resize that!' promotions for customers that 

may need to resize a gift that doesn't fit. 

Increase repair business through text messaging – ask customers 

to text you pictures of jobs that need to be done or prongs that 

need to be retipped. 

Offer new year jewellery cleaning to encourage foot traffic. 

Send out reminders to have valuations updated. 

Call customers to collect completed repairs and makes 

Inventory 

Clean and polish stock that has been tried on through the 

busy holiday trading period. 

Revamp your visual merchandising. 

Remove holiday promotions instore and online. 

Review gold and diamond prices and adjust your pricing 

accordingly 

Perform a full stocktake, identifying bestsellers and 

bread-and-butter products. 

Create a list of required stock that needs to be reordered 

and set a budget. 

Research brands that you would like to carry – this will 

refocus you towards your business’ future. 

Look up the hottest new trends so that you can review and 

reimagine your existing stock 

Remove any discontinued or out-of-stock products on your 

website. 

Double-check inventory and make sure stock information 

and number is up-to-date on the website. 

Operations & Housekeeping 

Tighten your cybersecurity! Seek professional advice on how to 

secure your network and ecommerce platforms to avoid your 

system being compromised. Private information and credit card 

details must always remain on a secure server. 

Review the store's procedural manuals and policies. See where 

you need to cut processes or add more security in the New Year to 

ensure you and your staff can run the business most efficiently. 

OPERATIONS & HOUSEKEEPING CONTINUED... 

Thoroughly sanitise store in accordance with COVID-19 prevention 

procedures and review hygiene and sanitation policies with staff. 

Review store security – if closing, enact procedures to 

deter thieves such as setting lights to turn on intermittently. 

Prepare and conduct a post-holiday sales staff performance 

review and reward those who kicked goals. 

Review last year's budgets and set monthly targets ahead of time. 

Take time to review where you need to reduce overheads and 

prepare a wishlist of where you want to increase your spend 

this year (i.e. new talent, website or marketing) 

Create a list of business goals you want to achieve and draw 

up a timeline to help set measurable milestones 

Marketing & Web Presence 

Update all relevant information on your website, expire old 

marketing campaigns and check for dead links. 

Refresh the Homepage with new images – New Year, new trends! 

Ensure you are equipped for online customer service with the 

right plugins and automated messages. 

Review your online privacy terms and policies and consider any 

new regulations. Also update copyright dates across all pages. 

Standardise product images and take new photos to ensure your 

online showroom or catalogue looks enticing. 

Update your social media accounts with a number of fresh 

products to keep up post-holiday momentum 

Create a monthly Best Sellers list and curate special jewellery 

for any upcoming promotions 

Plan to gather customer feedback post-holidays. Set up surveys 

online, review web traffic monitoring and pick up the phone! 

Collect insights for next year's ads and begin making notes on 

how you will execute your next bigholiday campaign 

Make a monthly marketing calendar and ensure that you have 

at least one special promotion a month and plan for milestone 

dates. Even if it’s modest, ensure you are still reaching your regular 

shoppers and new potential customers. 

Review your pop-ups and update offers accordingly to grow your 

mailing list. 

Plan ahead and make a list of create time-sensitive offers and 

take advantage of using QR codes to push promotions. 

Create a content plan: research topics you want to communicate 

with your customers and potential new shoppers, and build a 

content strategy focused on your strongest areas. 

Update product descriptions and enter as much detail as you can 

for each item to optimise it for SEO – you want to be found on those 

Google searches! 


THE GREAT RETAIL RESET 

Buying Groups Report 

Valuable lessons from the pandemic 

Much has been written about the impact of the global pandemic as well as the damage caused on businesses 

which, of course, then flowed through to people’s personal lives. And while the focus on the negative is 

important, what has often been lost is positive and beneficial examples of humam endeavour. 

While Australia’s jewellery buying groups 

are businesses in their own right, they 

are in a unique position because they 

each have many members that, while technically 

clients, are seen as part of a large family. 

The groups, therefore, were not only on the business 

coalface of COVID-19, but they have seen first-hand the 

impact on people’s personal lives. 

It also meant the groups witnessed the wonders of the 

human spirit and discovered that in periods of turmoil 

we can surprise each other. 

“One of the most pleasantly surprising things we’ve 

learned is that the concept of ‘local supports local’ 

is very much alive and well in Australian and New 

Zealand communities,” Jorge Joaquim, CFO 

Showcase Jewellers says. 

“Like most people when the pandemic first unfolded, our 

head office team was initially apprehensive about what 

the future would hold for our business and personal lives, 

but we’ve found that in the uncertain climate surrounding 

global transactions, consumers have fallen back into 

a more traditional approach to spending, trusting and 

supporting their local jewellers as opposed to looking 

overseas to make a purchase,” he adds. 

Josh Zarb CEO Independent Jewellers Collective (IJC) 

also notes the hardiness and how people worked together. 

“I think the resilience of stores shone through for me and I 

am so proud to see how far many of our stores have grown 

their business despite all the uncertainty. The extended 

lockdowns were not fun for anyone, we don’t have a large 

number of stores in CBD locations so overall as a group, 

we still had a very strong year [2021] of trade,” Zarb says. 

Claire Packett, head of category – jewellery at Leading 

Edge echoes Zarb’s observation: “People’s resilience and 

adaptability, in general, have been amazing. The past two 

years have been a rollercoaster of good and bad times, 

and our members have been able to ride the waves 

through this period of time.” 

“Everyone is exhausted at the sheer effort that the past 

PL A NNING FOR WA RD 

Head Priorities 

Colin Pocklington 


“From late 2020, the demand 

for custom design/manufacture 

was particularly strong. Both 

diamond jewellery and gold and 

non-stone set jewellery were up 

100 per cent on 2019 figures.” 

Josh Zarb 

IJC 

“I think the resilience of stores 

shone through for me and I am so 

proud to see how far many of our 

stores have grown their business 

despite all the uncertainty. 

The extended lockdowns 

were not fun for anyone.” 

Jorge Joaquim 

Showcase Jewellers 

“One of the most pleasantly 

surprising things we’ve learned 

is that the concept of ‘local 

supports local’ is very much alive 

and well in Australian and New 

Zealand communities.” 

year has required to keep up with almost daily changes in 

rules and regulations, and now just keeping the doors open 

with staff shortages is the next challenge. Yet everyone has 

maintained their sense of humour and is now planning for 

a brighter future.” 

Apart from the spirit and resilience of members, many 

other things caught people by surprise. 

According to Colin Pocklington managing director 

Nationwide Jewellers, the substantial growth in 

jewellery sales from late 2020 through to June 2021 

“was very surprising”. 

“A lot of the money that consumers would normally 

spend on overseas trips was clearly being diverted to 

discretionary products such as jewellery. From late 

2020, the demand for custom design/manufacture was 

particularly strong. Both diamond jewellery and gold and 

non-stone set jewellery were up 100 per cent on 2019 

figures,” Pocklington says. 

Some of this can be explained by a strong trend throughout 

government restrictions and lockdowns. Nicola Adams, 

COO Showcase Jewellers agrees that “local jewellers 

seemed to be rediscovered for their skill and quality 

products, especially with regard to custom pieces, and 

customers were happy to pay a higher price point for a 

better, local product.” 

According to Adams, Showcase staff were pleasantly 

surprised with the nationalist approach to spending, and 

the support of each other, adopted by many Australian 

and New Zealand communities last year. 

“In a time with ongoing restrictions on travel and 

recreational activities, it seems consumers’ discretionary 

income allowances refocused on retail spending rather 

than investing in experiences,” Adams says. 

However, while the ‘Aussie spirit’ shone through during the 

tough times it should not be forgotten that not everyone 

coped well. 

Erin Keller, membership manager Nationwide explains, 

“Having survived the 2020 lockdowns, most retailers 

weren’t expecting the additional and longer lockdowns 

in 2021. The impacts of these lockdowns on businesses 

and stress levels were profound. Recognising this, 


The Great Retail Reset | BUYING GROUPS REPORT 

PL A NNING FOR WA RD 

Head Priorities 

our management team provided additional support by 

personally checking in with over 200 impacted members.” 

Lesson learned 

A great many lessons have been learned since the early 

days of COVID. Indeed, many simply accelerated the pace 

of change that was happening ‘organically’ before the 

pandemic, while others are new insights into the future 

of retailing. 

Pocklington says the most valuable lesson his group 

learned is to be flexible, innovative, and supportive. 

“With the COVID-related cancellation of physical events 

such as conferences and trade fairs, we have learnt to 

adapt by running highly successful virtual events. These 

events incorporated a strong educational program, and 

merchandise offers from our preferred suppliers.” 

He also believes members had time to review benefits 

the group offered and which members might not have 

previously used. 

“Many more members utilised and now have a greater 

knowledge of the wide range of industry-specific free 

support services and expertise that we provide, thanks 

to our COVID webinar series.” 

Zarb says, “The follow-on effects from COVID and 

lockdowns have forever changed the way many of us look 

at our overall business models. As a buying group, our life 

is interaction and communication and until early 2020 we 

had never used Zoom as a communication tool, now we 

don’t know how we ever lived without it. 

“We are fortunate to have quite a young and progressive 

management team however; our members all have varying 

levels of experience in digital communication, but overall, 

I think they have also learned to use new software such 

as Zoom in their own business since the pandemic. Not 

only to interact with us at the head office but to conduct 

interviews for new staff and to interact with clients for 

designs and remakes, as well,” he adds. 

Packett says that resilience and adaptability are 

paramount to being able to survive and thrive. 

“The convenience of online [transactions] has certainly 

grown [during the pandemic] as more and more people 

were pushed to shop this way during the pandemic. The 

e-commerce boom has also been matched by growth in 

omni-channel market tactics to attract new customers. 

“All of this has made it particularly challenging for small, 

independent retailers reliant on foot traffic to help 

generate brand awareness, and with limited resources, 

capabilities, and budget to compete with larger stores 

to drive awareness online. For small retail businesses 

to survive and thrive, and retain the diversity of our main 

streets, we have learned the importance of being clearly 

visible and discoverable online, now more than ever before." 

Claire Packett 

Leading Edge Group 

“People’s resilience and 

adaptability, in general, have been 

amazing. The past two years have 

been a rollercoaster of good and 

bad times, and our members 

have been able to ride the waves 

through this period of time” 

Glen Pocklington 


“We are working on a cloudbased 

design solution that 

provides the ability to undertake 

significantly more manufacturing 

jobs. Following several years of 

research and development, we 

are planning to launch this new 

resource mid-year.” 

Nicola Adams 

Showcase Jewellers 

“Some of our members have 

utilised our website services 

to create a digital commerce 

platform … while others have 

increased their digital presence 

on social as a means of 

facilitating online awareness.” 

Erin Keller 

Nationwide Jeweller 

“The impacts of these lockdowns 

on businesses and stress levels 

were profound. Recognising this, 

our management team provided 

additional support by personally 

checking in with over 200 

impacted members.” 

Two-way street 

The groups also found that members were supporting each 

other, offering tips and advice during a period where the 

rules changed on a daily basis. 

“Our closed Facebook networking group provided focus 

for some during these difficult trading conditions and 

allowed members to support each other through some 

challenging times. With 306 members across Australia 

and New Zealand in the Facebook group, there is a huge 

amount of industry-specific knowledge being shared 

every day,” Keller says. 

Adaption became a keyword throughout 2020 and 2021. 

“Navigating a pandemic with lockdowns and restrictions 

that directly impacted the business operations of the 

Showcase head office and Showcase stores has meant 

many adaptations over time, including implementing 

working from home arrangements for our staff and 

increasing digital access for our members,” Adams says. 

“Some of our members have utilised our website 

services to create a digital commerce platform as a 

means to navigate unpredictable in-store operations 

over the past two years, while others have increased 

their digital presence on social as a means of facilitating 

online awareness until in-store operations were once 

again steady.” 

Nationwide general manager Glen Pocklington echoes 

these observations: “We found that where possible, our 

members continued to trade during lockdowns via their 

websites and social pages with Click and Collect options. 

Quite a few members were highly successful with digital 

promotions, utilising social media platforms like Facebook 

and Instagram. 

“Many shared their success stories on the Nationwide 

discussion/networking group, offering inspiration and 

support to others during these difficult trading conditions” 

Glen also points to a continuing strong trend: “It is clear 

that the growth and demand for custom-designed jewellery 

are not going to abate, and one of the challenges for 

jewellers over the next 12 months will be how to take on 

more business, with existing manpower and resources. 

“We are working on a cloud-based design solution that 

provides the ability to undertake significantly more 

manufacturing jobs. Following several years of research 

and development, we are planning to launch this new 

resource mid-year.” 

Perhaps the most important business lesson learned 

from the pandemic is that while strength in numbers is 

a great start, it means little without loyalty, and while it 

can be hard to find, it has shone through the jewellery 

industry for two years. 


SUPPORT SERVICES FOR 

INDEPENDENT JEWELLERS 

• Marketing • networking • Business Planning 

no fees 

ever! 

• education • COST SAVINGS • expert advice 

“We guarantee that you will be financially better with Nationwide” 

Colin Pocklington, Managing Director 

• Retain your independence and individuality 

• Access to local and international suppliers 

• Comprehensive industry knowledge and support 

• Completely for free! - Let us show you what we can do 

the largest network with over 450 jewellery stores 

P: +61 2 9418 0000 E: info@jgbs.com www.jgbs.com


WHAT'S IN STORE 

GROUP STRENGTH DURING THE PANDEMIC; 

REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES 

If there was ever going to be a time that the value of being a member of a buying group was on 

display, then COVID-19 was it. One of the main reasons for joining a group is strength in numbers. 

Jeweller asked the groups to provide examples of how they helped specific members, and how 

members benefited in the past two years of the pandemic.. 

We have provided more than 100 members with personalised email 

responses to their landlords who were reluctant to provide the correct 

rent relief under the code issued by the National Cabinet. 

In fact, we recently had a member whose lease expired during the rent 

relief period, and the landlord required them to enter into a new lease at 

a higher rental. We provided a letter, with references to the appropriate 

sections of the legislation, pointing out that the existing lease term had 

been automatically extended by the number of months of rent deferral. 

With varying compliance issues from each state and country, we have 

guided members with significant HR concerns and assisted in resolving 

these situations. 

The impact of COVID reduced a few members from breakeven trading 

levels to a loss situation. Using our industry-specific trading and 

benchmarking system, we identified that the best course of action for 

this member was to close the business and move to a more profitable 

location. We also provided free support and advice for this member 

and helped establish the new store location with free marketing and 

promotional assistance. 

One of our newer members who weren’t able to travel to Antwerp 

because of COVID was still able to participate in our Antwerp Diamond 

Broker program ‘virtually’. They were successful in pre-selling more 

than $40,000 of Antwerp diamonds and also achieved a significant 

increase in their overall diamond sales, which they would not have 

been able to achieve otherwise. 

Our marketing team provided several members with free marketing 

material for their stores and digital platforms, providing advantageous 

promotion for the business during these difficult times. This included 

our Powerpoint customer presentation on ‘The Path of Diamonds’, to 

assist our members in establishing themselves as the expert on 

diamonds within their community. 

SHOWCASE 

SHOWCASE 

JEWELLERS 

We’ve distributed approximately $3 million in cash flow to members 

over the past two years to support Showcase stores amidst the 

challenges of operating a small business during a pandemicinduced 

economic downturn. 

Some of our members have experienced struggles related to rent 

negotiations and reductions made necessary from lockdown effects on 

business operations. Showcase has been involved in this process with 

several members, bringing about a positive outcome in many cases. 

We are thrilled to see our members’ businesses not only survive but 

prosper in these unprecedented times, with many members recording 

some of their strongest growth in many years despite the pressures 

presented by restrictions and lockdowns. 

Over the past two years, we have brought stores together via 

clever communication and have hosted monthly Zoom sessions 

from ‘day one’ of the pandemic. 

Industry experts were introduced to the group relevant 

to what was happening in the industry at the time. 

We then recorded the sessions and sent them to all stores as a video 

record with notes and attachments and we have also conducted staff 

interviews for stores and sat in as advisors on many aspects of their 

business. 

IJC subscribes to several retail management networks and have 

provided our stores with key updates during every phase of the 

pandemic and introduced experts in leasing, marketing, customer 

journey and HR to assist stores. 

We also work closely with members ‘behind the scenes’ to review 

their expenses, overheads and stock-ranging and are continuously 

assisting them to maintain a healthy bottom line. 

We produced several marketing campaigns for the stores to use as 

they see fit and we have a very strong digital marketing team, that 

have set up all stores with eCommerce, Social Media support and 

Database Communication strategies. 

One of the biggest challenges during the pandemic has been supply and 

delivery issues. Leading Edge has been able to use our stock warehouse 

to support members over the past two years when required. 

Consignment stock always helps when cash is a little scarce, so this 

has been a great benefit for some of our members to alleviate some 

of the pressure. 

We have had the ability to draw advice and experience from many different 

retail categories and deliver savings and opportunities to members, which 

can’t be found elsewhere. 

This, alongside being able to offer a product that supports all the basic 

stock requirements of a store, is unique in the market. 

Our team also ensured personalised support to all members throughout 

the pandemic as we tried to work with them on their specific needs to 

maximise their sales - whether it be sourcing specific products for them 

to creating billboards to help sell their items. 

The marketing team created close to 100 local and national campaigns 

over the past 12 months to support members through this time, and our IT 

department has worked one-on-one with stores to optimise their websites 

and ensure their e-commerce platforms are performing optimally. 


WHY JOIN 

SHOWCASE 

JEWELLERS? 

AUSTRALIAN 

PINK 

DIAMONDS 

IN HOUSE 

LOOSE 

DIAMOND 

INVENTORY 

BEST 

SUPPLIER 

DISCOUNTS 

ALL PROFITS 

RETURNED 

TO MEMBERS 

WEBSITE 

MANAGEMENT 

CENTRAL 

BILLING 

CUSTOM 

CATALOGUES 

DIGITAL 

MARKETING 

& DESIGN 

Supporting 

Independent Jewellers 

for over 40 

successful years 

MEMBER 

OWNED 

JOIN US 

If you are interested in exploring Showcase 

Jewellers and how we can help grow your 

business, contact us today: 

enquiries@jimaco.com 

(02) 8566 1800 

www.showcasejewellers.com.au 

NO 

JOINING 

FEES 

SHOWCASE 

JEWELLERS


WHAT'S IN STORE? 

BUYING GROUP MEMBER ACTIVITIES FOR 2022 

Following two years of disruption and – in some cases, upheaval – 2022 should be the year 

that the buying groups can again gather together with their members. Many educational 

and management activities were lost during 2020 and 2021, at least on a face-to-face basis. 

Below is a snapshot of the plans and activities by the four buying groups during the year: 

Nationwide will commence its 2022 program at the new (…) March 

jewellery fair in Sydney, which will include free diamond training for 

members and staff, one-on-one consultations, and its six-month 

interest-free finance. 

Its Retail Jewellery Business Management course has been revamped 

and will focus on the daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual 

business tasks in order to achieve Industry Best Practices. 

Nationwide’s ‘It’s Time Out’ conference at the 5 Star W hotel in Brisbane 

is scheduled for May. The conference package, valued at $1,800 is free 

for all reward members. The keynote speaker will discuss the seven 

most important trends impacting small businesses. Nationwide will 

also use the conference to celebrate its belated 30th anniversary. 

The group will maintain the International Jewellery & Watch Fair in August 

as its major annual event. Its traditional large and extensive lounge area 

enables the group to provide member seminars, workshops, individual 

consultations, and various merchandise and marketing opportunities. 

Throughout 2022, Nationwide will demonstrate the Industry Merchandise 

Performance report. Members using the Retail Edge POS system 

now have instant access to the best performing products across all 

merchandise departments. Until now, only chain stores had access to 

this information. Used correctly, it should assist in increasing sales. 

Leading Edge is launching a national initiative titled ‘Local Like U’s’. 

The initiative focuses on providing members with tangible support 

to attract and retain customers by leveraging its community and the 

group’s status as a “trusted and recognised Australian brand”. 

A national conference at the Gold Coast is scheduled. 

From a product perspective, Leading Edge will work with suppliers 

to offer members innovative and fashionable fast-moving lines, 

including its Argyle range. 

Independent Jewellers Collective is introducing several new marketing 

initiatives in early 2022 that will support stores in the design, repair, and 

remake area, which will provide members with digital and print content. 

Conferences and training workshops will be conducted throughout 

the year, while the monthly Zoom catch-ups with expert guest presenters 

that were started during COVID, will be maintained. 

A mid-year training conference is planned to include the latest 

information from business advisors and mentors to ensure members 

most current up-to-date business advice. 

And finally, IJC is working with several local supply partners on 

exclusive product ranges. 

SHOWCASE 

SHOWCASE 

JEWELLERS 

Showcase has created a strategic plan to unveil a new series of member 

services in 2022, including leasing, legal, taxation and training services, 

to name a few. 

Alongside these new services, the group plans to continue and expand 

existing service offerings, including members’ access to the Retail Edge 

stock management and ordering system; and Showcase’s partnerships 

with key international and national stock suppliers. 

It will unveil also new product ranges for its exclusive brands - 

Dreamtime Diamonds and Passion8 Diamonds. 

Showcase’s marketing department has expanded further into digital 

marketing support and assistance to help members to create a 

professional digital offering. 

Showcase’s 40th Anniversary Conference was postponed for the safety 

of staff and members but the group is optimistic that the new August 

2022 dates will proceed and be worth the wait. 


THE 

COMPLETE 

PACKAGE 

Supporting Australia’s finest 

independent jewellery retailers and 

preferred supply partners with 

innovation, technology, strategic marketing, 

professional expertise, integrity and more. 

With clarity and confidence, 

we elevate independent retail. 

What are you waiting for? 

Josh Zarb - CEO 

0448 416 070 | josh@jewellerscollective.com 

jewellerscollective.com 

#independentjewellerscollective

BUSINESS 

Strategy 

"Sure the pandemic has 

made it a tough year 

but we've increased 

our sales this holiday 

season. I know it's 

another 12-months away, 

but I'm going to review 

the sales reports and 

make a plan of attack 

ahead of time since 

some of our strategies 

worked like a dream.” 

Christmas and New Year are over, start 

planning for Christmas and New Year! 

You made it through the holiday trading period and might be sighing from relief. But it’s not enough 

to hope for the best – start planning stock levels now for a successful 2022, writes JOSH STRUTT. 

“Well have you heard about the great 

crusade? We ran into millions, but 

nobody got paid.” 

These poetic words to the Hunters and 

Collector’s famed rock song ‘Holy Grail’ 

could well apply to one of the most critical 

inputs to retail success: sales, margins and 

closing stock levels. 

Time and time again we see that stock levels 

are the ‘poor’ cousins of the three, yet they 

command the single largest investment a 

retailer makes. 

How can your business replicate the world’s 

best retailers, accurately managing your 

stock levels – thereby avoiding unplanned 

markdowns along with maximising cash 

flow and profits - while other retailers just 

buy what they think will sell, then cross their 

fingers and hope for the best? 

How many retailers really understand the 

significant impact that a well-managed 

stock position will have on increased sales, 

liquidity, and profitability? 

In search of the retail Holy Grail 

Let’s explore successful end-of-season 

performers from the ‘also-rans’. 

While the Christmas and New Year sales are 

over, you can now review your results based 

on a number of key contributing factors 

including economic confidence, weather, 

competitive environment and the day of the 

week on which Christmas fell. Recording 

and analysing factors influencing these key 

events in your retail diary for the New Year is 

an important step to plan for the end of year 

(EOF) 2022. 

Opportunities to maximise stock profitability 

depends on good management. Such 

management is made a lot easier by good 

systems – both computerised and manual 

– and the discipline of measuring sales, 

margin and stock position. 

Working your systems for profit 

Have a product budget: Formal product 

management often works within a concept 

known as Open to Buy (OTB). Plans for 

the performance of product groups are 

noted in terms of dollars and unit sales, 

with corresponding levels of purchases, 

discounts and delivery periods etc. 

If sales are trending up, you need to buy 

more. Discounts can be used to increase 

units sold to reduce your closing stock target 

where applicable. A good OTB system will 

balance all these factors even though that 

position may still be months away. 

Whether you run a formal OTB via 

a management system, computer 

spreadsheets or even manually, the key is 

to ensure you are working towards your 

planned closing stock positions. 

If you finish Christmas overstocked then this 

trading period will damage your cash flows 

and lead to unplanned discounts. Conversely, 

too little stock means you have probably 

missed out on sales. 

‘Retail is detail’ 

and the detail 

you are looking 

for is based on 

understanding 

the velocity 

of sales and 

margins, 

relative to the 

amount of stock 

held. 

Finding the right stock levels to sales 

A product budget is an invaluable tool to 

manage EOF closing stock positions. It 

can help map predictions for customer 

purchases, sales, discounts and delivery 

times and ensure these positions are 

achieved. 

Take some time to consider your ‘right’ 

stock levels. 

Average margin: Retailers should try to 

differentiate between the concepts of first 

margin and average margin. The first 

margin is the difference between the initial 

sale price and the cost of the item (that is 

the ‘buyer’s margin’). 

The average margin will reflect the various 

prices at which stock items are sold during 

an overall time frame and take into account 

discounts and/or changes in cost during 

that period. 

It is the average margin which is reflected 

in the profit and loss, however many bestpractice 

retailers ‘engineer’ better average 

margins by managing first margins and 

discounts across the whole trading period. 

Whilst a discount may reduce average 

percentage margin for part of your range, 

the increase in sales may increase dollar 

margin. 

Good retailing balances these positions 

without compromising the required dollar 

margin. By managing your discounts, you 

will avoid average margins being below plan. 


Business Strategy 

For example: Offers such as ‘buy two, get 

one free’, may damage margins on one item 

but serve to increase your sales and your 

average dollar margin per sale. 

The best retailers will always focus on 

sell-through, margins and closing stock 

positions and retailers who focus on sales 

only may well be selling themselves short. 

Consider the following formal measures 

used by some of the world’s best retailers: 

• Sell through: This is one of the most 

important statistics for products 

that have a finite life. The measure is 

defined as sales (during a period of 

time) divided by stock available to sell. 

For example, if you had 80-items and 

sold 20 the ‘sell through’ is 25 per cent. 

• Week’s Cover: This statistic is similar 

to the above in that it measures sales 

and stock, except that week’s cover is 

the reciprocal of the sell through. From 

our previous example, with stock at 

80 and one week’s sales of 20, ‘week’s 

cover’ is 4. 

• Stock turns: This statistic measures 

investment in stock as well as sales, 

but is more appropriate to core items 

that are in stock for longer and/or 

re-ordered frequently. For example, if 

the 20 sold above occurred over one 

month, the extrapolation of sales for 

a year is 240. Once again, the average 

investment in stock is 80 per month. 

Therefore the ‘stock turn’ is three and 

indicates how many times the stock 

will turn in a 12-month period. Stock 

turns provide a handy ready reckoner 

as to the relative fitness of a retailer’s 

stock and is definitely one of my 

favourite measures. 

• Best/worst sellers: Without a stock 

position, a best or worst selling item 

can hide dangerous underlying stock 

positions. For example, selling 100 

items may sound good, but if the stock 

was 1,000 items, the rate of sale may 

not be enough to clear this stock. 

These statistics must be used with care and 

common sense along with a merchandise 

management mindset. In isolation each 

statistic is potentially irrelevant. 

For example, if a product is ‘turning’ eight 

times per year at store X and only three 

times a year at store Y – you could consider 

sending stock from store Y to store X – to 

balance supply and demand. 

If your ‘sell through’ on product group A is 

25 per cent in week 1 of December and only 

15 per cent on product group B – you may 

have a potential problem in either product. 

If your ‘week’s cover’ of earrings was 10 in 

the first week of December 2021 and looks 

like being three in December 2022, you may 

be running short on stock (assuming you 

closed 2021 cleanly). 

Overall, avoid looking for the ‘silver bullet’ 

answer. 

‘Retail is detail’ and the detail you are 

looking for is based on understanding the 

velocity of sales and margins, relative to the 

amount of stock held. 

Great retailers are already planning for the 

EOY22. The correct balance will be assessed 

by comparing performance relative to an 

objective benchmark point. 

That benchmark point may be similar to 

last year, but if you rank your performance 

across logical subsets of your business, 

the worst and best sellers need the most 

attention. 

By using merchandise management skills 

and some imagination, you can manage 

offers to head toward a desirable closing 

stock position. 

There is no point discounting items that 

are selling well, but equally it’s better to 

CHRISTMAS 

TO-DO LIST 

Slowly does it 

Take time to 

consider your 

‘right’ stock 

levels. 

Prioritise 

Make slow stock 

a loss leader 

Make space 

Clear poor 

performers in 

December rather 

than January 

Stop to reflect 

Reflect on your 

performance to 

make sure you 

leave nothing 

on the table this 

year! 

clear poor performers in December than in 

January. 

Is there a way to avoid a discount? 

Can you move the item to another store? 

Is there a conditional offer that will benefit 

broader sales whilst solving your problem? 

Will your supplier assist? If you do need to 

discount your item, can you gain a strategic 

advantage by making this a loss leader? 

It is better to consider these questions 

sooner rather than later. If you monitor 

performance throughout the year diligently, 

you may be able to avoid the effects of 

subsequent vicious discounting. 

To compete you need a plan to defeat 

Use stock statistics to gain additional sales, 

but still achieve your required margins, and 

ensure your finishing stock level is logical, 

both in terms of cash flow and in terms of 

the stock you want to start next year with. 

There is little point hanging on to dead stock 

‘just in case’. 

Your Christmas/summer sale period is your 

best opportunity to clean your stock rooms. 

Use it to your advantage, but use it logically 

and plan your management now for 2022. 

Failure to plan is a sure-fire plan to failure 

The best retail plans are based on 

understanding historical and current 

statistics and forecasting the future. 

If your current systems cannot help, 

change systems. If you don’t have a 

system then there is no better time than 

the present to establish one that will set 

your business on the road to your Holy 

Grail of retail success. 

JOSH STRUTT is Retail Doctor Group’s 

deployment consultant. His background 

is in driving tactical operational 

efficiency to maximise growth. 

Visit: retaildoctor.com.au 


BUSINESS 

Selling 

Rebuilding mental wellbeing in sales 

Lockdowns, restrictions and social distancing have all played a part in bringing many of us down; 

SUE BARRETT explores how the pandemic has put workplace mental health in the spotlight. 

Not long after the pandemic began and 

we were all feeling unwell and out of sorts, 

the Harvard Business Review published an 

article that named what we were feeling, 

it was grief. Now we know that was only 

the tip of the iceberg of what we would go 

through. 

The pandemic and its consequences – 

on our health, way of living, work, how 

business operate, on our livelihoods, etc. 

– affected everyone. For business owners 

and management there was no choice but 

to work through. 

Many had to make critical decisions about 

the viability of their business, grasp the 

impact of gaps and changes in supply 

chains, customer behaviour, public health, 

employee welfare and face the fact that 

some people’s livelihoods would be lost. 

Workers had to adjust to work-from-home, 

home-schooling children, the uncertainty 

and chaos, and in some case the reality of 

no longer having a job, sickness, financial 

distress, childcare, parent care, to name a 

few consequences of the pandemic. 

Research also showed that people are 

often working longer hours because it’s 

difficult to create and structure boundaries 

between personal and working time. 

Staff spend more time reporting to 

managers and customers so work doesn’t 

seem invisible and many are burning out 

due to the sustained concentration needed 

in video meetings. 

The lack of personal social interaction has 

also taken a toll, particularly for in-field 

salespeople used to visiting clients. 

All this has brought to the fore discussions 

about mental health in businesses. So, 

what do businesses and sales teams need 

to do to stop, start, and continue doing for 

mental wellbeing? 

Stop 

Toughing it out by yourself: sales has long 

held onto the myth of the tough sales 

professional who can go it alone and 

survive. We have our limits. There should 

The question is not what's in your brain, but rather what's in your mind. 

be a shift to collaboration and a raised 

awareness about mental health, asking 

people how they are and taking time to 

listen. Seeking help should openly be 

encouraged. 

Pretending everything has to be positive 

all the time: Let’s move away from the 

sugary-coated, super positive hype often 

inflicted on sales staff. We already know 

this stuff does nothing for anyone’s short, 

medium, or long-term success and is a 

waste of time, effort, and money. 

Instead, expect to see more candid, real 

and constructive communication about 

‘what is’, ’what’s possible’ and ’what we 

can do’. This approach will be far more 

enriching and long-lasting than any hypedup 

motivational speech. 

Start 

Acknowledging salespeople as more 

than just closers of deals: sales leaders 

are reporting that some staff were 

experiencing, in essence, existential crises 

during lockdown because their day-to-day 

interactions were taken away. 

For many salespeople their daily 

interactions with their customers, 

markets, and competitors are a vital part 

of their social life and their identity. 

Finding new ways to stay connected: 

effective salespeople understand the vital 

importance of staying in touch with clients 

and markets. 

Expect to see 

more candid, 

real and 

constructive 

communication 

about ‘what is’, 

’what’s possible’ 

and ’what we 

can do’. This 

approach will 

be far more 

enriching and 

long-lasting 

than any hypedup 

motivational 

speech. 

Workplaces, especially retail stores, 

have much more stringent COVID safety 

standards in place so people won’t be able 

to ’pop in’ like they used to. 

To give your staff some degree of 

agency and take the worry out of staying 

connected, smart managers are already 

rebuilding how their teams can keep 

selling, stay connected, and create an 

office ‘vibe’. 

This includes collaboration software, help 

to set up functional home office spaces, 

safe and flexible working arrangements 

and regular communication with each 

other to show support, share ideas and 

find ways to be successful together. 

Providing mental health support: 

organisations that are yet not providing 

some sort of mental health support will 

have to look into this. Support can mean 

raising awareness and guiding people to 

where they can find professional help, 

tips and tools, and activities to promote 

wellbeing. 

Continue 

Collaborating and communicating: smart 

business leaders should collaborate and 

communicate on a deeper level and more 

often. Creating open communication is 

not only worthwhile but also essential for 

success. 

This is where we are likely to see the sales 

profession really become a collaborative 

team sport as we find better ways to stay in 

touch and maintain relationships internally 

and externally. 

Humans, after all, are social creatures and 

rely on interactions with each other to get 

along and work together. This is our true 

nature and so it can be with sales. 

SUE BARRETT is founder and CEO of 

innovative and forward-thinking sales 

advisory and education firm Barrett. 

Learn more: barett.com.au 


BUSINESS 

Management 

The global pandemic: What buyers discovered 

It’s possible to guide a conversation by asking the right questions. 

RYAN ESTIS says you should encourage customers to examine their plans. 

How much time do you spend each 

week presenting new ideas? We all 

spend an increasingly significant 

portion of our work days drawing on our 

persuasive communication skills to build 

relationships, earn trust and align to 

shared objectives. 

These skills, along with other ‘soft skills’ 

such as creativity and critical thinking, 

will only become more important as we 

move further along towards the so-called, 

Fourth Industrial Revolution. 

These transferable skills are essential to 

keep pace with change as technical skills 

increasingly become obsolete. According 

to the World Economic Forum, within the 

next decade automation and AI (artificial 

intelligence) will affect more than one 

billion workers globally. 

Here are five ideas to help you develop your 

persuasive communication skills. 

Abandon negative stereotypes 

When many people think about ‘sales,’ 

they think about a bad buying experience 

that usually includes an overly eager or 

aggressive sales rep. 

In fact, professional selling is about 

understanding another person’s needs, 

and helping them solve problems or 

accelerate opportunities. When you start 

thinking about sales as a collaborative, 

problem-solving effort, you expand your 

perspective and opportunities. 

No matter your function, the ability to 

communicate your ideas in a compelling 

way that resonates and helps challenge 

people’s assumptions is valuable. If you 

believe in what you’re doing and that what 

you’re doing is right, you’re not just selling 

– you are being helpful. 

Persuasive communication is essential to 

advance your position. You can’t contribute 

something valuable without convincing 

someone why you’re right. 

Focus on being helpful 

I call this the ‘service mentality’. When your 

goal is to convince or persuade someone, 

Discovery stems from a logical process of asking the right questions. 

don’t focus on how you can get them to do 

something, instead, focus on how you can 

be helpful. Think about the other person’s 

goals and objectives and how you can help 

get them there. 

When trying to understand another 

person’s view, follow this classic 

communication principle: seek first to 

understand, then be understood. Leaders 

are listeners, and active listening is an 

essential part of effective communication. 

The best salespeople are both helpers 

and teachers. They’re trustworthy, likable, 

collaborative and curious. They make 

an effort to uncover problems and then 

demonstrate how their solution can help. 

Provide context 

Content might be king, but context closes 

deals. If you’re presenting a new jewellery 

design to a customer or a new concept to 

your boss for example, come prepared 

with inspiration behind the design, why a 

new approach might work for the business 

model and customer, research and any 

additional insight you can leverage. 

Ideas need context to be relevant. When 

you have a good idea or a belief system, 

it’s likely that you will meet resistance 

along the way. How do you overcome this 

resistance? By coming prepared. Provide 

credible, well-researched design styles or 

management solutions and find examples 

that will convince others to jump on board. 

Plan for overcoming resistance 

Prepare to meet with resistance. I’m 

When trying 

to understand 

another person’s 

position or 

view, follow 

this classic 

communication 

principle: 

seek first to 

understand, 

then be 

understood. 

talking about that N-O word. Your natural 

reaction may be to give up or shut down, 

but often resistance can be an opportunity. 

Understanding concerns, objections and 

barriers is critical to making progress. 

Great sellers view resistance as an 

opportunity to learn, understand and 

advance the dialogue. 

So be prepared. Think through what you 

expect the resistance to be and how you 

will respond. Preparation may just provide 

you with the level of confidence and 

conviction to help evolve the perspective. 

However, it’s also important to recognise 

that once a decision has been made, even 

if it doesn’t land in your favour, move 

forward. Having the ability to disagree and 

commit is critical to getting things done. 

Ask open-ended questions 

Good questions are one of the most 

important ways to communicate. Often, 

when I’m trying to sell, I do this by 

viewing a question. When you meet with 

resistance, probe. Go deep enough so you 

walk away from the conversation with new 

information and insight. 

Learn more – their position, challenges, 

needs and areas of confusion – so you can 

help them move beyond their resistance. 

It is possible to guide a conversation by 

asking the right questions. Encourage a 

customer to examine their plans and goals 

through open-ended questions. That way, 

you can both see the big picture and figure 

out how you or your product can fit into 

their grand idea. 

Persuasive communication skills are 

crucial to working from a position of 

influence. Developing your communication 

skills will help to navigate your work more 

effectively, build relationships and thrive 

during increasingly challenging times. 

RYAN ESTIS helps companies to 

embrace change, attack opportunity 

and achieve breakthrough performance. 

Learn more: ryanestis.com 


BUSINESS 

Marketing & PR 

Three steps to creating a great 

customer experience strategy 

The best customer experience strategy encourages a bold vision and 

takes all staff along for the ride, writes STEVEN VAN BELLEGHEM. 

One of the most popular questions in my 

conversations with decision makers has to 

be about setting up a successful customer 

experience (CX) strategy. 

The solution is at the intersection between 

your customers, staff and the vision 

binding everything together and any solid 

CX strategy should integrate a three-step 

approach: 

Create an engaging vision 

At the heart of any successful business 

strategy lies a powerful yet tangible vision 

and that’s no different when dealing 

with customers. The usual, ‘putting the 

customer at the centre’ is not sufficiently 

specific to enthuse and engage your staff. 

Identify the customer’s problem or their 

‘want’ and what you can do to improve 

their life and which mindset should be 

connected to that. 

Don’t start from a key performance 

indicator attitude but focus on an ‘intention 

mentality’ and make sure you are truly 

useful and helpful to customers, not just 

with your core offering but also with your 

other products and services. 

A good example of creative thinking is Lumi 

nappies by Pampers. Proctor and Gamble 

(P&G) pushed a standard commodity like 

a nappy to a whole new level by adding a 

baby monitor and sleep app into the ‘mix’. 

With this approach, P&G does not just 

sell nappies, instead, it aims to be a true 

partner in the life of parents and ‘helps the 

whole family rest easier’, as its website 

states. 

So, just like P&G with Lumi, make sure that 

your vision is both concrete and appealing. 

All staff should know how to contribute 

The reason why you need step one, a 

concrete and engaging vision, is to get your 

staff on board with your CX vision. 

It should not be some top-secret for 

‘C-level only’ strategy document; it needs 

to resonate throughout the entire business. 

The link between the vision, customer and 

Puzzled? The key to customer engagement is always experience. 

staff in large companies is often buried 

below processes, KPIs or vague slogans. 

Factory workers or people in HR often lack 

that tight connection with the customers 

but it is absolutely crucial if a company 

wants to offer great CX. 

There is no shortcut to achieve a tight 

relation between staff, vision and the 

customer. There’s no secret ingredient, 

you might have to find a way to convince 

your employees one by one. 

However, in SMEs, especially retail 

based business such as jewellery stores, 

focusing on customer satisfaction and 

enjoyment is much easier. 

One of my favourite examples of a business 

that has every staff member on board with 

the company’s vision has to be Disney, and 

the fact that it’s a master storyteller has a 

large role to play in that. 

From the outset, Walt Disney decided his 

theme parks would not have ‘employees’, 

instead they would be cast members who 

wear a costume, not a uniform and that 

made a huge difference in the way they 

engaged and behaved with customers/ 

visitors 

He also made sure everyone knew their 

vision and stayed in character. From the 

actors playing Snow White to the staff 

selling ice cream or the cleaners: everyone 

knows their role in the script. 

Creating a 

vision and 

ensuring all 

staff are aware 

of their role is to 

accomplish the 

vision to help 

create fantastic 

customer 

experiences, are 

fundamental 

steps in a CX 

strategy. 

Make sure staff receive customer feedback 

Creating a vision and ensuring all staff are 

aware of their role is to accomplish the 

vision to help create fantastic customer 

experiences, are fundamental steps in a CX 

strategy. 

However, one crucial step many companies 

seem to neglect is ensuring staff receive 

feedback from customers. 

If they don’t know what customers think 

and feel about their work, they won’t be 

able to replicate what worked or change 

what didn’t work. 

This direct link is essential in order to 

offer great CX and keep adapting it to 

customers’ changing needs. Use quotes, 

videos, audio fragments or feedback 

scores, but make sure all staff know what 

customers feel about them. 

For example, at Coolblue – a Dutch 

ecommerce company – every morning the 

delivery drivers are shown their previous 

day’s Net Promotor Score. 

In a more hands-on approach, Dutch 

insurance company Centraal Beheer, (CB) 

holds Small Dent Days which they organise 

four times per year. 

On these days, 10,000 people have small 

dents in their car repaired free of charge 

while they are warmly welcomed by CB’s 

insurance agents, creating a human 

relationship and direct feedback with 

customers they otherwise almost never 

meet in person. 

A successful CX strategy goes beyond a 

written policy. All levels of the business 

must be involved in an engaging and clear 

vision that relies on constant feedback to 

fuel progress. 

STEVEN VAN BELLEGHEM 

provides coaching, workshops and 

advice about social media and 

conversation management. Learn More: 

stevenvanbelleghem.com 


BUSINESS 

Logged On 

How user experience can impact your SEO 

Do you want your customers to hang around on your website? GARRY GRANT 

says you might need to take a long hard look at your user experience. 

User Experience is being touted as one 

of the most critical factors for effective 

search engine optimisation (SEO). 

With the average attention span of internet 

users seemingly decreasing by the day, and 

a generation that expects instant results, a 

website’s speed and ease of navigation are 

of utmost importance. So what is UX, SEO, 

how do you improve them and why are they 

so essential for retailers? 

What is UX? 

It’s all about the experience a website 

visitor receives when they view and 

navigate a site. A positive UX is made up 

of several factors including, but not limited 

to, the following: 

Loading speed; easy site navigation; 

minimal ads and pop-ups; quality content 

and a website that’s pleasant to view. 

The goal is for the visitor to have an 

excellent visual experience and navigate 

your site easily. 

Who really cares about user experience? 

Visitors care about good UX, so basically 

everybody. Dwell time, or ‘time on page’ as 

Goggle calls it, will be greater on a website 

that offers a positive user experience. 

If you present readers with a page loaded 

with flashing ads, loud colours, massive 

blocks of text, the visitor will most likely 

immediately leave the website. Google 

calls this ‘bounce’, as in they leave or 

bounce to another website. Therefore, a 

high bounce rate is a sign of poor UX. 

Site speed is also part of improving your 

UX, the faster it takes for a page to load the 

better, therefore, site speed is an evermore 

critical aspect. Of course this will 

also depend on the visitor’s internet speed, 

however, even a fast website load time 

won’t make that much difference if a site 

has errors, long load time and is sluggish 

when navigating. 

The aim is to make sure each page opens 

quickly and seamlessly. It will keep visitors 

on your site and reduce your bounce rate, 

which is good for Google rankings. 

No one wants to stick around your website if you don't curate the UX. 

Does a poor UX lead to lower rankings? 

UX will affect your rankings, conversion 

rates, and bounce rates. And that adds up 

to gaining or losing traffic, rankings, and 

new customers. Sites that are slow to load 

will be disadvantaged in the Search Engine 

Results Page (SERP) results. 

Google aims to deliver the best results for 

a search query therefore it assesses many 

factors in order to arrive at these results. 

Quality content is always vital, as are 

natural back-links and UX is of prime 

importance, because quality overall has 

become vital in the search engine world. 

For example, imagine people are visiting 

a website and immediately leaving 

(bouncing). This indicates to the search 

engines that the site is not offering a 

good UX. 

It could be something as simple as the 

content not being what the visitor expected, 

the site looking like a jumbled mess or 

being far too slow to open. 

Jewellery retailers should review their 

website from a visitor’s point of view to 

tweak, test, and make design changes or 

adjustments that will improve the UX. 

Why are technical SEO and UX important? 

Technical SEO and UX help with your site’s 

SEO and ranking performance. It also adds 

to the UX because the website functions 

correctly and delivers the promised 

Social networks 

want you to 

have a better 

experience 

so they can 

sell more 

advertising at a 

higher price. 

content discovered in search results. 

Technical SEO covers things like: the site’s 

initial interaction with the SERPs; overall 

quality and relevance of the landing page; 

loading speed and JavaScript frameworks. 

The user experience can even go one 

step further by providing ways to interact 

with your site and your brand even after a 

visitor has left, perhaps by inviting them 

to join your email list, re-marketing, drip 

campaigns, a social media presence for 

your brand, and so on. 

How to improve your user experience 

All website owners should at least get 

familiar with white hat SEO – a term used 

to define honest and reputable activities - 

and the basics of UX to remain competitive. 

One of the best ways to improve the user 

experience is to view it from the angle of 

your visitor’s needs: 

• What are they hoping to find when they 

get there? 

• Is the content useful and easy to read? 

• If you were a visitor, would you like to 

spend time on your site? 

• Are the pages filled with too many 

distractions? 

• Are the menu and navigation logical? 

Enlisting expert help to focus on the 

mechanics of SEO and high-quality UX 

should also be useful as retailers often don’t 

have the time, knowledge, or inclination to 

improve UX. 

Search engine giants such as Google will 

factor in a positive UX more every time 

they do an algorithm update. 

So, if you want your website to stay 

ahead of the curve then focusing on 

an exceptional UX is of paramount 

importance. 

GARRY GRANT is a veteran expert in 

search engine optimisation and the 

digital marketing industry. He is CEO of 

consultancy SEO Inc. Visit: seoinc.com 


My Bench 

Darren Nancarrow 

Diann Darling Jewellers. Engadine NSW 

Age 49 • Years in Trade 33 • Training Trade Certificate at Ultimo Technical College First job Apprentice Jeweller 

SIGNATURE PIECE 

CEYLON SAPPHIRE & DIAMOND RING 

2.12ct Ceylon Sapphire double halo ring with F / G colour 

diamonds in 18-carat yellow and white gold. This piece 

was made for stock as a point of difference. Our clientele 

prefer jewellery designs that are classical yet outspoken. 

4FAVOURITE GEMSTONE Sapphires, especially 

Australian sapphires with the variety of colours, their 

hardness being a great selling point. 

4FAVOURITE METAL 18-carat yellow gold due to it 

being a clean and easy worked metal. It’s also nice to 

have a change from the large majority of remakes 

being white gold or platinum. 

4FAVOURITE TOOL Definitely the saw frame, which 

allows many different techniques, styles 

and intricacies to be created. 

4BEST NEW TOOL DISCOVERY Draw bench (saves 

my arms!) 

4BEST PART OF THE JOB The face of a happy client. 

4WORST PART OF THE JOB Polishing 

4BEST TIP FROM A JEWELLER Learn from your 

mistakes 

4BEST TIP TO A JEWELLER It’s good to listen to 

others opinions because we never stop learning. 

4BIGGEST HEALTH CONCERN ON THE BENCH 

My back 

4LOVE JEWELLERY BECAUSE Being able to create 

a design that means so much to someone and may 

hopefully be passed down for years to come. 


OPINION 

Soapbox 

Resetting the jewellery industry 

from top to bottom 

At the start of this New Year retailers and suppliers should focus on rebuilding and resetting 

the Australian jewellery industry back to where it once was, writes GARY FITZ-ROY. 

It’s been a tough time for all businesses, 

but some more than most. And while 

it's not a competition about who fared 

worst during the (ongoing) COVID 

pandemic, we should spare a thought for 

those industries, which, effectively, find 

themselves still closed. 

While the health restrictions, lockdowns 

and border closures, along with the stopstart-stop 

announcements by various state 

governments made it extremely difficult 

for a business to function – sometimes 

impossible – it's fair to say some businesses 

have boomed since February 2020. 

Sadly, some are still in limbo, all but 

‘closed’, two years on. Think airlines and 

international travel. Unfortunately, my own 

industry – exhibitions and events – sits 

somewhere in between those that have been 

minimally impacted and those that have 

been severely affected. 

Like you, the end of 2021 brought a 

collective feeling of relief and calm. 

Restrictions were easing, confidence was 

rebuilding and optimism was high for 

2022 - and the continued return towards 

some form of normality. 

However, it's fair to say it doesn't feel like we 

got what was promised, or at least expected. 

The year has not started as expected, 

but it is important that we – retailers and 

suppliers alike – regroup and reset. 

It’s important that we all work together. 

It’s been happening in small ways 

throughout the past two years of the 

pandemic. People would call their 

business associates and colleagues to 

check to see if they were okay, and I also 

saw how people began to ‘think local’. 

Buyers and sellers went out of their way to 

help each other’s business and support each 

other. And that wasn’t just in the jewellery 

industry; I have seen it everywhere. 

Yes, in some cases people had no choice 

because supply chains were disrupted, but 

I got the feeling that even if they were, the 

same thing would have happened. 

My contact with the jewellery buying groups 

showed that they often lead the way. They 

have worked hard for the benefit of their 

industry. 

For the past two years all event organisers 

have found themselves between a rock 

and hard place. (Well, those that survived 

the first six months, and didn’t close.) 

Planning, organising and announcing events 

takes time and money, and there are many 

upfront costs that once started, we cannot 

recuperate or be refunded. 

Combine that with rule changes 

announced by the various state 

governments on a weekly, if not daily 

basis, the business environment has been 

fraught with enormous risk. Nevertheless, 

we saw our position as being a conduit for 

bringing the industry together; under one 

united ‘banner’. 

The amazing thing has been that, when it 

sank in that there wouldn’t be major trade 

exhibitions for the industry to come together, 

they realised their importance and role. I am 

still surprised to find how many calls and 

emails I have received from people saying 

things like, “Boy I miss the trade show”, or 

“I will never go near a ‘virtual’ trade show or 

Zoom seminar again”. 

People love meeting face-to-face. Live 

events create real conversations and 

transactions that are three dimensional and 

personal. They connect on a whole different 

level; emails, zoom, and teams are onedimensional. 

Part of our role in creating the opportunity 

for buyers and sellers to meet under 

one roof is making timely decisions that 

are in the best interest of everyone we 

serve. Sometimes the decisions are not a 

popularity contest – they impact people - but 

we always chose the option we considered 

the right and decent thing to do. 

People love 

meeting face-toface. 

Live events 

create real 

conversations 

and 

transactions 

that are three 

dimensional 

and personal. 

They connect 

on a whole 

different level; 

emails, zoom, 

and teams 

are onedimensional. 

A favourite saying of mine guides many 

of our decisions: "The first step toward 

success is taken when you refuse to be a 

captive of the environment in which you find 

yourself". 

When pushed into a corner you either take 

flight or fight! We choose to fight. 

Believing in the jewellery industry and 

talking less, and doing more, is the only way 

to build confidence in COVID-world. That’s 

something I believe is the fundamental and 

most important aspect to not only getting 

business back on track, but also resetting 

retail for a brighter future. 

And that’s because, if there is one thing that 

the pandemic has proved it’s that shopping 

at retail stores is more important than 

anyone ever believed. It’s about face-toface 

and physical interaction, right down to 

shaking the hand of a colleague! 

Any supplier who paid to ‘exhibit’ at a 

virtual jewellery show will attest to that; 

they were disasters. And as much as the 

operator – who took their money for little 

or no result – will say otherwise, they 

don’t work, people prefer face-to-face, 

whether it be b2c or b2b interactions. 

Following a number of years of industry 

controversy, and now two years suffering 

under the restrictions and lockdowns 

caused by the pandemic, we are not out 

of the water quite yet. But one thing is for 

sure, we need to help each other, and we 

need to buy local and support Australian 

suppliers. 

And above all, while there are still people 

who attempt to create division, we need 

to unite and reset the industry from top to 

bottom in the light of the ‘new normal’. 

Name: Gary Fitz-Roy 

Business: Event management 

Position: Managing director 

Location: Sydney, NSW 

Years in the industry: 30 


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Jeweller - February 2022

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