Jewellery World Magazine - February 2022

FEBRUARY 2022
AUSTRALIA AND NEW
ZEALAND’S PROFESSIONAL JEWELLERY MAGAZINE

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FEB-22
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At THE GEM MONARCHY, we aim to make your jewellery transcend the ordinary to the extraordinary, similar to the jewellery of kings
past, present and future, by providing gemstones of the highest quality and lustre.
Based in Adelaide, we are an Accredited Ethical Member of the International Colored Gemstone Association, as well as members of th
our family-owned mines and lapidaries more than a hundred independent miners, forty rough selectors and lapidarists work on a fullensure
we receive more than a thousand carats of faceted gemstones every month. Every single facet of our company is done by our
mining to the photographing and packaging of our stones to the client, making reliability and trust, our virtue.
THE GEM MONARCHY strives for perfection, stunning gemstones and holistic experience to our service.
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MATTHEW ELY
managing director
Jeremy Keight 0431 844 903
Item
jeremy@jewelleryworld.net.au
Neckpiece
editor
editor@jewelleryworld.net.au
La Parade Azur
Name of piece
MICHAEL MURATORE
TAESUNG KWON
Item Item Item
Ring
Name of piece
Terrain
Ring
Description
FEATURES
Name of piece
Garden of the Sea
contributing
Description
writers
Description
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a Stefan bright Juengling azure, offset by main custom cut unique golden pearl and
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Jewellery Awards
diamonds, suspended on sapphires pave set in Motivation
geometric A showcase panels of the in the industry's most
a strand of graduated art
The pearl represents the
Tahitian pearls.
band. talented craftspeople. Our congratulations
design@jewelleryworld.net.au
beauty of nature born
from the ocean.
Motivation
Motivation
to everyone who participated.
advertising sales
Inspired by the symbolic The combination of
sales@jewelleryworld.net.au
peacock feather, this colours in natural
modern necklace – 24 Australian Industry sapphires Forum that
highlights the
represent the many
spellbinding beauty of different
Leaders
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take us through the
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Greek word apatao, or in the coming year.
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motivation was to
centrepiece the
remarkable Apatite gem,
exploring my creativity
and challenging my hand
to create a jewel fit for
royalty; that would sit
proud DISCLAIMER: as a peacock on
the chest of its wearer.
This publication may not be reproduced
in whole or part without the written
permission of the Publisher.
6 News
10 Palloy's Points
12 Trade Well with Rami Baron
14 JAA News
23 Lab Grown Diamonds
51 Directory
43 Jewellery Industry Fair
A golden opportunity to reconnect,
exhibit and commerce in real life.
See you there!
ARSEN SARGKSIAN
Ring
43
Name of piece
Memories Held Closer
Description
Drawing inspiration
from the sea, the
crashing waves and light
breeze. Featuring a
stunning combination of
both diamonds and
sapphires to evoke
beautiful sentiments
and emotions.
Motivation
48
My motivation was to
recreate the beauty of
the sea and our precious
environment.
FEBRUARY 2022
MICHAEL M
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Articles express the opinions of the
authors and are not necessarily those of the
Publisher or Editor. Mention of a product or
service in this magazine does not indicate the
Publisher’s endorsement.
AUSTRALIA AND NEW
ZEALAND’S PROFESSIONAL JEWELLERY MAGAZINE
4
The Publisher excludes all liability for
loss resulting from any inaccuracies or false
or misleading statements that may appear
in this publication.
All information is copyright.
jewellery world - February 2022
FRONT COVER
Palloys
www.palloys.com

All Silver is Rhodium Plated
All Silver is Rhodium Plated
• Sydney AGHA Gift Fair - February 21-24, 2020 (Homebush)
• International • Sydney AGHA Jewellery Gift Fair -September - February 21-24, 12-14, 2020 (Homebush)
(Darling Harbour)
• International Jewellery Fair -September 12-14, 2020 (Darling Harbour)
TJDSILVER.COM.AU 0400272365 ADMIN@TJDSILVER.COM.AU

News
Nadja Swarovski steps down
After 26 years in the family business,
Nadja Swarovski, the public face of
the Austrian crystal giant, Swarovski
International Holding, stepped down
from the company at the end of
December.
Nadja Swarovski was the 126-year-old
company’s first female member to the
executive board when she joined in
1995.
Swarovski was founded in 1895 by
Daniel Swarovski in Wattens, Austria, and has historically been run by his
descendents. The previous two years have seen a vigorous management
reorganisation including a slew of layoffs and high-profile departures, including
the resignation of fellow board member (and cousin), Robert Buchbauer who
was CEO at the time.
Nadja Swarovski established the Atelier Swarovski brand, and collaborated with
luxury leaders such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Karl Lagerfeld and Viktor & Rolf.
She will remain involved in the Swarovski Foundation, which she set up in 2013.
“My time at the Swarovski company has been the most rewarding journey—
what started with creativity and design has culminated in human empowerment
and sustainability, and using Swarovski’s platform to support the environment
and the community has been the greatest privilege of my career,” she said.
Megan Fox’s engagement ring
Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly
(aka Colson Baker) have made it
official. Rocker Baker has been
working on the design of the ring
with British jewellery designer
Stephen Webster for several
months.
The musician described it on his Instagram post:
“I know tradition is one ring, but I designed
it with Stephen Webster to be two: the
emerald (her birthstone) and the diamond (my
birthstone) set on two magnetic bands of thorns
that draw together as two halves of the same
soul forming the obscure heart that is our love.”
Stephen Webster explained the magnets holding
the two rings together were buried in the gold.
CIBJO assembly postponed
CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, has announced
that the gathering of its General Assembly, which had
been scheduled to take place in Vicenza, Italy, on January
24 and 25, has been postponed to Thursday, March 17,
and Friday, March 18. It will be held at the same venue.
The announcement comes after the Italian Exhibition
Group (IEG), which will be hosting the CIBJO event, said
that it is postponing its January VICENZAORO trade show
to March 17-21, 2022, as a result of the global upsurge in
COVID-19 infections that currently underway. The meeting
of CIBJO General Assembly will take place in the Vicenza
Exposition Centre concurrently with the trade show.
The CIBJO General Assembly will be the closing session
of the 2021 Virtual CIBJO Congress, which took place
over eight days from November 4 to 8 and November 15
to 18. It will be a hybrid session, with delegates meeting
in person during the show in Vicenza, while the event is
simultaneously streamed live to other participants around
the world.
Sotheby’s to sell 555 carat black diamond
The Enigma is a carbonado or black diamond weighing
555.55 carats with exactly 55 facets. At one point
considered the largest cut diamond in the world (as
reported by Guinness World Records), the stone is making
its public debut at a Sotheby’s London auction in February.
The stone’s origins
are mysterious.
It’s thought that a
meteoric impact
or a diamondbearing
asteroid
that collided with
Earth created The
Enigma, making it
one of the toughest diamonds in existence, according to
Sotheby’s.
The diamond has been treasured for over two decades by
its current owner and has never been publicly exhibited
or offered on the open market. Shaped after the Middle
Eastern hamsa symbol, the diamond’s form also plays on
the number five, after its weight and facets.
The stone will be offered without reserve and purchase
accept in cryptocurrency.
6
jewellery world - February 2022

News
Matrix jewellery
frees your mind
Berlin designer Esther Perbandt
got the job of the year when
The Matrix Resurrections
direction Lana Wachowski
asked her to create a jewellery
piece as a gift for the cast and
crew of the film.
Perbandt designed a necklace
in sterling silver with gold
plating. Shaped as a pill, etched
on one side are the words “free
your mind”, a semi-motto of the movie series.
A silver version is available to the public on the designer’s website.
First female president appointed for
Diavik Diamond Mine
Australian Angela Bigg has been appointed president and
chief operating officer of the Diavik Diamond Mine in
Canada by Rio Tinto.
Angela began her career with Rio Tinto in 2005 and has
worked in Mozambique, South Africa and Australia, and
joined the
Diavik team in
2017.
She will be the
first woman to
lead the mine
and its 1,100
employees.
Metals
Refining
Casting
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Finishing
Findings
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Jewellery Production
Servicing Australia & New Zealand
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February 2022 9

PALLOYS POINTS
Shae Russell,
Group Communications Manager
Palloys
PROVENANCE MATTERS
The importance of Green Gold
What is ‘green gold’? What does it mean for gold to be ‘ethical’?
The precious metals sector is still trying to
find the most articulate way to explain their
environmental and ethical practices. How can
jewellers and refiners alike convey to you and
the consumer that they actively embracing
responsible environmental protocols?
There is no doubt the jewellery sector is
working towards delivering better sustainable
outcomes for consumers. The difficulty for
the consumer is to understand who are the
leaders in this space?
Transparency is crucial
There is no doubt it will takeyears for the
industry to adopt consistency in the way they
describe the best, most sustainable practices.
Currently ‘ESG’ (environment, sustainability
and governance) has become the catch all
slogan for any business promoting their
ecofriendly credentials.
We’ve called our commitment to ESG,
Considerate® Precious Metals and we will
explain why.
Consumers are more educated and engaged
than ever before. They want to ensure that
their gold or silver is sourced from conflict
free areas and that the people involved in
the process are paid an acceptable, living
wage. They expect the manufacturers of their
jewellery are going above and beyond the
current regulatory standards.
The question is, how can you as a jeweller
tell your metals supplier is using the best
practices? Transparency is crucial. Ask are
their commitments to environmental practices
freely available on their website? Do they
show — not just tell — how their precious
metals are sourced? Has the company you’re
working with have all the internationally
recognised accreditations to prove their
claims?
Provenance matters
Total transparency over the entire supply
chain is a very, rare commodity in this market.
Palloys’ parent company, Pallion, has achieved
this and continues to do so.
Pallion Provenancebegins with the
responsible sourcing of primary refining
inputs from conflict free areas, right through
to the processing of them into jewellery
components.
Our sister company, ABC Refinery, has
partnerships with many well-known Australian
gold and silver mines. Meaning we can assure
any investor buying Palloys products, this gold
and silver has been ethically sourced, with
companies that are striving to reduce their
environmental impact.
We want to help you to provide your
customers with Australian sourced and
produced gold and silver.
To prove where our gold and silver originates,
we developed our Au and Ag hallmark,
confirming to the customer that our
ReadyMade line is comprised of ethically
sourced and produced Australian precious
metals.
In addition to this hallmark, our refinery
boasts the world’s largest environmentally
friendly Acidless Separation (ALS) TM refining
capacity.
ALS is the world’s most environmentally,
responsible refining technology and requires
no acid to refine gold and silver to an almost
pure standard. This technology allows for the
removal of silver and other elements from
alloys using vacuum distillation technology.
Palloys is proud to be the first and only
Australian refinery to use ALS. Being a partner
of Palloys empowers you to offer Australian
sourced gold and silver to your customers,
something that is so important for our future.
10
jewellery world - February 2022

PASSION
COLOUR
EXPERIENCE
Suite 5, Level 1, 428 George Street SYDNEY NSW 2000
P +61 2 8065 8533 E info@sovereigngems.com
@sovereigngems
Time to buy Australian-made
Ph: (03) 9650 5955 Fax: (03) 6950 5977
Email: sales@millenniumchain.com.au
Web: www.millenniumchain.com.au
6th Floor, 313 Lt. Collins St.
Melbourne 3000 Victoria
Millennium Chain
Finished Top 5 in the category of
Best Selling Gold Jewellery Suppliers in
Australia and NZ, as voted by retailers.
millennium_chain

HAVE NATURAL DIAMONDS
LOST GROUND TO LAB GROWN?
What has happened in the last two years?
Let’s first get an overview of the diamond
market from the last few years and see
what the research tells us by looking at
some of the highlights from the Bain and Cole
Annual Report on the global diamond industry,
which is commissioned by the Antwerp World
Diamond Centre. Take note however that this
report is already out of date in that it’s looking
at 2019 and 2020 periods.
The report notes that during the period
impacted by Covid, while the luxury market
shrank, the diamond industry actually did
better compared to others in the luxury
space. Clearly, there was a drop in mining
and production which allowed diamond
manufacturers and wholesalers the
opportunity to clear a lot of stock. At the
start of 2020,it was estimated that diamond
wholesalers had cleared existing merchandise
and reduced their inventories by 22%. In 2020,
we started to see a change with higher quality
diamond prices improving and recovering
from the previous price drops we saw over
the preceding two years. In the last two years,
we saw approximately 20% of retail sales
occurring online, with those who participated
in this space posting increases of 60-70% year
over year growth in their online businesses.
The research also stated that 90-95% of
consumers still wanted to buy physically in a
store/showroom.
You may be asking why our online jewellery
sales are still low compared to other luxury
items, even with the pandemic. The answer
is simple. There is still a lack of trust in
purchasing directly online. In purchasing
online, you are missing out on the experience
of meeting with a jeweller, trying on rings,
having great conversations and developing a
trusting relationship. It’s also a massive part of
our psyche, allowing us to feel special.
Marketing
The marketing campaigns created by the
Natural Diamond Council have played out very
well in the markets that they have been used.
Unfortunately, this is normally limited to the
US, China and India (high population centres).
Clearly, what we can all learn from these
campaigns is that diamonds need to connect
to life moments and the connection needs to
be expanded on – it’s not only engagement
rings. The diamond jewellery market is still
skimping on its marketing. We are roughly
spending approximately 1-2% of our revenue
as an industry on marketing, with the average
luxury product spending between 6-8%.
You have heard it before and you’ll hear it
again, the words sustainability, transparency
and traceability. Although the small diamond
retailer is rarely faced with these questions,
research shows that they are important and
increasing in the frequency of being asked by
the consumer.The small jewellery retailer will
find themselves playing catch up when they
lose sales to consumers who are asking these
questions, and the retailer doesn’t have the
answers and or proof that it is as important to
them.
As many of you are aware, my core business
is jewellery insurance. Being the largest
jewellery insurer in Australia puts us in the
unique position to know statistically the
percentage of natural diamonds versus lab
grown diamonds insured in engagement rings
in Australia. This allows us to extrapolate what
is being sold and draw some comparisons.
Clearly, in the last 12 months we have
seen a dramatic increase in the sale of lab
grown diamonds as a substitute for natural
diamonds. I use the word substitute because
the engagement ring itself is constant; it’s
really about the centre stone. Moissanite was
never really a major contender, but lab grown
has without a doubt had a major impact.
I was curious to know whether or not the
diamond sector grew with the introduction
of lab grown, or whether lab grown in effect
gouged natural diamond sales. While we
don’t have data on melee or fashion jewellery,
we have incredibly accurate data on the
engagement ring market in Australia.
It’s very easy to get a distorted picture
depending on who you talk to. When I speak
to a diamond merchant who specialises in
lab grown, they will say to you unequivocally
that there’s been a 50% increase in the sales
of lab grown. When you speak to a diamond
merchant who specialises in natural, they
will say to you that they have begun to sell
lab grown and that there is more and more
demand for them, however their natural
diamond sales have never been stronger, and
they’ve had the best 12 months in memory.
In 2020, there was an estimated 7 million
carats of lab grown diamonds produced, with
60% being manufactured in China using HPHT
technology.
Those retailers selling lab grown diamonds
have had the advantage of massive marketing
spend by the manufacturers of lab grown
diamonds and the bigger retailers that were
offering the product. So many of the articles
don’t need to be objective.They can be paid
positions as to the positive benefits of a lab
12
jewellery world - February 2022

DDCA NEWS
Rami Baron
President, Diamond Dealers Club of Australia
rami@ddca.org.au
grown versus a natural. It’s often just an opinion, but when delivered by
an influencer, it can have a real impact. Many of you would already know
the impact this has in the retail store. Place a 1.5ct high colour and clarity
lab grown diamond in front of the customer and compare it to a 1ct
natural diamond, and be perfectly transparent that one is natural and the
other is lab grown. The sheer visibility of size difference and the enormous
price difference will, in most cases, lead to a lab grown sale.
Those who don’t wish to sell lab grown will make that choice.As I have
written in previous articles, the question is what does your customer
want? I understand that if you were an exclusive jewellery retailer who
prides themselves on only carrying natural gemstones, it doesn’t fit your
image or comfort level in selling lab grown.
For the other retailers, it does not make commercial sense to deny or
not to supply your customers with a product, which is in some cases,
visually superior, will no doubt have longevity in terms of wear and tear,
is incredibly price competitive and will provide you with a higher gross
profit.
In the last 12 months, the lab grown diamond has become much more
mainstream. Retailers who were sceptical to begin with have introduced
them into their business with great success. Initially, I personally thought
it was dangerous to mix the two in a traditional jewellery store, but then I
saw how well and transparently the two were introduced to the customer.
Some customers unequivocally say that they are not interested in “fake
diamonds”, while on the other hand a very high proportion were at least
curious to see the comparison. It became clear to me that this needed to
be presented as another product category in the retail jewellery store’s
mix.
In Q Report Jewellery Insurance, we saw a significant jump in lab grown
engagement rings being insured over the last two years.
See you at the Fair!
We’re at Stand 27!
In 2020, the percentage of lab grown engagement rings compared to
natural diamonds insured was 6%.
Compare this to 2021,where the percentage of lab grown engagement
rings compared to natural diamonds insured was 17%.
This is a 3-fold increase. Something to think about.
As always,
Trade well,,, Rami Baron.
LUXURY pearl AND opal JEWELLERY
Tel: (02) 9266 0636 | enquiries@ikecho.com.au
www.ikecho.com.au

PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE
Karen Denaro
During these uncertain times, most of us are impacted, either personally or professionally. Looking
for a silver lining can be difficult – personally, I have learnt to value the little things.
I
truly • Alerts and up-to-date industry news
• Increased lobbying efforts in the
field of education
hope this holiday season has been
successful and prosperous for our JAA
members, trade contributors, associations,
affiliates and across all sectors of the wider
jewellery industry, and that we have all
emerged from 2021 with somewhat of an
enjoyable break – ready to take on 2022.
With Covid cases rising fast across Australia,
it is with a heavy heart that the JAA made the
very difficult decision to reschedule our muchanticipated
JAA Australasian Jewellery Awards
and 90th anniversary Soiree, in Melbourne,
to a later date. We sincerely apologise for any
inconvenience caused.
It is indisputably a time that is physically
impossible to connect, without compromising
health and safety. The JAA endeavours to do
our absolute utmost to continue to support
the Australian jewellery industry to flourish
through progression, sustainability, and ethics,
whilst sharing collective experience and
imparting valuable knowledgeright through
the entire jewellery industry supply chain, to
our valued consumers.
We also continue to nurture, strengthen
and build our relationships with industry
professionals across the globe. We have
recently (virtually) met with industry heads
in the UK and US to discuss governance and
regulations in their respective continents with
a view to establish how we may also be able
to implement these guidelines in Australia.
Fostering these relationships has also been
paramount in understanding the domino
effect and challenges of this pandemic.
Now, more than ever, the JAA invites you to
connect with us. Please feel free to peruse our
2022 JAA Member Prospectus by visiting
jaa.com.au/benefits
Over the next year, alongside our current
member offering, we will continue to keep
you informed on all local and international
jewellery industry news, as well as offering
you additional resources and tools, that may
be implemented into your business.
The JAA is committed to continue to ensure
your protection, insurance, education and
jewellery industry guidance.
Over 2021, the JAA delivered the following
free member benefits.
• Monthly online workshops
• Business resources
• Jewellery specific information and guides
• COVID updates and COVID news relevant
for industry
• Cost savings from our business partners
• Additional products in the Jstore
• Advice and assistance in resolving
customer disputes
The JAA are currently further developing
our remote/virtual platforms to ensure
we continue networking events in 2022 –
providing a wonderful opportunity for the
industry to stay connected.
We would also like to take this opportunity
to thank the Australian jewellery industry, at
large, for your continued support. Our JAA
team is proud to represent the diverse talent
and passion that the Australian jewellery
industry holds. We look forward to working
with you in whatever possible capacity
through 2022 and beyond, as we continue
to strengthen our membership offering in
support of the jewellery industry and your
jewellery business.
14
jewellery world - February 2022

YOU ARE
MY
ROCK.
Becoming a member of the Jewellers
Association of Australia has a comprehensive
range of benefits.
We are here to help support, protect, guide
and grow your business, whilst being a voice
for the Australian Jewellery Industry.
The 2022 Member Prospectus details the
benefits available to members and we
welcome you to contact us with any questions
or feedback you may have about the JAA.
INSPIRING CONFIDENCE. SINCE 1931.
jaa.com.au/benefits

ABOUT
The JAA Australasian Jewellery Awards celebrate
the diverse talent and successes of local jewellers
on the domestic and international stage, as an
incomparable platform to showcase their unique
and imaginative pieces.
The Awards celebrate excellence in design and craftsmanship, and
provide industry members with an inimitable platform on which to
showcase their abundant creative talent. These prestigious Awards are
the longest-running local design and manufacture awards in Australia.
Now in its 26th instalment, the JAA Australasian Jewellery Awards started
from humble beginnings. The Awards first commenced in 1968 after a
proposal from the Queensland branch of the Federated Retail Jeweller’s
Association of the Commonwealth – the previous form of the Jewellers
Association of Australia. The concept was the brainchild of then federal
president Roy Worfold.
Unprecedented in Australia, the Awards presented the first opportunity
for apprentices and qualified jewellers to showcase their talents across a
number of categories.
The first event generated much enthusiasm that both the Women’s
Weekly and The Commonwealth Jeweller and Watchmaker (the primary
jewellery magazine at the time) reported on it. The Award categories
included jewellery items up to $500 retail value, diamond rings suitable
for an engagement up to $250 retail value, and jewellery items up to
$150 retail value, designed and manufactured by an apprentice. It has
now grown to an Australia and New Zealand program, with categories
concentrated on materials. Though the essence remains design and
innovation.
Judging the Awards is no mean feat. Each piece is carefully evaluated and
awarded marks for innovation and uniqueness of design (50),
craftsmanship (30) and market appeal (20). A maximum of four finalists
and one winner per category are selected based on marks. The judges
then discuss the merits of each category winner, with ultimately one
being awarded the JAA Jeweller of the Year.
This year's judges tasked with this challenge included the 2019 JAA
Jeweller of the Year, Kirra-lea Caynes; multi-award winning jeweller, Gary
Thyregod; and distinguished master jeweller, Nicola Cerrone.
In March 2022, we invite you to visit the JAA website, jaa.com.au/awards,
to view category winners, find out who was awarded 2021 JAA Jeweller of
the Year and view the e-magazine showcasing all entrants and the
motivations behind their designs.
Thank you to our generous sponsors, who without their support this
program would not be possible. To the judges for the expertise and time
in assessing, in detail, each entry and to our entrants for their exceptional
skills, passion and allowing the JAA to showcase their creations.
JAA Insurance Services (JAAIS) is an innovative broker dedicated to serving
the insurance needs of the jewellery industry. With over 40 years’
experience, our insurance professionals will offer you expert advice and
ensure that you are protected every step of the way. Give us the
opportunity to demonstrate our ability to find you the right insurance
products at the right price, saving you time and unnecessary costs. Your
business will always be supported with ongoing guidance and needs
analysis, and in the event of a claim you will deal with the same broker as
you did on day one. JAAIS offers key benefits in the way of competitive
premiums, enhanced working policy, local service and claims management
plus more.
Peter W Beck, an Australian owned and leading precious metals company,
supplies an extensive package of Australian made precious metal products
and services to the jewellery industry. With a wealth of knowledge and
experience, Peter W Beck creates world class Wedding Rings and Jewellery
products using only the finest precious metals and stringent quality control
techniques to ensure consistent quality and standards.
For manufacturing jewellers, Peter W Beck provides quality casting, CAD
and refining services, and alloyed product. For retail jewellers, Peter W Beck
offers the most comprehensive range of wedding rings and innovative dress
rings as well as a full-colour catalogue and marketing support.
16
jewellery world - February 2022

DEBUTING
Australian Jewellers Supplies
|
STUDENTS +
APPRENTICES
Australian Jewellers Supplies offers a comprehensive product range and expert personal service to Australian jewellers. Our mission is to be an
extension of your business and jewellery making endeavours and offer the best solutions for all your creative needs.
AJS is proud to provide the jewellery industry with fully stocked showrooms in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. These showrooms also
hold our greatest resource - our people! We have unique depth and breadth industry technical experience in our team to offer friendly advice and
solutions for every challenge.
We are excited to be the partners and committed supporter of the Australian jewellery industry, sharing in a common goal to advance and celebrate
“The Art of Jewellery”!
SHAY DALY
Item
Earrings
Name of piece
Enchanted Iris Transitional
Description
Handmade 18ct white
and rose gold 'Enchanted
Iris' earrings with
grey/pink spinels,
blue/purple sapphires,
tanzanites and diamonds
with a removable drop
feature.
Motivation
The combination of the
gemstones set in a
romanticised style,
inspired by nature
reminds the admirer of a
mythical bygone era. The
Iris flower is symbolic of
hope, courage and
wisdom, which is
something our jewellers
wish upon the wearer.
ADEN WYLIE VELVET LOKE HENRY HAZELDINE
Item Item Item
Neckpiece
Name of piece
Constellations
Description
Yellow gold rotating ball
with diamond
constellations, encased
by a platinum sphere
pendant, on an 18ct
white gold chain.
Motivation
Came from the stars.
Looking into the night sky
full of stars. I wanted to
recreate this into an
elegant piece of jewellery.
Ring
Name of piece
Sanctuary
Description
Bright and bold, this 18ct
yellow gold ring is
rippling with underwater
surprises – a concealed
octopus when viewed
from certain angles, and
a hidden ocean scene on
the inside.
Motivation
The colour of the rubellite
tourmaline instantly
transported me to the
ocean; the nostalgic
childhood memories of
witnessing beautiful sea
life in a rainbow of
colours, uncovering
‘hidden’ ocean secrets
that others could only
dream of. Those
memories of wonder have
inspired the hidden
details and surprises.
Neckpiece
Name of piece
Hopes for Spring
Description
Flower shaped pendant.
Made with platinum and
yellow gold. The petals
are set with diamonds,
suspended from a
yellow gold chain.
Motivation
To create and object
that attempts to capture
the brightness and life
of spring, the time of
year we come out of our
dreary hybernation and
life begins to grow
again.
MARIA LANGFORD
Item
Earrings
Name of piece
Elven Queen
Description
Whimsical earrings with
leaf motives and
scattered gems.
Motivation
Creating fantasy elven
earrings that came from
pages of Tolkien,
capturing fluid natural
beauty and delicate
craftsmanship that would
be worthy keepers of
peace and ancient
wisdom.
February 2022 17

precious metal
Showcase Jewellers
The Showcase Jewellers group was established in Australia in 1981 by a group of independent jewellers who banded together to improve their buying
power in the industry. Today, Showcase Jewellers is about more than just our buying power – being a member owned company all profits go back to our
members. We offer a broad range of world class training and marketing resources all designed with retail in mind. We provide an extensive supplier
base at both local and international level, including the latest fashion brands and exclusive in-house diamond brands, all while giving our members the
industry’s most generous supplier discounts. Showcase Jewellers stores are independently owned and operated, our purpose is to provide them with
the necessities to thrive and grow their business.
18
EMILY SNADDEN
Item
Neckpiece
Name of piece
Turning of the Fagus
Description
Hand manufactured 18ct
four tone gold, the
branch style neckpiece
curls around the wearer
mimicking the autumnal
turning of foliage on
hand carved leaves.
Central is Australian parti
sapphire, mimicking the
outline of Crater Lake,
with scattered diamonds
referencing snow fall.
Motivation
Inspired by Tasmania’s
iconic Crater Lake at
Cradle Mountain and the
annual turning of the
endemic Nothofagus
Gunnii. During April and
May the leaves begin to
turn, displaying a
spectacular show of
autumn colour, often
with dustings of snow.
Shauna Mayben KATIE LAW Claire brice
Item Item Item
Hair pin
Name of piece
Cupid's Wattle
Description
Hand made from granules
of metal, melted and
formed. Every
component soldered,
textured. Finished to a
soft white appearance.
Pink wattle busts are
natural rose quartz, held
by rose gold. The ant
holding a pink diamond.
Each little diamond is
subtle, like dew on a leaf.
When worn, the kinetic
type movement is like
branches swaying.
Motivation
The hairpin itself, is
inspired by the critically
endangered, Acacia
purpureopetala, more
commonly known as
Cupid's wattle. It is the
only pink flowering
wattle in Australia.
jewellery world - February 2022
Neckpiece
Name of piece
Aurora Australis
Description
Ribbons of contrasting
matte gold and polished
platinum twist around
the neck, meeting at an
Australian parti sapphire.
Separating the delicate
framework are step-cut
diamonds and a parti
sapphire. Stones held in
two-tone bezel,
connecting the opposite
metal.
Motivation
Australians have been
turning their attention
toward our incredible
native land, sea and
skyscapes. Inspired by
the Southern Lights
phenomenon visible from
TAS, VIC and SA, “Aurora”
is a celebration and a
showcase of the
incredible beauty
Australia has to offer.
Pendant
Name of piece
Hesperus, the evening
star
Description
Handmade 18ct yellow
gold pear shape green
tourmaline and round
brilliant cut diamond
pendant. Pendant is
movable on the chain.
Motivation
My motivation was to
push myself early in my
career as a tradesperson,
to be able to think
outside the box and to
design something I
wouldn't normally get to
do at work. With the
support of my boss I was
able to spend the time to
design and manufacture
something I'm very proud
of.
GREGOIRE VENDE
Item
Neckpiece
Name of piece
Unconditional
Description
One would use jewellery
like a padlock and a key
as a hidden meaning
and a symbol to secretly
communicate their
romance and passion.
Locks were given to
protect unconditional
love.
Motivation
I have always been
attracted to industrial
architecture, style and
design. I wanted to
reflect the love you share
with someone. The
padlock and key by it's
use throughout history,
it's meaning in jewellery
was for me the best
expression of my feelings
and the best way to
create an atmosphere of
love and intricate design.

colour
The Gem Monarchy
At THE GEM MONARCHY, we aim to make your jewellery transcend the ordinary to the extraordinary, similar to the jewellery of kings and queens of
past, present and future, by providing gemstones of the highest quality and lustre.
Based in Adelaide, we are an Accredited Ethical Member of the International Colored Gemstone Association, as well as members of the JAA and GAA. In
our family-owned mines and lapidaries more than a hundred independent miners, forty rough selectors and lapidarists work on a full-time roster, to
ensure we receive more than a thousand carats of faceted gemstones every month. Every single facet of our company is done by our staff, from the
mining to the photographing and packaging of our stones to the client, making reliability and trust, our virtue.
THE GEM MONARCHY strives for perfection, stunning gemstones and holistic experience to our service.
MATTHEW ELY
Item
Neckpiece
Name of piece
La Parade Azur
Description
In this necklace, it shines
a bright azure, offset by
light blue aquamarines,
zircons and the sparkle of
diamonds, suspended on
a strand of graduated
Tahitian pearls.
Motivation
Inspired by the symbolic
peacock feather, this
modern necklace –
highlights the
spellbinding beauty of
Apatite. Derived from the
Greek word apatao, or
‘to deceive’. My
motivation was to
centrepiece the
remarkable Apatite gem,
exploring my creativity
and challenging my hand
to create a jewel fit for
royalty; that would sit
proud as a peacock on
the chest of its wearer.
MICHAEL MURATORE
TAESUNG KWON
Item Item Item
Ring
Name of piece
Terrain
Description
A bold ring showcasing 4
main custom cut unique
Australian sapphires
with colour fade
sapphires pave set in
geometric panels in the
band.
Motivation
The combination of
colours in natural
Australian sapphires that
represent the many
different terrains of our
beautiful country.
Ring
Name of piece
Garden of the Sea
Description
Cultured South Sea
golden pearl and
diamond ring.
Motivation
The pearl represents the
beauty of nature born
from the ocean.
ARSEN SARGKSIAN
Ring
Name of piece
Memories Held Closer
Description
Drawing inspiration
from the sea, the
crashing waves and light
breeze. Featuring a
stunning combination of
both diamonds and
sapphires to evoke
beautiful sentiments
and emotions.
Motivation
My motivation was to
recreate the beauty of
the sea and our precious
environment.
MICHAEL MURATORE
Item
Earrings
Name of piece
Cascade
Description
Earrings showcasing 16
geometric freeform rose
cut natural Australian
sapphires. Each one
custom cut perfectly to
interlock together.
Complemented with
diamond set bars
separating every unique
and individual stone.
Motivation
To bring to life a vision of
a one of a kind piece that
perfectly balances the
unique shapes and array
of different colours found
in Australian sapphires.
February 2022 19

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jeremy fleming
Item
Interconnecting rings
Name of piece
Forever Linked Loved
Description
18ct yellow gold engraved
fitted ladies and gents
matching diamond
wedding rings. Set with
fancy vivid yellow cushion
cut diamonds, fancy yellow
brilliant cut diamonds and
Argyle Pink brilliant cut
diamonds and white
brilliant diamonds.
Motivation
The ability to make two
matching wedding bands
that fit together that look
amazing together or apart.
benjamin tracy
kosta theochari
Item Item Item
Ring
Name of piece
Le Chemin des Reves
Description
A Cognac diamond
surrounded by white
baguette, princess and
round diamonds that are
set into platinum and then
fuse into 18ct rose gold and
back into platinum.
Motivation
Inspired by the works of
M.C. Escher, this piece was
designed to lead the eye of
the wearer on a continuous
journey between reality
and dreams.
Ring
Name of piece
Ayios
Description
Tension set diamond,
platinum and 18ct rose
gold ring. Set with a 1.5ct
diamond and four Argyle
pink diamonds.
Motivation
To create a piece that puts
the centre stone on
display and pushes the
boundaries of jewellery.
nicholas theochari
Ring
Name of piece
Freeflow
Description
18ct white gold split,
tension set ring. Containing
a pear and marquise
diamond. The band is split
and curved to create the
effect of air swirling.
Motivation
To create a unique piece of
jewellery that displays the
diamonds in a freeflow
design.
20
jewellery world - February 2022

cad|cam|cast
Chemgold
For over 35 years Chemgold has been supplying jewellery retailers and manufacturers across Australia & New Zealand. Our team of precious metal
specialists and engineers use the most advanced technology to achieve the highest quality in the market place, which allows us to guarantee excellent
results every time. We understand that quality, personalised service, consistency and attention to detail are the most important factors when meeting
the needs of jewellery production. Our range of products and services includes casting, refining, fabricated alloys, findings, bullion, mounts, laser
engraving and a comprehensive 10,000+ design catalogue. Chemgold offers a complete one stop for CAD/CAM supporting our customers at every stage
– from designing, printing, casting, moulds, finishing and setting. Apart from this we also aim to make customisation easier for clients with our
JewelMount collection.
KAIWEN QIU
Item
Ring
Name of piece
Revelation
Description
The transformation from equilateral
triangle to circle then to square is the
integration and celebration of the use
of geometry in one piece. Although
the structure alienate from human
curves, it has been twisted and
wrapping around finger anatomy. The
peeling of the skin implies a thorough
revelation of the internal structure,
therefore testing the limits of the
obvious.
Motivation
The changing of the surface
appearance of one single metal
represents things known (solid),
things unknown (space structure)
and anything in between. This
constitutes a timeless piece for
understanding. This is also an
experiment to combine hard
elements such as building structures
with soft curve of human anatomy.
ROBERTO MATTEI
Item
Drop earrings with interchangeable pearls
Name of piece
Ocean's 7
Description
The mechanism which is a hinge working
with a chain and a spring where the use of
CAD for design and engineering purposes
made it possible to interchange the
bottom piece of the earrings using pearls
or any kind of item that can be attached to
the mechanism.
Motivation
Inspired by the ocean creature, Octopus.
MARIA KOSTINA
Item
Ring
Name of piece
Sea Urchin on the Rockpools
Description
A bold white gold statement cocktail
ring. The wavy shank sides channel
set with baguettes. Heavy shank
base, pave set with 204 diamonds -
symbolising glistening sand on the
ocean floor. Top symbolising the
rockpool and the sea urchin taking
centre stage with a Japanese Akoya
pearl with an ombre layout of blue
sapphires to colourless diamonds.
Outsides are the baby sea urchins
represented by Akoya seed pearls
and adorned with blue sapphire
under halos as the ocean.
Motivation
To promote the preservation of sealife,
to help prevent ocean pollution
and help promote cleaning up the
oceans globally, by raising and talking
about the issues using mediums such
as jewellery, which are conversation
starters. Hoping this piece will spark
a conversation, educates anyone it
comes across - make them interested
in this issue of ocean pollution.

Key
Points
Valentines is one of the busiest
trading periods for the
jewellery industry.
Last years valentines period was like no
other, with many businesses operating
online only. Now that instore shopping
has resumed, it is important to refresh
your memory on what steps to take to
keep your store safe during peak seasons.
Increased Stock Levels
Did you scale back your stock levels over the
Covid-19 lockdown period? With many
businesses going into hibernation new stock
purchases slowed as stores focused on selling
existing stock.
To reduce costs many retailers reduced their
stock sum insured under their jewellers block
policy. With retail shopping gearing up new
stock and higher value items are making their
way back into showcases. Don't risk being
underinsured, check your jewellers block
policy today to make sure you are fully
covered.
Shipping Limits
Increased demand means increased sales.
With online shopping accounting for a
significant portion of retail sales, many
customers are receiving their purchases via
post. Valentines day is a time where high
value items are popular among consumers.
Don't risk the chance of these items being lost
in the post and uninsured. Check the cover
under your jewellers block policy today and
make sure your shipping limits are adequate.
Peak Season
Do you have an influx
of new stock? Review
your peak season
increase clause in your
jewellers block policy
to ensure you are fully
covered.
Shipping
Limits
During peak season it
is likely that you are
shipping higher values
than normal. Check the
shipping limits under
your jewellers block
policy to make sure you
have adequate cover.
Security
With increased foot
traffic and higher stock
values, your exposure
to theft is increased.
Review your security
procedures with your
staff including
measures in place for
high value items.
Insurance
.Store Security
Reviewing your security procedures is essential.
Failing to review your jewellery store security
could leave your business vulnerable during a
time when jewellery store thefts surge. To
reduce your exposure, it is essential that your
staff are well educated on how to sell jewellery
securely.
Below are some security tips:
Lock showcases immediately after
removing or replacing stock.
Request photo ID when showing high value
items.
Open and close the store with two staff
members.
Show only one item at a time.
Always keep showcase keys on your
persons.
Check all digital security is operating before
you open the store.
Preparing for peak season
trading and the risks that
accompany this is
essential, as is making
sure you have a quality
insurance policy in place
to back you up.
Insurance
Whilst all measures can be taken to reduce your
exposure to theft and loss, jewellery crimes
continue to slip through the cracks. Having a
jewellers block insurance policy is the final layer
of protection your business needs to continue
operate through jewellery theft and losses.
Following the above
points can reduce your
risk and protect your
business. However,
unfortunate incidents
do occur and insurance
is the final layer of
protection your
business needs.
Get in touch today for a quote jaais.com.au or 02 8350 9999

LAB-GROWN DIAMONDS
Craig Miller
CEO, JC Jewels
www.jcjewels.com.au
Organically, consumers are becoming more aware and educated
about lab grown diamonds and investigating this new product
category in today's modern world. COVID-19 has affected the
diamond supply chain and we are seeing shortages of mined diamonds,
causing price increases. Like all merchants, I have spent hours trying to
source basic or core range mined diamonds for clients these past few
weeks, goods that should normally be in abundance and readily available.
Has this helped the lab grown category evolve and faster than planned?
Christmas sales in the USA suggest lab grown diamonds performed
and delivered exceptional results as consumers now see the strong
connection between a smaller budget and larger diamond sizes. Is the
lower price-point of
lab grown vs mined
diamonds, coupled with
the increasing price
of mined diamonds,
bringing on the perfect
storm to accelerate the
growth of lab grown diamond sales? This could create a ripple effect: so
many customers receive a larger diamond than expected, fulfilling their
everlasting desire, and this ignites a trend for bigger, whiter and cleaner
diamonds – diamonds made more affordable with the same visual
experience.
For some in the trade, lab grown may still be an emotional decision, but
there is increasing evidence to suggest that consumers don’t see it as a
commercial decision – they see a stone that meets their expectations or
even exceeds their dreams. They see it as choice.
I am always being asked how lab grown diamonds are performing. From
the global reports and from personal experience it is more than clear
that lab grown diamonds are here to stay and this new choice is very
much instrumental in rejuvenating the desire to own and wear more
jewellery. Being in the industry my whole life I have watched as other
industries have eaten away at our share of consumer disposable income,
technology and travel for example. With international travel at an all-time
low due to the pandemic, we are all seeing more disposable income filter
back into jewellery once again. Christmas sales in the US saw a massive
spike in sales of larger lab grown tennis bracelets, lab grown stud earrings
and engagement rings.
Any trend that brings the purchase of larger diamonds and diamond
jewellery – whether they be mined or lab grown – back to the fore will be
welcome in the industry. And any jeweller looking to take advantage of
this growing trend needs to be ready with lab grown diamonds.

Industry
Forum 2022
24
jewellery world - February 2022

Jewellers Association of Australia
Karen Denaro
President
2021 was an opportunity to look at
various means of connection. At a time
when physical connection was near
impossible, it gave rise to the importance of
virtual connection. It also shifted perspective
away from physical purchasing experiences
being the only means of emotive purchasing
and gave us an opportunity to invite the world
to experience both our goods/products and
services, alike.
I truly believe this will be a permanent
adoption of alternative trading and feel that
encompassing this adaptability is not only the
current means of successful trading, but also
an opportunity to consider all avenues and
alternatives in future trading.
Further developing all platforms and pathways
for the jewellery industry to connect, and
to stay connected, is imperative for us all to
sustain the next 12 months. We need to adopt
the belief that every form of connection is
equally significant. Physical connection is only
one possibility of many possibilities we have to
portray ourselves. It forces us to look outside
of the box – to grow and to be forward
thinking in our approach.
Currently, I feel the biggest challenges facing
the industry are perceived value of jewellery,
gems, diamonds etc. and establishing a means
of discretionary spending, at a time when
there is so much uncertainty in the world.
With international borders being closed
for the majority of the last two years, the
Australian jewellery industry has been given
the wonderful opportunity to return to
supporting all other sectors of the local supply
chain — returning to our local wholesale
suppliers, traders and retailers. We look for
familiarity, continuity and consistency. We also
have been forced to raise our game in support
of all other areas of our industry, particularly
for those needing our support. This is an area
of growth that the JAA is committed to further
developing, across the greater jewellery
industry.
The JAA continue to keep our members
informed and educated. We are abreast of
all international jewellery news, governance
and matters of concern, thus ensuring our
members are updated and well advised.
My advice to all industry businesses right
now — duplicate EVERYTHING you do in the
physical realm to virtual or online platforms,
right across the board, from social platforms
to trade only platforms. Establish who your
customer is and utilise every means you
have to connect with and engage your target
audience.
We invite you to view the JAA Member
Prospectus today at jaa.com.au/benefits
February 2022 25

Proud to be the global pioneer of the
Green Bullion
concept
Ethical sourcing has become increasingly important for both the consumer and
associated industries concerned with responsible supply chain management.
For this reason, Oakley Mint is proud to provide its Green Bullion® product alternative,
with precious metals refined exclusively from recycled materials including distressed
jewellery products, dental gold and technology such as e-waste.
Our capability and product quality are quantified by our
NATA accreditation and an attention to detail that ensures
that our customers receive the highest quality and
purity bullion guaranteed.
Visit www.greenbullion.com or contact us at info@greenbullion.com to learn
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is accompanied by a certificate, guaranteeing the
recycled origins of its content and its purity.
www.greenbullion.com
A division of the CPG Group of companies

Showcase Jewellers
Nicola Adams
Chief Operations Officer
Jorge Joaquim
Chief Financial Officer, Company Secretary
In what ways has Showcase been able
to support its members through the
challenges presented by the pandemic?
We’ve distributed approximately 3 million
dollars in cash flow to Showcase members to
help alleviate the pressure that the pandemic
has placed on these small businesses and
help them survive the effects of the economic
downturn. We’re thrilled to see many of our
members record some of their strongest
growth in many years despite the challenges
presented by this pandemic.
Some of our members have experienced
struggles related to rent negotiations and
reductions made necessary from lockdown
effects on business operations. We have
been able to successfully help our members
through this process and achieve positive
outcomes in many cases.
2020 Christmas saw a great comeback to
trade across many industries and jewellery
was no exception. How did 2021 numbers
stack up?
Our members had a stellar year in the 2020
financial year! Christmas was just the icing
on the cake. With Covid-19’s impact soaring
again between July and September, we saw an
increase in retail activity mid-September – a
trend that continued throughout the month of
December 2021.The end result saw our stores
increase their sales by approximately 2% in
comparison to December 2020, with an higher
average sales report and a staggering 30%
increase from December 2019.
We had been pleasantly surprised enough
at the success of Christmas sales throughout
Showcase stores across Australia and New
Zealand in December 2020. We hadn’t
expected December 2021 to exceed these
phenomenal numbers! Financially, this puts
our stores in a leading position moving
forward into the future.
What are some of the specific goals you
have set for 2022 in terms of driving the
success of your members’ stores forward?
Our strategic plan is positioned around our
highest key stakeholder our members. As
such, we have developed a series of services
not previously available to our members,
including leasing; legal; taxation; training and
many more.
In addition to introducing new service
offerings in 2022, we want to continue our
existing offering for access to Retail Edge data
software to our members free of charge. Retail
Edge is an intuitive stock management system
that takes the guesswork out of buying stock
through organising stock by SKU, supplier and
specifications, making stock management
ordering a much easier process for all
parties. We plan to continue and expand
on our partnerships with key national and
international stock suppliers, which we believe
is paramount to ensuring our stores have the
buying power to remain competitive in their
prices, delivery and product quality.
On an internal scale, we have taken the
initiative to employ additional team
members in select departments to ensure
our operations and communications
remain outstanding for our members. Our
marketing department has expanded to
provide our members with more access to
digital marketing support and assistance with
creating their own digital space.
Where have you seen an increase in
the purchase of specific products in the
business?
From the beginning of the pandemic, we
have seen the retail average rise for the
membership with increases across all
departments. We believe this is the result of
customers not spending as much on travel
and having access to government subsidies,
therefore having more discretionary income
to spend on themselves and gifts. Custom
jewellery has helped lift this average, with
customers embracing a higher price point to
end up with a uniquely personalised jewellery
piece.
What do you expect the near future to
look like for Showcase Jewellers and their
members?
We expect the Showcase business to continue
an incredibly positive trading period over
the next two years as consumers gradually
begin to feel confident to travel abroad
once again. The ‘buy local, support local’
consumer mentality increase has brought
with it a ‘nationalist’ approach to the retail/
manufacturing industries, keeping business
owners’ and consumers’ eyes on Australian
shores for their purchases.
Average basket and item expenditure has
increased substantially during the Covid-19
period, resulting in many customers choosing
to buy higher-priced, higher-quality items
rather than risk loss or delays from overseas
shipping amid the current climate of global
uncertainty.
Looking ahead, we are developing various
systems with some of our key stakeholders
to give our members a key competitive
advantage in the marketplace. These initiatives
will be presented to our members during
the year. Showcase maintains an extremely
strong focus on member training through
digital assistance, while looking forward to
the day when in-person training sessions
are once again safe and achievable for our
members and staff. Staying connected to our
members through digital communications
and availability remains our top priority at this
point in time.
28
jewellery world - February 2022

WHY JOIN
SHOWCASE
JEWELLERS?
AUSTRALIAN
PINK
DIAMONDS
IN HOUSE
LOOSE
DIAMOND
INVENTORY
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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
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Leading Edge Jewellery
Claire Packett
Head of Jewellery at Leading Edge Retail
Looking back over the past five years what
differences in sales have your members
experienced during pre-pandemic, pandemic
and post pandemic periods?
During lockdowns over the past two years,
sales were extremely challenging for most
jewellery stores. However, as restrictions
eased there was a return to good trade. Many
stores expressed there was little need to
reduce the RRP to earn a sale.
With a lack of overseas travel, there has been
more expendable income and jewellery stores
have benefited from this, whether it’s through
special purchases or remodelling pieces that
sat dormant in drawers for a long period of
time. With omicron, there has been another
wave of hesitancy in retailing. However, if
patterns follow previous trends, then postpandemic
sales should be strong.
Over the same periods has there been a
difference in average spending?
The average dollar has increased over this
period. Information from Retail Edge shows
that during the past two years the average
dollar increased, in some categories by over
20%. Predictably, the most dramatic area of
increase has been Pink Diamonds. With the
closure of the Argyle mine and limited supply
in the marketplace, the public’s romance
with Pink Diamonds is ever increasing. This is
leading to a huge growth in sales and demand.
2020 Christmas saw a great comeback to
trade across many industries and jewellery
was no exception. How did 2021 numbers
stack up?
Christmas 2021 was a strong sales period for
most jewellery stores across the board. Stores
prepared for their Christmas trade early this
year, with the end of lockdown in October and
November for NSW and Victoria. Stores were
prepped and ready to trade the moment they
were able to reopen their doors. The states
that were not in lockdown were able to flow
through the period seamlessly.
What difficulties are your members
experiencing in achieving maximum sales?
The difficulties of the past two years have
arisen from uncertainty and the unknown.
Retailers can keep ahead of trends, keep an
eye on their OTB and balance sheets, and
run a tight ship, but extended lockdowns,
restrictions, and general fear of this pandemic
cannot be easily overcome. The key is to build
online shopping experiences that keep your
business relevant, sustainable, and moving
forward. Marketing your online presence and
driving customers to your website should be
tactics on everyone’s radar.
Even though the trend to shop online is here
to stay, customers want to shop locally and
support small local businesses to survive
and thrive, and this is likely to be a key driver
of sales in 2022. Marketing your in-store
experience, customer service, unique brand
story and community involvement can
capitalise on this trend and differentiate
your store in the marketplace. The ability for
customers to also touch, physically try on and
see jewellery in real life, can’t be replicated
online. Promoting your ‘in-store only’ offers
and using marketing tools like loyalty cards
and gift cards to help create a sense of
community and drive repeat business will also
benefit jewellers.
What will you be doing differently in 2022 to
drive your members forward?
This year will be about reaffirming your
position in the marketplace, the growth of
online, adaption to how the public want to
shop, and exceptional customer service.
Jewellery is still very much a bricks and mortar
proposition, and customer service will be the
number one driver for all jewellers to move
forward, re-establish and grow their clientele.
At Leading Edge Retail, we’re working hard
to ensure our members have more time to
work on their business rather than in it. Our
ability to draw advice and experience from
many different retail categories and deliver
savings and opportunities to members can’t
be found elsewhere. This, alongside being able
to offer product that supports all the basic
stock requirements of a store, is unique in the
market.
In 2021, we launched several services and
solutions, such as ‘bid or buy’ – a platform
for members to access amazing deals direct
from suppliers, across seven industries.
We also launched the Australian Jewellery
Warehouse (AJW)– a direct-to-public jewellery
sales website to help members sell old and
slow-moving stock and still make a profit. Plus,
we launched a B2B ordering platform to make
it quick and easy for members to place orders.
We’ll look at introducing suppliers onto the
platform in the next 12 months.
To help small, independent retailers respond
to changing consumer needs, this month
we’re announcing a nationwide initiative
called Local Like Us. This focuses on providing
members with free, tangible support to attract
and retain new customers in 2022 and will
include promoting their businesses to over 1
million new potential consumers.
30
jewellery world - February 2022

Like the stunning pink sunsets and vivid hues of the remote
Kimberley region where they were found, Argyle Pink Diamonds
are one of this earth’s most beautiful treasures.
Leading Edge Group Jewellery offer you exclusive access to
Argyle Pink Diamonds with a captivating range of unique pieces carefully crafted
to reflect the stunning beauty and value of these rare miracles of nature.
The rarity and testament to provenance makes the Argyle Pink Diamond an
incredible product to offer your most discerning clients.
To order the Argyle Pink Diamond range contact Claire Packett
on 1300 531 014 | info@leadingedgegroup.com.au

JC Jewels
Craig Miller
CEO
The diamond wholesale industry is
extremely traditional with little change.
Prior to COVID-19, my company, JC
Jewels, embarked on a journey to develop
tech and evolve to be a new-age diamond
wholesale company to assist jewellers to
change the way they buy their diamonds.
No one had any idea the pandemic was
around the corner, a time that would test
every business, forcing them to adapt fast or
die. For me the biggest highlight or sense of
relief, was how well-positioned our JC jewels
technology platform was to assist our clients
from the outset of the pandemic.
JC Jewels provided our clients with modern
tech and the capability to present, share
with clients and sell diamonds from our B2B
platform 24/7/365 from any location, with
over 500 million dollars worth of diamonds
to choose from. Looking at the volume of
consistent sales during the many lockdowns in
2021, I am grateful to say our platform solved
many jewellers’ challenges. The feedback from
our clients is that we truly made a difference
when it came to acquiring, presenting and
selling diamonds and diamond jewellery
during such turbulent and fast changing times.
As a trusted supplier to our local trade, I
feel I gave our clients the maximum support
needed – after all I do have their best interests
at heart. Personally, I feel a sense of pride
as I made a difference to our clients who
consistently support our business and rely on
us for their diamond supply.
What do you see ahead?
JC Jewels is continually adding new products
to our offering ensuring our clients are at the
forefront of all new developments within their
offering. During lockdowns we added new
lines such as matched shoulder stones in all
shapes, lab grown jewellery range and more.
JC Jewels is known as the go to for lab grown
diamonds in Australia and NZ and in 2022 will
take lab grown diamonds to the next level as
JC Jewels launches WD Lab Grown Diamonds.
WD Lab Grown Diamonds grows the highest
standard of lab grown diamonds with integrity,
setting a new standard for innovation,
sustainability and social responsibility. Watch
this space as JC Jewels and WD Lab Grown
Diamonds takes your diamond business to
the next level with As-Grown CVD Type IIa,
grown in the USA with full origin traceability,
certified sustainably rated and pioneering The
5th C: Climate Neutrality, the ultimate lab
grown diamond package by WD Lab Grown
Diamonds.
How do you think closed borders affected
our industry?
We are seeing disposable income previously
spent on travel moving into jewellers' tills. JC
Jewels has delivered newness to our clients to
help excite consumers and assist our clients
to acquire the cash consumers were spending
on travel. Our technology has substantially
improved jewellers’ delivery and execution at
the counter, helping convert more sales and
faster. I am optimistic this new trend could
revitalise consumers to once again aspire to
look beautiful wearing diamond jewellery
or want to own more, as we claw back the
disposable income we lost to the technology
and travel industries.
What advice do you have for businesses in
2022?
Work closer with your local suppliers! Now
more than ever, local suppliers are very
important to retailers’ success and by working
together, both retailers and suppliers can
assist each other to buy better. We can all
contribute to the success of our industry.
The makeup of the industry is changing.
What is your company doing to adjust to
the changing demographic of retailers and
jewellers?
JC Jewels feel our clients need more choice
and better pricing. We bring retailers a new
process for buying diamonds and our tech
delivers more choice with over 500 million
dollars of mined and lab grown diamonds to
choose from, empowering the jewellers to
do the buying themselves, or buy customised
diamonds for each different client’s needs.
JC Jewels does not buy to stock diamonds
for us to increase our margins, rather we
empower our clients with the ability to source
the best goods, diamonds they, the jeweller,
can maximise their profits on and close more
sales. The new generation of jewellers enjoy
access to our portal 24/7/365 from anywhere
and the ability to share all the information
such as image, video and certificates with
their clients at their own margins for no
charge, then secure the stone as JC Jewels
manage all shipping expenses and logistics to
get the diamond to their store.
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jewellery world - February 2022

Palloys
Reza Bapooji
Business Development Manager
The highs and lows of 2021
The past two years has brought an incredible
transition to the industry. The disruption to
traditional business models meant we all had
to find a different way of doing things. The
recalibration was difficult for some, but easier
for those ready for ecommerce. Essentially,
the pandemic has propelled retailers five years
into the future.
The shift to ecommerce enabled local
businesses to become global. Smaller firms
that were once blocked from an international
audience can now reach a much wider access.
Plus, consumer taste has shifted as to how and
what is bought. Generic products have given
way to unique, bespoke pieces which support
local Australian companies.
At the same time, a transition to local
consumption also prompted a desire to
learn where metals came from. While
understanding the provenance of precious
metals was emerging prior to the pandemic,
the events of the last two years has seen it
become a priority for the consumer.
The jeweller of today is very different to
the jeweller of the past. Our clients take
advantage of so many Palloys services from
CAD design through to finishing. Jewellery
designers no longer need artisans under their
roof with these skills.
How has your company adjusted to
the increased focus on environmental
sustainability that the consumer is
demanding?
Palloys chooses to be a market leader every
day as regulations are lagging what consumers
demand. Already we use multiple companies
to recycle products we can’t internally reuse.
We want to reduce our environmental
footprint and not add to landfill. It’s expensive,
but our clients expect us to be industry
leaders in this regard.
Younger generations are more focused on
sustainability and as a business we understand
and support this desire. People are passing
over fast fashion in a bid to reduce their
environmental footprint. This shift is also
happening in jewellery. Consumers are
desiring a timeless piece with longevity from
a company that has sought to minimise both
their social and environmental impact. The
provenance of precious metals is becoming
increasingly important. We are so proud of
our 100% Australian Gold and Silver; our gold
and silver is mined, refined and fabricated in
Australia.
What areas of the industry do you think
need assistance and support?
A meeting of skills is desperately needed. The
industry needs to connect the experienced
with the inexperienced. Older jewellers have
many decades of knowledge and skills younger
jewellers don’t have. However, younger
jewellers have a firm grasp on e-commerce
and how to connect with an audience via
channels such social media.
There are traditional skills that could be lost if
older jewellers don’t share them with younger
jewellers. In turn, older jewellers could
prolong their business life by embracing new
media.
Creating an environment to establish
knowledge transfer between the two
generations of jewellers would benefit the
industry for many years to come.
What will you be doing differently in 2022 to
drive your business forward?
With international and interstate boarders
being closed we were no longer able to visit
state offices. To keep connected with our staff
we embraced the Teams meeting and Zoom
calls and as a team we are now more deeply
connected than ever before!
We will be harnessing our virtual
communication but quite frankly when
presented with the opportunity we will be
visiting as many of our Australian clients and
domestic teams in person as possible.
With the reduction of businesses in the
industry through retirement, businesses
folding etc. what advice do you have
for business to raise their profile and
awareness?
This is an interesting topic, because we’ve
seen many businesses retire operations earlier
than planned while other businesses thrived
as they were able to scale up a different
operating model.
Social media and email marketing allowed
many businesses to raise their profiles as
traditional media was no longer as powerful.
People were forced to communicate their
message differently. Social media creates
a different type of connection. Businesses
took the opportunity to introduce the people
behind the brand, allowing a more personal
connection with their audience which has
increased brand loyalty.
The makeup of the industry is changing.
What is your company doing to adjust to
the changing demographic of retailers and
jewellers?
The barriers of entry are lower now with the
process being more vertical. The traditional
bench jeweller has given way to a more
entrepreneurial jeweller. To adapt to this
changing environment, we’ve had to expand
our design and finishing services to cater for
this new group emerging.
34
jewellery world - February 2022

Q Report
Rami Baron
The highs and lows of 2021
Sadly, the past 24 months have been a blur.
The highs are that the jewellery industry
has done very well and there has been an
up-surge in sales. However, there has been a
serious increase in the price of large quality
goods, 2ct and over. This is due to the lack
of supply in the market. What is particularly
interesting, is that even though we've seen
a huge up-surge in lab grown diamonds, it
hasn't detracted from the sale of natural
diamonds, so the question is has this section
of the market expanded, or have lab grown
diamonds taken 10% of the natural diamond
sales, but we just didn't feel it because both
grew?
Will 2022 keep the changes of lockdown or
will we return to old habits?
I think that with the introduction of omicron,
travel still hasn't opened up and we will all be
cautious about travel for some time to come.
There is no doubt that online tools such as
Zoom, Microsoft teams, and Whatsapp will
continue to grow. The one thing we should
never forget is the value and strength of the
relationships. We just need to be more aware
that there are many ways that they can be
communicated outside the traditional face
to face. The real question is "When travel
opens will the local spending stop, especially
on jewellery, as we all hunger for the travel
experiences?"
What is ahead for Q Report?
The insurance industry has endured an
enormous disruption this year, due to
compliance. Change like this are always
challenging but the upside has been that we
have gained a deeper understanding about
what our retailers really need from us, and it's
helped us to understand how we can deliver it
to them. We will be introducing some exciting
new tools this year - stay tuned! We have the
largest insurer in the world of fine arts and
valuables behind us, with Chubb insurance ,so
when you add our track record and plans for
expansion, we know that we can achieve our
goals
What are the big challenges coming out of
lockdown?
When they said this is your new normal, they
weren't lying, things will never be as they were
ever again. There will be many challenges
ahead, there may be cycles of people getting
sick, we may endure lockdowns, but our
businesses need to be flexible to all change.
We must develop an attitude of rolling with
the punches and strive to find new and
diverse ways to provide our customers with
outstanding product and exceed all their
expectations when it comes to customer
experience. We must keep moving forwards
no matter what the circumstances are.
I believe that keeping our team connected
and motivated is the biggest challenge, and
that is for each business to work out what
ingredients they need to create the right
mix. We have all had two years to integrate
a website that sells product – if you haven't
done so by now, you are living in the dark
ages and should be thinking about retirement.
Some jewellers will find this statement too
confronting and say “I do what I do” and that's
fine, but you have to understand you are
being left behind. If my mother-in-law, who is
83, is doing all her shopping online, what do
you think are the expectations of a 18-25 year
old when they shop?
What will you be doing differently in 2022
to drive your business forward?
I think that our achievement of 1000 x 5 star
Google reviews tells you where OUR focus
has been and where it will remain. Everything
starts with our customer. We want to deliver a
service that exceeds all expectations, we have
developed a claims methodology that ensures
the jeweller and the policy holder is looked
after in a fast and professional manner, we
want everyone's experience with Q Report to
be easy and stress free. It’s about delivering
on the promise.
What is your company doing to adjust to
the changing demographic of retailers and
jewellers?
This is about communication and about
sharing knowledge with the next generation.
Through my own interactions with the
Young Diamantaires – a group of almost 500
diamond industry members from all around
the world – I have seen that we can learn
from the next generation and they can learn
from us. As a group, we are helping to build
a bridge for the next generation to take
leadership roles within this Industry – it's an
exciting time.
What areas of the industry do you think
need assistance and support?
I think that technology and how to utilise
it is still a major area that our industry
needs support. The Australian Jewellery
Association has done a good job in the
areas of compliance and training however,
more needs to be done in the space of
analytics and understanding data in one's
business. Jewellers need training and skills
on how to extract the information and how
to use it. Retailers are shy to ask but we all
need to speak about this area of ongoing
education and understanding the tools to
build sustainable businesses and cope with
the unknown, such as Covid. What we have
all experienced is like being in a war. Imagine
the impact this has had on a ten year old
child who has had their world turned upside
down for the last two years. Now ask yourself
how you can protect your business when
something like this happens again.
36
jewellery world - February 2022

Don’t lose your
customers to an
insurer’s jeweller.
Your customer,
your claim.
No discounts
demanded.
Paid fast and
before you begin
work.
“Reputation is everything.
When an insurance company
only offers one policy, it needs
to be outstanding. Q Report
with 1000+ Google reviews has
earned this status because of
its incredible claims settlement
process. It’s great for our
customers and us.”
Ian Brookes and David Everett
Protect your customers.
Protect your business.

Laura Moore
Jewellery Industry Network
The highs and lows of 2021
It’s certainly been a year of challenges and
I think the past few years have enabled
jewellers to operate more dynamically and
more quickly adopt digital assets that should
hold them in good stead into the future.
The lows have been the severe mental health
challenges for all. Whether your business
is doing well or struggling, the mental
health impacts of this pandemic have been
experienced by all to different degrees. It will
take some time to get back to the confidence
we had prior to the pandemic, but so long
as we support each other and listen to each
other, it will be a speedier process to recover.
How are you looking to use the next 12
months to gain a positive outcome for your
business and a greater buying experience for
your retailers?
The next 12 months for the Jewellery Industry
Network will be exciting. We have a few things
up our sleeves that we can’t wait to share
with the industry and our large network of
members.
As we have done over the past year plus,
we also want to continue to explore new
ways of working so that we can bring more
dynamic tools and assets to the Industry. We
have really enjoyed working with so many
incredible businesses and people over the
past few years and want to continue to build
on those relationships.
What do you think are the biggest
challenges facing the industry moving out of
lockdown?
I think there will be a couple of challenges
we will need to face. One being consumer
confidence and bringing back face-to-face
retail quickly so that our bricks-and-mortar
stores can continue trading. Without
government support during these times, it’s
critical that we have foot traffic return sooner
rather than later.
Another challenge will be maintaining the
interest in locally made, hand made jewellery,
that has been assisted by the pandemic. Due
to the lack of travel and disposable income
not being spent on experiences, consumers
have had the ability to spend more money
on jewellery and this has bolstered many
businesses during this time. We need to
nurture these customers and ensure that
the sentiment around locally made jewellery
remains strong.
What do you think are the biggest
opportunities have been with the borders
being closed for so long?
The two biggest opportunities have been
the ability for businesses to use the time
in the past two years to build their digital
assets and presence, and to also build their
relationships and customer base with their
local communities.
Enhancing both digital and local focus will give
retailers and manufacturers the ability to have
two strong avenues to recruit customers.
What will you be doing differently in 2022 to
drive your business forward?
We set out last year to launch the Jewellery
Industry Network, which we had been working
on for some time prior to the pandemic.
We successfully launched our platform and
have gained over 500 members in our first
few months. We set out to build educational
support, launch our Australian Designer
merchandise, build events both online and
physical and continue to grow our channels.
We intend to drive all of these areas forward
in 2022 and increase our membership offering
along with more support for the wider
industry.
With the reduction of businesses in the
industry through retirement, businesses
folding etc.what advice do you have
for business to raise their profile and
awareness?
For businesses that are relatively new or
starting out in the industry, we would always
suggest connecting with others as often as
possible. This will assist with building business
assets and resources, finding suppliers and
materials and allowing you to find mentors
and support programs that can assist you
to grow. Even though businesses will have
different ways of operating, there is always
something to learn from each other, so
connect, ask questions and then use that
information to forge your own unique way
ahead.
38
jewellery world - February 2022

Join as a FREE
member today!
Australia’s Largest
Network of Jewellers.
The Jewellery Industry Network works with small
and large businesses to strengthen and unite them
towards a strong, ethical and sustainable future.
JIN is for: Retailers | Manufacturers | Suppliers | Gemmologists | Valuers | Students | Educators
Our brands include:
Jewellery
Industry Fair
The Jewellery Industry Network believes
in a bright and successful future for
all businesses in the industry and is
passionate about helping each and
every one of them along the way.
jewelleryindustrynetwork.com

Independent Jewellers Collective
Joshua Zarb
CEO
Pre-pandemic, pandemic and post-pandemic
sales (we aren’t quite there just yet)
Retail has dealt with more change in the last
two years than in the previous two decades
and as a side effect, we’ve all grown more
resilient.
We felt, pre-pandemic, that the industry
had experienced two tough years with a
distinct lack of newness from brands and
suppliers, and we saw a distinct shift in focus
back to traditional custom design, remake,
remodelling and manufacturing.
Our group identified that it was prime time
to up the game in stores’ digital presence,
with new website strategies, social media,
customer database marketing and digital
advertising at the focus.
Luckily when the pandemic hit it was clear
which retailers had made this transition well
by matching their instore offering with their
digital footprint. Those stores that were
able to be proactive on social media and
communicate with their database via EDMs
and hit the ground running.
During the pandemic it was a free for all and
most retailers (plus jewellery wholesalers and
manufacturers for that matter) had substantial
uplifts in sales. The lack of international travel
and interstate lockdowns combined with the
government stimulus packages, definitely
pushed spending back into our industry.
The past two years have seen increases in
average sale by showing solid increases in
most diamond jewellery categories and of
course pink diamonds sales have been at
an all-time high over the past 12 months.
We have also seen substantial increases
in coloured gemstone sales in the $750+
category (where many of the jewellery chains
seem to top out). Independent jewellers are
well positioned to source unique gems and
back it up by quality mounts and hold their GP
whilst giving their clients a forever jewellery
piece.
Every time we think we are almost over this
pandemic; it throws another curve ball. We
feel we won’t see any more tough lockdowns
moving forward (bloody hope not anyway!)
and the borders will remain open (we will just
ignore WA for now), so we should see a more
normal pattern of trade and retail spend.
However, supply chains, resources, and access
to staff will remain constricted for businesses
while consumer demand keeps going up.
Our prediction is there will be a period of
conservative spending between now and
mid-year, while Australia continues to navigate
through this current wave.
We believe the next six months will be the
perfect time to hone stores’ digital footprint
by website development, planned social
content, and communicating to customer
databases with clear communication.
Customers do not need cheesy offers and false
discounts, they simply want surety of quality
service, integrity, and a healthy workshop with
realistic time frames for repair and remakes.
So where to now?
The follow-on effects from the pandemic
and lockdowns have forever changed the
way many of us look at our overall business
models. Spending habits are shifting, and
we are seeing a radical change in consumer
behaviour. People are more willing than ever
to buy from businesses that resonate with
them because of geography, company values
or sustainability i.e., shopping locally. They’re
also returning to in-person shopping and
shopping in new ways. Businesses that not
only own their customers and know who they
are, but are speaking to them and listening to
them, will have a definite advantage moving
forward.
As a buying group, our life is communication
and interaction and we have learned to
communicate via various media, and we
use a combination of email, SMS, MMS,
social media and Zoom to share and store
information for our retail partners. We
are fortunate to have quite a young and
progressive management team, so lockdown
forced us to sort out our communication
pathways very early on and combined with
true face-to-face interaction, we can operate
seamlessly now from anywhere.
Our plan for 2022 is simple – we will continue
to provide best practise business mentoring
and guidance, education, and opportunities
for our partners in all areas of their business.
We subscribe to several retail insight networks
and are always looking at international and
domestic best practice initiatives and advice
to pass on to our stores. We host monthly
education session for the stores and invite
guest presenters across all categories so our
retailers can get the best advice possible.
We have invested heavily in marketing for
2022 and we will deliver a branding focused
subscription model for our retail partners that
focuses on their biggest point of difference, in
Custom Design, Diamond Education, Remake,
Remodelling and Manufacturing that covers
all essential touch points. Plus continue to
support our retail partners to further develop
their digital presence, and traditional call to
action campaigns. Customers want to be able
to research online, and buy instore – 54%
of consumers say they’re likely to look at a
product online and buy instore.
We launched IJC just before the pandemic
hit in early 2020, but we have managed to
navigate and shape our business in a very
modern and proactive way. We have overexceeded
our expectations and are ahead of
our business plan in all areas. We are forever
grateful for all the support we have received
from our retail partners, our supply partners
and our peers. There is no doubt, we are
extremely passionate about the industry, and
have enjoyed our continued growth to date.
Now we just need to find a way to all come
together and celebrate.
40
jewellery world - February 2022

Supporting Australia’s finest independents
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

Watch and Clockmakers of Australia
Andrew Markerink
Federal President
WATCHMAKING TRAINING: HAS IT
STRUCK OUT?
Training in the industry has in recent years been of great concern. How often do we scratch our
heads with regard the issue of how to find a watchmaker or clockmaker? How is it that just a few
decades ago we could find a watchmaker in the back of most retail outlets that sold watches, and
now without our trusted Google search we are at a loss to find one within 100 kms?
If you live in Newcastle or on the south coast
or any country area finding a clockmaker may
be about as easy as pulling the proverbial
needle out of a haystack with your eyes shut
while hanging from the rafters. Or maybe we
are already to late and the needle has rusted
away and vanished from view already.
One small dim light does exist in the world of
training in Australia and that is a single course
with a single teacher at TAFE in Ultimo. The
watchmaking course was formed after the
Second World War to train watchmakers for
the Australian market. Those trained through
the course delivered world-class skills for
generations and were the backbone of the
worlds watchmakers.
The light from the TAFE course, while still
shining, is being buffeted by the winds of
change we often recognise as the commercial
winds that have blown through the corridors
of training in Australia. The single teacher
course appears to have been pushed by TAFE
themselves toward the brink of no return as
they try to wring every dollar from training
rather than recognise the importance that
training has to the community. Whether by
incompetance or by design, the precipice that
the industry finds itself in as a result looms
close.
Lets imagine that the TAFE course which has
only sufficient funding for a single teacher was
to close or similarly be reduced in its capacity.
How do we think the heirlooms of generations
of Australians will be serviced restored and
cared for? Or is it that we don’t care that
town hall clocks run to a halt and the watch
on our wrists stop telling us the time? Clocks
and watches, like no other thing in our lives,
serve use not just for a few years but often for
generations. The same way we once thought
training institutions once served us, but smoke
and mirrors and ‘bottom lines’ have crept into
the teaching world.
One day will we wake up to a world that has
gone a little out of alignment when time
becomes a thing we remembered being
understood by a glance at a watch and peak
at a clock or even a momentaary listen to the
chime or strike of a town clock. Time will move
forward regardless of whether TAFE decides to
move in the oppposite direction.
Many may question the need for watchmakers
saying that surely the industry has vanished.
I suggest telling that to the watchmaking
giants of the world and the huge resurgence
that has occurred in watchmaking over the
last 30 years. Mechanical watches are king
and watch manufacturers around the world
are desperate for trained watchmakers and
clockmakers. Most large manufacturers in
Australia find their watchmakers from the
independent industry which trains them via
the apprenticeship system. Few international
watchmakers with service centres in Australia
train a watchmaker from an apprentice. These
centres choose to find their watchmakers by
taking them from the local industry.
Demand is high and class numbers currently
are good but TAFE have no succesion plan
for future teachers to continue the course at
TAFE, and even more outrageous was their
attempt in recent years to reduce the courses
hours of face to face teaching by half.
Governments of all colours in all states have
a fundamental responsibility and that is the
requirement to ensure the skill levels of the
workforce are fit for purpose. How will it look
if when we need a battery fitted to our watch
and an agent in Australia needs to send it
overseas? When is it too late to plan for the
future? Clocks and watches may stop but time
will continue on — hopefully there will be
watchmakers there to help us keep up.
42
jewellery world - February 2022

By Stefan Juengling
JEWELLERY INDUSTRY FAIR:
A GOLDEN OCCASION TO RECONNECT,
EXHIBIT AND COMMERCE IRL
After a two-year COVID-induced in-person hiatus, the Jewellery Industry Fair is back with a bang.
Across the two-day event on February 6 and 7, the event will showcase dozens of suppliers,
retailers and other exhibitors, feature guest speakers and host special events for attendees. Here
we spoke to the event organiser along with several exhibitors to see what’s in store.
Now in its fourth year, the Jewellery
Industry Fair is the first dedicated
jewellery event for the year. Presented
by Jewellery Industry Network, headed by
managing director Laura Moore, the Fair will
give jewellers and retailers across Australia an
opportunity to discover new collections, meet
new suppliers, and see some of Australia’s
most awe-inspiring pieces of fine jewellery.
Laura said the Network has now held two
virtual fairs (during COVID-interrupted 2020
and 2021) plus a business summit, but the
upcoming Fair will be very different with just
over 40 exhibitors and lots to experience on
the day.
Being part of Melbourne’s return to
business
After enduring more than two years of
rolling lockdowns in Melbourne, many of
the exhibitors we spoke to saw the Fair as an
opportunity to reconnect to suppliers and
retailers face-to-face and be part of postpandemic
life.
Director Erica Miller of major Sydney-based
pearl wholesaler Ikecho said she loves
exhibiting at fairs.
“It gives you the opportunity to see our
customers face-to-face and to show them all
our new collections,” she said
“Having no fairs in two years, I thought we
could come to Melbourne so our Victorian
and Tassie customers didn’t have to travel
interstate, make it easier for them.”
Fortune Opal is a well-respected Australian
opal miner and supplier, and one of Fortune’s
directors Ted Hamilton said their company’s
goal is to introduce all Australian jewellers to
the sensational Lightning Ridge Black Opal.
Thus, they saw the Fair as an opportunity to
do just that.
“After the last 2 years we wanted to be a part
of Melbourne getting back to business,” he
said.
“We feel there is an opportunity for the
jewellery industry to not just bounce back but
achieve real growth in an atmosphere of living
one’s best life post-pandemic.”
The Fair is also a prime occasion for relatively
new brands to get exposure, two such brands
being Vous Creations and Salt and Pepper
Diamonds. Headed by owner/designer
Jennifer Van Den Broek, Vous Creations is
a Melbourne-based bespoke personalised
jewellery business established in March last
year. Starting in the thrall of the pandemic,
Jennifer only had four months of operation
to work with amidst the business restrictions.
During this time, she took a step back to allow
February 2022 43

“We have received hundreds of guest
registrations from all over Australia and can’t
wait to finally meet with the industry after
such a long time,” she said.
“We have some exhibitors who we haven’t
seen at a fair for many, many years, and
some who are launching their businesses and
brands with us, so we feel very lucky to have
such wonderful supporters and be backed by
so many amazing industry companies.”
Laura made special thanks to the Fair’s
Platinum Sponsor Palloys, who are excited to
meet with the industry in Melbourne, and also
Showcase Jewellers who have their members
area at the Fair.
retailers to find their feet in business, and
decided to use the upcoming Fair as an ideal
occasion to relaunch her brand.
“I have worked with Laura Sawade over the
years and I am confident that she will organise
a very successful event and give us the best
possible chance to get back to business,” she
said.
Sydney-based sterling
silver designer
jewellery brand Najo
will also be exhibiting,
and CEO Jo Tory said
she felt the Fair has
a very fresh, new
approach to a trade fair.
“I think it is more diverse and has a broad
appeal to the jewellery industry at large,”
she said. “I am looking forward to meeting
a variety of industry members, not only
retailers.”
Salt and Pepper Diamonds is a Coffs Harbourbased
supplier of the eponymous naturally
heavily flawed diamonds. Founder Ben
Cunningham saw the Fair as his way of getting
his product out to new retailers.
Another diamond supplier exhibiting at
the Fair is Grown Diamonds: Melbourne/
Najo
Salt and Pepper Diamonds
Najo
Sydney-based lab grown
diamond supplier. Director
Miriam Neubauer said that
the Fair is a chance for her
brand to be involved in such
a fun jewellery trade event
in person.
“We always love seeing our
customers,” she said.
For the gem suppliers,
director Grant Hamid from
Hamid Bros. said the Fair
is great opportunity to
showcase a range of their
extensive stock to existing
and potential new clients.
“We look forward to
connecting face-to-face, or
mask-to-mask,” he said.
Darren Roberts is director of men’s jewellery
and accessories wholesaler Cudworth
Enterprises, and he said that Cudworth wanted
to be part of this exciting event and connect in
person to the jewellery industry.
From the organiser’s point of view, Laura said
her team has been thrilled by the level of
support and interest in the Fair.
A sneak peek at what’s on offer
Some of the best of Australian fine jewellery
will be on display at the Jewellery Industry
Fair, and Laura said some of their exhibitors
are using the event to launch new brands,
new products and new services which the
industry can’t wait to see.
“We also have a collection of prizes that
guests can win by attending,” she said.
Over the two-day event, Jewellery Industry
Network will present a host of speakers who
will discuss business sustainability. Laura
said her team are also excited to welcome

MelbourneWIN
MelbourneWIN
Cudworth Enterprises
Est in 1921, Cudworth Enterprises celebrated 100 years in 2021.
Australia's largest wholesaler of men's jewellery, leather goods,
writing instruments.
Specialising in stainless steel, sterling silver, 9ct gold and base metal.
Also producing leather products from Italy and Spain in belts and
wallets. Brands include from Cudworth, Hardware and Savage for
Men. www.cudworthenterprises.com
Australian and New Zealand Distributors for Hugo Boss, Festina and
Cerruti writing instruments. Tateossian men's jewellery and Hoxton
men's jewellery from London. Lanvin -Paris in cufflinks and neckwear.
Attend www.rmdistributors.com.au
the Jewellery
Industry Cudworth Fair, - the one and stop win! shop for men's jewellery,
gifts and accessories
Attend the Jewellery
Industry Fair, and win!
WIN
Phone: +612 9557 4877
end the Jewellery
ustry Fair, and win!
Guests at the Jewellery Industry Fair will
have the chance to win an incredible
selection of Prizes, including:
$2000
thanks to NCJV
National Council of Jewellery Valuers
AND
A set of Lab Grown
Diamond earrings with
a matching necklace
thanks to JC Jewels
Visit the Jewellery Industry Fair
in Melbourne this February, for
your chance to win!
Register your ticket for the fair
February 6 & 7
jewelleryindustryfair.com
The Timber Yard
Terms and Conditions are listed on
the Jewellery Industry Fair website.
jewelleryindustrynetwork.com
46 jewellery world - February 2022
February 6 & 7
Attend the Jewellery
Industry Fair, and win!
Guests at the Jewellery Industry Fair will
have the chance to win an incredible
selection Guests of Prizes, at including: the Jewellery Industry Fair will
have the chance to win an incredible
Guests at the Jewellery Industry Fair will
selection of Prizes, including:
have the chance to win an incredible
selection of Prizes, including:
$2000
$2000
thanks to NCJV
National Council of Jewellery Valuers
Guests at the Jewellery Industry Fair will
have the chance to win an incredible
AND thanks to NCJV
selection of Prizes, including:
$2000
National Council of Jewellery Valuers
A set of Lab Grown
Diamond ANDearrings with
a matching necklace
thanks thanks to NCJV to JC Jewels
A set of Lab Grown
Diamond earrings with
a matching necklace
National Council of Jewellery Valuers
ANDVisit the Jewellery Industry Fair
in Melbourne this February, for
your chance to win!
thanks to JC Jewels
A set of Lab Grown
Diamond earrings with
a matching necklace
February 6 & 7
thanks to JC Jewels
Register your ticket for the fair
Register your ticket for the fair
jewelleryindustryfair.com
Visit the Jewellery Industry Fair
jewelleryindustryfair.com
in Melbourne this February, for
Terms and Conditions are listed on
the Jewellery
your
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Fair website.
to win!
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Visit the Jewellery Industry Fair
in Melbourne Register this February, your ticket for for the fair
your chance to win!
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$2000
thanks to NCJV
National Council of Jewellery Valuers
AND
A set of Lab Grown
Diamond earrings with
a matching necklace
thanks to JC Jewels
Visit the Jewellery Industry Fair
in Melbourne this February, for
your chance to win!
Terms and Conditions are listed on
the Jewellery Industry Fair website.
jewelleryindustrynetwork.com

Empress of the North Star
Jewellery Industry Fair, Melbourne, February 6th and 7th – Stand 41
Devino Pearls
Devino invites you to discover the beauty of cultured
pearls and learn about different varieties at the Melbourne
Jewellery Industry Fair 6-7th Feb 2022.
On display will be a selection of strands, loose pearls and
18ct pearl jewellery in:
- White and Gold South Sea Pearls
- Black South Sea Pearls (Tahitian Pearls)
- Japanese Akoya Pearls
- Keshi Pearls
Phone: +61 2 9261 3555
Web: www.devino.com
Stand
11
February 2022 47

Vous Creations
Instagram influencer Champagne Gem, who
will visit the Fair and participate in a live
podcast.
“Along with this, the Fair will be stocked with
great features like delicious food trucks, coffee
carts, a bar and freshly shucked oysters,” she
said.
“It’s really going to be an event you won’t
want to miss!”
The exhibitors we spoke to also gave us a taste
of what they’re keen to showcase.
Miriam said that Grown Diamonds will present
a range of their exquisite lab grown diamonds
in a range of cuts, colours, clarities and carats.
“We will be promoting an eco-friendly
standard to jewellery making materials at the
best prices with our 5-star customer service,”
she said.
Vous Creations will be offering their industry
bespoke statement pendants and earrings,
and Jen said their products are available in 9,
10, 14, 18, and 22ct yellow, white and rose
gold, handset with GHSI diamonds and natural
gemstones.
“These pieces can be sold individually or as a
range,” she said. “(We’re) also launching the
Cherish range: an interchangeable pendant
and charm collection.”
Ikecho
Jo said that Najo will be exhibiting AQUA: their
new collection of sterling silver and stone-set
jewellery.
“We will also be displaying all the Najo bestselling
items and core collection,” she said.
At the end of
last year, Ikecho
launched their
new collection
which had a lot
of solid gold
pieces with
Freshwater
Edison pearls.
Erica said this
new release
garnered a
great response
over Christmas,
and hopes to showcase them at the Fair.
Darren said Cudworth Enterprises will be
keen to promote their range of jewellery
and accessories from various lines including
Cudworth Collections, Hugo Boss, Tateossian
and Festina.
Ikecho
Cudworth
Those after high quality coloured gems will be
more than catered for by Hamid Bros.’ range
of sapphires, rubies, emeralds, aquamarines,
alexandrites, tourmalines, spinels, amethysts,
and zircons, among many others.
For Ted, it’s going to be
primarily about Fortune
Opal’s Lightning Ridge
Black Opal, with a range on
offer covering commercial
grade right through to
collector’s pieces.
“We will also have a
selection of gem-grade
Queensland Boulder Opal:
another great Australia
gemstone the world needs
to see more of,” he said.
Ben will be keen to
showcase his collection of
Salt and Pepper Diamonds’
loose stones at the Fair.
Fortune Opal
It’s been so long, hope to see you at
the Fair
After so long apart, the Jewellery Industry Fair
also gives exhibitors the chance to see familiar
faces again along with opportunities to see
new faces and make new connections. Jo
said she’d of course love to find new retailers,
but said that one of the things she loved
about trade fairs is the sharing of knowledge,
contacts and networking.
“You will always find new leads and learn
something,” she said. “I think the jewellery
industry is very collaborative like that and I
think that this Fair has the Industry at heart.”
Along a similar note, Darren said after a long
pandemic-induced absence, his team at
Cudworth is looking forward to reconnecting
with their valued retail partners as well as
other suppliers.
48
jewellery world - February 2022

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Cudworth
“We are also looking forward to meeting
prospective retailer partners,” he said.”
Grown Diamonds
Miriam said she’s looking forward to seeing
all of Grown Diamonds’ valued customers
and new customers. “(plus) being diamond
purveyors, we are always happy to see the
GAA and the JAA,” she said.
As an escape from our largely online world of
commerce, Grant said his team at Hamid Bros.
anticipate meeting the many clients they deal
with by phone, email through Facebook and
Instagram, but don’t have an opportunity to
see in person.
Hamid Bros.
“The Fair is a great way
for the trade to reconnect
in a very personal way
after a long period of
digital communication,”
he said.
Erica said she’s hoping to
see a lot of Victorian and
Tassie customers Ikecho
haven’t seen in a long
while and hopes to pick
up some new clients.
Najo
Najo
Ben said it will be nice to see familiar faces
again after extensive lockdowns, and will enjoy
catching up with retailers.
At Vous Creations, Jennifer is looking forward
to reconnecting with fellow suppliers who
she’s known for more than 14 years, and the
retailers where many friendships have been
built over 17 years.
“I am hoping to introduce my brand all over
again and hoping that the industry that I have
grown up in and loved with a passion, will
support me back by supporting my Brand,
even if it’s in the smallest way possible,” she
said.
Ted and
his team at
Fortune Opal
eagerly await
meeting
young and
new designers
who may be inspired to create pieces centred
around Australian opal.
Fortune Opal
“We look forward to catching up with friends
in the industry and making new partnerships
with Jewellers we are yet to meet,” he said.”
Laura said she hopes attendees and exhibitors
can start the year by doing great business and
by being inspired by each other.
“We have a beautiful industry and with the
government encouraging us to get back to
work and trade, it’s time for us to continue to
build and reconnect,” she said.
Ikecho
50
jewellery world - February 2022

chain
services
coloured stones
AUSTRALIAN
JEWELLERY TOOLS
WHOLESALER
PO Box 112
Toronto NSW 2283
P: 02 9380 4742 ∙ F: 02 8580 6168
E: sales@adelaimports.com
Adela Imports offer over 180
designs of sterling silver chain,
with up to 20 lengths available
in each from stock.
Also offering a range of
uniquely designed silver
jewellery.
Catalogue available.
www.adelaimports.com
Chris O’Neill
Piecemaker
2015 YJG Bench Challenge
Hand Engraving Champion.
Also specialising in quality
Handmakes, Repairs and
Antique restorations in the
Sydney CBD.
0405 689 834
services
SPECIALISING IN QUALITY
JEWELLERY TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
WITH EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE
(07) 3876 7481
sales@labanda.com.au
FAX: (07) 3368 3100
ADELAIDE (08) 7221 2202
MELBOURNE (03) 9038 8545
PERTH (08) 6363 5517
SYDNEY (02) 8004 1626
Glues
www.labanda.com.au
MILN & CO. Pty Ltd
Ph: 02 4655 7707 M: 0412 702 834
E:stuart.miln@milnco.com.au
Lancier Watch Bands - Leather, metal, sports.
Watchglasses. Seals. Batteries. Quartz Movements.
Pins/tools. Jewellery findings. J C Hurst Bangles.
Fischer Barometers and Tide Clocks
Are you Jewellery
World's biggest joker?
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Fed up with the lame efforts we
publish here? Send us something
funny – we dare you.
No, really, please do. See what
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Send your joke to
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for sale
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Relaxing ...
Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He’s
not breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his
cell phone and calls 911.
“I think my friend is dead!” he yells. “What can I do?”
The operator says, “Calm down. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.”
There’s a silence, then a shot. Back on the phone, the guy says,
“Okay, now what?”
What did the farmer give his wife for Valentine’s Day?
Hogs and kisses.
What flower gives the most kisses on Valentine’s Day?
Tu-lips.
What did the painter say to her sweetheart?
I love you with all my art.
What did Frankenstein’s monster say to his bride on Valentine’s Day?
Be my Valen-stein!
What do you call two birds in love?
Tweethearts!
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