Jeweller - May 2023

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May 2023 | 1

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0.50 CT TW
2.00 CT TW
4.00 CT TW
STUD
EARRINGS
Sale Price
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Memo Price
$219
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$699
Memo Price
$799
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$1,899
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$2,099
Also available: 0.75 CT TW, 1.00 CT TW, 1.50 CT TW, 3.00 CT TW,
15MM
HUGGIES
23.5MM ALSO
AVAILABLE
2.00 CT TW
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$649
Memo Price
$799
2.50 CT TW
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$999
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$1,299
3.50 CT TW
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$1,499
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$1,999
SMALL OVAL
HOOPS
MEDIUM & LARGE
ALSO AVAILABLE
1.00 CT TW
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$399
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$449
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2.00 CT TW
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3.00 CT TW
Sale Price
$1,299
Memo Price
$1,449
2.00 CT TW
5.00 CT TW
10.00 CT TW
TENNIS
BRACELETS
Sale Price
$899
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$999
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$2,249
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SOLITAIRE
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1.00 CT TW
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SOLITAIRE
PENDANTS
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TENNIS
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Also available: 6.00 CT TW, 7.50 CT TW
5-STONE
RINGS
7-STONE RINGS
ALSO AVAILABLE
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IGI Lab Cert#
Shape
Weight
Col/Clar
Cut
Polish
Symmetry
Discount%
Depth%
Table%
Total$
559284339
561265188
549299517
561254530
566395914
571308970
563231704
572356358
502156276
550256057
534250059
530210482
550245240
573393945
570366815
566307582
567372978
529263008
559296182
546219041
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546219244
559297491
564363887
508123806
564352771
541250984
539233540
551291152
555265123
566306823
519255431
494185359
492131396
544282930
560218690
572346350
546298186
559295259
BR
BR
BR
BR
BR
BR
BR
BR
BR
PR
PR
PR
PR
PS
PS
PS
PS
PS
EM
EM
EM
EM
CU
CU
CU
RAD
RAD
RAD
MQ
MQ
MQ
MQ
AS
AS
OV
OV
OV
OV
OV
5.01
4.2
4
3.61
3.5
3.24
3.12
2.99
1.19
6.26
2.31
2.07
1.7
5.02
4.06
3.09
2.05
1.53
5.01
2.01
1.63
1.5
5.01
2.07
1.5
5
2.03
1.51
5.02
4.01
3.16
2.1
5.05
2.41
5.01
4.01
3.1
2.06
1.6
G-VS1
G-VS2
F-VS2
E-VS1
F-VS1
G-VS2
F-VS2
F-VVS2
D-VS1
F-VS1
G-VS1
F-SI1
E-VS1
F-VS1
G-VS1
F-SI1
F-VS2
F-SI1
E-SI1
E-SI1
F-VS2
G-SI1
E-VS1
D-SI1
E-SI1
G-VS1
F-VS1
G-VS1
E-VS1
E-VS2
G-VS1
G-VS1
H-VS1
G-VS1
G-VS2
G-VS1
F-VS1
E-VS2
D-VS2
EX
ID
EX
ID
EX
ID
ID
EX
ID
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
EX
-98.20
-98.55
-98.20
-98.25
-98.35
-98.60
-98.60
-97.80
-96.00
-98.30
-98.35
-98.25
-98.00
-97.60
-98.05
-98.30
-98.05
-98.00
-98.95
-98.40
-98.20
-98.10
-98.55
-98.40
-98.20
-98.55
-98.00
-97.60
-97.10
-97.00
-98.30
-98.05
-97.90
-97.70
-98.55
-98.55
-98.35
-98.25
-97.50
63.2
61.9
62.8
62.2
62.9
60.2
62
59.8
62.5
69.1
72.6
72
73.7
63.9
62.4
62.9
61.9
62.6
65.8
68
66.2
66.5
61.7
67.7
68.8
62.1
65.8
66.5
59.5
66.2
62.3
63.2
65.7
65.4
63.7
63.8
62.1
63
62.9
59.5
58
54.5
56.5
57.5
59
58
61.5
57
66.5
67.5
66
67.5
61.5
58
58
61
60
69
62.5
62.5
56.5
62
59
58
68
62.5
65
62
60
58
57.5
69
62
62.5
59
60.5
59
57.5
$4373.73
$1979.25
$2628.00
$2305.89
$1876.88
$1111.32
$1244.88
$1545.83
$575.96
$5480.63
$590.78
$478.17
$435.20
$6204.72
$2454.27
$1024.34
$619.61
$302.94
$1841.18
$453.46
$328.61
$262.20
$4068.12
$500.11
$283.50
$3262.50
$690.20
$405.89
$8152.48
$4150.35
$1208.70
$634.72
$3764.78
$859.16
$2796.83
$1802.50
$1278.75
$594.82
$496.00
22 W 48th St, New York, NY 10036, USA
Call: (212)-764-7841 | Email: sales@elgdiamonds.com
Website: www.sanghavisolitaire.com/Home/DailySpecial

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XXXX MAY 2023 2022
Contents
This Month
Industry Facets
15 Editorial
16 Upfront
18 News
28
31
72
74
10 YEARS AGO
Time Machine: May 2013
LEARN ABOUT GEMS
Tools of the Trade: Part III
MY BENCH
Ash Bright
SOAPBOX
Barbara Wheat
33 FOCUS FEATURE
Bringing brand game
4The key to successfully stocking branded
jewellery is converting customers committed to
the brand into customers loyal to your store.
Features
33
44
BRANDED JEWELLERY FEATURE
Strengthen your brand game
WATCH CATALOGUE
Learn all about the latest watch and timepiece releases
57
COLOUR GEMSTONE JEWELLERY
Emerald, sapphire, morganite: the full spectrum
Better Your Business
44 WATCH BUYING GUIDE
Tick, tock, tick...
4Learn about the exciting new influx of watch and
timepiece releases on offer from leading suppliers.
66
68
69
70
71
BUSINESS STRATEGY
We've all heard the phrase "anyone can sell." BRIAN WALKER strongly disagrees.
SELLING
STEVEN VAN BELLEGHEM encourages you to avoid overthinking customer criticism.
MANAGEMENT
Dealing with dysfunctional staff? PAUL KEIJZER details the path forward.
MARKETING & PR
DAVE WAKEMAN explains the importance of offering something unique.
LOGGED ON
THOMAS YOUNG outlines several all-too-common digital marketing mistakes.
57 COLOUR GEMSTONE JEWELLERY
Unique identity
4The contemporary consumer
seeks unique and personalised
jewellery like never before, with
an emphasis on self expression.
SAMUEL ORD highlights the
advantage colour gemstone
jewellery offers retailers.
FRONT COVER
Thomas Sabo has changed its
approach to the Charm Club
collection with the launch of the
Charmista campaign. Bracelets
and necklaces featuring a new
engravable Charmista Coin
are available, with impressive
benefits on offer for Charm Club
members. To learn more visit:
thomassabo.com.au
dgau.com.au/thomas-sabo
May 2023 | 13

News
(02) 9417 0177 / dgau.com.au
14 | May 2023
baume-et-mercier.com
Riviera Automatic, 42mm

Editor’s Desk
Michael Hill and Bevilles:
History never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme
The international jewellery industry is an ever-changing landscape.
ANGELA HAN reflects on Michael Hill’s acquisition of Bevilles.
The recent announcement that global
jewellery chain Michael Hill International
would acquire its smaller rival Bevilles
was certainly unexpected and caught the
industry by surprise.
While the deal remains subject to
approval by the Australian Competition and
Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Fair
Work Commission, it brings to mind the last
time a significant acquisition occurred in the
jewellery retail sector - Prouds’ buy-out of
Angus and Coote in 2007.
That deal was approved by the ACCC
and led to the Australian Stock Exchange
(ASX) listed Angus and Coote (A&C) – along
with its associated businesses Edments,
Goldmark and Dunklings – being acquired
by the privately owned New Zealand-based
company James Pascoe Ltd.
A&C was subsequently delisted from
the ASX, and more interestingly it meant
that Australia’s two largest jewellery
businesses were New Zealand owned.
In a similar set of circumstances to the
A&C deal, the Bevilles acquisition by
Michael Hill draws to an end a long
family tradition.
A little history
At the time of acquisition, A&C was 111
years old and the original owners, the
Coote family, had owned and operated
the business for decades. The founder,
Edmund Coote, passed the business
down to his son Roy Coote which
expanded significantly in the 1970s.
The overall business had increased
to around 250 stores and the family's
last owner was Tony Coote.
In an interview with the Australian
Financial Review at the time of the sale,
he described feeling “like it was the final
day of school.”
The sale came at a time when fashion
jewellery trends were surging – a far cry
from traditional fine jewellery which was
A&C's specialty. Amid financial hardship,
the company made a loss of $3.8 million in
2006, against a profit of $6 million in 2005.
It would seem that the experiences of A&C
foreshadowed the road ahead for Bevilles.
Bevilles was founded in 1934 by Leo
and Raie Beville, who owned a store in
Melbourne’s Bourke Street.
Bevilles entered voluntary administration
in April 2014, when a proposed business
restructure was presented to creditors.
Representatives confirmed it owed
more than $10 million as the first major
jewellery retailer to fail in 18 years.
The Melbourne-based company had
incurred trading losses of more than
$10 million over the previous three years
and total claims against it amounted
to $14 million. Three years later and a
49 per cent stake of the company was
sold to India’s Tara Jewels.
At the time of publication, Beville’s current
store count is 26, located in three states -
Victoria, NSW, and South Australia.
This is an increase of two stores since
Jeweller’s most recent State of the
Industry Report which detailed Beville’s
up-and-down history. In 2010 the
company operated 29 stores.
Time is a flat circle
The announcement of the sale of Bevilles
is well-timed as Jeweller is currently
undergoing a major research project. It’s
interesting to note that it will be an update
on a project which was first published in
2003 – and coincidentally, was spurred by
the news from Bevilles.
At the time, Bevilles had announced
plans to open its first retail outlet outside
of Victoria. Interestingly, the business
selected the Westfield shopping centre
in Parramatta, NSW.
You may be wondering why that specific
location was of interest?
There was no shortage of jewellery stores
already present in that particular shopping
centre – in fact, our research found that
Bevilles would become the 22nd jeweller
within the complex!
Putting aside the obvious question of
'Why does Westfield Parramatta need
another jewellery store?', it prompted
some other interesting discussions.
We also pondered: how many jewellers
are ‘too many’ in one location?
One consideration was whether the
shopping centre landlords cared about the
The
investigation
confirmed our
suspicions:
centre landlords
work this out
with a specific
formula - the
statistics across
all capital
cities were too
consistent to
ignore!
retail ratio of the complex when it comes to
the jewellery category.
We decided to investigate and what began
as a small series of news stories (i.e.
mainly covering the Bevilles expansion
into NSW), evolved into a major study of
jewellery stores in all the shopping centres
of Australia’s capital cities.
The May 2003 report asked the question:
Do we have too many jewellers in our
shopping centres?
The investigation confirmed our suspicions:
centre landlords seem to operate within a
specific formula - the statistics across all
capital cities were too consistent to ignore!
Perhaps the most important observation
was that no matter the size and/or location
of the shopping centre, jewellers accounted
for around five per cent of all stores. The
study cast an interesting light on many
other aspects of operating a business in
a shopping centre - I wonder if their retail
ratio has changed?
The best is yet to come
I mentioned above that just prior to the
announcement of Michael Hill acquiring
Bevilles we'd coincidentally begun an
update on the original investigation.
It appears serendipitous for our 20-year
anniversary of the original report.
I’ve no doubt that the industry will have
changed dramatically over the past
two decades – whether it be due to the
increased levels of online shopping, the
lingering effects of the COVID pandemic
or changes to consumer habits and how
it will continue to shift with the introduction
of AI - there’s more change to come!
Indeed, Michael Hill has already declared
that over the next five years it plans to open
more than 80 new Bevilles locations in
Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
For now, I have to leave it here. We are
now completing the research of the relevant
data, and I’m sure the report will change
the way you view the jewellery trade.
The new report will be released in
December. Watch this space!
Angela Han
Publisher
May 2023 | 15

Upfront
Rewind: Best Bench Tip
FEBRUARY 2018
"Polish all parts first,
check and polish
again. The final finish
is how a customer
perceives all of your
work."
ALFIE GRYG
ALLGEM JEWELLERS
HISTORIC GEMSTONE
The Liberty Bell Ruby
4Liberty Bell Ruby is a sculpture
created from the world’s largest
mined ruby, which weighs four
pounds and is 8.5 thousand carats.
The ruby was discovered in East
Africa in the 1950s and in 1976, was
sculpted to resemble the iconic
Liberty Bell, an iconic symbol of US
independence. The Liberty Bell Ruby
features 50 additional diamonds and
was valued at $US2 million. In 2011,
the piece was stolen in a jewellery
store heist in Delaware. Despite four
men being arrested and indicted for
the theft, the Liberty Bell Ruby has
not been recovered.
Trend Spotting
4From crochet to macrame and
appliqué, fashion is embracing
handmade techniques like never
before and jewellery is no exception.
As 2023 continues, leading jewellery
designers are finding ways to
incorporate beads, shells, and stones
into their creations. The necklaces
and earrings often look like they could
have been found at the bottom of your
older relative's jewellery box.
Galaxy Hoops; Tony Burch
Julia Roberts, Chopard
Stranger Things
Weird, wacky and wonderful
jewellery news from around the world
Tiffany & Co tease
4As part of an April Fools joke,
Tiffany & Co unveiled a pair of
gemstone encrusted sneakers on
social media, headlined by more than
17,000 diamonds. “In an unparalleled
display of craftsmanship, Tiffany's
in-house master artisans hand-set
over 17,000 scintillating diamonds
totalling over 1,837 carats on each
shoe. Price strictly upon request,”
the post continued. The majority
of commentors were quick to
acknowledge the joke; however, given
the company’s new partnership with
Nike, not all caught on immediately.
Years in the making
4Elite watchmaker Jacob & Co
has unveiled its latest design, the
Billionaire Timeless Treasure.
The timepiece incorporates 216
carats of Asscher-cut fancy colour
yellow diamonds and 76 green
tsavorites, with a total weight of
3.59 carats. The company said that
gathering the diamonds took more
three years. Interested? The watch
can be all yours for a mere $US20
million ($AU29.52 million).
Digital Brainwave
The Richemont Group
has collaborated with
law enforcement to
launch Enquirius.
4Richemont has launched a new digital
platform to upload and share information
on watches and jewellery in a move
to limit industry-related crime. The
Enquirus platform is a collaboration with
manufacturers, law enforcement agencies,
insurance companies, the pre-owned
market, and consumers. It is open to all
luxury brands and allows different users to
upload, search and share data. It currently
has more than 175 watch brands and
several leading jewellery brands signed
up to the platform, including Richemont
brands and others in the trade.
Campaign Watch
4Julia Roberts is the new global
ambassador for the Swiss jewellery and
timepiece company Chopard. In the new
multi-year role, the Oscar-winning actress
will represent all women’s watches, high
jewellery and luxury jewellery collections.
To mark the appointment, Roberts and
Chopard have collaborated on a new
campaign which was unveiled on the
International Day of Happiness.
Fifth time’s a charm
4Controversial media magnate
Rupert Murdoch has presented his
finance with a $US2.5 million ($AU3.69
million) engagement ring. The 92-yearold
is the executive chairman of News
Corp, and recently confirmed his
engagement to Ann Lesley Smith after
divorcing his fourth wife, supermodel
Jerry Hall, in July of 2022. Smith was
spotted in Los Angeles wearing a new
11-carat Asscher-cut diamond ring.
VOICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN JEWELLERY INDUSTRY
Published by Befindan Media Pty Ltd
Locked Bag 26, South Melbourne, VIC 3205 AUSTRALIA | ABN 66 638 077 648 | Phone: +61 3 9696 7200 | Subscriptions & Enquiries: info@jewellermagazine.com
Publisher Angela Han angela.han@jewellermagazine.com • Journalist Samuel Ord samuel.ord@jewellermagazine.com
Production Learoy Bangis art@befindanmedia.com • Advertising Toli Podolak toli.podolak@jewellermagazine.com • Accounts Paul Blewitt finance@befindanmedia.com
Copyright All material appearing in Jeweller is subject to copyright. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly forbidden without prior written consent of the publisher. Befindan Media Pty Ltd
strives to report accurately and fairly and it is our policy to correct significant errors of fact and misleading statements in the next available issue. All statements made, although based on information
believed to be reliable and accurate at the time, cannot be guaranteed and no fault or liability can be accepted for error or omission. Any comment relating to subjective opinions should be addressed to
the editor. Advertising The publisher reserves the right to omit or alter any advertisement to comply with Australian law and the advertiser agrees to indemnify the publisher for all damages or liabilities
arising from the published material.

Precious
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Palloys.Your Exclusive Global Supplier.
Contact our team today
1300 886 108 | AUSTRALIA WIDE
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News
Canadian police stunned
by brazen gold heist
Shock takeover: Michael Hill acquires rival Bevilles
Michael Hill International has acquired Australian
retail rival Bevilles in a strategic $45 million deal.
Canadian authorities have launched an
investigation after a container holding
almost 3,600 pounds (1,633 kilograms) of
gold vanished from Toronto Pearson
International Airport.
The Toronto Sun has reported that the gold
stolen was valued at approximately $US15
million ($AU22.4 million); however, other
sources suggest the value is closer to $US100
million ($AU149.5 million).
The report suggested the theft was likely linked
to organised crime, citing an unnamed police
source. Other valuable items were also taken.
Investigators believe the heist occurred on
17 April. Peel Regional Police inspector
Stephen Duivesteyn said the investigation
would explore ‘all avenues’ and described the
incident as isolated and rare.
"Our goal is to solve this theft. We want to solve
it. I cannot provide exact details. We do not
consider this a public safety matter,” he said.
"We're three days in, so our investigators have
their eyes open to all avenues. We're kind of
keeping a broad outlook on it, so we're looking
fromall angles on how this item was stolen."
The Toronto Pearson International Airport is
Canada’s busiest airport. It’s believed thieves
accessed the public side of a warehouse which
is leased to a third party outside the ‘primary
security line’.
Michael Hill CEO Daniel Bracken said that
Bevilles strength in gold and silver products
would complement his company’s reputation for
diamond jewellery.
“It has a completely different product proposition
to the Michael Hill business, and is predominantly
focused on gold, silver, and watches, whereas
Michael Hill is predominantly diamonds,” he told
The Australian Financial Review.
“The majority of Bevilles pricing sits below $500.
We’ve stepped away from the mid-market, but we
see that there’s still a big opportunity at that end
of the market.”
The company is planning to open more than
80 new Bevilles stores by 2028, including
expansion in New Zealand and Canada where
Michael Hill already operates. Michael Hill
operates 148 in Australia, along with 47 in
New Zealand and 86 in Canada.
Turbulent times
Despite many media reports stating the
company has been family-owned - rather than
family-controlled - for three generations, Indian
company Tara Jewels acquired a 49 per cent
stake in October 2017. This came three years
after Bevilles entered voluntary administration in
April 2014, when a proposed business restructure
was presented to creditors. Representatives
confirmed it owed $14 million as the first major
jewellery retailer to fail in 18 years.
The collapse caught many in the industry
by surprise, particularly as one year prior
the company had announced a major
rebranding project which included the
rollout of 'new-look stores'. At the time Bevilles
CEO Michelle Stanton told Jeweller a restructure
plan would be proposed to creditors and assessed
by appointed administrators PPB Advisory.
“Despite this being a very difficult decision,
we believe this path offers the best possible
outcomes for everyone. Under our proposed
restructure, it is our family’s intent to reacquire
the business and retain our 80-year-old brand,”
she explained.
The Melbourne-based company had incurred
trading losses of more than $10 million over the
previous three years and total claims against it
amounted to $14 million. This figure included
related party loans of $3.65 million by Keith
Beville ($1.4 million), son of founder Leo Beville,
and Deidre Capital ($2.25 million).
In December 2015, the chain opened a new
Melbourne CBD store, having exited the Bourke
Street Mall in 2011 where it had been located
for more than a decade. When the lease fell
due Bevilles was 'outbid' by Swarosvki for the
‘flagship’ location. Swarovski was reported to
have offered more than $1 million for the 105
square metre store.
At the time of publication Beville’s current
store count is 26, being located in three states -
Victoria, NSW, and South Australia.
This is an increase of two stores since Jeweller’s
most recent State of the Industry Report which
detailed Beville’s up-and-down history. In 2010
the company operated 29 stores and in 2014 the
store count was forcibly reduced as a result of
the voluntary administration; 11 stores closed,
bringing to 16 the number of stores across the
three states.
Moving forward
That aside, Bracken was confident in the
brand’s future.
“Expanding the store network in Australia
represents an extremely exciting opportunity for
the group, as the Michael Hill brand continues
its journey to elevate into a more premium
positioning,” Bracken added.
Bevilles employees will reportedly be offered new
employment contracts with Michael Hill. The
transaction is expected to be completed in the
current quarter. CEO Michelle Beville will retain
an ambassadorial position for the next two years.
Michael Hill chair Robert Fyfe said in the
immediate aftermath of the acquisition,
expansion would be the top priority.
“It ticks so many boxes, especially in the current
economic environment as customers seek out
value for money,” he said. “The Bevilles store
network is under-penetrated and ready for
growth, and Michael Hill will partner with Bevilles
to provide expertise to grow the store portfolio,
and unlock synergies.”
The deal is subject to approval by the Australian
Competition and Consumer Commission and the
Fair Work Commission.
18 | May 2023

News
Cerrone honoured with Order of Australia
Excitement building ahead of
Australian Opal Exhibition
Owner and founder of the House of Cerrone,
jeweller Nicola Cerrone, has been presented
with a Medal of the Order of Australia.
He was awarded the honour by the Governor
of New South Wales Margaret Beazley in
a ceremony at Government House in a
ceremony on 18 April, acknowledged for
his contribution to Australia’s arts,
manufacturing and business sectors.
Cerrone told Jeweller he was thrilled to see
the industry well-recognised and placed in
the national spotlight.
“Going to Government House was a wonderful
experience, they did a great job of illustrating
what each recipient has achieved – it’s not
just a matter of getting your medal and saying
goodbye,” he said.
“There were people from all walks of life
present and it was a great celebration of
some tremendous achievements.”
Cerrone migrated to Australia in the 1960s
from Italy and after completing a jewellery
apprenticeship, founded his business with his
wife Carmela Cerrone in 1972.
Based in Sydney, Cerrone oversees Australia’s
largest handmade jewellery workshop and
focuses on ‘paying it forward’ by fostering the
next generation of craftsmen with expansive
apprenticeship programs.
He said promoting and elevating young jewellers
was his highest priority.
“We’ve been focusing on working closely with
apprentices for the past 15-20 years, and I think
it’s the most important thing for the industry to
focus on moving forward,” Cerrone said.
“We have around 10 apprentices at the moment,
and often they start in jewellery as a bit of a
‘hobby’ but quickly they want to become the very
best in the field and that’s the secret to success.”
He added: “When there’s competition in
business, we see people pushing boundaries
and raising the standard. When these young
people go off and start their own businesses,
that’s brilliant for the future of the industry.”
Changing tides
He compared competition in jewellery to
competition in music and sport, saying that
the desire to be the best created incredible
art and iconic performances.
Master jewellers are notoriously private people
and Cerrone said he was pleased to see
attitudes changing toward those eager to learn.
“It’s funny to think about to my masters, the
people who taught me. Many of them would
say ‘work it out yourself’ or ‘if I teach you,
you’ll never learn’,” Cerrone jokes.
“These days many people are eager to pass
on what they’ve learned which is fantastic.
Fortunately, we’ve also got the internet too,
and these young apprentices can head online
to learn more.”
He added: “These young apprentices are
the future voices of the industry and I’m very
happy to see the government prioritising
apprenticeship programs.”
Cerrone’s Order of Australia is the latest in
a distinguished career, including winning
the De Beers Diamond International Award
in 1998 and receiving the Key to the City (il
Frentano d’Oro) in his hometown of Lanciano
Abruzzo and elevated to Knighthood status as
recognised by the Italian republic to celebrate
his accomplishments in Australia.
Anticipation is building for the Australian Opal
Exhibition which will soon celebrate 20 years of
successful trade with a two-day show in Queensland.
The fair is scheduled for 2-3 August in Southport,
bringing the country’s leading opal miners and
wholesalers together with retailers.
Australian Opal Exhibition president Janice Evert
said the success of the past year’s event led to
organisers pursuing a new venue for 2023.
“The Australian Opal Exhibition is building on its
very successful 2022 exhibition. It was the first one
since the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns,
and the buzz was palpable,” she told Jeweller.
“The Australian opal industry loves to get together and
it was very exciting to see old friends and colleagues.
There were also quite a few new buyers present who
were warmly welcomed into the opal family.”
She added: “We hope to see everyone again at our
new venue to celebrate 20 years”.
Australia is responsible for approximately 95 per
cent of the world’s supply of gemstone quality opals
used in fine jewellery.
The majority of Australia’s opals are found in
NSW, Queensland and South Australia and come
in a variety of types, including white, crystal and
boulder. Black opals, the rarest, were reportedly
particularly popular with buyers at Jewellery and
Gem World in Singapore in September.
This year’s trade show will be hosted at the events
space at Southport Sharks. For further information
head to the Australian Opal Exhibition website.
May 2023 | 19

News
Young jewellers to capture
the spotlight in Sydney
Positive signs for Australian retailers amid staffing crisis
Nearly a quarter of retail Australian businesses
reported job vacancies in February, a decline of
8.5 per cent from November, according to the
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The lowest level of reported vacancies in retail
was in November of 2021 at 15.9 per cent. In
February that figure sat at 23.3 per cent. ABS
head of labour statistics Bjorn Jarvis said job
vacancies have decreased by 9 per cent from
a peak in May of the past year after three
consecutive quarters of decline.
“Job vacancies in February 2023 were still nearly
double what they were three years ago, just
before the start of the pandemic,” Jarvis said.
“There is still a very high demand for labour
from employers across Australia and across
all industries.”
Australian Retailers Association (ARA) CEO
Paul Zahra said that the number of vacancies
remains of great concern.
Are YOU launching a new supply business?
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Want FREE exposure “During Christmas, retail vacancies are typically
Want and FREE contacts? exposure abundant due to and the high contacts?
volume, fast-paced
Want FREE exposure and contacts?
nature of trading and the need for additional
Need a HELPING HAND to make staff. it When work?
In a campaign to elevate Australia’s we move into the New Year, those
Need a HELPING
Need next generation
HAND
a HELPING of
to make positions it
HAND
work?
to make it work?
jewellers, TAFE NSW will collaborate with Expertise
are no longer required, which results
Events in a reduction in vacancies,” he told Ragtrader.
Do it to promote at the young INTERNATIONAL jewellers and designers. JEWELLERY FAIR.
Do it at the INTERNATIONAL Do it at the INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR. JEWELLERY FAIR.
The IJF is scheduled to be hosted at ICC Sydney in
Darling Harbour, beginning on Saturday 19 August.
“We are still concerned about the high
number of vacancies and that the rising
cost of doing business for retailers may be
impacting job vacancies.”
For
For
more
more
information
information For to
to more apply
apply information scan
scan
the
the
QR
QR or code to code apply below.
below. scan the QR code below.
The theme of this year’s event will be ‘The Real Thing’.
• ARE YOU LAUNCHING A NEW SUPPLY BUSINESS?
Head teacher of jewellery design and manufacture
• WANT FREE EXPOSURE AND CONTACTS?
at Design Centre Enmore, Gina Kind, said that the
aim of the initiative was to prepare young jewellers
for a successful career.
• NEED A HELPING HAND TO MAKE YOUR BUSINESS WORK?
LAUNCH YOURSELF AT THE INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR
She added: ”We are thrilled to be part of IJF
Jewellers Den is proudly supported by
Darling Harbour and to showcase Jewellers the Den work is proudly of supported our by
talented students.
Jewellery industry impacted
In Jeweller’s special December issue –
What Do Jewellers Think? – one of the most
commonly cited causes for concern heading
into 2023 was staff shortages.
Jewellers Den is proudly supported by
CEO of The Jewellery Group, Mudit Vora,
oversees the operations of Zamels and
Mazzucchelli’s and said that the staffing
crisis was a significant concern.
“Staffing has been the biggest challenge this
year. While we’ve been able to retain most of
our staffing in management roles, hiring new
team members within the entire organisation
continues to be the biggest challenge,” he said.
Toby Bensimon, managing director of Shiels,
said that his company needed to adopt new
measures to address the issue.
“Guerilla tactics have to be employed in these
times. Our teams use every interaction with
people to spruik the benefits of working in our
business,” Bensimon said.
Vora and Bensimon both oversee major chain
store operations; however, these frustrations
were shared by independent businesses too.
Zahra said that the only solution he can envision
is an increased investment into the labour force.
“The Government is making promising strides,
increasing the cap on migration and rolling out
a suite of initiatives such as the Work Bonus for
pensioners but we’ve still got work to do".
According to the latest figures, the largest
quarterly percentage decline in job vacancies
belonged to WA, decreasing by 15 per cent.
IJF2023 jeweller Den ad April issue.indd 1
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"Our program provides students with the skills and
knowledge needed to succeed in the industry, and
we are grateful to Expertise Events for providing this
platform for our young jewellers."
INVESTED IN INVESTED THE INDUSTRY Promising THE INDUSTRY progress for Global Jewellers Network
INVESTED IN THE INDUSTRY
Expertise Events managing director Gary Fitz-Roy told
IJF2023 jeweller Den ad April issue.indd 1
Jeweller, ”The jewellery and watchmaking IJF2023 jeweller Den ad April issue.indd industry
1
has a rich history and tradition."
"It's important that we continue to nurture and
support the next generation of talent.
"We are proud to partner with the Design Centre
Enmore, TAFE NSW, and provide a platform for these
young jewellers to showcase their skills and inspire
others to consider a career in this exciting industry."
Expertise Events recently announced the launch
of Jewellers Den, a new project for up-and-coming
designers to forge a new career as a jewellery
supplier.
For further information visit the International
Jewellery Fair website.
The recently formed Global Jewellers Network
(GJN) has completed a successful in-person
23/3/2023 4:18 pm
meeting in England and outlined plans for
23/3/2023 4:18 pm
future resource sharing.
GJN is a collaboration formed in 2022 between
Australia’s Nationwide Jewellers, The Company
of Master Jewellers (CMJ) operating in the UK
and Ireland, and the Independent Jewellers
Organisation (IJO) based in the US and Canada.
Combined the three groups represent more
than 1,500 independent jewellery stores in
nine countries.
Nationwide Jewellers managing director Colin
Pocklington said meetings with CMJ managing
director Emmett Cummins were fruitful.
“After many Zoom meetings over the past two
years it was good to be able to meet Emmet
and his team face-to-face,” said Pocklington.
23/3/2023 4:18 pm
“We had a very productive two days. The CMJ
is very interested in being able to roll out our
Retail Jewellery Business Management Course
for their members and Nationwide members
will benefit from the great marketing material
that the CMJ has developed.”
Attention for the GJN now turns to the
International Jewellery Fair in Sydney in August.
IJO president Jeff Roberts is scheduled
to bring a group of members to the fair
where arrangements will be made for them
to purchase from Nationwide’s exhibiting
preferred suppliers.
20 | May 2023

CONNECTING THE
JEWELLERY WORLD
22 - 25 / 6 / 2023
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
Asia’s Number One Mid-year Jewellery Event
To Exhibit: T +852 3709 4991 | E salesjgf@informa.com To Visit: T +852 3709 4992 | E visitjgf-hk@informa.com
May 2023 | 21

News
International investigation into Perth Mint concludes
The London Bullion Market Association (LBMA)
has concluded an incident review of the Perth
Mint’s practices which began in March amid a
gold-doping scandal.
The LBMA will retain the Perth Mint on its list of
approved refiners; however, has also requested a
strengthening of management systems in order to
prevent future issues.
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The LBMA's investigation focused specifically
on whether the Perth Mint conformed with the
Responsible Gold Guidance, which sets standards
for combating money laundering and terrorist
financing practices.
“LBMA did not find any instances of zero-tolerance
non-conformance. There are elements of the
Perth Mint’s management systems that are being
strengthened through a Corrective Action Plan
(CAP) to be audited by a third-party auditor,” the
LBMA said in a statement.
“LBMA reserves the right to re-visit this
conclusion if new information relating to the
Perth Mint becomes available.”
Chief executive Jason Waters said the Perth Mint
was committed to completing the Corrective
Action Plan.
"The Perth Mint has embarked on a comprehensive,
fully-funded program to remediate our anti-money
laundering processes and ensure best practice in
everything we do," Waters told the ABC.
Gold Corporation is the parent company of the Perth
Mint, the largest processor of newly mined gold in
the world. The mint is owned by the Government of
Western Australia.
Nathan Lynch, a financial regulation expert for
Thomson Reuters, said the findings from the
LBMA was a significantly positive outcome for the
Perth Mint.
"The LBMA review has been very quick, considering
the complexity of these issues around money
laundering, terrorism financing, sanctions, and
environmental standards," Lynch said.
"It's a good outcome for Gold Corporation and gives
them a window of opportunity now to push ahead with
the work they're doing to rebuild their governance
framework. That work on developing a sophisticated
risk culture cuts across the entire organisation.”
The controversy surrounding the Perth Mint
ignited in early March when the ABC’s Four
Corners program published a report detailing
a potential $9 billion bullion recall involving the
Shanghai Bullion Exchange.
New acquisition for LVMH amid impressive opening quarter
French luxury conglomerate Louis Vuitton Moët
Hennessy (LVMH) has begun 2023 on a positive
note, reporting an 11 per cent rise in jewellery and
watch sales.
In a statement released on 12 April, LVMH said that
despite operating in an economic and geopolitical
environment which ‘remains uncertain’, total revenue
increased by 17 per cent.
“In jewellery Tiffany & Co. had an excellent start
to the year as preparations were made for the
upcoming re-opening of the Landmark in New
York. The new Lock jewellery collection, whose
success is increasing, continued its worldwide
rollout,” the statement reads.
“Bulgari, showing strong growth, celebrated
the 75th anniversary of its iconic Serpenti line.
High jewellery enjoyed a very good performance.
Chaumet and Fred made remarkable progress.“
The company generated 27 per cent of its revenue
in the Americas and 30 per cent in Asia.
“In an uncertain geopolitical and economic
context, LVMH remains both vigilant and confident
at the start of the year,” the statement concludes.
“The Group will continue to pursue its strategy
focused on the development of its brands, driven
by a sustained policy of innovation and investment
as well as by a constant quest for quality in its
products, their desirability and their distribution.”
LVMH boosting production for Tiffany & Co.
In further developments, the company will
purchase a majority stake in the owner of two
French jewellery producers in a bid to strengthen
Tiffany & Co.’s manufacturing.
In a deal that is expected to be finalised before the
end of 2023, LVMH will purchase Platinum Invest,
the holding company of both Orest and Abysse.
“This acquisition is an important step for Tiffany &
Co,” said CEO Anthony Ledru. “It will allow us to
reinforce our commitment to the highest level of
quality while expanding our production capacity to
meet the increasing demand of our clients.”
Platinum Invest has a network of five workshops
across the Grand Est region of France, employing
800 people.

News
Weakened sales headlines April
for jewellery retailers
WE KNOW CAD DESIGN
WE HAVE BEEN DOING IT
FOR OVER15 YEARS
Retail Edge’s analysis of the sales performance in more than 400
independent Australian jewellery stores has revealed a softening of sales.
The data from April shows comparative overall sales dollar
performance fell into negative territory with an 11 per cent
decline on a one-year comparison.
Comparative units sold showed a decline of nine per cent compared
with 2022 and a decrease of 18 per cent on the two-year difference.
Retail Edge sales manager Mike Dyer said comparative average sale
(inventory only) was in a modest decline of 1.5 per cent; however, it
improved by 19 per cent on a two-year comparison.
“April typically is a challenging month with the public holidays and
school holidays making for broken weeks and interrupted trading
patterns,” Dyer said.
“However to get a negative impact of these proportions reinforces that
a retail slowdown on consumer spending is now in place.”
Diamond-set precious metal jewellery declined by 24 per cent on a oneyear
comparison, while colour gemstone jewellery declined by six per cent.
Precious metal jewellery decreased by 11 per cent, while silver and
alternative metals were down three per cent. Discounts were given
on 30 per cent of sales lines.
The pattern in laybys was close to neutral between new orders and
pick-ups and cancellations. Dyer drew particular attention to a pattern
in services and repairs.
“This is the third consecutive month of double-digit negative movement and
removes any doubt about the consumer caution about spending,” he said.
“As previously stated, it is time to chase up the outstanding quotes that
haven’t been confirmed yet and to lift the marketing exposure of the
expertise of your services to lift the volume of new intakes.”
He added: “Customers in stores attract other customers into stores.
Remember it’s not just about the repair job, it’s also the traffic flow
and the opportunity to strengthen the customer relationship as well
as sell product.”
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Special order numbers were positive, improving by five per cent compared
with the past year.

News
GIA returns to printed
diamond dossier after backlash
Lawsuit between Mejuri and David Yurman concludes
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has
responded swiftly to industry criticism over the
decision to issue digital grading reports, confirming a
return to paper certification.
In June of 2022 the GIA confirmed a move towards a
‘paperless’ operation.
In recent weeks members of the diamond trade
have expressed their displeasure to the new system,
with customers accustomed to paper certificates
reportedly unhappy, while others said they were
concerned that the process was susceptible to abuse.
On 7 April the GIA responded to the feedback,
announcing a return to printed certificates from 9
April onwards.
Customers who received a digital report over the past
few months can request a paper version at no cost.
“We did not adequately anticipate the challenges of
adopting the digital-only GIA Diamond Dossier report,”
said GIA senior vice president Pritesh Patel.
“GIA will continue to provide the printed reports that
enhance consumer trust, while working to develop
robust, secure, and compelling digital versions of all
our reports.”
New GIA, De Beers partnership
De Beers has signed the GIA to its Tracr platform,
enabling the laboratory to issue enhanced grading
reports for polished diamonds documented by the
blockchain service.
The stated aim of the collaboration is to further
improve consumer confidence in the ‘ethical’ origins of
‘natural’ diamonds.
“As the issue of diamond provenance rapidly increases
in importance for stakeholders across the diamond
value chain, having immutable data about a diamond’s
journey from the source on grading reports is a major
step forward and will underpin consumer confidence,”
said De Beers acting vice president Ryan Perry.
Patel added that solidifying public confidence in
diamond products was at the core of the GIA’s
‘consumer-protection mission’.
Jewellery brands David Yurman and Mejuri
have settled their trademark-related lawsuit
in the US with little fanfare.
In December of 2021, New York-based
designer David Yurman filed a lawsuit against
venture capital-backed Mejuri for ‘copying’
several distinctive jewellery designs that bore
similarities with Yurman’s Pure Form and
Sculpted Cable collections.
According to reporting from Rapaport News,
Judge Ronnie Abrams of the US District Court
in New York closed the case on Tuesday without
costs to any party via court order.
“Judge Ronnie Abrams of the US District Court
in New York closed the case on Tuesday without
costs to any party via court order.”
The filing did not disclose the terms of the
settlement and spokespeople for the two
companies declined to comment.
David Yurman previously accused Mejuri of
taking “steps to falsely associate itself with
Yurman through its promotional messages,
advertising campaigns and artwork, and
partnerships.”
Mejuri denied these claims and in March of
last year, filed a countersuit alleging that David
Yurman’s original lawsuit was “an attempt
to bully an emerging competitor, monopolize
common design motifs, and prevent competition
from one of the fastest-growing fine jewellery
brands in a rapidly evolving industry.”
Should either party wish to resume the lawsuit
they made file an application to restore the
action within the next 30 days.
Richemont tackles crime with Enquirus program
The Richemont Group has unveiled a new digital
platform where users can upload and share
information about watches and jewellery in a bid
to limit theft.
Named ‘Enquirus’, the program is a
collaborative effort between Richemont and
other watch and jewellery manufacturers,
law enforcement agencies, insurance
companies, the second-hand market, and
other stakeholders.
More than 175 luxury watch brands have
already joined as well as several leading
jewellery brands.
“This reliable solution brings together multiple
stakeholders to serve customers and the entire
industry, by facilitating borderless cooperation
between police forces and insurance partners,”
said Jérôme Lambert, CEO of Richemont.
“By providing free access for customers and
industry partners, the opportunity to sell stolen
watches becomes more prohibitive, with the
ultimate objective of reducing the incentive to
steal watches in the first place.”
Richemont chief transformation officer Frank
Vivier added that the aim was to make Enquirus
‘the largest international database of lost and
stolen watches and jewellery’ in the world.
According to the company, more than 28,000
watches and jewellery pieces have been
uploaded to the program and registered as lost
or stolen.
MORE BREAKING NEWS
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24 | May 2023

News
Positive jewellery retail sales in Asia
following ease of CVOID restrictions
The positive news from Asia continued this week with Hong Kong retailer
Luk Fook confirming a significant increase in same-store sales.
With COVID restrictions relaxing in Hong Kong during the fourth
quarter, Luk Fook’s same-store sales increased by 83 per cent. Samestore
sales are defined as those coming from a store which has been
operated by the company for more than 12 months.
Sales of gold jewellery improved 145 per cent during the same period,
while fixed-price jewellery increased 88 per cent.
In mainland China, same-store sales decreased by 6 per cent year-onyear
for the period while revenue from e-commerce improved 23 per cent.
“There was a slower recovery of consumer sentiment in the mainland
market,” the company noted in a statement.
“Due to the significant improvement in tourist traffic and spending
in the Hong Kong and Macau market after the reopening of borders,
the same-store sales in Hong Kong and Macau market rebounded
substantially from a decline in the last quarter.”
Luk Fook opened 30 new stores on the mainland during the quarter,
bringing its regional total above 3,000.
Rivals Chow Tai Fook published its fourth quarter sales performance
recently, detailing a 14 per cent increase in sales.
Significant sales increase for major
jewellery retailer Chow Tai Fook
The recovery from the impact of the pandemic on retail jewellery sales in
Asia has continued with Chow Tai Fook reporting impressive sales figures.
Chow Tai Fook operates more than 5,900 stores worldwide and in the
fourth quarter recorded a 14 per cent increase in sales.
Sales improved by 10 per cent in mainland China, where the company
generates 90 per cent of its revenue.
The improved sales figures were largely attributed to a change in
government policy concerning the pandemic.
Pandemic restrictions were credited as the cause of a 19 per cent
decrease in sales for Chow Tai Fook in the previous quarter.
“General mobility and retail activity in mainland China, Hong Kong,
and Macau indicated signs of recovery following the shift in COVID-19
policy in the mainland,” the company said in a statement.
Same-store sales in Hong Kong and Macau spiked by 97 per cent with
gold jewellery specifically performing better than gemstone pieces.
Featuring the delicate pink tone
of Argyle pink diamonds

News
De Beers says lab-created
diamond category ‘separate’
In an address to the Israel Diamond Conference,
De Beers co-chair Bruce Cleaver has asserted
his belief that ‘natural’ diamonds and lab-created
diamonds can co-exist in the jewellery market.
Cleaver said that despite lab-created diamond
sales in bridal jewellery increasing, there is no
reason for this to be viewed as a ‘loss’ for those
offering natural diamonds.
“Clearly bridal has been affected, and numbers are
showing significant volumes of sales being labcreated.
Firstly, this is in the US only, which is not
the only market,” he said.
“Secondly, although bridal is very important —
and I am not for one minute indicating that it isn’t
— it represents only about 26 or 27 per cent of total
jewellery demand.”
He added: “By no means are sales of lab-created
engagement rings cannibalising [natural diamond
jewellery sales].”
De Beers has produced lab-created diamonds via
Element Six for many years and in 2018, launched a
line of lab-created jewellery under the Lightbox brand.
Cleaver suggested that lab-created diamonds
could be reaching customers who previously
weren’t interested in diamonds.
“This might be a way of getting new entrants into the
natural-diamond world who might trade up one day to
natural. We might never have had these people in the
diamond industry,” he said.
“[Lab-created diamonds] are a distinct and
separate category, and one that has a totally
different value proposition from natural diamonds.
" With lab-created supply forecast to increase by
around 70 per cent this year, building on a 100 per
cent increase seen over the past three years, this
trajectory, and this bifurcation, can be expected to
continue to accelerate.”
Cleaver previously served as De Beers CEO, with Al
Cook recently replacing him.
Pleasing demand for De Beers rough, lab-created spike
The De Beers Group has published the results
from its third sales cycle of the year, which took
place between 27 March and 11 April.
The mining juggernaut completed $US540
million ($AU805 million) in sales which was
a modest decrease from $US566 million
($AU843 million) in the third sales period of
the past year, and a notable increase from the
previous cycle.
De Beers CEO Al Cook said that positive retail
results in Asia offered reason to be optimistic
moving forward.
“We have continued to see good demand
for our rough diamonds over the third sales
cycle of the year as we move into the second
quarter of 2023,” Cook said.
“Sales were in line with expectations and we
continue to see some encouraging positive
trends in consumer demand for diamond
jewellery, not least in China where we’re
beginning to see some signs of recovery in
consumer confidence following the relaxation
of travel restrictions.”
De Beers completed rough diamond sales in
excess of $US6 billion in 2022.
Lab-created diamond surge
While there are positive trends in diamond
jewellery sales, the market divide between
‘natural’ diamonds and lab-created diamonds
continues to shift in favour of the latter.
In his latest diamond industry forecast, Edahn
Golan of Tenoris said that in the second half
of this year, lab-created diamonds can be
expected to reach a major milestone.
“When will loose lab-created diamonds
capture more than 50 per cent of all
diamonds sold?” asks Golan.
“One way of approaching the question is to
draw a linear-line forecast. Based on loose
natural and lab-grown diamond buying trends
from January 2020 to February 2023, this will
happen in November of this year.”
Golan writes that while a linear forecast is
functional, it’s also basic as it fails to account
for factors such as seasonal change.
“A more effective forecasting tool is a thirddegree
polynomial, which does take demand
fluctuations into account,” Golan explained.
“The result: By May of this year, 50 per cent
of loose diamonds sold by American jewellery
retailers are expected to be lab-created
diamonds. More than half of consumer
purchases of these goods are expected to be
lab-created diamonds.”
De Beers co-chair Bruce Cleaver recently
addressed this topic, suggesting that natural
diamonds and lab-created diamonds can
exist in harmony.
Russian leadership dismisses suggestions of sanctions
A key figure in Russia’s foreign ministry
has offered rare insight into Russia’s
interpretation of proposed European
economic sanctions on the diamond trade.
Representatives have typically been tightlipped
about sanctions being placed on
Russia’s mining industry, which accounts for
approximately one-third of the global supply
of diamonds.
Dmitry Birichevsky, head of the economic
cooperation department, told Sputnik that
Russia holds a reputation as a leading figure in
the terms of international standards.
“It is clear that the restrictive measures that
are being developed, whatever they may be,
risk disrupting established supply chains and
thus inimical to the interests of the diamond
industry as a whole. In this regard, westerners
are trying to provide a plausible pretext for
their irresponsible actions, including on various
international platforms," Birichevsky said.
"At the same time, Russian manufacturers are
exceptionally responsible market participants,
whose activities not only meet, but often
exceed international standards and are in
many ways a model for others.”
Despite retaliatory economic sanctions from
the EU, US, and others, Russian diamond
sales in Europe have increased following the
invasion of Ukraine.
Birichevsky added: "For our part, we
consistently counter attempts to deliberately
distort the foundations and principles of the
relevant multilateral formats that determine
the functioning of the global diamond market.
It is encouraging that a vast majority of industry
representatives share our approaches."
The EU is currently preparing an 11th round
of sanctions, with the most recent installed
in late February, marking one year since the
conflict began.
Prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki recently
addressed the issue, telling Polish media that
he expects the next round of sanctions to target
Russia’s energy sector and diamond trade.
26 | May 2023

News
Mystery surrounding the record-breaking
sale of iconic L’Incomparable
Indian diamond company
shatters jewellery world record
Further details have been revealed about the
record-breaking sale of L’Incomparable, the
world’s most expensive necklace.
In January of 2013, Lebanese designer
Mouawad Jewellers sold a necklace featuring
the largest flawless diamond in the world, the
407-carat fancy colour yellow L’Incomparable.
The buyer, according to a report from Luxury
Launches, was Nita Ambani the wife of
billionaire businessman Mukesh Ambani. The
necklace was purchased for $US55 million
($AU82 million).
Ambani then gifted the necklace to her
daughter-in-law, Shloka Mehta, when she
married her son Akash Ambani in 2019.
“Beyond its status as a touching keepsake,
the necklace is a stunning creation on its own
merits. The massive diamond is connected to
a network of 18-carat rose gold branches set
with a further 229 carats of white diamonds,”
writes Demetrius Simms of Robb Report.
“Since 1990, Mouawad has been honoured by
Guinness World Records an impressive five
times. Its most recent induction is The Flower
of Eternity Jewelry Coffer, the world’s most
expensive jewellery box, set with 542 carats of
white and yellow diamonds.”
He adds: “And with a history like that, you can
only wonder what record-breaking collectible
they might come up with next.”
What happened to the necklace following
the purchase in 2013 is unclear; however,
L’Incomparable was later re-cut into the
303-carat Golden Canary, which was sold at
auction in December.
The diamond was discovered in the
Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1980s
as an 890-carat rough.
The world record for most diamonds set in a single
ring has been shattered for the second time within
12 months.
Indian diamond trader Hari Krishna Exports and
distributor HK Designs are the new title holders
after manufacturing a ring named the ‘Euitierria
Ring’ featuring 50,907 diamonds.
Hari Krishna Exports managing director Ghanshyam
Dholakia said it was an honour to receive the award.
“I am deeply grateful for the recognition from
Guinness World Records. It is a testament to our
team’s hard work and dedication at Hari Krishna
Exports and HK Designs,” he said.
“We are proud to showcase our commitment to
sustainability and artistic excellence through the
Eutierria Ring, and we hope to continue pushing the
boundaries of innovation in the jewellery industry.”
Stunning Patek Phillipe sets new world record
A new world record has been set for the
most expensive watch to be sold in an
online auction, commanding a $US5,815,300
($AU7,746,129) price tag.
The timepiece in question is a Patek Phillipe
complication Sky Moon Tourbillon and was
sold at Christie’s Top Of The Time auction,
based in Hong Kong.
The white gold watch features 12 complications
on the main face and underside, with functions
such as cathedral minute repeating, tourbillon,
perpetual calendar, retrograde date, moon
phases, leap year indication, sidereal time, sky
chart, phases and orbit of the moon.
Christie’s head of watches for the Asia Pacific,
Alexandre Bigler, said that this auction was
evidence that enthusiasm for these timepieces
remains high despite pessimism about the
global economy.
“There continues to be an extremely vibrant
market for watches across the world,
evidenced through the avid global bidding
this sale witnessed,” he told WatchPro.
Overall sales from the auction exceeded $US8.4
million ($AU12.63 million) with 93 per cent of
items put up for auction finding a new home.
The piece is inspired by a sunflower, with the
manufacturing process taking approximately nine
months from design to completion. The ring features
eight distinct parts including four layers of petals,
the shank, two diamond discs, and a butterfly.
The name – Eutierria - means ‘becoming one with
nature’ and was selected to further demonstrate the
company’s commitment to sustainability.
The International Gemological Institute certified and
valued the piece, confirming 130 carats of diamonds
and a gold weight of 460 grams. The estimated retail
value of the piece is $US785,000 ($AU1.16 million).
In July of last year, SWA Diamonds seized the world
record with ‘The Touch of Ami’, a ring featuring
more than 24,000 white diamonds.
May 2023 | 27

10 Years Ago
Time Machine: May 2013
A snapshot of the industry events making headlines this time 10 years ago in Jeweller.
Historic Headlines
4 Record attendance at Nationwide conference
4 Screen siren’s jewellery breaks records
4 Shocked jeweller not moving as rents soar
4 Pandora revenue up 40 per cent
4 Swarovski shines spotlight on Aussie jeweller
Chopard hit by jewellery raid
at Cannes Film Festival
The Chopard jewellery theft that took place
at Cannes Film Festival, at first thought to be
worth $1 million, has since been revised to
a “far lower” figure according to a company
spokesperson.
In a scenario worthy of a Hollywood movie
plot (pun intended), multiple media sources
have reported that the thief – or thieves
– broke into a Chopard employee’s hotel
room in the early hours of Friday 17 May and
removed a wall safe before escaping with
the jewellery.
Chopard international communications
director Raffaella Rossiello confirmed at a
news conference that jewellery had been
stolen from the Novotel hotel but did not place
a monetary value on the stolen pieces.
"An employee of the Chopard house has been
the victim of a robbery last night in their hotel
room while they were not on the premises."
Sydney to hold first Indo-
Australia jewellery meeting
The first ever Indo-Australia Jewellery
Conclave will take place this month in a bid to
establish business ties between the gem and
jewellery industries in India and Australia.
To be held in Sydney, the two-day event has been
designed to facilitate one-on-one meetings
and networking opportunities. It is hoped local
retailers and buying groups will gain a greater
insight into India’s manufacturing, design and
supply chain.
The conclave has been organised by the
Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council
(GJEPC), which has selected 12 Indian jewellery
manufacturers – including Asian Star Jewels,
Core Jewellery and Creation Jewellery – to
participate.
May 2013
ON THE COVER Kagi
Editor’s Desk
4Lessons from the car industry
"Supporters of the industry say that some
of the reasons why the local industry is
struggling include the high Australian
dollar and the high manufacturing
costs when compared to overseas. In
addition, Australia should maintain a
manufacturing base because, once it’s
lost, it’s gone forever – they point to many
other categories where there is virtually
no local manufacturing done anymore.
The Australian jewellery industry is a
good example of this, but that’s not the
reason for this article."
Soapbox
4 SOS – Save Our Skills
“Jewellery apprentices and their
lecturers have been dealing with
Industry Darwinism for some
time, trying to adapt to changing
manufacturing processes and
declining numbers but - please pardon
my analogies, I’ve overloaded on
documentaries lately - the dinosaur
killing meteorite has been delivered in
the shape of massive TAFE budget cuts.
Jewellery manufacture, as an
accredited trade course, could
be on its last legs.”
Peter Keep
WA State Director of the JAA
STILL RELEVANT 10 YEARS ON
Paying the premium
“Take the time to discuss with staff what
is expected of them. Set achievable goals.
Often staff don’t know the average store
transaction and have no benchmark to
work towards.”
Tony Argyle
READ ALL HEADLINES IN FULL ON
JEWELLERMAGAZINE.COM
Jewellery website misleads
customers
Claims made by an online retailer about the
therapeutic benefits of its amber necklaces
have been rejected and deemed as misleading
to consumers.
The complaint raised to the New Zealand
Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) stated
that the website, babyamberteething.co.nz, used
unsubstantiated therapeutic claims in an effort to
sell teething necklaces made with amber beads.
In addition, it said that technical scientific language
was used in the advertisement, which could exploit
a lack of knowledge from the consumer.
The business also operates an Australian-based
website, babyamberteething.au.com, though, at
the time of publication Jeweller was unaware of
any Australian complaints about the website.
Rio Tinto adds new diamondselling
system
Rio Tinto Diamonds has launched a sales
platform where a portion of its Canadian Diavik
production will be offered to parties outside of its
usual supply agreements with diamond dealers.
While the majority of the company’s diamonds will
continue to be sold through supply agreements, the
new online auction system allows specific product
segments to be available to a wider community of
invited companies.
“The new auction platform complements our
existing business model of placing a majority of
our production through supply agreements, with
a more limited proportion of production made
available for sale to a wider selection of customers,”
Rio Tinto Diamonds general manager of sales
Patrick Coppens said.
28 | May 2023

Leaders
KNOW THE DIRECTION
AND SHOW THE WAY
They know where the readers
are and protect their brand
image and credibility.
Where the industry leaders are seen

Completing my diploma in
Gemmology has benefited
me as a jeweller in more
ways than I ever expected.
I have always had an interest
in gemstones and found
the course was not only
informative and challenging
but immensely rewarding.
Studying with the GAA has also
allowed me to meet like-minded
people from many facets of the
jewellery industry and grants me access
to resources that I will continue to use
throughout my professional career.
Emma Meakes FGAA
Jeweller, John Miller Design - WA
Diploma in
Gemmology
Enrolments now open
For more information
1300 436 338
learn@gem.org.au
www.gem.org.au
Be
Brilliant
Gem-Ed Australia
ADELAIDE BRISBANE HOBART MELBOURNE PERTH SYDNEY
Passionately educating the industry, gem enthusiasts
and consumers about gemstones

REVIEW
Gems
Tools of the Trade: Part III
L to R: Neodymium magnets; Chelsea Colour Filter, Specific gravity
In the opening two parts of the Tools
of the Trade series, we covered some
of the important instruments used by
gemmologists in the examination of
gemstones.
These include the loupe, tweezers,
dichroscope, ultraviolet light torches, and
polariscope. Part III continues the series
with tools that can make emeralds appear
red, drag gemstones across tables, and
calculate relative density.
Chelsea Colour Filter
Although the Chelsea Colour Filter
(CCF) is a very simple instrument in the
gemmologist’s arsenal, to understand
the tool you must understand the nature
of light.
White light can be broken up into the same
seven spectral colours seen in a rainbow
– red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo,
and violet, each with a slightly different
wavelength. This breaking up of light is
called dispersion, and is what is happening
when you observe 'fire' in a diamond.
The CCF features a sheet of transparent
green optical plastic that allows only the
deep red and a certain narrow band of
yellow and green wavelengths of light to
pass through it, while all other wavelengths
(colours) are absorbed by it.
The CCF was originally designed to
distinguish emeralds from imitants like
green paste, which is glass.
In this example, the CCF blocks the green
wavelengths normally seen passing through
emerald and allows the red wavelength also
transmitted in some gemstones, such as
those from Colombia, to be seen.
Compare this red reaction for some
emeralds with the yellow/green reaction
observed in the paste imitation and these
two stones can be successfully separated.
Specific gravity
Gemstone species have varying densities
owing to the elements present within
them and their arrangement, some being
heavier such as iron, and others lighter
such as silicon.
Gauging the relative density of a gemstone
can be very useful in identifying the mineral
family the gemstone belongs to.
This is determined in gemmology by
calculating specific gravity, also known as
relative density - the ratio of the density
of the gemstone compared with water, a
known density at 4°C.
This idea of determining relative density
began with the principle of buoyancy, proven
by and subsequently named Archimedes
principle after the renowned mathematician
of Ancient Greece.
Tasked with determining whether the king’s
crown was pure gold, he needed a method
of calculating density. The story is famously
recounted as Archimedes taking a bath,
where he realised that an object immersed
in a liquid experiences a force equal to the
weight of the volume of liquid it displaces.
With further experiments comparing
equal weights of pure gold and pure
silver immersed in water, he was able to
determine the density of the crown and
concluded it was alloyed with silver.
Building upon this discovery, another
acclaimed mathematician introduced the
method by which we measure specific
gravity today – Galileo. Using two-pan
scales to measure objects in air and
in water, he formulated the equation
gemmologists use to calculate the
specific gravity of a gemstone.
The apparatus for this test can either be
rudimentary and portable, or highly precise
and calibrated. Either way, the gemstone in
question is weighed on the scales provided
The story
is famously
recounted as
Archimedes taking
a bath, where he
realised that an
object immersed in
liquid experiences
a force equal to
the weight of the
volume of the
liquid it displaces.
in air, followed by in water.
The calculation itself is simple – the weight
of the gemstone in air is divided by the loss of
weight when weighed in water.
As one of only two gemmological instruments
that provide a result as a numerical value, the
outcome can then be assessed against a book
of constants that give the range of specific
gravities of different gemstone species.
Neodymium magnets
Some gemstones contain elements or
metallic inclusions that make them magnetic.
Examples in the former category include
almandine garnets, due to their iron
content, while an example in the latter
includes some HPHT laboratory-created
diamonds.
Some gemstones may have a weak reaction
to a strong magnet, whilst others may
jump from the table to a magnet. This
property makes neodymium magnets,
the most powerful permanent magnet,
another insightful yet compact tool at a
gemmologist’s disposal.
In the next issue of Jeweller, the fourth and
final instalment in the Tools of the Trade
series, we will explore how a microscope can
act as a window to a gemstone’s origin.
We will also examine how the bending of light
can be measured by the refractometer and
what a rainbow can reveal about chemistry in
the spectroscope.
Mikaelah Egan FGAA Dip DT
began her career in the industry at
Diamonds of Distinction in 2015. She now
balances her role at the Gemmological
Association of Australia with studying
geology at the University of Queensland.
Visit instagram.com/mikaelah.egan
For more information on gems and
gemmology, go to www.gem.org.au
May 2023 | 31

SIF JAKOBS
JEWELLERY
COPENHAGEN
INTERCHANGEABLE

FOCUS FEATURE
Brighter Branding
The
BRANDED
SAMUEL ORD explains how retailers
can turn small wins into significant
victories with branded jewellery.
Messika 2023

Brighter Branding | FOCUS FEATURE
Messika: Earrings, cuff, necklace
For the contemporary retailer one of the fastest
ways to open the door to an expanded pool of
loyal customers is by offering branded jewellery
as a category and as a way to entice new customers.
It’s important to remember that there is a difference
between jewellery brands and ‘branded jewellery’.
While ‘jewellery brands’ date back centuries they tend to
operate as a vertically integrated business model, not as
part of a wholesale model. These brands tend to be sold
exclusively from company-owned stores.
Branded jewellery meanwhile can be stocked by
independent stores as its own unique category.
As a trade, jewellery was late to the ‘branded’
phenomenon, which rose to popularity following
the viability demonstrated by Pandora’s success in
the early 2000s.
The true power of the category lies in the opportunity
it presents to convert the faithful consumers of a
particular form of branded jewellery into a base of
customers loyal to their store.
That leaves us with one question – how do we complete
this conversion and make the most of this opportunity?
There are a variety of avenues worthy of exploration, and
Retail Edge Academy vice president Becka Johnson Kibby
says that a multi-faceted approach is best – beginning with
some light guidance on the sales floor.
“The key is to find a way to bring other non-branded
jewellery products to the attention of the customer in a
positive manner,” she tells Jeweller.
“My suggestion would be to show customers what
they’re looking for, and then casually ask if you can
get their feedback on a new line, range, or product
you’ve added to the store.
“This will allow your sales staff to showcase a different
ON THE SAME PAGE
DEFINITIONS
JEWELLERY BRAND
Usually operated as a vertically
integrated business model, not
as part of a wholesale model
and sold exclusively from
company-owned stores.
BRANDED JEWELLERY
Can be stocked by
independent stores as its own
unique category with story and
follows current trends - useful
for increasing foot-traffic
product to the customer, and possibly generate a sale from
that interaction. The added bonus is that the customer will
feel valued, as you’ve come to them for their perspective.”
Marketing
One of the key benefits branded jewellery offers is that it
provides independent retailers access to a ‘ready-made’
customer base with a pre-formed emotional connection
to the product.
Further, stocking branded jewellery allows retailers to
tap into designs and marketing strategies which are
available with little investment.
"Jewellery brands tend to operate as a
vertically integrated business model,
not as part of a wholesale model."
For example, Pandora is the world’s largest mass-market
jewellery brand and has 9.3 million followers on Instagram.
Thomas Sabo has more than 370,000 followers on
Instagram, while Unode50 has more than 340,000
followers. Ania Haie has passed the 84,000 mark,
and Cour De Lion has more than 72,000.
When an independent retailer elects to stock these
high-profile brands, they are placing their business on
the ‘fast track’ to sales from these followers who
already have an established personal investment.
In other words, the ‘leg work’ of establishing a connection
between consumer and product has already been done on
their behalf for the independent store owner.
Unfortunately history has shown that many retailers
fail to capitalise on what matters most, which is
converting these branded jewellery devotees - whether
it be Pandora or Thomas Sabo - into loyal patrons of
34 | May 2023

ASH JEWELLERY
Brighter Branding | FOCUS FEATURE
Sif Jakobs
FINE KEEPSAKE JEWELLERY
If you are a high-end store looking for fine
jewellery to safely hold ashes inside forever -
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Sydney 2017 with the original Collection.
To find out more about our new Australian Collection
please email - studio@loveinajewel.co.nz
their jewellery store.
Branded jewellery drives customers into stores,
whether they be bricks and mortar or online, and
the end result of this phenomenon must not only
be sales of the branded jewellery, but also in other
stocked items and services.
Branded jewellery – especially those of the
personalised and customisable variety –
generates not only store traffic, but also
repeat visits and purchases.
Once your staff has these customers in front
of them, what is the best method for completing
this ‘conversion’ and invoking loyalty in the
business itself?
Johnson Kibby says it’s a matter of showcasing
all that you have to offer.
“Jewellers shouldn’t hesitate to show every
customer they interact with other products they
offer, beyond what they’ve asked for,” she explains.
“This opens the customer’s eyes to all that is on
offer and gives you the chance to evolve the ‘brand’
of your store in the mind of the customer.”
She adds: “Get them talking! Remember that the
more valuable you make a customer feel, the more
likely they are to return to your store and become
loyal to the business.”
Be prepared
It should go without saying that your staff need to
be well prepared, particularly in a contemporary
environment where a salesperson has less time
than ever before to connect with customers.
It’s been said that most sales are closed before
the final interaction between sales staff and the
customer begins.
In the online environment, consumer attention
has dropped to an eight-second average
according to research from Microsoft.
The majority of customers already have a clear view
of your products, services, and benefits — as well
as those of your competitor — because of research
they’ve completed before entering your store.
“Customers don’t want to spend time discussing
‘what keeps them up at night.’ They are well down
the path of solving their ‘problems’ before you meet
them,” business author Ryan Estis explains.
"The true power of the category lies
in the opportunity it presents to covert the
faithful customers of a brand form of
branded jewellery into a base of customer
loyal to their business."
“The more you know about your customers the
better prepared you’ll be when crafting your sales
presentation. Fortunately, today’s salespeople
have more information at their disposal than ever
before.”
Estis stresses the importance of what’s known as
‘intent data’ as one of many ways to research your
target customer.
Whatever your approach, make sure your staff
understands the data and can access it. He
recommends your sales staff consider the
following questions:
• Where are potential and current customers
spending most of their time?
• What social channels are they creating or
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Brighter Branding | FOCUS FEATURE
Sapphire Dreams
Guess
consuming content? Instagram? YouTube? Facebook?
If you know where they are, you can understand what
content they’re consuming and what motivates their
purchasing decisions.
From there, it’s a matter of finding the right tone – take note of
the way these branded jewellerycompanies are communicating
with their loyal fans - your marketing approach should match.
As an example, trend-setting Pandora tends to keep
things lighthearted and personable. If your mission is to
convert Pandora’s loyal customers into those loyal to your
business, you should take the same tact when dealing
directly with customers.
"The majority of customers already have a clear view of
your products, services, and benefits - as well as those of
your competitor - because they've completed research
before entering your store."
In more recent times branded jewellery has also transitioned
from more ‘fashion’ products into the fine jewellery category.
Today, many branded jewellery collections include high-end
designs that feature colour gemstones and diamonds.
If the consumers of these products hope to be treated
‘seriously’ and are looking for a high-end experience, a
salesperson would be foolish not to grant them such service.
“In this new environment where buyers are more self-reliant
and demand nothing but the best, sales preparation will be the
difference between success and failure,” Estis says.
“Salespeople can prepare for impact by doing the research,
crafting a plan and willingly engaging with buyer resistance.”
Johnson Kibby agrees with Estis and says that one of the most
important responsibilities of any salesperson’s job is to ask
AT THE FRONTLINE
Experience Speaks
SIMON DELL
CEMOH
"This omni-channel approach
lets you show customers
they are valued and makes
them feel included"
DANIEL BRACKEN
MICHAEL HILL
"The key marketing mantra
that we’ve been building up
at Michael Hill is marking
the moments that matter in
people’s lives"
RYAN ESTIS
IMPACTELEVEN
"Listen to your customers and
pay close attention to any
indications they give you about
what they like and dislike"
questions and listen.
“Listen to your customers and pay close attention to any
indications they give you about what they like and dislike,”
she says.
“Ask questions to get to know them a bit more each time
they come in and visit. This creates a relationship that goes
beyond merely buying jewellery.”
She adds: “Don’t be afraid to say ‘customers that love this
product, also love this product’ in order to showcase more
products. Be of assistance to them, and act more like a
personal shopper than a member of the sales staff.”
Repeat sales
While the emphasis is so often placed on acquiring new
customers, repeat sales are the lifeblood of any retail business.
In part, this is because you do not have to invest in
attracting a customer who already loyally shops with you.
Pairing the offering of branded jewellery with a sales
staff capable of generating committed relationships
between a customer and a business is the recipe to
success in this regard.
Richard Shapiro, the founder of the Centre for Client
Retention, says that when it comes to generating repeat
sales, the same principles apply to all retailers – whether it
be jewellery, clothing, homewares, or sports goods.
“I grew up in a retail environment working for my father. I
learned two important lessons. Firstly, it is more important
to listen and learn the customer’s state of mind than to find
out their method of payment,” he reveals.
“Secondly, when new customers entered the store, they
were strangers. My father hoped by the time they left they
had become new friends.”
In order to succeed in this area, Shapiro has six key areas
of advice.
38 | May 2023

Nomination
Thomas Sabo
• Greet people as you would a new neighbour into your
home: Communicate to your staff the importance of
connecting with customers as people first.
It’s more valuable to find out about the customer’s goals and
personality than it is for them to immediately know exactly
what’s in your inventory.
• Have you visited this store before? If someone walks
into your store for the first time, tell them more about your
business.
Let them know how long you have been in business, the details
of your return policies, and where appropriate your personal
customer experience philosophy.
This is not only valuable information for your customer to have,
it also opens a dialogue.
• Always tell the customer you can assist them: People enjoy
the feeling that they are speaking to a person who can help.
It’s not important how you help them – instead, it’s about
showing the customer you care about answering their question
or resolving their problem.
Remember that the goal is to position your business as the
location where that customer solves all their jewellery-related
problems – your business is not merely one of many stores
offering Thomas Sabo or Unode50 product.
• Listen to your customer’s emotions: Your sales staff must
pay attention to what these customers are feeling, not just
what they are saying.
In almost every instance, you should be able to easily tell if
someone is happy, frustrated, excited, or disappointed.
By expressing a reaction to their emotional state you foster a
new and beneficial relationship.
• Print business cards for your staff: Business cards make
employees feel more important and valued, and it’s an
excellent way to provoke the customer to return.
DAVID ALLEN
PANDORA
"It’s as important to
have a personalised
product offering as it is
to have personalised and
customisable experiences"
BECKA JOHNSON KIBBY
RETAIL EDGE ACADEMY
"Listen to your customers
and pay close attention to
any indications they give
you about what they like
and dislike"
RICHARD SHAPIRO
CENTRE FOR CLIENT RETENTION
“Secondly, when new
customers entered the
store, they were strangers.
My father hoped by the
time they left they had
become new friends"
The employee can simply say, “I really enjoyed helping you
today. Here is my card with my contact information. Now that
I know your tastes, I can let you know if we get something in
stock you might like. Would you prefer me to email, call or
text? Just let me know.”
• Keep in touch: Many jewellery retailers fail to show the
customer they matter after they make the initial sale.
That’s a big mistake! Brainstorm with your staff about the
best ways to show customers they are relevant after they
leave your store.
“Following up with a customer between visits is a crucial
reminder of the value presented by you and your store,”
Kibby Johson adds.
"While the emphasis is so often placed on
acquiring new customers, repeat sales are the
lifeblood of any retail business. "
Hypothetically, say a customer has entered your store to
purchase a Pandora product for their partner. Without prying,
find out how advanced the relationship is.
Are they considering marriage? While you finalise their
payment, perhaps they’d like to take a look at your
engagement ring display.
Again, now that you know their tastes, perhaps you can help
them find something they else they like.
If it’s personalised or customised jewellery, did they select
anything featuring birthstones? Direct your customers to any
relevant colour gemstone jewellery you may offer.
These are the kinds of significant sales opportunities
branded jewellery affords retailers; however, without
staying in touch and demonstrating to the customer that
May 2023 | 39

Love in a Jewel - Ashes Charms
they matter beyond an initial transaction, you’ll be unable to
maximise on these chances.
Loyalty programs
When it comes to ensuring repeat sales, few systems work better
than loyal programs.
Delivering value is one of the key components of any loyalty
program. When creating your loyalty program, research what
your customers respond to.
Whether it be exclusive sales, birthday discounts, or earning
points – Kibby Johnson says these are all personalised, tailored
provocation for customers to return to your store.
During the pandemic, Michael Hill International
made improving its loyalty program a core priority
as a part of a marketing ‘revamp’. Between 2020 and
2022, Michael Hill’s loyalty program ‘Brilliance’
quadrupled its membership base.
“Jewellers need to have a loyalty or rewards program that keeps
the customers coming back for more,” she says.
“Talking about family members, or the people they purchase
for, as well as any events they may have upcoming, such as
anniversaries and birthdays, is vital information to have when it
comes to building a successful loyalty system.”
She adds: “Be sure to document all this information in your POS
software so that you have the facts readily available in the future.”
Simon Dell is CEO of Cemoh, a Brisbane-based marketing firm,
and says that the key to maximising the returns from your loyalty
program is to ‘disguise the sell’.
“Loyalty programs are, of course, designed to increase customer
loyalty and keep people shopping with you, with the end goal to

FOCUS FEATURE | Brighter Branding
Pandora
generate more sales and profits – however it should never appear
that way,” Dell explains.
“Building customer loyalty is about making genuine connections
and showing appreciation for continued business. You should
absolutely offer special deals and benefits to loyalty program
customers; however, only if it delivers real value to them.”
The jewellery industry has many loyalty program ‘success stories’
and there’s no reason why your business shouldn’t be the next.
During the pandemic, Michael Hill International made improving
its loyalty program a core priority as a part of a marketing
‘revamp’.
Between 2020 and 2022, Michael Hill’s loyalty program ‘Brilliance’
quadrupled its membership base.
“The key marketing mantra that we’ve been building up at Michael
Hill is marking the moments that matter in people’s lives,” CEO
Daniel Bracken told The Australian.
"It's more valuable to find out about the
customer's goals and personality than it is for them
to immediately know what's in your inventory."
He continued: “We’re not here to sell transactional jewellery, we’re
here to sell that whole life cycle from the engagement ring to the
wedding band, the first anniversary after the first child is born to
the second child, third child, to the fifth anniversary to the 10th.”
And what did this record number of members amount to, I hear
you asking? Michael Hill enjoyed a record first-half in 2022, with
an increase in retail revenue in Australia of 18 per cent alone.
In New Zealand, sales increased by 13.8 per cent. The company’s
loyalty base now has 1.7 million members and accounts for 82 per
cent of sales.
Need more proof? Pandora operates more than 6,400 stores
PinkKimberley.com.au
Become a stockist today 02 9290 2199
May 2023 | 41

Brighter Branding | FOCUS FEATURE
QUICK REVIEW
Technology is your friend
So, how can your business make the most of a loyalty program?
Dell says the key is to harness technology.
“Traditionally, a loyalty program may have been confined to email
communication, or even ‘snail mail’!” he jokes.
“Loyalty programs are of course designed to increase customer
loyalty and keep people shopping with you, with the end goal
to generate more sales and profits – however it should never
appear that way.”
“Now, businesses can provide an omni-channel experience for
their customers.”
» Apps: Send alerts, offer discounts, and promote offers to
customers through an app.
» Social media: This approach is not only convenient, it
also gives customers a chance to share and promote your
business to attract like-minded shoppers.
» Email: Everyone hates spam; however, when your
customers are engaged enough to willingly seek email offers
and communication, you must take the opportunity!
Emails are a great way to announce sales, introduce new
products, and offer exclusive discounts.
» Text messages: In advertising terms, using text messages
is a relatively new phenomenon, however it’s effective.
Use texts to let your loyal customers know about special offers
and opportunities, and be careful not to come across as spam.
According to Podium’s Business-to-Customer Communication
Report, 46 per cent of Australians delete a brand’s email without
opening it every day.
Further, 63 per cent of those surveyed said they prefer SMS
communications due to the convenience.
These text messages had a 98 per cent open rate and a 45 per cent
click-through rate – so consider using text campaigns to increase
sales. Can you imagine your potential increase in sales if 98 per
cent of your customers read the news about your latest promotion?
Dell says by sending spam, you risk damaging the trust
established with the customer which allowed them to share
their contact information in the first place.
“This omni-channel approach lets you show customers they are
valued and makes them feel included,” Dell concludes.
“It also keeps your business top-of-mind, allowing you to take
advantage of opportunities to secure a sale at any time of the day.”
Pandora
worldwide and in 2022 achieved a full-year sales increase of 13 per
cent to $US3.82 billion.David Allen, Pandora’s Pacific and Greater
Asia managing director, says that much of this success can be
attributed to a refined approach to interactions with customers.
Allen told Jeweller that this year Pandora Club Members
were recently asked if they did or did not want to receive
correspondence promoting Mother’s Day related campaign
material, due to the sensitive nature of the occasion to some
consumers.
“Personalisation is about delivering content, product and
services that match the lifecycle of the consumer, and using prior
interactions to determine and anticipate what the consumer is
going to do next,” he says.
“It’s as important to have a personalised product offering as it is to
have personalised and customisable experiences.”
Good luck
By offering branded jewellery, you’re winning the initial battle –
connecting with new customers already emotionally invested in a
brand.
The secret to winning the war; however, is to convert these new
customers interested in a singular branded jewellery product into
loyal patrons of your business.
You can do so by ensuring that your staff is well prepared and
understands how to communicate with customers in a way that
mirrors their motivation to pursue a particular branded jewellery
product in the first place.
It’s important to ensure repeat visits by positioning yourself as a
business that has the solutions to all their jewellery needs, and
cement your value by operating an effective loyalty program which
offers your customers true value for their time and money.
Branded jewellery opens the door to a dedicated customer base,
loyal to your store above all competitors for a variety of reasons;
however, it’s up to you and your staff to walk through that door.
42 | May 2023

CAROLINE
(02) 9417 0177 / dgau.com.au
WOLF1834.COM

MOVEMENT IN THE WATCH MARKET
Tough Times
Never Last
Those most passionate about the watch industry
are too often pessimistic. SAMUEL ORD reflects
on a surprisingly positive opening quarter.
Tommy Hilfiger 2023

WATCHES FEATURE
Industry Snapshot
L to R: Rolex;
Baume & Mercier;
Patek Phillipe
Many industry analysts predicted
that it was wise for watch
and timepieces retailers to
be cautious heading into 2023 amid an
uncertain global economy.
Market analysts bemoaned the impacts of inflation
and increasing interest rates while alluding to the
possibility of a worldwide recession.
In terms of watches specifically, the decreasing
prices of products from Rolex, Patek Phillipe,
and Audemars Piguet on the second-hand
market were interpreted as signs that consumer
enthusiasm was waning.
“Resale prices of the hottest modern
timepieces — chiefly the Rolex Daytona, the
Patek Philippe Nautilus, and the Audemars
Piguet Royal Oak — have fallen by as much as
50 per cent from their highs in January,” writes
Victoria Gomelsky of The New York Times.
“The correction, which began in April, has
spooked some buyers and sellers. Among
longtime watch industry observers, that kind of
ambivalence is not unusual.”
Despite the pessimism this year has instead
proven to be a rewarding journey so far.
Watches and Wonders Geneva was a blockbuster
event, likened by one attendee to the ‘Super Bowl’
of the watch industry. More than 43,000 visitors
took part in the seven-day gathering, an increase
from just 22,000 the year before.
“There were plenty of serious, restrained,
elegant, and even relatively small timepieces on
offer at Watches and Wonders,” writes Justin
Fenner of Robb Report.
“But a handful of brands proved that there’s
truly nothing that succeeds like excess — or at
least a wild swing for the fences. Something
tells us we’re going to be thinking about these
things for a long time.”
In terms of retail performance, Swiss watch
exports once again broke records in 2022 via a
year-on-year increase of 11 per cent.
Leaders Rolex, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe,
and Richard Mille outperformed the broader
industry and captured a consolidated market
share of 41 per cent, up from 36 per cent in 2019.
With the continued easing of pandemic
restrictions in China there’s reason for further
optimism according to Oliver R. Müller of
Watches by SJX.
“With the reopening of the Chinese market, the
outlook for the luxury goods industry and Swiss
watchmaking is promising there, but the situation
in other countries, including the US will probably
get more complicated this year,” he explains.
“The Swatch Group is likely to be the main
beneficiary of the positive trend in China as its two
leading brands, Omega and Longines, are ranked
first and second respectively by revenue in China.
Tissot is also a major player in the country.”
He adds: “It should still be a record year, albeit
with more modest growth in value of 3 or 4 per
cent. There will be increased polarisation, with
an even greater divergence between brands that
outperform and those that will have difficulty
compensating for the decline in sales after the
buoyant demand in 2021 and 2022.”
At the top of the market, the returns from auctions
featuring elite watches have likewise generated
reason for optimism.
While the strategy by auction houses has changed
– switching to quality rather than volume – the
sale of a Patek Phillipe complication Sky Moon
Tourbillon for an online world record price
of $US5,815,300 ($AU7,746,129) is proof that
enthusiasm is still rampant.
“It is not just the high-end of the market that feels
sanguine about the future,” Gomelsky says.
“Watchmakers across the price spectrum said
they believe that some people who were drawn to
the category’s investment potential over the past
couple of years now realise they have a genuine
passion for timepieces, and that will help sustain
the industry through any economic turbulence
that lies ahead.”
While the naysayers will undoubtedly continue
to search for reasons to doubt a healthy future
for the watch market, so far the positives are
undeniable.
May 2023 | 45

ADVERTISING FEATURE
Watch Showcase
Accutron
2ES6A001
Citizen Australia
This luxury watch for men
re-imagines what a timepiece
can be with the proprietary
electrostatic movement, unique
to the Accutron line, an intricately
engineered motor and turbine
system that generates power. This
is a men’s watch that is designed
to be as unique as you are.
Alba
AL4285X
Seiko Australia
Alba watches – a brand of
Seiko Watch Corporation
– is a unique collection of
fresh brightly designed
timepieces, that became
an instant symbol of value
and quality. Model AL4285X
from the striking Toyko Neon
collection is equipped with
automatic movement, 200
metres of water resistance,
and a striking black case and
bracelet in stainless steel.
Alpina
AL-525G4AE6B
Citizen Australia
Alpina set the standards of the
modern sports watch by unveiling
its Alpina Extreme timepiece
boasting an automatic, screw-in
crown, water-resistant and
stainless steel. The current Alpiner
collection presents strong and
sturdy watches that can resist
the toughest conditions while
remaining stylish and easy to wear.
Baume & Mercier
M0A10728
Duraflex
Baume & Mercier’s new addition
to the Riviera collection features
a new stunning violet sun-satin
dial within the dodecagonal
case, with Roman numerals,
indexes coated in Superluminova,
rhodium-plated hands, along with
an integrated strap in polished
and satin-finished stainless steel.
The watch has a 10-year
autonomy quartz movement
and is water-resistant to 5ATM.
BOSS
MGDL
BOSS watches are all
powered by precise and
reliable quartz movements.
This watch is part of
the men's Centre Court
collection and features
a stainless steel case.
It measures 44mm in
diameter. A silver tachymeter
bezel surrounds the dial.
The watch is finished with a
stainless steel bracelet that
fastens with a push-button
deployment mechanism.
46 | May 2023

TIMING FOR CHAMPIONS
In 2008, Edox presented the Chronorally,
a revolutionary chronograph with new,
sophisticated technical functions
originally developed for rally drivers.
The characteristic watch with the
oversized start and stop pusher quickly
became a public favourite of the Edox
collection. The Chronorally collection
has been associated with many
prestigious racing competitions and will
naturally be highlighted during the new
sponsorship with BMW M Motorsport.
(02) 9417 0177 / www.dgau.com.au

Watch Showcase
Bulova
98K112
Citizen Australia
In August of 1971, a
Bulova chronograph
was worn on the moon,
engineered for the
demands of the lunar
environment. Now,
Bulova returns to the
design and updates
it with an exclusive
high-precision quartz
movement, continuing
its legacy of precision
timing with the Bulova
Lunar Pilot chronograph
from the Archive Series.
Citizen
BN0166-01L
Citizen Australia
Inspired by the beauty of nature, the new
Unite with Blue Promaster captures the
captivating shades of blue of the ocean.
Made of 100 per cent recycled polycarbonate
materials, the structural colour ink on the
dial produces a variety of glittering colours
creating a range of hues and tones.
WE STOCK AN EXTENSIVE
RANGE OF HIGH-QUALITY
BERGEON PRODUCTS
100%
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work
Classique
SGA
Classique is an Australian-owned
brand, servicing the industry for
more than 55 years. Renowned
for their sleek designs, expert
craftsmanship and diverse range,
each piece is fitted with Swissmade
movements. Our Premier
Slimline watches are subtle and
elegant, with an array of designs,
each crafted to perfection.
At Labanda
We repair watches.
Labanda Pty Ltd
Coach
MGDL
From COACH, the women's
Tatum Analog Gold Stainless
Steel Bracelet Watch features
a gold-tone stainless steel
case, bracelet, crystal dial
markers, and a silver-white
dial. Additional features
include a date window,
deployment closure, and
quartz analog movement. The
case diameter is approximately
34mm and the watch is waterresistant
to 99 feet.
22 Heussler Terrace, MILTON QLD 4064
Tel: (07) 3876 7481 | labanda.com.au

EXCLUSIVELY DISTRIBUTED IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BY
AU +61 2 8543 4600 NZ +64 9 480 2211 | designaaccessories.com.au

Watch Showcase
Coeur de Lion
Timesupply
Iconic Cube watches match
perfectly with the iconic
GeoCUBE Jewellery from
Coeur de Lion. The Iconic
watches have a highquality
stainless steel case
with faceted edges and are
embellished with sparkling
European crystals. Worn
every day and worthy of
special occasions, these
glamourous watches are
bound to turn heads.
Edox
10242-TINM-GIDNO
Duraflex
Edox’s CO-1 Titanium
Chronograph is crafted from
strong yet lightweight titanium,
with features including a water
resistance of 1000 metres,
luminescent components,
chronograph sub-dials, and
a scratch-resistant sapphire
crystal. This watch is among
the world’s best Swiss-made
chronographs. A versatile
accessory that exemplifies
Edox’s dedication to the Switch
watchmaking craft in its
innovative, impressive design.
Furla
WW00039002L3
Designa
Furla Tortana is a
statement women's
piece. This 30mm
timepiece features a
repeating logo motif
on the rose goldtone
case and logo
detailing on the rose
gold-tone bracelet
making it the perfect
finishing touch to
any look.movement.
Frederique Constant
FC-718NWWM4H6
Citizen Australia
One watch for 24 time zones.
The Classics Worldtimer
Manufacture is ready to explore
the world of today – and
tomorrow! All features are
executed by hand, mostly, for
the pleasure of any connoisseur
of high-quality watchmaking.
Guess
Designa
This elegant, petite goldtone,
adjustable G link
bracelet chain is brimming
with crystals ensuring you
will shine on your night
out. The 32mm polished
case with sunray dial adds
a refined twist making this
the perfect party partner.
LORUS
RW611AX-5
Seiko Australia
Lorus continues a
proud tradition with the
RW611AX-5. Packed with a
stopwatch that will measure
up to 23 hours in 1/100th
of second increments, an
alarm, and a dual-time
facility, this watch stands
out. Stainless steel is used
throughout the case and
bracelet to ensure longevity
and a quick-release clasp
offers ease of wear.
Luminox
XS.3862
Duraflex
The Master Carbon
SEAL Automatic
combines all the
details for which
Luminox is famous
– toughness,
luminosity, extreme
water resistance,
and legibility – with a
Swiss Made SELLITA
SW 220-1 automatic
movement that also
features a day and
date window.
50 | May 2023

Maxum
X2316G2
Designa
The Endurance is constructed
to withstand the toughest
conditions. Its sleek white and
gold design also features an
alarm, backlight, stopwatch
and is 100 metres water
resistant and has a two-year
replacement warranty making
it the must-have digital watch.
EST. 1981
GREAT WATCHES DESERVE
A GREAT WATCH BATTERY
Nomination
Timesupply
Gorgeous watches from Nomination
Italy with the option to personalise
with Classic Composable Links.
The Paris Watch with composable
classic bracelet offers an elegant
round case in stainless steel
with a unique Sunray Pink dial
set with sparkling cubic zirconia.
Eye-catching when layered with
Nomination composable bracelets.
Mondaine
MSE.35130.SM
Duraflex
The new addition to
Mondaine's evo2 collection
retains its iconic Swiss
railway clock design, while
showcasing the new dial
colour 'wild rose', and
'turquoise lake' which takes
inspiration from the abundant
flora surrounding the Swiss
lakes, and is complemented
by a silver stainless-steel
case and mesh strap.
Australia’s largest
supplier of Seiko
watch batteries.
Competitive Prices
Keep your watch
repair business
alive and ticking
Olivia Burton
MGDL
The dials feature four
baton indices and a bee
design. The case of this
model is crafted from
gold-tone stainless
steel. It measures
28mm in width and
5.6mm in thickness.
The strap is made
from various leather or
stainless steel traps.
Beco Technic watchmaker supplies
and Heli watch cleaning supplies.
As a family owned and operated
business, we value your support.
Preferred supplier to all major
buying groups.
Free Call: 1800 244 354
It’s easy to place your order
and get a quote!
orders@thebatteryman.com.au

Watch Showcase
Police
PEWJB0005604
Duraflex
Engineered for every occasion,
the Police men's Underlined
impresses with its rebel
aesthetic. Featuring a unique
date window indicator that sits
atop the IP black-brushed and
polished stainless-steel case,
the design of Underlined is
edgy and makes a statement.
Secured by a thick-cut tan grain
leather strap which contrasts
well with the black sunray dial.
Ringers Western
SGA
Add a touch of style to any
outfit with the Ringers Western
Kimberley watch range.
Showcasing a lovely open-link
band and embellished face, it
is perfectly versatile. Available
in a range of colours this
range symbolises quality
craftsmanship and resilience.
Delicate yet durable, this
stainless steel range is a
valuable accessory to add to
your watch collection.
Rosefield
UGGSG-U37
Designa
The Octagon XS is a brand-new
collection of compact, modern
watches from Rosefield that has
already become legendary. The
eye-catching mother-of-pearl
green dial and striking octagonal
face shape revolutionise the
watch as a fashion accessory.
The polished five-link gold
bracelet strap also evokes the
finesse of classic elegance.
SEIKO
SFK003J
Seiko Australia
Known as the Sumo in Seiko
fan circles, this rendition
features a new Solar GMT
movement. Constructed in
stainless steel, with scratchresistant
sapphire glass, the
Prospex Solar GMT is built to
the exacting ISO standards
for divers watches. Boasting
a textured green dial, with
sword-shaped hands the
stainless steel bracelet
includes the divers extender.
Sekonda
SK30039
Duraflex
Elegant and fashionable, the
watches from SIF Jakobs
enhance the beautiful jewellery
designed in Denmark. This
stylish round watch made of
gold-plated stainless steel,
with a polished and brushed
surface, sapphire glass with
magnifying lens, and white
zirconias on a fresh green
sunray dial is sure to impress.
SIF Jakobs
Timesupply
Elegant and fashionable,
the watches from SIF
Jakobs enhance the
beautiful jewellery
designed in Denmark. This
stylish round watch made
of gold-plated stainless
steel, with a polished and
brushed surface, sapphire
glass with magnifying
lens, and white zirconias
on a fresh green sunray
dial is sure to impress.
52 | May 2023

SUSTAINABILITY NEVER
LOOKED SO GOOD
evo2
(02) 9417 0177 / www.dgau.com.au AS ICONIC AS YOU
May 2023 | 53

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Watch Showcase
UNITE with
BLUE
Ted Baker
BKPAMS301
Designa
Contemporary and fresh, the
iconic Ammy rose gold-tone
case with black dial is revamped
with a touch of Floral prints
on the black strap. The perfect
accessory to complete your
outfit! Now available with brand
new packaging made 100 per
cent from sustainable sources.
Thomas Sabo
TWA0400
Duraflex
The nod to antiquity is underlined
by the Roman numerals on the
grey sunburst dial, which look
particularly elegant set amongst
hand-set white zirconia stones in
sophisticated baguette and diamond
cuts. The date display and silver
hands complete the design.
Inspired by the beautiful
oceans that unite our
world.
Timex
TW2V70600
Designa
The Midtown collection from
Timex offers a tasteful design
highlighted by a unique twolayer
concave dial in dark green.
The black rubber strap, silvertone
stainless steel case, and
markers enhance the watch's
refined look. The chronograph
dial layout, complete with a
date indicator displayed at the
4 o'clock position, ensures that
you can keep time in style.
Tommy Hilfiger
MGDL
The range of products sold
by Tommy Hilfiger has
expanded over the years
to include more than just
clothing, Tommy Hilfiger
now sells jewellery,
fragrances, and, of
course, watches. Tommy
Hilfiger watches were first
developed in conjunction
with Movado in 2001
and have increased in
popularity since.
TW Steel
CE4083
Duraflex
This CEO Tech combines style
with exceptional value for
money. The CE4083 is powered
by a Swiss-made chronograph
and features anti-reflection
sapphire crystal, a 45mm
case, brushed high-grade
steel and PVD rose gold
bracelet with shiny midpieces.
May 2023 | 55

Beautiful South Sea pearls, direct from the source.
T. +61 (8) 9284 4249 E. Atlas@AtlasPearls.com.au W. AtlasPearlsTrade.com

GEMSTONES FEATURE
Rainbow Revolution
The
GEMSTONES STEAL THE SPOTLIGHT
Colour gemstones are increasingly desired by consumers seeking a
unique and personal style. SAMUEL ORD details this surge in popularity
and how retailers can make the most of the opportunity it presents.
Gubelin 2023

The Colour Allure | FEATURE
Gubelin
C
onsumers are increasingly willing to push the
conventional boundaries when it comes to
fashion and style, therefore it should come
as no surprise to see that colour gemstone jewellery is
having a moment in the sun.
Emerald, tourmaline, opal, and tanzanite, to name but a
few, are as beautiful as they are versatile and offer wearers
the ability to develop their own unique style and flair.
Modern consumers value personalisation above all
else and colour gemstone jewellery offers exactly that.
It’s a departure from the norms of white diamonds,
gold and silver and the embrace of something new.
Whether it be the entrancing ocean blues of an
aquamarine or the fiery heart of a ruby, these natural
treasures have captured the attention of not only
consumers, but designers too.
Cushla Whiting is a bespoke fine jewellery store based in
Melbourne, offering an arrangement of sapphire, emerald,
ruby and spinel pieces.
The business is named after its creative director – Cushla
Whiting - who believes gemstone jewellery has been
prominent for some time.
“We do find colour gemstone jewellery to be very popular,
but for us, this has been the case for many years now,” she
tells Jeweller.
“I think colour gemstone has become increasingly popular
due to the fact that customers are wanting something
unique and every colour gemstone is different.”
She continues: “With the steep increase in the price of
diamonds in recent years, colour gemstones can often
also be a more affordable option.”
Another unique selling point to local consumers is
that much of the world’s greatest gemstones originate
in Australia.
AT THE FRONTLINE
Trend Speak
RAPHAEL GÜBELIN
HOUSE OF GÜBELIN
"We see colour gemstones
becoming more popular for
engagement rings. Couples want
to express their love and choose
gemstones that are connected
to them personally"
CUSHLA WHITING
CUSHLA WHITING
"We do find colour gemstone
jewellery to be very popular, but
for us, this has been the case for
many years now"
MARIA ULAS
ARTELIA JEWELLERY
"Colour gemstones retain a
huge appeal, they easily attract
the glance of customers when
displayed in our store window"
For example, few consumers know that 95 per cent of
the world’s supply of precious opals is sourced from
Australia and that as a point of pride, it’s the country’s
national gemstone.
Melbourne-based Artelia Jewellery offers a wide range of
gemstone jewellery and creative director Maria Ulas takes
great pride in its uniquely Australian origins.
"Emerald, tourmaline, opal, and tanzanite,
to name but a few, are as beautiful as they are
versatile and offer wearers the ability to develop
their own unique style and flair."
“As an Australian jeweller, we wanted to make something
quintessentially Aussie, combining opals, sapphire and
pearls to show how colourful our country uniquely is,” she
tells Jeweller.
“I love all colour gemstones. Unfortunately, not everyone
shares my opinion. I would love to see more young people
going for a ruby, for instance! We’re about to launch a
collection of opal jewellery with both white and black opals
of all shapes and sizes.”
Sparkling sapphires
Australia is the source of many of the world’s other finest
colour gemstones, including but not limited to sapphires,
garnet, topaz, emeralds, zircon and chrysoprase.
Sapphires contain traces of titanium, iron, and nickel,
which provides them with a range of colours including
blue, orange, black, green, yellow and pink.
The more iron the sapphire contains, the darker the colour.
During the medieval era, many kings wore sapphires on
the battlefield as they believed it would protect them in
moments of violence.
Sapphires are found in all eastern Australian states,
58 | May 2023

The Colour Allure | FEATURE
ASHLEY PORTAS
BRISBANE’S DIAMONDPORT JEWELLERS
Mikimoto
"In total, our survey recorded more
than 50 different gemstones. This
just goes to show there aren’t any
rules when it comes to choosing
the perfect engagement ring"
including Tasmania. Ben Manning is the director of
Utopian Creations in Adelaide. Manning specialises in
colour gemstones and says, “Colour gemstone jewellery
continues to be our focus, predominantly Australian
sapphire engagement rings”.
“We’ve seen a slow and steady increase in people searching
for Australian sapphires over the past 10 years with a more
pronounced increase over the past 5 years.”
Manning is passionate about creating jewellery which
originates from ethical sources and says that many of his
customers share the same view.
“In a world where customers expect better financial, health
and safety outcomes for supply chains and care for the
environment, local gemstones can be a real asset,” he says.
“Traveling to the mining areas, seeing the miners in action,
and noting the care that's taken for the local environment
is really important.
“It helps us to build a story around our products, and
connecting the consumer with the origins of the materials.”
Whiting recounts similar experiences to that of Manning
and says that sapphires in particular are ‘hot property’
among her customers.
“Sapphire is definitely the most popular colour gemstone
we sell as they are a perfect durable option for engagement
rings and come in a vast range of colours,” she explains.
“Teal sapphires are our most popular seller by far!
People love that they are a bit different and not so
traditional looking.”
Remarkable rubies
The rich multicultural make-up of Australia’s population
has led to the emergence of a market with varying
appetites when it comes to fine jewellery.
This has proven to be a win for contemporary retailers
willing to experiment with what products they offer with the
hope of appealing to as many customers as possible.
BEN MANNING
UTOPIAN CREATIONS
"In a world where customers
expect better financial, health
and safety outcomes for
supply chains and care for the
environment, local gemstones
can be a real asset"
OLIVIA CUMMING
CLEOPATRA’S BLING
"The demand is there for diamonds;
however, I think that people
come to us for colour gemstone
engagement rings because many
couples want an unconventional
ring for their wedding"
WILLIAM STONE
STONES DIAMONDS
“Australians love colour
gemstone jewellery, they
offer a unique yet beautiful
engagement ring choice,
especially as a more
affordable option"
Not only do customers request variety, they also prioritise
unique and custom designs, an area where gemstone
jewellery is particularly appealing.
“The Australian market is one of a kind in the world of
jewellery because it involves customers from extremely
diverse and varied cultural backgrounds,” Ulas explains.
“There are people who have more conservative tastes and
won’t even consider anything else than the now-traditional
combination of white gold or platinum and white diamonds.
“But there are also people with broader taste, involving
gemstones that might have a special cultural meaning to
them. This diverse social makeup makes the Australian
market quite unpredictable.”
"The more iron the sapphire contains, the darker the
colour. During the medieval era, many kings wore
sapphires on the battlefield as they believed it would
protect them in moments of violence."
William Stone is a manager at Stones Diamond Ring
Specialists in Brisbane and says that a strong colour
gemstone jewellery offering should be a point of pride for
any retailer.
“We take great pride in our colour gemstone collections.
At any given time of the year we have over 150-200
readymade colour gemstone rings, in our store windows
ready for customers to try on or purchase.
“We are often complimented by customers on our variety
of colours and designs. We see consistent sales in our
colour gemstone collections, and around Christmas time
we always see an increase in this particular category,”
Stone says.
He also believes the most popular colour gemstone sellers
so far in 2023 have been Australian blue Inverell sapphires,
emeralds, rubies (particularly darker Burmese rubies),
60 | May 2023

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED
Stars & Gemstones
The dominance of diamonds in the engagement and marriage
market is often credited to Tiffany & Co and the introduction of
the six-prong solitaire setting in the late 1880s.
This was further solidified in the 1940s when De Beers coined
one of the most powerful advertising slogans of all time
– ‘A diamond is forever.’
While diamonds have ruled the roost for more than 140 years
now, there have been many high-profile engagement rings
featuring colour gemstones.
Princess Diana wore a 12-carat blue sapphire halo with
diamonds.
Actress Emma Stone and singer Ariana Grande wear rings that
incorporate pearls and actress Elizabeth Olsen is well known
for her love of emeralds.
In the UK, Princess Eugenie wears a 20-carat orange-pink
sapphire, and actor Orlando Bloom proposed to musician Katy
Perry with an engagement ring featuring a ruby.
More recently, actress Megan Fox marked her engagement to
musician Machine Gun Kelly with a ring headlined by an emerald.
Musician Jennifer Lopez has twice been engaged to actor Ben
Affleck in 2002, who first proposed to her with a 6-carat pink
diamond in 2002, and when the pair reconnected in 2021, he
proposed again – this time with an 8-carat green diamond.
PRINCESS
DIANA
PRINCESS
EUGENIE
EMMA
STONE
KATY
PERRY
ARIANA
GRANDE
MEGAN
FOX
ELIZABETH
OLSEN
JENNIFER
LOPEZ
Love it or hate it, celebrities are more often than not the largest
influence of consumer trends in jewelley.
With that said, it should come as no surprise that online interest
for ‘green engagement ring’ increased by almost fourteen times
more than the average search volume following the announcement
of a second engagement in April of 2022.
The term ‘green ring’ also reached a record number of searches -
increasing 81 per cent.
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LUXURY PEARL & OPAL
JEWELLERY
May 2023 | 61

The Colour Allure | FEATURE
Muzo x Argyle
Ceylon sapphires, and pink sapphires.
“Australians love colour gemstone jewellery, they offer a
unique yet beautiful engagement ring choice, especially as
a more affordable option,” he explains.
“Often there is meaning and symbolism behind the choice,
personal touch, birthstone or favourite colour.”
He continues: “I think colour gemstone rings will always
remain a popular option, especially in the Australian
market. The continued choice of colour gemstone rings
as an engagement ring and anniversary gift suggests this
trend will continue.”
Ulas agrees with Stone and says that gemstone jewellery
displays should always be front-and-centre in a store, as
they easily capture the attention of those passing by.
“Colour gemstones retain a huge appeal, they easily attract
the glance of customers when displayed in our store
window,” she explains.
“We do have many walk-in customers who buy gemstones
earrings and necklaces ‘off-the-rack’ just because they
saw them in our window. That remains a big part of our
non-custom-made customer base but not necessarily as
an engagement ring.”
Enticing emeralds
In many cultures green gemstones such as emerald,
garnet, and tourmaline have been viewed as symbols of
creativity and change.
Change is well and truly in the air when it comes to
jewellery style and it seems the Australian market is
leading the charge.
According to The Knot, a digital wedding planning and
registry service based in the US, diamonds remain the
favourite selection for centre stones for 85 per cent of
those surveyed.
That was a decrease from the previous year and with
lab-created diamonds doubling in popularity within one
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year, it’s fair to say there’s an appetite for change among
consumers.
The popularity of colour gemstones is more pronounced
in Australia, according to research conducted by Ashley
Portas of Brisbane’s Diamondport Jewellers.
Portas published the findings of a voluntary online 2022
survey in September assessing the engagement ring
market.
The survey found that just 80 per cent of rings featured a
diamond, a notable departure from the findings in the US.
Whiting says that when it comes to engagement rings
nearly half of all her sales are now colour gemstone
engagement rings, as opposed to diamonds.
"In many cultures green gemstones such
as emerald, garnet, and tourmaline have been
viewed as symbols of creativity and change."
“Perhaps this is merely the type of customer we are
attracting as we have a significant inventory of colour
gemstones,” Whiting reveals.
“However with that said, I would say that around 50
per cent of our engagement ring sales are with colour
gemstones.”
That said, sapphire was the second most popular centre
stone, while morganite was described as a ‘relative
newcomer’ and appeared in 2 per cent of engagement rings.
“In total, our survey recorded more than 50 different
gemstones. This just goes to show there aren’t any rules
when it comes to choosing the perfect engagement ring,”
Portas says.
“The great news is most people love their ring, with
more than 80 per cent reporting they are happy or very
happy with their engagement ring. This is true no matter
62 | May 2023

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May 2023 | 63
@ Southport Sharks

The Colour Allure | FEATURE
Cushla Whiting
Cleopatra's Bling
how much the engagement ring cost, or the cut of the
gemstone.”
Magical morganite
Morganite has a fascinating origin story and few know
it was named after legendary US financier and banker
JP Morgan. Morgan was friends with George Kunz, who
discovered Morganite in 1910.
Kunz requested the gemstone be named after Morgan in
honour of his monetary support of emerging sciences.
Morganite was discovered in Madagascar, far from
Melbourne where Olivia Cumming works as a jewellery
designer and the director of Cleopatra’s Bling.
She works closely with morganite in her designs, and says
that she’s receiving an increasing number of requests for
colour gemstone jewellery that will be used to mark an
engagement.
“We are making many engagement rings with sapphires,
spinels, rubies and emeralds,” Cumming tells Jeweller.
“The demand is there for diamonds; however, I think that
people come to us for colour gemstone engagement rings
because many couples want an unconventional ring for
their wedding.
“They don’t necessarily prescribe to the traditional
institution of marriage and the expectations that go with it.”
Indeed, attitudes towards marriage have changed
significantly in recent years and so it should follow that
common perspective on the jewellery which marks a union
between two individuals would change too.
According to a recent report from the Australian Bureau
of Statistics, the crude marriage rate has fallen for a
range of reasons.
These include the increased workforce participation
of women, the disconnection between marriage and
childbearing, an increase of cohabitation, and quite
generally – social change in perspective of marriage.
QUICK REVIEW
Gemstones Myths
Amethyst
Saint Valentine is said
to have worn an amethyst
ring carved into the image
of Cupid.
Aquamarine
In Ancient Roman
mythology it was believed
that Neptune was the
first to discover an
aquamarine and that he
valued them highly.
Sapphire
Contain traces of titanium,
iron, and nickel, which
provides them with a range
of colours including blue,
orange, black, green, yellow
and pink.
Topaz
In many ancient civilisations
topaz was treasured for
its supposed healing
properties. Some cultures
believed topaz could grant
wearers invisibility.
Based in Switzerland, the House of Gübelin is described
as a ‘unification’ of international artisans, specialists and
experts in jewellery making, gemmology, and watchmaking.
Raphael Gübelin says that colour gemstones such as
sapphires offer a more personal, symbolic touch than a
traditional diamond.
“We see colour gemstones becoming more popular for
engagement rings. Couples want to express their love and
choose gemstones that are connected to them personally,”
he tells the South China Morning Post.
“Sapphires sparkle in all the colours of the rainbow.
Especially rare are padparadscha sapphires with their
characteristic orange-pink or pink-orange shades.
Padparadscha sapphires combine two colours in one
gemstone, which is also a very romantic symbol.”
Opulent opals
More now than ever, Australian consumers are willing to
push the boundaries and explore new styles and designs
when it comes to jewellery.
Whether it be an enchanting emerald or a tempting
tourmaline, colour gemstone jewellery offers retailers the
chance to quench the modern consumer’s desire to stand
out from the crowd.
Better yet, many of the world’s finest gemstones are
sourced from Australia, meaning that not only is supply
readily available, there’s also the additional home-grown
appeal for those looking to showcase a little civic pride.
Colour gemstone jewellery also tends to reach consumers
at a more appetising price point, which is another point to
consider given the dominant commentary around the state
of the international economy.
Uniquely Australian, versatile and unique, while being
sourced from ethical origins at a customer-friendly price
– colour gemstone jewellery is one category few can
afford to ignore.
64 | May 2023

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May 2023 | 65

BUSINESS
Strategy
Get real - customer service is
not the same as selling!
The noble art of retail selling is an area that is surprisingly often overlooked.
BRIAN WALKER breaks down the elements that go into selling success.
Even amongst those who should know
better there’s an often-repeated
falsehood – ‘anyone can sell’.
Many retailers believe that every trained
salesperson can engage the customer
in a non-business approach, assess
customer needs through questioning,
retain vital information, and then
skilfully introduce the right product to
the customer through to a benefitsdriven
pitch.
Wait a minute! It gets better. Then this
talented salesperson also effortlessly
bundles the add-on to product that the
customer simply must have.
Elated, the customer leaves the store
ready to share the tale of the experience
with 20 other potential customers and
turns them into ‘evangelists’ for that
business.
It’s important to remember that customer
service is not the same as selling.
Some sales staff don’t know how to
sell very well, or at all. A smiling face,
sunny disposition, and helpful manner
are important; however, it doesn’t make
these people profitable salespeople.
The greatest asset that any salesperson
can have is to be a strong active listener,
confident with the right degree of
humility and genuine interest in the
customer.
They should know their product and
be enthusiastic when explaining its
features and benefits.
The correct sales training will go a long
way to delivering these increases and
help you stay fit and resilient in today’s
uncertain and unpredictable market.
Missed opportunity
Over the years we’ve seen selling data
from a large range of retailers, including
more than 6,000 individual stores over
the past two years and one area where
opportunity is lost consistently is the
add-on or up sell.
Our research suggests that this
opportunity may be lost by sales staff in
as many as 50 per cent of encounters –
this is just profit walking out the door.
Once again, a strong sales strategy will
never deliver if the investment in selling
skills and performance framework is
not in place.
Between 70-80 per cent of purchases
are done on impulse. These customers
will buy that add-on with their product
purchase - if only somebody would ask!
So, this begs the question, are we selling
more to the customers we have and are
we measuring this by ‘items per sale’,
‘average sale’, ‘conversion and gross
sales’ by staff member?
Did you know that the conversion ratio
of shoppers-to-buyers in specialty retail
only averages approximately 15 per
cent?
This means that 8.5 out of every 10
people who walk through the typical
store leave empty-handed!
The greatest
asset that a
salesperson
can have is
to be a strong
active listener,
confident with
the right degree
of humility and
genuine interest
in the customer.
Consider what the effect would be
on your bottom line if transactions
remained static while your average
sale figures were increased by 10
per cent, or if your conversion rate
increased to 30 per cent and items per
sale rose by even just one.
Selling more to the customers you
already have is a vital objective in
today’s environment.
Operationally ‘fit’ companies maximise
sales conversions and therefore
dollars without any capital investment
or increase in overheads.
What would it take to increase the
‘suitability’ of your salespeople so
they have the skills and motivation
necessary to convert more shoppers
into buyers?
Fitness tips
• Think, talk, and make sales: ‘Fit’
businesses have an aligned culture and
employees accept the importance of
making sales.
What do I mean by aligned? If the owner
of the business and the manager are not
discussing sales at every opportunity
with each member of staff then it is
unrealistic to expect that the other the
staff will think, talk and make sales.
Consider the following example
-someone whose job it is to maintain
a jewellery store’s cleanliness and
inventory is approached by a customer
with a question.
66 | May 2023

If that employee was focused solely
on their responsibilities, it would be
understandable for them to answer
the question as quickly as possible and
return to whatever task is at hand.
When that same employee is ‘sales
conscious’ however, extra care is taken
to direct the customer to an employee
tasked with securing a sale – ideally not
only leaving the business with another
sale secured, but also with another
customer pleased with their experience.
It’s important that everyone working
within your store has a sales focus
– even if their responsibilities don’t
specifically involve sales, it should still
be something on which the should be
consistently conscious.
• Keep everyone in the loop: The owner
or manager should communicate the
state of the store’s sales performance
to all staff members regularly.
This information should be relayed each
quarter at a minimum.
I recognised this with a client a few
years ago and it has stayed in my mind
as an effective way to speak of the
importance of the sales effort and the
joint teamwork required by everyone at
every level to deliver sales increases.
• Recruitment guidelines: Clear and
standardised recruitment guidelines
will help align your staff to a common
goal and create a real ‘sales culture’ in
your business.
Examine the turnover rate, and consider
the reasons when and why employees
leave the business.
Depending on the size of your operation
you will see some common trends and,
in many cases, inconsistent recruitment
practices are a significant factor.
Recruit from a base of clear, sales-aligned
behavioural questions with the adage of
‘recruit the will, teach the skill’ applying.
More than 70 per cent of staff exit surveys
we complete show that staff that initiate
leaving do so because they did not feel
‘engaged’ with the business.
• Strong engagement starts with
strong induction: Whether it be a buddy
or mentor system, simply making sure
the new staff member has a clear ‘go
to’ person – who is not the boss – is a
helpful step to inducting them to the
sales focus of the business.
Match your new employees with
someone with whom they are
comfortable asking questions and
expressing their concerns, and who can
communicate the importance of this
sales-driven culture.
• The secret ingredient: No business
will succeed without motivated people.
We all know that great people make
great businesses. Ask workers whether
they feel great working for their boss
and you will get a very mixed response.
Our research tells us that engaged,
motivated staff deliver 20 per cent
higher sales on average.
Conversely, consider the damage the
unmotivated team member can do.
Brand damage by stealth can be
detrimental so keep your staff happy
with you and they will make you happy
in return.
Set clear performance standards
and goals, provide coaching, training,
feedback and offer reward systems for
excellence.
It should reach the stage where you will
then not have to worry about making
DEVELOPING
A SALES
CULTURE
Knowledge
Ensure that your
staff has all the
knowledge they
require to sell any
item in the store
on the spot.
Sales
mindset
Creating and
securing sales
should be the
number one
priority for
everyone within
the store – even
when their
responsibility
doesn’t directly
involve sales.
Hire
correctly
When looking
for new sales
staff, pursue
enthusiastic
and motivated
personalities.
Strong
inductions
Help new
employees get off
to the right start
by emphasising
the business’
cultural values as
early as possible.
sales or delivering great consistent
customer service as it will happen as
part of your winning culture!
Food for thought
Ask your managers and staff to
anonymously nominate their top three
goals in the business.
If 100 per cent of your staff are not
nominating sales as their number one
goal it’s time to think about increasing
your cultural alignment - think back to
that conversion rate!
Don’t be worried if you don’t get over
70 per cent alignment as our research
shows this is common.
‘Fit’ businesses however will measure
this regularly and always aim for 100
per cent!
Provide teams with knowledge for
confidence.
Are your salespeople fully confident in
their product ranges and the features
and benefits of the products they are
selling?
If the answer is not a resounding ‘yes’,
work on further training in this field.
Introduce new products and have your
salespeople ‘sell’ them to their fellow
team members at weekly team meetings.
Be sure they know the features and
benefits of all products, associated
accessories, and add-ons to assist
them to maximise conversion.
Knowledge is key in making those
additional sales!
BRIAN WALKER is Retail Doctor
Group’s founder and CEO. His
background is in retail consultancy.
Visit: retaildoctor.com.au
May 2023 | 67

BUSINESS
Selling
Are you approaching customer
feedback the right way?
How much stock should we put into customer feedback? STEVEN VAN BELLEGHEM
argues that the time has come to dig deeper into the feedback you receive from your customers.
During my career as a business
consultant and customer experience
expert, I have worked closely with
many people who believe that customer
feedback is overrated.
It’s common for these people to cite
that hilarious quote from Henry Ford,
the founder of the Ford Motor Company
who once declared “if I had asked people
what they wanted, they would have said
faster horses.”
The underlying idea is that consumers
failed to anticipate that Ford would invent
technology that would far surpass the
value of a horse for transportation.
However, the forward-thinking Ford was
an innovator and he ‘knew better’ and
therefore, many people believe that the
lesson from this anecdote is that listening
to feedback is a waste of time.
I believe that these people are looking at
feedback from customers the wrong way.
Dig deeper!
Feedback from your customers is not
something that you need to take literally.
The challenge with customer feedback is
to understand what people really want and
to understand what brings them value.
Extracting value from customer feedback
is not a task achieved by ‘micro-managing’
or dissecting all the small details they
present to you.
Yes, there may be some good
suggestions, and in that case, it’s
wise to see how you could turn these
into positive changes as well as new
products and services for your store.
However, you also need to remember that
humans are complex and we are often
strangely incompetent at voicing what we
really want or need.
This is because we often don’t know exactly
know what it is that drives us.
Writer Duncan Wardle brilliantly explained
this concept with his example of the
‘multiple why’ approach.
Highlighting the way curious children
often relentlessly ask ‘why’ when quizzing
adults, Wardle says that in business we
often fail to ‘dig deep enough’ with our
questioning and that in that sense, there is
something to be learned from children.
He offered the example of a survey of
people on why they went to Disneyland on
holiday. Most tick a box stating ‘new rides
and new attractions’.
As a business, this may initially seems to
be all the incentive you need to commit
hundreds of millions of dollars to a capital
investment strategy.
However, if you act like a child and keep
digging deeper with multiple whys, you
discover that there are more complex
emotional attractions at play.
With further questioning, another common
response to this survey is that a Disneyland
holiday reminds adult visitors of childhood
and that by taking their own children, they
are ‘recreating’ happy memories.
With this insight in mind, the idea of
spending hundreds of millions of dollars
on capital investment becomes less
appealing!
Instead, a cheaper marketing campaign
focused on nostalgia can reinforce the
strengths of the business more than
merely ‘building new rides’ ever would.
Prepare for change
Artificial intelligence is changing the
business landscape and in these times,
I believe it’s crucial that we maintain our
childlike curiosity and creativity, which is
The challenge
with customer
feedback is to
understand
what people
really want and
to understand
what brings
them value.
Extracting value
from customer
feedback is not
a task achieved
by ‘micromanaging’
or
dissecting all the
small details they
present to you.
something that machines won’t be able to
do in a very long time.
In the case of Ford’s example, people did
not actually desire ‘faster horses’. They
wanted to move faster from location to
location, that was the underlying need.
Likewise with the example of Wardle
and Disneyland. Customers may
suggest that they are attracted to the
venue for one reason, when there’s
another more powerful (and valuable)
truth beneath the surface.
The customer should not be expected to
create or offer a solution to that need -
that is the responsibility of the business.
It is up to you to figure out a way how you
can deliver that value to the customers of
your jewellery business.
With that said, it is my belief that you
do indeed need customer feedback;
however, you need to improve the way you
translate this feedback into effective and
actionable information.
Academic Clayton Christensen, made
famous for his theory of disruptive
innovation, called this concept of a hidden
desire to be ‘the job to be done’ for all
business owners.
It’s true that the time has come to
move on from the ‘myth’ of customer
feedback being the be-all and end-all;
however, that only applies to surfacelevel
critiques.
By digging deeper and asking more
questions – searching for the ‘why’
beneath the ‘what’ you will uncover the
answers you need to make profound
improvements to your jewellery
business.
STEVEN VAN BELLEGHEM is a
business consultant and keynote speaker,
specialising in customer experience and
the future of marketing.
Visit: stevenvanbelleghem.com
68 | May 2023

BUSINESS
Management
How do you turn around a dysfunctional staff?
Dealing with a poorly performing staff is a problem all business owners and managers
must deal with at some stage. PAUL KEIJZER offers some advice for those facing this dilemma.
Working with the staff of a jewellery
store means learning to deal with the ups
and downs of business.
of business performance and help both the
employee and manager understand and
appreciate the other.
As a business owner or manager finding
the solution to any woes faced by an
otherwise high-performing staff is your
responsibility.
If you find yourself facing a roadblock,
consider reflecting on the following tips
that can help you with what you need to
turn around your dysfunctional staff.
Clean house
Accountability
• Hold individuals accountable: If a staff
member is not pulling their weight, as the
manager or owner, you have to call them
on that.
Approach the matter with honesty and
discretion, getting your point across as
suggestive and constructive instead of
feeling like you are accusing anyone.
• Rid your team of the non-performers:
This is rarely an easy process, but it must
be done.
You will save yourself time and goodwill
with your staff if you immediately get rid of
those within the business that do not add
any benefits.
you want and need to be done, interact and
ask them in a way that will make them feel
like they came up with the idea.
Keeping members of staff actively involved
in decision-making helps motivate them to
work harder.
It’s important to understand that the
employees who are pulling their weight
will appreciate you for taking control of
the matter.
• Give your staff recognition and small
rewards: Every member of your business
wants to be appreciated for their hard work.
You will soon notice a shift in energy
and a change in the way your business
comes together.
• Be generous with praise: Praise is
something everyone wants and fortunately
it’s one of the easiest things to give.
Recognising their efforts and rewarding
them will keep them motivated. These
gestures can be small and effective.
• Fill your team with capable people with
the right attitude: Businesses only work
well when everyone feels they are working
as one system and not being slowed down
by others.
Make sure you hire those individuals
that have attention to detail and most
importantly always follow through on
tasks.
• Be clear of your vision and what needs
to be done to achieve it: As business
owner or manager, you need to have a clear
picture of what your vision is and of the
means needed to accomplish it.
Your vision should have milestones so that
your staff can keep track of their progress
in relation to the overall goal. Don’t leave
them wondering, let them be clear on what
needs to be done.
Think big
• Make your ideas theirs: People hate
being told what to do, so keep that in mind
when speaking with your staff.
Instead of instructing your staff on what
A simple “thank you” or “good job” can go
a lot farther than you might think. Praise
improvements that you see your staff
make and let them know their hard work
does not go unnoticed.
• Schedule regular ‘face time’ with your
staff: If you maintain the notion of an
‘open door policy’ then stick to your word.
The strongest managers and owners
that are able to maintain the best staff
understand the importance of ‘checking
in’ and keeping an open dialogue and
communication with every member of
the team.
If it doesn’t happen, then the employees
within the business can start to gradually
drift apart.
• Conduct your performance reviews
to be most effective: Performance
reviews are an extremely effective way to
communicate with employees and get a
sense of where they feel they stand within
your business.
Performance reviews are huge predictors
Your vision
should have
milestones so
that your staff
can keep track
of their progress
in relation to
the overall
goal. Don’t
leave them
wondering, let
them be clear
on what needs
to be done.
For example, give a ‘shout out’ to someone
during a business meeting for what he or
she has accomplished that week.
Consider running internal office contests
or games or even try rewards such as
trophies, certificates, and plaques.
• Share the ups and downs: When
your business or staff does well, it’s
time to celebrate.
This is a great way to let everyone know
that you’re thankful for his or her hard
work. If there are disappointments,
share those too.
If you expect high performance, your
staff deserves to know where the
business stands.
With all of the above, remember that
the most important factor is to always
be honest.
PAUL KEIJZER is CEO of Engage
Consulting, which is focused on
helping CEOs transform top teams,
talent and organisations. Learn more:
engageconsulting.biz
May 2023 | 69

BUSINESS
Marketing & PR
Finding a way to deliver something different
It’s difficult to stand out as a business in a crowded market.
DAVE WAKEMAN offers wisdom on successfully positioning your business with marketing.
I was looking at gift guides recently and
noticed that so many ads look the same.
They all featured offers that were price
driven and the lack of distinctiveness
was striking.
The sheer number of options from which
people must choose got me thinking
about competition in retail. How can any
of us compete?
Most of us face one of the following three
challenges when it comes to sales - ads
that look too similar to the rest of the
market, pricing promotions that cut
margins, and a crowded market with
so many options that standing out feels
impossible.
This is where relative differentiation comes
in. Relative differentiation is simple; it’s the
idea that your business can deliver value
to your customers in a way that is different
than the alternative.
Your marketing makes promises to your
customers all the time, even when you don’t
realise it. It might suggest you offer the best
service, the best selection, or perhaps the
lowest prices.
Ask yourself, why do any of these things
matter? Are they valuable? Are they
important to your potential customers?
Is this something you do better than your
competition?
Relative differentiation
Relative differentiation explains your
value to your customers in a very specific
way using three easy to remember Cs:
customers, company, and competition.
Think of it in question form: What do our
customers want that we can deliver better
than our competition? The Northern
Territory does this in its campaigns to get
people to travel: “The Top End. Different
From the Bottom End.”
That’s relative differentiation. We are the
north, not the south. The Northern Territory
can offer a unique experience that the south
of Australia can’t.
Relative differentiation is positioning. Your
position is the promise you make to your
market about factors that you think you
can win on.
What does your customer want that you
can deliver better than the competition?
Examine the position Abercrombie &
Kent adopts as a travel company that
combines ‘comfort and authenticity’ in the
most desirable locations. Why does this
matter? Most of us want to be able to relax
on holiday. Many people I meet want to go
‘where the locals go.’
Abercrombie & Kent makes the promise
that it can fulfil this desire. How?
The business offers holidays that are
comfortable and authentic and its been
doing it since 1962. These ads tell the
audience what Abercrombie & Kent will do
while using its experience to put distance
between itself and the competition. The
implication is that the competition lacks
the experience to deliver. That’s a position
that a business can compete on.
Follow through
The idea comes alive when you
communicate it consistently to the
right people.How do you do this? Bennett
Winch, a UK leather goods company, does
it by being specific in their targeting.
Focus on the right customers. Bennett
Winch sells $AU1600 duffel bags.
The tagline says the products have
Combine media
as often as you
can because
it will give
your store the
impression
of scale,
underlining the
difference you
are building on.
“the capacity for adventure.” By design
these bags aren’t for everyone. They
are specifically for men that want to feel
adventurous but have the money to spend
on a high-quality leather bag.Mercedes
Benz is another company that is great at
this. “The best or nothing” says it all.
“Compared to us, everyone else is rubbish.”
Mercedes Benz stands up as the best.
That’s a strong position and this idea
sticks because the company has used it
consistently for years.
Prospects need to hear your message
multiple times before it breaks through. Use
your point of differentiation with emphasis
in each area of your marketing. Combine
media as often as you can because it will
give your store the impression of scale,
underlining the difference you are building
on.
Summary
You can put this to work in your business
with three steps.
First remember the importance of
knowing your market. Focus on what
matters to your customers. Look at the
example of Abercrombie & Kent. The
business is offering comfortable and
authentic vacations to a market that
wants that.
Ask yourself important questions, such as
what does your customer want that you can
deliver better than your competition? Look
at the example of the Northern Territory’s
tourism campaign. The promise is to offer
an adventure in the north that you can’t get
in the south.
Finally, share the message far and wide.
You can’t overdo this. Lack of awareness is
the most significant danger so use multiple
forms of media. Find ways to get your
message everywhere.
DAVE WAKEMAN is a consultant, writer,
and teacher who believes in profits in
business and not promises. Learn more:
www.davewakeman.com
70 | May 2023

BUSINESS
Logged On
Digital marketing mistakes alive and well in 2023
Digital marketing has been around for more than 25 years.
THOMAS YOUNG cautions against some common mistakes.
Many businesses have maximised their
digital results and benefited greatly from
online marketing.
However, it amazes me how many
businesses continue to make major errors
in the digital marketing as they attempt to
improve their market position.
The need for digital marketing expertise
is going to ramp up in the coming months
with a possible economic slowdown
ahead. There is tremendous value to your
business in getting your digital marketing
strategy correct.
Consider the following common and costly
digital marketing mistakes and take steps
to avoid them.
Business first, customers second
Your digital content, website design, and
user interfaces must meet customer needs
first and foremost.
Too often this work is done to please people
at the business rather than prospective
customers. Your prospective customer is
the hero in your marketing story, not your
business or store.
This strategy is best communicated by
creating digital content that adds value to
your potential and existing customers as
opposed to content about your business.
You must get outside your own head and
into the head of your prospective customer.
This is hard to do because many marketers
are too close to their business.
The best digital marketers get inside the
head of their prospective customers and it
shows in their digital content and design.
This is most evident in the design and
content seen on the homepage of their
website.
This is the starting point because your
homepage is usually the most popular and
most visited page.
Create content for your website homepage
that talks directly to customers about the
value they get from your store and your
jewellery, rather than espousing tales of the
mere greatness of your business.
Hiring the wrong specialist
Digital marketing continues to be the wild
west of jobs and careers.
Take search engine optimisation
(SEO) for example. Anyone can get
SEO work just by claiming to be a SEO
consultant. There is no formal training
or certifications required and results
are difficult to measure. Additionally,
many digital marketers claim to be good
at many things. They can run your email
marketing, manage your social media,
write content, and manage your design.
They say that a ‘jack of all trades is a
master of none’. The best results come
when you work with digital marketing
specialists in each area all pursuing
one common overarching goal. These
problems are greatly reduced when the
leadership of a business has a general
understanding of the various different
roles played by specialists concerning
digital marketing – so take the time to
learn.
Failure to understand KPIs
Digital marketing data points are key
performance indicators (KPIs) for
your business.
For example, website traffic can be
a leading indicator of revenue and
development. Increased traffic and
website page views generally mean
revenue increases. Conversely, traffic
decline is not a good sign of future
improvement.
You must get
outside your
own head
and into the
head of your
prospective
customer. This
is hard to do
because many
marketers are
so close to their
business..
For many storeowners, simply seeing this
type of data and asking your staff questions
will move people towards actions that will
improve your company. This can’t happen
if you are not reviewing the data and don’t
know how to separate the most important
data points for your business.
A digital scorecard to measure website
traffic, leads and sales is powerful and,
sadly, is a missing part of many online
marketing efforts. Compile digital statistics
monthly and learn how to relate them to
your goals.
Cultural failing
I’m sure you’ll agree when I say that
the way your business thinks about
marketing impacts your results. It bleeds
into the culture of your store and those
tasked with marketing.
If you still hold ‘old-school’ beliefs and feel
that you can find customers when you want
them then you are in for major sales and
marketing headaches.
Your business must embrace the current
reality that you don’t find customers,
customers find you! Make this a cultural
change throughout your business and
remind your staff that the goal is to be found
in people’s online research and to motivate
them to reach out for more.
It is hard to believe these mistakes are still
happening 25 years into digital marketing.
Two core issues drive these mistakes. The
first is a lack of a clear understanding of
what prospective customers want from your
digital content before they buy. The second
is a lack of time spent understanding digital
marketing essentials, which is needed to
build an effective team.
Set goals to deal with the two core issues
and remove these five mistakes from your
marketing efforts.
THOMAS YOUNG is CEO of Intuitive
Websites. He has more than 25 years’
marketing and sales experience. Visit:
intuitivewebsites.com
May 2023 | 71

My Bench
Ash Bright
Soklich & Co. Jewellers Perth, WA
• YEARS IN TRADE 17 • LOVE JEWELLERY BECAUSE Nothing is static, there is always more to learn and always more ways to express true art.
SIGNATURE PIECE
A handmade pearl and diamond double bee ring, set
with 76 round brilliant cut white diamonds, and a South
Sea white pearl, made in 18-carat white gold. This ring
has a detachable pendant, with chain, which makes a
special transformation to any wardrobe.
4FAVOURITE GEMSTONE Ceylon sapphire/
London blue.
4FAVOURITE METAL 18-carat yellow gold.
4FAVOURITE TOOL Hammer.
4BEST NEW TOOL DISCOVERY Micro ceramic
cylinder grinder.
4BEST PART OF THE JOB Joy of creation.
4WORST PART OF THE JOB Time constraints.
So much to do, so little time! This is why it's
very important you always plan your projects
thoroughly.
4BEST TIP FROM A JEWELLER Start with the
gemstones when designing an item. From there,
the process will unfold much easier.
4BEST TIP TO A JEWELLER Plan your piece
each time. As I mentioned earlier, it's important
to think ahead before you begin. 'Just winging it'
doesn't work when creating beautiful jewellery.
72 | May 2023

OPINION
Soapbox
Visions of a jewellery industry that
bears no human or environmental toll
Among the most talked about topics today in the gemstone and jewellery industry
are ethics and sustainability. BARBARA WHEAT discusses some of the challenges
involved in improving the level of responsible practice within such a diverse trade.
“The only constant in life is change,”
mused Greek philosopher Heraclitus of
Ephesus around 500 BC.
These words are just as true today as they
were in his time and yet, we might also add
that the fear of change is also a constant.
It is human nature for people to do things
the way they have always been done and
to maintain a routine in their practices -
even when change becomes necessary.
With that said, in our lives change is
happening, even if only in small steps.
The jewellery and gemstone industry is no
exception to this and fortunately enthusiasm
for improved standards is beginning to
increase. This evolution can be seen in
examples from the past few decades.
For instance, the intention of the Kimberley
Process in 2003 was to bring positive change
to the diamond industry, however; today,
some producer nations are now demanding
that rough gemstones be cut in-country to
further help local populations.
Other initiatives are being undertaken
with varying degrees of success and
acceptance such as the bid to eliminate
mercury in gold mining. Others are
aimed at creating sustainable supply
chains, including responsible sourcing
and production practices for gems and
jewellery around the world.
Bumps in the road
There is no doubt that ‘ethical practices’
are heavily discussed today; however, not
everyone agrees when it comes to what it
means to be ‘responsible’.
There are similar disagreements on ideas
such as the sourcing of materials and the
importance of supply-chain partners holding
a shared vision when it comes to ethics.
While the hearts of some consumers
are in the right place, when it comes to
purchasing responsibly-sourced gold, for
example, the price tag can be off-putting.
The same can often be said for colour
gemstones and diamonds. I recently
spoke with Kyle Abraham Bi, general
manager of US-based Reflective Jewelry,
who told me that the an important issue
holding the industry back when it comes
to improved practices is a ‘laser-focus’
on the bottom line.
“One of the biggest challenges is finding
like-minded partners who are willing to
play ball,” he told me.
He explained that most refiners and
suppliers are not willing to work with
Fairtrade Gold because of the additional
tracking it entails. Other supply houses
and refiners that are willing to work with
this material mark it up considerably.
Certified gold from small-scale sources
should cost a bit more, but there are
questions about who profits from markups.
On the other hand, he stresses,
businesses can and should be used as
an unrivalled force for good.
Trial and error
Saskia Shutt is a designer from Belgium
and works with Ethical Metalsmiths
as a mentor. She recently made an
observation that I found disconcerting.
Shutt said that it’s common for many of
the jewellers she works with to suggest
that widespread positive changes within
the sector are simply not possible.
“Many jewellers are disconnected from the
raw material side of the industry. They just
purchase precious metals, gemstones, and
diamonds from wholesalers and don’t ask
questions,” she explained.
However having said that she has
noticed that over the past 10 years, an
increasing number of people are inclined
to support bespoke, locally, responsibly,
and sustainably made products.
I would say that this suggests the
naysayers are wrong to disparage the
concept of widespread trade – perhaps
it’s just going to be a longer process
than they are anticipating.
I spoke with another Ethical Metalsmiths
member, Christine Fail of Fail Jewelry,
and asked her what the biggest
challenges she encounters when
attempting to trade ‘responsibly.’
It’s important to
provide education
that helps not only
the consumers but
also everyone else
along the intricate
and fascinating
supply chain.
She said it was a matter of ‘trial and
error’ and that any business that is
passionate about pursuing sustainable
and ethical practices would need to deal
with a few headaches. For example,
finding suppliers working with Fairmined
Gold is a challenge in the US – even for
simple things such as spring clasps and
earring posts.
When it comes to gemstones, it can be
difficult to find businesses willing to
document their processes. They might
be selling gemstones mined in the US;
however, if the gemstones are sent to
China or India for cutting and polishing,
there may be no background information
on those facilities made available.
Importance of education
During our conversation, Shutt also cited
an example of a jeweller who was with
her on a Fairmined Gold trip to Peru.
She was so impressed with the ethical
sourcing that she began using only
Fairmined Gold in her creations.
Unfortunately, she also saw a drop in
sales as she had to charge more for the
gold. At the end of the day, her customers
were not willing to bear the cost.
So, as is often the case in changes that
occur in any industry, it comes down to
educating the consumer.
In the jewellery sector, it is important
to showcase the journey of a gemstone
through the supply and production chain,
and wherever possible to amplify the
voices in the local mining and cutting
communities to benefit everyone.
There are going to be a few hurdles along
the way; however, we all must work
towards a more sustainable future for
our industry – in whatever way we can,
large or small.
Name: Barbara Wheat
Business: Ethical Metalsmiths
Position: Executive director
Location: Florida, US
Years in the industry: 29
74 | May 2023

2023
International
Jewellery
Fair
August 19 – 21
ICC Sydney, Darling Harbour
JEWELLERYFAIR.COM.AU
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