Jeweller - August 2023
• Fact or Fiction? : how much influence do celebrities really wield? • Show & Tell: discover the latest and great products ahead of the Sydney Fair • Words of Wisdom: jewellers share valuable tips from behind the bench
• Fact or Fiction? : how much influence do celebrities really wield?
• Show & Tell: discover the latest and great products ahead of the Sydney Fair
• Words of Wisdom: jewellers share valuable tips from behind the bench
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VOICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN JEWELLERY INDUSTRY AUGUST <strong>2023</strong><br />
Fact or Fiction?<br />
HOW MUCH INFLUENCE DO<br />
CELEBRITIES REALLY WIELD?<br />
Show & Tell<br />
DISCOVER THE LATEST AND GREATEST<br />
PRODUCTS AHEAD OF THE SYDNEY FAIR<br />
Masterclass<br />
DISCOVER THE SECRETS TO<br />
SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT<br />
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<strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong> | 9
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AUGUST XXXX 2022 <strong>2023</strong><br />
Contents<br />
This Month<br />
Industry Facets<br />
17 Editorial<br />
18 Upfront<br />
20 News<br />
67 Show & Tell<br />
34<br />
37<br />
112<br />
114<br />
10 YEARS AGO<br />
Time Machine: <strong>August</strong> 2013<br />
LEARN ABOUT GEMS<br />
Influential Gemmologists: III<br />
MY BENCH<br />
James Andrews<br />
SOAPBOX<br />
Irene Deutsch<br />
49 STARS IN THEIR EYES<br />
Power of Persuasion?<br />
4It's often accepted as a foregone conclusion<br />
that celebrities influence the choices made<br />
by consumers when shopping for jewellery.<br />
Have you ever questioned just how much sway<br />
these trendsetters really have?<br />
Features<br />
41<br />
49<br />
61<br />
WISDOM FROM THE BENCH<br />
Learn more about the artisans behind Australian jewellery<br />
INFLUENCE UNDER THE MICROSCOPE<br />
How much impact do celebrities have on consumer taste?<br />
MANAGEMENT MASTERCLASS<br />
Avoiding change can be the greatest risk of all<br />
98<br />
GEMSTONE MINING JOURNEY<br />
Join the hunt for rubies and sapphires<br />
Better Your Business<br />
67 IT'S SHOWTIME<br />
Super Show & Tell<br />
4Learn all about the latest and greatest<br />
jewellery products, collections, and<br />
services available at the upcoming<br />
International <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Fair in Sydney.<br />
106<br />
108<br />
109<br />
110<br />
111<br />
BUSINESS STRATEGY<br />
What does it take to be a great leader? DAVID BROWN offers helpful insights.<br />
SELLING<br />
BERNADETTE MCCLELLAND puts traditional sales wisdom to the test.<br />
MANAGEMENT<br />
You need to be willing to break the rules for your customers. SHEP HYKEN explains why.<br />
MARKETING & PR<br />
DAVE WAKEMAN outlines the importance of perception management.<br />
LOGGED ON<br />
DALE FURTWENGLER offers a guide to turn negative reviews into positive outcomes.<br />
98 HUNT FOR NATURAL BEAUTY<br />
Rubies and sapphires<br />
4Rubies and sapphires are remarkable<br />
gemstones - treasures of the natural world<br />
that elevate jewellery collections. JUSTIN<br />
K PRIM explores the mining industry<br />
behind these colourful gemstones.<br />
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<strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong> | 13
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Editor’s Desk<br />
When opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door<br />
The largest Sydney trade show of the past decade is just weeks away.<br />
ANGELA HAN stresses the importance of making the most of the opportunities these events present.<br />
In the blink of an eye, another year has<br />
come and gone and, once again, the<br />
International <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Fair is right<br />
around the corner.<br />
If we learned anything from the global<br />
pandemic which has reshaped the trade over<br />
the past three years, it’s that face-to-face<br />
interactions are worth their weight in gold.<br />
The quality of the business relationships<br />
that are formed and strengthened at<br />
industry gatherings such as the Sydney<br />
Fair isn’t easily replicated over Zoom or<br />
Skype – they just don’t feel the same.<br />
As US politician Richard J Daley once said,<br />
“If a man’s handshake is no good, all the<br />
legal paper in the world won’t make it good.”<br />
While many of the technological<br />
‘workarounds’ during lockdowns<br />
showcased ingenuity and creativity,<br />
nothing could make up for the<br />
importance of in-person shopping.<br />
From a consumer perspective, nothing<br />
could replace the feeling of examining a<br />
new necklace or ring in person. It was a<br />
similar experience for the sales staff, who<br />
quickly learned that it’s much easier to<br />
communicate the beauty of jewellery and<br />
gemstones face-to-face.<br />
With that said, those planning on attending<br />
the upcoming show should be pleased to<br />
know that the event’s organisers say this<br />
year’s trade show will be the largest of the<br />
past decade.<br />
Furthermore, this issue of <strong>Jeweller</strong> has<br />
everything you’ll need ahead of the fair;<br />
standing at 116 pages – double the typical<br />
size of the magazine - it is full of new<br />
products and ideas.<br />
Whether you’re looking for that hot<br />
'it' trend, the latest products, a<br />
strategy for improving your business,<br />
or insight into consumer decisionmaking,<br />
there’s something for everyone.<br />
With the most important annual event on<br />
the Australian jewellery industry’s calendar<br />
just weeks away, every tool you need is at<br />
your disposal – the rest is up to you!<br />
Knowledge is power<br />
For example, while ‘trade’ will always<br />
be front and centre at events such as<br />
the Sydney Fair, they also present an<br />
opportunity to increase your store’s<br />
profitability.<br />
Indeed, how you sell jewellery is equally as<br />
important as what jewellery you’re selling.<br />
This year three important presentations<br />
will address differing topics designed to<br />
improve your business.<br />
One of the most common complaints from<br />
retailers is that it is difficult to stand out in<br />
a crowded and competitive market.<br />
Publicity and brand strategist Karen Eck<br />
has worked for more than two decades<br />
helping small businesses overcome this<br />
very problem.<br />
Eck will host a special presentation –<br />
The Power of Visibility – and discuss<br />
methods for gaining recognition by<br />
building skills and confidence.<br />
She says that while self-promotion can be<br />
difficult and awkward for many business<br />
owners – especially when weighed against<br />
other responsibilities – it’s vital for longterm<br />
success.<br />
Nationwide <strong>Jeweller</strong>s managing director<br />
Colin Pocklington will host a presentation<br />
- ‘What is my business really worth?’ – and<br />
guide visitors through the vital process of<br />
understanding the value of your business.<br />
I’m sure you’d agree that it’s difficult to<br />
improve the value of your business if you<br />
don’t have a firm understanding of what<br />
the initial value is!<br />
In a time where retailers are forced to<br />
adapt to changing market dynamics,<br />
understanding the value of your business<br />
is not a luxury – it’s a requirement.<br />
Pocklington will also provide invaluable<br />
insight into boosting profitability and<br />
performance.<br />
On the third day of the show, the<br />
Attorney-General’s Department will offer<br />
guidance and details about how proposed<br />
legal reforms will impact the jewellery<br />
industry. For example, is it legal for a<br />
jeweller to accept payment in cash of<br />
more than $10,000?<br />
The presentation will be centred<br />
around anti-money laundering and<br />
counter-terrorism financing.<br />
“If a man’s<br />
handshake is<br />
no good, all the<br />
legal paper in<br />
the world won’t<br />
make it good.”<br />
The knowledge of how to protect your<br />
business from exploitation by money<br />
launderers and other criminals is<br />
invaluable.<br />
The information available at these sessions<br />
has the potential to significantly improve<br />
your business – whether it be via direct<br />
application, or simply by changing the<br />
way you view your practices.<br />
With that said, the real work begins when<br />
the fair concludes and it’s time to convert<br />
these insights into action.<br />
Tomorrow’s best and brightest<br />
Along with all the usual highlights, this<br />
year’s Sydney Fair comes with a valuable<br />
addition – a renewed focus on the industry’s<br />
younger contributors.<br />
Emerging jewellers from the Design<br />
Centre Enmore (TAFE NSW) will<br />
demonstrate their technical skills, and<br />
visitors will have the opportunity to witness<br />
the resulting creativity and innovation.<br />
The jewellery and watchmaking trade is<br />
built upon a rich history and tradition, and<br />
this year the aim is to nurture and support<br />
the next generation of talent.<br />
And perhaps as an increasing recognition<br />
of the importance of the International<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>y Fair, a delegation from the<br />
US-based Independent Jewelers<br />
Organisation (IJO) will exploring the<br />
show floor with us for the first time.<br />
The IJO is a founding member of the<br />
Global <strong>Jeweller</strong>s Network, a collaboration<br />
with Australia’s Nationwide <strong>Jeweller</strong>s and<br />
the UK’s Company of Master <strong>Jeweller</strong>s.<br />
Indeed, one of the highlights of events<br />
such as the Sydney Fair is seeing new<br />
visitors interspersed with familiar faces.<br />
As always, the <strong>Jeweller</strong> team is looking<br />
forward to greeting you with a smile and a<br />
handshake, as well as a copy of our latest<br />
magazine and trade fair directory.<br />
Events such as these are a golden<br />
opportunity to prepare for a productive<br />
year ahead; however, as we all know –<br />
you can’t climb the ladder of success<br />
with your hands in your pockets!<br />
Angela Han<br />
Publisher<br />
<strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong> | 17
Upfront<br />
Rewind: Best Bench Tip<br />
FEBRUARY 2016<br />
Image credit: Getty<br />
Stranger Things<br />
Weird, wacky and wonderful<br />
jewellery news from around the world<br />
“Listen to your<br />
customers – they’re<br />
always right. Well,<br />
sometimes.”<br />
JEFF CROSS<br />
JMX JEWELLERY<br />
HISTORIC GEMSTONE<br />
The Taj Mahal<br />
Diamond<br />
4The Taj Mahal Diamond is a gold and<br />
ruby pendant by Cartier which was a<br />
present from Richard Burton to his wife,<br />
Elizabeth Taylor, on her 40th birthday in<br />
1972. The diamond has an inscription of<br />
the name of Nur Jahan, the wife of the<br />
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahangir. The<br />
diamond traces its roots back to the 17th<br />
century. The heart-shaped, table-cut diamond features inscriptions in<br />
both Persian and Arabic languages, suggesting the possible origin of the<br />
diamond. The Taj Mahal Diamond appears white and has been classified<br />
as a Type IIa diamond, with a colour grade ranging from D to F. The carat<br />
weight has never been established as it is mounted on a jade setting and<br />
is close to impossible to safely remove.<br />
Blockchain bonanza<br />
4Despite the shock collapse of Brisbane-based Everledger,<br />
blockchain technology continues to make waves in the retail<br />
landscape. One important area of adoption is customer loyalty<br />
programs. By implementing blockchain-based loyalty programs,<br />
retailers can provide more transparent and flexible reward<br />
systems. Blockchain enables the creation of digital tokens or<br />
cryptocurrencies that can be securely exchanged and transferred<br />
between retailers or converted into fiat currency. This seamless<br />
interoperability and transparency may enhance customer loyalty and<br />
satisfaction. Another significant impact of blockchain is its ability to<br />
enhance supply chain visibility and traceability.<br />
Timeless Trends<br />
4<strong>Jeweller</strong>y is all about self-expression<br />
and nothing is more important than<br />
colour selection. Vibrantly coloured<br />
accessories and rainbow jewellery have<br />
captured significant attention this year.<br />
Experimenting with colour blocking<br />
is particularly popular, for example by<br />
wearing a pair of exotic green emerald<br />
earrings with an all-black ensemble like<br />
Angelina Jolie.<br />
Campaign Watch<br />
4Swarovski has launched their latest<br />
campaign named 'Metamorphosis'.<br />
Photographer Steven Meisel captured<br />
the campaign which was produced by<br />
creative director Giovanna Engelbert<br />
and styled by renowned makeup artist<br />
Dame Pat McGrath. The campaign is<br />
dedicated to crystals and the power of<br />
self-expression.<br />
Image credit: Swarovski<br />
Back in business<br />
4Russia's largest diamond mining<br />
company Alrosa has confirmed<br />
plans to build a new $US1.5 billion<br />
mine at Mir, following the 2017<br />
flooding disaster that claimed eight<br />
lives. Work will start this year and<br />
the first industrial production is<br />
expected in 2030-31, according to<br />
the Russian source Interfax. Mir<br />
opened in 1957 as the first diamond<br />
mine in what was the USSR.<br />
Making a splash<br />
4Sydney student Alice Robert is<br />
enjoying an explosion of popularity<br />
with her waterproof jewellery<br />
aimed at 'lazy girls'. What sets The<br />
Littl apart from other lines is that<br />
it is 14-carat-gold-filled, meaning<br />
it’s composed of a solid layer of<br />
gold bonded to a base of highquality<br />
brass. This 14-carat-gold is<br />
cheaper, waterproof, and doesn’t<br />
tarnish and as an added bonus is<br />
great for sensitive skin. Prominent<br />
influencers and celebrities are<br />
fans of the brand, which is now<br />
sold in 55 countries in stores<br />
including Sydney, Perth, Italy, and<br />
the UK.<br />
Deep sea trends<br />
4Shells have always been used as<br />
adornments and some of the earliest<br />
known pieces of prehistoric jewellery<br />
consisted of beads made with drilled<br />
sea snail shells. More than 100,000<br />
years later, the style continues<br />
to inspire, and on this season’s<br />
catwalks, designers such as Ulla<br />
Johnson and Coach’s Stuart Vevers<br />
fashioned orange-flecked mitra shells<br />
and molluscs into necklaces and<br />
statement earrings.<br />
VOICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN JEWELLERY INDUSTRY<br />
Published by Befindan Media Pty Ltd<br />
Locked Bag 26, South Melbourne, VIC 3205 AUSTRALIA | ABN 66 638 077 648 | Phone: +61 3 9696 7200 | Subscriptions & Enquiries: info@jewellermagazine.com<br />
Publisher Angela Han angela.han@jewellermagazine.com • Journalist Samuel Ord samuel.ord@jewellermagazine.com • Advertising Toli Podolak toli.podolak@jewellermagazine.com<br />
• Production Learoy Bangis art@befindanmedia.com • Production Riza Ortiz riza@jewellermagazine.com • Accounts Paul Blewitt finance@befindanmedia.com<br />
Copyright All material appearing in <strong>Jeweller</strong> is subject to copyright. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly forbidden without prior written consent of the publisher. Befindan Media Pty Ltd<br />
strives to report accurately and fairly and it is our policy to correct significant errors of fact and misleading statements in the next available issue. All statements made, although based on information<br />
believed to be reliable and accurate at the time, cannot be guaranteed and no fault or liability can be accepted for error or omission. Any comment relating to subjective opinions should be addressed to<br />
the editor. Advertising The publisher reserves the right to omit or alter any advertisement to comply with Australian law and the advertiser agrees to indemnify the publisher for all damages or liabilities<br />
arising from the published material.
FP<br />
ADVERTISEMENT<br />
baume-et-mercier.com<br />
Riviera Automatic, 42mm
News<br />
Duraflex's new partnership<br />
with Daniel Wellington<br />
Michael Hill focused on lab-created diamond range<br />
Duraflex Group Australia (DGA) has been appointed<br />
the exclusive distributor of the Swedish watch and<br />
jewellery brand Daniel Wellington.<br />
Daniel Wellington is available in more than 50 markets<br />
and to date has sold over nine million watches. The<br />
products are designed in Stockholm and have been<br />
endorsed by prominent brand ambassadors such as<br />
Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber.<br />
Duraflex managing director Phil Edwards said the<br />
partnership would aim to make the most of the brand’s<br />
dedicated following.<br />
“Consumer perception of the brand locally is<br />
extremely positive with an extensive consumer<br />
following. With the brand having been in the market<br />
for a number of years we are all aware of the<br />
significant brand awareness and significant consumer<br />
desire for the brand,” he told <strong>Jeweller</strong>.<br />
“Currently, the brand is performing exceptionally well<br />
in both major department stores and mini-majors.<br />
Current distribution via independent retailers is<br />
limited; however, this will be strategically expanded<br />
via our DGA network.”<br />
It’s something of a revised approach to the Australian<br />
market for the brand, having previously been distributed<br />
by West End Collection. In recent years the company<br />
has attempted to move to a vertically integrated model;<br />
however, has now partnered with DGA.<br />
“Like many other international brands, Daniel<br />
Wellington had strategically pivoted to their own local<br />
company-owned subsidiary to establish a network of<br />
mono-brand stores to showcase the entire collection to<br />
consumers for a true brand experience,” Edwards said.<br />
“They acknowledge this strategy also needed to be<br />
supported with a strong wholesale network, and have<br />
therefore over the past 12 months pivoted back to local<br />
distributors in many countries across the world.”<br />
DGA will showcase Daniel Wellington at the upcoming<br />
International <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Fair (19-21 <strong>August</strong>) in Sydney at<br />
stands A05, A07, and A12.<br />
Major Australian jewellery retailer Michael Hill<br />
International has expanded its range of labcreated<br />
diamond jewellery.<br />
It’s been a productive year for the Brisbanebased<br />
retailer with operations in New Zealand<br />
and Canada, acquiring retail rival Bevilles and<br />
launching a new gold recycling program.<br />
Michael Hill has now expanded its lab-created<br />
diamond jewellery offering, adding earrings,<br />
necklaces, and tennis bracelets.<br />
CEO Daniel Bracken told the Sydney Morning<br />
Herald: “We haven’t made a big noise about<br />
lab-created diamonds until now because we<br />
have been increasing our capabilities and<br />
understanding.”<br />
“When the bulk of your business is mined<br />
diamonds you need to be careful with the<br />
introduction of a new source. It needs to be<br />
managed appropriately.”<br />
Michael Hill operates 148 stores in Australia,<br />
along with 47 in New Zealand and 86 in<br />
Canada. The company plans to open 80 new<br />
Bevilles locations by 2028.<br />
“Diamond giant De Beers convinced the<br />
world that mined diamonds were a symbol of<br />
timelessness and permanence, but now there’s<br />
an increasing number of customers looking for<br />
choice,” Bracken added.<br />
“They’re interested in sourcing and scale. It’s<br />
pretty much about more bang for your buck.”<br />
Lab-created diamonds are six per cent of<br />
Michael Hill’s diamond sales, and Bracken said<br />
he was confident the figure will reach 10 per<br />
cent with the extensive new collection.<br />
Richemont sales continue to rebound in Asia,<br />
off-setting concerning decline in US market<br />
Swiss luxury goods company Richemont has<br />
enjoyed a strong rise in sales off the back of<br />
healthy demand in the Asia Pacific region.<br />
Sales at jewellery brands such as Cartier, Van<br />
Cleef & Arpels, and Buccellati improved by 19<br />
per on a year-by-year comparison, reaching<br />
€3.6 billion ($AU5.95 billion) for the quarter.<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>y was the company’s best-performing<br />
division, while sales at watchmakers<br />
benefited from ‘thriving retail sales’.<br />
Revenue from watch brands such as A. Lange<br />
& Söhne, Piaget, and Vacheron Constantin<br />
increased by six per cent €1.06 billion<br />
($AU1.75 billion).<br />
While the rebounding market in China<br />
produced pleasing results, it wasn’t all good<br />
news for Richemont – with sales declining<br />
in the US amid concerns about inflation and<br />
cost-of-living pressures.<br />
“The Swiss owner of Cartier reported a<br />
surprise drop in revenue from the Americas<br />
in the three months through June. While<br />
Richemont’s sales from Asia rose sharply,<br />
China reported slower-than-expected<br />
economic growth on Monday, signalling signs<br />
of a possible pullback in consumer spending,”<br />
writes Andy Hoffman of the Australian<br />
Financial Review.<br />
“The luxury-goods industry has been counting<br />
on a rebound in China after that country’s<br />
reopening would make up for weakness in the<br />
US market. Now Richemont and its peers are<br />
contending with the prospect that its two main<br />
growth motors are weakening.”<br />
Group revenue increased 14 per cent on a<br />
year-by-year comparison to €5.32 billion<br />
($AU8.79 billion).<br />
20 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
News<br />
That’s all folks: Brisbane-based Everledger to face $19 million liquidation<br />
Despite attempts to save the Brisbane-based<br />
technology and diamond tracing company,<br />
Everledger Australia has been placed in liquidation<br />
with unsecured creditors totalling $AU19,178,371.<br />
In addition, more information has come to light<br />
about CEO Leanne Kemp’s previous companies and<br />
business dealings.<br />
The voluntary administrators published a notice<br />
on the Australian Securities and Investments<br />
Commission (ASIC) website on 12 July confirming<br />
that a special resolution to wind up the company<br />
had been passed.<br />
Everledger was launched in 2016, and it was<br />
previously thought that the acceptance of a Deed of<br />
Company Arrangement (DOCA) proposed by Kemp<br />
- seeing her pick up the company for as little as<br />
$AU50,000 - would prevent it from being liquidated.<br />
In a filing published on ASIC on 21 June, a<br />
nine-step process was recommended by<br />
voluntary administrator Steven Staatz of Vincents<br />
Accountants which included Kemp (The Proponent)<br />
forgiving a debt of $AU243,512 as a creditor and<br />
making a payment of $AU50,000.<br />
According to Kemp’s plan, she would be required<br />
to assist Deed Administrators secure an Australian<br />
government Research and Development Incentive<br />
Return for the company valued at $AU625,000.<br />
Following the successful completion of the DOCA,<br />
the control of the company would be returned to<br />
Kemp as director.<br />
“In my opinion, it would be in the best interest of<br />
the creditors to accept the proposal for a Deed of<br />
Company Arrangement,” Staatz wrote on 21 June;<br />
however, it all fell apart when the wind up notice<br />
was accepted.<br />
Everledger was initially placed under Voluntary<br />
Administration on 24 April, and the subsequent<br />
administrator’s report noted that, under Kemp’s<br />
management, the company effectively survived on<br />
government income and grants.<br />
Further details revealed<br />
This is not the first time a company led by Kemp<br />
was placed under administration following the<br />
failure to secure government research and<br />
development funding and/or tax concessions.<br />
Following <strong>Jeweller</strong>’s recent reports on companies<br />
with which Kemp has been associated - as director<br />
and/or shareholder - various industry sources have<br />
come forward with further information.<br />
These voluntary submissions relate to Everledger,<br />
Phenix <strong>Jeweller</strong>y, Absoft, Kemp’s personal work<br />
history, as well as additional companies where<br />
external administrators were appointed.<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong> has now learned of another legal matter<br />
concerning Kemp and the Australian Government.<br />
The dispute was over taxation concessions,<br />
between the government and her Absoft Qld<br />
company (which had changed its name to<br />
'Naughtsncrosses Pty Ltd’). Kemp went to<br />
the Administrative Appeals Tribunal of Australia<br />
following the denial of generous research<br />
and development tax concessions claimed by<br />
Absoft Qld.<br />
Innovation Australia is the independent statutory<br />
board that advises the Australian Government<br />
on innovation, science, and research matters - in<br />
conjunction with the Commissioner of Taxation.<br />
An independent assessment in 2009 had<br />
determined that the activities claimed in connection<br />
with Absoft’s technology project did not satisfy<br />
the statutory criteria. Following Kemp’s challenge<br />
of the decision, the Appeals Tribunal upheld<br />
Innovation Australia’s original decision to deny the<br />
claim for tax concessions.<br />
Appeal Tribunal deputy president Phillip Hack<br />
concluded that Kemp’s evidence was lacklustre.<br />
“The evidence of Ms Kemp about this document<br />
was vague; she did not know whether any of the<br />
parties signed a version of this document but it was,<br />
she said, ‘executed by way of a payment’ (whatever<br />
that might mean),” the decision reads.<br />
As part of her appeal, Kemp claimed that the sale<br />
of the product had been made to another company<br />
in 2007; however, Hack had a different view.<br />
“The evidence falls well short of satisfying me that<br />
was so but even if it were it is not demonstrated<br />
that the software was developed for the purpose of<br />
sale, lease, etc. to two or more entities,” he stated.<br />
“If contrary to my view of the evidence, there was a<br />
second later sale that was, at best, opportunistic;<br />
it does not demonstrate the purpose of the original<br />
activity in writing the software.”<br />
Is history repeating itself?<br />
Hack also criticised Absoft’s case indicating<br />
that it was not easy to discern and much of it<br />
was couched in generalities.<br />
“[Kemp’s assertions] did not point to any evidence,<br />
perhaps because there was so little evidence to<br />
which reference could be made,” Hack concluded.<br />
The Appeal Tribunal’s decision to uphold<br />
the original decision denying Absoft<br />
(Naughtsncrosses Pty Ltd) tax concessions<br />
was made on 24 October 2012.<br />
ASIC records show only seven days after the<br />
decision, Absoft Qld was placed under<br />
Voluntary Administration, on 2 November 2012.<br />
It is worth noting that Kemp has previously<br />
attributed the collapse of Everledger solely to<br />
decisions made by other people.<br />
In an interview with JCK Online, she claimed<br />
that the withdrawal of financial support by other<br />
shareholders was a breach of a legal agreement;<br />
however, she has not explained why or how that<br />
occurred. She also alluded to legal action against<br />
the unidentified investor.<br />
“We had a legal agreement, and we feel there’s<br />
been a breach of that agreement. We will let the<br />
legal process run its course,” she said in an article<br />
published 16 May.<br />
It is unknown whether Kemp intends to make good<br />
on her legal threat now that Everledger Australia is<br />
in liquidation.<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong> has contacted Kemp multiple times for<br />
comment since the collapse of Everledger in April;<br />
however, she is yet to respond.<br />
<strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong> | 21
News<br />
US tech giant GoDaddy silent amid international jewellery scammers controversy<br />
to providing the best experience possible to our<br />
clients and anyone who interacts with them. Please<br />
let us know if a name registered here is being used<br />
in a malicious or abusive way.”<br />
Lacklustre response<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong> attempted to contact GoDaddy to seek<br />
clarification. Namely, how it is that - in the first<br />
instance - a URL that is being hosted free of charge<br />
by GoDaddy could be used to help perpetrate<br />
fraudulent transactions on the international<br />
jewellery industry and, simultaneously, the same<br />
URL is being offered for sale by GoDaddy?<br />
Since the world has ‘reopened’ for business<br />
following the global pandemic there has been<br />
an increasing number of scams targeting the<br />
international jewellery industry.<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong> has previously detailed and reported<br />
on the various scams; however, recent research<br />
has discovered that the vast majority of the<br />
fraudsters are using the services of GoDaddy, the<br />
US tech giant.<br />
GoDaddy is listed on the New York Stock Exchange<br />
with a market capitalisation of around $US12 billion<br />
($AU17.5 billion). A preliminary investigation of 60<br />
emails offering to sell intellectual property that<br />
either does not exist or, if it does, is stolen, found<br />
that 50 were operating via GoDaddy.<br />
Worse, when the issue was raised with the<br />
company, a senior GoDaddy representative<br />
seemed disinterested.<br />
The most common scam involves the lead-up<br />
to international jewellery trade shows. They are<br />
all targeted, from the annual JCK Las Vegas,<br />
Hong Kong trade shows and Australia’s various<br />
jewellery fairs. Indeed, these scammers don't<br />
discriminate between large and small events.<br />
How does it work?<br />
It’s a simple scheme - companies listed as an<br />
exhibitor on a show’s website receive emails<br />
from people claiming to have the attendee<br />
list and registered visitors.The emails, which<br />
appear to be from people at different ‘research<br />
companies’ follow a similar model and will often<br />
use identical wording.<br />
A recent scam email read; “You can acquire a<br />
International <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Fair <strong>2023</strong> attendee list<br />
to promote your products and services, invite<br />
current and prospective customers to your<br />
booth, and maximize your reach before, during,<br />
and after the exposition!”<br />
The same wording and an identically formatted<br />
email offers the same ‘data’ for JCK Las Vegas.For<br />
a price, you can buy the complete contact details<br />
of every visitor - before even attending the event!<br />
The cost for this data is consistent from email to<br />
email, despite the number of attendees and/or<br />
visitors differing significantly from event to event.<br />
For example, one recent email purports to offer<br />
3,752 already registered visitors to the upcoming<br />
International <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Fair in Sydney (19-21<br />
<strong>August</strong>) for $439 - discounted from $732.<br />
Another scammer offers a database of 5,467<br />
registered attendees at the same show for $429.<br />
A further two emails from purportedly different<br />
businesses each offer a list of 14,412 registered<br />
visitors to the same event. According to these<br />
'business analysts', it seems the attendance for the<br />
one event can vary from 3,752 to 14,142 people.<br />
Apparently, the lists are provided in MS Excel or CSV<br />
Format and the email states the "usage license is<br />
unlimited - making it a one-off purchase".<br />
Under the hood<br />
On the surface, the email address looks genuine;<br />
however, further examination will prove otherwise.<br />
In the examples above, there is no live website<br />
attached to the URL and both are redirected to a<br />
page that states that the website is “parked free<br />
courtesy of GoDaddy.com”.<br />
Intriguingly, and even though you have received an<br />
email from a person at a business who offers to<br />
sell you a list of registered fair attendees, you can<br />
actually buy the website URL of the business. In just<br />
one or two clicks on the GoDaddy website you can<br />
own the URL of the business that was just offering<br />
to sell you the details of 5,000 potential customers!<br />
As stated above, this is not an isolated example. Of<br />
the 60 emails examined by <strong>Jeweller</strong> purporting to<br />
sell visitor lists to various jewellery trade shows, 50<br />
directed back to GoDaddy.<br />
GoDaddy's website states: “We’re a trusted growth<br />
partner to millions of everyday entrepreneurs.<br />
GoDaddy is the world’s largest services platform for<br />
entrepreneurs around the globe.”<br />
Under a heading titled ‘Abuse reporting’ the website<br />
states: “GoDaddy Corporate Domains is committed<br />
In reference to GoDaddy’s claim to be concerned<br />
about “malicious” use of its services, <strong>Jeweller</strong>’s<br />
email stated: “It has now come to our attention<br />
that the vast majority of these scammers are<br />
using GoDaddy’s services. We can provide<br />
evidence about this.”<br />
Thomas Costello, senior manager public relations<br />
at GoDaddy responded to the enquiry. Rather than<br />
seeking or requesting more information from<br />
the media about an investigation into scamming,<br />
Costello’s response seemed dismissive.<br />
“We take cyber-safety very seriously,” Costello said.<br />
He then seemingly suggested that <strong>Jeweller</strong> staff<br />
should report the matter on the GoDaddy Abuse<br />
Reporting page, adding that the “abuse team<br />
regularly assesses and takes actions against sites<br />
that violate our terms of service”.<br />
Of concern is the GoDaddy page that states: “We<br />
can't guarantee any particular outcome, but we'll<br />
review your complaint and contact you only if<br />
necessary. You will not receive updates regarding<br />
the evaluation or outcome of the complaint.”<br />
The page is not intended for media requests and/<br />
or enquiries about possible criminal activity. Worse,<br />
Godaddy.com has two links for Abuse Reporting;<br />
however, one is non-functional. A page displaying<br />
important company information and its policies<br />
also has a ‘Report Abuse’ link which - when tested<br />
by <strong>Jeweller</strong> - generated an error 404 message.”<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong> has contacted GoDaddy CEO Alan Bhutani<br />
for an explanation about his company’s claims<br />
that it takes “cyber-safety very seriously” while<br />
simultaneously appearing to have no interest<br />
in being provided information about possible<br />
widespread scamming operations involving the<br />
services of his company.<br />
Importantly, clarification was also sought from<br />
Bhutani on the seemingly contradictory position of<br />
GoDaddy claiming to be a ‘trusted’ company while<br />
hosting URLs being used for ‘malicious’ activity and<br />
at the same time offering to sell the same URL.<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong> has been in contact with the US Federal<br />
Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for comment and<br />
regarding further investigation.<br />
22 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
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News<br />
THE VINTAGE<br />
WATCH TO<br />
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Farren-Price reveals dazzling<br />
Argyle Lotus pink diamond jewellery<br />
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Australian jeweller J Farren-Price is showcasing the first piece from a<br />
new collection featuring pink diamonds sourced from the now-closed<br />
Argyle Mine.<br />
As part of the Argyle Heritage Collection, the piece is named the Argyle<br />
Lotus ring and features 3.34 carats of fancy colour pink diamonds paired<br />
with 3.8 carats of white diamonds. Farren-Price created the piece in<br />
collaboration with renowned diamond specialist Glajz.<br />
The lotus design is set in 18-carat rose gold, with petals unfurling from a<br />
0.12-carat blue diamond, symbolising water.<br />
Director of J Farren-Price, Julian Farren-Price told <strong>Jeweller</strong>: "This<br />
collection is definitely our most important single acquisition of the<br />
finest Argyle pink diamonds to date."<br />
Pink diamonds remain very much the centre of attention for the world's<br />
leading jewellery designers, with Tiffany & Co adding 'fuel to the fire' in<br />
January when the company confirmed the purchase of a collection of<br />
Australian fancy colour diamonds.<br />
Farren-Price added: “This extraordinary collection of rare Argyle pink<br />
diamonds is a dream come true. We are excited to honour the world’s<br />
most iconic pink diamonds and each creation in the Argyle Heritage<br />
Collection will represent the ultimate in rarity and collectability.”<br />
“We appreciate that every Argyle pink diamond is a beautiful wonder<br />
of nature and it is with great pride that we continue to transform these<br />
billion-year-old gemstones into jewellery that recreates this beauty for<br />
future generations.”<br />
The Argyle Lotus will be available for sale for $AU930,000 through<br />
J Farren-Price’s store in Sydney. The ring was created as a part of<br />
Rio Tinto’s Argyle Pink Diamonds Icon Partner program. Comprised of<br />
jewellers renowned for their unique and captivating vision, the program<br />
celebrates the world’s most valuable diamonds through excellence in<br />
craftsmanship and design.<br />
“We are delighted with this creative collaboration and The Argyle Lotus<br />
ring is a fitting debut piece for this heritage collection of masterpieces that<br />
will speak to the beauty and precious provenance of these outstanding<br />
jewels,” Patrick Coppens, general manager of sales and marketing for<br />
Rio Tinto said.<br />
Further additions to the collection will be revealed by Farren-Price in the<br />
coming months.<br />
The Argyle Diamond Mine in WA was the source of the world’s highestquality<br />
pink diamonds and was closed in November 2020.
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News<br />
De Beers slashes prices,<br />
concerns continue in US<br />
Presentation at Sydney Fair to detail counterterrorism<br />
and money laundering legal reform<br />
would impact the jewellery industry.<br />
The presentation will cover the purpose of the<br />
reforms, the consultation process and timing,<br />
how the proposed regulation may impact<br />
jewellery retailers and suppliers, and what it<br />
would look like to be regulated under the AML/<br />
CTF regime.<br />
“These reforms would extend the existing AML/<br />
CTF regime to help industry, including dealers in<br />
precious stones and metals, protect themselves<br />
from exploitation from money launderers and<br />
other criminal actors,” a spokesperson for the<br />
Attorney-General’s Department told <strong>Jeweller</strong>.<br />
The De Beers Group has decreased its prices for<br />
select larger rough diamonds amid weak<br />
consumer demand.<br />
Rapaport News has reported that the price cuts range<br />
from 5 per cent to 15 per cent in diamonds 0.75 carats<br />
and larger, with an emphasis on two-carat diamonds.<br />
“De Beers has focused its adjustments on the lowerquality<br />
items for which demand has been especially<br />
slow, the sources said on condition of anonymity.<br />
Polished sales in SI to I2 clarities have slumped this<br />
year due to the overall weakness of US retail — the<br />
main market for this range — as well as competition<br />
from lab-created diamonds,” the report states.<br />
Attendees at the upcoming International<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>y Fair (19-21 <strong>August</strong>) will have an<br />
opportunity to learn the latest from experts on<br />
proposed reforms to Australia’s anti-money<br />
laundering and counter-terrorism financing<br />
(AML/CTF) laws.<br />
On the third day of the Sydney Fair, the Attorney-<br />
General’s Department (AGD) will give a<br />
presentation detailing how these proposed laws<br />
“Precious metals and stones are effective<br />
channels to legitimise criminal proceeds serving<br />
multiple purposes, including storing value,<br />
transferring value, and lifestyle consumption.<br />
Currently, only bullion dealers are covered by the<br />
AML/CTF regime.”<br />
The IJF will be hosted at the International<br />
Convention and Exhibition Centre in Sydney’s<br />
Darling Harbour.<br />
Rough diamond exports in decline for Russians<br />
“The company also maintained its policy of allowing<br />
30 per cent buybacks for certain low-performing<br />
items, the industry sources said. Buybacks let<br />
sightholders sell a proportion of the rough they’ve<br />
purchased back to De Beers, allowing them to<br />
offload the stones that will generate the least<br />
profit. The limit is usually 10 per cent.”<br />
Sales at De Beers’ latest cycle reached $US450<br />
million ($AU673.1 million), a 32 per cent decline.<br />
US market struggling<br />
According to the latest research from Tenoris,<br />
jewellery and diamond sales decreased 4.6 per cent<br />
year-by-year in June in the US market. The combined<br />
value of jewellery and diamond sales declined by 11.2<br />
per cent. In the first half, unit sales have decreased by<br />
5.9 per cent.<br />
“Natural diamond sales are on an ongoing downward<br />
trend. Year over year, unit sales fell 23.8 per cent. By<br />
total value, sales fell 20.9 per cent versus June 2022,”<br />
writes Edahn Golan.<br />
“In the first six months of <strong>2023</strong>, natural diamond sales<br />
were slashed 21 per cent by value and volume. It’s not<br />
surprising that diamond sales have been declining in<br />
recent months after an exceptional post-COVID run.”<br />
Retailer margins are also reportedly shrinking, with an<br />
average of 35.2 per cent in June (a 4.2 per cent decline<br />
on a year-by-year comparison).<br />
According to the latest figures from the<br />
Kimberley Process, Russia’s rough diamond<br />
exports declined significantly in the past year<br />
amid worldwide sanctions following the invasion<br />
of Ukraine.<br />
Russia’s rough exports declined by 24 per cent<br />
on a year-by-year comparison in 2022, totalling<br />
36.7 million carats.<br />
Despite the decline, rough production increased<br />
by seven per cent to 41.9 million carats. Global<br />
rough output increased by 24 per cent on a<br />
year-by-year comparison to $US16.02 billion<br />
($AU23.95 billion), while production was close to<br />
neutral (0.6 per cent decline).<br />
“While the US and other G7 nations, including<br />
the UK, have levelled sanctions against Russia<br />
for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022,<br />
others, such as Belgium, have been slower to<br />
refuse imports from the country,” writes Leah<br />
Meirovich of Rapaport News.<br />
“The decline in [global] exports reflected the<br />
Russian situation as well as a 36 per cent<br />
slump in the number of carats exported from<br />
Botswana, a 29 per cent fall from the EU, and<br />
a 14 per cent decrease from the United Arab<br />
Emirates.”<br />
An increase in global production value was<br />
attributed to Botswana, which improved output<br />
by 27 per cent. Total imports slipped 16 per cent<br />
by volume and global exports fell 21 per cent.<br />
Recent media reports have suggested that<br />
harsher sanctions will be installed against<br />
Russia in early 2024.<br />
26 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
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News<br />
Tiffany & Co purchases rare ‘Tiffany Muzo Emerald’<br />
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Named the ‘Tiffany Muzo Emerald’, the gemstone<br />
was sourced approximately 100 kilometres<br />
northwest of the city of Bogotá.<br />
“As the world’s authority on rare gemstones, we<br />
are thrilled to announce our recent acquisition<br />
of the Tiffany Muzo Emerald,” Tiffany & Co chief<br />
gemmologist Victoria Wirth Reynolds said.<br />
museum featuring multi-media displays detailing<br />
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The company has operated since 1854 and the<br />
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Gem Lab’s rise to a respected institution is<br />
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“This remarkable gemstone, weighing more than<br />
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heritage of acquiring the most coveted gemstones<br />
that Mother Nature has to offer.”<br />
The emerald is square-cut and was extracted from<br />
the Puerto Arturo shaft in December 2019. The<br />
gemstone has been praised for its exceptional clarity<br />
and transparency, which highlights its rich colour.<br />
With no fissures and the emerald is close to<br />
inclusion free, displaying only a few found by<br />
microscopic examination.<br />
Interaction and inspiration<br />
The House of Gübelin has opened the Gübelin<br />
Gem Museum in Lucerne, Switzerland - a compact<br />
Raphael Gübelin, president of the House of<br />
Gübelin, said the museum would expand on the<br />
exhibits over time.<br />
“With this museum, we want to create a living<br />
forum for interaction and inspiration,” he told<br />
National Jeweler.<br />
“At the very heart of Lucerne, the museum invites<br />
visitors to discover exciting information about<br />
gemstones and gemmology, jewellery and watches,<br />
as well as the innovations and pioneering spirit of<br />
our House.”<br />
Gübelin curated the museum with jewellery expert<br />
Beatriz Chadour-Sampson of the Swiss National<br />
Museum in Zurich and the Victoria and Albert<br />
Museum in London.<br />
Sales surge continue for Chow Tai Fook and Luk Fook<br />
Hong-Kong jeweller Chow Tai Fook has reported<br />
strong sales figures in the opening quarter amid the<br />
return of tourism to the region and opened 95 new<br />
stores in mainland China.<br />
Retail sales increased by 29 per cent on a year-byyear<br />
comparison. Sales surged by 64 per cent in<br />
Hong Kong and Macau specifically, as the border<br />
with mainland China reopened in January following<br />
a relaxing of pandemic restrictions.<br />
“During the first quarter, the recovery in general<br />
mobility and retail activity had continued to positively<br />
impact our business in mainland China and Hong<br />
Kong and Macau,” the company said in a statement.<br />
Same-store sales of gold jewellery increased by 101<br />
per cent in Hong Kong and Macau, and improved by<br />
10 per cent in mainland China.<br />
Chow Tai Fook is the second largest jewellery<br />
retailer by market value in the world.<br />
Another Hong Kong jewellery retailer Luk Fook<br />
enjoyed a strong rise in sales in the opening quarter<br />
of the financial year.<br />
Retail sales value improved by 24 per cent on a<br />
year-by-year comparison. Sales in Hong Kong and<br />
Macau spiked by 92 per cent, while in mainland China<br />
stores enjoyed a 21 per cent improvement.<br />
Demand continued to increase for gold jewellery<br />
specifically, while the sale of diamond jewellery<br />
declined in mainland China.<br />
“The group will continue to actively promote nondiamond<br />
fixed-price jewellery products, especially<br />
fixed-price gold products, in order to mitigate the<br />
impact of the soft demand in diamond products,”<br />
the company said in a statement.<br />
Luk Fook’s same-store sales increased by 62 per<br />
cent. The company now operates more than 3,000<br />
stores in the region.<br />
28 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
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News<br />
Watches of Switzerland<br />
thrilled with revenue record<br />
Online dealers concerned over the increasing<br />
sophistication of counterfeit luxury watches<br />
The CEO of the UK’s largest seller of secondhand<br />
timepieces has expressed his dismay<br />
over the increasing difficulty of identifying<br />
counterfeits.<br />
According to Watchfinder’s Arjen van de Vall as<br />
many as one in 10 luxury watches are fakes, and<br />
it’s becoming harder and harder to spot them.<br />
“We have a checklist when our watchmakers<br />
see a watch. In the old days, around 20<br />
per cent of watches would require further<br />
inspection to understand it if they were fake,"<br />
he told Bloomberg.<br />
Amid positive consumer demand for luxury<br />
timepieces, Watches of Switzerland’s group revenue<br />
increased by 25 per cent for the full fiscal year.<br />
The UK-based retailer reported sales of £1.54<br />
billion ($AU2.94 billion) for the year that ended 30<br />
April – a record for the company.<br />
Sales increased by 10 per cent in the UK and<br />
Europe, driven by the opening of 16 new stores.<br />
In the US, revenue increased by 52 per cent to £653<br />
million ($AU1.24 billion). Watches of Switzerland<br />
CEO Brian Duffy said this market now represents<br />
more than 40 per cent of total revenue.<br />
"Today, around 80 per cent of watches need this<br />
thorough testing and inspection to see if they are<br />
genuine or not."<br />
Watchfinder is part of the Richemont<br />
conglomerate; however, he said that Rolex was<br />
the hardest hit by counterfeiters because of the<br />
brand’s market dominance. He estimated that<br />
50 per cent of fake luxury watches are Rolex.<br />
Watchfinder research has suggested that<br />
more than 40 million counterfeit watches<br />
are produced each year, double that of the<br />
genuine Swiss industry.<br />
Luxury timepieces: Impressive sales for Swatch<br />
“Luxury watch sales increased 28 per cent year-onyear,<br />
representing 87 per cent of group revenue,”<br />
he said.<br />
“Luxury jewellery sales increased at a more<br />
modest 10 per cent in the year, reflecting a tougher<br />
macroeconomic backdrop and focus on fullprice<br />
sales. Following two years of exceptional<br />
performance, sales are significantly ahead of plan.”<br />
In 2024, the company will debut a flagship Rolex<br />
store on London’s Old Bond Street and continue a<br />
joint venture with watch brand Audemars Piguet.<br />
The company expects revenue of between £1.65<br />
billion ($AU3.15 billion) and £1.7 billion ($AU3.24<br />
billion) for the full year.<br />
Swiss conglomerate Swatch Group has reported<br />
its strongest financials since the pandemic, with<br />
sales for the first half of <strong>2023</strong> increasing by 18<br />
per cent.<br />
Sales reached CHF4.019 billion ($AU8.6 billion),<br />
the group’s highest return since 2018.<br />
Operating profit improved by 36.4 per cent, with<br />
a statement lauding double-digit increases in all<br />
watch and jewellery segments.<br />
“The maker of Omega, Tissot and Longines<br />
timepieces as well as its mass-market plastic<br />
watches, said the lifting of COVID-related<br />
restrictions in Asia boosted its sales, especially<br />
in China, Thailand and Macao, which saw a rapid<br />
rise in travel activity,” reports Reuters.<br />
“It also noted strong increases in its core<br />
European market, with sales in Switzerland<br />
soaring almost 50 per cent.<br />
“The strongest increases came from the<br />
lowest price segment, Swatch said, announcing<br />
it would be introducing new products focused on,<br />
but not exclusive to, the lower and<br />
mid-range segments.”<br />
Swatch also revealed that it has acquired<br />
property on Old Bond Street in London and a<br />
store on the Champs-Elysées in Paris.<br />
30 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
Leaders<br />
KNOW THE DIRECTION<br />
AND SHOW THE WAY<br />
They know where the readers<br />
are and protect their brand<br />
image and credibility.<br />
Where the industry leaders are seen
Trade Fair<br />
The world’s biggest jewellery fair<br />
is back in Hong Kong!<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>y & Gem WORLD celebrates its 40th edition with<br />
3,000+ exhibitors across two venues this September<br />
The world’s biggest B2B jewellery sourcing event is set to<br />
return to its Hong Kong home this September, in what marks<br />
its first major comeback since 2019!<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>y & Gem WORLD Hong Kong (JGW), formerly<br />
known as the September Hong Kong <strong>Jeweller</strong>y & Gem Fair, is<br />
celebrating its 40th edition with over 3,000 exhibitors across<br />
two venues. In recognition of this milestone, JGW will also pay<br />
tribute to 40 extraordinary individuals who have had a positive<br />
and transformative impact on the industry and played an<br />
integral role in the September fair’s four-decade-long journey.<br />
“After a long wait, the world’s No.1 B2B jewellery sourcing<br />
fair is finally returning to Hong Kong – the home of JGW. We<br />
are honoured to bring together the global jewellery industry<br />
once again and showcase the latest trends and innovations<br />
in the market. Join us for this exceptional opportunity that<br />
has been eagerly awaited by everyone in our community,” said<br />
David Bondi, Senior Vice President of Informa Markets in Asia.<br />
Returning to its original two-venue, product categoryspecific<br />
format, JGW is taking place at the AsiaWorld-Expo<br />
(AWE), where jewellery materials, such as loose diamonds,<br />
coloured gemstones and pearls, will be exhibited from<br />
18 to 22 September, and at the Hong Kong Convention and<br />
Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), where finished jewellery, packaging<br />
solutions, tools and equipment, and jewellery industry-related<br />
technologies will be unveiled from 20 to 24 September.<br />
Further adding excitement to JGW’s return is a series of<br />
celebrations marking two milestones – the fair’s 40 th edition<br />
and the 40 th anniversary of JNA, Informa Markets <strong>Jeweller</strong>y’s<br />
flagship jewellery trade publication.<br />
“To commemorate JGW and JNA’s 40 extraordinary years,<br />
we are pleased to announce our ‘Extraordinary 40’ Awards<br />
programme, which is being held under the auspices of the<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>y World Awards. This initiative aims to pay tribute to<br />
40 individuals who have gone above and beyond to shape<br />
and transform our industry. These Awardees have not only<br />
achieved remarkable success, but they have also made a<br />
positive and lasting impact on the broader community. Through<br />
their talent, leadership, dedication and innovation, they have<br />
inspired and paved the way for future generations of jewellery<br />
entrepreneurs, designers and gemstone artists,” said Celine<br />
Lau, Director of <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Fairs at Informa Markets <strong>Jeweller</strong>y.<br />
The Extraordinary 40 Awardees will be invited to participate<br />
in a series of high-profile panel discussions at JGW where<br />
they will share their insights, experiences and expertise.<br />
Additionally, leading organisations in different sectors will<br />
share the latest developments in their respective fields.<br />
"We are delighted to showcase the ruby as our anniversary<br />
gemstone!" Lau added. "Visitors can expect to see a stunning<br />
display of ruby exhibits, highlighting the rarity and allure of this<br />
precious gemstone. In addition, a specially designed 'treasure<br />
map' will guide buyers through the show floor to view the most<br />
remarkable ruby collections."<br />
Visitor Enquiry<br />
E visitjgf-hk@informa.com<br />
FAIR WEBSITE<br />
<strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong> | 33
10 Years Ago<br />
Time Machine: <strong>August</strong> 2013<br />
A snapshot of the industry events making headlines this time 10 years ago in <strong>Jeweller</strong>.<br />
Historic Headlines<br />
4 Questions surround diamond trading scheme<br />
4 oie ra ae eweery otfit<br />
4 Registration hits new high for jewellery fair<br />
4 <strong>Jeweller</strong>y gang busted<br />
4 Swarovski Gems makes jewellery fair debut<br />
Karin Adcock shock return<br />
to jewellery industry<br />
In a surprise move, Karin Adcock, the<br />
former president of Pandora Australia,<br />
has announced her return to the Australian<br />
jewellery industry.<br />
In keeping with her own, and Pandora’s Danish<br />
heritage, Adcock’s new company, House of<br />
Brands has acquired the distribution rights to<br />
three Danish brands – Julie Sandlau, byBiehl<br />
and X by Trollbeads.<br />
X by Trollbeads is a completely new<br />
product line and differs from its normal<br />
charm and bracelet range. But the shock<br />
announcement is sure to cause a stir in<br />
Australia and New Zealand, because not<br />
only is Trollbeads a direct competitor to<br />
Pandora, Trollbeads already has a local<br />
supplier in RJ Scanlan & Co.<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>y fair celebrates past,<br />
present and future<br />
The Sydney International <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Fair<br />
has unveiled many highlights in its 22-year<br />
history, and organisers say this year will<br />
be no exception after making a number of<br />
changes and additions to the event.<br />
Expertise Events managing director Gary Fitz-<br />
Roy told <strong>Jeweller</strong> that it was important for the<br />
fair – which runs from Sunday 1 September to<br />
Tuesday 3 September – to grow and evolve with<br />
the industry. He said plans for 2013 were made<br />
with this in mind.<br />
“This year we have a dedicated Opal Pavilion,<br />
Gemstones Pavilion, and a Watch & Clock<br />
Pavilion,” he said, adding, “of course, the<br />
presence of Swarovski Gems and the Gem<br />
Visions 2014 official release with fashion parades<br />
will add a new dimension not seen before.”<br />
<strong>August</strong> 2013<br />
ON THE COVER Designa<br />
Editor’s Desk<br />
4There’s life in dead stock yet<br />
“His aim was to turn all that dead stock<br />
into cash, no matter what he had to do,<br />
which would mean at least some revenue<br />
was coming in. If successful, he’ll also<br />
have cleared up his inventory for when<br />
the bad times break. His mantra? Cash<br />
is king! He started by using dead stock<br />
as promotional giveaways in the hope<br />
of stimulating sales of newer and more<br />
valuable stock, and has avoided the need<br />
to discount the new items.”<br />
Soapbox<br />
4 Free storage ain’t what it used to be<br />
“So, why did this CAD company want to<br />
sting me with this additional charge? I<br />
can only assume it was to discourage<br />
me from taking my files to another<br />
company. Why not just offer great<br />
customer service so I wouldn’t be<br />
tempted? I wasn’t even using them<br />
exclusively, anyway!<br />
Well, when I asked them, part of their<br />
explanation was, “it costs money to<br />
store these things on computers, you<br />
know …” That’s strange because I can<br />
buy a 4TB hard drive (that would store<br />
680 of my average-size files) for $179."<br />
Peter Bakker - Bakker Diamonds<br />
STILL RELEVANT 10 YEARS ON<br />
Paying the premium<br />
“For a global industry constantly looking<br />
for a marketing edge, four Cs were never<br />
going to be enough. In recent times, canny<br />
marketers have seized on the concept,<br />
expanding it to include five, six and even<br />
seven Cs as they hunt for ways to entice<br />
consumers, but interpretations of these<br />
extra Cs differ wildly.” – Nick Fairburn<br />
Pop star in jewellery battle<br />
The UK Government has attempted to stop<br />
American singer Kelly Clarkson from<br />
taking a ring, once owned by author Jane<br />
Austen, out of the country.<br />
According to BBC News, the inaugural<br />
American Idol winner purchased the<br />
turquoise and gold ring at an auction last<br />
year for more than £150,000 (A$259,000).<br />
But the government, in an attempt to keep<br />
the jewellery item in the UK, has now<br />
placed a temporary export ban on the piece.<br />
Culture Minister Ed Vaizey has reportedly<br />
asked for alternative buyers to step forward<br />
and match the price set by Clarkson. They<br />
will have until Monday 30 September to<br />
make an offer. The ring is believed to be one<br />
of only three jewellery pieces owned by the<br />
19th century author.<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>s caught in pricefixing<br />
scam<br />
A Chinese authority has imposed penalties<br />
on five jewellery businesses in Shanghai, as<br />
well as a local trade association, for alleged<br />
price-fixing practices.<br />
According to China News Service, the National<br />
Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)<br />
fined the retailers 10.1 million yuan (A$1.8m)<br />
after investigations found they had manipulated<br />
the retail prices of gold jewellery products.<br />
The penalty is said to be equivalent to about<br />
one per cent of the five jewellers’ annual sales.<br />
The Shanghai Gold & Jewelry Trade<br />
Association (GJTAS) was also reportedly fined<br />
500,000 yuan (about A$88,800) for supporting<br />
the price-fixing.<br />
READ ALL HEADLINES IN FULL ON<br />
JEWELLERMAGAZINE.COM<br />
34 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
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Alexandrite: a colour change<br />
variety of Chrysoberyl. The phenomenon is<br />
caused by the trace amounts of Chromium.<br />
You will see green in daylight and red in<br />
incandescent light (not halogen or LED light sources)<br />
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REVIEW<br />
Gems<br />
Game-changing Gemmologists: George Frederick Kunz<br />
In the previous issue of <strong>Jeweller</strong>, we discussed the<br />
legacy of René-Just Haüy, the father of modern<br />
crystallography.<br />
In this issue, we fast-forward 50 years from the death of<br />
Haüy to discuss a figure likely to be familiar with modern<br />
gemmologists and jewellers.<br />
George Frederick Kunz was a renowned American<br />
mineralogist, born in New York in 1856. His humble<br />
upbringing saw him educated in public schools, until<br />
an acceptance at The Cooper Union in New York, a<br />
prestigious college that covers the cost of tuition.<br />
Despite his admittance here, Kunz did not graduate<br />
with a degree and instead channelled his hunger for<br />
knowledge and passion for minerals into self-teaching.<br />
Through his ventures exploring the geology of nearby<br />
regions and exchanging specimens with overseas<br />
dealers, Kunz had garnered a collection of more than<br />
4,000 mineral specimens while still a teenager.<br />
Weighing a total of two tonnes, his collection was sold to<br />
the University of Minnesota for $US400 in 1876. Many of<br />
these specimens remain in their collection today.<br />
This would be the first of many notable collections put<br />
together by Kunz, one of the most famous being the<br />
Tiffany-Morgan Collection of Gems owned by<br />
the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH).<br />
At the age of 23, Kunz secured a position at Tiffany and<br />
Company as a gemstone expert before ascending to<br />
vice president. This was the first example of a jewellery<br />
retailer having a gemmologist on staff.<br />
During his years at Tiffany, where he would work until<br />
his death in 1932, Kunz travelled the world gaining<br />
first-hand experience with important mineral and<br />
gemstone localities. This afforded him an unmatched<br />
knowledge of precious gemstones and their<br />
occurrences.<br />
He served as head of the Department of Mines at the<br />
Paris Exposition in 1889, the Kimberley Exposition in<br />
1892, and the Chicago Exposition in 1893, among others.<br />
Assisting in the investigation of American pearls in 1892-<br />
93, Kunz even served as a special investigator for the US<br />
Fish Commission.<br />
Discovery<br />
Following his extensive travels and experiences<br />
within the world of minerals and precious gemstones,<br />
somewhere between 1902-03 a pink variety of the<br />
George Frederick Kunz<br />
AMERICAN MINERALOGIST<br />
» Born: 29 September1856<br />
Manhattan, New York USA<br />
» Died: 29 June 1932 (Aged 75)<br />
New York USA<br />
L to R: Raw Kunzite mineral from<br />
Afghanistan; polished Kunzite stone<br />
mineral spodumene was discovered in San Diego County,<br />
California.<br />
This new pink gemstone was named Kunzite in<br />
honour of the now Dr. George Frederick Kunzm<br />
having earned honourary degrees from Columbia<br />
University (1898), University of Marburg (1903),<br />
and Knox University (1907) for his contributions to<br />
gemmology and mineralogy.<br />
Shortly after this discovery, a known gemstone<br />
mineral was found to occur in a previously unknown<br />
attractive pink hue – beryl.<br />
Kunz named the new variety Morganite, in honour of his<br />
friend and financier that arranged the purchase of the<br />
Tiffany-Morgan Collection of Gems for the AMNH – JP<br />
Morgan. Morgan was a lifelong financial contributor to<br />
the arts and sciences.<br />
Pen-to-paper<br />
Although minerals firmly held his heart, Kunz’s interests<br />
and community service extended further into other<br />
avenues of arts and science.<br />
Throughout his life, he held membership at many<br />
non-profit interest organisations, and served<br />
as president and vice-president to the Museum<br />
of Peaceful Arts, the New York Academy of<br />
Sciences, and the American Institute of Mining and<br />
Metallurgical Engineers.<br />
This includes his position as president of the<br />
association responsible for introducing the metric<br />
system to the US, as well as his instrumental role in<br />
establishing the ‘carat’ unit of measurement, now<br />
used internationally.<br />
Kunz was an avid author. He produced hundreds of<br />
articles on minerals and precious gemstones in his<br />
time, as well as well-known titles such as Gems and<br />
Precious Stones of North America, The Curious Lore<br />
of Precious Stones, The Book of the Pearl: Its History,<br />
Art, Science and Industry, and more.<br />
Mikaelah Egan FGAA Dip DT began her career<br />
in the industry at Diamonds of Distinction in 2015.<br />
She now balances her role at the Gemmological<br />
Association of Australia with studying geology at<br />
the University of Queensland. Visit instagram.com/<br />
mikaelah.egan For more information on gems and<br />
gemmology, go to www.gem.org.au<br />
<strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong> | 37
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athan.com.au
602 / 220 COLLINS STREET, MELBOURNE VICTORIA 3000<br />
(03) 9663 2321 • INFO@ATHAN.COM.AU
WORDS OF WISDOM<br />
From the Bench<br />
FROM THE BENCH<br />
Creating jewellery is a complicated<br />
art form. SAMUEL ORD explores<br />
life for those who brave the bench.
Wisdom from the Bench | WORDS OF WISDOM<br />
My Bench<br />
My Bench<br />
Roberto Mattei<br />
Roberto Mattei <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Design, Sydney NSW<br />
FE Apprenticeship • First job Nina’s <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Store, 2012–2018 Other aifiations Certificate IV in Visual Arts<br />
Age 51 Years in Trade 30 • Training Five years of jewellery school and a few years with the masters • First job Laboro <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Workshop of Roberto Mattei, Rome,<br />
Italy 1997 • Other aifiations Degree in marketing management and communication<br />
gget<br />
goorlie<br />
er<br />
ts<br />
to be<br />
ecting<br />
lon<br />
pink<br />
s<br />
e<br />
just jewellery. You can have fun with it and create<br />
organic shapes and pieces, such as a metal spoon.<br />
4BEST NEW TOOL DISCOVERY The laser machine.<br />
It is so helpful in reducing the ‘make’ time when<br />
assembling pieces together.<br />
4BEST PART OF THE JOB Seeing the reaction of<br />
customers when they receive their special creation,<br />
having their dream come to life.<br />
4WORST PART OF THE JOB Ensuring no<br />
fingerprints are left from either filing or polishing.<br />
4BEST TIP FROM A JEWELLER One of my old<br />
mentors would always remind me, “Don’t let<br />
ANTHEA PLUG<br />
SMALES JEWELLERS<br />
"While I don't<br />
personally wear<br />
jewellery, I find so<br />
much joy in seeing the<br />
pleasure jewellery can<br />
bring mistakes to can others."<br />
flow on to your next piece.<br />
mistakes get the better of you!” This is important, as<br />
You always need to start every job fresh.<br />
4BEST TIP TO A JEWELLER Keep a creative flow<br />
going. Never stop creating as you do not know what<br />
you may be able to discover.<br />
4BIGGEST HEALTH CONCERN ON THE BENCH<br />
Slicing my fingers when cutting.<br />
4LOVE JEWELLERY BECAUSE While don’t<br />
personally wear jewellery, I find so much joy in seeing<br />
the pleasure jewellery creations can bring<br />
to others.<br />
DARREN NANCARROW<br />
DIAN DARLING JEWELLERS<br />
“It’s about being able<br />
to create a design that<br />
means so much to<br />
someone, that they<br />
may hopefully pass<br />
down that jewellery for<br />
years to come.”<br />
ROBERTO MATTEI<br />
ROBERTO MATTEI JEWELLERY<br />
"Use any tool and don’t<br />
limit the way you can<br />
use them to achieve<br />
your final piece. And<br />
your brain is the most<br />
powerful tool!"<br />
4FAVOURITE GEMSTONE Peridot, because it is a<br />
relatively inexpensive stone with beautiful brightness<br />
and variations of light green colour.<br />
4FAVOURITE METAL Green gold [electrum]<br />
because it was the gold of my beginnings! It gave life<br />
when I did my castings on my early handmade floral<br />
creations, and always give me good memories.<br />
4FAVOURITE TOOL The hydrogen torch because<br />
after a life spent working in between hazardous gases<br />
and acids, the power of the hydrogen produces a<br />
much safer, hotter and cleaner flame. It’s even easier<br />
to set up!<br />
4BEST NEW TOOL DISCOVERY Laser engraver<br />
because, apart from the capability to do the deepest<br />
marking, I use it in an extreme way in cutting intricate<br />
84 | October 2021<br />
sheets of metal with a surreal precision. This<br />
powerful tool allowed me to explore new boundaries<br />
that support the kind of design that I do, which is<br />
impossible to reach just with the conventional tools.<br />
4BEST PART OF THE JOB The first half an hour<br />
brainstorming with my wife about every new project<br />
that we start!<br />
4WORST PART OF THE JOB Wrapping a finished<br />
product to be delivered to the customer.!<br />
4BEST TIP FROM A JEWELLER “One hundred<br />
measurements, one cut,” from my Italian jewellery<br />
schoolteacher and master jeweller Edoardo Ermini.<br />
He wrote it on the board on the first day of class, in<br />
1985, without explanation. Every day from then until<br />
SIGNATURE PIECE<br />
‘MY CITY' RING<br />
WINNER – CAD AWARD, JAA AUSTRALASIAN<br />
JEWELLERY AWARDS 2019<br />
This is a dividable modular ring with customisable settings<br />
inspired by city landscapes. It is made from 18-carat yellow,<br />
white and rose gold, steel, titanium and osmium, set with white<br />
diamonds and Argyle cognac diamonds.<br />
now, I’ve lived the meaning which is ‘be extremely<br />
precise’.<br />
4BEST TIP TO A JEWELLER Use any tool and don’t<br />
limit the way you can use them to achieve your<br />
final piece. And your brain – as my current, smart<br />
apprentice reminded me – is the most powerful tool.<br />
4BIGGEST HEALTH CONCERN ON THE BENCH<br />
Inhaled asbestos during soldering on the board<br />
before it was banned in 1992.<br />
4LOVE JEWELLERY BECAUSE It gives me a chance<br />
to listen to what my customers want, and from<br />
there create a raw piece of flawless design where<br />
every piece of the pattern is made artistically and<br />
imaginatively unique, as I believe that my customers<br />
deserve the best.<br />
“It’s art, and the vast<br />
possibilities of what you<br />
can create when you<br />
try to master an art<br />
form are very fulfilling”<br />
– MATTHEW ELY –<br />
MATTHEW ELY JEWELLERS<br />
Behind so many successful Australian<br />
jewellery businesses is a highly-skilled<br />
artisan.<br />
The professional lives of these bench jewellers<br />
are complex and emotionally taxing.<br />
For much of the day, jewellers must deal with<br />
long and gruelling hours of concentration,<br />
focusing on the finest of details and executing a<br />
seemingly endless chain of precise techniques,<br />
where the price of failure is disastrous.<br />
That is without mentioning the many health risks<br />
associated with jewellery manufacturing. These<br />
artisans must be mindful of both their physical<br />
and mental health while working.<br />
Indeed, there are many ways to earn a living that<br />
involve less stress – so what is it that motivates<br />
these jewellers to persist?<br />
Unsurprisingly, the answers vary greatly<br />
depending on whom you ask.<br />
“I don’t even wear jewellery, personally, I just find<br />
so much joy in seeing the pleasure that jewellery<br />
creations can bring to others,” Anthea Plug of<br />
Smales <strong>Jeweller</strong>s tells <strong>Jeweller</strong>.<br />
“Seeing the reactions from customers they receive<br />
their special creations and have their dreams come<br />
to life, that’s what makes it worth doing.”<br />
Zoë Pook, owner of Zoë Pook <strong>Jeweller</strong>y in<br />
Sydney, says that it’s an art form that appeals<br />
to some basic, almost primitive, human desires.<br />
“It’s one of the oldest ways for humans to<br />
adorn themselves and to show individuality<br />
or tribe,” she explains.<br />
“It’s about creativity and it’s worn by everyone.<br />
Old or young, from any culture, jewellery is<br />
universal.”<br />
Indeed, there are many ways to<br />
earn a living that involve less stress<br />
– so what is it that motivates these<br />
jewellers to persist?<br />
In neighbouring Engadine, Darren Nancarrow<br />
of Dian Darling <strong>Jeweller</strong>s says that the greatest<br />
reward he derives from manufacturing is<br />
knowing that he is contributing to family history.<br />
“It’s about being able to create a design that<br />
means so much to someone, that they may<br />
hopefully pass down that jewellery for years to<br />
come,” he explains.<br />
“That’s definitely the best part of the job, the<br />
happy face of a customer.”<br />
Why do you do it?<br />
For others, jewellery manufacturing presents a<br />
deeply enjoyable ‘mental puzzle’ where the end<br />
result of successfully rising to a series of cognitive<br />
challenges is a memorable piece of artwork.<br />
“It’s art, and the vast possibilities of what you can<br />
create when you try to master an art form are<br />
very fulfilling,” Jo Makohin of Simon West Fine<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>y says.<br />
“I love looking at a job and working out how to<br />
make it. I enjoy the challenge of making something<br />
new and different. I love the conceptual struggle of<br />
lifting an idea off the page and making it better. And<br />
there’s always more to learn.”<br />
The challenge of taking a sketch or computer<br />
design and transforming it into a physical<br />
adornment is the factor many bench jewellers<br />
say they find deeply motivating.<br />
Creating jewellery appeals to the logical faculties<br />
of craftsmen the same way solving a crime<br />
appeals to some detectives, or completing a<br />
jigsaw puzzle scratches that certain ‘mental itch’<br />
on a rainy day.<br />
Learning to see tasks from this logically ‘stepby-step’<br />
perspective is also one of the most<br />
common pieces of advice that jewellers offer<br />
apprentices.<br />
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<strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong> | 43
DAVID STEPHENSON<br />
HOLLOWAY DIAMONDS<br />
RICK SOUTHWICK<br />
RICK SOUTHWICK JEWELLER<br />
ELEANOR HAWKE<br />
ABRECHT BIRD<br />
“Seeing the reactions<br />
from customers when<br />
they receive their<br />
special creations and<br />
have their dreams<br />
come to life, that’s what<br />
makes it worth doing.”<br />
“You should enjoy<br />
what you do. For<br />
me, I get a sense<br />
of achievement in<br />
completing a piece<br />
that a client is<br />
happy with.”<br />
“The bench is an<br />
extension of the<br />
jeweller, so it should<br />
be ergonomically set<br />
up for ease of use and<br />
fluidity.”<br />
“I love the idea of<br />
sketching a rough idea<br />
for an item of jewellery<br />
and watching a simple<br />
bar of gold transform<br />
into something<br />
spectacular.”<br />
– ZOË POOK –<br />
ZOË POOK JEWELLERY<br />
With more than 30 years of experience in the<br />
trade, David Stephenson of Holloway Diamonds<br />
in Brighton has seen it all.<br />
“You need to be able to divide the biggest jobs<br />
into small challenges,” he explains.<br />
“You should enjoy what you do. For me, I get<br />
a sense of achievement in completing a piece<br />
that a client is happy with. There’s always<br />
a sense of satisfaction that comes with<br />
completing quality jewellery.”<br />
The importance of breaking a task down into<br />
smaller challenges is passed on to apprentices<br />
at an early stage in their education and it’s<br />
wisdom that even those relatively new to the<br />
profession, such as Eleanor Hawke of Abrecht<br />
Bird, are accustomed to.<br />
“I love the idea of sketching a rough idea for an<br />
item of jewellery and watching a simple bar of<br />
gold transform into something spectacular,”<br />
confesses Hawke.<br />
“If a job looks complicated and daunting<br />
as a whole, you break it down into smaller<br />
components. Everything is made up of shapes<br />
that appear more complex than they are.”<br />
She adds: “Presenting customers with their<br />
new item of jewellery and seeing the joy in their<br />
faces makes it all worthwhile.”<br />
There tend to be two paths to the bench for<br />
jewellers. For some, it’s a profession that simply<br />
‘seems right’ – whether it be because of a<br />
passion for gemstones, the enjoyment derived<br />
from working their hands, or the pleasure of<br />
dealing with satisfied customers.<br />
The challenge of taking a sketch or<br />
computer design and transforming it<br />
into a physical adornment is the factor<br />
many bench jewellers say they find<br />
deeply motivating.<br />
For others, it’s a family affair – something<br />
preordained from birth as parents or<br />
grandparents are already committed<br />
to the industry.<br />
The latter applies to Hawke – the greatgranddaughter<br />
of the founder of House of<br />
Hawke, one of Australia’s largest jewellery<br />
manufacturing companies.<br />
It’s a similar story for Leon Raper of the Australian<br />
Diamond Company in Melbourne, who began<br />
working in jewellery as an apprentice in South<br />
Africa in the early 1980s.<br />
“It’s in my blood!” he proudly tells <strong>Jeweller</strong>.<br />
“My father was a diamond cutter and polisher<br />
and from a very young age, I would go with him<br />
when he visited various people in the industry.<br />
“That is how I was exposed to the diamond and<br />
jewellery business. For me, the best part of<br />
the job is mastering a technique that you once<br />
found difficult.”<br />
Tortured artists<br />
The myth of the ‘tortured artist’ has been<br />
extensively debated in recent years. Many have<br />
asked the question: is pain and suffering really<br />
required to create great art?<br />
History contains many examples of such a<br />
figure. Vincent Van Gogh painted The Starry<br />
Night during a period of emotional distraught.<br />
John Lennon and Paul McCartney forged their<br />
musical partnership following a significant<br />
death in their respective families. John Milton<br />
wrote Paradise Lost immediately after the loss<br />
of his wife.<br />
It’s been said that the greatest art reflects<br />
humanity and that humanity’s greatest<br />
virtue is overcoming adversity.<br />
Another Australian jewellery store that<br />
44 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
7-year apprenticeship to obtain New Zealand Technical Certificate in Metalsmithing and <strong>Jeweller</strong>y F<br />
De Beers diamond qualifications, and 34 years of on-the-job t<br />
LEON RAPER<br />
AUSTRALIAN DIAMOND COMPANY<br />
JIM GEORGE<br />
ROHAN JEWELLERS<br />
COSIMO MIRACHI<br />
COSIMO JEWELLERY<br />
“For me, the best part<br />
of the job is mastering<br />
a technique that you<br />
once found difficult.”<br />
“I think a lot of<br />
jewellers would agree<br />
that finding enough<br />
time in each day to<br />
get everything done is<br />
sometimes impossible.”<br />
“The deadlines, the<br />
pressure, it’s all part<br />
of what pushes me to<br />
achieve perfection.”<br />
"Everyday is different,<br />
every customer is unique,<br />
and every piece has its<br />
own unique challenges."<br />
– ANDY MC GEE –<br />
STELIOS JEWELLERS<br />
embodies the importance of family in<br />
business is Bassil Creations in Sydney,<br />
where a father-son duo knows all too well<br />
that creating jewellery can be a mentally and<br />
physically taxing experience.<br />
“Sitting down for too long can be the biggest<br />
health risk for any jeweller,” explains Sergio<br />
Bassil.<br />
“It’s important to get up sometimes and move<br />
around and stretch the body. Forgetting to<br />
take a break and stretch when working on a<br />
significant piece that requires many hours at the<br />
bench can be a real problem.”<br />
Sergio’s son, Harry, agrees with his father and<br />
says that he has had to learn to overcome this<br />
challenge outside of work hours.<br />
“Sitting down for a long number of hours<br />
without much movement isn’t going for anybody.<br />
It’s important to do some daily exercise after<br />
work,” he says.<br />
“When growing up I always saw my father<br />
creating jewellery and this always intrigued me.<br />
I used to sit on his bench and play around with<br />
the tools. From the first time I started working<br />
with my father, I knew this was my passion.”<br />
“I love the concept of bringing a customer’s<br />
jewellery piece to reality.”<br />
Located in Sydney, Rick Southwick Bespoke<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong> specialises in unique designs for<br />
special occasions. Owner Rick Southwick<br />
echoes the sentiments of the Bassils and says<br />
that remaining active is vital.<br />
“Posture is the key to longevity. The bench<br />
is an extension of the jeweller, so it should<br />
be ergonomically set up for ease of use and<br />
fluidity,” he explains.<br />
It’s been said that the greatest art reflects<br />
humanity and that humanity’s greatest<br />
virtue is overcoming adversity.<br />
“<strong>Jeweller</strong>y has given me a career spanning<br />
the globe, learning Victorian jewellery-making<br />
skills in London and the intricacies of style and<br />
proportion in Sydney, and has led me to tap into<br />
my own ‘creative well’. I couldn’t imagine doing<br />
anything else.”<br />
Cosimo Mirachi is also based in Sydney and<br />
says that his concern relates more to the<br />
materials required to make exquisite jewellery.<br />
“Breathing in chemicals is a big one for me. I try<br />
to use non-toxic chemicals where possible and<br />
drink plenty of water while working,” he says.<br />
SIGNATURE PIECE<br />
“With that said, I love all the challenges of<br />
creating jewellery. The deadlines, the<br />
pressure, it’s all part of what pushes me<br />
to achieve perfection.”<br />
‘LUGGER’ BROOCH<br />
It’s a similar story for 72-year-old Jim George, a<br />
bench jeweller at Rohan <strong>Jeweller</strong>s in Perth.<br />
“The polishing dust and acid fumes we have all<br />
inhaled at one time or another is a major health<br />
concern. I wear a mask regularly,” he advises.<br />
“I think a lot of jewellers would agree that<br />
finding enough time in each day to get<br />
everything done is sometimes impossible.”<br />
We’re all in this together<br />
While bench jewellers are notoriously private<br />
people who enjoy keeping to themselves, few<br />
are ever truly ‘self-taught’.<br />
Indeed, while the number of jewellers who have<br />
constructed most of their technical knowledge<br />
from purely online resources has increased in<br />
recent years, that information doesn’t just appear<br />
on the internet on its own!<br />
Beyond the jewellers who are happy to share what<br />
they’ve learned online; apprenticeship programs<br />
remain vital to introducing the future leaders of<br />
the industry to the craft.<br />
For those already in the business, sometimes<br />
all that’s needed is a helpful pointer from a<br />
<strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong> | 45
Wisdom from the Bench | WORDS OF WISDOM<br />
Troy O’Brien<br />
Troy O’Brien <strong>Jeweller</strong>y, Sydney NSW<br />
My Bench<br />
Age 46 Years in Trade 31 • Training Apprenticeship through TAFE Ultimo; I apprenticed at Distell International with Albert and Peter Grech and with my uncle Peter Quinn<br />
First job Distell International, 1990 • Other aifiations 31 years of on-the-bench training, laser welding, and member of the Gold and Silversmiths Guild of Australia<br />
MARK ALEXANDER CROOKS<br />
MARK ALEXANDER JEWELLERY<br />
“A willingness to<br />
work together<br />
and cherish these<br />
skills will go a long<br />
way to building<br />
the industry and<br />
culture within<br />
Australia.”<br />
4FAVOURITE GEMSTONE Tourmaline, because<br />
of the diverse range of colours! Tourmaline is a<br />
gemstone of such high quality and diversity, from the<br />
exceptionally rare Paraìba tourmaline to the uniquely<br />
beautiful bi-colour tourmalines.<br />
Each gemstone holds its own unique beauty and<br />
rarity, which makes them highly valued by discerning<br />
collectors. I love sourcing tourmalines and genuinely<br />
get excited by their divine colour and beauty.<br />
4FAVOURITE METAL Platinum – the only reason<br />
people don’t use it is usually because of the higher<br />
cost but, for me, this is far outweighed by the benefits<br />
of its high lustre and longevity.<br />
It has a nice weighty feel, giving a true sense of luxury<br />
and quality that, for me, makes it second to none.<br />
TROY O'BRIEN<br />
TROY O'BRIEN JEWELLERY<br />
"Keep the stress<br />
behind the scenes! Be<br />
patient, smile, always<br />
work hard and keep<br />
honing your skills. It is<br />
different every day. "<br />
4FAVOURITE TOOL My laser. It makes all sorts of<br />
repairs, assembly of intricate parts, welding platinum,<br />
and repairing porosity easier and is a well-valued<br />
investment in my workshop.<br />
4BEST NEW TOOL DISCOVERY My steamer. It’s not<br />
exactly a new tool, but I went without one for many<br />
years – and now I could not live without it!<br />
4BEST PART OF THE JOB This is an obvious answer,<br />
but it is honestly my customers’ joy in seeing a piece<br />
of jewellery I have created just for them. It never gets<br />
old for me.<br />
4WORST PART OF THE JOB Dealing with manky<br />
earrings, licked rings, and gross watches!<br />
4BEST TIP FROM A JEWELLER My old boss and<br />
JO MAKOHIN<br />
SIMON WEST FINE JEWELLERY<br />
SIGNATURE PIECE<br />
“It’s art, and the vast<br />
possibilities of what<br />
you can create when<br />
you try to master<br />
an art form are very<br />
fullling”<br />
ANIMAL-INSPIRED PENDANT<br />
STOCK PIECE<br />
I don’t have one signature piece – many pieces I have made over<br />
the years have become favourites! I do enjoy creating a range of<br />
jewellery based on animals, creatures, and marine life, and that<br />
has become a ‘bespoke’ style for the store. I hope that every piece<br />
I create for my customers becomes a ‘signature’ piece for them<br />
and an heirloom of the future.<br />
good friend Albert Grech always taught me to expect<br />
the unexpected.<br />
4BEST TIP TO A JEWELLER Keep the stress behind<br />
the scenes! Be patient, smile, always work hard and<br />
keep honing your skills.<br />
4BIGGEST HEALTH CONCERN ON THE BENCH Being<br />
aware of your posture and your eyes; always take<br />
breaks and stretch your back as well as your eyes.<br />
Be careful of what you are breathing in, too. We work<br />
with many chemicals, abrasives, and polish dust, so<br />
try to protect yourself from these as best as possible.<br />
4LOVE JEWELLERY BECAUSE It is different every<br />
day. The ability we have to turn raw materials into<br />
beautiful, loved pieces that become part of someone’s<br />
life memories is a wonderful feeling.<br />
“ <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
”<br />
– RICHELE PERKS –<br />
STEPHEN DIBBS JEWELLERS<br />
80 | November 2021<br />
fellow jeweller.<br />
“Perfection is impossible, but we should always<br />
strive to attain it in what we do,” explains Mark<br />
Draper of Bell & Brunt.<br />
“Failure is a critical part of the manufacturing<br />
process, it’s how we become better jewellers.”<br />
Stephen Dickins of London Court in Perth says<br />
that whether you’re self-taught or well-trained,<br />
all that matters is a thirst for knowledge.<br />
“Just because you haven’t been shown how to<br />
do something, it doesn’t mean you can’t do it.<br />
I’m self-taught in a lot of things, and I’m<br />
always asking questions to improve my skills,”<br />
he explains.<br />
With more than 50 years of experience working<br />
with jewellery, William Whiting of Archer &<br />
Holland <strong>Jeweller</strong>s has seen it all and highlights<br />
the importance of time management.<br />
“You should treat every piece of jewellery you<br />
are working on as if it’s your own,” he says.<br />
“When you’re manufacturing, don’t waste time<br />
on things that may not be necessary.”<br />
It was mentioned earlier that jewellery<br />
presents artisans with an addictive test<br />
of their logical skills or a mental puzzle<br />
that must be completed.<br />
Matthew Alexander Crooks, owner of Matthew<br />
Alexander <strong>Jeweller</strong>y in Queensland, says<br />
that understanding this process is the key to<br />
conquering any challenge.<br />
“During my apprenticeship, my boss instilled a<br />
belief in me to trust in my expertise and strive to<br />
build my problem-solving ability. When making a<br />
piece, before my boss would answer a question,<br />
I was asked what I thought,” he reflects.<br />
“This lesson is important for custom handmade<br />
designs, as you are constantly problem-solving.”<br />
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder<br />
with jewellery, and a custom piece can<br />
serve as a creative outlet for both the<br />
jeweller and the customer.<br />
“This one lesson has not only greatly shaped<br />
the way I run my business but is also one of the<br />
greatest life lessons I have learned to date!”<br />
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder with<br />
jewellery, and a custom piece can serve as a<br />
creative outlet for both the jeweller and the<br />
customer.<br />
Crooks says that passing on the skills and<br />
traditions which make such creations possible<br />
should be paramount for the industry.<br />
“We need to work hard to keep handmanufacturing<br />
skills alive. A willingness to work<br />
together and cherish these skills will go a long<br />
way to building the industry and culture within<br />
Australia,” he says.<br />
“This can only benefit those passionate about<br />
the trade and its future. If made well, any<br />
piece of jewellery can be passed down through<br />
generations as a representation of the past and<br />
a historical artefact.”<br />
Indeed, while many bench jewellers share<br />
overlapping qualities and characteristics, there<br />
are always those who break the mould.<br />
For the dozens of committed technicians who<br />
enjoy nothing more than peace and quiet while<br />
working at the bench, there are also boisterous<br />
artists who love nothing more than interacting<br />
with customers.<br />
What these characters all seem to share is a<br />
passion for overcoming the mental challenges<br />
associated with creating fine jewellery, while<br />
also bringing joy to the lives of their customers<br />
by transforming dreams into reality.<br />
46 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
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A FOCUS ON INFLUENCE<br />
Celebrity Sway<br />
FACT OR FICTION?<br />
SAMUEL ORD investigates the influence of celebrities on<br />
the jewellery industry and attempts to determine whether<br />
or not this impacts consumer purchasing patterns.
Celebrity Sway | A FOCUS ON INFLUENCE<br />
Bulgari x<br />
Zendaya <strong>2023</strong><br />
Tiffany & Co x<br />
Hailey Beiber<br />
Tiffany & Co x<br />
Gal Gadot <strong>2023</strong><br />
I<br />
n the world of fashion, great significance is<br />
afforded to the stylings of celebrities and<br />
influential figures in popular culture – and the<br />
jewellery industry is no exception to this phenomenon.<br />
Each day industry figures, journalists, and dedicated<br />
consumers pour over the adornments of the stars of<br />
runways, red carpets, and awards shows hoping to<br />
discern what will be in vogue in the months to come.<br />
Indeed, as the Villioti Fashion Institute states: “The<br />
relationship between celebrities and fashion trends is<br />
very intertwined with many well-known personalities<br />
either setting the trends with their unique style or<br />
making existing designs more mainstream as fans<br />
flock to emulate the look.”<br />
“Without a doubt, the red carpet at the annual awards<br />
ceremonies – most notably the Oscars and Golden Globes<br />
– is a particularly important place for fashion trendsetting.<br />
While the runway might be where the year’s haute couture<br />
is revealed, the red carpet is where these trends are made<br />
more accessible to the general public.”<br />
But do they?<br />
For many, this sentiment of celebrity significance is accepted<br />
as a sort of universal truth.<br />
Indeed, few have ever stopped to ask an important question:<br />
do any of these popular figures really influence the<br />
purchasing decisions of the majority of everyday customers?<br />
An individual who has taken pause to question the<br />
importance of celebrity jewellery trends is Amber<br />
Hodgman of Medley <strong>Jeweller</strong>y in Brisbane.<br />
“Celebrity style definitely has some influence in the<br />
purchasing decisions that we see from our customers;<br />
however, I think it’s at a much smaller scale than what is<br />
marketed,” she tells <strong>Jeweller</strong>.<br />
Hodgman suggests that trends ‘trickle down’ to<br />
consumers from red carpets, runways, and high-end<br />
photoshoots which leads to inspiration in terms of style.<br />
It would seem that the degree to which this inspiration<br />
AT THE FRONTLINE<br />
Experience Speaks<br />
AMBER HODGMAN<br />
MEDLEY JEWELLERY<br />
"Celebrity style definitely<br />
has some influence in the<br />
purchasing decisions that<br />
we see from our customers;<br />
however, I think it’s at a<br />
much smaller scale than what<br />
is marketed."<br />
JUSTIN LINNEY<br />
LINNEY’S<br />
"Celebrities still have an impact<br />
on the older demographic of<br />
jewellery buyers; however, I<br />
would argue to a lesser extent."<br />
GEORGINA DEGREEF<br />
GEORGINA DUNN JEWELLERY<br />
"My customers are not looking<br />
for high-end jewellery from me,<br />
they are looking for practical<br />
everyday handmade jewellery<br />
which is not the kind of thing<br />
which is worn on the red carpet.”<br />
ends up impacting the final decision-making behind the<br />
final purchase remains up for debate.<br />
Another sceptic is Simone Walsh, a South Australian jeweller<br />
who has been creating handmade gold and silver pieces<br />
featuring a variety of gemstones for more than 20 years.<br />
“We have actually asked our customers about this in the past<br />
and they've told us that celebrities have very little influence in<br />
terms of what they like to wear,” she explains.<br />
“We're a fairly niche jewellery brand and we appeal to<br />
people who like jewellery that's somewhat different to<br />
the mainstream, so perhaps our customers are a bit<br />
unusual in that regard.”<br />
Unattainable?<br />
While she remains sceptical about the overall level of<br />
influence celebrities wield, Hodgman was able to point to<br />
a few specific examples where her business has benefited<br />
from the stylings of celebrities.<br />
She suggested that the success of her dome hoops and<br />
bold paperclip necklace lines was rooted in the popularity<br />
of chunky gold hoop earrings worn by Bella Hadid and<br />
Kendall Jenner, while Hailey Bieber has been known to<br />
wear layered necklaces.<br />
With that in mind, Hodgman said that there are more<br />
important reasons to be critical of celebrity influence.<br />
“Celebrities often wear jewellery that is simply unattainable.<br />
These expensive pieces may drive status for the upper<br />
echelons of society but for a brand like Medley that strives to<br />
achieve both style and affordability, we find celebrity trends<br />
don’t always resonate with our customers and subsequently<br />
don’t drive sales,” she says.<br />
“The correlation between what celebrities wear and what we<br />
sell is minimal. Some trends are not celebrity driven. These<br />
purchasing trends are more related to sentimental jewellery<br />
such as our engravable range, pieces often bought as gifts<br />
for a loved one or oneself as a forever-piece.”<br />
Georgina Degreef, the owner of Georgina Dunn <strong>Jeweller</strong>y,<br />
agrees with Hodgman and says that the high-end nature of<br />
the jewellery that commonly appears on runways is of little<br />
50 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
Tiffany & Co x<br />
Anja Taylor-Joy <strong>2023</strong><br />
Jacob & Co. x<br />
Pharrell<br />
Louis Vuitton x<br />
Ana de Armas <strong>2023</strong><br />
relevance to her customers.<br />
“My customers are not looking for high-end jewellery<br />
from me, they are looking for practical everyday<br />
handmade jewellery which is not the kind of thing which<br />
is worn on the red carpet,” she explains.<br />
“I personally don’t look to celebrities when designing<br />
my jewellery so I know that my jewellery isn’t influenced<br />
by them. I don’t really think of myself as a jeweller who<br />
creates on-trend jewellery, I personally try to create<br />
classic modern jewellery.”<br />
Subconscious?<br />
Others have suggested that celebrities possess an<br />
‘understated’ or subconscious impact on purchasing<br />
decisions.<br />
These jewellers believe that the credit that is afforded to<br />
figures in popular media may be overstated; however, it still<br />
exists all the same.<br />
"Few have ever stopped to ask an important<br />
question: do any of these popular figures really<br />
influence the purchasing decisions of the majority<br />
of everyday customers?"<br />
Sydney-based Enesea was launched in 2019 and<br />
founder Nikki Elrich says that the desire to general<br />
public’s desire to emulate the leading men and women<br />
of Hollywood is still profound.<br />
“I do think celebrities are influential on customers, but<br />
perhaps more indirectly,” she tells <strong>Jeweller</strong>.<br />
“On the red carpet celebrities are often seen wearing<br />
pieces from upcoming collections which showcase<br />
future trends from top designers in the industry.<br />
“Often pieces are then seen on influencers and<br />
incorporated into their own personal style which<br />
creates demand on social media for that piece or<br />
IRENE DEUTSCH<br />
FAIRFAX & ROBERTS<br />
"There have been instances<br />
where a celebrity or<br />
influencer has worn our<br />
jewellery and a customer has<br />
enquired about the piece<br />
after having seen it on social<br />
media or through the press."<br />
SIMONE WALSH<br />
SIMONE WALSH DESIGNS<br />
"We have actually asked our<br />
customers about this in the<br />
past and they've told us that<br />
celebrities have very little<br />
influence in terms of what<br />
they like to wear."<br />
FIONA PLATJE<br />
PRECIOUS METALS GROUP<br />
"Celebrities have always served<br />
as trendsetters and style icons<br />
with their choices in fashion,<br />
accessories and jewellery."<br />
a piece inspired by that look or trend.”<br />
Elrich says that this phenomenon has directly impacted her<br />
business, which specialises in one-of-a-kind luxury pieces.<br />
“Whenever an influencer posts an Enesea piece we see a<br />
spike in sales for that particular item,” she reveals.<br />
“Celebrities and influencers wearing a certain brand or<br />
style of jewellery definitely give the business or brand more<br />
‘credibility’ in the eyes of consumers.”<br />
This perspective is shared by Hayley Everett, marketing<br />
manager of Everett Brookes <strong>Jeweller</strong>s in Adelaide.<br />
Everett says that the impact of jewellery worn at highprofile<br />
events lies ‘beneath the surface’.<br />
“As someone in the jewellery marketing industry, I think a<br />
lot of consumers reject the idea that celebrities and public<br />
figures influence what we choose to buy,” she says.<br />
“However, whether consciously or not, we’ve been subject<br />
to trends and styles that high-profile celebrities determine.”<br />
Everett points to the recent example of the wedding of<br />
Sofia Richie to Elliot Grainge and the attention given to<br />
her minimalistic approach to her engagement and<br />
wedding day jewellery.<br />
She also considered classic examples such as Jackie<br />
Kennedy’s Moi Et Toi engagement ring, which Everett says<br />
still gets referenced weekly within the jewellery industry.<br />
Age is more than just a number<br />
Others questioned by <strong>Jeweller</strong> on this matter were quick to<br />
suggest that when it comes to celebrity influence, the age<br />
of the consumer is the defining factor. That is they are more<br />
likely to have some sway over younger consumers.<br />
Indeed, for better or worse celebrities have a powerful<br />
impact on how teenagers in particular view themselves and<br />
how they see the world.<br />
This impact has been amplified in the past decade with the<br />
increasing significance of social media platforms.<br />
Perth jeweller James Andrews says that in his dealings<br />
with customers, it’s clear that the younger crowds are<br />
<strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong> | 51
Bulgari x<br />
Lisa, Blackpink<br />
Tiffany & Co x<br />
Beyoncé<br />
Louis Vuitton x<br />
Cate Blanchett<br />
Tiffany & Co x<br />
Anja Taylor Joy<br />
those most likely to<br />
attempt to emulate the<br />
style of popular figures.<br />
“It's certainly only a specific age<br />
group. Popular culture will continue<br />
to influence a certain age group; however, we<br />
strongly believe these trends are always short-lived,”<br />
he tells <strong>Jeweller</strong>.<br />
“Young people are quick to change to something new again,<br />
especially due to over-saturation through all social media.<br />
“With engagement rings for example, we strongly<br />
believe natural diamonds will always be the leading<br />
choice and so far popular culture – led by figures such<br />
as Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez – are reinforcing this by<br />
their choices in jewellery.”<br />
Linney’s is the largest diamond jewellery store in Perth,<br />
with an expansive collection of engagement rings,<br />
pendants, and earrings.<br />
Creative director Justin Linney pays close attention to<br />
jewellery trends and surprisingly, he reports the same<br />
findings as Andrews.<br />
“Celebrities have a massive impact on consumer trends<br />
when it comes to the younger demographic of jewellery<br />
buyers. Some key examples are Emily Ratajkowski’s Toi<br />
Et Moi and the Blake Lively oval cut engagement ring<br />
design,” he suggests.<br />
“Celebrities still have an impact on the older<br />
demographic of jewellery buyers; however, I would<br />
argue to a lesser extent.<br />
“One example would be the royal engagement of Kate<br />
Middleton and her blue sapphire ring which caused a<br />
spike in blue sapphire rings. I was actually interviewed<br />
for television at the time being asked if I thought it would<br />
impact on trends.”<br />
Linney and Andrews both agreed that the impact of<br />
social media was defining factor in the susceptibility of<br />
younger audiences.<br />
“Digital media is making these popular rings constantly<br />
THE IMPACT<br />
Inspire & Influence<br />
NATASHA CHIPMAN<br />
NATASHA SCHWEITZER<br />
"For our brand, we look at<br />
celebrities as more of a branding<br />
exercise rather than a direct<br />
sales driver.”<br />
NIKKI ELRICH<br />
ENESEA<br />
"Often pieces are then seen on<br />
influencers and incorporated<br />
into their own personal style<br />
which creates demand on social<br />
media for that piece or a piece<br />
inspired by that look or trend."<br />
SHWETA KHAN<br />
STARFIRE JEWELLERY<br />
"Celebrities always set the<br />
trends for many jewellery styles.<br />
All it takes sometimes is for<br />
one celebrity to wear a certain<br />
gemstone and the popularity<br />
goes through the roof."<br />
appear on various platforms and in some cases the trends<br />
almost become the norm, as was the case with demand for<br />
oval cut diamonds following the Blake Lively engagement,”<br />
Linney says.<br />
Powerful tool<br />
Not all the jewellers contacted during the research for<br />
this story expressed scepticism over the influence of<br />
celebrities – in fact, many said these endorsements<br />
were vital to their business.<br />
The staff at Sydney-based Fairfax & Roberts takes<br />
tremendous pride in the 165-year history of the business.<br />
Managing director Irene Deutsch says that her business<br />
has seen the benefits of engaging directly with influential<br />
celebrities.<br />
"Others have suggested that celebrities<br />
possess an ‘understated’ or subconscious<br />
impact on purchasing decisions."<br />
“There have been instances where a celebrity or influencer<br />
has worn our jewellery and a customer has enquired about<br />
the piece after having seen it on social media or through the<br />
press,” she tells <strong>Jeweller</strong>.<br />
“Fairfax & Roberts is the exclusive retailer of David Yurman<br />
here in Australia and their current campaign featuring<br />
Scarlett Johansson and Shawn Mendes most definitely<br />
drives increased brand awareness on a global scale.”<br />
It’s a similar story for Natasha Chipman, owner of Natasha<br />
Schweitzer with stores in Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne.<br />
“Natasha Schweitzer jewellery is frequently worn by<br />
celebrities - most recently Taylor Swift, Katie Holmes,<br />
and Miranda Kerr,” she says.<br />
“For our brand, we look at celebrities as more of a<br />
branding exercise rather than a direct sales driver.”<br />
She added: “In the past month we have had some of our<br />
signature pieces worn by celebrities including Taylor<br />
52 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
(02) 9417 0177 | dgau.com.au<br />
<strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong> | 53
Messika x<br />
Kendall Jenner<br />
Swift and Katie Holmes, and while those placements did<br />
absolutely result in higher sales of those styles, we are<br />
really more focused on creating more unique pieces that<br />
are identifiable as Natasha Schweitzer and watching our<br />
brand become recognisable across the globe.”<br />
Deutsch says that what matters is collaborative projects<br />
with people who align the values of the brand or business.<br />
“It is not only celebrities that drive our sales but our<br />
customers. There is a lot of business generated through<br />
word of mouth - we have a highly regarded reputation for<br />
our workmanship and quality,” she explains.<br />
“With this in mind, our customers will recommend us<br />
to friends and also pass the pieces down through the<br />
generations. We are proud to create meaningful pieces for<br />
the children and grandchildren of our customers - it is a<br />
very special and meaningful experience for them and us.”<br />
"Many researchers have concluded that consumer<br />
behaviour is determined by three core factors:<br />
psychological, personal and social"<br />
Based in New Zealand, Fiona Platje is the managing<br />
director of Precious Metals Group. She believes that the<br />
importance of celebrities in style and fashion is a fact of life.<br />
“Celebrities have always served as trendsetters and<br />
style icons with their choices in fashion, accessories and<br />
jewellery,” she tells <strong>Jeweller</strong>.<br />
Although a lot of the pieces they are wearing are<br />
aspirational and often unattainable to the everyday<br />
person, a small percentage of our customers - generally<br />
the early adopters and trendsetters - are influenced to<br />
seek out similar styles to emulate those pieces.”<br />
Platje points to the example of Harry Styles leading the<br />
resurgence of pearl jewellery for men as an example of<br />
this phenomenon in action.<br />
She also agrees with those who suggest that social<br />
THE IMPACT<br />
Inspire & Influence<br />
ROBERT CIALDINI<br />
AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGIST<br />
"Often we don’t realize<br />
that our attitude toward<br />
something has been<br />
influenced by the number of<br />
times we have been exposed<br />
to it in the past."<br />
HAYLEY EVERETT<br />
EVERETT BROOKES<br />
"As someone in the jewellery<br />
marketing industry, I think a<br />
lot of consumers reject the<br />
idea that celebrities and public<br />
figures influence what we<br />
choose to buy."<br />
JAMES ANDREWS<br />
JAMES ANDREWS JEWELLERS<br />
"Young people are quick to<br />
change to something new again,<br />
especially due to over-saturation<br />
through all social media.”<br />
media is an important factor to consider.<br />
“Generally, we are seeing more pull coming from local<br />
influencers. Often considered ‘everyday people’ their<br />
fashion look is often more relatable and attainable,” she<br />
explains.<br />
“They shop in familiar places sourcing carefully curated<br />
pieces which are often ‘diluted’ versions of those being<br />
worn by celebrities making them more affordable and<br />
appropriate for everyday wear.”<br />
What does the science say?<br />
It is easy to see why jewellery retailers place value on a<br />
thorough understanding of consumer purchasing patterns.<br />
The connection between a better understanding of a<br />
customer’s decision-making process and improved<br />
sales is straightforward.<br />
With that said many researchers have concluded that<br />
consumer behaviour is determined by three core factors.<br />
• Psychological factors: Mental perceptions and attitude.<br />
• Personal factors: Age, culture, profession, and<br />
background each play a role in forming interests.<br />
• Social factors: Income, education, and social class are<br />
important influences.<br />
This understanding is strengthened by examining the<br />
science behind persuasion, perhaps best documented<br />
by Robert Cialdini in his book Influence: The Psychology<br />
of Persuasion.<br />
Cialdini suggests that persuasion is driven by six factors<br />
- reciprocity, commitment, consensus, authority, liking,<br />
and scarcity.<br />
When attempting to determine the significance of<br />
celebrity influence in jewellery sales through this lens,<br />
three of the six factors appear to be at play.<br />
Authority: Credible Individuals and experts in their fields<br />
are more influential and persuasive than those who are not.<br />
Credibility is one of the core building blocks of trust<br />
54 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
STARS IN THEIR EYES<br />
Iconic Engagement Rings<br />
HEIRLOOM &<br />
SAPPHIRES<br />
Large sapphire halo rings<br />
surged in popularity<br />
when Kate Middleton was<br />
proposed to with the ring<br />
of late Princess Diana of<br />
Wales. Around this time<br />
was when alternative<br />
gemstone rings also<br />
increased in popularity,<br />
likewise heirloom jewellery.<br />
KATE, DUCHESS<br />
OF CAMBRIDGE<br />
TOI-ET-MOI<br />
Toi-et-moi (you and me)<br />
is a ring style where two<br />
large centre stones cross<br />
over to create the look<br />
of an 'embrace'. Ariana<br />
Grandé, Megan Fox and<br />
Emily Ratajowski have all<br />
been seen with variations<br />
of this trend, partnering<br />
diamonds with another<br />
alternative gemstone.<br />
JACKIE KENNEDY<br />
COLOUR DIAMONDS<br />
A colourful large<br />
centrestone diamond<br />
makes an impact!<br />
Bringing attention to<br />
pink diamonds with<br />
her first engagement<br />
ring from Ben Affleck,<br />
Jennifer Lopez made<br />
headlines again, with<br />
a green diamond<br />
engagement ring,<br />
spiking a global interest<br />
in these rare stones.<br />
JENNIFER LOPEZ<br />
TIMELESS SIMIPLICITY<br />
Timeless simplicity –<br />
Sofia Richie's traditional<br />
engagement ring<br />
featuring a simple<br />
emerald-cut white<br />
diamond cenrestone<br />
is a welcome ode to<br />
practical tradition.<br />
SOFIA RICHIE<br />
DOUBLE-DIGIT CARATS<br />
A-lister size centrestones<br />
are always in style.<br />
From Grace Kelly and<br />
Elizabeth Taylor to<br />
Beyoncé and Paris Hilton,<br />
double-digit carats will<br />
always turn heads and be<br />
a mainstay among those<br />
with deep pockets and<br />
stars in their eyes.<br />
BEYONCÉ<br />
SHIMMERING OVALS<br />
Large oval cut diamond<br />
sales increased when the<br />
likes of Hailey Bieber and<br />
Blake Lively were seen<br />
sporting the solitaire<br />
designs. With a wider<br />
surface area, it can look<br />
larger than a round cut of<br />
the same carat weight.<br />
BLAKE LIVELY<br />
PinkKimberley.com.au<br />
Become a stockist today 02 9290 2199
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POIX &
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TROY<br />
THE INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR<br />
ICC SYDNEY-DARLING HARBOUR<br />
<br />
THE JEWELLERY INDUSTRY FAIR<br />
CARRIAGEWORKS - EVERLEIGH
Celebrity Sway | A FOCUS ON INFLUENCE<br />
Mikimoto x<br />
Comme des Garçons<br />
Moussaieff x<br />
Michelle Yeoh<br />
Harry Styles<br />
Autore Moda<br />
Vivienne Westwood x<br />
Timothée Chalamet<br />
and when celebrities wear adornments from select<br />
jewellers, the credibility of these businesses and brands<br />
among consumers who value the fashion choices of said<br />
celebrities is increased.<br />
Liking: It may seem like a trivial observation at first;<br />
however, it’s important all the same – we are more likely<br />
to be influenced and persuaded by those we favour.<br />
If an artist, movie star, or musician produces art that a<br />
consumer likes, they are subconsciously likely to favour<br />
their choices in style too because of these pre-existing<br />
positive associations.<br />
Scarcity: The less of something there is, the more people<br />
tend to want it.<br />
This holds for experiences as well as for material<br />
products such as jewellery.<br />
Many of the jewellers contacted for this story stated that<br />
the unattainable nature of the jewellery worn by highprofile<br />
figures may suggest that celebrities wield little<br />
influence over everyday consumers.<br />
While that may be true – few can afford the latest<br />
from Bulgari, Harry Winston, Van Cleef & Arpels, and<br />
Cartier – that doesn’t mean these consumers don’t<br />
desire this jewellery.<br />
The elusive and expensive nature of this jewellery,<br />
combined with the lack of supply, taps deeply into the<br />
appeal of scarcity to consumers.<br />
Consensus: Humans are social animals and generally<br />
speaking, believe that it’s important to conform to the<br />
norms of any given social group.<br />
This means that when it comes to decision-making,<br />
we often look around us to see what others are doing<br />
before deciding. We see this factor in action with<br />
marketing all the time.<br />
“9/10 dentists recommend Colgate” is often said in<br />
advertising for toothpaste. “2.2 million Australians<br />
choose to bank with us” suggests Bendigo Bank.<br />
When consumers see jewellery worn by those identified<br />
as aspirational figures, it leads to increased credibility for<br />
JOINING FORCES<br />
Harnessing Influence<br />
BULGARI<br />
» Anna Hathaway<br />
» Lisa (Blackpink)<br />
» Priyanka Chopra<br />
» Zendaya<br />
CARTIER<br />
» Jisoo (Blackpink)<br />
» V (Tae-Hyung - BTS)<br />
» Vanessa Kirby<br />
CHOPARD<br />
» Julia Roberts<br />
DAVID YURMAN<br />
» Henry Golding<br />
» Scarlett Johansson<br />
» Shawn Mendez<br />
DE BEERS<br />
» Lupita Nyong’o<br />
MESSIKA<br />
» Kendall Jenner<br />
» Kate Moss<br />
» Gigi Hadid<br />
LOUIS VUITTON<br />
» Ana De Armas<br />
» Cate Blanchett<br />
» Chloe Grace Moretz<br />
» J-Hope (BTS)<br />
LVMH<br />
» Pharrell Williams<br />
TIFFANY & CO<br />
» Beyoncé<br />
» Hailey Bieber<br />
» Jimin (BTS)<br />
» Rosé<br />
» Rosie Huntington-Whiteley<br />
» Zoe Kravitz<br />
these styles, brands, and businesses.<br />
What did we learn?<br />
It’s fair to say that while the jewellery worn by celebrities<br />
is usually unattainable for the average consumer,<br />
With that said, it's difficult to argue against the appeal of<br />
marketing through popular culture - particularly when it<br />
comes to younger consumers.<br />
Perhaps an overlooked consideration in this debate is the<br />
way certain jewellery pieces have stood the test of time and<br />
remain popular when worn by the ‘right’ person.<br />
Princess Diana’s Swan Lake pearl jewellery was recently<br />
put up for auction and establishing a pre-sale estimate<br />
was described as difficult.<br />
This was because of the powerful cultural impact of the<br />
jewellery compared with similar collections without the<br />
same history.<br />
"It’s fair to say that while the jewellery worn by<br />
celebrities is usually unattainable for the average<br />
consumer, it’s difficult to argue against the appeal<br />
of marketing through popular culture."<br />
“I still get asked about the Princess Diana ring all the<br />
time – that gorgeous sapphire and diamond ring,” reveals<br />
Shweta Khan, owner of Starfire <strong>Jeweller</strong>y in Brisbane.<br />
“Celebrities always set the trends for many jewellery<br />
styles. All it takes sometimes is for one celebrity to wear a<br />
certain gemstone and the popularity goes through the roof.”<br />
Whether or not this influence – be it overt or subconscious –<br />
can be utilised by retailers remains up for debate.<br />
Long before the invention of GPS technology, sailors<br />
once used stars in the night sky to navigate voyages<br />
across the ocean.<br />
For now, it seems likely that the jewellery industry will<br />
continue to rely on the red-carpet stars around the world<br />
to - hopefully- forecast and influence future trends.<br />
58 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
A LOOK TO LOVE<br />
Styles to Watch<br />
CASUAL HIGH-SOCIETY<br />
Featuring in David Yurman's<br />
campaign, Scarlett Johanssen<br />
hones a casual high-society<br />
style, showcasing Yurman's<br />
iconic designs that can go<br />
from brunch to evening<br />
cocktail. Johanssen's image<br />
appeals to the professional<br />
women with a classic style<br />
who opts for versatility over<br />
statement pieces.<br />
SCARLETT JOHANSSEN<br />
TROPICAL BOHO<br />
David Yurman's campaign<br />
featuring Shawn<br />
Mendes showcases<br />
casual mens' jewellery<br />
that can be layered to<br />
suit the younger male<br />
demographic who may<br />
prefer customising their<br />
own style.<br />
SHAWN MENDES<br />
CHAIN, CHAIN, CHAIN<br />
While others opt for<br />
delicate light layering<br />
of chains, Billie Eilish<br />
has gone the opposite<br />
direction. Known for<br />
layering plenty of mixed<br />
metals and chains of all<br />
boldness and bling, Eilish's<br />
style preferences are<br />
mimicked and admired by<br />
a large following.<br />
BILLIE EILISH<br />
CREATIVE VISIONARY<br />
Pharrell is no stranger<br />
to bling – as LVMH's<br />
creative director, his<br />
style is often hailed as<br />
being visionary. Amongst<br />
the first to popularise<br />
pearls for men, Pharrell<br />
is a popular reference<br />
for men's jewellery.<br />
DEADLY CUTE<br />
Former Bond girl Ana<br />
de Armas inspired the<br />
jewellery world by first<br />
being the ambassador<br />
to the Natural Diamond<br />
Council, and recently<br />
modelling Louis Vuitton's<br />
high jewellery range.<br />
PLAY & REBEL<br />
Harry Styles' bold<br />
gender-bending fashion<br />
selections have become<br />
an inspiration for couture<br />
designers worldwide.<br />
Embodying Gen-Z's<br />
playful and rebellious<br />
streak, his accessory<br />
choices vary from<br />
coquettish to extravagant.<br />
PHARRELL<br />
ANA DE ARMAS<br />
HARRY STYLES<br />
EPOCA COLLECTION<br />
SKELETON AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT. WR 100m<br />
<strong>August</strong> Phone.03 <strong>2023</strong> | 9553 377759<br />
Email:info@westendcollection.com.au<br />
www.westendcollection.com.au
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60 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
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Nerang<br />
Queensland 4211
MANAGEMENT FEATURE<br />
Golden Rules<br />
JEWELLER’S<br />
MANAGEMENT<br />
MASTERCLASS<br />
Sometimes in business, avoiding change can be the greatest risk<br />
of all. SAMUEL ORD reviews the insights of five business experts<br />
heading into the second half of <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
It’s been a mixed bag for the Australian<br />
jewellery trade this year, with successful<br />
industry gatherings and exciting product<br />
launches juxtaposed against fears around<br />
consumer confidence and the impact of rising<br />
cost-of-living pressures.<br />
Whether the economic pundits are right or<br />
wrong, it’s always worthwhile refreshing your<br />
understanding of the fundamentals of running a<br />
successful business.<br />
By brushing up in areas such as communication<br />
with staff, reviewing your costs, and planning for<br />
the future, you can ensure that your business is<br />
on the right track.<br />
To ensure that you not only survive but thrive in<br />
the months and years to come, <strong>Jeweller</strong> has<br />
consulted five business experts to uncover the keys<br />
to strong management while dark economic clouds<br />
loom ahead.<br />
Lesson #1 – Review, but don’t slash!<br />
When times are tough it’s important to examine<br />
business processes and revisit costs; however, all<br />
too often managers take the easy road and begin to<br />
‘slash and burn’ on expenditures which are crucial<br />
for strong sales performance.<br />
In a difficult economy, it’s common for business<br />
owners to begin ‘mismanaging’ unprovoked. Brian<br />
Jeffrey of Quintarra Consulting says that this is an<br />
easily avoided issue.<br />
“Larger companies headed by non-marketing<br />
people, such as an accountant, or an engineer, often<br />
use difficult trading periods to justify cost-cutting.<br />
They terminate training, advertising, staff - anything<br />
else they see as a cost to the company. This is a<br />
short-sighted view,” Jeffrey explains.<br />
“The problem with cutting costs on advertising,<br />
as an example, is that it diminishes visibility in the<br />
marketplace. It stops people buying and, as a result,<br />
revenue drops further. The powers at the top -<br />
seeing less revenue - make even more cuts and the<br />
downward spiral goes on.”<br />
When the cost-cutting process turns into<br />
downsizing, the wrong people are often released,<br />
particularly when the temptation is to fire highly<br />
paid sales staff. However, these staff are usually<br />
well paid because they have a track record of<br />
delivering results – and that’s who you need<br />
when times are tough.<br />
“If you see tough times on the horizon, plan ahead<br />
and be prepared to make difficult decisions when<br />
needed if you expect to come out safe on the other<br />
side,” he adds.<br />
“If you can stay ahead of the curve, even when it’s<br />
heading down, you’ll be in a better position to take<br />
advantage of the situation when the time comes,<br />
and the market improves and sales increase.”<br />
Lesson #2 – Harness the power of silence<br />
When there is regular silence in a business<br />
meeting it can been seen as a ‘red flag’ because it<br />
means that staff aren’t speaking up or contributing.<br />
If just one person is dominating the conversation<br />
most of the time, then the business has likely<br />
has the same problem – a lack of input from<br />
all contributors.<br />
Mike Kotsis of GPS For Small Business encourages<br />
you to embrace the power of silence.<br />
“If you really want to let go of the vine and<br />
supercharge your leadership team, then you need<br />
to be comfortable with not speaking. Allow silence<br />
to happen as your team’s most important work is<br />
being done in the spaces where nothing is said,”<br />
Kotsis explains.<br />
“When you allow silent moments in a meeting,<br />
you’re also giving your staff permission to speak<br />
their minds. It may take some time for ideas to flow<br />
but they will come. In fact, you’ll be surprised by<br />
the insights that you hear – insights that you never<br />
would have had on your own.”<br />
If you can't encourage your staff to speak up you’ll<br />
never achieve your business or personal goals.<br />
While your staff are processing and offering their<br />
thoughts, just listen. Don’t offer your ideas until they<br />
are finished speaking.<br />
"A leadership team that doesn’t have the space<br />
to process their thoughts internally isn’t leading –<br />
they’re following. And a leader who is driving all of<br />
the team’s decisions is holding onto the vine," he<br />
continues.<br />
"Neither you nor your team can be truly effective<br />
without that space to think during a meeting<br />
- so shhh!"<br />
Lesson #3 – Learn to deliver bad news<br />
From performance criticism to budget cuts, bad<br />
news is a part of the business. It’s important that<br />
people in positions of power and responsibility<br />
deliver this news appropriately and effectively.<br />
For astute business managers, bad news is more<br />
important than good. The latter can send you broke<br />
while the latter won’t.<br />
Human beings remember moments of peak<br />
emotion and the end of an experience according<br />
to psychologists.<br />
Taking advantage of this insight is a pivotal skill<br />
possessed by many strong managers, according to<br />
Bri Williams, founder of People Patterns.<br />
"Applying this to bad news, the biggest takeaway<br />
is to focus on how you make people feel and how<br />
you leave them. The criticism you share will likely<br />
be the most intense part of the experience for the<br />
employee – the ‘peak’,” Williams says.<br />
“To manage their emotional response, be direct<br />
and assured, but also compassionate. Remember<br />
that you can use positive framing for bad news –<br />
something like, ‘this is where I see your greatest<br />
opportunity for development’ – to signal your<br />
support for them.”<br />
She adds: “The end is also important; leaving the<br />
employee with clear examples of what they are<br />
doing well means they will have the confidence and<br />
reassurance from you to continue to perform.”<br />
Lesson #4 – Plan for the road ahead<br />
Planning for the future, particularly in terms of<br />
<strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong> | 61
MANAGEMENT FEATURE | Golden Rules<br />
LESSON #1<br />
LESSON #2<br />
LESSON #3<br />
LESSON #4<br />
LESSON #5<br />
Review, but<br />
don’t slash!<br />
Harness the<br />
power of<br />
silence<br />
Learn to<br />
deliver bad<br />
news<br />
Plan for the<br />
road ahead<br />
Don’t be<br />
afraid to<br />
take risks<br />
stock, is a complicated process with many<br />
‘moving parts.<br />
It's crucial your plan includes a pre-emptive and<br />
long-range view; understanding that stock flow<br />
from one period into the next is continuous.<br />
Susan Martin, founder of Smart In Planning,<br />
says it’s also important to develop an understanding<br />
of which key performance indicator to focus on<br />
and when.<br />
“Planning, by definition, is only a plan. The endpoint<br />
is moving, and every decision, every change –<br />
whether planned or spontaneous – impacts the<br />
future position,” Martin says.<br />
“Deviations from the plan don’t necessarily mean<br />
goals can’t be achieved; perhaps you will still<br />
hit your targets, just not in the way you originally<br />
thought. Knee-jerk reactions – such as focusing<br />
on a particular number in isolation, or last-minute<br />
clearance sales – can be costly mistakes that are<br />
often repeated by retailers.”<br />
Martin encourages you to review four key questions<br />
when it comes to reviewing your inventory.<br />
• What is the profile of your stock?<br />
• What is the ‘health’ of your stock?<br />
• What are the levels of your stock?<br />
• What are the risk and opportunities in your stock?<br />
“I’ve observed that many businesses conduct a<br />
basic review, without translating it into a ‘preview’ –<br />
an extrapolation of those insights, interpreted into a<br />
strategy,” she clarifies.<br />
“For example, if the review reveals performance<br />
below target margins, with higher than planned<br />
markdowns, a decision may be made to reduce<br />
markdowns next season. On the surface, this<br />
makes sense; we know that reduced markdowns<br />
are linked to higher profits.”<br />
Martin continues: “However, it’s not a<br />
straightforward cause-and-effect relationship. To<br />
achieve the desired end of higher margins, the<br />
business must first correctly identify that high<br />
markdowns were the problem, understand why this<br />
was the case, and put in place a clear strategy as to<br />
how this will be addressed going forward.”<br />
Lesson #5 – Don’t be afraid to take risks<br />
When it comes to developing and strengthening<br />
your business, there are key areas where a<br />
calculated risk can make all the difference.<br />
Taking a risk is subjective; what one person<br />
considers risky another might not give a second<br />
thought. As we age, we tend to become more<br />
risk-averse, favouring the ‘tried and true’ methods<br />
rather than embracing what's ‘new and exciting’.<br />
Business leaders often fear the very opportunities<br />
which could dramatically increase sales,<br />
according to David Brown, president of Retail<br />
Edge Consultants.<br />
“This risk aversion sometimes stems from having<br />
previously been financially harmed. We instinctively<br />
shy away from previous bad experiences. With too<br />
many bad memories returning, we start to believe<br />
that the same thing can happen again,” Brown says.<br />
“Yet in many cases, these previous bad experiences<br />
were circumstantial and not directly related to the<br />
actions that we took. I see this time and time again<br />
with jewellery storeowners who stick to the same<br />
path of action over and over again even though the<br />
market has moved on.”<br />
He adds: “As it turns out, avoiding change can be<br />
the greatest risk of all. Failing to take a chance can<br />
be riskier than taking a few calculated gambles<br />
– that is, ensuring the risk factor is managed as<br />
effectively as possible.”<br />
Inventory, marketing, split testing, and price – these<br />
are four areas where taking a risk can dramatically<br />
reshape your business.<br />
The most important question when considering<br />
taking a risk is to determine what the worst-case<br />
scenario will be if things don’t go according to plan.<br />
In most cases, you may be surprised to discover the<br />
downside is actually minimal.<br />
Not sure where to get started? Consider having a<br />
‘risk budget’ as part of your annual plan and trying<br />
something new with these funds.<br />
“In every case, you need to decide if the upside<br />
offers a multiplier several times higher than the<br />
downside, and whether the downside can be<br />
capped at a certain point to minimise that risk,”<br />
Brown suggests.<br />
“If you explore these options, you will find that there<br />
are many opportunities in your business to take<br />
controlled risks that can offer significant upsides –<br />
and some of these risks could potentially catapult<br />
the business to another level.”<br />
He concludes: “When you assess these risks on<br />
that basis, you will find the risk really isn’t that big<br />
a risk after all.”<br />
Conclusion<br />
When so many voices of authority are predicting<br />
a difficult or at least uncertain year ahead, it<br />
can be easy for business owners to make selfinflicted<br />
mistakes.<br />
Fortunately, an uncomfortable retail environment<br />
is an ideal opportunity to review your approach to<br />
managing your business.<br />
Review your business and its process, however;<br />
don’t automatically begin making cuts – you run the<br />
risk of eliminating something that’s been crucial to<br />
previous successes.<br />
Sometimes bad news is unavoidable, so<br />
examine the way in which you’ve historically<br />
delivered this news to your staff. Are there areas<br />
you could improve?<br />
Learn to make the most of silence, no matter how<br />
difficult it may be. Ensure that every member of<br />
your staff has the opportunity to be heard<br />
– you never know what you may learn from what<br />
they have to say!<br />
Planning is crucial, particularly when it comes to<br />
inventory. How well do you know your stock and are<br />
there areas for improvement?<br />
Finally, don’t be afraid to take measured risks as<br />
this is how businesses develop and expand.<br />
As we all know – fortune favours the brave!<br />
62 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
www.centrestone.com.au<br />
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Unit 201, 2/F , Chevalier House 45-51 Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong<br />
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(02) 9417 0177 | dgau.com.au
INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR<br />
Show & Tell<br />
SHOW &<br />
TELL<br />
<strong>2023</strong><br />
There's something for everyone at this year’s<br />
International <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Fair - the largest gathering<br />
of the industry in the past decade. In this exclusive<br />
preview, take a sneak peek at what’s on offer for buyers.<br />
*Stand numbers and exhibitor details were accurate at time of publishing
IJF<br />
D01<br />
68 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
p +61 (0)8 8221 5580<br />
sales@timesupply.com.au | timesupply.com.au<br />
exclusive distributor AU & NZ
IJF<br />
D01<br />
p +61 (0)8 8221 5580<br />
sales@timesupply.com.au | timesupply.com.au<br />
<strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong> | 69<br />
exclusive distributor AU & NZ
Show & Tell | INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR <strong>2023</strong><br />
Ania Haie<br />
Duraflex Group Australia<br />
Inspired by the vibrant colours and<br />
mixed media styles that define the<br />
Pop Art era, Ania Haie's Pop Charms<br />
collection is all about expressing<br />
individuality and creating your own<br />
unique looks. A playful and personal<br />
collection in equal measure, the<br />
59-piece collection is crafted from<br />
925 sterling silver with 14-carat gold<br />
or rhodium plating.<br />
dgau.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
A07<br />
<strong>August</strong> Berg<br />
Designa Accessories<br />
The iconic Strawberry Thief 3D<br />
dial is elevated by 12 flawlessly<br />
cut Czech Preciosa crystal<br />
indicators and petite Rose<br />
Gold hands. Japanese Quartz<br />
Movement is protected by flat,<br />
crystal clear, anti-reflective,<br />
scratch-resistant sapphire<br />
glass, which completes the<br />
enchanting look of the <strong>August</strong><br />
Berg + Morris & Co ‘Petite’<br />
collaboration.<br />
designaaccessories.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
B39<br />
Autore Pearls<br />
Autore’s Timeless Collection. St Moritz<br />
earrings, detailed in 18-carat white gold with<br />
white diamonds and white South Sea pearls.<br />
St Moritz Pendant, featuring 18-carat white<br />
gold with white diamonds and a white South<br />
Sea pearl. Single row diamond eternity ring,<br />
with 18-carat white gold and white diamonds<br />
paired with a white South Sea pearl.<br />
autorepearls.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
G09<br />
Baume & Mercier<br />
Duraflex Group Australia<br />
With a rich legacy spanning<br />
almost two centuries,<br />
Baume & Mercier pride<br />
themselves on their precise<br />
watchmaking that produces<br />
pieces of the highest quality.<br />
The Riviera collection -<br />
first released in 1973 and<br />
recently reinterpreted<br />
- expresses the brand's<br />
design expertise and its<br />
exquisite use of materials.<br />
dgau.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
A07<br />
BECKS<br />
BECKS Group Australia<br />
BECKS presents a fusion between<br />
Australian metals and fine craft.<br />
Sapphires and diamonds are<br />
proudly crafted in the SA studio<br />
to embody the unique beauty of<br />
Australia’s natural treasures.<br />
becksgroup.au<br />
STAND<br />
E01<br />
Blush Pink Diamonds<br />
Sams Group Australia<br />
The newest Blush Pink Diamond<br />
collection from Pink Kimberley boasts<br />
a beautiful array of wearable, stylish<br />
and unique designs. The Blush Pink<br />
Collection combines rarity and luxury<br />
with accessibility. The Blush Pink range<br />
was created based on the principle<br />
that jewellery with natural pink Argyle<br />
diamonds should be affordable to<br />
women from all walks of life.<br />
pinkkimberley.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
F18<br />
70 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR <strong>2023</strong> | Show & Tell<br />
Bronzallure<br />
Duraflex Group Australia<br />
Designed and made in Italy, this<br />
pendant necklace is made of Golden<br />
Rose alloy, 18-carat rose gold plated,<br />
and features a stunning lavender<br />
amethyst natural gemstone.<br />
dgau.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
A07<br />
Centrestone <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Insurance<br />
Centrestone <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Insurance offers<br />
customers an effortless solution to<br />
insuring their precious jewellery pieces<br />
by working closely with a network of<br />
jewellers to offer an insurance policy<br />
that is tailored specifically to each<br />
unique piece. Policies are custommade<br />
by jewellery experts with<br />
comprehensive worldwide coverage.<br />
centrestone.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
C09<br />
Chemgold<br />
Enhance and complete<br />
designs with Chemgold’s wide<br />
range of high-quality precious<br />
metal components. Produced<br />
in Australia and Italy,<br />
Chemgold’s findings are made<br />
from the finest materials<br />
which come in 18-carat, ninecarat<br />
and sterling silver.<br />
chemgold.com<br />
STAND<br />
D17<br />
Classique Watches<br />
Sams Group Australia<br />
A Classique staple design, these<br />
watches are available in an array<br />
of metal and dial colours, featuring<br />
a bracelet band and round face,<br />
with the option for a diamond<br />
bezel. Fitted with Swiss quartz<br />
movement.<br />
classiquewatches.com<br />
STAND<br />
F18<br />
Cour De Lion<br />
Timesupply<br />
German handmade brand Coeur de Lion<br />
has released this vibrant Viva Magenta set,<br />
featuring this season's most fashionable<br />
colour showcased in the iconic GEOcube<br />
design. Also about to be exclusively<br />
released at the International <strong>Jeweller</strong>y<br />
Fair is the new JOYFUL colours pack,<br />
which includes an eye-catching display to<br />
draw attention to these vibrant bracelets.<br />
timesupply.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
D01<br />
<strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong> | 71
Show & Tell | INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR <strong>2023</strong><br />
Cultured <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Designs<br />
Cultured <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Designs is led by Lisa<br />
Berghofer. Offers include a necklace and<br />
bracelet matching set with silver rose goldplated<br />
magnetic clasp and pink freshwater<br />
pearl. Earrings with nine-carat yellow gold,<br />
with a faceted Carnelian drop design.<br />
culturedjewellerydesigns.com<br />
STAND<br />
D35<br />
Daniel Wellington<br />
Duraflex Group Australia<br />
Daniel Wellington watches are<br />
defined by their clean, minimalistic<br />
designs, with a timeless versatility<br />
that makes them the perfect<br />
watches for any occasion. The<br />
Iconic Chronograph Link integrates<br />
seamlessly into the brand's<br />
trademark simple dial design in<br />
blue with a sunray finish, featuring<br />
three sub-dials that provide<br />
multiple stop-watch functionalities<br />
and ensure flawless precision.<br />
dgau.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
A07<br />
Diamond Sensation<br />
Diamond Sensation has worked with jewellery<br />
retailers all over Australia for more than 25<br />
years, with designs that are catered for the<br />
local market. Diamond Sensation also offers<br />
the latest styles from Europe, Asia and the US<br />
with a large range of live inventory in different<br />
locations, available for immediate delivery.<br />
diamondsensation.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
B18<br />
Diamonds by DGA<br />
Duraflex Group Australia<br />
Featuring the most beautiful<br />
selection of jewellery finished to<br />
the highest quality, the Diamonds<br />
by DGA range features ninecarat<br />
and 18-carat gold diamond<br />
earrings, bracelets, rings,<br />
and pendants. These natural<br />
diamonds are high-quality in<br />
both colour and clarity.<br />
dgau.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
A07<br />
Diamonds on Call<br />
Diamonds On Call aims to bring<br />
confidence and comfort to all who<br />
use the platform, whether they be<br />
a jeweller, retailer, manufacturer,<br />
or designer. True to this desire<br />
to unify, Diamonds On Call is<br />
available on all devices and all<br />
operating systems.<br />
diamondsoncall.com<br />
STAND<br />
B10<br />
72 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
Trusted by <strong>Jeweller</strong>s for Decades<br />
Learn more about our high quality metals and unmatched service<br />
from design, printing and casting to refining, findings and bullion.<br />
Visit the all-new chemgold.com<br />
CHEMGOLD<br />
CARES<br />
We are Committed to Achieving Responsible, Ethical<br />
and Sustainable metals.
Show & Tell | INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR <strong>2023</strong><br />
DJ Diamond Designs<br />
DJ Diamond Designs presents emerald-cut<br />
diamond hoop earrings set in 18-carat white gold.<br />
Also available is pink sapphire and diamond drop<br />
earrings set in 18-carat white gold.<br />
djdiamonddesigns.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
B17<br />
Edox<br />
Duraflex Group Australia<br />
Edox's CO-1 Titanium Chronograph<br />
is crafted from strong yet<br />
lightweight titanium, with features<br />
including a water resistance of<br />
1000m, luminescent components,<br />
chronograph sub-dials, and a<br />
scratch-resistant sapphire crystal,<br />
this watch is among the world's<br />
best Swiss-made chronographs.<br />
This watch is a versatile accessory<br />
that exemplifies Edox's dedication<br />
to the Swiss watchmaking craft in<br />
its innovative, impressive design.<br />
dgau.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
A07<br />
Ellendale Diamonds<br />
Icons by Ellendale Diamonds is a stand-alone<br />
jewellery collection bringing you ravishing pieces<br />
that have been inspired by great Icons throughout<br />
history. Ellendale also offers an array of remarkable<br />
pink diamonds sourced from the Argyle mine,<br />
ranging from 0.07 to 0.25-carat.<br />
ellendalediamonds.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
A23<br />
Element Designer <strong>Jeweller</strong>y<br />
Element Designer Jewelry, as a<br />
manufacturer and exporter, takes<br />
pride in its staff of more than<br />
200 skilled craftsmen. This is a<br />
beautiful classic collection featuring<br />
blue sapphires, aquamarine, and<br />
tanzanite, meticulously handcrafted<br />
with 18-carat white gold.<br />
elementdesignerjew.com<br />
STAND<br />
H31<br />
Evie Love Diamonds<br />
With a reputation for timeless elegance<br />
and singular craftsmanship, Evie Love<br />
has curated a fine collection of vintage<br />
and antique jewellery coupled with<br />
some of the latest trends in modern<br />
design. The business began as a hobby<br />
in the heart of Sydney's Northern<br />
Beaches, Evie Love now proudly serves<br />
as a premium seller of fine jewellery.<br />
evielovediamonds.com<br />
STAND<br />
H15<br />
voteh aifi<br />
Introducing the Fuser500 Micro Casting System. The<br />
Fuser500 is the only complete micro-casting system in the<br />
market. User-friendly, compact and energy efficient, it allows<br />
jewellers to scale small productions, and streamline time<br />
and cost while maintaining the highest production standards.<br />
evotechpacific.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
C36<br />
74 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
Experience the Innovative<br />
3D Ring Conigurator<br />
Every bespoke creation uses ethical and sustainable 100% Australian Gold<br />
1300 886 108 | AUSTRALIA WIDE<br />
LIVADI.COM<br />
Responsible <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Council Member No: 0000 4408<br />
<strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong> | 75
Show & Tell | INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR <strong>2023</strong><br />
<br />
SECURE<br />
EARRI NG BACKS<br />
Proudly de signed and<br />
manufactured in the UK<br />
Fabuleux Vous<br />
Fabuleux Vous is excited to announce the<br />
new release of the Lucie collection at the<br />
International <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Fair. Featuring three<br />
semi-precious gemstones in blue topaz,<br />
rhodolite garnet and green amethyst, each<br />
is a petite rectangle cut. Lucie pieces will<br />
be available in two colour choices, either<br />
sterling silver or sterling silver finished with<br />
18-carat yellow gold plating.<br />
fabuleuxvous.com<br />
STAND<br />
F14<br />
SAFE<br />
S ECURE<br />
NON-S LIP<br />
H YPO-A LLERGE NIC<br />
C OMFORTABLE<br />
Furla<br />
Designa Accessories<br />
Furla Tortana by Furla, is a statement<br />
women’s piece. This 30mm timepiece<br />
features a repeating logo motif on the<br />
rose gold-tone case and logo detailing<br />
on the rose gold-tone bracelet making<br />
it undeniably Furla and the perfect<br />
finishing touch to any look.<br />
designaaccessories.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
B39<br />
Furla Jewel<br />
Designa Accessories<br />
A piece that blends timelessness and<br />
Furla's Italian quality, while capturing the<br />
wearer's beauty, the Furla Arch Double rose<br />
gold-tone earrings are a must-have piece.<br />
Genuine crystals on the Furla Arch motif<br />
make this piece timeless and versatile.<br />
designaaccessories.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
B39<br />
(02) 9417 0177 | dgau.com.au
Show & Tell | INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR <strong>2023</strong><br />
Gallagher Insurance Brokers<br />
A standard <strong>Jeweller</strong>s Block insurance<br />
policy will provide coverage for a range of<br />
risks, tailored to your business. Gallagher’s<br />
exclusive <strong>Jeweller</strong>s Block policy is<br />
developed specifically for jewellers, and<br />
offers 100 per cent Lloyds of London<br />
security with market-leading cover. There<br />
are a range of available extensions and<br />
additional benefits for jewellers who need<br />
more cover for the unique risks they face.<br />
ajg.com<br />
STAND<br />
B26<br />
Georgini<br />
West End Collection<br />
The Luxury Letter Collection by<br />
Georgini features this year’s hottest<br />
Initial trend with added sparkle, shine<br />
and design. Each letter is crafted<br />
from rhodium-plated 925 sterling<br />
silver or 18-carat gold-plated 925<br />
sterling silver and adorned with<br />
sparkling cubic zirconia.<br />
georgini.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
D10<br />
Global <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Concepts<br />
Global <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Concepts is a<br />
Melbourne-based jewellery designer<br />
and wholesaler. With more than 40<br />
years in the jewellery industry, the<br />
company is proudly Australian-owned<br />
and family-operated. Offers include a<br />
stylish range of jewellery with a focus<br />
on delivering responsibly sourced<br />
and well-made designs. Delivery is<br />
available across Australia and New<br />
Zealand.<br />
gjconcepts.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
B12<br />
Gold Exchange Universe<br />
Gold Exchange Universe is a family-run business, that is<br />
proud to have been serving Sydney and the rest of Australia for<br />
the past 35 years. As a well-established industry leader, the<br />
company is able to offer our customers the most competitive<br />
indicative rates for gold, fine jewellery, diamonds and watches.<br />
goldexchangeuniverse.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
F01<br />
Himalayan Treasures<br />
Himalayan Treasures offers the finest<br />
jewellery crafted from precious metals,<br />
luxurious gemstones and handed down<br />
superb craftsmanship. These luxurious<br />
pieces are designed with attention<br />
to detail, bringing out the natural<br />
beauty of the gemstones and creating<br />
timeless treasures.<br />
himtreasures.com<br />
STAND<br />
A03<br />
Ikecho Australia<br />
Just like twilight, the time<br />
between dawn and sunrise,<br />
deep in pink and captivating,<br />
these deep-pink-hued<br />
pearl pendants from Ikecho<br />
Australia will take your breath<br />
away. Wear with confidence<br />
and let your vibrancy shine<br />
through. These statement<br />
necklaces are the perfect<br />
choice to add to your everyday<br />
or formal wear look.<br />
ikecho.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
E13<br />
78 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
SEE YOU AT:<br />
<strong>2023</strong> INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR STAND E13<br />
JEWELLERY INDUSTRY FAIR STAND 83<br />
LUXURY PEARL & OPAL JEWELLERY<br />
02 9266 0636 • ENQUIRIES@IKECHO.COM.AU • WHOLESALE.IKECHO.COM.AU
Show & Tell | INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR <strong>2023</strong><br />
Ingersoll<br />
West End Collection<br />
Designed with a bold<br />
skeleton dial, Ingersoll's<br />
The Broadway 51mm<br />
grabs attention due to its<br />
uniqueness. Crafted from<br />
gold-tone stainless steel, the<br />
timepiece is powered through<br />
an automatic movement that<br />
guides two hands across a<br />
grey-hued dial.<br />
westendcollection.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
D10<br />
The<br />
Luminox<br />
MIL-SPEC<br />
Inspiring Pearls<br />
Inspiring Pearls is an emerging pearl<br />
jewellery business, offering a beautiful<br />
collection in a range of classic and<br />
contemporary styles. Offers include<br />
this round gold south sea pearl on<br />
nine-carat gold diamond shepherd<br />
hook earrings.<br />
inspiringpearls.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
B35<br />
Luminox Mil-Spec<br />
3350 Series<br />
JAG<br />
Duraflex Group Australia<br />
JAG embodies the effortless<br />
sophistication of the Australian<br />
lifestyle, offering a versatile range<br />
of timepieces that are inspired<br />
by the country's captivating<br />
landscapes. The Bathurst watch is<br />
sporty, and durable, and features a<br />
chronograph movement with a date<br />
function, creating the perfect blend<br />
between fashion and functionality.<br />
dgau.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
A07<br />
(02) 9417 0177 | dgau.com.au
THEBLACKRING.COM.AU
Show & Tell | INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR <strong>2023</strong><br />
STAND<br />
C20<br />
JS Landau Diamonds<br />
JS Landau collections are carefully<br />
selected with an emphasis on<br />
expanding product offerings and<br />
improving customer experience.<br />
Delivery options and payment<br />
methods are generous and flexible.<br />
jslandaudiamonds.com<br />
STAND<br />
A06<br />
La Couronne <strong>Jeweller</strong>y<br />
Explore La Couronne's newest<br />
Christmas catalogue collection<br />
with the new oval spellbound<br />
cut London blue topaz ring<br />
dressed in diamonds. Intricate<br />
in design and wonderfully<br />
timeless, the elegant cocktail<br />
ring is set in nine-carat gold<br />
and can be viewed at the<br />
International <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Fair..<br />
lacouronnejewellery.com.au<br />
LJ West<br />
The Scott West Aureole Hoop<br />
Earrings Collection, featuring<br />
large (37mm) 18-carat yellow<br />
gold with 268 stones of natural<br />
pink diamonds (2.16-carat)<br />
as well as 154 white melee<br />
diamonds (1.42-carat).<br />
scottwestdiamonds.com<br />
STAND<br />
F10<br />
Luminox<br />
Duraflex Group Australia<br />
Since 1989, Luminox has been<br />
dedicated to creating watches that<br />
combine precision, durability, and<br />
functionality. These timepieces are<br />
designed to meet the demanding<br />
needs of professionals in the military,<br />
law enforcement, and other extreme<br />
environments, as well as adventurous<br />
individuals who require a watch that<br />
can keep up with their active lifestyle.<br />
dgau.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
A07<br />
Mark McAskill <strong>Jeweller</strong>y<br />
New from Mark McAskill<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>y, gorgeous green<br />
peridots delight with brilliant cut<br />
diamonds in a stunning ornate<br />
design set in 9-carat yellow gold.<br />
markmcaskill.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
C10<br />
82 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
(02)<br />
(02)<br />
9417<br />
9417<br />
0177<br />
0177<br />
|<br />
|<br />
dgau.com.au<br />
dgau.com.au
Show & Tell | INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR <strong>2023</strong><br />
Maserati<br />
West End Collection<br />
The Epoca timepieces<br />
embody all of Maserati's<br />
technical expertise and<br />
masterful design. Exclusive<br />
and inimitable models,<br />
with a rigorous design and<br />
exceptional functions. The<br />
Epoca collection watches<br />
are inspired by the design<br />
of the Maserati 3500 GT of<br />
1957, a symbol of style and<br />
mechanics excellence.<br />
westendcollection.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
D10<br />
Maxum<br />
Designa Accessories<br />
Maxum’s newest design, the<br />
Mini block is a petite but tough<br />
timepiece. With a built-in stop<br />
watch, alarm, backlight, 100 metres<br />
water resistance and a two-year<br />
replacement warranty, it’s classic<br />
white and rose gold features make it<br />
the latest must-have digital watch.<br />
designaaccessories.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
B39<br />
Mohit Diamonds<br />
Mohit Diamonds have built a solid reputation<br />
as an expert in polished diamonds in flat, fancy<br />
and unique shapes and sizes. Aiming to help<br />
businesses and private customers every step<br />
of the way, to ensure they select the perfect<br />
gemstones for their jewellery collections.<br />
mohitdiamonds.com<br />
STAND<br />
C44<br />
Mishwa Export<br />
The proficiency of Mishwa Exports lies in diamond<br />
manufacturing versatility, with the knack of crafting<br />
high-quality diamonds since its establishment<br />
in 2019. As one of the world's leading la-created<br />
diamond manufacturers, the company aims to deliver<br />
the highest possible value to all stakeholders.<br />
mishwaexport.com<br />
STAND<br />
C39<br />
Mondaine<br />
Duraflex Group Australia<br />
The two new additions to Mondaine’s<br />
evo2 collection retain their iconic Swiss<br />
railway clock design, while showcasing<br />
the new dial colours ‘Turquoise Lake’<br />
and ‘Wild Rose’ that take inspiration<br />
from Swiss lakes and their surrounding<br />
flora. These models not only honour<br />
nature in their design but also in their<br />
construction, as they are assembled with<br />
up to 80 per cent photovoltaic power<br />
generated in-house.<br />
dgau.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
A07<br />
84 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
FP<br />
ADVERTISEMENT
Show & Tell | INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR <strong>2023</strong><br />
Morris and Watson<br />
Morris and Watson prides itself<br />
on friendly customer service and<br />
high-quality products and services.<br />
Established in 1928 and still privately<br />
owned and operated. Morris and Watson<br />
offer an extensive range of products<br />
and services including; bullion, precious<br />
metal refining, fabricated metals, CAD,<br />
3D printing, casting, bangles and chain.<br />
morrisandwatson.com<br />
STAND<br />
C45<br />
1/2 PG V<br />
My Little Angel<br />
Paterson Fine <strong>Jeweller</strong>y<br />
On trend and vibrant, these My Little<br />
Angel children's initial pendants<br />
are inlaid with multi-coloured cubic<br />
zirconia in yellow-plated sterling silver.<br />
Chain included. Available in letters A-Z.<br />
Children's belcher chain bracelets with<br />
ID plates that can be engraved also<br />
available in sterling silver or yellow<br />
plated sterling silver in two adjustable<br />
sizes 13-16cm and 16-20cm.<br />
pfj.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
B01<br />
ADVERTISEMENT<br />
NCF AUS<br />
Borsari steel bracelets deliver<br />
beauty, craftsmanship and<br />
innovation using the latest<br />
sophisticated Italian production<br />
techniques. Available in<br />
assorted coloured platings with<br />
a clever adjustable fit clasp and<br />
18-carat rose gold screws.<br />
ncfaus.com<br />
STAND<br />
B49<br />
Classiquewatches.com<br />
Nomination<br />
Timesupply<br />
Nomination Composable bracelets<br />
tell a story, link by link, are highly<br />
collectible, unisex, easy to wear, and<br />
offer excellent repeat business. There<br />
are thousands of options with new<br />
and exciting links being released.<br />
nomination-jewellery.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
D01<br />
Become a stockist today 02 9290 2199
Nordgreen<br />
West End Collection<br />
The Philosopher men’s watches’<br />
two-piece dial and asymmetric<br />
second hand combine to create a<br />
truly unique design. This model<br />
celebrates the ability to think<br />
differently, push boundaries, and<br />
make a statement wherever you go.<br />
westendcollection.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
D10<br />
Osia International<br />
Osia International is a fine jewellery<br />
manufacturing and diamond trading<br />
company based in Hong Kong since<br />
1992 with jewellery production<br />
completed in China and Hong Kong.<br />
Proud to have a wide range of<br />
clientele ranging from chain stores<br />
to designer boutique locations.<br />
osiaintl.com<br />
STAND<br />
G39<br />
1/2 PG V<br />
Packamate<br />
Packamate Limited is a wellestablished<br />
manufacturer of quality<br />
packaging for various sectors such<br />
as jewellery, shopping bags, watches,<br />
writing instruments, spectacles,<br />
beverages, electronic devices, displays,<br />
watch winders, cabinets, cosmetics,<br />
jewellery collectors and wine collectors.<br />
packamate.com<br />
STAND<br />
E45<br />
ADVERTISEMENT<br />
Palloys<br />
Born out of passion and the art of<br />
jewellery, Livadi creates commitment<br />
rings and jewellery with an emphasis<br />
on quality craftsmanship using only<br />
the finest metals.<br />
palloys.com<br />
STAND<br />
C01
Show & Tell | INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR <strong>2023</strong><br />
Paterson Fine <strong>Jeweller</strong>y<br />
Paterson Fine <strong>Jeweller</strong>y presents new cuff bangles in<br />
nine-carat yellow gold, set with blue topaz, emerald,<br />
cubic zirconia or triplet opal. Adjustable and flexible for<br />
a comfortable fit. Size 59mm with a tube thickness of<br />
2mm. New oval and heart-shaped lockets that can hold<br />
two photos also available in nine-carat yellow gold.<br />
pfj.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
B01<br />
PD Paola<br />
Heart & Grace<br />
Heart & Grace specialises in the<br />
exclusive distribution of the leading<br />
European jewellery and watch brands<br />
throughout Australia, New Zealand, and<br />
South Pacific Islands. The PDPAOLA<br />
The Vanilla Collection is designed<br />
to seamlessly fit into any scenario,<br />
offering everyday essentials that lay the<br />
groundwork for countless looks.<br />
heartandgrace.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
C19<br />
Pink Kimberley Diamonds<br />
Sams Group Australia<br />
Pink Kimberley aims to create<br />
pieces of jewellery that encapsulate<br />
the uniqueness and beauty of Argyle<br />
The new collection also includes<br />
an array of diamond-embellished<br />
bracelets and bangles, each<br />
adorned with an exquisite display of<br />
Argyle pink diamonds. Showcasing<br />
an incredible arrangement of<br />
different cuts of white and pink<br />
diamonds, these bracelets are eyecatching<br />
and sparkling.<br />
pinkkimberley.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
F18<br />
Police<br />
Duraflex Group Australia<br />
Embracing a contemporary approach,<br />
Police embodies audacity and<br />
discovery, empowering individuals to<br />
be themselves. To commemorate its<br />
anniversary, Police presents a limitededition<br />
collection of sunglasses, watches,<br />
a bracelet or wallet, and a fragrance,<br />
with each product reflecting the brand’s<br />
iconic style and featuring the exclusive<br />
‘Police 40’.<br />
dgau.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
A07<br />
QUDO<br />
Timesupply<br />
QUDO Interchangeable offers<br />
an exciting collectible range<br />
of European Crystal Tops, that<br />
screw on to rings, earrings,<br />
and necklaces. An excellent<br />
well-priced range that offers<br />
fantastic repeat business.<br />
qudojewellery.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
D01<br />
Rachel Jackson<br />
Heart & Grace<br />
Heart & Grace presents a hand-carved,<br />
hexagon shaped Malachite T-bar necklace<br />
that represents balance, with the Malachite<br />
stone thought to bring protection and<br />
transformative energy to its wearer. Part of<br />
the Momento collection, these timeless and<br />
elegant pieces were designed during COVID.<br />
heartandgrace.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
C19<br />
88 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
Show & Tell | INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR <strong>2023</strong><br />
Rapid Casting<br />
Rapid Casting turns hand sketches,<br />
magazine pictures, company logos, or<br />
combinations of these into 3D digital models.<br />
The talented jewellery CAD artists will work<br />
with you to perfect your design concepts.<br />
rapidprototype.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
E43<br />
Retail Edge Consultants<br />
Are you ready to improve your retail<br />
profits? Retail Edge Consultants can<br />
assist your business through our<br />
software offering and highly successful<br />
retail consulting program. The areas<br />
in focus include: improved financials,<br />
high-performing stock, strategic sales<br />
increases, supplier partnerships, staff<br />
performance and retention, point of sale<br />
and Edge Pulse.<br />
retailedgeconsultants.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
E44<br />
RJ Scanlan & Co<br />
R. J. Scanlan is a familyowned<br />
business with more<br />
than 40 years of experience<br />
as an Australian supplier of<br />
fine jewellery. The company<br />
specialises in the distribution<br />
of premium European jewellery<br />
to retail stores throughout<br />
Australia and New Zealand.<br />
scanlanandco.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
B36<br />
osefie<br />
Designa Accessories<br />
Rosefield’s newest line of small,<br />
contemporary timepieces, The<br />
Octagon XS, is already a classic.<br />
The distinctive octagonal face form<br />
and polished five-link gold band<br />
evoke the sophistication of the<br />
1920s and feature a stunning jade<br />
mother-of-pearl dial, revolutionising<br />
the watch as a fashion item.<br />
designaaccessories.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
B39<br />
osefie eweery<br />
Designa Accessories<br />
Rosefield has delivered another stunningly<br />
timeless piece. Wear the piece you love<br />
with this elegant gold-dotted necklace<br />
with a stunning jade gemstone. This piece<br />
will finish off every look every time.<br />
designaaccessories.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
B39<br />
90 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
Show & Tell | INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR <strong>2023</strong><br />
Salt and Pepper Diamonds<br />
The staff at Salt and Pepper<br />
Diamonds noticed an increased trend<br />
for unique diamonds. Although there<br />
is still strong demand for rounds,<br />
pears, and ovals there is a significant<br />
swing toward geometric shapes,<br />
kites and shields in particular.<br />
saltandpepperdiamonds.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
A20<br />
Sapphire Dreams<br />
Sams Group Australia<br />
Sapphire Dreams Australia is proud<br />
to announce its newest collection<br />
launch, featuring exquisite Australian<br />
sapphires. This range showcases a<br />
range of earrings, bracelets, necklaces,<br />
and rings, capturing the allure and<br />
timeless elegance of sapphires.<br />
sapphiredreams.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
F18<br />
Sekonda<br />
Duraflex Group Australia<br />
Featuring an affordable<br />
range of models to suit any<br />
style, Sekonda combines<br />
timelessness with fashion to<br />
create a selection that appeals<br />
to all. The Charlotte watch<br />
has a round, stone-set silver<br />
ion-plated case, with a stunning<br />
blue sunray dial and is fastened<br />
with a silver ion-plated bracelet.<br />
dgau.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
A07<br />
Shillcombe / Mats Jonasson<br />
Mats Jonasson, a Swedish sculptor<br />
is internationally recognised for its<br />
engraved crystal and handmade<br />
collectable works spanning wildlife,<br />
botanical and art motifs. The owl<br />
sculpture is part of the <strong>2023</strong> designs.<br />
This piece will position itself well among<br />
other jewellery products.<br />
matsjonasson.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
A02<br />
Shree Ramkrishna Exports<br />
Luxury is a desirable quality, and a true<br />
luxury brand like SRK is connected to the<br />
minds of consumers. SRK understands<br />
the needs and requirements as well as<br />
the emotional drivers of the consumers.<br />
Based on this knowledge gathered the<br />
jewellers of SRK skillfully turn inspiration<br />
onto objects of desire.<br />
srk.one<br />
STAND<br />
G02<br />
Sif Jakobs<br />
Timesupply<br />
The Danish award-winning jewellery<br />
brand Sif Jakobs <strong>Jeweller</strong>y, designs<br />
and produces sophisticated jewellery<br />
of the highest standard with a modern<br />
expression. High-quality construction<br />
using sterling silver 925, 18-carat gold<br />
and 18-carat rose gold platings, AAAcertified<br />
cubic zirconias and 100 per cent<br />
nickel free.<br />
timesupply.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
D01<br />
92 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
WATCH MODEL:<br />
UNDERLINED<br />
Silk & Steel <strong>Jeweller</strong>y<br />
Silk & Steel is a New Zealand<br />
jewellery brand that celebrates<br />
relaxed luxury. With a mix of<br />
traditional elements and the<br />
pairing of opposites, Silk &<br />
Steel creates instantly wearable,<br />
contemporary pieces to style and<br />
layer with confidence.<br />
silkandsteel.co.nz<br />
STAND<br />
B48<br />
Spectrum Signet<br />
BECKS Group Australia<br />
Spectrum Signets by BECKS, a<br />
new take on the classic signet<br />
ring, proudly made in the South<br />
Australian studio. The design<br />
makes a bold statement featuring<br />
hard-wearing, highly polished<br />
ceramic available in a range of<br />
contemporary colours.<br />
becksgroup.au<br />
STAND<br />
E01<br />
(02) 9417 0177 | dgau.com.au
Show & Tell | INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR <strong>2023</strong><br />
Stones & Silver<br />
Stones & Silver has been successfully<br />
supplying 925 sterling silver and gemstone<br />
jewellery to Australian and New Zealand<br />
retailers for more than 17 years. Offers<br />
include this new range of .925 sterling<br />
silver symbol disc necklaces with six<br />
different designs to choose from.<br />
stonesandsilver.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
F01<br />
Tantalum<br />
BECKS Group Australia<br />
Welcome to Tantalum, a modern<br />
and sleek take on the classics.<br />
Proudly crafted by BECKS, the<br />
dark grey-blue hue will make any<br />
hand stand out. Tantalum is highly<br />
resistant to tarnish, scratches and<br />
hypoallergenic, ready for a busy life.<br />
becksgroup.au<br />
STAND<br />
E01<br />
Ted Baker<br />
Designa Accessories<br />
STAND<br />
B39<br />
Phylipa Bow, the new<br />
refined accessory for a<br />
glamorous style. The iconic<br />
Bow element highlights the<br />
black dial of this timeless<br />
37mm rose gold-tone case,<br />
complete with a feminine<br />
rose gold mesh band.<br />
designaaccessories.com.au<br />
UnoDe50<br />
Timesupply<br />
Spanish handmade brand UNOde50 offers<br />
a very bold style that offers iconic designs<br />
for those looking for a truly unique range.<br />
Exciting new designs are being released<br />
at the International <strong>Jeweller</strong>y Fair.<br />
unode50.com.au<br />
STAND<br />
D01<br />
THOMAS SABO<br />
Duraflex Group Australia<br />
The launch of the Charmista concept introduces<br />
the engravable Charmista Coin as the hallmark<br />
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Show & Tell | INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR <strong>2023</strong><br />
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INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY FAIR <strong>2023</strong> | Show & Tell<br />
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FEATURE<br />
Colour Gemstones<br />
JUSTIN K PRIM recounts a<br />
journey through Cambodia and<br />
Thailand searching for gemstones.
y JUSTIN K PRIM<br />
DIVING DEEPER<br />
RUBIES &<br />
SAPPHIRES<br />
Though two different countries, the<br />
regions around Pailin (Cambodia)<br />
and Chanthaburi (Thailand) have an<br />
interrelated history when it comes to politics,<br />
mining, and geology.<br />
Separated by about 90 kilometres of road, the two regions<br />
consist of several inactive volcanoes and valleys where most<br />
of the mining occurs.<br />
Pailin and Chanthaburi are most well-known for rubies<br />
and sapphires; however, other gemstones are also found<br />
in the region.<br />
Our visit to Cambodia began at the Pailin gemstone market,<br />
which consists of several stores near the Phnom Yat Pagoda.<br />
One store is both a gemstone gallery and a restaurant and<br />
this is where many of the merchants have breakfast, and<br />
which became our ritual for our entire stay in Pailin. We<br />
would leave our hotel and head to this restaurant and get a<br />
table. After a breakfast of noodle soup, the merchants would<br />
bring different parcels of gemstones for us to consider.<br />
Pailin is a quiet town with an equally laid-back market, so<br />
it was easy for us to spend several hours at the breakfast<br />
table or to head to some of the adjoining stores for an<br />
hour or two at a time.<br />
Our team leader, Vincent Pardieu, would use these<br />
opportunities to share a some of his wisdom about the local<br />
trade and offer insight into the gemstones. We saw many<br />
parcels of low-grade corundum, small sapphires and rubies<br />
that had poor colour and clarity.<br />
Around 2002, gemstone burners in Chanthaburi discovered<br />
how to treat the poorly coloured corundum with heat and the<br />
chemical beryllium to change them from cloudy bluish-red to<br />
clear, glowing orangish-red beauties.<br />
The treatment gave the stones a fresh breath of life and in<br />
turn reinvigorated the mining region, as they possessed a<br />
significant amount of previously worthless stones now worthy<br />
of trading.<br />
We ventured into the protected jungles inside the Samlot<br />
district to see what we could find and observed a truck from<br />
the Halo Trust, a group that is working to find and remove<br />
landmines that injure and kill hundreds of people each year.<br />
It was a good reminder of how careful we had to be while<br />
trekking through the jungle. Any aimless straying from the<br />
direct roads and paths could end in tragedy.<br />
BIRTH STONES<br />
Ruby is the birthstone for July<br />
and the gemstone for 15th and<br />
40th anniversaries. Sapphire is<br />
the birthstone for September,<br />
and is the gemstone that marks<br />
a 45th anniversary.<br />
COLOUR<br />
Ruby’s red colour is a result of<br />
trace amounts of chromium<br />
present in the crystal. The more<br />
chromium that is present, the<br />
stronger the colour will be.<br />
HISTORY<br />
European royalty and upper<br />
classes have a famous desire<br />
for rubies, and many people in<br />
medieval times believed that<br />
these gemstones offered their<br />
wearers health, wealth, and<br />
wisdom.<br />
WISDOM<br />
In Ancient Greece, the wealthy<br />
wore sapphire for guidance<br />
when seeking answers from the<br />
oracle. Buddhists meanwhile<br />
believed that it brought spiritual<br />
enlightenment.<br />
ROCK HARD<br />
The remarkable hardness of<br />
sapphires, which measure nine<br />
on the Mohs scale, is second<br />
only to diamond. This is the<br />
reason why sapphire is one<br />
of the few gemstones that<br />
make a popular alternative for<br />
engagement rings.<br />
When we reached our first destination, we were greeted by<br />
a Cambodian military officer. He guided us through a jungle<br />
path to a river which we had to cross via a small canoe.<br />
From there, we continued along the path until we reached<br />
another river where we encountered two miners. One of the<br />
miners was 72-years-old and proudly told us that he was the<br />
oldest miner in the area.<br />
It appeared that while the land is protected from mining by<br />
the MJP Trust, the local custodians have given permission to<br />
a handful of artisanal Cambodian miners to work.<br />
As long as the mining groups are small, spread out, and don’t<br />
harm the environment, the conservation group allows them<br />
to earn their living this way.<br />
The technique we witnessed was one of the most simple and<br />
ancient methods of mining. The miner gets into the cloudy<br />
yellow river which is about waist high with a sifting bag and a<br />
fine straining basket.<br />
He sifts through the dirt and mud at the bottom looking for<br />
precious stones. He fills his sifting bag with rocks and mud<br />
from the bottom and then pours that into his basket, where<br />
he shakes and rinses it in the water.<br />
Periodically the basket is lifted to see if anything colourful has<br />
been recovered. This is a very slow method of mining, but it<br />
costs the miners nothing but their own time, so it’s a low-cost<br />
way for locals to earn a living.<br />
After departing, the soldier took us to another site that was<br />
about ten minutes away on foot.<br />
We met two more miners who were sifting through small<br />
pits that they had hand-dug in the hunt for gemstones. We<br />
purchased about 15 pinkish rubies from one of the miners,<br />
which he said was his yield from the previous week.<br />
We continued via motorbike and arrived at a third mining site<br />
that was being used by one miner - another alluvial deposit<br />
in a river. I was told that this area had already been mined<br />
heavily in previous decades.<br />
The path along the river was littered with rubble and boulders<br />
that had been pulled out of the water by previous miners. We<br />
walked along this rocky path until we found the spot we were<br />
looking for.<br />
A lone miner was situated in the water in a similar fashion to<br />
what we had seen earlier in the day, using a basket and tray<br />
to sift the rocks and mud looking for precious gemstones.<br />
He had been working all morning and was getting<br />
99 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
Colour Gemstones Feature | MINE TO MARKET<br />
tired but was happy to let us watch him work for the<br />
remainder of his work day.<br />
Afterward, he showed us what we had found recently, and<br />
we got to see smaller pinkish-red ruby specimens that we<br />
were learning is typical of the area.<br />
At a small jungle house, we looked at our final few parcels<br />
of local gemstones while the wives prepared dinner for<br />
the miners. We inspected several parcels. New bags of<br />
gemstones kept appearing from unseen pockets as soon as<br />
the previous ones were purchased!<br />
Visiting Pailin Market<br />
We decided to spend our second day inspecting the<br />
market to see what kind of gemstones people had been<br />
buying from the local miners in the past few months<br />
and spent time comparing the unheated rubies with<br />
beryllium-treated stones and reflecting on what it meant<br />
for the gemstone industry.<br />
One moment that I particularly enjoyed was a visit to a store<br />
that had workers faceting rubies and sapphires.<br />
As a gem cutter, I am always interested to see people of<br />
different cultures cut in their unique way. These workers<br />
had the gemstones attached to a dop with wax and the dop<br />
was attached to a wooden handpiece, identical to the type<br />
we see in Thailand.<br />
The handpiece, like a simple version of a Raytech-Shaw/<br />
Imahashi hand piece, would let the gemstone freely rotate.<br />
It didn’t have indices but the faceter seemed to know how<br />
far to rotate the stone to get the index he wanted. With this<br />
method, he could also adjust the angle of the stone.<br />
It was great to get to see such a wide variety of corundum<br />
from the region. We also saw a lot of stones that weren’t<br />
from the area. Those were interesting for the purpose<br />
of contrasting and comparing to the local corundum;<br />
however, for our purposes, we weren’t interested in buying<br />
gemstones from other regions.<br />
We spent time going back and forth between the natural<br />
rubies and those that were beryllium treated. In many<br />
examples, you can easily see how the natural stones<br />
have too much blue in the red to really be called rubies<br />
and to be profitable.<br />
The beryllium treatment removes a lot of the blue from<br />
the gemstones leaving them with an orangish tint. The<br />
treatment also heals the fractures in the rough meaning<br />
there is cleaner stone to cut. In general, you end up with<br />
Remarkable artisans:<br />
The gemstone faceting<br />
process in Cambodia.<br />
Rubies and sapphires await<br />
faceting in Cambodia.<br />
Beautiful landscapes:<br />
The eastern view from<br />
the top of Khao Ploy Waen.<br />
bigger cut gemstones than what would not have been<br />
possible with the unheated material.<br />
Phnom Yat Temple<br />
As we left the market, we decided to pay our respects<br />
to the Phnom Yat Temple. We crossed the street and<br />
trekked up the numerous stairs that lead to the top of<br />
the sleeping volcano.<br />
This temple is important for the history of rubies and<br />
sapphires in Pailin. One of the first things you see when<br />
you get to the top is a statue of a golden otter playing with a<br />
piece of rough.<br />
The local legend suggests that Burmese merchants were<br />
hunting in the forest when they saw an old woman who<br />
greeted them. They didn’t know it at the time, but this<br />
wasn’t a woman, it was a nature spirit named Ye Yat.<br />
She told them that they shouldn’t kill the animals and that<br />
instead if they travelled down to the river they would see<br />
something that would give them a better livelihood.<br />
Once at the river, the migrants saw two otters playing with<br />
shiny stones, one blue and one red. The migrants knew<br />
what the stones were, and they started digging, finding<br />
more and more ruby and sapphire.<br />
There is also a small temple to the nature spirit woman,<br />
Ye Yat. The locals take offerings to her as a mark of<br />
gratitude for her role in guiding their ancestors to the<br />
lucrative gemstones that provided their families with<br />
wealth for generations.<br />
Saying goodbye to Pailin<br />
On our final day in Pailin, we had breakfast at the market<br />
and then headed to one last mining site - it wasn’t too far<br />
from the town centre.<br />
By the river, we discovered two miners sitting in the river<br />
looking for stones. This was a rare example of a mining site<br />
that is renewable. The miners have dug pits in the middle<br />
of the river with a ring of rocks around it so that as the river<br />
current passes their pits, the heavier rocks would drop.<br />
The miners use a shovel with a long handle to pull a pile<br />
of rocks from their pit and put them in sifting baskets.<br />
They only mine in the river during the dry season because<br />
during the rainy season, the water is too deep and safety is<br />
a concern.<br />
The miners exited the water and showed us the collection<br />
of stones that they had found in the past few weeks. Both<br />
100 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
"This temple is<br />
important for the<br />
history of rubies and<br />
sapphires in Pailin.<br />
One of the first<br />
things you see when<br />
you get to the top is<br />
a statue of a golden<br />
otter playing with a<br />
piece of rough."<br />
D<br />
A<br />
E<br />
F<br />
B<br />
A<br />
Gemstone miner showing Vincent<br />
Pardieu his ruby collection in the<br />
water.<br />
C<br />
B<br />
C<br />
A regional miner searches the<br />
water for gemstones.<br />
Time for an inspection: Local<br />
Pailin unheated rubies on the<br />
left, and rubies with beryllium<br />
treatment on right.<br />
D<br />
Tour guide Vincent Pardieu<br />
inspecting a parcel of sapphires.<br />
E<br />
F<br />
Tradition honoured: The Otter and<br />
the Ruby at the Phnom Yat Temple.<br />
Gemstone deals around the<br />
breakfast table in Pailin.<br />
<strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong> | 101
Colour Gemstones Feature | MINE TO MARKET<br />
"We were able to<br />
get samples from<br />
both men and also<br />
hear stories about<br />
life as a miner."<br />
RIGHT<br />
Group photo of the gemstone<br />
mining expedition team with<br />
three Cambodian soldiers.<br />
FAR RIGHT<br />
Learning the 'tricks of the trade'<br />
from the local mining community.<br />
were in good spirits and smiled and laughed as we<br />
negotiated prices for their findings.<br />
We were able to get samples from both men and<br />
also hear stories about life as a miner. It wasn’t<br />
all laughter – we were told a horror story of a<br />
miner losing his foot. The miner once worked a<br />
job harvesting bamboo, however; he stepped on a<br />
landmine. Now, he must walk with a large stick<br />
and there are many jobs he is unable to do.<br />
Luckily, he discovered that he could earn a living<br />
as a river miner.<br />
Chanthaburi, Thailand<br />
Our journey to the Chanthaburi side of the border<br />
started at the temple on top of the Khao Ploy Waen<br />
Volcano.<br />
The name of the volcano translates as ‘mountain<br />
gemstone ring.’ The ring around the volcano is the<br />
area where you discover the gemstones.<br />
In the distant past, magma from the then-active<br />
volcano brought gemstones with it to the surface<br />
and then when the magma cooled, it turned into<br />
basalt rock.<br />
The corundum was stuck inside the new basalt,<br />
and many are etched from their exposure to the<br />
magma.<br />
In Burma, temples are constructed on top of<br />
mountains to give respect to the spirits of the<br />
mountain, prevent earthquakes, and keep the local<br />
spirits satiated during mining.<br />
Burma has many earthquakes, and the local people<br />
believe they are caused by underground snakes, so<br />
they do whatever they can to appease these spirits.<br />
This region of Thailand was settled by Burmese<br />
miners, and they brought their customs with them.<br />
As a result, Chanthaburi also has mountaintop<br />
temples. This hill and temple are sacred to the local<br />
people and therefore this hill itself has never been<br />
mined.<br />
From the top of this temple, we could see mines<br />
all around us. This was a surprise, as we had<br />
been told many times that there was no more<br />
mining in Chanthaburi.<br />
"The locals take offerings to her as a<br />
mark of gratitude for her role in guiding<br />
their ancestors to the lucrative gemstones<br />
that provided their families with wealth<br />
for generations."<br />
On our way up to the top, we met a local man who<br />
told us that there hasn’t been mining in the area in<br />
more than 20 years.<br />
Little did he know that from the top, you could see<br />
at least eight working mines if you looked toward<br />
the east!<br />
Slope of Khao Ploy Waen<br />
The first mine we visited was run by a married<br />
couple with one business partner who<br />
understood engineering.<br />
The mining land is adjacent to their home, so each<br />
year they use an excavator and dig a large hole<br />
somewhere around their house.<br />
They spend the dry season sifting through the<br />
dirt pile, eventually returning all the dirt back<br />
into the hole - minus any sapphires and rubies<br />
that they discover.<br />
This time, we participated in the mining process<br />
rather than just watching. The mine can be run<br />
with just two people - one man shooting the pile of<br />
dirt with a water hose and another person on top<br />
of the washing plant, keeping big stones out of the<br />
pulsating jig that collects the corundum.<br />
In essence, the miners want to liquify the entire<br />
pile of dirt and send it through the washing station,<br />
however; this takes time, so they attack the hill bit<br />
by bit, using recycled rainwater to spray.<br />
The miners invited us to take charge of the<br />
water hose and start liquifying the dirt mound.<br />
As the water turns to mud, it runs downhill into<br />
the washing plant where it gets sorted. The big<br />
rocks are pulled out by hand and thrown into the<br />
giant pit below.<br />
The excess water also runs into the pit, eventually<br />
returning to the top via a water pump. As we traded<br />
positions, I took a turn pulling out all the large<br />
rocks from the sliding mud so that the miner on<br />
the washing plant would have less work to do.<br />
I noticed a flash of gold that I had seen on<br />
some other rough from this mine and I pulled<br />
it out, revealing a large sapphire. It was a very<br />
satisfying feeling!<br />
Our team leader, Vincent, said he had never seen<br />
102 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
"In essence, the<br />
miners want to<br />
liquify the entire pile<br />
of dirt and send it<br />
through the washing<br />
station, however; this<br />
takes time, so they<br />
attack the hill bit by<br />
bit, using recycled<br />
rainwater to spray."<br />
B<br />
A<br />
D<br />
C<br />
A<br />
Ready to be cut and polished:<br />
Justin K Prim examines a sapphire<br />
he extracted from the mud.<br />
B<br />
Group discussion: Vincent Pardieu<br />
talks with author Kim Rix.<br />
C<br />
Reasons to smile: Vincent Pardieu<br />
negotiates prices with a happy<br />
gemstone miner by the river.<br />
D<br />
Careful inspection goes hand in<br />
hand with polishing the roughs.<br />
<strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong> | 103
Colour Gemstones Feature | MINE TO MARKET<br />
ABOVE<br />
Team work: miners search the water<br />
for gemstones as a partnership.<br />
LEFT<br />
An excavator placing pyroclastic ash<br />
dirt into the tromme as the search for<br />
gemstones continues.<br />
anyone pull a sizable sapphire out of the mud in<br />
that manner. We later purchased the gemstone for<br />
research purposes.<br />
When the pulsating jig was full, the miners turned<br />
off the water and let the washing plant empty.<br />
They began sifting through the small pebbles in<br />
the machine and pulling out all the corundum and<br />
discarding the rocks.<br />
Once finished, we washed up and met near the<br />
house. The miners looked at everything that had<br />
been recovered and showed us what had been<br />
found in the recent weeks.<br />
While looking at all the rough, we learned that there<br />
are many star sapphires in the western part of the<br />
Pailin and Chanthaburi area.<br />
These stones are large, dark, and have a high<br />
concentration of iron which causes needles and<br />
platelets to form in the stone, creating the star<br />
phenomenon.<br />
Sometimes, the needles and platelets are organised<br />
in two different directions, creating two different<br />
six-ray stars which makes a 12-ray star.<br />
Depending on the concentration of the trace<br />
elements in the stone, sometimes the two different<br />
stars are slightly different colours.<br />
In contrast on the Pailin side, there are no needles,<br />
only particles which refract light and create a silkylooking<br />
gemstone.<br />
Bon Ka Cha<br />
After purchasing our stones we jumped in the<br />
van and rode to a location known as the Bon Ka<br />
Cha mine.<br />
The soil composition of the Bon Ka Cha mine was<br />
very different than the previous mine we visited.<br />
Here, the miners were discovering gemstones in<br />
a layer of pyroclastic ash that rests a foot or two<br />
below the ground.<br />
The swampy area was underwater 100 years ago<br />
and we discovered marine evidence. Shells of all<br />
sizes littered the topsoil.<br />
"In Burma, temples are constructed on top of<br />
mountains to give respect to the spirits of the<br />
mountain, prevent earthquakes, and keep<br />
the local spirits satiated during mining. "<br />
The scale of Bon Ka Cha was huge compared to<br />
the small ‘family mine’ we had just encountered.<br />
During the day, we met the owner of the Bon Ka<br />
Cha mine – Mr Rainbow. He is a senator for the<br />
Chanthaburi government and has been a miner<br />
at this location for more than 30 years.<br />
He told us he thinks the mine has five more years<br />
of production left in it. He was also ready to start a<br />
mining operation in Pailin.<br />
Rehabilitated mine<br />
The final mine we visited was not actually a mine<br />
- it was a field that was once a mine; however, the<br />
landowners had filled in the holes and turned it<br />
into a banana plantation once the area had stopped<br />
producing gemstones.<br />
The site had been transformed into something that<br />
was still useful and profitable for the landowners.<br />
This was a great example of a conservation-friendly<br />
mining practice.<br />
The land was once used to harvest gemstones;<br />
however, it remains important for the local<br />
economy. This is a common occurrence in<br />
this part of the world.<br />
The volcanic soil that comprises the area is rich<br />
in minerals and fertile. The banana is usually the<br />
first thing to be planted after mining, as it’s useful<br />
for reconditioning the soil and preparing for future<br />
crops such as durian, papaya, and dragon fruit.<br />
This mine was our final stop for the expedition.<br />
We took our final photos and wrote down our<br />
closing notes just before a storm rolled in.<br />
All in all, it was a great trip, an eye-opening<br />
adventure, and a success. We learned a great deal,<br />
collected valuable gemstone samples, and made<br />
new friends along the way.<br />
The author would like to thank expedition<br />
leader Vincent Pardieu as well as the expedition<br />
team and camera crew: Sovanny Ly, Myriam<br />
Buduca, Alexey Yakhlakov, Kim Rix, Didier<br />
Barriere, and Anthony Methez.<br />
JUSTIN K PRIM is an American gemcutter and<br />
author. He has studied gemcutting traditions all<br />
over the world as well as attending gemology<br />
programs at GIA and AIGS. Justin has taught<br />
gemology and gemcutting at AIGS and IGT in<br />
Bangkok and he has recently published his first<br />
book, The Secret Teachings of Gemcutting. He<br />
is the founder of Faceting Apprentice, an online<br />
gemcutting school. Visit: www.justinkprim.com<br />
104 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
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BUSINESS<br />
Strategy<br />
Diving deep into the personality<br />
traits of great business leaders<br />
What does it mean to be a strong leader in a business setting?<br />
DAVID BROWN explores the common traits shared by jewellery industry trendsetters.<br />
I must confess that I’m loathed to write<br />
an article that lists the top 10 ways to do<br />
something.<br />
It seems everywhere you look online<br />
there is a ‘listicle’ of sorts that has been<br />
designed to be little more than clickbait<br />
for someone’s website.<br />
Having said that, there’s a reason this<br />
practice is so common and that’s because<br />
a good list cuts to the chase of what busy<br />
people are wanting – a summary of points<br />
and a ready-made recipe of what they can do<br />
to see fast results.<br />
I was talking with a colleague recently and<br />
we discussed what made a good manager<br />
so effective at what they did.<br />
We both agreed that it was invariably<br />
their personality traits that had made the<br />
difference, It’s that ‘certain something’ that<br />
was unique to them that helped them to<br />
respond positively in the situations that a<br />
manager must deal with.<br />
Personality is an inherently individual thing,<br />
and you can change your personality as<br />
easily as you can change the planet you live<br />
on. With that said, there are certain traits<br />
you can add to your personality to help you<br />
become a more well-rounded manager.<br />
Key traits<br />
• Open-mindedness: Being open to<br />
new ideas and perspectives can help<br />
you make informed decisions and foster<br />
a collaborative work environment. In<br />
a constantly changing world you won’t<br />
survive long without this skill.<br />
• Empathy: Understanding and valuing the<br />
emotions and perspectives of others can<br />
help you build strong relationships with<br />
your staff and foster a positive work culture.<br />
Nothing beats the ability to ‘get’ where the<br />
other person comes from.<br />
• Resilience: A good manager must be able<br />
to handle stress and adversity and bounce<br />
back from setbacks to continue leading their<br />
business effectively. This can serve as an<br />
example to those under them.<br />
• Confidence: Complete confidence in<br />
your abilities and decisions can help you<br />
inspire trust and respect from your staff and<br />
stakeholders. People follow those who show<br />
confidence in what they do.<br />
As artist Vincent van Gogh once said: “If you<br />
hear a voice within you that says ‘you cannot<br />
paint’, then by all means paint, and that<br />
voice will be silenced.”<br />
• Creativity: Creativity can help you come<br />
Being able<br />
to adapt to<br />
changing<br />
circumstances<br />
and remain<br />
flexible in your<br />
approach<br />
can help you<br />
navigate<br />
unexpected<br />
challenges and<br />
opportunities.<br />
up with innovative solutions to complex<br />
problems and challenges. This may be one<br />
of the more difficult to adopt, but where<br />
you may lack creativity yourself, the skill of<br />
encouraging outside-the-box thinking in<br />
others can be just as effective.<br />
• Emotional intelligence: Understanding<br />
and managing your own emotions and those<br />
of your staff can help you create a positive<br />
and productive work environment. We place<br />
a high value in academic intelligence and<br />
too often undervalue this skill. It can often<br />
be the more important tool.<br />
• Integrity: Honesty, ethics, and<br />
transparency are critical for building<br />
trust with your staff. To paraphrase<br />
US president John Kennedy, “you can<br />
convince the world you are in earnest,<br />
only if you are in earnest.”<br />
• Flexibility: Being able to adapt to<br />
changing circumstances and remain<br />
flexible in your approach can help you<br />
navigate unexpected challenges and<br />
opportunities. Being creative or openminded<br />
will not serve you if you don’t<br />
adopt the flexibility to implement.<br />
• Strong work ethic: Leading by example<br />
and setting high standards for yourself and<br />
your staff can help you achieve your goals<br />
106 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
Business Strategy<br />
and drive success. This is not only in terms<br />
of effort but also the spirit in which this<br />
effort is implemented.<br />
• Curiosity: Being curious and seeking out<br />
new knowledge and skills can help you stay<br />
informed about industry trends and develop<br />
your leadership skills.<br />
I’m sure there’s room for expanding this list;<br />
however, for now it’s better to be concise.<br />
No matter how good you are in any of these<br />
areas, any improvement will get you even<br />
greater rewards.<br />
Making decisions work for you<br />
If you ever wonder why some days you hit<br />
the pillow feeling absolutely exhausted even<br />
though you’ve done very little physically,<br />
spare a thought for the effort your brain has<br />
put in that day.<br />
It’s estimated the brain uses around 20<br />
per cent of our ideal daily calorie intake, or<br />
around 300-400 calories per day and it’s<br />
little wonder after a study by the University<br />
of Leicester in the UK found that we typically<br />
make around 35,000 decisions every day!<br />
No wonder we can’t wait to crawl into bed<br />
each night!<br />
Unfortunately, not all these decisions are<br />
good ones, regardless of the energy we<br />
might burn. In his 2007 book Black Swan,<br />
Nassim Nicholas Taleb details the two<br />
primary ways we make decisions.<br />
‘System one’ is immediate – which was<br />
designed to provide us with the flight of<br />
fight mentality for early survival. We didn’t<br />
always have time to study a threat coming<br />
toward us, we had to rely on intuition to<br />
quicken the process.<br />
Unfortunately, we still rely rather heavily on<br />
system one which is automatic, experiencebased,<br />
fast, and effortless. This appeals<br />
strongly to us as by instinct we enjoy<br />
exerting minimal effort!<br />
‘System two’ is cognitive – it requires us<br />
to think, to study and to apply reason. It is<br />
slower and less intuitive and consumes<br />
more time and energy which can be tiring.<br />
Add a little structure<br />
Sadly, because of the relative ease, many<br />
of us rely on the emotional responses of<br />
system one to issues which while simpler,<br />
can tap into our many biases and lead to<br />
poorer quality decision-making.<br />
A structured decision-making process<br />
can provide you with better results, or at<br />
the very least, a pathway to discovering<br />
where you have erred. Here are some<br />
of the key steps I consider important in<br />
making a structured decision.<br />
• Gather information: Unfortunately we<br />
don’t always get all the information we<br />
need before reaching a conclusion. Time<br />
can work against you in this regard but<br />
you should try to get as much together as<br />
possible within the limitations provided.<br />
• Identify the problem: You can’t fix an<br />
issue if you haven’t identified exactly what it<br />
is and what caused it.<br />
• Know the ideal outcome: How do you<br />
define a successful conclusion? What is<br />
it that you want? We can be guilty of not<br />
defining the ideal scenario leading to<br />
frustration when we can’t seem to reach a<br />
satisfactory conclusion.<br />
• Consider the options and study them: Are<br />
you being objective? Are you using system<br />
one or system two?<br />
Although this is an exercise in thought be<br />
careful to avoid creating too many options<br />
which can lead to ‘analysis’ paralysis’.<br />
• Seek advice: Is there anyone else<br />
who can provide additional input to the<br />
process? Who might have the information<br />
KEYS TO<br />
IMPROVING<br />
DECISION<br />
MAKING<br />
Visualise<br />
the outcome<br />
Envision a future<br />
where the issue is<br />
resolved.<br />
Consider and<br />
consult<br />
Consider all<br />
possible actions<br />
and speak with<br />
those ‘in the<br />
know’.<br />
Test and<br />
execute<br />
Test or trial your<br />
solutions where<br />
possible, and<br />
then execute<br />
with conviction.<br />
Review<br />
Measure the<br />
results after the<br />
decision is made<br />
and learn from<br />
the process.<br />
that you don’t have?<br />
Remember that you learn more from<br />
failure than from success. You must not<br />
allow failure to stop you, as failure builds<br />
character.<br />
• Test your assumptions: Can you trial your<br />
preferred option with minimal risk or outlay<br />
before you commit? The less risk there is in<br />
the outcome the more confidence you can<br />
approach the issue with.<br />
• Make a decision: This is sometimes<br />
the hardest part! At some point you must<br />
commit to an outcome.<br />
The more thorough your process has<br />
been the more confident you can feel<br />
about the result.<br />
• Review and evaluate: Has the correct<br />
decision been made? If not, what changes<br />
need to be implemented? Always be<br />
willing to change your mind if your original<br />
decision was wrong.<br />
As author Melissa Steginus tells us: “The<br />
review is essential to evaluation, which is<br />
essential to progress.”<br />
Although this is a simplistic approach to<br />
planning, the steps involved will give you a<br />
strong basis to systemise your approach<br />
problem-solving.<br />
Gut intuition can be a good start; however, it<br />
doesn’t provide you with all the information<br />
you need to reach an effective conclusion.<br />
Spend a little more time thinking, if<br />
nothing else the extra calories burned<br />
might just be that diet supplement you’ve<br />
been looking for!<br />
DAVID BROWN is co-founder<br />
and business mentor with Retail<br />
Edge Consultants. Learn more:<br />
retailedgeconsultants.com<br />
<strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong> | 107
BUSINESS<br />
Selling<br />
The secrets to selling jewellery to women<br />
n hat ays can e use the conentions of the ast, to benefit our businesses today<br />
BERNADETTE MCCELLELAND looks back on sales wisdom from the 1960s.<br />
I was recently preparing for a move<br />
and while cleaning out my office, I<br />
discovered a business manual that<br />
was published back in 1964 – before<br />
I even started school!<br />
The book was the original Success<br />
Motivation Institute manual, complete<br />
with transcriptions produced by Paul<br />
J Meyer. Right at the very back of the<br />
book, written by author and sales trainer<br />
Dottie Walters, was a small tab titled<br />
‘The seven secrets of selling to women.’<br />
I was immediately curious as to what<br />
information or wisdom could still be<br />
applicable today, even when applied<br />
through the lens of a bygone era.<br />
I’m sure you’ll agree that over the past six<br />
decades, perspectives on men and women<br />
in business have changed significantly!<br />
With that said, let’s examine some of<br />
the more timeless wisdom imparted<br />
by Walters.<br />
Agree with them<br />
Bruce Barton, the father of modern<br />
advertising, suggests we apply some<br />
wisdom from the Bible when selling to<br />
women – ‘agree with our adversary, early.’<br />
The book details a disagreement between<br />
a husband and wife. When the husband<br />
objects to an evening out on the town, the<br />
wife prepares his favourite dinner, grabs<br />
his coat and before he knows it, they’re off<br />
for a date!<br />
The trick, Walters suggests, is to agree<br />
with your opponent at first, so that they will<br />
relax their guard.<br />
I can imagine every self-respecting<br />
woman around the world reading this<br />
tidbit and rolling their eyes. While I think<br />
it is important to acknowledge someone’s<br />
opinions or beliefs, there is a big difference<br />
between ‘acknowledging and agreeing’ –<br />
and dare, I say it, trickery!<br />
In sales, we have to be mindful of<br />
when any customer presents a belief<br />
that we don’t agree with – and that is<br />
to respectfully push back, break the<br />
pattern and reframe that point.<br />
After all, we need to bring insight into our<br />
conversations with customers; losing that<br />
need to be ‘liked’ is the first step.<br />
Praise the customer<br />
“Praise can be used in a million ways. If<br />
you can think of the fussy woman as really<br />
being fastidious, you will be able to praise<br />
her for it. The indirect compliment is very<br />
successful,” Walters writes.<br />
“A further use of the indirect compliment<br />
is to say something nice about a woman<br />
in her hearing to someone else. When you<br />
praise a woman, she feels she has to live<br />
up to it; she doesn’t want to prove you’re<br />
wrong in your good estimate of her.”<br />
Female customers are smart, sassy, and<br />
more vocal today than ever before and that<br />
also means their ability to detect deception<br />
is more finely calibrated.<br />
We are not needy humans eager to<br />
please for the sake of pleasing, so please<br />
don’t compliment a woman for the sake<br />
of complimenting her! It’s completely<br />
inappropriate.<br />
Appreciation<br />
The book stresses the importance of<br />
gratitude, and I think we can all agree that<br />
this is timeless advice when it comes to<br />
customer service.<br />
All consumers enjoy gratitude and<br />
appreciation – it is an intrinsic motivator<br />
and has so much more value than dangling<br />
material ‘carrots’ – or relying on other<br />
people’s opinions of us.<br />
Appreciation<br />
is what holds<br />
people in their<br />
roles, partners<br />
in their<br />
relationships<br />
and customers<br />
coming back<br />
for more – male<br />
or female!<br />
A little note here or a phone call<br />
there – a pat on the back or a ‘thank<br />
you’, too. Appreciation is what holds<br />
people in their roles, partners in their<br />
relationships and customers coming<br />
back for more – male or female!<br />
Ask them to help you<br />
“Not only do women love to help, but<br />
they especially enjoy it if they have the<br />
opportunity to make a sacrifice at the<br />
same time,” Walters writes.<br />
“Now, this isn’t a sick idea! Women<br />
somehow know that one of the great<br />
pleasures of this life is the privilege<br />
of self-sacrifice.”<br />
Sadly, in my opinion, this type of<br />
thinking still has a systemic and<br />
generational influence on many women<br />
today - and indeed, men too.<br />
When you consider many senior<br />
leaders in business have grown up<br />
in family environments based on this<br />
conditioning, it is only natural that there<br />
be some unintentional and unconscious<br />
bias retained in their DNA.<br />
This may well be one of the final<br />
bastions in reaching true ‘equality’.<br />
Awareness is always the first step to<br />
changing this and breaking the bias.<br />
The times they are a-changin’<br />
At the end of the day, men and women<br />
both bring differing perspectives and<br />
values to business.<br />
When it comes to selling jewellery,<br />
there’s no need to rely on tired cliches<br />
about the differences between men and<br />
women – what works best is timeless<br />
practical advice that has proven<br />
accurate in both 1964 and <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
The residue from bygone eras is still<br />
visible; however, only time will enable<br />
that narrative to evolve.<br />
BERNADETTE MCCLELLAND is a<br />
keynote speaker, executive sales<br />
coach, and published author.<br />
Learn More: bernadettemcclelland.com<br />
108 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
BUSINESS<br />
Management<br />
Don’t be afraid to break the rules<br />
Do your employees understand the line in the sand? SHEP HYKEN encourages<br />
you to ‘break the rules’ to demonstrate your commitment to your employees.<br />
There is a significant benefit to<br />
empowering your employees to break the<br />
rules for their customers.<br />
What I mean by breaking the rules is<br />
to consider what you can do for a<br />
customer outside of the norm that<br />
doesn’t cost the business money, and<br />
isn’t illegal or immoral.<br />
It’s not about breaking any real rules<br />
– it’s about finding ways to take care<br />
of the customer that goes beyond<br />
traditional conventions.<br />
One of the concepts I often cover involves<br />
the idea of the ‘line in the sand.’ Many<br />
businesses train their employees in what<br />
they can’t do for customers. They have<br />
rules that have little or no flexibility.<br />
While it’s essential for employees to<br />
be trained on what they shouldn’t do, it<br />
may be more important to train them on<br />
what they can do. By that, I mean how far<br />
employees are allowed to go before they<br />
have to say ‘no’. I call this the line in the<br />
sand concept.<br />
You should teach the employees of your<br />
jewellery store how close they can get<br />
to this line before they’ve gone too far,<br />
because it’s this level of effort that creates<br />
loyalty from customers.<br />
For example, I have a client in the luxury<br />
vehicle market. This client has a staff that<br />
travels to dealerships to help sales staff<br />
with demanding customers they can’t<br />
seem to please. Members of this staff<br />
believe in the power of saying ‘yes’ instead<br />
of ‘no.’ They have the authority to refund<br />
the entire price of the vehicle.<br />
That’s their line in the sand – their<br />
last resort. They’re well-trained and<br />
have always found other ways to make<br />
customers happy without going too far.<br />
The key is training, but it isn’t just imparted<br />
in one educational session. It’s about<br />
continuously sharing stories of what other<br />
employees are doing to meet the needs<br />
and demands of customers, all without<br />
crossing the line in the sand.<br />
When an employee does something right,<br />
congratulate them and share the example<br />
with the rest of your store. If they do<br />
something wrong, or in other words - if<br />
they cross the line - turn it into a learning<br />
opportunity that is also shared.<br />
Routinely spreading examples helps<br />
employees recognise the hidden<br />
opportunities that will lead to a loyal<br />
customer base. Some examples of<br />
breaking the rules might be honouring a<br />
warranty that expired a month earlier – or<br />
stretching a 14-day return policy to the<br />
15th or 16th day.<br />
Customers should feel like your business<br />
is on their side and is willing to be flexible.<br />
This gives them a reason to say “I’ll be<br />
back!” And repeat sales are the lifeblood of<br />
any retail business.<br />
Time to upgrade?<br />
Many years ago, a friend shared some<br />
advice with me - it doesn’t cost much more<br />
to enjoy a first-class experience.<br />
He was referring to spending a little<br />
more in certain situations to enhance the<br />
experience. It could be a nicer hotel, a<br />
better seat in a theatre, a better cut of meat<br />
at the butcher, and more. He found that it<br />
often doesn’t cost much more to upgrade.<br />
So, I started thinking about this advice and<br />
how we can apply it to the jewellery store<br />
customer experience.<br />
Essentially, I was thinking that we can<br />
proactively give our customers a better<br />
experience by bumping our efforts up<br />
Customers<br />
should feel like<br />
your business<br />
is on their side<br />
and is willing<br />
to be flexible.<br />
This gives them<br />
a reason to say<br />
“I’ll be back!”<br />
And repeat<br />
sales are the<br />
lifeblood of any<br />
retail business.<br />
a notch. In most cases, it doesn’t cost<br />
much - if anything - to do so. The secret is<br />
applying some thought and maybe a little<br />
extra effort.<br />
A few years ago, I had the honor<br />
of working with Lexus. After the<br />
presentation, the client sent me an<br />
amazing testimonial about my speech;<br />
however, there was something else that<br />
I felt incredibly proud of. The client also<br />
wrote about the experience my staff<br />
provided. Specifically, it said, “from start<br />
to finish, you offered nothing but Lexuslike<br />
professionalism and courtesy to our<br />
program staff and dealer associates.”<br />
What did I do to deserve that accolade?<br />
Looking back, I did what most good<br />
people – or businesses – would do for<br />
their customers. I returned calls and<br />
emails quickly, I was proactive with my<br />
communication and I met deadlines. On<br />
the day of the speech, I showed up early.<br />
In short, I did everything I promised and<br />
what was expected. And none of that cost<br />
me anything extra.<br />
What is the investment to call someone<br />
back? If a customer reaches out to you<br />
via a call or email, and you intend to<br />
respond, why wait and risk frustrating<br />
the customer? You’re going to return the<br />
call or write the email anyway, so why not<br />
try to do it in a timely manner?<br />
Sometimes upgrading a customer to a<br />
first-class experience has nothing to do<br />
with money. It has to do with attention and<br />
respect. It is what you would do anyway.<br />
Being purposeful about little things that<br />
are expected and cost nothing – or next<br />
to nothing – can go a long way in getting<br />
a customer to think of your business as a<br />
first-class organisation.<br />
SHEP HYKEN is a speaker and New<br />
York Times and Wall Street Journal<br />
best-selling author who works with<br />
companies to build loyal relationships<br />
with customers and employees.<br />
Visit: hyken.com<br />
<strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong> | 109
BUSINESS<br />
Marketing & PR<br />
Perception is the name of our game<br />
How does the community around your business view your store?<br />
DAVE WAKEMAN highlights the importance of perception management.<br />
For the past several months,<br />
jewellery retailers have been dealing<br />
with an environment dominated by<br />
uncertain signals.<br />
These include warnings of a potential<br />
recession that are stacked on top of the<br />
ongoing impact of increasing cost-ofliving<br />
pressures.<br />
The major challenge faced by many<br />
business owners is that these confusing<br />
signals have led to decreasing sales while<br />
jewellers plan for demand challenges.<br />
This is brought about by declining levels of<br />
engagement, changing consumer buying<br />
habits, and increased competition.<br />
This leaves business owners with a<br />
simple question: “How do we navigate<br />
these circumstances?”<br />
There isn’t an easy answer to this question,<br />
or a straightforward proposal to consider.<br />
Instead, I encourage you to consider the<br />
importance of perception, which is at the<br />
heart of all business.<br />
What do I mean by perception?<br />
Think about perception as a<br />
management tool that you can use to<br />
frame your business, the products you<br />
sell, and the services you provide in the<br />
best possible light.<br />
Why does this matter? <strong>Jeweller</strong>y, watches,<br />
and accessories are designed to enhance<br />
our natural beauty.<br />
<strong>Jeweller</strong>y specifically creates a presence,<br />
and occasionally a sense of mystique.<br />
My suggestion is that you create the same<br />
atmosphere for your business. Focus on<br />
emotions: The saying ‘emotion makes<br />
people move’ is accurate. It is truer<br />
when we see people make purchases of<br />
jewellery and watches.<br />
For example, I use a Mont Blanc pen. It is<br />
big, heavy, and beautiful, however; it’s not<br />
easy to write with for long stretches. Why<br />
do I use it then?<br />
The reason I use this pen is that I want to<br />
give the impression that I’m the kind of<br />
person that casually carries a Mont Blanc!<br />
My purchase has been driven by emotion<br />
and is motivated by the perception of those<br />
around me.<br />
Focus on positives<br />
Consider the tagline of Swiss watch<br />
company Edox – ‘Timing for Champions’.<br />
To the company’s target market, this<br />
suggests that their watches aren’t<br />
concerned with simply telling the time -<br />
they’re focused on success.<br />
After all, if you want to tell the time, your<br />
phone does a fine job of that!<br />
The message this marketing sends is that<br />
if you want to be seen as a ‘champion”,<br />
Edox is the brand for you.<br />
Even in the worst economic environment,<br />
there are still positives in people’s lives –<br />
moments worth celebrating. Your business<br />
should reflect this reality and the role your<br />
products play in marking those moments.<br />
Want another example?<br />
You’ve likely heard about the ‘engagement<br />
gap’ occurring as fallout from the COVID-<br />
Think about<br />
perception as a<br />
management<br />
tool that you<br />
can use to<br />
frame your<br />
business, the<br />
products you<br />
sell, and the<br />
services you<br />
provide in the<br />
best possible<br />
light.<br />
pandemic lockdowns continues. Fewer<br />
people are getting engaged.<br />
With that said, couples are still renewing<br />
their vows - maybe they want to refresh<br />
their rings?<br />
Even in a situation where consumer sales<br />
are declining, we still witness people<br />
spending their money on fashion and<br />
accessories. That’s a significant positive<br />
phenomenon for the jewellery industry.<br />
As jewellery retailers, we should be<br />
highlighting the way our products enhance<br />
special occasions so that any perception of<br />
‘nice to have’ becomes ‘a necessity’.<br />
Remember the power of the ‘evergreen’:<br />
some products are likely to stand the test<br />
of time. Your business should invest in<br />
those kinds of offerings. Every woman I<br />
know loves a pair of pearl earrings!<br />
The rise of the Apple Watch has renewed<br />
many people’s enthusiasm for and interest<br />
in watches. Apple has renewed the<br />
perception of the public that watches are<br />
an important staple of any outfit.<br />
Recently, I had a colleague mention<br />
that, “My Rolex isn’t a timepiece, it’s a<br />
symbol.” It’s a symbol of wealth, power,<br />
and importance. These are all matters<br />
of perception!<br />
The point to remember is that no matter<br />
the economic environment, we still have<br />
the power to control the perception of our<br />
stores, our products, and our services to<br />
our target market.<br />
You can control the actions taken to<br />
create the impression that your jewellery,<br />
watches, and accessories are items that<br />
are timeless, important, and valuable.<br />
It’s all a matter of perception and during<br />
uncertain times, it becomes more<br />
important than ever that your business is<br />
viewed the right light.<br />
DAVE WAKEMAN is a consultant, writer,<br />
and teacher who believes in profits in<br />
business and not promises. Learn more:<br />
www.davewakeman.com<br />
110 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
BUSINESS<br />
Logged On<br />
Turn your negative reviews into positive experiences<br />
Even the best businesses must deal with negative feedback from time to time.<br />
DALE FURTWENGLER elains ho you can aoid maing a bad situation orse ith conict resolution<br />
In the jewellery trade, customers can be<br />
fickle and difficult to please. These same<br />
customers often have no issue airing<br />
their grievances online either, which can<br />
be heart-breaking for store owners and<br />
hard-working sales staff.<br />
Over the years I’ve been asked on numerous<br />
occasions to do a program on conflict<br />
resolution; however, I’ve always refused.<br />
It’s too late - conflict already exists! Instead,<br />
I offer a program on conflict prevention. In<br />
other words, I prefer getting ahead of the<br />
curve. Why wait for a problem to surface to<br />
fix it when you can avoid the problem?<br />
It’s important to remember that nothing<br />
works 100 per cent of the time. There must<br />
be a party on the other side of the potential<br />
conflict who also desires to avoid conflict. If<br />
someone is begging for a fight, there’s little<br />
that can be done to avoid conflict other than<br />
walking away.<br />
Any retailer knows that sometimes you<br />
have no choice but to deal with one of<br />
these kinds of difficult customers. With<br />
that said, consider the following pointers<br />
on preventing unhappy customers from<br />
spreading their negativity to others.<br />
Disagreement<br />
It’s important to learn how to disagree with<br />
someone without creating resistance that<br />
could escalate to conflict.<br />
Our natural tendency when we disagree<br />
with someone is to use facts and logic to<br />
show them the error of their thinking. None<br />
of us likes admitting we’re wrong because<br />
we fear losing the trust and confidence<br />
others have in us, so we resist.<br />
The more we resist the more adamant the<br />
other party becomes in proving us wrong<br />
until the exchange devolves into conflict.<br />
You can avoid this potential for conflict by<br />
asking questions such as:<br />
• How does that work when…?<br />
• What would happen if…?<br />
• How would that work in this [situation]?<br />
• Is it true that…?<br />
• Could we…?<br />
By adding these simple phrases to the<br />
beginning of whatever you were going<br />
to say, you avoid disagreeing with what<br />
the person said. Instead, you ask an<br />
exploratory question.<br />
The result is that the person reflects<br />
on their thinking and, if you’re correct<br />
in your thinking, hopefully reaches the<br />
same conclusion you have with the added<br />
advantage that they validate their new<br />
conclusion with their own experiences.<br />
Not only is conflict avoided with this<br />
approach, but the other person is also<br />
more likely to embrace your idea and act<br />
on it because they’ve validated it with their<br />
experiences. There is one other element<br />
that is essential to the success of this<br />
approach. You must be willing to consider<br />
that you’re wrong in your assessment of<br />
the situation.<br />
When the response to your question<br />
indicates that you have overlooked a key<br />
element to the solution, you have to be<br />
willing to acknowledge that and embrace<br />
the other person’s position.<br />
Acknowledge your contribution<br />
As you find your interaction with others<br />
devolving into conflict, take a moment to<br />
reflect on how this tension has arisen.<br />
Ask yourself: How have I contributed to<br />
this escalation? If applicable, readily admit<br />
your contribution to the problem. The<br />
majority of the time you’ll find that the<br />
walls of defense crumble and the other<br />
party will say “I could have handled that<br />
better myself.”<br />
None of us likes<br />
admitting we’re<br />
wrong because<br />
we fear losing<br />
the trust and<br />
confidence<br />
others have in<br />
us, so we resist.”<br />
The result is an avoidance of conflict with<br />
the added bonuses of a mutually agreeable<br />
solution and a retained, if not strengthened,<br />
relationship with the other party.<br />
Suspending judgment<br />
Many conflicts arise because we judge what<br />
someone has done as either good or bad. We<br />
may even have extended that judgment to the<br />
person.<br />
These judgements are emotional reactions<br />
that cannot be prevented; they occur<br />
automatically in response to what we’re<br />
experiencing.<br />
When you feel yourself judging others or<br />
what they’ve done, take a moment.<br />
Allow the emotion to subside - this will<br />
enable you to suspend judgment so that you<br />
can deal with the person in a manner that is<br />
respectful, yet enables you to set boundaries<br />
on what behaviours are acceptable and<br />
which are not.<br />
Training yourself to suspend judgment not<br />
only helps you avoid conflict, it creates an<br />
attitude of mutual respect and consideration<br />
for all parties involved.<br />
Deflected pain<br />
Earlier, I mentioned situations in which one<br />
party is spoiling for a fight. I suggested that<br />
you may have to walk away to avoid conflict.<br />
Before you walk away, realise that many<br />
people who are wanting to fight, or inflict<br />
emotional pain upon you, are in pain<br />
themselves. They are deflecting their own<br />
pain in hopes of mitigating it.<br />
Remember that with practice your mind<br />
will be capable of moving through these<br />
resolution tactics with lightning speed.<br />
Once you’ve identified which of these will<br />
help you avoid conflict, employ it. You’ll be<br />
thrilled with the result.<br />
DALE FURTWENGLER is a public<br />
speaker, author, and the founder of<br />
Teaching Confidence.<br />
Learn more: teachingconfidence.com<br />
<strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong> | 111
My Bench<br />
James Andrews<br />
James Andrews <strong>Jeweller</strong><br />
Age 43 • Years in Trade 27 • Training <strong>Jeweller</strong>y apprenticeship • First job Chris Andrews <strong>Jeweller</strong>s • ther aifiations Matrix Gold and Rhino Gold CAD designer<br />
SIGNATURE PIECE<br />
DIAMOND AND PLATINUM BANGLE.<br />
The customer came to me with the five large diamonds that<br />
are at the centre of the bangle. The diamond split band worked<br />
out perfectly and then came the construction of the hinged box<br />
clasp and then the magical ‘8’ clasp ensuring extra security.<br />
The remaining smalls were supplied and set by myself. I<br />
absolutely loved the outcome and it fit perfectly for the client<br />
while showcasing the diamonds. That’s what a true bespoke is –<br />
a handmade piece showcasing high skill and finesse.<br />
4FAVOURITE GEMSTONE Spinel.<br />
4FAVOURITE METAL Yellow gold and platinum.<br />
4FAVOURITE TOOL Saw frame.<br />
4BEST NEW TOOL DISCOVERY Nothing I can really<br />
think of – old tools are always new tools when<br />
they’re well respected.<br />
4BEST PART OF THE JOB My customers.<br />
4WORST PART OF THE JOB<br />
Nothing at all – seriously.<br />
4BEST TIP FROM A JEWELLER There’s too many<br />
to list, but many thanks to my father – Chris<br />
Andrews – and my fellow jewellers Tony Walker<br />
and Dan Shadwick for everything they’ve taught<br />
me. Much respect.<br />
4BEST TIP TO A JEWELLER Always be honest,<br />
and never be lazy.<br />
4BIGGEST HEALTH CONCERN ON THE BENCH<br />
Eyesight!<br />
4LOVE JEWELLERY BECAUSE It’s genius creative<br />
art if you’re talented.<br />
112 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
OPINION<br />
Soapbox<br />
How do you remain relevant in the modern<br />
world as a traditional family jeweller?<br />
The jewellery trade has deep roots. IRENE DEUTSCH says that while traditional is important,<br />
it’s vital that your business changes with the times.<br />
The world of retail can be an everchanging<br />
beast presenting the typical<br />
jeweller with constant challenges.<br />
Cast your mind back over the past decade<br />
and reflect on the increasing impact social<br />
media, digital devices, and the internet have<br />
had on the way which we conduct business.<br />
Consider changes in consumer sentiment<br />
and the rise in popularity of large luxury<br />
brands, just to name a few key shifts in<br />
the landscape.<br />
This leaves us with an important question:<br />
how does a business remain relevant?<br />
This is a challenge that my business –<br />
Fairfax & Roberts – has faced for 165 years.<br />
It’s a challenge I’m sure you’re more than<br />
familiar with given the nature of the trade.<br />
Running a jewellery store involves many<br />
long, hard hours of work each week.<br />
For independent stores, many of them<br />
family-owned, finding the balance<br />
between completing orders, dealing with<br />
customers, and negotiating with suppliers<br />
can be all-encompassing.<br />
This schedule leaves little time to stay<br />
ahead of the latest trends, study emerging<br />
technologies, and stay ahead of the game!<br />
Staying relevant is not an easy challenge,<br />
however; in my opinion, it comes down to<br />
a few core principles.<br />
Trust is paramount<br />
Trust is everything in the jewellery<br />
industry – whether it be the relationship<br />
between retailers and suppliers,<br />
storeowners and employees, or the<br />
business and its customers.<br />
Making your customers your number one<br />
priority is something many business experts<br />
speak of, however; few mention why it’s such<br />
an important consideration.<br />
We know that purchasing jewellery is a<br />
personal and emotional experience, and the<br />
foundation of that experience is the trust<br />
customers place in a business.<br />
Modern consumers increasingly come<br />
from a default position of distrust, and the<br />
costs of rebuilding trust with a disheartened<br />
customer can be significant.<br />
While the consequences of losing trust are<br />
often immediately visible, the hidden effects<br />
are long-term. In an environment of distrust<br />
and increasing competition, businesses<br />
must elevate the importance of trust.<br />
An important aspect of the longevity of<br />
our business has been our loyal customer<br />
base, who have a firm understanding and<br />
appreciation of who we are and what we do.<br />
That cannot be jeopardised!<br />
Bespoke beauty is timeless<br />
Irrespective of their age, all of our<br />
customers choose us because of the<br />
bespoke experience they receive at<br />
Fairfax & Roberts. Our staff make it a<br />
priority to willingly share their knowledge to<br />
educate clients about everything that goes<br />
into making their special piece.<br />
The customer will receive something not<br />
only beautiful but also meaningful and<br />
personal; the ability to be creative and<br />
own something that is unique is what sets<br />
us apart from the suppliers of massproduced<br />
jewellery.<br />
The passion for this kind of meaningful<br />
jewellery isn’t going away anytime soon.<br />
There is still a strong appreciation for<br />
artisanal craftsmanship – the fact that<br />
we continue to use traditional techniques<br />
that have been used for hundreds of years<br />
is very special.<br />
Authenticity<br />
Our staff take pride in creating beautiful<br />
jewellery, providing exceptional customer<br />
service and demonstrating a deep<br />
commitment to our customers.<br />
This is reflected in the trust customers in<br />
turn place in our business, and believe me,<br />
An important<br />
aspect of the<br />
longevity of our<br />
business has<br />
been our loyal<br />
customer base,<br />
who have a firm<br />
understanding<br />
and<br />
appreciation<br />
of who are and<br />
what we do.<br />
That cannot be<br />
jeaopardised!<br />
when a business is operating without that<br />
authenticity, customers know it.<br />
Just as you should never try to be someone<br />
you’re not, a business should not try to be<br />
something it isn’t.<br />
A genuine desire to create jewellery<br />
which symbolises memories that will last<br />
generations attracts customers of all<br />
ages and backgrounds.<br />
At times, it’s difficult for even the most<br />
motivated jewellers to stay engaged with<br />
their work, however; you can’t afford to<br />
let that impact how your customers view<br />
your business.<br />
Choose to remain relevant<br />
While we're proud of our heritage and<br />
traditions, we're constantly innovating and<br />
adapting to stay ahead of the curve.<br />
We keep up to date with the latest trends<br />
and technologies and communicate with all<br />
of the generations that we deal with in the<br />
format they prefer to be dealt with.<br />
We don’t stick our heads in the sand with<br />
regard to any trend! Everything is worthy of<br />
some consideration, so long as it doesn’t<br />
betray any of the aforementioned values.<br />
Choosing to remain relevant is an active<br />
decision we make each day. It’s a decision I<br />
encourage every jeweller to make, because<br />
the alternative is falling behind the times.<br />
I am proud to say that through the above<br />
principles, we have generations of<br />
families continuing to visit us when the<br />
time comes to mark a special occasion<br />
with fine jewellery.<br />
As long as they are all happy with the<br />
outcome, so are we!<br />
Name: Irene Deutsch<br />
Business: Fairfax & Roberts<br />
Position: Owner and managing director<br />
Location: Sydney, NSW<br />
Years in the industry: 3<br />
114 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
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