Jeweller - August 2023

10 Years Ago
Time Machine: August 2013
A snapshot of the industry events making headlines this time 10 years ago in Jeweller.
Historic Headlines
4 Questions surround diamond trading scheme
4 oie ra ae eweery otfit
4 Registration hits new high for jewellery fair
4 Jewellery gang busted
4 Swarovski Gems makes jewellery fair debut
Karin Adcock shock return
to jewellery industry
In a surprise move, Karin Adcock, the
former president of Pandora Australia,
has announced her return to the Australian
jewellery industry.
In keeping with her own, and Pandora’s Danish
heritage, Adcock’s new company, House of
Brands has acquired the distribution rights to
three Danish brands – Julie Sandlau, byBiehl
and X by Trollbeads.
X by Trollbeads is a completely new
product line and differs from its normal
charm and bracelet range. But the shock
announcement is sure to cause a stir in
Australia and New Zealand, because not
only is Trollbeads a direct competitor to
Pandora, Trollbeads already has a local
supplier in RJ Scanlan & Co.
Jewellery fair celebrates past,
present and future
The Sydney International Jewellery Fair
has unveiled many highlights in its 22-year
history, and organisers say this year will
be no exception after making a number of
changes and additions to the event.
Expertise Events managing director Gary Fitz-
Roy told Jeweller that it was important for the
fair – which runs from Sunday 1 September to
Tuesday 3 September – to grow and evolve with
the industry. He said plans for 2013 were made
with this in mind.
“This year we have a dedicated Opal Pavilion,
Gemstones Pavilion, and a Watch & Clock
Pavilion,” he said, adding, “of course, the
presence of Swarovski Gems and the Gem
Visions 2014 official release with fashion parades
will add a new dimension not seen before.”
August 2013
ON THE COVER Designa
Editor’s Desk
4There’s life in dead stock yet
“His aim was to turn all that dead stock
into cash, no matter what he had to do,
which would mean at least some revenue
was coming in. If successful, he’ll also
have cleared up his inventory for when
the bad times break. His mantra? Cash
is king! He started by using dead stock
as promotional giveaways in the hope
of stimulating sales of newer and more
valuable stock, and has avoided the need
to discount the new items.”
Soapbox
4 Free storage ain’t what it used to be
“So, why did this CAD company want to
sting me with this additional charge? I
can only assume it was to discourage
me from taking my files to another
company. Why not just offer great
customer service so I wouldn’t be
tempted? I wasn’t even using them
exclusively, anyway!
Well, when I asked them, part of their
explanation was, “it costs money to
store these things on computers, you
know …” That’s strange because I can
buy a 4TB hard drive (that would store
680 of my average-size files) for $179."
Peter Bakker - Bakker Diamonds
STILL RELEVANT 10 YEARS ON
Paying the premium
“For a global industry constantly looking
for a marketing edge, four Cs were never
going to be enough. In recent times, canny
marketers have seized on the concept,
expanding it to include five, six and even
seven Cs as they hunt for ways to entice
consumers, but interpretations of these
extra Cs differ wildly.” – Nick Fairburn
Pop star in jewellery battle
The UK Government has attempted to stop
American singer Kelly Clarkson from
taking a ring, once owned by author Jane
Austen, out of the country.
According to BBC News, the inaugural
American Idol winner purchased the
turquoise and gold ring at an auction last
year for more than £150,000 (A$259,000).
But the government, in an attempt to keep
the jewellery item in the UK, has now
placed a temporary export ban on the piece.
Culture Minister Ed Vaizey has reportedly
asked for alternative buyers to step forward
and match the price set by Clarkson. They
will have until Monday 30 September to
make an offer. The ring is believed to be one
of only three jewellery pieces owned by the
19th century author.
Jewellers caught in pricefixing
scam
A Chinese authority has imposed penalties
on five jewellery businesses in Shanghai, as
well as a local trade association, for alleged
price-fixing practices.
According to China News Service, the National
Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)
fined the retailers 10.1 million yuan (A$1.8m)
after investigations found they had manipulated
the retail prices of gold jewellery products.
The penalty is said to be equivalent to about
one per cent of the five jewellers’ annual sales.
The Shanghai Gold & Jewelry Trade
Association (GJTAS) was also reportedly fined
500,000 yuan (about A$88,800) for supporting
the price-fixing.
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34 | August 2023