Jeweller - September 2023

News
Jewellery Industry Network: Directors resigned, court case details remain unknown
Laura Moore, managing director of Jewellery
Industry Network (JIN) has distributed a statement
correcting misleading claims and information about
an upcoming trade show.
According to Moore’s email, a promotional
brochure was produced by JIN in May 2022
promoting the Jewellery Industry Fair (JIF)
scheduled for August 2023.
When Low was contacted to confirm his
resignation from the company, he was most
surprised and asserted that he was unaware of,
and had not read, the story about Federal Court
legal proceedings and Moore’s email.
He confirmed that he had resigned as director of
JIN, and stated that he “didn’t want to be dragged
into anyone else’s mess.”
The brochure contained numerous claims about
the event that appeared to be either misleading or
deceptive - which JIN has now corrected.
According to the JIN website, Moore is the
managing director of the company - the
organiser of JIF - along with directors Andy
Phanthapangna, and founders Brett Low, and
Ewen Ryley.
Low and Ryley own Jewellers Co., a Facebook
page formerly known as Young Jewellers Group.
Moore’s email attempts to clarify statements made
in the May promotional brochure and ‘track record’.
The email reads as an acknowledgement that
the brochure incorrectly gave the impression
that Moore/JIN had previously organised a
jewellery fair in Sydney.
The email reads: “JIN would like to clarify the
following in connection with the brochure.”
“JIN has never conducted a jewellery trade show
or fair in Sydney. The Sydney Fair will be JIN’s first
jewellery trade show or fair to be held in Sydney.
"The track record referred to in the brochure was a
reference to the Melbourne Fair record.”
Out-of-court settlement
Jeweller has contacted Moore multiple times to
confirm whether or not her email was in response
to a legal dispute and/or legal proceedings.
When contacted on 7 August, Moore indicated that
she would provide background information to her
industry email; however, she has since declined
multiple invitations to offer comment.
It appears that Moore’s email clarifying misleading
statements was in response to legal action by
Expertise Events.
When contacted about the matter, a legal
spokesperson for Expertise Events said, “Our client
was the applicant in proceedings which were set
down for hearing on 19 July 2023.
“Federal Court proceedings are a matter of public
record [and which] on that date the court made
orders dismissing the proceedings by consent.”
When proceedings are dismissed by consent
it generally means it was ‘settled out-ofcourt’.
It involves a legally binding agreement
Jeweller has discovered that two of the four JIN directors -
Brett Low and Ewen Ryley - have resigned from the company.
between parties involved in a legal dispute and is
approved by the court.
The spokesperson added, “Our client makes no
comment in relation to your statement that you
have been supplied with an email distributed by
Laura Moore.”
The Federal Court of Australia records a case
number (NSD840/2022) listed in September
2022 showing the Jewellery Industry Network
as a respondent in a ‘misleading or deceptive
conduct’ proceedings.
The Commonwealth Courts Portal records the
Federal Court hearing as "Finalised - Dismissed
By Consent" on 19 July. Moore's industry email is
dated 7 days later - 26 July.
Resignation surprise
Jeweller later discovered that two of the four
supposed JIN directors - Brett Low and Ewen
Ryley - have resigned from the company.
Low is a director of Deer Honey Jewellery in
Queensland while Ryley is the creative director of
Ryley Jewellery Creations also in Queensland.
Both had been directors of JIN since the
company was formed in September 2020.
They are also directors of Young Jewellers Group,
a private company that runs the Facebook page
now known as Jewellers Co.
When Jeweller contacted Ryley concerning the
article, he seemed to be aware of the report and
confirmed that he'd resigned as a director of JIN.
Low asked for the article to be emailed to him and
agreed that if there were any further questions they
should be included in the email.
Questions left unanswered
The following day Low wanted to clarify his
earlier comments about the ‘mess’, saying he
was not referring to JIN or JIF.
“I don’t work for JIN in any way. Nor did I
have anything to do with the court case or the
advertising you’re referring to.”
In a subsequent email, Low said that he left
on great term: “I fully support JIN and JIF in
their Endeavor’s [sic] even though I chose to
move away from that business and focus on my
jewellery business”.
Ryley said he left for “personal reasons”. Australian
Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
records show that Low and Ryley resigned on
exactly the same day - 1 May 2023, more than three
months ago.
They were both asked if they could explain why they
still appear on the JIN website as directors as of
11 August - approximately 14 weeks later. At the
time of publication, Ryley did not offer comment;
however, Low offered an explanation.
“Removing myself from the website wasn’t a priory
[sic] for me. I hadn’t looked into it at all. It has now
been done,” Low said.
It is worth noting that Low and Ryley were directors
at the time the ‘offending’ marketing brochure was
produced and distributed in May 2022.
The only thing I want to say is that everything is all
good. We still have a great relationship with them
[Jewellery Industry Network].”
With that said, Jeweller sought clarification as to
whether they both approved the brochure which
resulted in legal proceedings in the Federal Court.
“I don’t work for JIN in any way. Nor did I have
anything to do with the court case or the advertising
you’re referring to,” Low said.
Ryley did not comment. As mentioned, Jeweller
attempted to clarify details related to that court
case; however, Moore was not forthcoming
with this information.
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