Jeweller - May 2024

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News Jewellery Fair: Special visitors from US heading to Sydney Australasia’s largest jewellery industry buying group, Nationwide Jewellers, has confirmed that a delegation of buyers from the US will attend the upcoming International Jewellery Fair (IJF) in Sydney. In 2022, Nationwide Jewellers partnered with the Independent Jewelers Organization (IJO) and the Company of Master Jewellers (CMJ) to form the Global Jewellers Network. The group's purpose was to share resources for the betterment of members in each organisation, with the IJO based in the US and CMJ in the UK and Ireland. In a new development, it’s been confirmed that 22 members from the IJO will visit the International Jewellery Fair in Sydney on August 17-19. The IJF will take place at the International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Darling Harbour. The group will be led by IJO owner and chairman Jeff Roberts. Nationwide general manager Glen Pocklington said the visit will be an opportunity to exchange of ideas, particularly regarding marketing strategy. “We know that our members benefit greatly from sharing their ideas and challenges with one another, so we’re really looking forward to seeing what conversations take place when we bring a group of independent jewellers from different parts of the US into the room,” he told Jeweller. Once inside the Nationwide area of the Sydney Fair, IJO members will participate in exclusive workshops and meet with preferred suppliers alongside local members. Pocklington said this was just the beginning of the partnership between the three groups: “Including the Company of Master Jewellers, we anticipate further collaborative ventures between our three buying groups.” Combined, the three groups represent more than 1,500 independent jewellery stores in nine countries. Jeweller’s 2024 State of the Industry Report documented Nationwide Jewellers as the largest buying group in Australia, with 299 members accounting for 337 stores. One year later: Arrests made over Canadian gold robbery Nine people are facing charges over the largest theft of gold in Canada’s history, which occurred more than 12 months ago at an international airport in Toronto. Authorities confirmed that 6,600 gold bars worth more than $CAN20 million ($AUD22.66 million) and $CAN2.5 million ($AUD28.32 million) in foreign currencies were stolen. The gold was melted down and used to purchase illegal firearms. Misleading advertising: Diamond industry’s war of words The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled against a lab-created diamond company following a complaint about misleading advertising. The Natural Diamond Council (NDC) filed a complaint with the ASA about an advertising campaign for Skydiamond, which debuted in February 2023. The ad featured claims such as “Say hello to the world’s first and only diamond made entirely from the sky” and “We make diamonds using four natural ingredients, the sun, the wind, rain and something we have too much of, atmospheric carbon.” The NDC complaint concerned a lack of clarity around whether the diamonds were natural or lab-created. “Our top priority is to be a resource for the consumer to educate, inspire and instil confidence to assure them that they can trust the product they are investing in, whether it’s a natural diamond or a laboratory-grown diamond,” CEO David Kellie told Yahoo. Skydiamond argued that because the advertising makes it clear the diamonds are not mined, it did not require terminology such as ‘synthetic’. The ASA ruled that Skydiamond’s marketing was misleading. The ruling states, “The ASA considered that consumers would understand the word ‘diamond’ in isolation to mean a mineral consisting of crystallised carbon that was naturally occurring.” Among those charged are an Air Canada warehouse employee and a former Air Canada manager who gave investigators a tour of the facility at Pearson International Airport after the theft. A jewellery store owner has also been charged. Authorities have asserted that a truck driver arrived at the cargo warehouse with a fraudulent bill provided to an airline warehouse attendant. A bill for seafood collected the day before was used to pick up the gold. "This story is a sensational one and which probably, we jokingly say, belongs in a Netflix series," Peel regional police chief Nishan Duraiappah told The Guardian. Five suspects were arrested in Canada and released on bail pending trial. One suspect from Ontario was arrested in Pennsylvania. Warrants have been issued for the remaining three suspects. “We considered that while some consumers may have been aware that synthetic diamonds could be manufactured or created in a laboratory, many would not.” It continued: “We, therefore, considered that ads for synthetic diamonds needed to make clear the nature of the product in order to avoid misleading consumers.” Skydiamond is owned by Ecotricity founder Dale Vince. He responded to the ruling by calling it baseless and a ‘mistake’. “This complaint is not based on actual confusion on the part of the customer; it comes from the trade body for diamond mining companies. It is an attempt to use the ASA for anti-competitive purposes, and it is utterly baseless,” he said in a social media post. A spokesperson for Skydiamond said the company intends to appeal the ruling. 16 | May 2024
News Miranda Kerr named as new global ambassador for Michael Hill International Michael Hill International (MHI) has named Miranda Kerr as its first global ambassador. The company recently revealed details of a ‘brand revitalisation’, including a new logo and a rollout of new designs at stores. MHI has now gone a step further, announcing an 18-month partnership with the iconic Australian model. Kerr will be featured in Michael Hill’s latest advertising campaign, promotional activities, brand events, and marketing campaigns. “This partnership is so special to me because one of my first photoshoots in my career was with Michael Hill over 20 years ago,” Kerr said. “I’m proud to support Michael Hill in the next chapter of its journey, just like they supported me all those years ago.” She continued: “This next chapter in the brand is super exciting as they continue to create beautiful, sentimental jewellery that captures the meaningful moments. I love the campaign and the brand’s new elevated direction.” Kerr began modelling as a teenager and rose to fame in 2007 as a Victoria’s Secret Angel. She has previously worked as a brand ambassador for David Jones and recently launched a range of skincare products. In an interview with The Australian, CEO Daniel Bracken said the appointment of Kerr was an important step in the company’s rebranding efforts, and said he was optimistic about the path ahead. “I’m positive for the future. It’s still tough right now, but when you extrapolate the trends we’re seeing, certainly in Canada or Australia, we feel FY25 will be a reasonably good year for us,” he said. “The whole aspirational journey that we’ve been on for the last three years has been about targeting a more aspirational customer. They’ve got a higher spending power. We’re capturing more of that segment of the market, and we’re really happy with that.” There are 141 Michael Hill stores in Australia. The retailer also operates stores in New Zealand and Canada. Australia’s Longest Operating Watch Company Classiquewatches.com Become a stockist today 02 9290 2199
Page 1 and 2: VOICE OF THE AUSTRALIAN JEWELLERY I
Page 3: Twelve single Argyle Pink Diamonds
Page 7 and 8: Become a stockist today 02 9290 219
Page 9 and 10: WHY ARE SO MANY JEWELLERY RETAILERS
Page 11 and 12: Editor’s Desk Social media: Is th
Page 14 and 15: News Michael Hill outlines plans fo
Page 18 and 19: News Unique opportunity to explore
Page 20 and 21: News The world’s largest diamond
Page 22 and 23: Australia’s #1 Jewellery Director
Page 24 and 25: 10 Years Ago Time Machine: May 2014
Page 26 and 27: Behind every gemstone, there is a f
Page 28 and 29: ADDENDUM TO THE 2024 STATE OF THE I
Page 30 and 31: 2024 STATE OF THE INDUSTRY REPORT J
Page 32 and 33: CELEBRATING Local Talent MATTHEW EL
Page 34 and 35: 34 | May 2024
Page 36 and 37: CLARTE GEMIINI BANGLE & EARRINGS CA
Page 38 and 39: MEJURI PATRA DIAMOND BRACELET & HOO
Page 40 and 41: TIFFANY & CO. HARDWARE BRACELET ATH
Page 42 and 43: BUSINESS Strategy How do you get yo
Page 44 and 45: BUSINESS Selling Customers need hel
Page 46 and 47: BUSINESS Marketing & PR Deepen your
Page 48 and 49: My Bench Shay Daly Artisans Bespoke
Page 50 and 51: OPINION Soapbox Change is hard at f
Page 52: SAMS GROUP AUSTRALIA Sapphire Dream

Jeweller - May 2024

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