SA Jewellery News (SAJN) • August 2023 • Jewellex Issue

JPPE is a Cape Town-based family business servicing the jewellery industry since 1966. Our passion for gemstones and jewellery inspires us to create stunning designs for locals and tourists.

From Big Five-inspired jewellery to elegant pieces inspired by Africa to classic jewellery staples, we offer an impressive selection of designs set in a rainbow of colours and a broad selection of loose gemstones.

At JPPE, we have developed one of South Africa's most expansive ranges of tanzanite jewellery. Catering for all tastes, we pride ourselves in developing quality ranges that align with global trends.

All of our jewellery is made in South Africa and is backed by a 100% service guarantee. Our vast range of styling can be ordered using a variety of gemstones in 9ct, 14ct, or 18ct solid gold.

CAD technology has revolutionized the way we create bespoke jewellery. Our clients are also invited to bring their customers' ideas for us to design and manufacture to their precise specifications.

With the innovation of CAD designing and years of expertise from our masterful artisans, we can offer you craftsmanship on par with international standards.

Director

WE RESHAPE VALUE WITH EVERY GRANULE

There was a time when value in the industry was measured only in purity, and weight, but today provenance and ethical background play an important part in value. Which is why we are always evolving how we source our metal. Our commitment to responsible business practices and sourcing, allow us to not only preserve our business, but our people, product and planet.

Responsibly mined Zambian emeralds and Mozambican rubies.

WOMEN RUN THE SHOW IN OUR LABORATORY

Bridgette was the first of our ladies to don acid-resistant overalls and learn the refining process. By our reckoning she must have been the first female refiner in South Africa!

Zelpha was the next to prove herself skilful at turning scrap metal into its purest form, followed by Agnes and Patricia. Production control is ably prepared by Dolly. They have

all truly mastered their craft, and have shown excellence in the quality, speed and efficiency of their work. Overseeing all our lovely ladies is Jolandie who now sits on CPM’s Board of Directors alongside Olga and Cami, founder Sharon, and our one and only gentlemanMalcolm. CPM is so proud to be playing our part to help shatter the glass ceiling!

15. NEWS

• Botswana inks new deal with De Beers

• 50 years of Inhorgenta

• Cape Precious Metals hosts Free State networking event

• CIBJO and BAO announce significant new partnership

• Strong Gemfields auction signals rebound in ruby market

21. JEWELLEX AFRICA 2023

The countdown to Jewellex has begun

23. JEWELLEX AFRICA

2023: FLOOR PLAN

24. TRADE SHOW GUIDE

Successful exhibition planning

28. A WORLD OF COLOUR

MetCon partners with Invicon to bring a new colour design technology to South Africa

32. RETAILING 101

Prepping for the holiday season

34. BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Exceptional customer service is critical

39. EDUCATIONAL INSERT

Pigments historically sourced from gem materials

50. GETTING TO KNOW ANNA-B

SAJN asked Anna-B Jewellery’s founder and owner, Anna-B Zetler, how it all started, what keeps her inspired and what her plans are for the company.

Editor: Adri Viviers

Tel: +27 (0)11 883-4627

Cell: 084-261-1805

E-mail: adri@isikhova.co.za

Managing Director: Imraan Mahomed

E-mail: imraanm@isikhova.co.za

Director Brand Strategy: Jenny Justus

Cell: 083-450-6052

E-mail: jenny@isikhova.co.za

Creative Director: Joanne Brook

E-mail: joanne@isikhova.co.za

Operations Director: Thuli Majola

Tel: +27 (0)11 883-4627

E-mail: thuli@isikhova.co.za

Advertising Sales:

Tel: +27 (0)11 883-4627

Cell: 083-450-6052

Copy Editor: Anne Phillips

Distribution: Ruth Dlamini

SA Jewellery News is published by: Isikhova Media (Pty) Ltd,

10th Floor, Metal Box, 25 Owl Street, Milpark, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Website: www.isikhova.co.za

Editor's note

WE ARE EXTREMELY EXCITED TO BRING you our Jewellex edition again after three years! Jewellex Africa 2023 will be hosted by the Jewellery Council of SA for the first time since 2019 and will take place at the Wanderers Club, Illovo, Johannesburg on 3-4 September. The show will be held on a smaller scale and will allow suppliers, wholesalers, manufacturers and service providers to sell to the trade.

Are trade shows worth it? Absolutely! If planned correctly, exhibitions and trade shows are a unique chance for potential customers to see, touch and experience your product or service first-hand. And with Jewellex Africa only one month away, this issue focuses on helping both visitors and exhibitors prepare for the event.

Lorna Lloyd, CEO of the JCSA, explains why it was important to bring back the fair, what the response has been from the industry since that announcement and some of the highlights of the show.

Excellent customer service creates loyal customers for life who are willing to refer your business to friends, family and

colleagues. Nadia Coetzer, Head of Support at PaySpace, shares five reasons why good customer service is your most important metric.

The lead-up to December’s holiday season is a period filled with sales opportunities, but ensuring that you have supply to fulfil demands, managing extra staff and meeting high customer expectations can also make it one of the most stressful annual periods, which is why we have put together vital retail strategies to help ensure your store is prepared.

Our Jewellex edition once again aims to offer a great resource for those attending the event and we hope you enjoy reading it and find it of value.

Adri Viviers

ON THE COVER

Leading refinery and jewellery manufacturing service provider, Metal Concentrators (MetCon), has partnered with Austrian-based Invicon Chemical Solutions to introduce an innovative colour design approach to the South African jewellery industry. Ceramic offers a modern approach to coloured jewellery and has the benefits of colour variety, vibrance, strength and durability. For further information, turn to page 26 or visit MetCon at Jewellex Africa, 3-4 September 2023, at Stand A1-B1 to discover a world of colour. Alternatively, e-mail: info@MetCon.co.za or visit: www.MetCon.co.za.

Botswana inks new deal with De Beers

The government of Botswana and the De Beers Group have, in principle, concluded a new 10-year sales agreement for Debswana’s rough diamond production through to 2033 and a 25-year extension of the Debswana mining licences through to 2054.

The transformational agreement reflects the aspirations of the people of that country, propels both Botswana and De Beers forward and underpins the future of their Debswana joint venture through long-term investment.

The agreement represents a new chapter in a diamond partnership by focusing on four key areas of value:

• Industry leadership: Significantly expanding Botswana’s footprint and leadership position across the diamond value chain, including a transition to increasing the share of Debswana supply sold via the Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) to 50% over the duration of the agreement. From the start of the new contract period, the ODC will receive 30% of Debswana production, progressively increasing to 50%

by the final year of the contract, ensuring a sustainable transition path for both partners.

• Debswana’s future: Progressing the longterm capital investment required to secure Debswana’s position as one of the world’s leading diamond producers and Botswana’s largest private employer, for decades to come.

• Economic diversification: Accelerating Botswana’s economic diversification through the creation of a multi-billionpula Diamonds for Development Fund, with an upfront investment by De Beers of US$75 million and further contributions over the next 10 years that could total as much as US$750 million. This is aimed at adding substantial value to the Botswana economy.

• Botswana jobs: Creating the potential for tens of thousands of new jobs in Botswana, both within an expanded diamond industry in the country and in emerging sectors, with a focus on supporting the growth of a knowledge-based economy.

“For De Beers, it’s a privilege to renew

our half-century partnership with the people of Botswana. This is a partnership which is highly regarded around the world for the enduring role it’s played in creating economic development and growth,” says Al Cook, CEO of the De Beers Group.

“Our transformative agreement reflects the aspirations of the country, secures the future of our Debswana joint venture and reaffirms De Beers’ leadership position over the long term. The agreement represents our commitment to delivering investments in Botswana’s diamond production, diamond value chain, knowledgebased economy and, above all, its people.”

While the partners implement the formal sales and mining agreements, the terms of the most recent sales agreement (which expired on 30 June this year) will remain in place.

Cape Precious Metals hosts Free State networking event

On 22 June, Cape Precious Metals (CPM) hosted its first networking event specifically for its Free State clients. “For several years now, the Free State area has been managed by CPM’s Sales Representative in KwaZuluNatal, Mike Bleeker,” says the local refinery. “Although Mike travels regularly to the province to provide advice and products to manufacturing jewellers in the Bloemfontein, Welkom, Kroonstad and Bethlehem areas,

CIBJO and BAO announce significant new partnership

The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) and the Birmingham Assay Office (BAO) have announced a significant new partnership, establishing a framework for technical cooperation between the two organisations aimed at enhancing the global jewellery industry. It was signed in Birmingham on 23 June 2023 by Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO and Doug Henry, CEO and Assay Master of the BAO.

Marking a major milestone in the industry, the agreement maps out a programme of co-operation that will focus on areas such as information exchange, joint research, technical assistance and initiatives promoting best practices, harmonisation of standards

CPM is always looking for innovative and exciting ways to serve our valued clients there. We decided to offer the region a platform on which to discuss business and the industry in an environment away from the office.”

Bleeker was joined on the day by CPM Director Malcolm Jenner, who also manages its KZN branch, as well as Tennille Hoge, Director of Cape Tools & Jewellery Supplies.

Apart from the various tools on display

and consumer protection.

“The agreement marks a significant step forward for our organisations and the global jewellery industry as a whole,” said Cavalieri. “We look forward to working closely with the BAO to enhance our collective knowledge, innovate and raise industry standards even further.”

“This agreement with CIBJO represents a natural alignment of our objectives and interests. We’re thrilled to be embarking on this journey, working together to protect consumers and maintain the integrity of our industry,” added Henry.

During their meeting, Cavalieri and Henry discussed a range of subjects, from sharing resources and expertise to joint efforts in consumer education and tackling fraudulent practices. The meeting also highlighted the vital role of innovative technologies and the adoption of digital solutions in hallmarking, testing and certification processes.

– for which demonstrations were provided – participants had the opportunity to quiz the hosts on a variety of topics pertinent to the trade and to get a sense of their peer landscape, make connections and share experiences with kindred spirits.

“The need for this kind of gathering was clearly evidenced by the steady stream of attendees passing though the conference room of the Castello Guesthouse,” noted the refinery.

Further details about the specific areas and projects for co-operation will be mutually agreed upon and outlined in subsequent annexes to the agreement.

Strong Gemfields auction signals rebound in ruby market

Gemfields noted significant improvement in the market for rubies from its Montepuez mine in Mozambique as revenue rose 20% from its last sale in December.

The company achieved US$80,4 million from the sale of 91 lots from 5-20 June, with all but three of them offered finding buyers, it said. The auctions, which took place in Thailand, comprised mixed-quality rough gemstones. Earlier, Gemfields saw demand for emeralds from its Kagem mine in Zambia strengthen as well, with the miner notching three records, including highest auction revenue, average price and price per carat paid for a single auction lot.

“The latest results echo the significant rebound in market prices we reported very recently for Zambian emeralds,” says Adrian Banks, MD: Product and Sales at Gemfields. “The ruby market is clearly firing on all 12 cylinders and the step change in market pricing which we reported in 2022 is notably enhanced.”

Gemfields sold 302 317ct of rubies at an average price of US$266 per carat, compared with US$155 per carat at the previous series of ruby auctions in November and December. The figure is also the highest average price per carat garnered at any of the five sales held since March 2021. Some 51 companies placed bids, says Gemfields. – Rapaport

(Above): Doug Henry (left), CEO and Assay Master of the Birmingham Assay Office and Gaetano Cavalieri, President of the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO), after signing the partnership agreement between BAO and CIBJO in Birmingham.

50 years of Inhorgenta

Around 80 participants attended the exclusive Inhorgenta 2024 preview on 27 June 2023 at Olympiapark München, Germany. Next February, one of Europe’s leading platforms for jewellery, watches and gemstones will celebrate its 50th birthday with a new look and feel. Several highlights were introduced.

Jewellers, partners and media representatives joined the preview at Olympiapark – a venue that symbolises the cheerful openness of Inhorgenta’s founding days. In the summer atmosphere, Exhibition Director Stefanie Mändlein explained: “This year’s strong comeback and the 50th anniversary are the perfect moment for a new spirit, a new look and trading up in all halls. Our aim is to transfer the industry’s unique design standards and the products’ emotional appeal to the entire Inhorgenta.”

A number of top brands will be making their début, including Porsche Design. “Along with many other brands, we also see the increasing importance of Inhorgenta. Its ambition, the international audience, the

personal service and the premium ambience convinced us,” explains Gerhard Novak, GM: Porsche Design Timepieces. “We’re delighted with this new addition, which will be followed by others,” adds Mändlein.

On the first evening of the fair, all participants will celebrate together, including exhibitors from Inhorgenta’s very beginning. Two exhibitions will be dedicated to jewellery over 5 000 years of history up until today. An exclusive gala will revive the early 1970s.

With its new location and refined categories, the Inhorgenta Award will again be a special event. Across all halls, new elements will add to the show atmosphere, including an Experience Hub in the Watch Hall, installations, showpieces and Instagram moments, as well as an upgrade of the food and beverage areas.

Guests at the preview gained a first impression of how serious Inhorgenta is about its claim: a jewellery and watch presentation with fashion by Brachmann set glamorous highlights. And in a keynote

address titled “AI Catwalk Analysis – The Future is Silver”, trend analyst Niels Holger Wien stated: “In fashion, jewellery is taking on more importance because colours and silhouettes are clearly calming down: jewellery pieces become statement pieces.”

“We want to take Inhorgenta’s look and feel to a new level,” says Mändlein. “Everyone will be able to witness this from October, when our brand relaunch under the banner ‘Strong and Confident’ by Mirko Borsche goes live.”

The countdown to Jewellex has begun

JEWELLEX AFRICA

2023 will be hosted by the Jewellery Council of South Africa (JCSA) for the first time since 2019 on 3-4 September and arrangements are well underway for this year’s event.

The show will be held on a smaller scale at the Wanderers Club, Illovo, Johannesburg and will allow suppliers, wholesalers, manufacturers and service providers to sell to the trade only.

SAJN asked JCSA CEO Lorna Lloyd about this year’s event.

Why was it important for the industry to bring back Jewellex Africa?

Jewellex hasn’t been held since 2019, due to COVID-19. This will be the first opportunity for the trade to get together with old friends and colleagues with whom they usually wouldn’t meet up, except at a show like Jewellex. It’s a great occasion to rekindle those relationships and do business.

Why was the Wanderers Club chosen as the venue for this year’s event?

The Wanderers Club is a new venue for us to host Jewellex on a smaller scale. We believe it will create a fresh look and ambience. It’s time for something new, away from the old.

Why is this year’s show being held on a smaller scale than previous ones?

Since COVID-19, the jewellery industry has gone through a challenging time. Consumers have been apprehensive about spending on luxury items due to increased prices of food, fuel, electricity, etc. We’re cautiously optimistic that consumers’ moods are more positive and that jewellery sales will increase. Although the responses to our survey to host Jewellex to the trade were positive, we thought that holding it on a smaller scale would whet their appetites for us to build on the one next year. The venue offers us an opportunity to expand, going forward.

our local jewellery industry will grow. Jewellex will always provide an opportunity for the trade to meet up, whether to do business or build relationships over a cup of coffee.

How has the response been since the announcement that Jewellex Africa will be back this year?

It’s been overwhelming and I’m confident that the show will be sold out. Most of the large wholesalers have booked stands. We’ve also had confirmation from some of our retailers that they’ll be attending the show and for out-of-town visitors, the Protea Marriott Hotel Wanderers is just 50 m away.

What are some of the main highlights of this year’s show?

Rand Refinery will be sponsoring the welcome breakfast on the first morning, prior to the show opening and I’m sure that exhibitors and visitors alike are keen to come together to mark the industry’s reunion. This mood will create excitement for the rest of the show. Exhibitors will be offering show specials, so look out for these!

Do you envisage the show ever being on the scale it was 10 years ago?

Times are different and we can’t expect things to stay the same. Who knows what the future will bring? However, we must be positive that

The response has been overwhelming and I’m confident that the show will be sold out. Most of the large wholesalers have booked stands. We’ve also had confirmation from some of our retailers that they’ll be attending the show.

Jewellex Africa has established a reputation for being the premier showcase for South African manufacturers, wholesalers and service providers – and this year’s show promises to be no different.

PLEASE NOTE: The above floor plan was correct at time of going to press.

Successful exhibition-planning

Exhibiting at a trade show is an excellent opportunity for companies to meet new prospects, strengthen relationships with existing customers, launch new products, increase brand awareness, and capture and qualify leads. Your exhibit success will be directly related to trade show planning and preparation.

EXHIBITIONS AND TRADE SHOWS ARE A unique chance for potential customers to see, touch and experience your product or service first-hand.

Your company might make a wide variety of the best jewellery, but at a trade show you are selling yourself: people have to buy your brand identity before they purchase your products. There are certain formalities to trade shows, but exhibition professionals believe that success hinges on the strategies used before, during and after the event.

Before the show

It is crucial that you identify your objectives. Are you launching a new product, raising the company profile, spreading brand awareness, contacting a new market, re-launching existing products, conducting market research or measuring up the competition? What you want from the show will affect your decisions and how to proceed.

• The earlier you book your stand, the better the position you can secure.

• Work with the fair organisers to secure branding, staff passes, parking, etc.

• Find out what the organisers are doing and dovetail your marketing with theirs.

• Decide what you want in the form of a stand or shell scheme (mainly provided by the trade fair) or an open space to build your own stand from scratch. This decision is normally based on budget and product.

• Find out about restrictions placed on stand designs by the organisers, ie not gluing things to the walls, respecting fire and health regulations, etc.

• When planning your stand, follow the threesecond rule: it takes three seconds for a visitor to pass your stand. Make sure they know what you do, notice your stand and have a good reason to visit it.

• Find a “hook” for the stand. Many other companies offer similar products and you need to distinguish yourself so that visitors come to your stand, rather than others.

• Visitors love freebies! Stocking your stand with small, branded promotional gifts to give away is an effective way of imbedding your company message in people’s minds long after they have left the show. Other enticements could be as

small as sweets, or as significant as special prices on products, give-aways, items never seen before, etc.

• Have training sessions with staff before the show to ensure they are knowledgeable about the products and that they also know how to ask questions which elicit more than just a “yes” or “no” from clients.

• Prior to the fair, promote your presence at the show on your website, social media and trade publications as widely as possible. It is often assumed that the fair organisers should do this, but in fact, it is up to the industry and exhibitors to spread the word and ensure that customers attend the show and their stand. Press releases to trade publications are also good marketing platforms to get the message out.

• When planning the show, select your best salespeople to man your stand for maximum impact.

• Set up meetings with clients at your stand before the show starts.

• Direct mail campaigns that give people a reason to visit your stand – for example, a redeemable gift code is always a good way to attract foot traffic.

During the show

This is a critical phase. You have invested good money in your display and human resources, so you need to get the best possible return on investment. Managing a

stand at an exhibition requires organisation and strong attention to detail. Before the big day, make sure you have ticked all the boxes, including the following:

• Good lighting. Dark stands are dead stands.

• Simple, but striking exhibits. Do not complicate the message you are trying to convey. It should be seen and noticed in three seconds.

• Research has shown that over 75% of an exhibition stand’s effectiveness (and therefore return on investment) comes down to the people manning it. Many companies invest in the product and stand, but overlook the critical element of human interaction.

• Staff must look professional and keep a rotation schedule. If they stay at the stand too long without a break, they will become bored and restless, and potential clients might walk away.

• Teach your staff the following body language tips:

Stand up and greet attendees in front of the booth.

– If seats are needed, use tall stools that create contact at standing eye level.

– Smile and make eye contact.

Speak to trade show attendees, not colleagues.

– Sit down only if you are with a client who also wants to sit down.

Do not cross your arms or legs and keep your hands out of your pockets.

– Avoid fidgeting and leaning against walls and furniture.

Be enthusiastic and polite.

– Thank attendees for spending time at the stand when they arrive and leave.

• Ensure the stand is tidy and neat every day.

• Dress in a way that is professional, but friendly.

• Do not crowd the stand with too many staff.

• Your stand must have adequate space for the volume of traffic you attract.

• No personal belongings or litter should be on the stand in view of visitors.

• Staff must not be allowed to eat at the stand. They should do so at a cafeteria or away from your space.

• Encourage the staff at the stand to have occasional breaks outside, as many

exhibition areas can become very stuffy.

• Ensure you have enough product at the stand. Also, have plenty of business cards and write the name of the show and your stand number on them when giving them to potential clients.

• Do not waste time with visitors who are clearly just viewing the products and are not seriously interested in buying them.

• Make water available for the staff manning the stands. It is easy to become dehydrated and lose concentration during the day.

• Make sure that essentials like pens, order books, staplers, scissors, Velcro, etc are available.

• During the trade fair, update your social media platform with news from the show.

• The best way of collecting data from visitors needs some thought. With visitors having little time to spare at trade shows, they will not want to stand writing down their mobile numbers or e-mail addresses. Instead, have a system that is simple and seamless. There are a number of data management systems available that can be used with a digital tablet or

smartphone to keep your data centralised and accessible.

After the show

Many people overlook this critical step. Do the following within a week of the event, or you will lose a lot of the value the show offered:

• Check to see whether all show leads have been followed up.

• Assess the results of the show against objectives.

• Evaluate the results against investment.

• Communicate these outcomes to the stand team and thank them for their efforts.

• Contact all the people you met during the trade fair. Send personalised e-mails to thank them for visiting and give them more information about your company and products. Offer a follow-up meeting as well. It is important to do this while everyone still remembers each other.

• Start working on your plans for the next trade show and identify mistakes made during the previous one that you need to avoid.

Trending fashion exceptionally lively gems

The world speaks in colour Africa has a lot to say

MetCon has partnered with Invicon to bring a new colour design technology to South Africa. Ceramic offers a modern approach to coloured jewellery and has the benefits of colour variety, vibrance, strength and durability.

AFRICA IS BURSTING WITH COLOUR. Striking natural landscapes, vibrant cultural patterns and vivid media surround us every day. Jewellers now have the unique opportunity to celebrate this palette of colours by incorporating them into their fine jewellery – creating works of colourful, wearable art.

Known techniques of adding colour to jewellery include the use of enamel, lacquer and gemstones. A novel technique making waves on the international jewellery front is the use of ceramic. Numerous renowned high-end jewellery brands are incorporating ceramic colour technology to create head-turning pieces. Ceramic offers a modern approach to coloured jewellery and offers the benefits of colour variety, vibrance, strength and durability.

Metal Concentrators (MetCon), a leading refinery and jewellery manufacturing service provider, has partnered with Austrian-based Invicon Chemical Solutions to introduce an innovative colour design approach to the South African jewellery industry.

Gerhard Zanghellini and Peter Bubendorfer, who founded the company in 2004, had the vision of using the principles of composite material in the dental industry and applying it to jewellery and watch design.

In an interesting parallel, both the dental and jewellery industry require material that is easy to harden, remains stable and can be precisely machined and polished. In addition, the material must be resistant to mechanical stress, form a strong bond with the carrier

 Created using HyCeram

material, must not discolour and be harmless to health.

Today, Invicon is a market leader in the engineering and manufacturing of hardenable composites used in applications across the jewellery, watch, automotive, medical and lifestyle industries.

Exclusive colour jewellery design requires suitable materials that can be processed simply and efficiently, without compromising on quality and durability. Using superior composite materials gives the jewellery in which they are used an unmatchable, luxurious lustre. Invicon’s HyCeram, LuxArt and Luxon provide a range of solutions to bring coloured jewellery to life.

HyCeram

This innovative, hybrid design material combines 60% micro-fine ceramic and an organic matrix with a surface hardness of 410 N/mm². Through the use of thermo-curing, the result is an ultra-strong compound with intense colour and a premium finish. The colour range is dynamic and will inspire the most expansive jewellery creations. It is ideal for the production of opaque colour pieces with outstanding colour effects.

Processing options for HyCeram are vast. It can be ground, drilled, milled, laser-engraved or cut and polished. Items filled with HyCeram can undergo electroplating without affecting the material. Its surface hardness makes it excellent material for setting precious stones and gems.

LuxArt

With a 35% ceramic content and organic matrix, LuxArt delivers exactly what its name suggests. Using high-speed, blue-light curing and with a surface hardness of 210 N/mm², this design material is perfectly suited to the

production of luxurious opaque or semitransparent jewellery pieces using unique colour accents.

LuxArt can be ground, laser-engraved and polished. It is also suitable for setting precious stones and gems.

Luxon

With colour flexibility in mind, Luxon is an acrylate design material with a surface hardness of 140 N/mm² and high-speed lightcuring ability. The range offers customisable levels of transparency, pastel effects and pigmentation options, opening an additional spectrum of creative possibilities.

Luxon can be ground and polished. In its clear form, it can also be used over printed foil as a protective sealant.

HyCeram, LuxArt and Luxon can be used

with all precious metals and alloys and are biocompatible (harmless to humans and nature), colourfast and UV-stable. Prior to curing, the viscosity of the materials makes them easy to apply and mould into the desired design.

Invicon’s colour design technology is not only beautiful, but commercially savvy. The flexible processing features and colour variety make it an ideal medium for creative expression, while the unique composite formulations ensure confidence in quality and durability – a true depiction of the term “wearable art”.

“We’re thrilled to bring colour into the MetCon world and to offer this innovative technology as a service to our clients. The world speaks in colour and we believe that Africa has a lot to say,” says Grant Crosse, MetCon MD.

For further information, visit MetCon at Jewellex Africa, 3-4 September 2023, at Stand A1-B1 to discover a world of colour. Alternatively, e-mail: info@metcon.co.za or visit: www.metcon.co.za.

Exclusive colour jewellery design requires suitable materials that can be processed simply and efficiently, without compromising on quality and durability. Using superior composite materials gives the items in which they are used an unmatchable, luxurious lustre.

 Created using LuxArt

 Created using Luxon

Durban based manufacturing jewellery specialising in Indian and fushion jewellery. Call us for all insurance replacement claims.

Contact: Aroon Bhoora

Tel: +27 31 301 3963

Fax: +27 86 528 6516

Cell: +27 83 777 6657

aroon@piyuvejewelers.co.za

www.piyuvejewellers.co.za

Lilja Hastie Jewellery is a premium fine jewellery brand that specialises in creating striking pieces from precious metals, with designs incorporating precious and semi precious stones. With storytelling at the helm of our operation, LHJ designs are fashionably playful, commercial, but with a contemporary flair.

Our stories stem from a love for local design, draw from a host of inspired global experiences, and are told through a combination of design elements that capture vividly telling visual motifs.

Created to resonate with those that thrive off self expression, our pieces carve a story out of every stone, and craft a narrative with every curve

Prepping for the holiday season

WITH SOME CAREFUL THOUGHT, A LITTLE creativity and consideration of current trends, you can set yourself and your store up to optimise sales – and give customers what they want – this holiday season.

The lead-up to December is a period filled with sales opportunities – but ensuring that you have supply to fulfil demands, managing extra staff and meeting high customer expectations can also make it one of the most stressful annual periods. Preparing your jewellery business in time for a successful gifting is key. Some simple measures will ensure that this festive season is your most successful – and merriest – one yet!

Plan your inventory early

The importance of early ordering cannot be stressed enough. Ensuring that you have the inventory to meet the demand of your customer base is crucial to your jewellery store’s success. If you are not prepared, you will not have enough supply to meet all your customers’ expectations and they will take their business elsewhere. Like any other holiday, many customers wait until the last minute to purchase their gifts, which will not leave time for you to order more inventory. The last thing you want is for disappointed customers to go to your competition for their gifting needs, so make sure you have ordered all of the most-likely-to-besold pieces in time.

Smart stock management

Smart stock management is also crucial. Reviewing what did and did not work during

the previous year’s festive period is essential. What were the best-performing categories? Were there any customer requests that were not satisfied? The secret to more sales is having more of the right product. The right product is the one your customers are telling you they like.

Teamwork makes the dream work

One of the biggest challenges over Christmas is staffing. Ensuring you have the right number of staff available during busy periods and extended hours is vital in order not to keep your customers waiting. A successful store is only as strong as its staff and the way jewellery storeowners manage their businesses this festive season will ultimately make or break sales. For most customers, it is important to speak to someone during their final purchase decision. Knowledgeable, well-trained sales associates are a differentiating factor when choosing one business over another. As there are likely to be new casual staff over Christmas, it is important to get them up to speed as quickly as possible. Ensure they know your stock well enough to answer questions about its origins, who crafted it, how to care for it and why an item is an

appropriate choice for a particular recipient.

There are a number of opportunities to upsell, cross-sell and offer alternative products. These can significantly increase average profit per transaction, so provide your team with the right tools they need to deliver a great in-store experience for your customers and maximise margins.

Start planning your displays

Make sure your displays (ie window and instore displays, as well as shop layouts) grab shoppers’ attention and entice them to buy. Start planning what you will showcase in your store and craft the stories you tell through your displays.

From a logistical standpoint, ensure you have the materials to set up stunning displays, including lights, props and signage. December is a time of excitement, nostalgia, family and –above all – reflection. It is therefore imperative that retailers forge emotional connections with anyone stepping into their store. Studies show that when people feel nostalgic, they are more amenable to suggestions, better able to engage with the symbolism and stories behind their purchases and willing to pay more for them.

A good tip is to set aside a few minutes each week to experience your shop as if you and your staff were customers. Enter your shop and walk through it as if you were doing so for the first time. You could also photograph your store – the windows, displays, counters, aisles, fixtures, tables and walls – and make a note of what needs fixing. Be aware of whether the lighting in your store is too harsh or too dim. What is the noise level like inside the store? Is it too hot or cold? Are you and your staff appropriately

dressed (professional, but not formal)? Are there one or two chairs where customers can sit if they need time to talk to a salesperson and examine different items? Little things can make a big difference.

Expand your marketing channels

Last-minute shoppers, early-bird consumers and generous high-value gift-givers; retailers should be targeting all of these customers both off- and online (via e-mails and social media). Advertising your jewellery store during the weeks leading up to December can be vital to your success; however, the platform used can make all the difference. With jewellery stores being ubiquitous, you need to understand your particular customer base in order to advertise and market appropriately.

It might seem obvious, but retailers would do well to remember to update websites and social media accounts with any special Christmas trading hours. January sales are also great additions to any Christmas marketing strategy to help boost business in the golden quarter. You have to let your customers know what is going on and when – there is nothing worse than a missed sale!

Accentuate what makes you unique

One of the most important ways businesses can stand out and draw in customers during the holidays is by highlighting their unique products and connection to the local community. They can also offer exclusive customer experiences that cannot easily be duplicated by large retailers. A major trend this holiday season is personalised, unique gifts, so be sure to capitalise on that by advertising what makes your products special.

This should be a time to enjoy, not fret over. By utilising these helpful tips, you can increase your sales without the stress that normally comes with this time of year. Order your stock on time and order smart, be knowledgeable about trends and what your customers are going to want, plan your displays and advertise your jewellery store and merchandise via the correct platforms.

Why do so many retailers wait until it is too late to prepare their bricks-and-mortar stores for the holiday season? SAJN offers a few vital tips to get your store ready for the holiday season.

THINK ABOUT THE LAST GOOD CUSTOMER service experience you enjoyed. It might have been something simple, possibly even a moment you do not recall immediately:

• A friendly receptionist.

• A casual chat at the checkout counter.

• Perhaps even a car guard who remembered you and your vehicle.

Or the interaction might have been more formal, such as calling a business and having your query handled quickly and professionally.

Now, turn this around. Think of bad experiences you have had with companies: rude staff, disinterested managers or difficulty finding the information you need, such as service details or prices. We are more likely to recall bad customer service experiences, which linger for longer.

Customer service has an outsized impact on business performance, often much more than cost or service options. Good interactions with a customer can grow loyalty and goodwill better than the best marketing efforts. Exceptional customer service is critical for business success. Here are five data-backed reasons for that:

Exceptional customer service is critical

• Loyal customers attract new customers

Loyal customers are influential promoters and are most likely to convince others to trust your brand. Hubspot Research found that 81% of buyers trust their friends’ and families’ advice over advice from a business, whereas trust for companies or their advertisements is almost at the opposite level. In addition, a study by Edith Cowan University and the University of Western Australia reported that “brand loyalty and consumer-brand identification were found to be predictors of online brand advocacy, [which] impacted on purchase intent”.

• Exceptional customer service grows customer lifetime value

Customer lifetime value (CLV) is the total value a business anticipates from a customer during their entire relationship.

In the connected era, this value can dramatically increase or decrease, based on service interactions. Research commissioned by Zendesk states: “In 2013, 51% of respondents recommended products or services after a good customer service interaction. That same number increased to two-thirds (67%) in just five years.” This pattern also works inversely for bad service experiences. There is a direct connection between exceptional customer service and improving CLV.

• Highly satisfied customers pay more There are some products where frugality takes priority. However, customers who are happy with a company will, in most circumstances, spend more, though this is not a straight correlation, according to

Excellent customer service creates loyal customers for life who are willing to refer your business to friends, family and colleagues. Nadia Coetzer, Head of Support at PaySpace, shares five reasons why good customer service is your most important metric.

a study by the University of Mannheim and the University of Texas at Austin. Exceptional service matters because “only highly satisfied customers are willing to pay more and very dissatisfied customers are definitely unwilling to do so. Moderate levels of satisfaction do not increase a customer’s willingness to pay substantially.”

• Unhappy customers speak for many others

Exceptional customer service is not just about a smile and a helpful answer. While companies take pride in how many happy customers they have, what about the unhappy ones? These people are the canaries in the coal mine, warning of problems that can lead to customer churn. According to a study by ThinkJar: “Only one out of 26 unhappy customers complain. The rest churn. A lesson here is that companies should not view the absence of feedback as a sign of satisfaction. The true enemy is indifference.”

• Exceptional customer service improves productivity. Customer service is not a one-way street. A growing body of research shows that customers and frontline employees share a reciprocal connection. Happy customers encourage less stressed and more productive employees, and less stressed employees lead to happier customers. This was the result of a UNSW Sydney study that looked at interactions at a

mid-sized bank. They concluded that service productivity was “positively associated with customer satisfaction”. How can companies create exceptional customer service? There are two main ingredients.

The first step in creating exceptional customer service is to understand your customers’ needs, expectations and pain points. This requires listening to them and gathering feedback to learn what they do and do not want. You can use a variety of tools to gather customer feedback, such as surveys, focus groups and social media monitoring. Once you have a clear understanding of your customers’ needs and expectations, you can tailor your customer service strategy to meet those needs.

The second ingredient to creating exceptional customer service is to empower and train your employees to deliver excellent customer service. This means providing them with the tools and resources they need to effectively communicate with customers and resolve their issues. It also means creating a culture of customer service throughout your organisation, where all employees are committed to providing exceptional service.

Customer service is not a one-way street. A growing body of research shows that customers and frontline employees share a reciprocal connection. Happy customers encourage less stressed and more productive employees, and less stressed employees lead to happier customers.

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Gems on canvas: Pigments historically sourced from gem materials

Britni LeCroy

Pigments have been sourced from gemstones and gem materials for centuries. These colors have been applied to ancient cave drawings, classical canvas paintings, and modern artworks, revealing the evolution of the human creative experience as well as the history and progression of studies such as anthropology and chemistry. Red ochre, sourced from hematite, is one of the oldest pigments, used by early humans and even Neanderthals. Azurite was the backbone of blue pigments during the medieval and Renaissance periods. Malachite’s use as a colorant can be traced back to 6000 BCE in Egyptian cosmetics and as late as the nineteenth century in Impressionist paintings. Certain colors, such as the red of cinnabar, diminished in popularity with the invention of more affordable synthetics. Other pigments, such as bone black, continue to be manufactured and used today. The most noble of all pigments, ultramarine sourced from lapis lazuli, was so costly and valuable that only the wealthiest members of society could afford it, and its use in paintings was reserved for these patrons. Lastly, an inference can be drawn that pigment evolution correlates with the rise of significant art movements, each causing a fundamental shift in the history of art.

The wearing and collecting of gems mark their bearers with powerful symbols of status and allure. Because of their high value, gems are researched with non-destructive methods to feed growing public interest in areas such as geographic origin, synthesis, and treatment. For a gemologist, causing damage to a stone is a cardinal sin. For a painter in the past, gem materials were coveted for their pigment potential. For centuries, perfectly viable gemstones met their fate between a mortar and pestle before becoming immortalized as paint on a canvas, mural, or cave wall. These pigments commemorated color as a means of communication beyond the limits of written or spoken language. Gem materials such as hematite, azurite, malachite, lapis lazuli, bone, ivory, and cinnabar have all played roles as pigments throughout history – for some, a role assumed long before their use as gem materials (figure 1). Pigment research is an important field encompassing geologists, artists, anthropologists, historians, and even gemologists who contribute their knowledge and expertise to a subject where these disciplines converge.

Pigment can be defined as the component of paint that contributes color (Siddall, 2018). Natural inorganic pigments are derived from rocks or minerals that have been processed to extract and concentrate the material’s coloring agent (figure 2). Synthetic pigments are often chemically identical to their natural counterparts but have been produced artificially. This distinction in a pigment’s origin might seem negligible, but that is hardly the case. Synthetics strive to be chemically pure, and their crystal sizes are highly uniform. Natural pigments are

In Brief

• Gem materials have been used as pigments by artists for thousands of years. These colors can be seen in ancient cave paintings and modern canvas works alike.

• Historically, many of these pigments were very expensive and therefore only available to wealthy consumers such as churches and royal families.

• A correlation can be seen between pigment technology and historical art movements.

never compositionally homogeneous, as rocks and minerals do not form in sterile environments. These slight imperfections in a natural pigment’s particle size and structure after processing give the color a unique fingerprint, an individualized hue that reflects light in a more complex manner than its corresponding synthetic. This property means that no two malachite greens or cinnabar reds, for example, are exactly alike – a quality that is cherished among artists. When applied to a canvas, the subtle gritty texture of natural-color paint can be seen and felt after drying, lending a more natural appearance. This quality of naturalness is similarly appreciated in gemology. Chemical impurities and physical changes that occur during a natural mineral’s formation create visual interest within the stone by means of inclusions, bodycolors, or color zoning, all of which are commonly researched and catalogued as modalities of science and art.

Binders are the second component of paint, holding the pigment particles in a concentrated suspension and then keeping the color in place after the paint has dried. Historically, binders have included natural substances such as egg yolk (tempera), linseed and poppy seed oil, tree resins, animal glues, saliva, milk, gelatin, and even blood (Carr, 2002). Even with the advent of manmade complex chemical binders, which are commonplace in acrylic paints, linseed oil and gum arabic (a hardened tree sap) are still widely used.

The study of pigment spans centuries and contributes to the greater understanding of science and art. Identifying the provenance of minerals present within pigments of a specific work relays anthropological information about the trade routes and movement of people during the period in which the piece was created. An evolution in color technology, including advances in chemical and industrial processes, can also be inferred by comparing the first cave drawings with the acrylic paintings seen in art museums today. The former consists of natural pigments such as ochres (derived from iron oxides), charcoal, and simple organic colors, while today’s

paintings very often contain 100% lab-created coloring agents. The advent of affordable, mass-produced synthetic pigments is the culmination of hundreds of years of research. Prior to this revolutionary development, creating paint was expensive and highly laborious – each hue had to be mixed by hand, either by the artist or an assistant. Minerals needed for color often traveled great distances from the original source before reaching the artist, increasing the cost. The act of painting itself was reserved for those who could afford this luxury or those fortunate enough to be employed by royal families, the wealthy class, or the church. This is why most historical paintings are religious depictions or portraits of royalty and aristocrats.

The overlap of the scientific and historically artistic realms of gemstones (see box A) is a conversation not often encountered. The monetary worth and cultural significance of gems can be far inferior compared to the value of the artworks they contribute to as pigments. Hematite, azurite, malachite, lapis lazuli, bone, ivory, and cinnabar have all been significant contributors to fine art throughout history (figure 2). While most of these pigments have been replaced by synthetic equivalents, some are still used to this day.

HEMATITE

One of the earliest gemstones known to have been used as pigment is hematite. The dark, metallic color associated with gem-quality hematite is a result of densely stacked deep red microscopic crystals that ultimately absorb most visiblecolor wavelengths. Hematite’s red color can be seen when the mineral exists as either pulverized powder or thin crystals that allow light to pass through (figure 3). As one of the few gemstones with metallic luster, the iron oxide hematite

crystallizes in the trigonal crystal system with the simple chemical formula of Fe2O3. Its height of popularity as a gem was likely in the Victorian era, when it was used extensively in mourning jewelry.

Within the realm of art, the powdered pigment form is referred to as red ochre and has been used from the dawn of artistic expression. Red ochre can also be produced by heating the mineral goethite (FeOOH, yellow ochre), most commonly sourced from limonite rock (Siddall, 2018). The use of red ochre as a pigment has been recorded in works of art from all periods and traditions around the world, from the Pleistocene to the present day (Siddall, 2018). The first use of red ochre was likely in cave paintings and as body paint. It was later used to represent blood in burial and fertility rites (Leonida, 2014),

Figure 1. Historical pigments pictured with their source companions. Left to right: bone, cinnabar, hematite, malachite (with coarse pigment powder), lapis lazuli (ultramarine), and azurite (with fine pigment powder). Bottom center: cinnabar and azurite pigment. Gem materials gifted to GIA by Richard Marcus (mammoth ivory slice), Francisco Bank (hematite rough), the Hauser family in memory of Joel and Barbara Hauser (polished malachite), Zohreh Armini (polished lapis lazuli), and Josephine Scripps (azurite rough). Photo by Robert Weldon.

in addition to applications in sun protection, medicine, adhesives, and ceramic paint (Siddall, 2018).

Lapis Lazuli Blue colored by member(s) of the sodalite group.

Bone and ivory Carbon after charring

Cinnabar HgS

Figure 2. Gem materials and their corresponding pigments. The faceted cinnabar is courtesy of the Dr. Edward J. Gübelin Collection, and the polished hematite is courtesy of the GIA Collection. The other gem materials were gifted to GIA by Vincent Manson (polished malachite slice), Bill Pinch (polished azurite rough), Ebert & Company (lapis lazuli carving), and Richard Marcus (mammoth ivory slice). The malachite and azurite pigments are of coarse variety. Gem photos by Diego Sanchez and Dylan Hand. Pigment photos by Nathan Renfro.

The influence of red ochre on pigments is unparalleled. From the prehistoric art era (before 500 BCE) to the contemporary era, red ochre is pervasive. The earliest cave paintings from every habitable continent on Earth, revealing humans at their most primitive artistic abilities, feature red ochre. One wellknown and researched example featuring this color is the cave art of Lascaux in France, dated to roughly 19,000 years ago (Musée d’Archéologie Nationale, n.d.), depicting wildlife such as bison and horses (figure 4). A younger example is the eerie Cueva de las Manos in Argentina, created 13,000 to 9,500 years ago (UNESCO World Heritage Convention, n.d.), which shows painted hand silhouettes (figure 5). It has become widely accepted by scholars that the adoption of red ochre is synonymous with the beginnings of art and therefore human intellectual evolution. In fact, the use of ochre and tool-making are two significant advances in human evolution, with the latter universally acknowledged as an indicator of humankind’s intellectual, social, and cultural development (Wreschner et al., 1980). It can be theorized that the uniting of art and science began to take form with the use of red ochre. The Blombos Cave archaeological site along the southern Cape coastline of South Africa has proved to be a major anthropological discovery related to red ochre. The pigment uncovered exists not as an application but as raw red ochre contained in abalone shells that slowly became buried by sands as they lay abandoned on the cave floor over thousands of years. Other materials found with the shells and ochre include cobbles, bones from seals and antelope, and stone tools. Together, these objects are believed to constitute prehistoric artistic “tool kits” dated to roughly 100,000 years old. Henshilwood and van Niekerk (2012) documented these materials and interpreted their significance: “What these findings tell us is that the artisans who lived in Blombos Cave 100,000 years ago had the capacity for abstract thought, multitasking, long-term planning and an elementary knowledge of chemistry.”

Until recently it was believed that cave painting was an exclusive trait of Homo sapiens . In 2018, a team of paleoanthropologists published data on uranium-thorium dating of a series of simple drawings found inside three Spanish caves. The works examined in that study consisted of dots, lines, discs, and hand stencils, all created by red ochre (Netburn, 2018). All three were found to be at least 64,800 years old, which predates the arrival of humans in Europe by at least 20,000 years (Hoffmann et al., 2018). Neanderthals exclusively populated this region of modern-day Europe at the time, implying that the artists were indeed Neanderthals. Proof of their ability to create art helps dispel the popular misconception that Neanderthals were mentally inferior to Homo sapiens

Nearly every canonized artist has used red ochre at some point. The color was also a traditional ingredient in sanguine, a type of chalk colored by red ochre (figure 6). Leonardo da Vinci grew fond of the material, featuring it in numerous drawings during the Renaissance period. Da Vinci is credited with being the first major artist to use this ochre variety (Millidge, 2003), and Michelangelo continued its reach. This period also popularized the use of red ochre in fresco murals. Paul Gauguin, one

of the

Figure 3. Red hematite crystals in quartz. Photomicrograph by Nathan Renfro; field of view 7.22 mm.

Figure 4. The famous Hall of the Bulls in the Lascaux Caves contains early cave paintings rendered in red ochre. Photo by JoJan/CC BY 4.0.

Figure 5. The entrance of Cueva de las Manos reveals red ochre hand stencils created by ancient Argentinian tribe members. Photo by Pablo A. Gimenez/ CC BY SA 2.0.

most famous painters of the Post-Impressionist movement, made it a staple of his palette. Red ochre’s importance to modern artworks is incalculable. Twentieth-century masters such as Pablo Picasso, Mark Rothko, and Andy Warhol created works featuring the color, bringing it full circle. While most natural pigments have been far surpassed by synthetic pigments, red ochre is the exception. Red ochre paints continue to be predominantly made with natural hematite or heated goethite due to the abundance and low cost of these materials.

AZURITE AND MALACHITE

Malachite, Cu2(CO3)(OH)2, is perhaps the first vivid green pigment (Bergslien, 2012). A basic carbonate of copper, it is the weathered form of the blue parent mineral azurite, (Cu23+(CO3)2(OH)2), and possesses a similar chemical formula. Azurite and malachite are rarely found exclusive from one another and form in exposed areas of copper ore. Both minerals have a monoclinic crystal structure and a low

A more recent application of pigment research is in the area of art conservation and restoration. The practice is more of a science than an art, with pieces undergoing exposure to a variety of testing methods that are also commonplace in gemological laboratories. These include visible and Raman spectroscopy, as well as fluorescence techniques including infrared, ultraviolet, and x-ray. First, ultraviolet fluorescence reveals the presence and condition of organic materials and varnishes. X-ray fluorescence gives information about the elemental composition, while infrared can uncover the original underdrawing and areas with paint loss. Raman spectroscopy (figure A-1) is used to identify minerals within the paint.

But the real magic is in the visible spectroscopy, which reveals the exact visible spectrum produced by the pigment. The spectrum is then matched to known pigments through an established database. This allows for exact color replicas to be used during the restoration process, thereby ensuring significant works of art remain compositionally correct for future generations to admire.

Figure A-1. Raman analysis is conducted on Raphael’s Scuola di Atene (The School of Athens). © Renishaw plc.

Mohs hardness of 3.5–4.0. Malachite has been used extensively as a decorative material since antiquity. Azurite’s decorative use has been far more limited by its low durability and high likelihood of breaking along cleavage planes. It has mainly been reserved for pigments.

Possibly the earliest application of azurite and malachite came in the form of cosmetics. Malachite pigment can be traced to ancient Egypt, where it was used as an eye paint during the predynastic period, spanning from 6000 BCE to 3100 BCE (Gettens and FitzHugh, 1993b). Likewise, high-purity, coarsely ground azurite particles have been traced to Neolithic female and infant burial sites at the Central Anatolian site of Çatalhöyük (modern-day Turkey) and dated to 6700 BCE (Siddall, 2018), where the mineral was also likely used as a cosmetic material. The same era saw both minerals used in the Middle East to color soapstone ornaments, beginning around 4500 BCE (Ball, 2002).

Although azurite is far less abundant than malachite, azurite pigment has been utilized more widely. It was the most important blue pigment in Europe throughout the medieval

period (figure 7) and enjoyed peak use during the Renaissance (Gettens and FitzHugh, 1993a). This is because of its dual role as not only a royal color but also as an underpaint for the lavish ultramarine (a pigment from lapis lazuli). Both pigments were used for centuries in Japan, in Ukiyo-e style paintings (sixteenth through nine-teenth centuries; Gettens and FitzHugh, 1993a,b) and malachite in screen and scroll paintings to the present day (figure 8). Historical Chinese artworks also feature the two extensively, spanning hundreds of years.

Copper and copper-containing metals are most commonly associated with bright green patina, a color and pigment material known as verdigris. Chinese history reveals one cunning application of malachite in imitation of verdigris. Beginning around 1000 CE, patina – the surface discoloration of certain metals from long periods of oxidation – became associated with ancient bronzes unearthed in China (Craddock, 2003). This feature became a sought-after trait among antique bronze collectors, offering a sense of authenticity. Bronze statues excavated and collected during the Song (960–1279 CE), Ming (1368–1644 CE), and Qing (1644–1911 CE) dynasties were often imitated by carefully painting replicas with malachite pigment to achieve a faux patina effect. Blue azurite patina is less prevalent but still possible in specific conditions.

In European easel painting, malachite was vitally important from the fourteenth to seventeenth centuries, until the rise of copper greens such as verdigris and copper resinate (Eastaugh et al., 2004). Synthetic green pigments replaced malachite around 1800 (Bergslien, 2012). Malachite experienced a brief resurgence later in the nineteenth century, and it was during

Figure 6. Elisha Kirkall’s mezzotint print in sanguine (chalk colored by red ochre) from the early eighteenth century is a reproduction of Raphael’s The Holy Family of Francis I (1518). Photo courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

Figure 7. Pacino di Bonaguida’s The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence from the Laudario of Sant’Agnese, circa 1340. This page from an illuminated manuscript features a brilliant blue azurite tempera background as well as gold leaf appliqué. Photo courtesy of the Getty Open Content Program.

this period that Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted Chrysanthemums (figure 9). Renoir helped solidify the Impressionist movement along with contemporaries such as Monet, Cézanne, Degas, and Manet. Impressionism is distinguished by short, coarse brushstrokes creating a spontaneous unfinished appearance, vibrant color palettes, and themes of nature. The movement was bolstered by readily available premade oil paints in tubes (Newman et al., 2019). This brought unprecedented mobility, allowing pioneering artists to take their work outdoors. The movement thrived from the mid- to late nineteenth century and is considered the most important influence on modern art, since it did not follow established conventions.

Figure 8. Irises at Yatsuhashi (Eight Bridges) by Ogata Kōrin, from the early eighteenth century. These famous screens feature a flat malachite green and deep azurite blue on gold foiled paper. The two minerals also coexist in nature. Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Figure 9. Renoir’s Chrysanthemums (1881–1882, oil on canvas) utilizes green malachite pigment and exemplifies the Impressionist style. Photo courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Figure 10. Malachite (left) and azurite (right) display contrasting saturations resulting from different particle sizes. The soft pastel saturation shown at the top of each photo is a result of very fine pigment grains measuring an average of 30 μm (malachite) and 20 μm (azurite). The vibrant, strongly saturated variety shown at the bottom of each photo is due to larger, coarser particles averaging 100 μm and 220 μm, respectively. Photomicrographs by Nathan Renfro; field of view 14.10 mm.

One inconvenience drove malachite and azurite into obscurity as pigments: the fact that their color is dependent on particle size (figure 10). Finely ground material offers a preferable texture for canvases but reduces the color to an undesirable milky pastel. Coarse particles offer a radiant hue but are difficult to paint in layers. Azurite became obsolete in the nineteenth century with the invention of the artificial pigment Prussian blue (Gettens and FitzHugh, 1993a).

LAPIS LAZULI

Lapis lazuli is a complex metamorphic rock consisting of a variety of minerals, often including calcite, pyrite, diopside, amphibole, and feldspathoid silicates, among others. The blue color source within lapis remains an open question. Lazurite is commonly believed to be the blue constituent, but several publications have credited the mineral haüyne. The two minerals, along with sodalite and nosean, are members of the sodalite group. Several studies have shown that haüyne (sulfate member) rather than lazurite (sulfide member) is consistently the dominant species in lapis from Sar-e-Sang in Afghanistan and Baffin Island in Canada (Hassan et al., 1985; Fleet et al., 2005; Moore and Woodside, 2014). Meanwhile, specimens from the Coquimbo region of Chile have been characterized as lazurite-dominant (Coenraads et al., 2000).

Of all the natural pigments created throughout history, ultramarine, a blue derived from lapis lazuli, reigned supreme. Cennino Cennini was a fifteenth-century Italian painter and author of The Craftsman’s Handbook (1437), an artist’s manual on methods and techniques that remains remarkably relevant today. Cennini held the pigment in the highest regard: “Ultramarine blue is a color illustrious, beautiful, and most perfect, beyond all colors; one could not say anything about it, or do anything with it, that its quality would not still surpass.” During its prime, the blue was deemed so sacred that it was reserved for the most important works and only the holiest of religious figures. Ultramarine was said to be as expensive as an equal weight of gold. Its high cost was due to the inconvenience of only one source location supported by the arduous procedure required to process the rock into pure pigment. Lapis lazuli’s life as a pigment can be traced to the origins of human civilization itself. While blue seems abundant in nature given the color of the sky and sea and other smaller examples, none of these actually contain a blue pigment. Instead, the blue color of the sky is a result of light scattering off the molecules in the atmosphere, called Rayleigh scattering. Sea water is blue due to the preferential absorption of long-wavelength (red) light. The cause of blue in both cases is a result of light physics rather than chemical properties. Only a handful of plants and animals possess a genuine blue

pigment. This left few options for artists of the past. Azurite was predominant from the medieval period to the Renaissance (Plesters, 1993). Its limitation is a typically green undertone that cannot be removed. In contrast, ultramarine often contains a violet to purplish undertone (figure 2), creating an unequivocal color that came to be associated with divinity.

Due to its geological rarity, lapis lazuli sourced in antiquity originated from a single location – the Sar-e-Sang mines in the Badakhshan Mountains of north-eastern Afghanistan (Siddall, 2018) (figure 11). Lapis mining at Sar-e-Sang began in the Stone Age, with lapis jewelry found in graves of the Mehrgarh people (a Neolithic settlement located in present-day south-west Pakistan) dated to 7000 BCE.

Lapis was exported to the ancient Sumer civilization of Mesopotamia around 3000 BCE before arriving in Egypt during predynastic times and becoming prevalent by the First Dynasty (ca. 3100–2900 BCE) (Moore and Woodside, 2014). Egyptians utilized lapis in jewelry and decorative inlays, medicinal preparations, and cosmetic pigments. Perhaps the most famous artifact of ancient Egypt, the funerary mask of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, features a variety of inlaid gems: obsidian, white quartz, lapis lazuli, turquoise, amazonite, carnelian, and other stones (Reeves, 2015). A portion of the lapis inlay serves as Tutankhamun’s eyeliner, a representation of the cosmetic pigment worn by the elite.

The earliest discovery of ultramarine was in oil paintings on cave walls in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, likely created in the late sixth century and consisting of Buddhist subjects drawn in semi-Indian, semi-Persian style (Gettens, 1938). Significantly, this finding also revealed the oldest known use of oil as a binder (Cotte et al., 2008). Ultramarine emerged in Europe during the early medieval period (Siddall, 2018) and rose in popularity into the fourteenth to mid-fifteenth centuries, when it was used heavily in panel paintings and illuminated manuscripts (Plesters, 1993). In paintings from the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries, the highest-quality ultramarine was reserved for the cloaks of Christ and the Virgin Mary (Plesters, 1993) (figure 12). Ultramarine was the most expensive pigment during its prime, meaning it could only be used sparingly (Plesters, 1993). Ultramarine’s popularity was bolstered by the mass publication of the process required to extract pigment from lapis lazuli. Because lapis lazuli is a rock containing various accessory minerals such as calcite and pyrite, the measures used in the preparation of azurite such as simple milling, washing, and sieving were not sufficient (Plesters, 1993).

...To be continued in the September issue

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Sunday, 3 Sep 2023 10h00-18h00

Monday, 4 Sep 2023 09h00-16h00

A stringent registration process has been implemented. Only trade visitors can gain access to the show by following the online registration process. Register here: https://www.jewellex.co.za/visitor-info/

Getting to know Anna-B

Situated in the quaint historic suburb of Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, Anna-B Jewellery is a wholesale supplier of jewellery and accessories to leading chain stores, independent retailers, boutiques and online sellers.

SAJN asked its founder and owner, Anna-B Zetler, how it all started, what keeps her inspired and what her plans are for the company.

How and when did Anna-B Jewellery begin?

It was established nearly 30 years ago. I initially sold jewellery to the public purchased through local wholesalers. However, my true passion has always been design, leading me to create and produce a successful collection of silver jewellery with gemstones, which I sold through the Young Designers Emporium.

This range was at first manufactured locally, but that was challenging and prompted the relocation of production abroad.

When a buyer from a national chain store approached me to supply them with silver jewellery, that was the beginning of my venture into supplying chain stores.

Who are Anna-B Jewellery’s clientele?

We work with a variety of retailers, including chain stores, smaller independent retailers, traditional jewellery stores, fashion retailers and online stores. Our products are showcased on our website and visits to our showroom in Cape Town are welcomed.

While the rise of e-commerce and direct sourcing presents challenges to traditional wholesalers, in our experience, the convenience of accessing a diverse range of products at competitive prices remains appealing. We continuously aim to source new and unique products to cater to the changing needs of our clients.

How would you describe the overall aesthetic of your jewellery collections?

Growing up, I was immersed in an environment filled with the arts. My parents owned an art gallery which was connected to our home and my father had a passion for collecting. My uncle’s also in the jewellery business. This exposed me to many objects of great beauty, including vintage and modern jewellery.

I'm a person who highly values selfexpression, so these influences have shaped my aesthetic, which are reflected in the product selections of my company.

At Anna-B Jewellery, we showcase a classic range that includes silver, stainless steel and fashion jewellery in bold, contemporary designs infused with an element of fun. Our aim is to create products that instil confidence, enable self-expression and bring joy.

Today there’s an abundance of exciting options in terms of materials and emerging jewellery trends. We’re aware of the budgetary constraints faced by South African consumers, so we source products that create a balance between what we love, what has commercial appeal and what's affordable.

How do you stay inspired and keep up with current trends?

I tap into direct insights from my 15-year-old daughter and son, who provide me with a glimpse into their generation’s sense of style. My youthful staff also contribute their unique perspectives, ensuring a diverse range of opinions within our team.

In addition, we’re exposed to a broad range of social media that allows us to identify emerging trends quickly. It’s great to witness the resurgence of trends from the ’80s and the Y2K era. With 30 years’ experience, there’s very little we haven’t seen!

What are the biggest lessons you have learnt in your career?

My mantra of “adapt or die” remains even more relevant today, given our ever-changing industry and retail landscape. Being aware of the need for change allowed us to expand our initial offering from silver jewellery to include fashion jewellery. I recognised the potential of incorporating stainless steel into our range long before it gained the popularity it has today.

I’ve come to appreciate the saying: “Turnover is vanity and profit is sanity, but cash flow is reality.” This is achieved by inventory management and applying basic business principles.

Finally, valuing relationships with my competitors has been a significant lesson. Instead of viewing them as adversaries, I see them as allies. These friendships have proven to be mutually supportive and beneficial, both for me personally and for my company.

What are your plans for the company?

This year’s been one of consolidation, involving transitioning to a new inventory system. In the second half of the year, my focus will be on introducing our summer ranges and revamping our website.

As a result of reduced travel since COVID-19, I’ve found great satisfaction in working closely with clients, sourcing items tailored to their specific needs and curating ranges for them.

Being part of a supportive team of wonderful women fills me with immense pride, as we uplift and encourage one another.

Ultimately, my aspiration is to return to my passion for designing a signature range of silver jewellery with gemstones. I envisage creating pieces that exude vibrant colours and inspire wearers.

While the rise of e-commerce and direct sourcing presents challenges to traditional wholesalers, in our experience, the convenience of accessing a diverse range of products at competitive prices remains appealing. We continuously aim to source new and unique products to cater to the changing needs of our clients.

L us add color to your world.

Great design matters.

Our focus is on sourcing only the finest assortment of fine jewellery and we pride ourselves on the very best personalised service.

Interesting facts

 First Lady Jackie Kennedy was known for her strand of faux pearls, once purchased for $35, that sold for an impressive $211,500 at auction in 1996.

 The initial term used to label the Tanzanite precious gem was Blue Zoisite. After falling in love with the stone, famous American jewellers, Tiffany and Co., renamed the precious gem and coined in honor of its country of origin, Tanzanite soon became the new must-have across the world.

 The largest bar of gold in the world is a 250 kg bar that is on display at the Toi Gold Museum in Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.

 The mining industry is an important part of the South African economy, contributing 480.9 billion rand to the country's GDP in 2021. South Africa's mining industry employed a total of 458,954 people in 2021.

 August, June and December are the three birth months represented by three different gemstones.

 Archaeologists found evidence of gold hoop earrings in the frescos and tombs of ancient times, including the Sumerians of Mesopotomia 5,000 years ago. The findings of the Sumerian culture indicates they were incredibly sophisticated with skilled jewellers who created pieces using precious metals and gemstones.

 Sixty nine spectacularly jewelled Easter eggs were made by Fabergé between 1883 and 1917. Fifty of these were made for the Russian Imperial family and are known as the ‘Imperial Eggs’. The other eggs were made for the aristocracy and the industrial and financial elite. Known as Fabergé eggs, of the original sixty-nine, unfortunately only sixty-one remain.

 A mystery rock was discovered in 2015 by an Australian man named David Hole, who was looking for gold close to Melbourne. He assumed there was something heavy inside because of the rock's enormous weight. The rock later turned out to contain priceless raindrops that date back to the formation of our solar system, which are both rarer and more valuable than the gold he was searching for.

 Olympic winning athletes are often photographed biting their medals. This is usually at the photographer’s request, and is based on the ancient practice of biting into gold to test its purity and authenticity.

 All Celtic design rings start with one line crossing over another. Each line represents its own individual path — but when the two individual lines cross paths, creating a beautiful weaving together, they now have a relationship.

 Australian researchers confirm that deep-rooted Eucalyptus trees pilfer gold from ore deposits underground and transport them into their leaves.

 Cocktail rings first appeared in the 1920s during Prohibition, when cocktails themselves were invented to disguise alcohol and make low-quality bootlegged concoctions drinkable. During this era, women gained many rights and freedoms and women wanted to show that they were self-sufficient.

 King Louis IX introduced a law in the 13th century, which reserved diamonds for the king. He was the only one permitted to adorn himself with the precious stone.

 In 1919, X-ray technology was used to inspect miners in the diamond-rich area of Kimberley, South Africa. The miners were scanned at the end of every shift incase they were smuggling out rough diamond.

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