April 2018 - Jewellery World Magazine

APRIL 2018

AUSTRALIA AND NEW

TIMELESS ELEGANCE

ZEALAND’S PROFESSIONAL JEWELLERY MAGAZINE

Nothing outshines a custom design.

AUSTRALIA WIDE 1300 886 108 palloys.com.au Sydney | Melbourne | Brisbane | Perth

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Easily accessed advice and professional services World class training systems + free ARA membership Marketing and digital resource guidance Fully customisable apps, websites, catalogues Member owned jewellery focused business Maximum supplier discounts to you the retailer No ongoing monthly management fees Access to exclusive Showcase brands

Increased productivity Exclusive incentives back to members The ability to build your brand Your identity presented professionally Profits back to members Maximised buying power Better bottom-line results Increased margins

Interested? Contact us today We’re ready when you are. So if you think it’s time to get serious about where you’re going, email us today.

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6 News PO Box 54, Camden NSW 2570 P: 0431 844 903 Subscription: www.jewelleryworld.net.au Enquiries: info@jewelleryworld.net.au Web: www.jewelleryworld.net.au managing director Jeremy Keight 0431 844 903 jeremy@jewelleryworld.net.au editor editor@jewelleryworld.net.au contributing writers Kirsten Ehrlich Davies Stefan Juengling Cheryl D Harty Cynthia Unninayar art design@jewelleryworld.net.au advertising sales sales@jewelleryworld.net.au

12 Cochi’s Comment 14 Trade Well with Rami Baron 16 New Zealand News 18 JAA News 44 Keeping Skills Alive 50 New Products 51 Directory

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FEATURES 24 Shopping for jewellery in your PJs

Online shopping has changed the industry.

Here's how to make the most of that change.

28 How to promote your business on social media - Practical steps to make sure your business is visible online.

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32 Brands and branding

We talk to important brands about the best ways to brand your business.

36 Hong Kong Shows Wrap-Up

The twin HK shows have come to a close and we report on the wonders seen this year.

DISCLAIMER: This publication may not be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the Publisher.

Articles express the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Publisher or Editor. Mention of a product or service in this magazine does not indicate the Publisher’s endorsement.

APRIL 2018

AUSTRALIA AND NEW

ZEALAND’S PROFESSIONAL JEWELLERY MAGAZINE

TIMELESS ELEGANCE

The Publisher excludes all liability for loss resulting from any inaccuracies or false or misleading statements that may appear in this publication.

All information is copyright.

FRONT COVER Gerrim International www.gerrim.com.au

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jewellery world - April 2018

Think Zircon

new collection now online

oagems.com.au 1300 843 141

News A sad loss The industry was saddened to hear of the passing of Marisa Palmeri who left us on 7 March 2018.

The owners and staff of Jewellery Centre, A M Imports and Imajpak would like to express their sadness and sympathy at the loss of “the most loyal and honest person any company could ever have as their agent.”

Marisa lived in Doncaster with her husband, Fred, and their cats.

Michael Hill to close 80% of Emma & Roe stores Jewellery chain Michael Hill International announced in mid March its intention to close all but six of its struggling Emma & Roe stores at a cost of up to $7.9 million.

The Brisbane-based company expected to see the 24 stores close up shop by 30 June.

But the company still appears to have plans for the brand. "The company considers that the six-store footprint will provide the opportunity to iterate the new model at speed," Michael Hill said in a statement to the ASX. The company did not state how many people would lose their jobs, but did say that some staff could be relocated to Michail Hill stores. The others would be offered redundancy.

Marisa was an old school rep -her customers were also her friends.

She always had a professional and personable approach to her business.

She had been a sales rep for over 30 years and loyally served Jewellery Centre, A M Imports and Imajpak.

Loyalty seems to be a rare thing these days but Marisa was a rare person and loyalty was among the many values that were important to her.

Marisa had been battling cancer since late 2017.

Our sympathy and thoughts go out to Fred and family and friends.

The importance of thorough stocktaking A routine audit of a museum’s precious stones collection has exposed many of the “priceless” gems as fakes.

Staff at the National Museum of Prague are now investigating whether they were scammed during acquisitions, or whether the real gems were secretly exchanged for fakes sometime over the last fifty years.

One item, recorded as a 5-carat diamond, is actually a piece of plain glass with a diamond cutting. At least half the rubies in the collection have been found to be synthetic. Even more disappointing, a prized 19 carat sapphire purchased in the 1970s, is also synthetic.

Head of the museum’s precious stones department Ivo Macek says the sapphire “was acquired for 200 thousand crowns [almost $10,000”] and today it would have been worth tens of millions.”

The discovery has prompted a massive audit of all the museum’s artefacts, including musical instruments and artworks.

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News They say love hurts…

A disturbing new engagement ring trend invites jewellers to rethink ring designs.

Living easy, living free Luxury Swiss watchmaker Raymond Weil has unveiled a new collaboration in its Music Icons series – the Freelancer AC/DC Limited Edition, playing tribute to legendary rockers AC/DC. Displayed for the first time at Baselworld in March, the timepiece features subtle design cues inspired by the band. Measuring 42mm in diameter, the Freelancer AC/ DC exudes a notable air of masculinity. To reinforce the rock and roll attitude of the timepiece, the hours are marked with studded indexes. The black dial features a textured pattern recalling the AC/DC high voltage bolt graphics. It sits adjacent to the iconic AC/DC typography placed at 12 o’clock. The powerful rock credentials are reaffirmed through the black leather strap, adorned with the AC/DC logo.

“There is very little doubt that AC/DC is and continues to be one of the most iconic rock bands of all time and it has been a pleasure to collaborate with them. As AC/ DC perfectly quoted ‘let there be light, sound, drums and guitars - let there be rock,’” declared Elie Bernheim, CEO of Raymond Weil.

Couples are commemorating their eternal love by having a dermal piercing on their ring finger, ensuring the engagement ring – if not the engagement – is truly forever. While traditional piercings enter in one side and exit the other, a dermal piercing is a single-point surface piercing.

The piercer uses a dermal punch to remove a small circle of flesh into the base of the ring finger, then inserts a small dermal anchor into the hole. Most dermal anchors have a base with gaps for the skin to grow through, making a stable foundation within the flesh.

Once the skin around the anchor has healed, the wearer can attach a dermal top, such as a diamond, to the anchor. The result is a jewel “floating” on the hand, and this method is recommended to people who find ring bands cumbersome and inconvenient or who are afraid of losing their precious symbol of love.

However, even experienced piercers warn that there is a high risk of infection with dermal piercings. Not to mention pain.

The million dollar cake tin If you’ve ever served afternoon tea to a monarch, your tableware could be quite valuable. An antique silver bread basket is for sale at the price of $1.5 million, based on the understanding that Queen Victoria may have once helped herself to a few oatcakes from it.

The Breadalbane bread basket is believed to have been made around 1760 for John Campbell, 4th Earl and 1st Marquess of Breadalbane. His son, the 2nd Marquess is known to have entertained Queen Victoria at his home Taymouth Castle in Scotland, where she recorded enjoying a batch of freshly-baked oat cakes and admiring the family coronet on the solid silver basket. Somehow over the last century, the basket made its way to a US antique shop where it was snapped up for $150 by dealer John Cook. He originally believed the basket was silver plated, but realised its value once it was cleaned.

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Blushing Beauties 2018 MORGANITE COLLECTION

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News Jewellery at the Oscars The 2018 Oscar for Best Jewellery Ensemble goes to actress Allison Janney, who also managed to scoop the Best Supporting Actress for her role in I, Tonya.

You think he designed it himself?

US President Donald Trump has put his own spin on the traditional presidential coin, also known as a “challenge coin,” generally given as mementoes, particularly to the military.

Until now, each presidential coin looked fairly similar in size and design, with an image of the White House along with the current president’s name and title “Commander in Chief” on one side, and an eagle and the words “Seal of the President of the United States” in a blue border on the other side. Previous coins also incorporated the US motto E Pluribus Unum, Latin for “Out of many, one.”

Trump’s coin is thicker and described as “very gold” with his name inscribed three times. The replacement of the Latin motto with his political slogan “Make America Great Again” has raised some eyebrows, with many questioning whether a political promotion is a suitable gift for the military.

Janney dazzled on the red carpet, wearing a plunging red gown with flowing sleeves, accessorised by 128 carats worth of spectacular diamonds. The $4 million diamond ensemble from Forevermark included an 18 carat ring, solitaire round diamond earrings, a diamond bracelet and a choker featuring more than 55 carats of diamonds.

“Being at the Academy Awards in stunning Forevermark Diamonds makes me feel incredibly special,” Janney said. “I also feel good knowing that they help to support women’s health and education programs in their diamond producing communities.”

The fear of jewellery A Facebook page for sufferers of kosmemophobia is on a mission to spread the word about the rare yet very real phobia of jewellery.

Sufferers experience intense and irrational fear when they encounter someone wearing jewellery, in the same way an arachnophobe will panic when they see a spider. And as rings and bracelets are far more prevalent than snakes and spiders, kosmemophobia can have a serious impact on your social interactions.

According to comments by members of the Jewelry Phobia Facebook group, one of the key issues was a sense of uncleanliness, as necklaces and earrings are perceived as “dirty”, while some members had an issue with touching metal, even silver utensils. The condition is particularly challenging for men, as it is difficult to meet women who are willing to adapt to a partner’s aversion to gold and diamonds. Some members have stated that they don’t want to undergo treatment to overcome their fear, as they do not understand why anyone would wear jewellery anyway!

Kosmemophobia is a very real phenomenon, but fortunately it is rare enough that it will not have a huge effect on the jewellery industry.

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Since 1976 Peter W Beck has continually delivered innovative Australian made jewellery products that meet the highest quality standards.

By becoming a branded stockist you will receive extensive support from out friendly customer service and marketing team, inclusion on our consumer website, modern point of sale displays, promotional material, custom artwork and continual product information and training.

Choosing the Peter W Beck brand gives your customers the confidence to choose a wedding ring that has been manufactured and hand finished in Australia by a dedicated team of jewellery professionals.

To enquire about becoming a branded stockist, please contact Bethany Steiner in our Marketing department Ph: +61 8 8440 3369 E: bethanysteiner@pwbeck.com.au 14 Duncan Court, Ottoway Park, SA, 5013 Australia Phone: +61 8 8447 1133 Fax: +61 8 8447 1144 Toll Free: 1800 888 528 Email: contactus@pwbeck.com.au Web: www.pwbeck.com.au

COCHI’S COMMENT Andrew Cochineas, CEO, Pallion (ABC Bullion, ABC Refinery, Palloys, AGS|PJW, A&E Metals, Regentco, Goldenage International and Custodian Vaults)

What does your brand depend on?

Hello from Hong Kong! I hope you all stopped by the GoldenAge stands at CEC and AWE during the HK Jewellery Fair. (Actually, I know some of you did, because sales were outstanding, so thank you!)

C

ongratulations to all the exhibitors who made the fair such a success.

These types of events are so critical to the overall success of the industry, and it’s great to see everyone coming together to do better business. And speaking of doing better business, let’s talk branding shall we?

Ahh, branding, branding, branding. When did something seemingly so simple become so complicated? It used to be that you had a USP, you had a target audience and you had a brand that conveyed your USP to your target audience. Now, with the proliferation of digital channels and messages, the ownership of the perception of your brand lies more and more with your customers, and less and less with your marketing team. At least, that’s what I thought until recently.

Of course, we know that today’s hyperempowered customers are more fickle than ever. We also know that they’re not always rational in their decision making. So how do you get cut-through for your brand in an era of

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finicky, distracted consumers? I’m about to tell you something we haven’t told anyone else.

This is supposed to be a secret but given that we’re talking about branding, I feel I have to mention that at Palloy’s we’ll be unveiling

our own rebrand in September.

Ours is a business with both a lot of history and, in recent years, a lot of growth. We’re focused on our heritage but also on implementing technological improvements that drive better customer experiences.

As we prepped for our new brand, we talked about all the usual stuff: search engine optimisation, usability, sales team outreach.

But you know what I think makes the biggest difference? It’s our business partnerships. We leverage our market position to secure better contracts with pivotal players, because that’s where our customers have the potential to really win big.

®

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ESTABLISHED & TRUSTED SINCE 2003

Everything that happens to your business is the result of strategic relationships. It’s that simple.

While the one-on-one consumer experience is critical, big partnerships and integrations are just as critical, but they’re often overlooked. The thing is: your customers don’t care how you delivered great products and services, but they care a lot that you do. It’s the partnerships that allow your business to stand apart from the rest. Whether it’s distributors or suppliers, choose wisely, because your brand depends on their professionalism.

At the end of the day, customers only want one thing: what they want.

They want it on their schedule and they want to do as little as possible to get it.

When you’re delivering custom made jewellery, some people know exactly what they want and some people want someone to help navigate through the infinite options. No matter which customer is in your store, if you simplify their life, they’ll reward your brand with their business.

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DDCA NEWS Rami Baron President, Diamond Dealers Club of Australia

Is a great location a substitute for social media?

I recently had a chat with a well-known jewellery retailer who was quite emphatic when I asked what they do in the social media space to drive traffic. The response was, “If I have to do this as well, why am I paying the big rents to be in a shopping centre, that’s their role.”

I

remember many years ago during my time studying retail management at university, the lecturer stood in front of us and said you need to know one thing at the end of this course - “Location, Location, Location.” At the time I smiled because if my father was there he would have applauded and said to me “this man understands retail.” This was the holy grail back then.

The problem, as we all know, is that this was then and not now. Yes, no one will deny that a great location can drive new business, but no jewellery business ever survived or succeeded based only on new business. It was always our repeat business and the depth of the relationships we built that defined the success of the business.

I recently read an article on how Louis Vuitton is thriving in the social media space. One only needs to take note of the research to

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appreciate that 40% of all luxury purchases are influenced by the digital and social media confluence its customers have with the company itself. For those who have a limited social media strategy, starting with a 40% deficit seems way too confronting.

Louis Vuitton has an incredible social media machine behind them, with content which would have to be the envy of any and all.

So as is always the case, the first argument someone fires back at me is, “Yeah, Louis Vuitton has very deep pockets.” Agreed, but that’s not the point. They also have the best retail locations in the world, with rents to match. More and more we see them in shopping centres rather than the traditional standalone stores. So clearly, they see the benefit of high traffic positions, and don’t just see themselves as a destination brand.

What is the age-old story? Look at those who do it really well and learn from them. Louis Vuitton has a great mix of photos and video.

They are able to keep people engaged on their site for 4:15 minutes. I don’t need to remind you all that the average successful Youtube video struggles to keep our attention for 30 seconds. Tell me you aren’t like me who stabs at their phone when wanting to watch a video on Youtube and some unrelated ad pops up and says ‘video will start in 4 seconds’. I am embarrassed to admit I don’t have patience to let it run. Shocking, I know.

For those who read my last article on omnichannel marketing, you only need to open the Louis Vuitton site and see a sumptuous space of colour that’s yet not over crowded. Clearly,

One of the cornerstones is the clarity that Louis Vuitton achieves by ensuring that their content is cohesive. There is, as one would expect, an unerring emphasis on branding

New Opal Collection SOCIAL MEDIA IS SLOWLY GROWING AS A MEDIUM OF INFLUENCING SOCIAL MEDIA HABITS.

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40%

88%

OF PEOPLE USE AT LEAST ONE SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORK.

30%

OF SOCIAL MEDIA USERS HAVE ALREADY SHARED A PURCHASE ON A PLATFORM.

SOCIAL MEDIA USERS SAY THAT IN-STORE THEY BUY MORE PRODUCTS FROM BRANDS THEY FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS.

33%

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OF THEM DO SO TO GET FINANCIAL REWARD.

and its associated rules. This comes across both visually and even down to every post having the #LouisVuitton hashtag. Louis Vuitton launched an amazing campaign with Unicef called ‘make a promise’. It was designed in a way to allow participation by all.

Louis Vuitton created a campaign to appeal to the next generation.

They demonstrated that you can be luxurious and not necessarily exclusive. I find this brilliant and inspiring.

IP1154-RRQS

I don’t know about you, but this makes me want to go back to the drawing board and ask myself what can we do differently and better?

Nobody will ever deny that a great location is a powerful and expensive tool. However, it’s only one tool in the marketing box.

Personally, I don’t think we can rely on any other entity to deliver our brand message in the social media spaceand I struggle to see how a great location is even a partial substitute to social media.

IP1107-RQR IP1107E-RQR

Trade well,,, Rami Baron. +61 2 9266 0636

+61 2 9266 0969

enquiries@ikecho.com.au

NEW ZEALAND NEWS Emily Duncan Policy Advisor, Retail NZ E: JANZ@retail.kiwi

The complications of Easter Sunday trading for retailers Another Easter Sunday has come and gone, which means another year of some restricted trading hours and many confused consumers has passed. Whether you’re a business operating in New Zealand or Australia, there will be some type of restrictions and exemptions for retailers on Easter Sunday.

E

aster Sunday never used to be a topic of issue of concern when it came to shop trading hours, as it used to be tradition that shops were shut on Sunday. However, there has since been a cultural shift in demand from consumers who don’t agree with shop trading hour restrictions. Twenty-first century retailers and consumers are operating in a global shopping market, with access to anything and everything at the touch of a button 24/7. This begs the question, why are only some retailers in some areas allowed to open their doors on Easter Sunday?

The major lack of consistency across jurisdictions leave consumers scratching their heads Whether your shop is located in Victoria, Western Australia or the CBD tourist precinct in a major city, you will be subject to different shop trading hours. However, it’s not just about location when it comes

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to shop trading hour restrictions. There are also some restrictions for businesses and retailers dependent on the goods you sell, and for some, even the size of your premises.

Furthermore, depending on how many staff you have on the floor at one time or if you’re a major retailer or franchisee with over 250 staff members, you could also be subject to some restrictions on Easter Sunday.

In New Zealand, legislation passed in 2016 allowing each individual Council the power to decide if shops in their districts should be allowed to open on Easter Sunday, if they choose to do so.

Until recently, there were only a few exemptions in New Zealand that were much less confusing, compared to our neighbours across the Tasman, while also giving some types of businesses an advantage over others.

As Easter is also a very popular time for travel for both locals and foreign

nationals, inconsistent and complicated shop trading restrictions can be very confusing for those travelling. Not only does the obvious lack of consistency in both countries leaving shoppers perplexed, these laws also give significant advantage to specific retailers and businesses over others. Restrictions in both countries that are dependent on the type of business, size or staffing numbers does not create a fair and level playing field for retailers, and also creates substantial confusion.

ATHAN Momentum is on the side of change In a globalised 24/7 world, the ban on shops opening is increasingly archaic.The average consumer now can shop from just about anywhere, and at any time. Not only does this allow access to shoppers at the touch of a button, but also provides the consumer with a substantial opportunity for choice. Retail NZ is supportive of businesses being granted the choice of whether to open their doors on Easter Sunday.

This is a decision that is best made by businesses, and not by governments. Each retailer and business, whether they are a jeweller, garden centre, cafĂŠ or chain department store should be responsible for choosing whether they seek to serve customers on Easter Sunday. There will be many businesses who might wish to close their shop on Easter Sunday as they may not have the necessary customer demand to open.

However, there will also be those businesses who wish to open their doors to serve customers on Easter Sunday, especially as they might be those business who are disadvantaged by the current laws and policies.

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It’s all about choice Shop trading hour restrictions on Easter Sunday is fundamentally an issue about choice. Consumers choose to participate in retail activity on Easter Sunday, and retailers choose to open just as they do every other day of the year.

The global retail market has grown exponentially in the last decade, especially with innovative technologies and growth of online shopping allowing customers to access a much wide range of products. Shopping is considered a popular past time for many Kiwi and Aussie families and is especially popular with tourists. Removing shop trading hour restrictions entirely on Easter Sunday in both Australia and New Zealand will help drive tourism to some places, boost local economies, and give both consumers and retailers the choice of how to spend the day.

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President’s Message Selywn Brandt

A

t the risk of waxing lyrical in my thoughts on the future of our industry, I still do believe that jewellers need to embrace a new modus operadi to ensure their ongoing commercial competitiveness and longevity.

There are boundless resources aimed at assisting retailers in adapting to increasingly challenging market conditions at home and aboard, but I feel that we need to better support our young, talented manufacturing artisans in their career pursuits.

One of the greatest challenges I see our young manufacturing jewellers facing is being able to reach their consumers and leverage their marketing power. Young artisans, by way of their size and production capacity, do not have the eye-watering marketing budgets of the larger established brands. Although this can make it difficult for them to break into the commercial market and nab a slice of desirable market real-estate, not all is lost.

Redefine your marketplace Don’t compete on the open market, but re-strategise instead. Young designer collectives and galleries are an option for

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budding young jewellers to get their work out there. The collective nature of these enterprises can keep costs down and attract consumers who wouldn’t have otherwise come across your work. Get in touch with your local design school to seek out potential opportunities and network! Engaging with up and coming social media influencers can be a cost effective way to get you and your product out there in addition to aligning yourself with an individual who complements your business ethos.

Differentiation is key A quick review of successful Australian jewellers’ online brand shows that the way your digital presence is cultivated is crucial.

Your website is often the first port of call for a potential client. High resolution, well styled shots of your work with information on what the piece is crucial for giving clients and indication of your skills. An insight into you and your business is a plus, along with easily accessible contact information is key. Often consumers only see the finished product, with no idea about the immense skills and time that went into creating it.

Offer what the other can’t Customers no longer expect good customer service, they expect a great customer experience. Unlike the bigger retailers, you can offer a bespoke service that includes the customer at every step along the way.

Being able to offer a personalised touch is key to differentiating your business from the multitude of others out there, and smaller artisans need to get clever about how they position their brand.

Whilst there are many challenges facing young manufacturing jewellers, I am certain that with a novel approach and desire to achieve that these issues can be overcome. Change must come from within and we are constantly looking for ways we can help young jewellers develop their careers and looking forward to a successful future.

Stay in the (loupe).

Become a JAA member and be a part of a nation wide network of industry leaders.

Membership to the Jewellers Association of Australia (JAA) keeps you up to date with the latest industry news, developments and innovations. As just some of the benefits membership gives you, members receive a complimentary yearly subscription to Jewellery World magazine, access to all JAA communications including our monthly newsletter, JNews, and access to events and seminars that are there to benefit your business.

Be a part of a something bigger. Join the JAA network today.

Champagne 'Slide' drop necklace in yellow gold Luke Rose Jewellery, JAA Member.

T: (02) 8046 6878 E: info@jaa.com.au W: jaa.com.au The Jewellers Association of Australia Level 35, International Tower One, 100 Barangaroo Avenue, Sydney, NSW, 2000

Member Profile Larry Sher, Chemgold charge on alloy and technology development, along with being hands on in production to ensure Chemgold’s products are to the absolute highest possible standards.

Recent innovations that Larry has developed include:

W

hen entering the realm of precious metals, let Larry Sher be your technical guide and specialist. Larry Sher was first acquainted with the world of fine jewellery over 30 years ago, where his passion for precious metal manufacturing and design grew.

Starting Tafe in 1993 in the Inner Western suburbs of Sydney, he studied jewellery design and manufacture. As an apprentice, Larry had the privilege of working at the bench with top jewellers across the country gaining an intimate knowledge of making jewellery by hand.

Larry was always a natural with his hands and recalls eagerly working in the business as a teenager in various aspects of production – from wax pulling, making moulds, and assisting with casting and tree building. After joining the company it didn’t take too long before his passion for precious metals and production led him to managing the Casting Department.

Shortly after this the company also added other products and services to the mix such as fabricated alloys, CAD/CAM, precious metals and JewelMounts.

Chemgold now has a world class factory in Alexandria, Sydney where Larry leads the

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- AGPD - Silver with palladium. This is a new high strength sterling silver alloy which is tarnish resistant and fire stain free, fantastic for bench work and allows a better finish that will last longer.

- 18WPP - 18ct white gold casting alloy. It's the whitest 18ct white gold alloy ever developed in Australia. This new 18ct white alloy has high hardness and better wearing for the consumer. Apart from this it has a high level of grain refiners giving a compact surface which allows for a bright clean polish - PTG - revolutionary new platinum alloy called PlatinumG with incomparable qualities, innovative material properties, outstanding workability, easier for setting, brilliant white colour, superior polishing performance and a higher precious metal content In his time in the precious metals industry and with Chemgold, Larry has a fair few achievements to be proud of.

“I’m most proud of our reputation within the Australian jewellery industry. Our commitment to quality and excellence has made us one of the most trusted precious metal supplier,” he says.

Improvements to production procedure and the use of cutting edge technologies that

enable jewellers to create extremely high quality designs IN CAD/CAM without the prohibitive labour costs is something Larry is constantly striving towards and giving the Australian market better performing products.

Apart from this Larry led the way in the Australian market to perfect burn outs for resin.

Larry also has developed a reputation for being the ‘go to’ person for anything that is extremely challenging.

“I love a challenge and being able to assist our clients with the impossible,” he says.

His passion for precious metals and love of jewellery has enabled him to consult for many leading jewellery brands and casting companies across the globe. “I love jewellery as for me it’s the perfect way to engineer something beautiful that can last forever on a microscopic level.”

When asked ‘what’s next’ Larry states he hopes to continue to experiment with new products and bring useful, exciting alloys to the market.

“In five years’ time, I hope to see the industry better able to compete with cheap overseas product. Ideally, I would like to see higher tariffs and duties on products imported into Australia and support the local market.”

For more information on the product and services offered by Chemgold, visit their website at www.chemgold.com or call 02 9698 8500

With seven missing Imperial Russian Fabergé eggs still out there waiting to be found, a UK-based auction search engine believes it might just been the answer.

In total there were 57 jewel-bedecked Imperial Fabergé eggs commissioned by the Russian Tsar, as an annual Easter gift for his wife, the Tsarina. The first egg was produced in 1885 on the orders of Alexander III of Russia. Maria Feodorovna the Tsarina was so fond of these eggs that Alexander appointed Peter Carl Fabergé to the Royal Warrant. Every Easter, he and his colleagues presented a new egg, totally unique, with a surprise inside. Nicholas II of Russia took over the tradition and went on to provide the unique Easter gifts both to his wife, Alexandra Feodorovna and widowed Tsarina.

Barnebys, an auctions aggregator and search engine, believes searching its records may help unearth the seven lost eggs – the world’s biggest digital Easter egg hunt.

Pontus Silfverstolpe, co-founder of Barnebys, says, “We know that one egg went with Maria Feodorovna in 1918 when she left the

During WW2, some of the lost eggs were traded for bread and food. Two years an American scrap dealer bought an egg in a flea market which turned out to be one of the missing Fabergé eggs. It sold for around $200m when it come to auction in London.”

In 2004, there was great excitement when the Russian gas and oil billionaire Viktor Vekselberg bought the world's second largest Fabergé collection of nine eggs. He commented to the BBC after the sale, "The religious, spiritual and emotional content captured by these Fabergé eggs touches upon the soul of the Russian people.”

For those of seeking one of those missing eggs it will take time, patience, a great deal of searching and huge amounts of luck.

But there are seven lost Fabergé eggs left out there, somewhere. Keeping an eye on Barneby’s website may just help to unearth one of those fabled eggs.

Михаил Овчинников, Wikimedia.org

The ultimate Easter egg hunt

country. The other eggs were forgotten or removed during the Russian Revolution, some of which were stolen. In the 1930s Joseph Stalin sold fourteen eggs through western auction houses to raise much needed money. Today there are 21 eggs left in Russia in the Kremlin Museum.”

A new jeweller network for Australia and New Zealand

MGJC to launch portable diamond identification kit

An industry online network is in its beta-phase but looks set to be a valuable tool for the future.

O

J

eweller Kevin Harris started with the belief that the jewellery industry is missing an efficient way for suppliers to be found online. The Virtual Jeweller Network grew slowly from concept to a mammoth task to connect any and all Australian/New Zealand suppliers and groups to the industry.

Currently inviting registrations from across the industry before the official launch, the network promises to provide a dedicated environment administered by jewellers for jewellers.

Part of the problem, believes Kevin, is dead end leads from Facebook and old webpages, as well as a lack of ability for jewellers to identify their speciality online and advertise it to the industry.

The Virtual Jeweller Network aims to provide a broad spectrum of suppliers, groups and artisans to the public and the rest of the industry, creating a searchable database of the industry.

Industry members can register (for free initially) and indicate their specialities within the system. Retired jewellers are welcome to register as part or full time consultants as Kevin feels it’s vital to the industry that their knowledge stays active in our community.

Still in its beta-phase, the network will ultimately allow the public to engage jewellers and obtain quotes online.

A detailed FAQ is available on the site and a chat widget operates for any registration questions.

“The Jewellery industry has been my life,” said Kevin. “I dedicate Virtual Jeweller Network to the goldsmiths of Australia and New Zealand, suppliers, associations as a support network into the future.” www.virtualjewellernetwork.com.au/beta

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ne of the highlights of the upcoming 4th Mediterranean Gemmological and Jewellery Conference (MGJC), to be held in May in Montenegro, will be the introduction of an affordable synthetic diamond identification kit and other portable instruments that will enable users to help identify loose and mounted melee-sized synthetic diamonds, as well as larger stones.

MGJC, which is a gemmological conference that stands out for its practical workshops and training sessions, will offer hands-on instruction of these new instruments.

MGJC founder and Conference Chair Branko Deljanin said that during the past years, due to the influx of melee-sized synthetic diamonds into the market, various instruments producers and gemmological laboratories had launched screening and detection instruments to help dealers and jewellers identify undisclosed synthetic diamonds.

"The problem is that good spectrometers are very expensive, costing from $10,000 to as much as $125,000 and that only few laboratories can afford them. As a result, there are too few labs in the market that have sufficient funds and experience to confidently and positively identify synthetic diamonds," Deljanin stated.

"Consequently, most of the instruments used are inaccurate 'testers' or 'screening devices' that just can indicate if a stone is a Type I or Type II diamond but cannot provide a definite answer to if the stone is of natural or of synthetic origin!" he continued.

The new portable synthetic diamond identification kit is the result of the collaboration between Deljanin, who is chief gemmologist of CGL-GRS Swiss Canadian Gemlab in Vancouver; George Spyromilios, director of the Independent Gemological Laboratory Hellas (IGL), of Athens, Greece; John Chapman, of the Australian gemmological instruments manufacturer Gemetrix; and Dominic Mok, director of the Hong Kong-based Asian Gemmological Institute and Laboratory (AGIL). Their combined experience, gathered during their many decades of research and work, and collated during three annual Mediterranean Gemmological Conferences and more than 30 workshops given in 16 countries, ultimately led to the development of the new identification kit.

AUSTRALIAN SOUTH SEA PEARL JEWELLERY

Necklace, 1995

Exhibition of the Maestro As if one ever needs a reason to visit Italy, an exhibition at the Vicenza Museum of Jewellery of the late Gio Pomodoro’s jewellery is surely a perfect excuse.

Gio Pomodoro was one of the world’s foremost sculptors when he turned his hand in the 1950s to jewellery and discovered a passion.

The museum has curated a display that features pieces of the maestro’s art from the 1950s to the late 1990s.

Suite 601, The Trust Building 155 King Street, Sydney Nsw 2000 Email info@perlis.com.au Ph (02) 9223 6700 www.perlis.com.au

The exhibition runs until September 2018.

Pendant, 1968

Bracelet, 1972

Pearl Traders are wholesalers of South Sea and Tahitian Pearls in loose, strands, pairs for earrings, and South Sea and Tahitian Pearl Jewellery.

Bracelet, 1980

Pearl Traders Pty Ltd Suite 601, Level 6, 155 King St, Sydney, NSW 2000 Email: jj@pearltraders.com.au Phone 02 9223 6700 Fax 02 9223 6800

Single earring, 1967

Bracelet, 1980 April 2018

23

By Stefan Juengling

OJCO

Shopping for jewellery IN YOUR PJs The online shopping behaviours of Australians and ways you can make the most of your online jewellery store.

A

ussies love online shopping, and research commissioned by mydiscountdeals.com and first reported in B&T Weekly last year found major reasons why, including convenience and finding a good deal. Unfortunately, it also found that most shoppers still prefer to travel to their local store for certain products including jewellery, with 93% showing their preference for buying jewellery in store over online. Thus shopping for jewellery is still largely viewed as an activity which involves going into a physical store.

The research also revealed that Aussies are averse to parting with serious cash online, with almost 90% unwilling to spend more than $5000, only 3% willing to spend up to $20,000 online, and only 1.6% would spend up to a million dollars online. With stats like these, it makes establishing a solid foothold or landing major sales in the online jewellery market a daunting prospect. However, we interviewed two jewellery businesses with a reputable online presence to glean some gold for your business in the online market.

Portobello

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Making an online base The Online Jewellery Company (OJCO) may be a relative newcomer to the online jewellery market but itis already thriving. Steven Sher founded OJCO in early 2016 with the site going live later that year.

“Our focus has been on ensuring that every customer that makes a purchase becomes an ardent fan,” he said.

“We try to make them so happy that not only will they consider us for their next purchase, they’ll tell a friend about us.”

Steven said it’s the combination of OJCO’s next-day delivery, their exquisite packaging, free gift-wrapping and hand-written greeting cards which all add to a positive customer experience. To attract customers to OJCO, Steven said they followed all the conventions of any online business by marketing themselves through social and PPC advertising.

“However, we also created partnerships through our PR Agency (Ac Agency) and developed an increasingly targeted approach as we learned more about our customers and subscribers.

OJCO

“This led to exploring opportunities with other high profile digital media platforms including Sportluxe, Stay At Home Mum and The Carousel and even mainstream/traditional media including 2GB Radio.”

In contrast to the fresh-faced OJCO, Portobello Jewellery has been a long-running 43-year

the photos of each piece are of the highest standard,” he said.

“These confidence-enablers certainly help win customers.”

“We also have zoom features with the imagery, so customers can really scrutinize each piece.”

Everyone loves a bargain

While these solutions help make online jewellery pieces more tangible, Steven knows they only go part of the way to solving the challenge.

Portobello

veteran in the jewellery industry and has a substantial physical retail presence as well as an online presence. Portobello has partnered with jewellers around the country to offer their range of jewellery in store, in addition to their online store. Director Astral Maheshwari said they see online as another channel to reach consumers.

“Our hybrid model where we partner with other retailers across Australia secures us and our retailing partners both ‘online’ as well as ‘physical’ reach,” she said.

Convincing customers to buy the intangible As mentioned, research showed that most customers prefer to go in store to buy their jewellery, and one major reason for that is so they can try pieces on before buying. Steven acknowledges that the greatest challenge for online jewellers is to show a customer how good a piece can look without them physically seeing or touching it.

“Therefore, wherever possible, we show the jewellery on a model, with multiple images and angles, and ensure that

“Until we can show customers holographic images of the jewellery right in front of them, these challenges will remain.”

Building trust to secure big sales Australians would prefer to see and touch their jewellery before buying, and that dissuades them from buying online and especially from parting with serious cash on online jewellery.

However, there are ways for businesses to persuade customers to buy that luxury piece, and Steven believes much of it involves developing trust and a relationship with customers.

“Like most interactions in life, you must slowly and systematically build confidence and trust,” he said.

“Only when you have a great relationship with your customer (online or face to face) will they part with their hardearned cash, we respect that and work with them to mitigate their concerns.”

For Portobello, OJCO Astral believes their “No questions asked” returns policy and free independent valuation certificates for jewellery above $1000 helps customers feel more comfortable parting with serious money.

“We take our ‘No questions asked’ returns policy very seriously and in the past have taken back expensive jewellery in gold and diamond just because the customer changed their mind,” she said.

Another key finding from the research revealed that more than 84 per cent feel more satisfaction if they buy something that’s been discounted. Steven is attuned to this bargainseeking consumer behaviour, stating that markdowns have been popular for decades, and remain even more so now.

“People want a good price and they are now more informed than ever: they know the price of that item not only in the next suburb but also on the other side of the world,” he said.

“So, your prices always have to be sharp.”

OJCO’s prices are so competitive that Steven reports having customers call the business to confirm OJCO is legitimate.

“Our prices are so low, they need to confirm it for themselves, so you can imagine their delight (when they discover they are legitimate).”

Conversely, Astral takes a different view and bucks the trend with offering discounts.

“We don’t believe in discounting – we offer a quality, personalised product for which customers are willing to pay its worth,” she said.

The future of the online jewellery market Looking ahead, Astral doesn’t see either online or traditional retailers ruling the market, they both will coexist and neither can be ignored for any jewellery brand to survive.

Steven echoed these views, stating that the online jewellery market will not eradicate the traditional jewellery store, it will just become a more significant part of the industry.

“It also allows us to reach a far wider audience in remote and rural areas, or those with limited access, so it’s also a wonderful opportunity for us to embrace as an industry,” he said.

OJCO April 2018

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By Kirsten Ehrlich Davies

How to promote your jewellery business on social media The best publicity campaign is a consistent and cost-effective promotion of your brand, starting with your target audience, and spreading outwards to their connections, so you retain your old customers and attract new ones.

I

n the past, jewellers and other businesses had to rely on print media and television advertisements to consolidate their wordof-mouth promotions – the problem with TV and print advertising was that these were expensive advertising methods that did not give measurable results.

Today, you can launch your own social media campaign and take control of your brand advertising, by interacting directly with customers and understanding what they want from you. This enables you to build a platform of past, present and future customers, while increasing the visibility of your brand, whether you are a small independent business or a large franchise.

So what are the steps involved in creating an effective social media platform to promote your jewellery business?

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Define your brand In order to “sell” a clear vision of your brand, you need to define it. Identify your target audience and consider what they are seeking from you – whether it is a unique edgy design, timeless luxury, ethical sources of material, or personal collectibles. Write a short statement that describes exactly what you are offering your customers.

Once you have defined your brand, based on what your target customers want, you must ensure that every social media post conforms to this brand statement. Customers will not retain a memory of your business if your brand message is confusing or inconsistent.

Images that convey a sense of who your customers want to be can be quick and simple to obtain. Use a free image from Unsplash.com and place a piece of your jewellery or an inspiring word over the picture.

Create your social media platform You can expand your social media profile over multiple platforms – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube,as well as your web page. While each platform has its own voice and appeals to your target audience in a different way, you do need to ensure that all of them retain a consistent visual message, based on how you have defined your brand.

If you prefer to keep your social media profile simple with just one platform, choose Facebook as this is the most versatile and comprehensive forum.

With Facebook, you can share photos, and relevant news stories to engage followers in a conversation, while you can also promote your latest products or any upcoming sales or special deals. Most important of all, Facebook is the site people use to keep in contact with their extended family and friends, so you have the opportunity to expand your audience when loyal customers share your posts or start conversations in the comments section.

Encourage your tribe to have fun with your product – and share!

A post a day keeps followers engaged While social media promotion can be costeffective, it also takes time. And it is easy to fall into the trap of constantly posting content or engaging too much with readers. This is time you could invest into other aspects of your business. A good rule of thumb is to

Compose your images to capture a mood.

post once or twice a day on both Facebook and Instagram. One post a day keeps your customers engaged – setting a maximum of two posts a day ensures that you are making an impact on your audience, and your content is fresh and relevant.

Try to vary your posts, with a range of different material. Sales messages should only take up about 15% of your content – mix it up so your followers don’t get tired of endless sales pitches. The rest of your content can be a mixture of images, news stories and conversational pieces. For news stories, set up a newsfeed, such as Feedly, to send you links to relevant articles so you can share newsworthy articles with your followers.

Posting articles sourced from Feedly will also encourage conversation among your followers.

Catch their attention with an article about the world’s most expensive diamond or the latest celebrity fad. This will keep your site interesting and up-to-date and also helps vary your content so you’re not just selling jewellery, you’re also starting a conversation.

Check your social media platforms regularly throughout the day, to ensure that comments remain courteous.

The power of imagery When people browse the Internet, they are particularly drawn to appealing photographs, and as a visual product, jewellery is particularly easy to promote online.

Instagram is the perfect forum for displaying beautiful and compelling images online, so if you have a talented Your products in real-life photographer on situations make more compelling your team, you can images than hero shots. experiment with uniquely creative pictures of your jewellery.

This will attract followers who might not necessarily be in the market to buy jewellery right now – by building brand awareness, you will attract a long term market.

Twitter is perhaps the least engaging platform

April 2018

29

for a jewellery business, as there is no visual component, but you could use it to promote your other platforms, by tweeting short succinct messages about upcoming sales or blogs, or even promoting thought-provoking discussions taking place on Facebook.

Let your customers do the talking One of the key elements of a social media presence is the ability to engage in a conversation with your followers.

Ask your followers to give their opinion about various colours and styles and designs, so you can learn more about what they like.

This is valuable and cost-effective market research as you can hear directly from your target customers. Alternately, help them solve a problem with articles about caring for jewellery or choosing the right ring design or how to shop ethically.

Create a connection with your customers by inviting them to display their photographs of your jewellery on your page. A newly engaged customer can send a photo of his fiancée wearing her engagement ring (purchased from your store) with the caption “She said yes!” This is an excellent way to promote your engagement ring range beyond your current target audience, as this newly engaged family will share the post with their family and friends, increasing brand awareness beyond your immediate customers.

Reward your followers Your social media platform encourages followers to become repeat customers, by keeping them engaged with your products and reminding them about the positive experience of shopping from your store. Reward your regular followers with special giveaways, discounts and competitions, and release previews of your latest range so they can be the first to buy from you.

Your customers are your best marketing resource and social media is the best platform for building The more unusual, or striking the image, the more a strong relationship likely it will be seen and remembered. with them. Create a friendly and stimulating environment that reflects the style and essence of your jewellery range, and you will engage a strong and supportive customer base.

Ending a post with a provocative question is a great way to stimulate response from your followers.

Tell us your love story!

Which necklace is your favourite?

Who would you give this bracelet to?

Forevermark expands into Europe - a textbook branding exercise from De Beers De Beers Group announced in March that its Forevermark diamond brand will enter the German market for the first time after signing with an exclusive licensee partner, and is in advanced-stage discussions with potential partners in France and Italy.

The expansion into new European markets follows the brand’s successful performance in 2017, during which it posted 19 per cent growth in numbers of diamonds sold globally.

“Forevermark is delighted to add new licensee partners in key European markets and to further expand the brand’s global reach,” said Stephen Lussier, chief executive of Forevermark. “The flow of international travellers through Europe from key consumer markets such as the USA, China, India and Japan is an important influence on brand selection, and bolstering the brand’s visibility in leading European destinations is a powerful next step following the successes of 2017.”

The Forevermark diamond brand is De Beers Group’s primary branding exercise following the classic steps required to build exclusivity: Forevermark diamonds are graded and inscribed (making them more ‘special’ than other diamonds); they’re rare with less than one percent of the world’s diamonds qualifying for the Forevermark inscription; and their ‘story’ is one of integrity with the stones being responsibility sourced and the company striving to create opportunities for women. Finally, Forevermark diamonds are only available at authorised jewellers. Textbook branding, but then, De Beers are one of the original jewellery brands.

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By Cheryl D. Harty

Ellani Collections

Brands and BRANDING Over the past decade, brands have become increasingly important in the jewellery sector in Australia, as more consumers embrace the aspirational perception created around brands in a market crowded with generic “me too” products.

F

or people who buy jewellery on emotion or receive pieces based around sentiment, the item represents an emotional connection as well a reflection of personal taste. Whether the item is, for instance, a Pandora bracelet, Paspaley pearl necklace, Swarovski crystal earrings or Beville’s ring, the brand has personal resonance for the wearer.

Look to the luxury watch brands Branding is a key factor propelling sales in the watch category. Sporting identities, actors, and entertainers often appear in visual marketing campaigns endorsing various brands by wearing their watches. Alliances in the high end timepiece sector include Roger Federer wearing Rolex, George Clooney and Omega, David Beckham and Brietling, and Leonard Di Caprio and TAG Heuer.

The idea is that the consumer fan base will buy into the watch brand endorsed by their icon – an effective marketing strategy in a competetive sector which incorporates luxury,

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quality and prestige offers down to the lower price points. Casio, Timex, Seiko and Swatch are among the brands sought by consumers looking for more affordable watches.

Match your social media to your brand Ellani Collections produces fine jewellery for the modern woman, and director Paul Hicks points out that “it doesn’t matter if it is a $5,000 piece or a $100 piece, that jewellery is a reflection of your brand and business.”

and recognises the importance of utilising the web as a platform to reach modern consumers to convey its jewellery offer,” he said.

It is important that jewellery companies get digital generations engaged with their offer on line, Mr Hicks said. “Jewellers need to look more to social media to get product imagery and the brand message across. There are many independent jewellers doing social media well but a lot are still getting up to speed.”

The company continues its branding story through its packaging, a move that helps to reinforce the brand in the consumers’ mind when an upcoming jewellery purchase is being considered for themselves or a loved one.

Creating a secret club

“Ellani Collections has a strong focus on marketing and branding

“We were the first jewellery brand to create, make and market the ‘Ubercircles’ designs,” she explained. “When I started from my

Ellani Collections

Personalised jewellery line, Uberkate, started out modestly with a website in 2003. Creator and founder, Kate Sutton commented that “time, passion, dedication, marketing, online exposure, social media and continual evolution,” had seen Uberkate grow into a niche brand.

Uberkate

garage 15 years ago there was no such thing as ‘personalised jewellery.’ We added the word ‘personalised’ to our circles to explain to people that we make them all to order. Our signature DNA is personalising handcrafted circles in sterling silver, rose, yellow and white gold. One particular necklace we designed and starting selling 17 years ago is synonymous with our business globally.”

Some clients will purchase on brand alone and love absolutely everything about what you design and release, Ms Sutton noted. “It takes time and Uberkate history to build up a brand. A family owned and run jewellery business is its own brand and builds its own brand based on repeat customer experience and service,” she said.

Two years ago, Uberkate launched its ‘Everyday Cocktail Collection’ based around a chunky cocktail ring, crafted with a variety of natural stones, designed to be worn every day.

harnessing key elements of the brand and making them key highlights,” Mr Kim said.

captured the essence of the brand emerged, incorporating a refreshed brand mark, patterning, photography and striking packaging.

Najo marketing manager, Bernard Kim believes that with the blurring of fashion and fine jewellery - due to the impact of fast fashion - having an identity and a story is key to branding today.

“There is a lot of white noise and to maintain one’s brand and integrity, it is essential to have a clear story and remain true to the design ethos. This direct form of branding – ‘aka’ storytelling, gives your client an in-depth understanding of your vision and product.”

The most impactful branding for Najo has been achieved by creating a personalised relationship with its clients. “We try and achieve this through digital avenues, and make sure all branding stays within this concept. The rebranding contributed to enhancing our vision of sharing our story,

Educating your customer Education driven marketing that aims to create desire for diamonds will drive the ALTR Created Diamond Jewellery brand which launched in Australia ALTR Created Diamonds recently. The certified Type11A lab-grown diamond brand – only 18k gold pieces have been introduced to Australia at this stage - is rolling out to Showcase stores, where it sells alongside mined diamond jewellery.

ALTR Created Diamonds president and founder, Amish Shah said the company is committed to investing dollars towards focused marketing via social media, performance marketing, TV at local as well as

“The most impactful part of the branding about this range and why it's immediately seen to be Uberkate, is the unique style of the setting and the fact that we go to the effort to get our own stones cut to our own design.

These cocktail rings have become like a secret club and we are often told stories of women sitting at board room meetings and flashing their Everyday Cocktail rings at one another,” Ms Sutton said.

Overcoming the white noise Four years ago, Mexican inspired Najo jewellery engaged the Truly Deeply agency to update the brand and project a bold, sophisticated and culturally rich image to the customer. A new visual language that Uberkate

CIBJO promotes international adoption of Blue Books

Ellani Collections

regional levels. A global branding and creative agency has developed media and brand films for the stores that are modern and desirable.

“Our PR firm is working with local agencies to create the buzz about ALTR and laboratorycreated diamonds with education and editorials. This will be followed by some programs that we have tested in USA successfully that will be unveiled at store levels,” Mr Shah said.

Providing material to help the retailer focus the brand is essential, Mr Shah said.

“Along with a comprehensive product package of loose diamonds , solitaires, earrings, bridals and fashion jewellery , the retailer receives display systems, and extensive training sessions for themselves and staff, comprising videos, webinars, and web support,” Mr Shah added.

"We also provide marketing collaterals (brand films, over counter consumer media, and brand books) backed up with domestic and international PR . This is crucial for retailers to successfully launch the brand in their marketplace and offer this unique choice to the consumer."

The value of being genuine Sharing the origin story of the jewellery with the consumer audience is often more powerful than the product itself, Jana, the creator of the small batch 100 of One silver jewellery line, pointed out. She believes people crave an emotional connection to their jewellery and are more likely to buy a brand that is honest and transparent, a brand that they can relate to.

Branding can offer increasingly time poor consumers confidence in the product at the time of purchase.

Being a brand or Uberkate buying from a brand means you understand and love what the brand is offering you, Uberkate founder, Kate Sutton said.

“As jewellers we each need to look to the future and consider our own businesses and what we stand for as part of our brand.

With globalisation and so much choice now, personal branding, branding of designs and business will only continue to grow in importance. Branding is a way to stand out from the crowd,” Ms Sutton concluded.

Ellani Collections 34

jewellery world - April 2018

CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri spoke at a seminar at the recent Hong Kong jewellery shows urging both governments and jewellery and gemstone associations to incorporate the standards and nomenclature contained in the CIBJO Blue Books into their respective national guidelines, as a measure designed to facilitate more transparent and efficient international trade.

The CIBJO Blue Books are definitive sets of grading standards and nomenclature for diamonds, coloured gemstones, pearls, coral, precious metals, and gemmological laboratories. They are compiled and are consistently updated by relevant CIBJO Commissions, whose members include representatives of trade organisations and laboratories active in the diamond, coloured gemstone, pearl, precious metals and jewellery industries.

"It is essential because we work in an industry where there is almost no single item produced that does not includes elements that were either mined, processed and manufactured in multiple countries," Dr. Cavalieri said. "What this means is that gemstones, jewellery components and complete jewellery items are constantly crossing borders, and are being handled and valued by different people in each of the countries they pass through. It is absolutely essential that members of our industry in one country can communicate accurately with their colleagues in other countries, using a common professional language."

"The application of the Blue Books is voluntary, but increasingly they are becoming recognised as common standards," Dr. Cavalieri noted.

"The CIBJO Commissions that compile and update the CIBJO Blue Books do not work in isolation. They are made up by industry members, like yourself, who are ready to contribute," he stated.

JNA Awards now calling for entries The prestigious JNA Awards is now accepting entries for its seventh edition. Qualified companies and individuals are invited to take part in this international annual awards programme.

The JNA Awards is organised by UBM Asia and is dedicated to recognise, celebrate and encourage best business practices, excellence and innovation in the international jewellery and gemstone industry.

Interested enterprises and individuals may self-nominate or nominate others in a range of categories including: • Brand of the Year – Retail • eSupplier of the Year • Industry Innovation of the Year (business model, management process, marketing or branding initiatives, manufacturing process, product development, technology and gemmological research, among others) • Manufacturer of the Year – Jewellery • Manufacturer of the Year – Cutting & Polishing • Outstanding Enterprise of the • Retailer of the Year • Sustainability Initiative of the Year • Young Entrepreneur of the Year

The awards will be evaluated by a panel of judges comprised of six international industry experts.

Albert Cheng, Advisor to the World Gold Council and a judge on the panel says the awards provides the industry with an opportunity to share its success stories. “Those companies and individuals who thrive are among our industry pillars, and they are encouraged to participate in the JNA Awards – the Oscars of the jewellery industry.”

Fellow judge James Courage, former chairman of the Responsible Jewellery Council says the awards are also an attractive platform for members of the industry to demonstrate their unique qualifications to their peers, suppliers and buyers. “Participation in the JNA Awards continues to be a unique opportunity for the jewellery industry to illustrate its progress and achievements across many business-focused categories. Categories where today’s consumers are looking for responsibility in the supply chain; individuals, collective enterprises, and innovation bring excitement and business relevance,” he says.

To enter the JNA Awards, interested parties must complete and submit their entry forms no later than midnight (Hong Kong time) of 30 April 2018. www.jnaawards.com

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Twin Jewellery Shows Attract a RECORD 87,000 BUYERS One of the biggest dates in the jewellery calendar is the twin Hong Kong shows organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). This year saw attendance at the shows break all previous records with 87,000 buyers attending from 145 countries and regions.

W

alking the shows this year, the change in mood was palpable.

Previous years have seen buyers and exhibitors rather tight-lipped, hesitant to predict the market, playing it close to the chest – but this year, almost everyone we spoke to was enthusiastic about the industry’s prospects, even if a little cautious.

More than 33,700 visitors attended the Diamond, Gem and Pearl Show, while approximately 53,000 visited the Jewellery Show, but while exhibitors felt the numbers were down (they weren’t), most commented that the spending was high with quality deals being made. With the shows being so close to Chinese New Year, many Chinese clients were still on vacation as the timing of the shows brought it very close to the New Year Lunar festival. Attendance rose throughout the show as the days went by.

There was a steady presence of buyers from Singapore, South Korea, Japan and Australia, as well as from India and the US, although Indian suppliers expressed concerns regarding future available bank credit, following the $2 billion Nirav Modi-Gitanjali fraud allegations. Similar concerns were raised from manufacturers regarding the recent announcement that UAE has introduced a 5% VAT. The tax rate is fixed at 5 per cent on the import and supply of goods and services at each stage of production and distribution, including what is deemed to be a supply.

A new tech space Aside from being separated into two fairs (gems etc and jewellery), the shows further delineate the market by establishing different product zones: Treasures of Craftsmanship, Hall of Extraordinary, Hall of Jade Jewellery, Hall of Time, Wedding Bijoux and more. This year saw the introduction of a space dedicated to IT solutions for the industry, presenting the latest technology for inventory management, design, production and ecommerce.

This was a fascinating space. A number of innovative and highly practical tech solutions were on show here – some that have the

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potential to disrupt supply chains sure, but others that will make every retailer’s life so much easier we’ll wonder what we did without them. We’ll look at a few here.

Seminars and events The show runs an impressive schedule of seminars during the week. The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) ran a panel discussion on the role of responsible business practice in the future of the jewellery industry. With comments from Edward Johnson (RJC) and Jonathan Kendell (Forevermark, CIBJO) and notable others, the seminar detailed how critical it is for organisations along the sourcing and manufacturing chain to respond to changing customer demands and expectations regarding social responsibility in the global jewellery industry. The seminar was well attended and initiated some thoughtprovoking conversations between the listeners and panellists.

JEWELLERY SHOW Jewellery design competition

A seminar entitled ‘Technology and Disruption: A Changing Jewellery Industry’ also got its audience thinking – and talking. Technology and the internet have forever changed the business landscape of the jewellery industry.

Panellists discussed how businesses can leverage cloud technology to streamline processes and increase operational bandwidth, as well as using big data to improve both the top line and the bottom line.

It wasn’t all theory either. A seminar run by Femalentrepreneurs WorldWide looked at how to ‘Rethink your Marketing Strategies: Competition in Jewellers and Watchmakers’ Biggest Challenge.” Led by three media gurus and brand specialists the seminar got into the nitty-gritty: how to get your products in the top fashion publications, how to make your pitch email stand out in editor’s inboxes, how to leverage media influence to strengthen your brand. It was all great stuff – ‘secret recipes’ and actionable tips.

The events and seminars alone were a solid reason to attend the shows but, of course, it’s the jewellery that really inspires us. The results of the HK Jewellery Design Competition were on display and the range of styles, colours and forms were breath-taking. Viewing the winning pieces in the flesh is enough to re-inspire even the most jaded in the industry. In particular, the student group stood out. As one of the judges mentioned, student designers tend to think outside of the box as they’re not constrained by commercial considerations – their pieces might be more expensive to produce, but their wow-factor is jaw-dropping.

This year’s theme was “The Vibrant Hong Kong” and this year’s 165 entries were inspired by the city’s cultural mix.

Strengthening the industry The HKTDC sees the joint-shows as a critical platform to help build ties throughout the global market. Two memoranda of understanding were signed at the show: one with the Royal Thai Government, the other with Myanmar.

Once subjected to trade sanctions, the Myanmar gem industry now has a strong presence at the Diamond, Gem and Pearl show. The fair attracted 22 exhibitors from Myanmar this year. The country is famous for its rubies and jades in particular, and the fair serves as a solid platform for Myanmar businesses to showcase and promote their stones.

The MOU agreement “will support and encourage more Myanmar companies in the gem and jewellery businesses to participate in the Hong Kong fair for

expansion into the Chinese mainland and global markets,” said Aung Soe, Myanmar Trade Promotion Organisation, at the signing.

Myanmar businessman Aung Kyaw Zin of SP Gems said the fair and the MOU were extremely beneficial to his business.

“We have been in the gemstone business for over 30 years with our ruby and sapphire mines in Mogok of Myanmar,” he said. “SP Gems also cuts stones with our own facilities and produces fine jewellery. On the first day of exhibition this year, we’re already in touch with three serious buyers wishing to buy rubies and sapphires worth over US$2 million. A Middle East buyer is interested in a 6.5-carat ruby ring and a Taiwanese buyer is looking to purchase a 21-carat sapphire. Talks are also underway with a Swiss buyer for a pair of oval-shaped sapphire earrings. I feel very positive about the results. This fair is really a good place to network, meet customers and do business.”

Aussies at the show Also enjoying the show were Australian opal merchants Joel and Chris Price from Chris Price Opals who participate in the Diamond, Gem and Pearl show every year. Established in 1998, the company supplies a wide range of fine Australian black opals, dealing directly with opal miners to source high quality stones.

“This fair serves as the primary platform to expand our presence in the Asian market,” said Chris. “Through the exhibition, we can get in touch with buyers from different places from Malaysia and Indonesia to Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland and Japan.”

Their stand showcased a great variety of fine opals including a rare 100-carat black opal.

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JEWELLERY SHOW

By Cynthia Unninayar “We are now negotiating with some existing customers for new business orders. Several new buyers from Hong Kong have expressed interest in purchasing our opals,” Chris reported.

“The business of opals is getting bigger and bigger in Asia while the Chinese mainland market presents tremendous potential for growth. Hong Kong is an important trading centre to drive business growth in the region,” he added.

Independent survey finds positive outlook The HKTDC-commissioned independent on-site surveys at the two shows interviewed nearly 1,300 exhibitors and buyers to gauge their views on industry trends and the demands of exhibitors and buyers. The survey found that 62 percent of respondents expect overall sales this year to remain unchanged, with 33 per cent expecting sales to increase and only five percent expecting sales to fall, which is lower than the 16 percent recorded last year, suggesting general optimism about future prospects. In terms of retail prices, 67 percent of respondents expect prices to remain unchanged, while 31 percent anticipate prices to increase and two percent expect prices to drop.

In terms of product categories, most respondents said they were primarily sourcing contemporary jewellery (83%), followed by jewellery for weddings and special occasions (76%), designers’ jewellery (73%) and precious jewellery (71%). As for price range, 68 percent of respondents expect products that were priced between US$501-US$1,000 to have the greatest potential in the coming year, followed by products in the US$1,001-US$5,000 price range (58%) and those in the mid-to-low price range of US$101-US$500 (56%).Compared to the findings last year, more respondents favoured higher priced items, indicating higher purchasing power.

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Green G – How Does Your Garden Grow?

With Dancing Flowers and Shimmering Leaves and Queen Anne’s Lace, all in a row…

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relative newcomer to the fine jewellery landscape, the Hong Kong designer brand, Green G, has the proverbial green thumb when it comes to cultivating its garden of floral designs under the attentive care and creative spirit of designer Sabina Lee. “The beautiful colours of flowers always inspire me with new design ideas. Once, when strolling along a lakeside in Switzerland, I saw a few poppies gently swaying in the breeze under the setting sun. Appearing perhaps insignificant to many, I was moved by their delicate beauty. After I returned to Hong Kong, I created a collection based on my memory of those flowers, with each piece generously decorated with colored sapphires of soft purple, vivid red, or bright blue set in 18k gold,” Sabina reminisces.

The Dancing Flowers collection opened the door to a number of variations, all paying homage to Nature, including the original Poppy line, followed by others such as Morning “Morning Glory” ring in blue sapphires, diamonds, and 18k white gold.

JEWELLERY SHOW Glory and Dancing Roses, where roses bounce and move, as if trying to free themselves from the constraints in order to scatter in the wind.

Seemingly simple, the techniques behind this movement are actually quite complicated, and were specially developed by Sabina and her team of craftsmen.

Movement is also seen in the Queen Anne’s Lace line. As its name implies, these delicate and very feminine pieces were inspired from the lovely flowers of the same name.

Crafted in 18k gold and set with diamonds and sapphires or rubies they are made of delicate movable parts and are available in a range of lacy “Endless Love” earrings pendants. A wildflower in purple sapphires from North America, the and black and white Prairie Gentian, was the diamonds in 18k gold. motivation for her Endless Love collection, where 18k black gold petals are set with violet sapphires and black and white diamonds offering a gradual color change in the petals.

Another collection is Shimmering Leaves.

“When looking at a tree, others may see a tree, but I see details in the branches and in the delicate intertwining of the veins in the leaves,” muses Sabina. Shimmering point-size diamonds move outside and alongside the border of a leaf motif crafted with perfect detailing.

In the Shangri-La line, she creates miniature gardens, always using a large lovely coloured

“Dragon” pendant in rubies, black and white diamonds in 18k gold.

gem, such as tourmaline or beryl as the center stone. “Her gardens will never lack inhabitants,” says Paul Tsang, general manager of the Green G. “Little flowers, leaves, beetles, hummingbirds, and all sorts of other tiny creatures cry out for her attention, and sooner or later, Sabina will immortalise them in her creations.”

While adding to her contemporary floral collections, Sabina also looks back to her Chinese roots with creations such as the lovely and yet feminine Dragon line. “I love the mythology of the dragon, but in my head the dragon is gracious and friendly, rather than fierce and angry,” she says. Sabina also drew on her Oriental roots for her Love Tree bridal collection, based on a famous Chinese classical poem with the following romantic lines: “That we wished to fly in Heaven, two birds with the wings of one; and to grow together on Earth, branches of two trees as one.”

Although evoking Yin and Yang, the ring is “highly stylised and sculptural, with a modern minimalist feel,” she says. The use of high quality black and white diamonds that match the black and white 18k gold adds an extra dimension to the ring’s artistic touch.

“People appreciate Sabina’s delicate sensibilities when it comes to design and craftsmanship, inspired by Nature and traditional Chinese motifs,” he adds. “It is jewellery that not only delights but endures.”

So how does the Green G garden grow?

Full of colorful and creative blossoms. www.greengjewellery.com

Rings from the “Dancing Roses” collection in diamonds and 18k yellow and white gold.

“Poppy” bangle in white and black diamonds and 18k gold.

“Little flowers, leaves, beetles, hummingbirds, and all sorts of other tiny creatures cry out for her attention, and sooner or later, Sabina will immortalise them in her creations.”

“Love Tree” wedding ring in white and black diamonds and 18k gold.

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Atelier – connecting the industry like never before One of the standout products spotted at the fair was in the software and technology sector. UK-based company Atelier has developed a system designed to link members of the trade across the planet in a way that will both speed our industry and draw it closer together.

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t its heart, the trading system is about connecting manufacturers, suppliers and retailers in exactly the way the internet has always promised, but not quite delivered. Consumer behaviour has been altered by smartphones and online shopping but business is still catching up. One glance at the Atelier system is a forehead-slapping moment: why haven’t we been doing this before?

Cloud-based efficiency The cloud-based technology allows manufacturers to list products in a globallyvisible system. All details can be included: images, sizes, metals and colours obviously, but also pricing structures that can automatically adjust depending on live metal and currencies prices, automatic quoting systems, unique settings for your approved clients, live on-image chat with clients and much more.

For buyers, frequently under pressure to bring constant newness to their ranges, Atelier becomes a highly focused search engine that can return results from all your vendors to any device, anywhere, any time.

Founder and director of Atelier, Dominic Hill, delivered a seminar at the fair entitled ‘Technology and Disruption: A Changing Jewellery Industry.’ He doesn’t shy away from words like ‘disruption’ and believes that revolutionary change in the industry is to everyone’s benefit.

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“Atelier Technology is engineering a new category of service: supply chain optimisation software,” he says. “This is triggering a paradigm shift as diverse stake-holders in the jewellery supply chain ecosystem can work on the same software for the first time. This ultimately increases everyone’s efficiency and productivity.”

Designed for large and small manufacturers While traditionally supply chain software systems like EDI have been around for a while, they tend to benefit retailers at the expense of vendors. “We benefit everybody in equal measure, albeit in different ways,” says Dominic. He’s insistent that the system is just as essential for small, local manufacturers as it will be for large Asian-based factories.

“Atelier empowers smaller companies to engage with global markets in a way that is currently prohibitively expensive for them to do so,” he explains. “Let’s imagine a small brand or whitetable manufacturer, specialised in Australian opal, benefiting from great cost prices on the stones, but not competitive in terms of labour against say Indonesia or Vietnam. Today, this company is unlikely

to invest in exhibiting at a trade show as the return on investment is just too risky for the size of the financial outlay.

“With a system like Atelier in place, a smaller vendor is empowered to reach customers all over the world for free up to 100 styles, and then $99 per month for unlimited styles.

Furthermore, and perhaps more relevant, is that a digital network enables a customer in Sao Paolo or Norway, who may be small but is actually really interested in the niche opal product this vendor is offering, to make the connection because for the first time they can search by product.”

Changing the game for retailers Dominic says his service is aimed primarily at larger retail groups, but that the benefit for smaller retailers is even greater.

Retailers are under extreme pressure to reduce cost and increase choice in order to remain relevant, he says. “They cannot

JEWELLERY SHOW expect to have a healthy future with the pedestrian window rotation that characterises our industry, not when Zara is educating young women that they should be able to see new styles every time they walk into the store, or switch Dominic Hill's seminar delivered at the Hong Kong on Instagram. Atelier International Jewellery Show enables these companies to drastically increase efficiency per employee, so buying or merchandising teams currently under extreme pressure to bring more and more newness to market, without being able to expand their human resource desperately need better tools to do the same job.”

For smaller retailers, Dominic sees Atelier as potentially increasing their access to global vendors. “These smaller companies that cannot afford to run SAP or Oracle have traditionally had to build their own systems,” he explains. “We’re not reinventing the wheel – we’re just helping people turn it much, much faster.”

So where does this leave wholesalers?

Dominic doesn’t believe he’s designing a system that will eliminate an entire tier of the industry.

“Sure,” he shrugs, “a 1980’s wholesale business model which just said ‘I know the buyer and I know the supplier’ might feel threatened by software connecting up the industry in a more efficient way. But I don’t think there are too many of those models left in business in 2018.”

Successful wholesalers have a place in the Atelier network too. “The wholesalers who are thriving today provide a wide value proposition composed of different component parts such as credit, stock, returns, branding or other value add service,” he adds.

A successful launch Atelier launched at the Hong Kong fair and Dominic says the response has almost been overwhelming.

“We were blown away by the industry response at Hong Kong,” he says.

“We still had customers queuing up when the stands around us were packing up. I think we are just here with the right product at the right time, people and businesses in this industry are under immense strain, and they need better tools to do the same job more efficiently.”

The relentless pace of change affects even the most traditional of markets. Businesses need to adapt and transform to compete in the digital economy.

“Simply put, the pioneers who adopt this software will be able to reduce costs and increase choice, becoming leaders in the industry,” says Dominic. “Digital disruption is not a gentle force – just ask Blockbuster video. Disruption comes into your comfy, familiar armchair like a bolt of lightning. Make sure you stand up.”

How Generation Z, social media and corporate social responsibility are changing the jewellery industry Among the events staged during the recently concluded HKTDC Hong Shows was a panel discussion on the future of ethical business practices in the jewellery industry.

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oderated by the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), an international not-for-profit standards and certification organisation, "The Role of Responsible Business Practice in the Future of the Jewellery Industry" featured moderator Edward Joyce, RJC's Business Development Director, along with Victor Chan, Hong Kong Jewellery and Jade Manufacturers Association Vice Chairman and Chairman of Continental Holdings Ltd; Dr Guido Grohmann, BV Schmuck + Uhren Managing Director; and Jonathan Kendall, Forevermark Senior Vice president and CIBJO Marketing and Education Commission President.

Introducing RJC's work around the world, Mr Joyce said RJC is setting standards in the jewellery supply chain, from mining to retail, to strengthen consumer confidence in the jewellery trade. To date, RJC counts more than 1,000 members, 726 of which are certified, covering 455,136 employees, 8,887 business premises in 75 countries.

Synthetic and Simulant Gems are the Biggest Threat to the Industry The panellists began discussions by identifying what they considered the biggest challenges in the industry. Mr Kendall said that synthetic and simulant gems are the biggest threat and will remain so in the future. He said that synthetic and simulant stones can infiltrate any part of the supply chain, that even one sale would be one too many. The industry has sought

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JEWELLERY SHOW to tackle the problem, particularly during the last year, including by distributing testing machines to both manufacturers and retailers.

Mr Chan said that corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the jewellery industry in China was a challenge as the country still lacked formalised CSR initiatives that are found in the West. However, he added that CSR is becoming an important issue in China and is moving in the right direction, largely driven by consumers who want more sustainable suppliers. Mr Chan said that the environment is becoming a bigger policy concern for the Chinese government, but that given the country's size, it would be more effective for local industry bodies, with the help of RJC, to start their own initiatives.

Employees are the Key Communication Bridge to Consumer on Responsible Jewellery The panel also discussed promoting the importance of responsible jewellery manufacturing and retail to consumers, with Mr Chan noting that employees serve as the key communication channel. He said that when his company joined the RJC, employees initially questioned the wisdom of the membership, but eventually saw the value of the RJC's work after seeing improvements in standards and product quality. Mr Chan said that employees then started relaying directly to consumers their own experience with supply chain integrity.

Mr Kendall said communicating responsible business practices is paramount amid greater consumer scrutiny of jewellery products. Mr Kendall added that consumers today want to know where stones are mined, cut and polished, a trend that the industry must embrace. Mobile phones have dramatically changed consumer behaviour, Mr Kendall said, creating a relationship between the consumer and the production pipeline that did not exist 10 or 15 years ago. To allay consumer concerns, cameras may eventually be brought into mines to document the process, allowing buyers to check on the gem's provenance and obtain immediate answers.

Radical Transparency Becomes a Defining Issue in the Jewellery Business The discussion wrapped up with a look towards the future and the most pressing challenges facing the jewellery industry, particularly as responsible business practices increasingly come to the fore. All of the panellists agreed that transparency, even radical transparency, would become a defining issue in the jewellery business.

Mr Kendall said that the industry needs to start considering the purchasing behaviour of Generation Z, the post-millennial generation, who are currently aged 15 to 20 years old. Citing research by Forevermark, Mr Kendall said Generation Z exhibit a strong affinity to social media, are technologically sophisticated, strong communicators, risk-averse and have an interest in the environment, ethical business practices and the "greater good." These traits make it vitally important for the jewellery industry to adopt more ethical and transparent practices to satisfy the next generation of consumers, Mr Kendall said.

Dr Gohmann also agreed that the next generation of consumers will be more interested and invested in responsible business practices. He added that language and distance were no longer barriers to checking the supply chain. Dr Gohmann added that the industry need to be mindful that the dominance of social media meant that companies that fall foul of ethical behaviour will face huge problems within minutes due to viral boycotts on Twitter and Facebook.

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Intelligence that builds brands Also spotted in the technology section of the show was Myndar – a retail tech provider that specialises in IoT devices and solutions.

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yndar for the jewellery industry is an impressive array of devices and cloudbased data crunching software especially designed for retailers. The company has been around since 2014 and has won a distinguished series of awards since then. Their range of products has the potential to streamline the retail industry, not just in jewellery but across many sectors. Expect to see them everywhere soon.

Beginning with an RFID tagging system called mTag every item in stock can be tracked and traced with an array of devices. The mTag overcomes a familiar problem with RFIDs in the jewellery industry, where often scanning can be made difficult by the presence of metal. Myndar’s mTag is discreet and attractive and critical to their further range of products.

Most impressive, and probably the most immediately useful to almost all retailers, is their mHand device.

JEWELLERY SHOW

mHand is a small, lightweight portable scanner that allows secure, accurate and efficient stocktaking simply by waving the device over display cabinets. Multiple antenna and adjustable output power means the device’s sensitivity can be set for your store environment and an entire stocktake can be performed in minutes.

Linking to the mHand is the mTray – a jewellery display tray sales tool that detects what piece of jewellery is placed on it and immediately displays sales information to both the customer and the salesperson. When multiple pieces are placed on the tray, the tray detects which have been picked up by the customer or salesperson and discreetly alerts staff until the item has been replaced. The tray is capable of sending information to the customer’s smartphone – images, description, prices etc – allowing them to share information immediately. And, of course, the sale can take place from the mTray itself, with POS software embedded and receipt printing bluetoothed to the nearest printer.

These two devices alone provide higher security, but the business insights that can be obtained from them are also extremely valuable.

Working in sync with MyndScape, a cloud based network that enables ongoing real-time data tracking and analysis, this system can

tell you important information about stock and stock movements. Detailed data on what pieces are displayed most frequently, what areas in your display cabinet are most visible – all this can be vital to sales.

Other products can be integrated into the MyndScape network – all providing valuable information. mTraffic tracks store traffic in real-time, not merely gatekeeping but identifying which areas of your store are more visually appealing to customers. mShelf can track goods in your display and even produce alerts for autoreplenishment; mPad displays sales information on a smart-screen to customers; mLog is a smart-tray that allows batch processing of stock; and mBeacon can detect the presence of VIP customers who have previously downloaded your store’s app to their phones, alerting staff to the customer’s preferences and giving the opportunity for personalised greetings and focused customer service.

The entire solution is separable and scalable, meaning retailers can invest in, say, the mTray and mHand devices initially and progress to a larger data-gathering system later. Once the mTag system is in place, the rest is easy.

While some might think that RFID tagging is old-hat, the Myndar mTag helps collect the data every single transaction or stock movement, regardless of whether or not the jewellery is sold. The tags collect buying behaviour for big data analytics which can help provide sales staff with information needed to improve sales.

The system seems to be reasonably priced too. With the promise of increasing conversion rates, improving consumer experience and reducing manpower during stock taking, the company believes the average retail store could see a return on investment for the mTray in three months, and on the mHand in one month.

Myndar solutions are currently used by renowned jewellery retailer chains in over a thousand stores in Hong Kong and China and the solution has been launched to smaller retail chains in Singapore and other Asian countries. Distributors have been identified for the Europe and US markets with Australia and New Zealand to follow. The company also tailors their solution to the cold-chain market, providing tracking solutions for perishables and enabling a market in food supplies and hospital and pharmaceuticals, so the company is geared up to reach the market fast.

The mHand, above, is designed to perform entire stocktakes in seconds and works in conjunction with the mTray, left, that tracks the movement of pieces displayed to customers.

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KEEPING SKILLS ALIVE Interlocked basket ring

Jewellery Training Solutions offers online training for professional jewellers, apprentices and hobbyists.

This tutorial demonstrates how to make a simple solitaire ring using just two components.

This technique requires advanced marking and cutting skills.

You are also introduced to precision soldering. This is an ideal test for advanced first year apprentices.

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The ring is made to fit finger size M and for an 8mm round stone.

Roll a piece of sterling silver to 1.2mm x 4.6mm x 84mm. To determine what size square wire to use before rolling flat, use the following formula; Width minus thickness.

Divide answer by 3.4. Width minus answer.

In this case the wire should be 3.6mm square before rolling flat.

Now separate the claws slightly using a pen knife. The claw profile needs to be rounded, so carefully file and use a course grade Moores disc to remove along all the claw edges.

Finish off with a fine grade disc and then polish around the claws with a bristle brush and cutting compound.

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Square off the ends. Make sure the strip of silver is straight. Scribe two evenly spaced lines on both sides at both ends. Use your precision dividers to ensure the lines are spaced perfectly.

The scribe lines should be approximately 16mm long.

Use your half round pliers to curve both ends slightly in the same direction. Curve from the start of the cut work to the end of the claws. Try to avoid twisting the pliers when bending the metal. Use the pliers to clamp the metal then push the metal around with your other hand bit by bit. You will achieve a more consistent curve this way.

Use no thicker than a 4/0 saw blade to cut along the lines. Tilt the blade forwards as you carefully follow the scribe lines. To test that you are cutting perfectly square, keep turning the piece over and make sure you are on track on the underside too. Stop when you get to the 16mm mark.

Now bend the shank part of the ring the opposite way until the claws all meet up. Try to maintain a consistent ring shape as the two ends begin to interlock. You may need to tweak the spacing of the claws as they close in.

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Interlock the claws as tightly as possible, this will ensure the claws will be long enough for setting. If the two ends will not stay in place due to spring back, relax the metal by annealing it (bringing up to cherry red hot and quenching once the red dulls). Try to avoid tool marking the metal; this only adds to your workload.

Hold the jump ring in position perfectly level while you mark on the claws. Use a small ball bur or a tapered bur to put a groove on the inside of the claws. This will help to lock the jump ring into position.

The setting will not yet be the right shape, you will need to pull them into position with chain nose pliers.

Once you are confident that the claws are spaced correctly, test fit your stone. Ideally it should rest just on the inside edge of the claws. Make the necessary adjustments.

When you position the jump ring, make sure that the joint is against one of the claws.

The area to be soldered must be free of grease. Flux the joints and six small pieces of hard solder.

Carefully solder each jointusing a minimal amount of solder. You can always add a little more if need be. Quench and pickle to remove the oxides.

Peter Keep is a master jeweller and lecturer at WA TAFE and runs an online jewellery school for students worldwide wanting to up-skill or work in the trade.

Peter and students at WA TAFE.

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Wrap a piece of 1.1mm round wire around your round nose pliers to make a jump ring. The jump ring will be soldered approximately half way down the setting so don’t cut the jump ring off the coil until you have confirmed the correct size.

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Shape, hallmark and size the ring on a mandrel. I intentionally make a ring at least one size smaller so that I can work harden the shank with a steel hammer. Level the claws file off all tool marks and emery finish to 1200 grit ready for polishing. The ring is now finished and ready for stone setting.

The video tutorial for this lesson including how to set the stone can be found under the Silver level course, stage three.

In the next edition I will show you how to make a padlock.

www.jewellerytrainingsolutions.com.au April 2018

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TAG Heuer Aston Martin SPECIAL EDITIONS TAG Heuer has joined with Aston Martin to become the car company’s official partner for their brand as well as Aston Martin Racing.

To mark the new partnership, TAG Heuer has released two special editions honouring the British brand. The

Swiss watchmaker, with a strong collaboration with the Aston Martin design team, developed the designs, drawing direct inspiration from the colours, shapes, patterns and materials characteristic of Aston Martin's sport cars. The prestigious TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01 is inspired by the geometric shapes specific to Aston Martin's sport cars, and the technical, sporty TAG Heuer Formula 1 adopts Aston Martin Racing's lime essence colour. The movement in the Formula 1 is accurate to a tenth of a second – an indispensable feature in a motor racing watch.

Chris Hemsworth leads

THE STADIUM IN VANCOUVER As Official Timekeeper of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens series, TAG Heuer invited Australian actor and brand ambassador Chris Hemsworth to led the stadium in an on-field countdown before the finals match in March in Vancouver. In addition to the countdown, Hemsworth coached a group of youth rugby players as they competed in TAG Heuer’s #DontCrackUnderPressure challenge to raise money for BC Rugby.

TAG Heuer donated a total of $10,000 to BC Rugby where the funds will be allocated directly to indigenous youth rugby programs. BC Rugby provides free programming to youth in local communities, and positions sports as a healthy, positive alternative.

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Grand Seiko at Milan Design Week 2018 Seiko Watch Corporation is taking its luxury watch brand, Grand Seiko, to this April’s Milan Design Week for the first time.

When it made its global debut in 2010, Grand Seiko won high praise for the durability of its high precision and sophisticated design. In 2017, Grand Seiko took its next step forward by broadening the appeal of the brand to new design areas and introducing a new colour scheme. To symbolise this transformation, its logo is now proudly presented at the twelve o’clock position on the dial.

The Milan Week exhibition will showcase an installation featuring Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive movement, the company’s unique and innovative mechanism characterised by high precision and a long power reserve.

As the embodiment of Japanese aesthetics and master artisanal techniques, Spring Drive has as its unique signature of the perfect glide motion of the second hand, reflecting the natural and continuous flow of time.

BREMONT’S ENDURANCE CROSSES ANTARCTICA

The theme of the exhibition is “The Flow of Time”.

Bremont’s tagline for its watches is “Tested Beyond Endurance.” Endurance was also the name of the ship captained by Sir Ernest Shackleton in his legendary expedition to the Antarctica in 1914-1917.

The ship, the journey and the extremes of the polar regions were also the inspiration behind Bremont’s latest limited-edition timepiece, the Bremont Supermarine Endurance, unveiled in New York in March.

Polar Explorer Ben Saunders wore the watch (and contributed to its design) when he wore it in his record-breaking solo east-west crossing of Antarctica in November 2017.

The Bremont Supermarine Endurance is limited to 300 pieces and is priced at $6,395.

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H MOSER AND THE WANDERING HOUR Swiss company H. Moser & Cie has made its name on watches that are either safe and traditional, or deliberately provocative. Take the Swiss Mad watch for example: it was made of Swiss cheese – and the Swiss Alp watch, released to poke its tongue at the Apple Watch.

It’s most recent release heads off in a completely different direction. The Endeavour Flying Hours is technically impressive, innovative, beautiful and totally compelling.

It’s a brand new take on a wandering hour display with three separate hour dials that each rotate on their own axis.

A fourth floating dial provides the minutes.

When the current hour ends, the minute dial moves on and the three hour dials adjusts

to bring the next hour marker into position. The current hour is indicated in white, while the past and the future are black.

It all happens set in a white gold casing with H. Moser’s ‘funky blue’ dial in the background.

The movement inside was developed and produced in cooperation with sisterbrand Hautlence and is based on H. Moser’s HMC 200 caliber. It is limited to 60 pieces and will be priced at $32,000.

FitBit reboots THE IONIC WITH VERSA FitBit’s first smartwatch, the Ionic, received a lukewarm reception in the marketplace which drove the company to a new release and a promise to deliver a “more attractive, more femalefriendly smartwatch.”

In March, the wearable developer debuted the FitBit Versa. With a look more like an undersized Apple Watch than a typical FitBit, the Versa is a lighter-weight health and fitness smartwatch with greater mass appeal.

The company is clearly courting the needs and preferences of active women – and it’s about time. The Versa has a four-day batter life, tracks fitness, sleep duration and quality, offers guided breathing sessions personalised to your heart rate,

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reminds you when you’ve been sedentary for too long, and even has a female health-tracking component and ovulation gauge.

The watch will retail for US$199.

At the same time, FitBit has released a new version of its Ionic. In collaboration with Adidas, the watch has new colouring and an Adidas branded face, as well as access to Adidas Train, an app that tailors detailed workouts for runner.

Autobahn - racing ahead of the pack The new Autobahn from Nomos Glashütte is distinctive and striking and still fits firmly in the manufacturer’s minimalist design aesthetic.

Released at Baselword and created in collaboration with designer Werner Aisslinger, the watch is inspired by something distinctly German: the Autobahn.

“The aim was to create an archetype. Something to withstand the test of time,” said designer Werner Aisslinger. “It’s dashing, sporty, a powerful machine—without being brash or loud. Autobahn reminds me of a vintage sports car. There are definitely more contemporary modes of transport, but old automobiles, their form and finishing, fascinate me. And I love speed!”

The watch maintains the bare feel of the Nomos brand but at the same time shows a complete disregard for the speed limit. The steep curves of the dial, the clear lines and displays create a sense of motion.

Most Nomos models are valued equally across the genders, but this watch is sized at 41mm and is more likely to appeal to the male side of the spectrum. The watch is water resistant to 100 meters and lights up just like your speedometer at night!

The watch comes in three versions and will be priced at around $6,700.

CITIZEN TURNS 100 Japan’s Citizen Watch Co. will celebrate 100 years of operation in 2018, and to mark the occasion the brand is releasing a vintage-inspired bullhead chronograph: the Tsuno Chronograph Racer. Unveiled in March at the Baselworld watch fair, the new watch takes its design influences from a 1972 piece, the Challenger Timer.

The new watch comes in four colour options and has a round, 45mm case in a bullhead construction with a crown and two pushers at the top. Depending on the colour of the dial, the watch will come with different straps, ranging from an Oyster-style steel bracelet, simple brown leather, orange and black racing strap, or black and red alligator style. The various complications on the piece are made possible by a version of the Citizen Eco-Drive movement, which is distinguished by its ability to harness natural or artificial light energy to power the watch.

Of the four styles, two will be a limited edition restrained to 1,972 copies, while the others will be produced for the life of the range. The prices are expected to land between $795 to $900 and will reach stores later this year.

New Products ZiRO | Worth & Douglas | +64 9 303 4666

Roman numerals and skulls engraved in black zirconium are just a few of the latest epic designs to invigorate the ZiRO collection.

ZiRO point of sale includes displays, brochures, counter cards and social media assets. www.worthdouglas.com

Stones and Silver | +61 3 9587 1215

Part of Stones and Silver new Monaco Collection this elegant 4 layer .925 sterling silver and rose gold layer bracelet 17.5cm +3cm extension.

Is just stunning to wear.

Also in the collection, these classic .925 sterling silver and rose gold brushed hoop earrings 35x25mm are the prefect statement piece. www.stonesandsilver.com.au

Gerrim | 1800GERRIM

Springtime Collection... a touch of serenity, with the coolness of green agate and pearl beautifully crafted in 9ct rose, yellow and white gold... Cherished for generations www.gerrim.com.au

Ikecho Pearls | +61 2 9266 0636

Sterling silver white 7.5-8mm round freshwater pearl cubic zirconia cage pendant with chain 45cm.

Product code: IP498NS-CAGE www.ikecho.com.au 50

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April 2018

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