16/08/2019
We have all heard the saying, ‘Things aren’t the same as they were 20 years ago.’ That’s largely because of the Internet; not only is there competition between local jewellers, businesses are also competing with the rest of the world. Yet it’s essential for jewellers to embrace the technology available to them or be left behind.
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27/07/2019
One of the biggest challenges for opal dealers is that a lot of jewellers don’t understand much – if anything – about opal, in terms of the nomenclature, how to identify them and how to value them. The result is that customers frequently go into jewellery stores and buy what they think is a solid opal, that turns out to be a doublet, a triplet or a synthetic opal.
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09/07/2019
The big brands want us watchmakers to repair their watches, but they make getting the necessary spare parts maddeningly difficult, prohibitively expensive, or completely impossible.
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06/06/2019
The decision by two of the major buying groups to cancel their respective buying days and encourage their members to attend the three days of the International Jewellery & Watch Fair (IJWF) is a very positive move for the greater industry.
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11/05/2019
With new CEO Michel Loris-Melikoff set to the task of rebuilding Baselworld, now is the time for the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) to set aside petty historical differences and return under the umbrella of the Baselworld show.
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10/04/2019
The jewellery industry is now in its third consecutive year of difficult trading conditions, and most people may not be aware that the current downturn has resulted in a greater drop in jewellery sales than in the recessions of 1974/75, 1983/84 and 1991/92.
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09/03/2019
Over the past few years, I’ve visited and spoken to many jewellery retailers who have been the victims of crime – ranging from theft to break-ins and armed robberies. I’ve seen too many simple security steps overlooked, ignored or neglected. Jewellery businesses need to take security seriously and continually budget for upgrades and improvements.
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09/02/2019
Behavioural analysts, researchers and social commentators have written profusely about the different generations of consumers and their buying habits. The buying habits in the jewellery industry are changing, especially in relation to diamond purchases.
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12/11/2018
Back in 2012, I wrote about how Australia tends to be up to 10 years behind other global jewellery industries in terms of technological innovation in the mass production industries.
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01/10/2018
Online shopping has absolutely affected my business, as it has the entire industry and retail landscape. Customers approach me for products differently now and the variety of products on the online market has further confused customers who are trying to navigate the oversaturated market.
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15/08/2018
As a teen growing up in the 80s, if someone told me I’d be working in a career that involved lasers, computer-aided design and 3D printing, I probably wouldn’t have believed them. But while the rapid acceleration of technology should make our lives as jewellers easier, it often adds pressure and heeds hefty expectations from today’s consumers.
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01/08/2018
The industry sure has changed a lot over the years. Like many others my age, I started out in the business with my father, cutting gemstones and making jewellery by hand.
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04/07/2018
After I had a book written about me, it gave me an opportunity to reflect on all the changes that have taken place over the course of my career.
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12/06/2018
You know things have changed in the jewellery industry when your profit on a diamond is only 10 per cent, or you keep losing customers to ‘better deals’ on the internet. So, how can small, independent jewellers stay in business?
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08/05/2018
I’ve been through five recessions since I started my jewellery apprenticeship in 1963. There was a lot of pressure on jewellers during recessions; the one in the 1980s was very damning – we were paying 25 per cent for business finance among other things. But we survived it, because we took care of our customers.
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