IORMA Webinar : Diamond Jewellery – The Ultimate Luxury asset?
A Commodity? An heirloom?
How are luxury consumers distinguishing between mined, cultured and the antique?
Thursday 22 April 2021
A diamond is the ultimate gemstone. As an industry the diamond trade has existed for eons, and has evolved in many ways over recent years. It has undergone scrutiny with sourcing in conflict zones, associations with organised crime, forgery, manufactured gemstones and it has been revalued as a luxury asset.
Today, the diamond industry is an important facet, not just of the jewellery industry but as part of the luxury goods domain as it evolves to embrace different consumer channels, marketing strategies and more ingenious ways of enticing an audience which is spoilt for choice in terms of luxury gifts.
In this webinar we aim to present different perspectives on perceived consumer value and prestige in a diamond purchase. Namely, how do natural diamonds and antique pieces sit against their lab-grown counterparts?
A video of this Webinar appears below.
Contributors
John Benjamin, Antiques Roadshow expert, Lecturer, Valuer and Jewellery Historian.
John, well known from his Antiques Roadshow appearances, was formerly International Director of Jewellery at Phillips Fine Art Auctioneers.
He established his own independent jewellery valuation and advisory service in 1999. A Freeman of the Goldsmith Company,
John is a Founding Liveryman and Court Assistant of The Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars. He is author of Starting to Collect Antique Jewellery and co-author of with Paul Atterbury of The Jewellery and Silver of H G Murph
Helen Dimmick, The Jewel Matcher.
Helen Dimmick is an award-winning gemmologist and independent jewellery specialist who lives, breathes and loves every facet of the jewellery business.
Highly regarded and renowned, she also holds honorary positions as ‘Retail Ambassador’ at the National Association of Jewellers and ‘Trade Guardian’ at the Sheffield Assay Office.
With over 25 years in the industry Helen uses her knowledge to offer expert advice and consultancy services for both corporate business owners and independent clients.
Joanna Park-Tonks, Founder, Chelsea Rocks.
Previously with Accenture, De Beers and Christies, JPT foresaw the opportunity to disrupt the diamond market with a unique proposition with laboratory grown diamonds. Gentle on the earth and kind to mankind, sustainability, love and friendship lay at the heart of the CHELSEA ROCKS’ diamond vision.
The lab grown diamond start-up, CHELSEA ROCKS specialises in fine jewellery made exclusively from triple XXX laboratory grown diamonds. (www.chelsea-rocks.com) Joanna blends her love for technology or “man-made brilliance”, with the artistry inherent in jewellery design and creation.
A thought leader in the lab grown debate, Joanna calls for greater rigour of information, transparency and accountability within the lab grown diamond sector.
Julie Hucker, Founder, MYLUXX Consulting.
As the founder of MYLUXX consulting, Julie is responsible for brand strategy and communication projects.
Returning to London after working in Australia for Rosendorff Diamond Jewellers, she has worked with PACE Group & IMPERIA Jewels who are based in London, Dubai & Antwerp to provide brand communications & development.
Julie’s philosophy is that a brand is the best advertisement for who you are and what you do. By shaping and refining your communications, you attract more of your desired clients, for consistent results.
MODERATOR
Pandora Mather-Lees, Director Pandora Art Services, Art Consultant ArtOnSuperyachts.com; IORMA Advisory Board Member.
Pandora is an art historian and director of Pandora Art Services an education company advising the superyacht industry with onboard valuables.
ArtOnSuperyachts.com provides the oversight owners need in art appreciation, environmental care, export legal risks, logistics and art handling. On-board consultancy and surveys are conducted for owners, the yacht management and insurance sectors.
An Art Historian and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Pandora’s career includes over 20 years at Board level in the cultural sector, focusing on business strategy, marketing and development. She was previously Managing Director of Bridgeman Images and VP Sales at artnet.
Pandora holds a first-class degree in the History of Art from Manchester University and an MSt. in Ancient History from Keble College, Oxford. She is a member of the Association of Art Historians and a liveryman in The Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars.