HOW CAN WE HELP YOU TODAY?
Here are some options to help you navigate based on common needs & enquiries.
In today’s world is there really still any justification for inequality between men and women in the workforce? I am constantly amazed when the subject comes up on TV or it is the punch line of a comedians joke. I think it is a sad reflection on our society, that in many industries women are paid less than their male counterparts for doing the exact same role.
Surely we have evolved as a civilisation, to see that in the workforce we deserve the same remuneration for the same job. Both genders are capable of significant contributions to the work force, and a person’s worth should be determined by what they contribute, not their gender. It is unfortunately not just their pay that they are sometimes missing out on, but also their future. As lower comparative wages, also means lower superannuation.
Here at Xennox Diamonds, we are always striving to find the most passionate and talented individuals, capable of delivering the most amazing experience to our clients. This is something that is not mutually exclusive to women or men. At the end of the day, I am looking for the X Factor, whoever it comes from, and I am looking for those that consider themselves professionals who are looking to achieve excellence. A thirst for knoweledge is also something that i think is vital not only for work specifically but life in general.
Regardless of their gender, the team that I am lucky enough to work with is rewarded based on the value they contribute to the business. While i understand that everyone has their different levels of things that motivate them, pay is not something that they are discriminated on.
That’s why, on International Women’s Day this year, I support the Pledge for Parity. It’s an important reminder that all of us in business can and must do so much more to promote equality, respect and fairness. It is for our wives, daughters, cousins and other extended family that we must do this.
You can make your pledge here http://www.internationalwomensday.com/ Let me know what you think?
By now you have probably recovered from your New Year’s festivities and made a few New Year’s resolutions. Ironically there are probably a number of them that you have recycled from last year. All those things that you want to change or improve, but never got around to doing. Whether it is something physical like losing a few kilos or business orientated like reaching more clients, having an incentive to achieve your New Year’s resolution is sure to increase your chances of success.
When I sit down with clients we discover together what pieces are on their jewellery wish list and what major goals they would love to achieve for the coming year ahead. For some it might be a promotion or a number of successful client transactions, for others it is the completion of a project. Whatever your goal is, having a piece of jewellery to symbolise your achievement will not only give you the enjoyment of wearing it, but also spur you on to hit your next goal. One of the things that my clients often overlook is the power of goal setting – using diamonds as the carrot (pun intended). I always say that if a picture tells a thousand words, then your jewellery is a novel with a lifetime of memories. When I look at a piece of jewellery I am reminded of all the memories associated with it – how I designed it, where I sourced the diamonds from, how the jeweller made it etc…
One of my clients, Sally, had a goal of reaching 150 active recurring clients in her business. Sally’s incentive for working towards that goal was a new pair of gorgeous diamond studs. Throughout the year Sally worked tirelessly, putting in extra hours, sacrificing personal leisure time and even visited her diamond studs in the showroom as a motivator to stay on track. By the time the end of the year came around Sally actually ended up with 186 clients. Sally had been so motivated to achieving her goal that the extra momentum she had built up allowed her to blow her target out of the water. Now we use Sally’s earrings as a memory anchor to help her go after her next target of 250 clients. You see, every time Sally now looks in the mirror, she doesn’t just see her diamond studs, she sees everything those diamond studs represent. Sally is reminded of all the hard work she put in to achieve her goal, and ultimately how successful it makes her feel, which is a great sense of fulfilment for her. It also makes her excited about going after her next goal, which is a diamond bracelet. It doesn’t have to be a set of diamond studs for you; it might be a bracelet, a ring or a strand of pearls. Whatever your taste in jewellery is, link it to S.M.A.R.T. goal.
Set yourself one SMART goalI find limiting it to one main goal at a time works best, that is until you develop the skill set to handle multiple goals at once. That way you will avoid the vicious cycle of recycling your New Year’s resolutions. While the beginning of the year is a great time to set a goal, there is really no reason that you can’t do it at any time. Just follow the S.M.A.R.T acronym and link it with whatever is going to be your greatest currency, and you will be sure to achieve it. Accountability is also a great way to make sure that you stay on course to achieve your goal.
So what is your goal this year, and what is going to be on your jewellery wish list to motivate you to achieve it?
Like the old saying, “failing to plan, is planning to fail”. The time to set a new goal is now. So don’t wait another week or month to start putting your diamond S.M.A.R.T. goal together. I guarantee that when you look back in 12 months’ time, you will not only be amazed by the results, but you will have a lovely piece of jewellery to remember the journey.
About Karl
His recently released book, ” Rock Her World” is available now. If you would like help, in choosing the perfect diamond to help you achieve your goals for 2016, there is a lot of great information in “Rock Her World” or you can even listen to a sample chapter here. Karl believes that choosing a piece of jewellery should be a phenomenal experience, and over the last 21 years has helped more than 5800 clients choose a special piece of jewellery that tells their story.
Finding your jewellery story is one of the most beautiful parts of my job.
If a photo tells a thousand words, then surely your jewellery is like a novel filled with a lifetime of stories and memories.
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When it comes to jewellery, I have a photographic memory. Everytime I see a piece of jewellery, I can remember everything about it, how I designed it, where I sourced the stones from, how the master jeweller made it, and the look on the clients face when they saw it for the first time.
We all have our different motivations in our life, things that inspire us and things that light us up. For some it might be a handbags or shoes. Regardless of what it is, we all have our vise’s. What I wanted to do today is share with you my thoughts on what my vice – jewellery, means to me, and the jewelley story I see every day.
My wife and I have triplet 8 year olds (one boy and two girls) and a 10 year old. Thats four children under two, for those of you who are doing the math. To celebrate the birth of our 3 beautiful children, I wanted to do something special for my wife. So I designed a special maternity ring for her to create a jewellery story for her. 
It had a white diamond in the centre and two pink diamonds on each side. White for the boy and two pinks for the two girls. Every time I look at her maternity ring, I can remember not only how I designed the ring, but where I sourced the diamonds from, how I helped the master jeweller to make it, and most importantly – the look on her face when she saw it for the first time.
But looking at my wife’s maternity ring reminds me of so much more than the physical creation of her ring. It reminds me of the journey leading up to that point. I remember going into the obstetricans room at our 8 week scan and being told that we were expecting twins. Being a male and a serious planner, I was a little taken back, to be honest. This wasn’t how I thought things were going to happen. In my mind, we were going to have one child, then two years later another, then after a few more years another. I found out later, that babies don’t follow the timelines that we adults plan out in our minds. I can distinctly recall our 12 week scan at the obstetrician, where pausing for a moment he uttered those words i will never forget “wait a moment, there is another one” . By that time I figured, in for a penny, in for a pound. My wifes maternity ring story doesn’t just end there. I remember lots of little stories along the way leading up to her final days, where she spent the last few weeks in hospital before the triplets were born. Seeing my wife’s maternity ring I can remember our little triplets in hospital as they came into the world.
When you look down at your hand, what do you see? Is it a piece of yellow metal or is it yellow gold or platinum? Is it a piece of carbon, or a diamond? Do you see your jewellery story when you look at your engagement ring? Can you remember the first time you met your partner. Where you went on your first date and how he proposed? Did he get down on one knee? and did you cry ? Can you remember what he said? Interestingly 60% of brides can remember what their partner said during the proposal.
When you look at your wedding ring, can you remember wedding day jewellery story? Getting into your wedding dress on the day of your wedding, walking down the isle, and then looking at your partner as you said your vows and said “I DO”
Do you have a piece of jewellery that you bought for yourself? Was it to mark a special occasion? or a goal that you achieved? was it to celebrate a promotion at work? More and more women today are choosing to celebrate their own special life achievements with a piece of jewellery and create their own jewellery story. Every day when they look in the mirror, they see their jewellery, they see all the hard work they put in, the sacrifices that they made, the long hours they put in and importantly the final result that they achieved. Seeing this jewellery story every day, gives them an immense sense of achievement and desire to achieve new heights.
What i would love for all of you, is to have your own story wrapped in jewellery. Something that symbolises a special moment in your life. It doesn’t matter what the item is, it just needs to be something special that has meaning and a story for you. Would love to hear of your jewellery story, please post below as I read all the comments.
Here is the audio from the day, if you would like to listen to my story.
Jewellers and setters are very different trades even though they are connected to the same industry. Just as plumbers and electricians are separate trades but connected to the building trade, so too are jewellers and setters unique. Jewellers are involved in the construction of the ring, while setters are the ones responsible for securing the stones. While some jewellers can set stones, it is usually best to leave it to a professional gem setter.
In Brisbane to become a jeweller, you must complete a four year apprenticeship under a fully qualified jeweller. As in all apprenticeships, apprentices of the appropriate age are able to receive a learning wage, which makes it economical for the employer to train them. In their 4 years, apprentices should learn all the basic techniques of making simple rings and carrying out repairs. At present, and at least for the next few years you are able to complete your jewellery apprenticeship in Brisbane. However due to falling numbers at Tafe and reduced government funding the future of jewellery apprenticeship scheme seems uncertain.
Jewellery that is made especially for a particular stone is always going to be better than an “off the shelf” setting that is trying to be squeezed or stretched to fit the stone. This is especially important in three stone settings, where it is vital that the stones overlap. A professional jeweller, must not only make sure that the stones and claws are positioned in the correct places, but the shoulder stones must be angled correctly to create a pleasing level appearance. When a jeweller is making a ring, they are constantly making adjustments to improve the aesthetics of the ring, something that is impossible to do in CAD or mass produced style rings. Metal that has been hammered is also always harder and tougher than cast metal. A mass produced ring, has very little room for modification, because all the pieces are set in their current positions.
Setters
In Brisbane there is currently no provision for completing a setters apprenticeship. In England, a setters apprenticeship is normally five years. However here there is no such apprenticeship for setters, neither is there any subsidy for employers to train setters. Consequently there are no new setters being trained. The only new setters entering our industry are those that have traveled here from overseas, or are jewellers that have crossed over to become full time setters.
Setters are crucial to maintaining the highest quality finish of a piece. Even if the ring is expertly hand crafted, if it is set poorly, the finished ring will look terrible. It is the setters job, to ensure that the stones are not only secured correctly and tightly into the ring, but they are also set level and straight. Stones that are not securely are prone to coming loose and falling out over time. If the shoulder diamonds have not been set well, there may be gaps between the stones. Channel set rings, will not have straight bright cuts (the inside lines between the stone and the metal) , and their may be gaps at the end of the channel. This will become noticeable as the rings become dirty, as the dirt often gets trapped in the gaps. It goes without saying that the centre stone should be properly set. Poorly set centre stones, will not only through off the symmetry of the ring, if they are not set in the middle, but they can also be prone to coming loose, and if not regularly checked – lost. Another symptom of a stone that hasn’t been set correctly is catching of threads under the claws. A properly set stone should be nice and smooth on top, and have no gap between the stone and the claw. If you are finding that your clothes are catching on your claws, simply bring them into us, and we can secure the claws correctly on your stone.
At Xennox Diamonds, we have full time jewellers and a setter, to make sure there is never any compromise in the finished product. Our standard for choosing to only work with the best diamonds and metals, applies to our jewellers and setter too, to ensure that you will receive enjoyment from your treasured piece for many years to come. If you are finding your are having problems with your setting, please don’t hesitate to email us, or pop in for a free inspection.
A diamond engagement ring is one of a ladies most precious prized possessions. It symbolises a couples love and the start of their life journey, called marriage. Like a new car, that people try and keep clean for the first few months, the cleaning of a diamond engagement ring, is something that sometimes get put to the bottom of the to do list. The great thing about your diamond engagement ring is that when it is properly cleaned and cared for it will look like the day you picked it up from the jewellery store.
1. Clean it with hot water and dish washing detergent. I generally recommend to add just off boiling hot water and detergent into a coffee cup. Don’t worry – The melting point of gold and diamonds is much higher than 100
degrees, so your diamond engagement ring should be safe. After it has been sitting there for around 3 -5 minutes, use an old toothbrush to dab in and around the settings. A dabbing motion is preferred to scrubbing. Dabbing allows the bristles to find their way in and behind the setting, whereas scrubbing may affect the polish of the metal, causing it to dull.
2. Don’t use hand cream while wearing your rings. One of the biggest causes for diamonds to dull, is the use of hand cream. To understand what hand cream does to your diamond, imagine smearing hand cream over your bathroom mirror. After a day or two, the general everyday dirt would stick to the cream, forming a layer and preventing the light from getting through. As diamonds require light to sparkle, anything that prevents the light from interacting with the stone, will cause the diamond to dull, like this one.
Have it professional cleaned at least once a year – While cleaning your diamonds and jewellery at home will certainly make a marked difference to the performance of your diamond. To achieve the best result, we recommend that you bring it to a qualified jeweller at least once a year for a professional clean. Jewellers will generally have an ultrasonic cleaner. Most professional ultrasonic cleaners cost in excess of $1000. Ultrasonic’s are great for getting into all the really hard to reach places and shaking the dirt out. At the same time your jeweller can check all your settings to make sure that all your diamonds and gemstones are secured. This is a complimentary service that we offer to all our clients, even if the piece is not from us.
1. Toothpaste – Ideal for cleaning your teeth, not your diamonds. I am sure that the original inventors of toothpaste did not envisage a lady cleaning her diamond engagement ring with it.
2. Vodka – Great for drinking, but unnecessary to use to waste on cleaning your diamonds. While pure alcohol is sometimes used for cleaning diamonds, i am sure that you can find a much better use for Vodka than cleaning your diamond engagement ring.
3. Cloudy ammonia – there are a lot of websites advising to use cloudy ammonia when cleaning your diamonds and jewellery. The origin of this most likely came about when jewellers used a polishing compound called rouge. This red polishing paste was notorious for sticking to the gold. The cloudy ammonia was an excellent solution for removing this paste for the metal. These days jewellers use a much more refined compound which is cleaner and dissolves faster in water, making the cloudy ammonia unnecessary.
1. Emeralds – almost all emeralds have been oiled. Placing them in hot water, causes the oil to come out of the stone, and the hot dirty water to go in. When this happens the usually invisible feathers and inclusions can sometimes become visible. This will have a detrimental effect on the value of the stone. While the process can be reversed, it is not an easy or cheap one.
2. Opals – Opals are known as a hydrated silica. They have a reasonable amount of water in them. Placing opals in any environment which is hot, can cause the opals to crack, making them effectively worthless.
3. Pearls – being the product of a once living organism, pearls are also to be kept away from heat. When pearls are used in jewellery, they are usually always glued in. As the heat from a flame would destroy them. When cleaning pearls, it is recommended to use cold water, with a soft cloth similar to a glasses cleaning cloth. (non abrasive)
As a family owned Jewellery business, i am proud to say that we are 100% Australian owned. Jewellery has always been in our family and was a big part of my up bringing. Being a second generation business, it gives me a lot of joy, to carry on the Xennox name, and uphold all the values that have been established over the last 37 years. My main drive and passion is to make Xennox diamonds, a name that is synonymous with high quality diamonds, jewellers who specialse in hand made manufacturing and unparalleled service.
My belief is that the answer to any client’s question is “YES”. There is nothing that our jewellers can’t do, or won’t do for our clients. There is always a way to achieve the desired outcome, its just a matter of finding a way. My job as the designer is to find the way. We always strive to do anything we can to help our clients, whether its giving advice, or helping a client restore a piece, their happiness is always paramount.
I never compromise on quality. I would always rather our jewellers scrap a piece and start again, then give something to a client that i am not 100% happy with. One of the great things about being extremely fussy, is that the finished product will always achieve a higher result. The benefit of upholding yourself to the highest standards, is that you get to work with really nice stones.
Our minimum diamond quality that we try and aim for is an F colour. This forms part of the white diamond range. While some jewellers will tell you that a G colour stone sits in the “near colourless” range. For me a G colour diamond pulls too much yellow. I find that most clients, can tell the difference between an F and a G colour, when placed side by side. The colour difference of an E colour is even more noticeable. I like to personally inspect every main diamond that we sell to ensure that our diamonds are “eye clean”. Where ever possible i try and find diamonds that have girdle inclusions. If a diamond must have an inclusion i always try and aim for a white inclusions, instead of a black carbon mark.
Dealing direct with the diamond cutters overseas, i have learnt a lot about how to get the best performance out of a stone. A diamond’s cut standard is something i am really passionate about. It is the only thing man has control over, and is the only reason a diamond sparkles. If you want the brightest cut diamond on the market, we recommend a Passion8 “Hearts and Arrows” diamond. Like a mechanic who listens to an engine to see what is right or wrong with an engine, i love looking into a diamond to see what the cutter has done right or could have done better at.
An excellent cut grade from the GIA, only tells you that a diamond falls within certain parameters. Approximately the top 30% of stones that go to the GIA, will get an excellent cut grade. According to the GIA, a diamond with a table facet percentage of 61% will still be eligible to receive an excellent cut grade. However i would never buy a stone with a percentage over 58%. This is why it is so crucial to have a diamond cut expert to look at your diamond.
At Xennox Diamonds, we are passionate about you and the jewellery we make for you. Whether you have just started your journey or you know exactly what you want, we are always happy to spend the time and sit down with you. Our reward is seeing our clients blown away, and it is what I and my jewellers always strive for.
Karl
Jewellers are not just craftsmen they are artists too. People are often amazed at how these artificers of metal, are able to manipulate gold and gemstones into the beautiful finished creations, that are adored for generations. But have you ever wondered how long you would have to train to be an exceptional jeweller to create these amazing pieces ?
A basic jewellers apprenticeship takes about 4 years, and not only has on the job training, but a considerable amount of time at tafe as well. In this time they are taught a variety of skills, ranging from hand making jewellery to producing wax pieces and masters for mass production.
The completion of a Jewellers apprenticeship really only marks the start of their journey. For at least the next 3-4 years, jewellers will learn to hone their basic skills they have learnt so far and apply them in a range of new fields. At the end of this time, if they have worked hard and diligently, most can expect to reach a good standard.
The next stage after that, often involves the jewellers moving around to different workshops and learning from a range of other jewellers. In our industry, you can’t learn all there is to know from a book. The best way to grow is through experience and learning by watching others. A jeweller can easily spend the next 7 years learning the finer aspects of the trade, which could involve working with platinum, cluster settings and fine tuning their tools to achieve a better finished piece.
The last category i put only a handful of jewellers into is the exceptional category. While some jewellers can achieve this after a further 10 years, some can work a lifetime and never obtain it. In some European countries like Germany, you can actually go back to college and graduate as a Master Jeweller. This requires many years of study and assessment, and is not a term that is given out lightly.
The next time you look at an amazing piece of jewellery that has been expertly hand crafted, it is worthwhile remembering that the ring did not just take 12 or 16 hours to complete. It represents someone who has spent more than a decade of relentless pursuit of excellence to ensure you have a symbol of your love that will last a lifetime.
