Current travel restrictions are changing the face of the jewellery industry in Australia, with revenue dropping by around 4.1% between 2020 and 2021, and in-store sales dropping significantly - as found in a report by IBISWorld. As such, mobile friendliness and other key features that improve the online shopping experience for jewellery are vital for brands wishing to survive the current crisis. The good news for digitally-savvy firms is that an investment in creating an optimal online experience for clients is set to pay off, since although fine jewellery sales have dropped globally (owing in on small part to the reduction in numbers of tourists from Asia), the purchase of ‘investment pieces’ and stones continues to be in demand. How are Australian jewellery brands responding to current challenges?

Collaborations With Top Influencers

Those who enjoy building a personal jewellery collection tend to select pieces that reflect their cultural, fashion, and artistic interests. Jewellery, after all, defines one’s personal style. This is the case in everything from the colour of metal chosen to the style (classical vs modern, timeless vs ‘here and now’, oversized vs minimalistic). Often, buyers identify strongly with artists whose music and art they consume. As such, collaborations with these artists can help bring an awareness of Australian brands to audiences abroad. One brand that has tapped into the power of influencer marketing for online sales is Heart of Bone, which collaborates with Billie Eilish to create unique, custom pieces - including bunny and moth rings, as well as edgy necklaces and bracelets. Heart of Bone founder, Emma Abrahams, said, “Billie… was literally dripping in Heart of Bone on magazine covers, on the internet, on Instagram. We went from being a small Australian jewellery brand to being worn every day by one of the biggest music stars on the planet.”

One-Of-A-Kind Pieces

‘Investment pieces’ made in unique materials continue to enjoy a big demand from online buyers, and Australian designers like Natalie Marie are setting new standards in this realm. Rings and other items are totally handmade and contain stones in utterly unique colours - take the fern-coloured, pear-cut sapphire in the Freya ring, resting in a yellow gold and diamond setting, for example. Colourful stones abound - from canary yellow to salt-and-pepper diamonds, mint green tourmalines, lilac-hued grey spinels, and dark blue/green sapphires. Another jeweller quickly building up a cult following is Seb Brown, who creates precious rings that look as though they were designed hundreds of years ago. Each piece is completely unique, reflecting the personality of the wearer. Despite the distance, you can still enjoy an online consultation and make your orders after directly communicating your wishes to Brown.

The Australian jewellery industry has temporarily suffered owing to the current crisis, the way many other industries that rely on tourism have. However, research indicates that there is still a strong demand for high-end investment pieces made with unique stones. Designers like Heart of Bone, Natalie Marie, and Seb Brown are showing that it is possible to thrive in tough economic times, through influencer marketing and/or a heavy focus on unique stones and avant-garde design styles.