My first visit to Hong Kong was in 1997 and I loved it. Over the years it has been home to some amazing gemmologists and when I was working with Gem-A, there was a fantastic team based in a city that has more gemmology schools in a few square miles than the whole of the UK.
In 2020, when I was asked if I could put some thoughts into words for the annual Journal of the Gemmological Association of Hong Kong, I was flattered and used the opportunity to focus and reflect on some of my long-standing beliefs.
Article Featured in the 2020 Journal of the Gemmological Association of Hong Kong: Rebrand to Restart
We know what happened in 2020, and we were all concerned about the impact that this would have on the industry worldwide. The article below, which featured in the 2020 Journal of the Gemmological Association of Hong Kong, are my thoughts, which seemed particularly relevant at the time. There are times when I worry that celebrity endorsements reflect a dysfunctional element of today’s world. In the gemstone industry, particularly, they make us vulnerable to the accusation that we just cater to the rich and for the rich. This is nonsense. There are problems, certainly, but the person making a luxury purchase is supporting a long chain of people. These people have spent years honing their skills and, for the most part, are not making a lot of money out of what they do, but they are supporting families, communities and whole cities and regions.
In short, make the buyer of jewellery feel pride in what they buy, not just for the brand or beauty, but also for the artisanal excellence they promote. If you aren’t just “greenwashing” a brand, why would you not be proud to highlight the hardworking people behind your products?
To read the full article see the PDF below.
To access the 2020 Journal of the Gemmological Association of Hong Kong, click here.
