NAJ Online - International Women’s Day

03 Mar 2022

The theme of 2022’s International Women’s Day is #BreakTheBias and here at the NAJ we want to celebrate the many influential and successful females in our industry.

So… let’s have the conversation: can we say that our trade is free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination? Is it diverse, equitable and inclusive? Can being a female hold back a career? Who are the female role models? Belinda Morris, editor of The Jeweller, seeks the views and experiences of a handful of inspirational women in the jewellery world.

Kay Bradley, owner, Bradley's Jewellers, Low Petergate, York

"Despite the target audience for jewellery being predominantly women, all too often the power players and decision-makers (outside of just jewellery design) are men. I want to change that paradigm, leading from the front in all aspects of decision-making and processes for my business."

"Being a woman has in many senses shaped my business. Eco Rocks was founded as a result of my being a mother. I was pitching in on my son's school environmental project about how little changes to everyday life can help the environment, and it got me thinking about my business' impact as well as the wider jewellery industry's role in climate change. I spent a long time researching quantifiable, evidence-based changes my business could make that would make a difference and avoid simply 'green washing' our shop practices. This has led to me becoming the first female-owned retailer in the UK to be named an Accredited Retailer under the SCS 007 Certified Sustainability Rated Diamond Standard by SCS Global Services."

View Bradley's Jewellers

 

Sarah Jordan, founder and director, The William Agency 

"I have always felt very comfortable as a woman in the UK jewellery industry and have often felt supported by both male and female colleagues. In some instances, female business acquaintances have morphed into mutually-supportive friendships, which is especially encouraging as a self-employed consultant who relies on reputation and word-of-mouth recommendations.

“From my perspective as a marketing consultant, I think the women of this industry need to shout about their achievements more and set aside the old notions of modesty. Perhaps it is partly a symptom of being British, but we are all very self-aware of promoting our own success stories. However, there are ways to do this without descending into arrogance and, if female voices become more ubiquitous, we can curate a different attitude to self-promotion."

View The William Agency 

 

Anna Blackburn, managing director, Beaverbrooks

“As a family-owned business we truly care about every one of our colleagues.  Our collaborative and inclusive culture means that each member of the Beaverbrooks family is treated as an equal, whilst celebrating our individual differences. We are closely connected to every single team member and are supportive of their individual needs, as well as providing opportunities for internal career progression. 80 per cent of colleagues within our management teams are female, which is proportionate to our gender split.

“Family is so important to us at Beaverbrooks – we recognise that working in retail can mean unsociable hours, so giving our people the opportunity to be present for important life moments such as school nativities or sports days is something we really support. For us, a balanced and inclusive workplace is about showing we genuinely care for our Beaverbrooks family, and treating each team member as an individual in their own right.

This approach means our people feel supported and empowered, and we pride ourselves on the fact that one in three of our colleagues has been with the business for over 10 years.” 

View Beaverbrooks

 

Jacqui Larsson, bespoke jeweller, diamond specialist, gemmologist and board member of the London Diamond Bourse

“There are certainly women who I greatly admire; some currently in the industry and others who have contributed to the industry over time. Annoushka Ducas is a trail blazer. She came to the jewellery industry with a completely different skillset, and created Links of London. The collections were fun, wearable, accessibly priced and beautifully packaged. They also encouraged women to buy jewellery for themselves. I adore the creative well-crafted jewellery with a wink Liz Olver did with Annoushka – she’s deserving of greater recognition within the industry.

“Elsa Peretti’s work for Tiffany & Co was a complete game changer. She democratised jewellery – the organic, fluid silver pieces were affordable to most people and really encouraged women to self- purchase. The design prodigy for me is Suzanne Belperron; her output was prodigious and her designs were ground breaking and timeless. They continue to look modern and fresh today, and her use of different gem materials was original and inspired.

Gender Bias? The industry could benefit from being more inclusive to women with different professional experience. This introduces a wider range of skillsets and perspectives. It would be welcome to see more women in key decision-making roles across the industry.

“Taking a career break to have children definitely affects your career prospects – in your absence your peers continue to acquire skills and nurture a professional network which grows exponentially over time. This can never be replicated when re-entering the workforce. Furthermore, technology moves on at a rapid rate, so where possible it’s crucial to update your skills.

“Having said that, I liked the flexibility of running my business while raising my children, but had to strike a balance between my personal and professional life. This meant that the business was maintained on a manageable scale that could be operated around my family life. I don’t think that many men have to make this choice or compromise.”

View Jacqui Larsson Fine Jewellery

 

Kassandra Lauren Gordon, Hatton Garden-trained Black jeweller and activist

 

“On this day, what I would like to say is that more support is needed around funding and investment for female founder jewellery businesses. I also think that we should be looking at different teaching styles when teaching female students in jewellery education. Sometimes tutors do not know the influence they hold when there is a negative interaction towards female students.”

View Kassandra Lauren Gordon (KLG) Jewellery

 

Shakti Ellenwood, B Corp-certified jewellery designer and goldsmith

“I have so many role models.  I trained in the USA, so most are American.  I spent a lot of time in the jewellery departments of Barneys, Neiman Marcus and Fred Segal, seeking out my favourite designers (all women) and trying to learn everything I could about them. My favourites are Cathy Waterman, Liseanne Frank, Jill Platner, Mallory Marks and Judy Geib.  All incredibly talented and highly successful women in this very competitive market.  They inspired me to carry on even when times were tough.

“The industry has changed. I believe it’s becoming female-led.  With the advent of the internet and social media, there are now thousands of female jewellery designers and makers running successful businesses and in control of their own destiny.  We are quietly taking over. I don't think being female has made a difference to me.  I believe in my product and myself, so I stick to my goals and carry on doing my thing regardless.”

View Shakti Ellenwood Precious Jewellery

Source: The NAJ