The world of jewelry is a vast one, with estimated sales of $61.9 billion in the U.S. alone, according to the Jewelry Industry Research Institute. But despite the fact that 65% of the world’s diamonds were mined on the African continent, there appear to be limited opportunities for African Americans looking to enter the field.
Some experts say this is because of the institutional nature of the jewelry business: Recruitment has been an exclusive in-family tradition, with very few exceptions. As a result, openings for African Americans have been confined mainly to the industry’s retail segment. “We just don’t realize it’s a viable industry with all the arms and facets of a regular business,” explains Nicole Davis, vice president of marketing and public relations for Goldstein Communications.
“It’s the fear of the unknown,” adds Larry H. Barkley Sr., president of the luxury jewelry chain Georg Jensen. “Somehow [many] feel the luxury retail sector is off limits based on not seeing a lot of African American faces there. You don’t see them so you don’t aspire to it.”
Sales, however, is the heart of the industry and the most-traveled avenue to gain access, affirms Veronica Clark-Hudson, an 18-year industry veteran and director of the Gemological Institute of America—Los Angeles (www.gia.edu). “Most everyone [in the jewelry industry] will ask if you have retail experience then train you in their procedures.”
Barkley agrees about the importance of the sales professional: “Without that person, your brand doesn’t have a chance.” He estimates base and commission salary ranges from $65,000 to as high as $300,000, depending on the luxury brand and the company’s commission structure.
Barkley says that jobs in public relations and marketing and as company president are perhaps the most coveted opportunities in the industry due to their high visibility and the fact that there are so few positions. He says a PR/marketing director can command $95,000 to $200,000 plus bonuses, while a company vice president or president can expect compensation of $175,000 to $500,000 plus bonuses.
The employment of jewelers and precious stone and metal workers is expected to decline slightly through 2014. But in general, employment opportunities promise to be excellent, according to the 2006—07 Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational outlook. “The increasing numbers of affluent individuals, working women, double-income households, and fashion-conscious men are expected to keep jewelry sales strong,” notes the report.
Advancement opportunities, however, depend greatly on an individual’s skill and initiative. The specialists assembled in this story highlight the varied career possibilities in the luxury jewelry industry and exemplify the drive and resourcefulness that inspire new directions.
Larry H. Barkley Sr. President Georg Jensen USA New York: “My aspiration at Saks Fifth Avenue was to become vice president of a single store,” recalls Larry H. Barkley Sr. Unfortunately, as assistant general manager, he was offered larger volume and salary but no possibility of advancement.
In 1999, he decided to leave and joined Bvlgari as vice president of the retail sales division. In his seven-year tenure there, Barkley steered its retail business from $30 million to $80 million. “To have [Saks] call after I left to offer me the top spot is confirmation that I was ready but they weren’t ready to make the move with me,” he says. Instead, he accepted an offer from Georg Jensen USA (www.georgjensen.com) as president in January 2006.
It actually took a headhunter to convince Barkley that his early retail background, his business acumen, personality, and career successes were a good fit with the $3 billion luxury jewelry industry. Because the industry is not aggressive in recruiting candidates, Barkley says it’s difficult for African Americans to get a read on what’s expected to succeed.
Barkley, 48, a business administration graduate of the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, insists that navigating the managerial track is guided more by knowledge of the business you operate in and your competition than how to read profit and loss spreadsheets. He points out that most luxury retailers offer a variety of management-based training programs.
“The sector I operate in is passion-driven; the best salespeople are passionate about the business and able to convey that passion to customers. Retaining customer base is the No. 1 priority.” The key pieces to retail management, according to Barkley, are to “understand, embrace, and implement the vision of the brand; attract, retain, and motivate the best talent; select the right locations for retail operations; and market the brand, product, and people.
Akeem AnÃshéré Master Jeweler AnÃshéré Designs Englewood, NJ: Akeem AnÃshéré has performed a variety of jobs to raise capital for his jewelry prototypes, which can then be sold to jewelry stores for manufacturing. “Starting out, you have to be creative and diversified,” he insists. AnÃshéré, originally from Lagos, Nigeria, specializes in designing elegant high-end jewelry made with 18k gold, diamonds, sapphires, tanzanite, and rubies. An innovative pairing of rose, green, and white gold with platinum is the hallmark of AnÃshéré Designs (www.anisheredesigns.com).
AnÃshéré, 44, actually began as a trained sculptor and complemented his expertise with advanced jewelry making and repair and stone setting courses at the Gemological Institute of America. He made his first piece in 1992 at the request of a jeweler.
A master jeweler on staff at a retail outlet earns $40,000 to $65,000 for managing production “from the concept to the rendition to the wax model, casting, assembly, stone setting, and polishing,” he explains.
An independent master jeweler can earn more. “Let’s say you get your line into Neiman Marcus, you earn money for your design and also for manufacturing it,” AnÃshéré says. Copyright ownership depends on the retailer’s contract, but terms are negotiable. “When I use my ingenuity to make a clasp easier to open or close, those are technical aspects I make sure to patent.”
For the new entrant, AnÃshéré suggests taking a job as a bench jeweler–one who repairs jewelry–to finance your prototypes. Create a portfolio of design drawings to circulate
among manufacturers, attend the Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America trade show (www.mjsa.org) to stay abreast of evolving techniques, and consider retaining a representative on a commission basis to shop designs.“It’s a lucrative job,” says AnÃshéré. “I can get work anywhere in the world. [My skills are] universal.”
Nicole Davis VP of Marketing and Public Relations Goldstein Communications Los Angeles: Whether the perception appointed to jewelry is based on empowerment or romance, Nicole Davis knows her clients’ bottom line and brand identity rely on her ability to “build a bridge between an inanimate object and what the object represents.”
Davis is the vice president of marketing and public relations for Goldstein Communications (www.gold steincom.com), a full-service agency that specializes in marketing luxury jewelry and fashion. “Branding is a driving force,” says Davis. “Consumers are not just buying that ring, they’re buying into the lifestyle.”
When Davis, 34, spots a trend in design that benefits her clients, she communicates it to magazine editors, retail store operators, TV producers, and fashion stylists to accelerate buzz by getting jewelry placed on celebrities in photo shoots, music videos, and at award galas. She has provided jewelry for Renée Zellweger, Jamie Foxx, Elizabeth Hurley, and Oprah Winfrey.
Davis, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, is also account manager for Platinum Guild Inter
national USA (www .preciousplatinum.com), a marketing organization for platinum jewelry designers and manufacturers. And while she affirms that purchases are often driven by emotion, she believes that buying luxury jewelry is also very much an investment. “Jewelry should be a lifetime purchase that can pass from generation to generation.”
The York University psychology graduate was interviewing to enter the public relations industry in 1997 when she landed in the luxury jewelry division of VNU Expositions. For two years, Davis served as account manager for the Couture Jewelry Collections Conference, which exposed her to many facets of show production. She lists strong writing skills, event production experience, and the ability to build strategic relationships as highly desirable skills in her field. “You have to be a people person and able to tell a story in many different ways.”
Hugh Nelson Independent Jeweler Desiree Morgan Co. Naperville, IL: “Because you have an M.B.A. don’t mean anything; show me your commitment.” That was the hard-nosed response retail jeweler DeLois Walker offered her son Martin and his college mate Hugh Nelson when the wide-eyed duo were Perdue University grad students eager to break into the jewelry industry.
After earning his master’s degree in human resources, Nelson, originally from Canton, Michigan, registered for distance classes with the Gemological Institute of America. “With knowledge, the world opens up to you,” attests Nelson, 38, chief operating officer at Desiree Morgan (www.desireemorgan.com), an independent boutique launched in 2003 and the sister company to Mrs. Walker’s Alpha Gold.
Because the jewelry business is highly competitive, jewelers who plan to open their own store should have sales experience as well as marketing and business management skills.
To contend with retail goliaths such as Costco and Wal-Mart, Nelson–who oversees purchasing and marketing strategies, manufacturing decisions, and new product rollouts–stewards a proactive plan. “We review consumer data to create events tailored to our customers’ jewelry interests and personal passions,” he says. “For the independent jeweler, it’s not just about a single purchase. We’re there when your kids enter college, when they graduate, and for the engagement.”
Cash flow is also key, says Nelson: “Our business is cyclical; 60% to 75% of our revenue is generated from October through February.” Nelson is vigilant about employing customer relationship management processes that gauge spending trends. He also makes follow-up calls to customers, which in one instance resulted in a change to the return policy when a customer informed him it was too rigid. “Our customers trust that we provide an honest opinion and quality product,” he says. “If we err in either of those two areas, they’re out the door.”