T H E
D I A M O N D
WO R K S
feature
Jewel
in the crown
Jane Bordenave talks to Alexandra del Mistro about the unique experience offered by The Diamond Works as a tourist destination, educational visit and seller of fine jewellery
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The Diamond Works FEATURE
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hile sites such as Kruger National Park and Robben Island are at often at the top of tourists’ travel itinerary, there is another experience in cities around South Africa that offers visitors an insight into one of the country’s most important industries. Founded in Cape Town in 2001, The Diamond Works offers sightseers an opportunity to see both how South African Diamonds are made into jewellery and the history of the industry. The idea behind The Diamond Works is to enable tourists to come and have an educational and unique experience, rather than just looking at Diamonds,” says Alexandra del Mistro, the International Brand Manager for the company, “the Diamond business is an important part of South African history and the modern country.” The full experience includes a glass of sparkling wine – South African, naturally – followed by a full tour of the facility, where guests get to see the Diamonds being cut and polished, and the in-house jewellery designers and goldsmith turning these cut stones into jewellery. They are then introduced to the Wall of Fame, featuring some of the most famous Diamonds such as the Cullinan Diamond, the Hope Diamond and the Jubilee Diamond. The tour then moves onto a history of Gold and Diamond mining in South Africa, before finally finishing in the show room. “A lot of our visitors do buy some of our jewellery and stones at the end of their tour because they have been excited by what they have seen, we operate a no obligation policy,” explains Ms del Mistro, “we are not a conventional jeweller where the focus is on selling, what we offer is the experience of The Diamond Works.”
While Diamonds are a large part of the focus of the tour, the company also introduces its guests to Tanzanites, one of the world’s rarest precious stones, “Tanzanites are beautiful blue-violet stones that are only found in one mine at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro,” says Ms del Mistro, “they are completely unique and have not been found anywhere else in the world.” As well as Diamonds and Tanzanites, the firm also buys white and yellow Gold and Platinum as raw materials for the production of its jewellery. The sourcing and traceability of these items, particularly the Diamonds, is of great importance to the business “all our Diamonds are guaranteed conflict free and this has always been an important part of out ethos,” she says, “we only work with long established, South African dealers that share the same values as us, ensuring we maintain this guarantee.” Other than sourcing the raw materials from dealers, the firm has what could be described as an in-house supply chain; whereas companies selling jewellery to consumers normally buy the finished item to display in their shop, The Diamond Works enables its customers to see first hand how theirs is made through an internalised production system, including a resident master goldsmith and a jewellery designer. It is this journey from raw material to finished product that is what The Diamond Works is all about. It is not only tourists who get to experience what the company has to offer. During the off season, local schools bring their pupils to visit the facility, “the whole process is just as fascinating to local people as it is to visitors, and for students there is another level of interest,” explains Ms del Mistro, “the school
We are not a conventional jeweller where the focus is on selling, what we offer is the experience of The Diamond Works
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The Diamond Works FEATURE
children we have visiting us are aged about 12 to 13 years old and are just starting to think about their futures. The Diamond and jewellery industry is huge in South Africa and is a major employer. So these children get to see all the different jobs that they could have that are involved with this business, from the transformation of rough diamonds, to the design and manufacture of the pieces right through to the sales team. There are so many opportunities linked to Diamonds and gems that people may not have even thought of.” The company has started to expand outside of South Africa, having set up a shop in neighbouring Namibia. There are challenges involved in establishing branches in different countries, as Ms del Mistro explains: “There are, of course, local laws to contend with and a fair amount of red tape to cut through, but that is just part of moving into another country.” The firm has kept its firm belief in the importance of reflecting the history of Diamonds and only employs Namibian workers at its Namibian site, “we did, of course, send over some of our employees to oversee the establishment of the facility and ensure the correct training of the local staff. But the fact is these are Namibian Diamonds on display in this branch and it is the history of the Namibian industry that is on show here. How can you have an experience that is truly representative of the Namibian industry if the whole of the staff is South African? Using the local work force is a natural part of our business.” Other than the formalities of setting up new offices, one of the regular challenges that faces the company is the whims of the fashion industry. “We constantly need to look ahead to what the trend is for the next fashion season, finding out what styles of jewellery people will be buying,” says Ms del Mistro, “so visiting trade shows and keeping on the fashion pulse is very important.” However, The Diamond Works 4
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aims to offer customers more than a one-season piece that will date quickly. By emphasising clean lines and timeless design, the jewellers produce items that are a long term investment, “this has been especially important during the downturn,” she explains, “because people have less disposable income so they want to buy something that really lasts, and that’s what we want to give them.” Looking to the future, plans for further expansion are definitely on the table, “by around 2015 we are planning to have another two stores at least outside of South Africa,” says Ms Delmistro, aiming to bring The Diamond Works experience to a wider audience. And it is that word – experience – that is key to the nature of the company, giving visitors the chance to see the full story behind a piece of jewellery. Tourists take note; The Diamond Works is an opportunity to see another part of South African history and culture and definitely not one that should be missed. END
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