Jewellery World sat down with some of Australia’s family-run jewellery businesses to explore their rich histories and discuss their visions for the future of their legacy.
For Francesca Zollo, working at her mother Brigitte’s store – Aurum Jewels in Adelaide – has only strengthened family bonds. It was always my Mum’s dream to have a store. She has been in the industry since she was 18, originally working for Ann Middleton (a renowned South Australian jewellery designer).
She said she wanted a shop of her own and Dad said ‘yes, let’s do it’. I remember searching for the location of the first store with them when I was about six or seven years old. I always say that the shop is their fourth child; I am the third child. When I was little Dad was around a lot more [than Mum]. I went to a school where a lot of the other mothers weren’t working, but for us Dad was the one doing the school runs as Mum was working full time in the shop. Back then it was a bit unusual because she would go away on work trips for a week at a time and Dad would be the one to
look after us.
I learned that to open a fresh business is very hard work, and she worked harder than any one I knew. What I love is that Mum has always been a whole person to me, I didn’t just see her as a mother, I got to grow up watching her do what she is passionate about, which is pretty inspiring. She has given me a good work ethic. There are pros and cons to working with your parents, but I am good at setting boundaries. I also appreciate that Mum has never treated me like a child when I’m working in the store.
I started in one of the shop’s when I was still in school. Mum had three stores at one stage, including one in Sydney. I was studying fashion design three days a week, and I spent the rest of my time working. It was a lot of hard work, and I was only about 19 at the time with staff under me who were in their 40s. A career in jewellery has not been an active choice, if that makes sense, I just sort of slipped into it and kept picking up more shifts.
But it has been 14 years now and there’s nothing I’m not comfortable with in the business. I can do anything and everything. Selling comes to me naturally – I’m a bit of a talker – and I like guiding people to choosing the right piece to suit their daily lifestyle. I am passionate about coloured gemstones and enjoy sharing that with our customers so they can make an educated decision. A lot of people don’t know about the variety of stones suitable for jewellery and I think they are missing out on beautiful options, but I find that once you bring their attention to it, they are interested.
My goal is to help them get something a little bit different but that also suits their lifestyle. I have a similar skillset to Mum, we are both good at working with our hands and we have a good eye for design. I learned so much just by being around her my whole life. For instance, the way she interacts with people, the way she presents the jewellery, and her general demeanour in the store. I sound just like her apparently, and a lot of her mannerisms have rubbed off on me.
I like the old school nature of jewellery. It is not a fast-paced business; when you are dealing with a $5000 or $20,000 item, it is an investment, not an impulse purchase. And I like the more traditional and classic aspect of retail, such as providing excellent service. It’s a lot more personal than online retailing, I know so much about all of our customers and you become friends with them on a certain level. I love that you get to meet intelligent people who have led such interesting lives. Mum is the brains and the passion behind the store and her energy is what carries the business. To me, she is coming into her prime. When she’s in the store she is unflappable, and she just has this amazing confidence.
It’s wonderful to see how far she has come. We are at a different quality point from where we first started. Mum has acquired high-end ranges, such as Pomellato, Ole Lynggaard and Pasquale Bruni. She has great instincts, and it is amazing that she has selected those brands, and that they in turn have selected her. All of the ranges we have are exclusively contracted to us.
Having me in the store has given her the ability to travel to meet these brands and conduct business trips whenever she wants to. She knows she can trust me, no matter what, and she can leave with peace of mind. I will do anything for the business – she knows that all of her hard work is going to be carried on by someone.
