The Hatton Garden Social becomes The Jewellery Collective
After the incredible success that was the Hatton Garden Social events, jeweller, founder and campaigner Kassandra Lauren Gordon is building on this venture to create The Jewellery Collective. With the mission to build a strong, active, diverse & member-driven community. An association which is accessible to all, they will aim to break down barriers, share valuable industry knowledge, build trust and foster business relationships within the UK jewellery industry. Offering events and activities designed to be safe and supportive space where people can network, learn from each other, and build relationships.
Our Fair Luxury team members Rebecca Maddock, founder of &Worn Studio, a jewellery industry small business creative consultancy and Stuart Pool, gemstone merchant and co-founder of both Nineteen48 and Fair Luxury itself have been committed to helping Kassandra spread the message of The Jewellery Collective.
We caught up with Kassandra to get some insights into her thinking behind the community.
What inspired you to begin the Hatton Garden Social?
The problem of the jewellery industry is trust/social capital. If you do not know a supplier personally or are introduced to a supplier - they might not work with you. We need to find new ways to build trust in the jewellery industry. There is a demand and a need for informal but curated industry events which have a diverse people range of people and champion the voices of the independents.
The Jewellery Collective is a platform to get manufacturers to meet independent jewellers to build new relationships and create new business. Going forward this will support the dwindling jewellery manufacturing eco-system in the UK. It is essential to close knowledge and trust gaps with social capital in the UK jewellery industry and to create new business relationships.
After three incredibly successful events so far, has the event changed at all from how you first envisioned it?
It got bigger, from 70 from our first event then nearly 200 for our last one.
It must have been incredibly hard work to organise on your own, what kept you going?
Thinking about the few people who opened doors for me and the belief that if you can collaborate and work together - you can achieve much more. I kept getting such positive feedback from people telling me it had been a successful experience for them, Jonathan Solomons, Diamond & Gemstone Expert commented “I made lots of contact details and new connections…they bring together like-minded people to support the local Jewellery trade from the grassroots upwards.” This was exactly what i had been hoping attendees would feel.
Can you offer an anecdote of the most positive outcome for an attendees
Helen Molesworth, V&A Curator of Jewellery said of the event '“It was a great success and I’m so glad to have joined. I caught up with several old friends in the business I hadn’t seen for ages… a large part is also getting current contacts together, not only making new ones.” She went on to say “I think this is so important for our industry, as often we work in different parts of the industry in different areas, and without a concentrated event like this, we wouldn’t have the opportunities to strengthen our relationships.”
The “diversity and the relaxed friendly nature” of the event was noted by Charlotte Cornelius, Jewellery Designer CEO & Founder. In her words, these factors “made it very welcoming and inclusive”.
Pooja Sahny, Director of Sierra Consultancy commented It was definitely a positive experience…we met people from various backgrounds within the industry: setters, stone suppliers etc. Everyone is hidden away in their workshops and don't attend the events we attend or exhibit, so it was great to make new connections.” She went on to say “It gives everyone from every background in the trade to network. It’s not only about work, it’s also about making connections. It’s brilliant, as now we have new contacts we can recommend to our clients.”
These are only a few of so much feedback i have received but it is exactly the kind of response i was hoping to get, proof the events work and are of benefit to the industry.
What has been your proudest moment in the Jewellery Collective journey?
When I see people after the event do business with each and start new business relationships
What do you see for the future of the Jewellery Collective?
To take The Jewellery Collective outside of London, make it national (or worldwide).
Opening up the jewellery industry to be more welcoming and diverse is a must for the future of the industry. The Jewellery Collectives community and memberships are an innovative way to facilitate networking and knowledge sharing. To find out more about the collective check out their website.