Building a successful demi-fine jewellery brand is one of the hardest challenges in the jewellery industry. Margins are tight, competition is fierce, and success depends on selling significant volume without losing the creativity and identity that made your brand special in the first place.
Laura Vann has done exactly that.
Over the past decade, Laura has built one of Britain's most successful independent demi-fine jewellery brands, with stockists including Fortnum & Mason, Liberty, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges. Rather than competing through ever-increasing advertising budgets, she has grown her business by thinking differently: creating jewellery that's difficult to copy, presenting every collection in a fresh contemporary context, and replacing paid advertising with collaborations, events and genuine relationships that continue to fuel the brand today.
In this conversation, we explore how Laura transformed a family wholesale jewellery business into a distinctive consumer brand, why she believes signature design is your greatest competitive advantage, and how she successfully expanded into bespoke engagement rings and fine jewellery without losing the identity that made her brand so recognisable.
Topics include:
• why building a profitable demi-fine jewellery brand is so challenging
• creating jewellery that's difficult to copy
• developing a distinctive signature style that customers recognise instantly
• why Laura turned her back on Meta and Google advertising
• replacing paid ads with events, collaborations and meaningful relationships
• growing from wholesale into luxury retailers including Fortnum & Mason, Liberty and Selfridges
• expanding from demi-fine into bespoke engagement rings and fine jewellery
• why the best opportunities come from putting yourself in the right rooms
A relaxed, candid conversation about building a jewellery brand for the long term, proving that thoughtful design, commercial thinking and genuine relationships can be far more powerful than following the traditional marketing playbook.
Episode Notes
Guest: Laura Vann
Website: https://www.lauravann.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauravannjewellery/
GoldDust Collective
GoldDust Collective is the membership for ambitious independent jewellery designers who want to build stronger, more profitable brands. Through expert masterclasses, business resources and an inspiring community of like-minded jewellers, GoldDust helps creatives grow sustainable businesses without compromising their vision.
https://www.katebaxterstudio.com
The Cut London
Discover contemporary engagement rings and bespoke jewellery from some of the UK's most talented independent designers.
https://www.thecutlondon.com
Follow Kate Baxter:
Instagram: @golddust_by_kate_baxter
Instagram: @thecutlondon
If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate and review the GoldDust Podcast. It helps more independent jewellers discover these conversations and supports the future of the podcast. Thank you for listening.
