Perfection built on passion

Brent Sutcliffe’s jewellery store has stood proudly in Parnell Road for 15 years. He reflects on a career that has delivered many special moments, and a business that’s still dishing up valuable lessons.

2019 has been a milestone year for Brent Sutcliffe. The Parnell-based jeweller, who has celebrated many of life’s biggest moments with his clientele over the years, is celebrating his 15^th year in business.

And when you consider the changing and challenging nature of the jewellery industry in this country that is no small achievement.

Brent has always had jewellery in his blood, and followed his father’s footsteps into the profession. He completed his apprenticeship in New Zealand before working in London’s jewellery epi-centre, Hatton Garden. It’s here where his love for antique jewellery was sparked – adding a whole new dimension to his designs.

London is also where Brent competed against 700 British jewellers in the British Goldsmiths Craftsmanship and Design Awards and won top honours (Diamond Mounter (Jeweller) of the Year and the Gold Award for Small Works) with a unique 18-carat white gold violin piece measuring 7.5 centimetres in length and featuring more than 1000 diamonds over the body at a total weight of 20.5 carats, and 2.5 carats of sapphires along the stem. It took 170 hours to complete, and a Special Council Award was bestowed upon him as further recognition of his high-quality work.

Looking back, Brent reveals that his passion for jewellery took quite a number of years to fully ignite. It was his London accomplishments that eventually opened his eyes to his talent and sparked the passion that still shines bright today in his business.

Brent admits that succeeding in New Zealand’s jewellery sector requires you to stand out from the crowd. “There are more competitors in the market all vying for the same clientele, which has meant we really have to make sure we stand out in a way that is different, and we can be heard above the noise of what everyone else is saying.”

For Sutcliffe Jewellery, that difference centres on attention to detail and quality.

“Consumers are price conscious, but when we explain that what we do gives a better, longer lasting and more unique product, then the slightly higher price becomes no longer an issue,” explains Brent.

“Our customers understand that higher quality costs more.”

He remembers the GFC testing that theory. “Luxury products can be the first thing to drop-off the radar when times are financially tough, so navigating that was an achievement,” he says. Something else that has proven to be a major test for Brent has been getting his head around digital marketing.

“Using social media as a marketing tool is something I have struggled with. It is supposed to be so transparent and make marketing to the right people so much easier; however, I have found it to be a very dark art that is difficult to understand and navigate!”

Despite this, Brent believes they have definitely made progress around their marketing efforts and are seeing some solid results. “We tried to do all the social media marketing in-house, which was a nightmare. So we outsourced it to a company that knew what it was doing.

“So what I have learnt about social media is that it’s the same as any other part of business. Do what you’re good at and get someone else to do the stuff you are not good at.

“I think social media is a long game rather than a short-cut to increasing sales.”

Business lessons

After 15 years at the helm of his jewellery business, Brent has learnt lot about how to survive and thrive.

“Business has taught me not to be complacent and that you can never stand still. It has also taught me that I needed to toughen up mentally and giving up isn’t an option.

“Business is not something you get into if you want everything to be just plain sailing. When times get tough, my inspiration to keep going and keep fighting comes from not really wanting to do anything else. I love what I do, and the thought of having to do something different isn’t overly exciting.”

So it’s not surprising that most days you’ll find Brent hard at work in his workshop at the back of the Parnell showroom. Nothing thrills him more than the opportunity to make spectacular pieces of jewellery for discerning clients. 

“At heart I am a creative and a craftsman so designing and making pieces of jewellery is what makes me love coming to work.

“We’ve created some incredible pieces over the years and we pour our heart and soul into every single one. Sometimes so much so that we become quite attached to them – with a few special pieces that we have spent months designing that are truly hard to see go.”

So what advice would he have for that young school leaver who wasn’t even sure if he wanted to be a jeweller, let alone start his own business?

“The advice I would have given myself all those years ago would be ‘Go for it. It is going to be exciting and sometimes stressful, but it will also be rewarding and fun’,” says Brent.

“And social media, when it arrives, will quickly catch on so don’t pretend it won’t, and start using it as soon as you can!”

It has been 15 years, but the enthusiasm and drive is still there.

“Going forward we want to increase our presence in the market, and to continue to increase turnover and profit,” says Brent “I don’t necessarily see myself as having multiple stores…..but never say never!”

Story by Glenn Baker, editor of NZBusiness.