Launched at this year’s Melbourne jewellery fair, the Elastic Diamond line from Milanese company Vai Milano features a two-point diamond threaded through a silicone elastic cord.
The pieces can be worn in a variety of ways, such as around the neck, wrist, ankle or, as managing director Robert Scanlan suggests, even around the waist in summer.
The diamonds are available in a range of settings including silver, yellow and rose gold. A black rhodium setting is also available.
Scanlan secured the Australian distribution rights after spotting the range, which is only a few month’s old, at Italy’s Vincenza fair last month.
While he had initial doubts about the line – it is elastic after all – he said it didn’t take long to see its potential.
“Well, I had reservations. But my son was with me and he said ‘hey, have a look at this’, and I could see other people like bees to a honey pot, which is when I thought oh, this does have legs,” Scanlan said. “It’s something different with a good price point.”
When questioned by retailers at the Melbourne fair who were concerned about the use of extremely thin elastic, he replied, “stop thinking like a jeweller and start thinking like an 18-year-old girl [target market]”.
“Some jewellers ask what’s the wearing like and I say it’s good. If you have a little fine gold bracelet and it catches, then it’s broken. If you catch this, it just stretches.”
Elastic Diamond is now part of RJ Scanlan’s growing list of European brands that include Danish company Trollbeads, German brand Teno and Turkish-based Dora.
New Dora offering
The supplier also launched a new stand-alone Dora men’s ring display unit at the Melbourne jewellery fair.
“We had previously been merchandising Dora on traditional stands that hold 50 rings but we thought we would do something a little more spectacular and a bit more consumer friendly,” Scanlan explained.
Described as a “touch and feel workstation”, the unit is packaged with 150 rings that are positioned (threaded) around a locked cylinder display piece, enabling customers to touch the items.
“Blokes are a little bit hesitant coming into jewellery shops and so if they can just sort of quietly sneak in and have a little play, it makes sense.”
Scanlan said he received positive responses from fair visitors, with many existing customers wanting to upgrade to the new display cabinet as well as signing some new deals.
RJ Scanlan was appointed Australian distributer for Dora rings in 2000. It is the company’s best selling brand.