Fred Neuman, who founded Mondial Pink Diamond Atelier and has been a member of the Jewellers Association of Australia (JAA) for more than 20 years, was presented with the award during the 2014 JAA Australasian Jewellery Awards, held in Sydney on Monday 1 September.
The accolade acknowledges an individual’s significant contributions to the advancement and improvement of the jewellery industry and has been described as the “highest honour” that the JAA will bestow on one of its members.
During the ceremony, Neuman’s son Michael commented on his behalf: “As a family we’re so proud of Fred. It’s fantastic that he has been recognised in this way because he truly deserves it and is a very humble man who would never ask for anything like this.”
Impact on the industry
Neuman opened his first jewellery store – Carina Jewellers – in Kings Cross, Sydney, in 1961. Over the subsequent two decades, the store was said to have become a landmark for those seeking unique jewellery pieces, with clientele including celebrities such as Sir Elton John.
He began importing and distributing jewellery and gemstones in the late 1970s, establishing ties with the Western Australian Argyle Diamond Mine and becoming renowned as a pink coloured diamond specialist.
Neuman opened Mondial: Pink Diamond Gallery in 1993 in Sydney, which now operates under the name Mondial Pink Diamond Atelier. This store is currently co-managed by Neuman’s son, Michael, while his daughter, Nadia, manages Mondial by Nadia Neuman.
The introduction of the JAA Lifetime Achievement Award was announced earlier this year and, according JAA president Selwyn Brandt, the association was “overwhelmed with the support of this new initiative”.
The award will be presented biennially to coincide with the JAA Australasian Jewellery Awards, with the next winner set to be named in 2016.
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