In conversation with: Valery Demure

Valery Demure gives her precious tips about winning strategy in jewelry


  • Ms. Valery Demure

    Ms. Valery Demure

Valery Demure has over a decade of experience in the field of jewelry sales. Her eponymous agency offers a wide range of bespoke services providing an all-encompassing creative, communication, marketing and sales service. Here she talks about the winning strategies for contemporary jewelry designers.

What is your main strategy today behind the agency to support jewelry designers?
I think increasingly designers need to have global business strategy (product, product deployment, marketing, social media, events, collaborations , distribution, sales channels) and we need to work creatively with their budget. We try and assess our brands’ strengths and weaknesses, we keep ourselves up to date with the market and its shifts etc. More and more designers need to be present on all fronts, we are here for advice, feedback, guidance when it comes to wearability, pricing, positioning, raising brand awareness etc... 

Online shop, press service ND, wholesale showroom. How is it fundamental in the today's jewelry market to widen the offer? Can sales ‘survive' without a PR service or vice versa?
Sales and marketing/PR always go hand in hand. There is a vicious circle, often a store will not select a brand because the brand has built too little awareness and a serious press office will not take a brand who does not have a point of sale in the territory. PR is not everything, many designers think that by paying a high PR fee, this is it… They need to work closely with their press office and their showroom, they need to engage in a discussion, they can not just design in a faraway workshop.

Do you think the seasonal aspect worths even for fine jewelry? What do you suggest to your designers in order to respect your calendar, regarding the product offer?
Fine jewelers should not just work towards Fashion Week. They need to think Mother’s day, they need to think Holiday/Christmas… At least one new collection every year with additional designs during the year to keep the excitement about the brand.

What does a buyer look for? Do they look for the brand, or even unbranded jewels? Where do they mainly come from?
We have buyers from all over the world, they always look for newness but also for originality, a real genuine signature, a product that is well crafted and well priced. Price point has become very essential, a nice product that is overpriced will not sell, a niche brand with little visibility has to be very careful with its pricing structure, it is easier for Celine to sell a brass cuff with a bow for 300£ than for a small unknown brand.


  • Valery Demure Showroom in London

    Valery Demure Showroom in London

  • Jewels at Valery Demure Showroom in London

    Jewels at Valery Demure Showroom in London

  • Jewels at Valery Demure Showroom in London

    Jewels at Valery Demure Showroom in London

  • Jewels at Valery Demure Showroom in London

    Jewels at Valery Demure Showroom in London

Multibrand stores, dep stores, online platform?
Clearly online seems to be doing well but the competition is rife. Department stores are struggling, they have lost touch with the client, the customer service has gone down. I find that we have great small boutiques more and more, they really engage with their client, they know their clientele, they offer a more personable customer service, they also make an effort to curate, to present a point of view. Stores like Whitebird, August, Twist, Browns.

What is the average spending for a buyer?
In fine jewelry, 10-15K and in costume jewelry 5-7K.

You have recently opened a NY studio too. Is there any differences between the US market and the European one? Do you bring the same designers? What do the American buyers look for?
The US market is so huge, so varied, you may not sell in L.A. what you sell in NY. It is savvy and super educated when it comes to jewelry, may not be as forward or edgy as the European market but definitely very savvy. The market is definitely stronger for most commercial jewelry (Jennifer Meyer, Sidney Evan, Anita Ko) but you can find some great niche brands too (Monique Pean, Cathy Waterman, Jill Platner, Judy Geib). It is a market that really appreciates fine jewelry. American buyers look for great craftsmanship, they love stones, they are quite sensitive, branding is not so important to them, they also like genuine stories with designers. Trunk-shows, meeting the designer is a big deal in the US. In the US you have a huge consignment business, trunk-shows, it is a very dynamic and competitive business and designers really need major investment in time and finances to succeed there.

What does a buyer ask for now in fine jewelry?
A point of view and adequate pricing. The market is so saturated, they look for genuine signatures, for true originality combined with impeccable craftsmanship. Buyers are quite cautious right now. You need to grab their attention, they see so much product.

Any new name you are working with? I saw you have three Italians, Delfina, Francesca Villa and Vodoo Jewels. Three different styles and designs. What would you suggest to young Italian designers to keep the pace with the market?
Very excited to be working with Francesca Villa, she has a great story to tell. Love how Delfina has contributed to changing how we perceive fashion fine jewelry in such a playful way. She is super talented and definitely has her own vision, it must be challenging for her brand to stay relevant and exciting, she has placed the bar rather high. Developing a distinct signature is the most difficult task for a designer, and we know it is not just about design, it is also about craft, about business and not forgetting marketing, you can have a great product if nobody knows about it, what’s the point? A jewelry designer must be business minded or have a business partner who is taking care of the finances, I would also add, it is important to build a strong team, this can make a huge difference.

  • Earrings by Francesca Villa

    Earrings by Francesca Villa

  • Earrings by Delfina Delettrez

    Earrings by Delfina Delettrez

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