11/13/2023 0 Comments Pink gems wallpaper![]() A few years later, I felt ready to join the family business. That was the beginning of my wholesale business. I got orders from all over the country, so I bought my self some jewellery rolls and a bag to take them travelling and spent the next few years wholesaling around Australia, selling my jewels. I spent a few weeks making these beautiful jewels and we had queues of people wanting to buy my necklaces. My gemstone supplier asked if I could help her selling her gems at a trade fair and I made a deal with her that I’ll happily work for free on the condition I get to use half of her display for my own jewellery. They placed orders, I took deposits, and I went back to my supplier to buy more stones. I looked up to see a group of excited women surrounding me wanting to purchase some for themselves. I didn’t have any money to buy jewellery rolls to wrap the necklaces in, so I cut up my leather pants, wrapped the jewels inside and carried them down to the nearest café to value while I had my morning coffee. ![]() I then spent days at my dinner table, surrounded by these beautiful gems, with the sunlight streaming in, listening to music, creating necklaces. I took a 50% deposit, made them their necklaces and with the profits, bought extra crystals and pearls. I was stopped on the street by two women who admired it and asked me to make them one each. I cut up the strand of pearls and rose quartz and made myself a necklace to wear for a little self-love. I found a strand of small Keshi pearls of my late mother’s and I bought myself a $25 strand of rose quartz. It was a difficult time for me, my partner was sick and my business was closed. I drove around from restaurant to restaurant trying to sell the pot plants. I had painted these massive pot plants we had in the courtyard of the café in order to make some money. I closed the café in around 2003 with absolutely no money, not knowing what my next steps were. I was discouraged from joining because my father believed there were many other jobs I could have that would be far more fruitful. There was never any pressure to join the family business, in fact, the opposite was true. Looking back, my father had subtly dangled a carrot that was to eventually inspire many competition entries. I spent a few evenings sketching it, sent it off to the US and much to my surprise, we won an award for it. While working there, my father asked me to design a piece of jewellery for him to enter the De Beers Millennium Competition. I used to work part time in the boutique in the QVB from the age of 17 and studied and worked in advertising both locally and overseas. I was always creative and happiest in a creative environment. ![]() Given your family background, were you always destined to create jewellery?įor many years, I tried to steer clear of it, but considering the profound passion I have for jewellery and the immense joy I get from doing what I do, then I’d probably say yes, it was always meant to be. Here, on the 30th anniversary of Mondial’s flagship Queen Victoria Building store, she shares the story behind the Australian business and its association with the Argyle pink diamond mines that it built its reputation on. Nadia Neuman continues the legacy her parents Fred and Maria started back in the 1960s at Mondial, striking out on her own as creative director of Mondial by Nadia.
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