Our History, Our Heritage
1972 was an exciting year for Caloundra. Battered by three Cyclones Daisy, Wendy, and Emily resulting in widespread flooding and damage to houses along the newly named “Sunshine Coast.” Premier Joh Bejelke Petersen officially opened the Caloundra airstrip and two young jewellers moved their young families from Brisbane to the seaside village where they had enjoyed their weekends.
On the 10th of October 1972, two visionary jewellers, Robert (Bob) Clark and Lester Smiley, embarked on a journey of innovation and craftsmanship. They set up a small jewellery workshop in available office space in the Sunstate Building Society block in Bulcock Street, Caloundra, becoming the first jewellers to open in Caloundra where the population then was 6,150.
When asked where to get jewellery repairs or unique custom-made pieces done, locals would always direct people to go “upstairs at Sunstate,” referring to B & L Jewellers location. Eventually, the easygoing duo just adopted the name Sunstate Jewellers, and in 1975, they opened a new retail store, “Carat Gold”, located on the corner of Ontario and Bulcock Street. The large retail store featured rings, earrings, necklaces, watches, clocks, crystal and flatware. It was Caloundra’s first jewellery store.
Their growing success meant more manufacturing space was needed. An affordable Besser block house in Moffat Beach was purchased. Because this location was ‘way out of town’ and basic, it was priced at $12,000. The house was surrounded by large, uncleared blocks of scrub which was home to large mobs of kangaroos and flocks of noisy yellow-tailed black cockatoos which feasted on the many native casuarinas, banksia and acacias growing wild. The roads in Moffat Beach were all unsealed.The nondescript house was stripped to a hollow shell, bars welded onto the windows, and the newly minted factory filled with an array of jewellers’ tools and machinery.
The site of the original house is right here, where you are reading this. By 1980, the retail store was sold to concentrate on an ever increasing wholesale market, which serviced independent retail outlets throughout Australia and New Zealand. Sunstate solely concentrated on manufacturing diamond & coloured stone rings.
The business had grown so much that first-year apprentices were relegated to working out under the verandah. A new, purpose-built modern factory was soon constructed behind the Besser brick house. The original building was renovated to handle administration work, dispatching finished goods while selling factory direct to “in the know” locals. Innovation and creativity are crucial to success and Sunstate Jewellers was a hive of activity. With over 30 skilled jewellers working in the same space, there were many developments and advances in manufacturing precious jewellery. Many of these developments revolutionised the industry and were to become ‘standard practice’.
In 1990 the tradition of finding creative solutions to businesschallenges following ‘the recession we had to have’ paid off. Sunstate created Australia’s first brand named, consignment stock of jewellery, The Australian Heritage Collection®. Proudly displaying the green & gold Made in Australia kangaroo logo. This innovation provided small independent retail outlets with branded, displayed jewellery supported with point-of-sale displays, including packaging, guarantee cards, posters, and catalogues delivered to millions of households across Australia.
Before 1990 jewellery was not advertised in catalogues or direct marketing and rings weren’t displayed in trays or pads. This approach has become ‘industry standard’ due to the original innovations of Sunstate Jewellers.
Several other brands were developed to service the increased demand from retail jewellers throughout Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. These include Elegance...® Classic Gold® Oplulence® Heritage Collection® and Unique To You®
These brands have sold over 7.5 million individual units, and Sunstate Jewellers continues to evolve them, namely moving to more bespoke, small-batch models which are more suited to current trends.In 2000 the massive success of the various jewellery consignment ranges, along with the millions of catalogues being printed locally and delivered directly to householders throughout Australia, along with the supporting in-store marketing materials, expansion was again on the cards. Another extension was added to the 1980 building, now expanding onto the corner block, which had previously been used for many lunchtime cricket and volleyball matches. Eventually, the original little house was demolished and replaced with a car park.
The remaining tea tree standing in the front car park is all that remains. This expansion coincided with another significant transition - the retirement of the original directors, Bob Clark and Lester Smiley and Rob Clark (Bob’s Son) and Rita Williams (Lester’s Daughter) becoming managing directors after working within the business since the early 1990s. In the early noughties, Sunstate Jewellers became the first adopters of Computer-Aided Design, incorporating the use of 3D printing as we could envision the massive potential in personalisation and design flexibility.
In 2009, Rita Williams became the sole director and made the environmentally conscious decision for Sunstate Jewellers to source all precious metals from refined and recycled sources. Recycling and refining existing metals has significantly less damaging environmental impact than mining raw materials, yet it doesn’t compromise the quality of the finished product. This was an industry leading step, which reflects how Sunstate Jewellers continue to be early adopters of market changing innovations.
As proud members of the esteemed Gold and Silversmiths Guild of Australia, Sunstate Jewellers are committed to crafting jewellery of the highest quality. Our highly skilled Artisans adhere to the most exacting quality standards, ensuring that our materials are ethically sourced and our craftsmanship is unparalleled. This level of craft expertise and superior quality of materials is what sets us apart, meeting the exacting requirements of membership to this Guild. Only 1% of all manufacturing jewellers in Australia meet theses strigent requirement.
While there have been many changes and significant challenges in over 50 years of trading, Sunstate Jewellers has always remained steadfast in its commitment to the craft. Adapting to the evolving needs of the industry, we continue to both innovate and create, ensuring our products are always at the forefront of design and quality, instilling confidence in our customers.
Supporting the community we live in has always been a core value for Sunstate Jewellers. From sponsoring local events to participating in community initiatives, we strive to make a positive impact in the place we call home, fostering a sense of connection and pride in our customers.
Thank you for your support. We are proud to have decades of trust from Sunshine Coast locals like you, and we are committed to continue to commit to ethical and environmentally-aware manufacturing.