A silver lining with Simon Thwaites

Every cloud has a silver lining, so they say, and for Simon it was an opportunity to turn silver into gold yet again by reinvesting in the jewellery business  he originally started.

A familiar face to those who know the brand from days long past, Simon is resurrecting it, starting on home ground in Christchurch. Having sold his jewellery chain to an Auckland-based company in 2017, he bought it back this year after it went into liquidation. Despite having been out of the jewellery business for almost seven years, he says his strong connection to the brand pushed him to see it return. “I have missed it. I was saddened to hear that the business had gone into liquidation, so I reached out to some of my former staff and suppliers to gauge their interest in a relaunch. They were all excited, and we quickly took the plunge,” he says.

The relaunch began on 21 August this year with a new store at Christchurch’s Riverside Market. A second store is opening in the brand’s former space at the Hub Hornby shopping mall in early November, with a third also tipped for the city before Christmas.

Simon says that retail has changed dramatically in the past decade, and while he will have physical stores, his focus will be on delivering a world class website for customers. “Our goal is to offer a retail space, either physically or online where customers can choose from the widest possible selection of both branded jewellery and our own individually chosen pieces, at the best prices,” he says.

He’s come a long way from his early entrepreneurial days running stalls at the Camden Market in London. Like many Kiwis, Simon headed to Britain after he left university with a degree in journalism. Working in banks, he became bored after a few months, deciding he’d made a bad career choice.

“I accepted an offer to play rugby in America,” he reminisces. While there, he worked on a market stall, eventually taking the idea back to Camden in the 1990s, and that became the nucleus for Silvermoon. His father’s cancer diagnosis in 2000 brought Simon home to Dunedin, where he and a friend set up the first Silvermoon kiosk. “At that stage, we didn’t stock any specific brands, but the kiosk idea proved successful.” The subsequent death of his father prompted a move to Christchurch, with Simon taking over Silvermoon and going it alone. Silvermoon expanded to become a nationwide chain of kiosks and stores.

In 2007, the market changed with several new companies entering it, selling cheap costume jewellery for $5 a piece. Simon moved the company model away from this end of the market. The move proved successful, with 13 stores across New Zealand, catering for locals and tourists, eventually allowing Simon to retire at 49. “I enjoyed playing golf, and surfing (and still do), but I missed the jewellery industry,” he confesses. “It’s fast-paced. You have to be up with what is popular and in demand.”

Simon owns a commercial property business, with premises in Auckland, Christchurch and Wanaka, but Silvermoon is his focus. He regularly travels to gift and jewellery fairs to acquire the latest products and ensure he is keeping up with market trends.

What’s big? Currently, layered necklaces, he says, along with both chunky men’s and women’s rings, and petite women’s rings. “New Zealand is in a cost-of-living crisis and a recession, so people have less to spend. There has been a move back to our core products – affordable sterling silver; good quality jewellery, mainly sterling silver and watches that customers have come to trust over 24 years.”

Part of the difference is Silvermoon’s large selection, which includes brands such as Karen Walker, Stolen Girlfriends Club, Meadowlark, Boh Runga, Kirstin Ash, and Evolve. The company also has its own brands, including LUXE (a gold and diamond range), Argento, and Louis Thompson Man, named after Simon’s son, now a 15-year-old helping in the business. As for Simon’s own “bling”, he admits to owning a couple of watches, and a nice shark tooth-shaped, bespoke piece of greenstone carved by coaster Bevan Climo. On a sterling silver chain, maybe?

SIMON SAYS: INVEST IN THESE

1. Boh Runga Feather Kisses collection. They have been around for quite some time, but their popularity endures. Boh’s a very talented person. I have been lucky enough to meet her a couple of times and she loves her Kiwi themes, and the Feather Kisses range hits the spot with our customers.
2. Karen Walker, Runaway Girl collection. This is the gift that just keeps on giving. Karen is aware of the popularity and she continues to expand on this collection, with new twists on the same theme.
3. Any ring from the Stolen Girlfriends Club collection. I’ve known the lads from Stolen for quite some time and they keep pushing the boundaries with their edgy jewellery. Their rings are a must for most jewellery collectors.