The GoldDust Podcast: The Business of Jewellery
Episode 5: Laura Vann on Growing a Demi-Fine Jewellery Brand Without Paid Advertising
Demi-fine is one of the hardest corners of the jewellery industry to make money in. Margins are tight, everyone is competing for the same customer, and you have to sell real volume without your brand turning into something anyone could have made.
Laura Vann has spent the last decade doing exactly that. Her pieces are stocked in Liberty, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Fortnum & Mason, and she got there without pouring money into Meta and Google ads.
In this episode we talk about how she turned a family wholesale jewellery business into a consumer brand, why she thinks signature design is the best protection you’ve got, and how she moved into bespoke engagement rings and fine jewellery without losing what people recognise her for.
What we cover in this episode:
Why building a profitable demi-fine brand is so hard
Designing jewellery that’s difficult to copy
Developing a signature style customers recognise straight away
Why Laura stopped using Meta and Google advertising
Replacing paid ads with events, collaborations and real relationships
Growing from wholesale into Liberty, Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason
Moving from demi-fine into bespoke engagement rings and fine jewellery
Why the best opportunities come from being in the right rooms
Episode Summary
From a family wholesale business to her own brand
Laura didn’t start from a blank page. She took a family wholesale jewellery business and turned it into a consumer brand with its own identity.
Why demi-fine is so tough
In demi-fine, the margins don’t leave much room for error and the market is crowded with near-identical pieces. Laura’s view is that the best defence is design people can’t easily copy.
Walking away from paid advertising
Most demi-fine brands grow by spending more on Meta and Google every year. Laura went the other way and put that energy into events, collaborations and relationships instead, and those are still bringing people to the brand now.
Getting into Liberty, Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason
Laura’s stockists include Liberty, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Fortnum & Mason. A lot of what she says about getting there comes back to putting yourself in the right rooms.
Moving into bespoke and fine
Laura now makes bespoke engagement rings and fine jewellery as well, which is a big step from selling demi-fine in volume, and the brand still looks like hers across both.
And finally, Laura shares her gold dust advice for new independent jewellers starting out in 2026
About Laura Vann
Laura Vann is a British jewellery designer and founder of one of the UK’s best-known independent demi-fine brands, stocked by Liberty, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Fortnum & Mason. Known for distinctive signature designs, she has grown the brand over more than a decade through collaborations, events and relationships rather than paid advertising, and now also makes bespoke engagement rings and fine jewellery.
Useful links:
Website: lauravann.com
Instagram: @lauravannjewellery