Historical information

Historical information
Sarah Coventry Pty. Ltd. was a North American jewellery company that was established in 1949 by the Stuart family as part of Emmons Jewelry, Inc. It began operations in England and Australia in 1968, and in Australia it moved from Carlton in Melbourne to Wodonga in 1969. The premises were originally on High St. in Wodonga, but a new warehouse was built in Melbourne Rd. later in 1969.

It was a direct selling jewellery business using a party-plan model similar to Tupperware and Avon. The sales reps or 'Hostesses' were provided with jewellery samples in demonstration kits, which they displayed at jewellery parties in their homes. The designs for jewellery such as brooches, necklaces, earrings, chokers and bracelets were purchased from freelance designers and jewellery manufacturers rather than in-house designers.

In 1979 Sarah Coventry Pty. Ltd. in Wodonga was bought by three Australian businessmen, including Wodonga local Jim Sawyer, and continued to sell jewellery under the name "Sar*gem Pty. Ltd”, for several more years in the 1980s, along with a new range of fashion jewellery, Affinity. This catalogue was produced by Sar*gem Pty Ltd in 1982

Significance

As part of the Sarah Coventry collection, the catalogue has local significance connected to the decentralised commercial development of regional centres such as Wodonga in NE Victoria, as well as national and international significance from the perspective of social and economic developments for women after World War II. The direct selling party-plan business model Sarah Coventry was based on is also considered the first of its kind for jewellery.

Physical description

A coloured catalogue promoting the Affinity Jewellery line released in 1982. The back cover features a fundraising campaign for the Guide Dog Association. Business contact details on the back cover use the company name "Sar*Gem Pty Ltd", Hume Highway Wodonga.