May 08, 2019

X NIHILO x Nina's $1,000 prizes GIVEAWAY

We love to explore and hear stories of people behind businesses.

Please introduce yourself and your role at Nina’s?

My name is Rhianna Herring, and I'm the Operator of our Dunsborough store, and the head Dunsborough GIA certified Diamond and Design Specialist. I've been with the company near on 5 years now. I specialise in design - not just creating new pieces but re-designing old pieces too. We can re-model your precious heirloom jewellery into something brand new! Whatever it is that our clients are dreaming of, we can make that dream into a reality.

What is your favourite piece of jewellery from Nina’s and why?

Diamond studs - without question. They are just such an effortless every day luxury, and always a perfect gift, either for yourself or another. Whether you're 21 or 71, every woman needs a pair of diamond studs.

Tell us a little bit of Nina’s history.

Nina's was started in 1966 in Kununurra, in the north west of Australia. Its original founders, the Withers family, wanted to be close to the truly exceptional stones that were being found there. Now, over 50 years later, we are the premier Argyle diamond jeweller, and Australia's coloured diamond specialists, sourcing exceptional coloured and white diamonds and creating designs to celebrate them. All of our diamonds are 100% natural and conflict free, taking millions of years to form and find.This means that no two of our pieces are ever exactly the same.

Nina’s specialises in Argyle Pink Diamonds, what makes them special?

Pink diamonds are exceptionally rare. For every tonne of diamonds found, only a champagne glass full of them are pink. The Argyle Diamond Mine produces over 90% of the pink diamonds in the world, and its supply is now coming to an end, with the mine set to close next year. This means that they are about to get even harder to come by. We work with our customers to source these rarest of stones, and create bespoke designs to suit taste, budget and style.

At Nina’s, you can also design your own unique piece of jewellery. What is the process and how long does it take? (Let’s say an engagement ring).

Our Diamond and Design Specialists can do everything from adjust an existing piece to sourcing a diamond and creating your dream ring from scratch. We use innovative CAD programs to produce sketches and renders of the finished product, so you know exactly what your end result will be. From there, our Master Jewellers in our Western Australian work shop take over, bringing your custom design to life. To create a ring from scratch, including sourcing a diamond generally takes around six weeks, but they are well worth the wait. Of course, if you are in a hurry, we carry a range of ready made items for you to choose from too, including the ability to custom design your choice of solitaire, which can be ready in as little as 2 hours.

We are loving the simplicity of the new signature collection. Can you tell us more about the inspiration for this collection?

We wanted to celebrate individuality. As all of our diamonds are completely natural, no two are ever the same. Just like our customers! So this parallel between textile and individual was too perfect not to commemorate. From here we added the monogram - your initial, to make each necklace bespoke to the one it is intended for. What better way to show your unique sparkle than by signing your name with a diamond?!

At X NIHILO, we call our customers the “X Women”, who we share the same values and design aesthetics. Conscious of their purchase decision and with a mind of their own. Can you please tell us a bit more about your customers and their values?

The Nina's customer has the experience to appreciate quality, and an eye for detail. Whether celebrating themselves or another, they know that their style, budget and values will all be considered, and if we don't have it, we will work with them to create it, so they always finds exactly what they are looking for. They appreciate unique design, and know that when they purchase from Nina's, they are making an ethical choice, investing in a natural stone that took millions of years to form, creating a one of a kind treasure to be cherished for generations to come.