When international jewellery manufacturer and retailer Diamonds International (DI) turned their attention to Jamaica to establish its first store on the island in 2011, it started the operation with a staff of 10 people at the newly opened cruise ship port in Falmouth. Today, DI has two stores in Jamaica, having expanded to the port of Ocho Rios in 2012, with a staff of 40 spanning both locations.

“When we started in Falmouth we were a team of 10 people in 10,000 square feet of space,” recalls Sangeeta Sharma, general manager of DI in Jamaica. “The team consisted of an English couple, an Israeli couple and the rest of us Jamaicans and we were basically sweeping, mopping, putting out jewellery, doing sales, everything ourselves with a small team. And from there we grew pre-COVID to a team of 65 people [across both locations]. We started from 10 and we ended up at 65.”

But the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forced the team to downsize to a core group of 15-18 individuals. As cruise operations resumed, they rehired old staff and recruited new members rebuilding to a complement of 40 people, with only one expatriate – a Mexican jeweller.

“Right now we are expanding onto the cruise ships also,” Sharma revealed. “So we are opening stores on the cruise ship now.”

The emphasis in Jamaica has always been on employing Jamaican talent.

The jobs at DI in Jamaica cover a range of roles, with a significant focus on sales positions due to the need for a strong sales force on the floor. Beyond sales, there are positions in the back office, including accountants and human resources.

“All my managers are ladies,” the general manager disclosed. “I have a team of seven to eight managers who monitor the floor and make the sales. All my closers are all ladies.”

This notable gender distribution within management extends to the rest of the company with a majority of positions held by women. Out of the total team of 40 people, only about five are men.

“It turned out this way because first of all, not a lot of men apply for the sales job,” Sharma explained. “If I have 10 applications, nine are women and there’s one guy applying. None of [the men] really show the zest or the zeal to work in sales or the capability. Also, somehow women connect better when it comes to sales and sales techniques and they seem more passionate about jewellery and sales than the men.”

The two duty-free stores which showcase designer diamond and gemstone jewellery and cater to cruise ship guests also allow access to tourists from hotels. The Ocho Rios store is open to these tourists, but for the Falmouth store, located in an enclosed port, permission needs to be obtained from the port to facilitate visits from hotel guests.

While the market for non-cruise ship customers is smaller, it remains significant, especially during peak months like December and January.

Jamaican shoppers are unable to access the stores because the company’s in-bond licence dictates that goods purchased cannot remain in the country for local customers.

This does not stop DI from contributing to the economy, however. Apart from the local jobs it has facilitated, the company has been actively involved in the community in and around Falmouth throughout its 14-year presence in Jamaica.

“Because we are based in Falmouth, mostly what we try to do is work with the Falmouth hospital, the Falmouth infirmary, the schools in Falmouth,” Sharma said. “We try to give back to the community as much as we can because 60 to 70 per cent of my staff are from Falmouth and they go to these schools and we are accessing the hospital. So we try to give back to the town of Falmouth as much as we can.”

The company has actively contributed to the Falmouth community through initiatives such as charity drives. These efforts include purchasing fans for local schools, providing supplies to the Falmouth hospital, and participating in the clean-up and improvement of schools. Regular activities also involve beach clean-ups and collaborations with institutions like the Granville Girls’ Home in Trelawny.

Sharma highlighted that the employment of individuals from the local community is not just notable for the number of people hired but for the quality of the jobs which facilitate the career development of DI’s employees.

The general manager disclosed that staff who have moved on from the company have ventured to work as far away as Alaska or on cruise ships.

“Because they are so good and the training that they receive is so good, they are able to adapt anywhere,” she said. “We provide all kinds of training. The training that we give is very intensive and thorough. So our employees are taught everything about jewellery, about watches, about diamonds, about sales techniques. Once they are trained from Diamonds International, they are able to work in any jewellery store in the world with a knowledge that is so thorough.”

Sharma, herself, started with DI as a sales associate in August 2011. Within a month, by the end of September, she was promoted to the position of store manager. Several years later, she further advanced to the role of general manager.

While the COVID-19 global health crisis significantly impacted the company’s business which didn’t see it return to its highest levels of staffing pre-pandemic, Sharma affirms that DI remains committed to Jamaica. The process of rebuilding the team and adapting to changing circumstances is an ongoing effort.

“Most definitely the intention is to carry on,” she declared. “And I have told all my staff that when you come to Diamonds International I want you to take pride. You are working with the biggest retailer, not one of the biggest retailers, but the biggest retailer in the Caribbean. The opportunities that you will get once you work over here and learn the craft and go through the training can take you all over the world.”

DI works closely with the diamond trading company De Beers to adhere to strict rules and regulations. The company educates its staff on various aspects of the diamond industry, including the avoidance of conflict diamonds. The organisation is committed to dealing exclusively with conflict-free diamonds and they educate their staff on ethical practices.

DI’s extensive presence reaches far beyond Jamaica and the major cruise ports of the Caribbean. As a major player in the fine jewellery industry it has over 125 locations in the USA, Caribbean and Mexico supported by more than 2,000 employees.