Anna Dimond, Palas Jewellery Founder

The Palas story started in 1996 when two sisters, Anna Dimond and Eran Svigos, both in their early 20’s, spotted a gap in the retail market for unique jewellery.

When her sister Eran passed suddenly in 2007, Anna considered packing up the business but, knowing that she owed it to Eran to keep her memory alive she found the courage and the strength to continue.

Over the past few years Anna has reinvented the collection, allowing her spiritual influences to shine through in the designs – they are filled with light and love and feature positive words of friendship, affection and protection.

Today the collection comprises a portfolio of some 2000 unique and beautiful creations – all hand-crafted in Indonesia, by traditional Indonesian artisans drawing on centuries of jewellery making in solid sterling silver, solid brass and bronze.

Anna is constantly travelling, for business and pleasure and here she shares the two most recently visited destinations that really “blew her mind.”

First up is Qualia, situated on Hamilton Island just off the Queensland coast where her husband arranged a surprise gift for her birthday. “It was amazing! I spend a lot of time in Asia for my business and hadn't explored Australia's islands at all.  Qualia, on beautiful Hamilton Island, had the most exclusive and understated luxury of anywhere I have ever stayed.

‘From a glass of Veuve on arrival, right through to the most amazing food options in various locations throughout the resort, It really made me fall in love with Australia all over again!”

“It is well worth it for the most romantic getaway you will ever have. The location is incredible and you can spend your day in your private horizon edge pool overlooking the Coral Sea and uninhabited islands.  You really do feel like you are the only ones there! The golf buggy supplied is sensational fun too. You use that throughout the resort and across the whole island so getting around is easy.”

Anna’s second favouite recent vacation was to New York.  “One of my best girlfriends lives in London and every year or two we meet up somewhere in the world to be together. We both work full time and have very full schedules so this is a chance for us to spoil ourselves and switch off for a week. Last November we met in New York. 

“The Qantas business class flight was the perfect start and end to  the 7 days in NY; it was also one of the favourite parts of my trip!  It was like Christmas every morning for us there.”

“There is something about that city, it is so electrifying and sleeping just seems to get in the way,” she mentions between telling us that “this is certainly a place you need to visit with plenty of cash.”

Anna’s top NY places to eat include Buddakan, Tao, Bocueria on Spring Street, Mailino (for breakfast), Rosa Mexicano on 18th Street, Momofuko, Balthazar in Soho (for lunch) and Mercer Kitchen, also in Soho. 

She loves to shop and apart from the usual suspects of Macys, Bloomingdales, Barney's, Saks, Henri Bendel and Bergdorf Goodman she enjoys the West village area of Brooklyn and the meat packing district.

Anna always has travel for pleasure in the pipeline. “It is such a wonderful experience in life and amongst the work travel I always make sure I lock in several trips per year with my family, husband, girlfriends, It fills me with excitement, inspiration and re-charges me in every way.”

Here is a personal travel tip from Anna…

Pack lightly, don't drag unnecessary suitcases around, unless they are new ones of course bought to fill up with new purchases!  And, If you have ever wondered if business class on a long haul flight was really worth the extra cost then Anna can assure you it most certainly is for those solo or couples trips.

The Palas jewellery range is available through a network of more than 600 jewellery, lifestyle and fashion stores across Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United Kingdom.  Costing between AUS $26-$44 they are not only good value but also very beautiful in quality and sentiment.

 

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