Leon Raper

I am a highly experienced and trade-qualified Diamond and Gem Setter, with over 30 years in the jewellery industry. My career began in South Africa, where I completed a formal apprenticeship and gained valuable hands-on experience working with one of the country's leading setting firms. I later ran my own successful setting business before emigrating to Australia in 2002.

In Australia, I have worked in various roles across both retail sales and bench work, combining technical expertise with customer-facing skills. I’ve held key roles at well-known companies such as Gregory Jewellers, Elizabeth Fine Jewellery, Van Berken and Australian Diamond Company, and played an integral role in new store openings and high-end jewellery sales.

After years in management and senior sales roles, I returned to the bench to focus on what I love most — working directly with fine jewellery and diamonds. I’ve also enhanced my design credentials with an Advanced Diploma in Jewellery and Object Design from Melbourne Polytechnic. I am currently self-employed and open to full-time or part-time opportunities with a reputable, quality-focused jewellery business.

Australian Baseball

• Excellent work habits with attention to details
• Ability to negotiate and listen to the needs of others
• Problem solving and decision making skills
• Ability to maintain records and filing systems
• Proven sales ability with excellent marketing and promotional skills
• Resourceful and commercially aware
• Managing client base and accounts
• A mix of sales and customer service
• Account management
• Seeing new and existing clients on sales calls
• Liaising with local suppliers
• Liaise with agents and offices for order management
• Preparing and completing quotations

Coach, Winston Hills Baseball Club, 2008

• George Bakoulas, Owner / Director, Australian Diamond Company, +61 438 804 388
• Peter Bakoulas, Owner / Director, Australian Diamond Company, +61 410 273 038
• Dennis Grambas, Ex Manager, Van Berken Crown, +61 411 551 895

• Well presented, confident person.
• Open minded, approachable and helpful
• High level of creativity and innovation
• Ability to work in a demanding situation
• Practical 'hands on' approach
• Able to operate independently and in a team environment
• High work ethics and professional approach to all obligations and commitments
• Ability to assess situation and implement appropriate measurements
• Able to go outside standard procedure to solve a problem
• Ability to instill confidence with my clients

I am a trade-qualified Diamond and Gem Setter with a strong foundation in the jewellery industry. My journey began as an apprentice jeweller, and after a year, I was offered an apprenticeship with a large, reputable diamond setting firm. I successfully completed my qualification three years later and spent several years working as a self-employed setter in South Africa. In 2002, I emigrated to Australia and explored various ventures. I later managed to secure a position as a Senior Sales Consultant with Gregory Jewellers, a large Sydney-based jewellery company. A few years later, the company opened its first Melbourne store and offered me a transfer. This opportunity brought me to Melbourne, where I settled and began to explore new professional opportunities. Despite my success in sales, I missed working directly on the bench. I sought a role that would allow me to combine both bench work and sales responsibilities. This led me to Elizabeth Fine Jewellers, a small retail company, where I worked as both the Store Manager and a part-time Gem Setter. Unfortunately, the company was forced into voluntary administration after 30 years of trading. However, one of the directors subsequently launched a new business at Crown Casino, called Van Bercken, where I continued to work part-time while studying for an Advanced Diploma in Jewellery and Design at Melbourne Polytechnic. In time, I was offered a full-time position as a Jeweller/Diamond Setter with the Australian Diamond Company, where I worked for over six years. I left the company in 03/2023 and have been self-employed since then.