Sally Morrison, former Forevermark and DeBeers spokesperson, will join the World Gold Council as the newly appointed director of jewelry, public relations. Morrison, who will be based in New York City, will report directly to David Lamb, WGC’s managing director of jewelry, headquartered in London.

Morrison will drive the World Gold Council’s vision and priorities for public relations activity within the U.S. jewelry market, including showcasing gold as a highly desirable and inspirational metal through bridal, fashion, and lifestyle campaigns. “I have always been interested in gold—in its heritage, its symbolic associations, and the historic idea of it as the focus of a heroic quest,” Morrison tells JCK. “In today’s world, its value has never been stronger and so I jumped at the chance.”

With 25 years of industry experience, Morrison’s domestic and international understanding of the jewelry consumer made her a natural fit for the position. She was most recently the chief marketing officer of Forevermark, where she developed and implemented the strategic communications plan to launch Forevermark US, De Beers’ first wholly owned U.S. subsidiary. In her previous role as acting director-in-charge and senior vice president at New York City–based JWT, Morrison planned and directed annual communications and public relations campaigns in support of the U.S. diamond industry. She also lead an education campaign aimed at addressing the role of diamonds in Africa.

The leap from stones to metal offers Morrison a chance to learn about and grow alongside a booming industry. “My first priority is to listen and learn—about the industry, about the goldsmiths working today, and about designers that specialize in gold,” she says. “I have looked at diamonds for a long time, so now I have to develop another kind of tunnel vision and learn about a whole new world.”

According to Morrison, bridal will remain a priority and the focus will continue to stay on the gold wedding band as an iconic cultural symbol. “We need to be sure that we continue to tell consumers that nothing less than a gold band will do to symbolize their marriage,” she says. “But lifestyle and fashion are really important too—to inspire and excite the affluent consumer who is looking for true luxury.”

Morrison doesn’t think that price increases will deter the next generation of gold buyers. “I think consumers are very interested in gold because of its intrinsic value in what has been quite an unstable world,” she says. “I have also started to notice yellow gold making a real comeback, especially among the younger directional designers that I admire like Hoorsenbuhs, Waris, and Me & Ro. That’s great news for me, because it will make my job easier—and a lot more fun!” 

JCK