Inside Retail: Tell me the story behind Temple of the Sun and what inspired you both to launch the business.

Darren Gallant: Temple of the Sun first launched in late 2014. Yonna [Derofe] was already working as a ceramicist and silversmith, creating contemporary pieces that were sold throughout local galleries around Byron Bay, but she longed to create jewellery that spoke more faithfully to that worn by her mother when she was a child growing up in Istanbul. Gold jewellery was ubiquitous [there], not only worn by the glamorous women of Istanbul’s high society, but also part of the everyday ritual, an honouring of faith, tradition and superstition. Yonna wanted to channel that inspiration into beautiful jewellery that could and would be worn every day.

I met Yonna’s inspiration with my own love of history and archaeology, as well as experience in both business and product sourcing and development. Through this shared vision, Temple of the Sun was realised. 

Temple speaks to all that we love: antiquities, archaeology, design, story and symbolism. We love the narrative that emerges from ancient craft – a fingerprint in a 3000 year old ceramic vase, the lyrical beauty of ancient stone craft worn by time, and the timeless allure of ancient gold jewellery, soft, golden warm, and shining like the sun. An object of devotion? A language of love? An honouring of strength and courage? An amulet of protection? The story of Temple speaks to this inspiration.

IR: What do you think has led to the fast growth of the business?

DG: Well, I’m not sure that seven to eight years is fast!  But of course, first and foremost, I believe our success is due to Yonna’s beautiful designs. The jewellery has a timeless quality, often referred to by our followers as “unique”. In fact, I believe they are speaking directly to the nature of the connection that they experience with our jewellery. The quality and attention to detail, the ancient symbology, the gemstones and associated narratives invite our customers to connect with and find meaning. This and our setting the intention, right from the beginning, that we would make every pulse, every brand experience, a positive one. 

We have an amazing team working with us, and we care about what we do and how we do it. Temple has been built on a solid foundation, over time. In fact, for us it seems that rather than being fast, it has been a fairly steady evolution, perhaps with the exception of the period during Covid, which was rather frenetic. When many brands and marketers were reducing their advertising spend or pulling it entirely, we identified an opportunity to occupy an uncluttered space and connect to those who were in search of something beautiful to brighten their days during an otherwise dark moment.

IR: How would you describe the fine jewellery market right now? I feel like there’s been a surge in different brands lately – what do you think has led to that?

DG: Jewellery does feel like a very “busy” space at the moment, and yes, there is a surge of new brands. I believe that social media has been a powerful activator, providing quite literally anyone with the opportunity to launch a brand if they feel so inspired.  But I also believe that the increase in fine jewellery brands specifically speaks to a growing demand for quality, for sustainability and for something lasting and meaningful in what feels like an increasingly uncertain environment. Establishing our own fine jewellery production studio here in Byron Bay really has been the realisation of a dream for us and an evolution much appreciated by our customers!

IR: Tell me about your studio and how it’s powered by the sun!

DG: We occupy a large building in the Byron Bay industrial estate that houses our head office, our showroom and our fine jewellery production studio. We have installed solar panels on our roof that produce approximately 50 per cent of all of the energy we use. The balance has been sourced from a local community-based electricity retailer providing 100 per cent renewable energy. Sadly, last month they became a casualty of the energy crisis, so a new provider is currently being sourced. 

IR: Ethics and sustainability are both important to the brand. Can you tell me what that looks like in your business?

DG: We are guided in business, as in life, by our inner moral compass. We have always considered Temple an ethical brand first and foremost and working towards a sustainable business model is an inevitable step along that path. So, we are essentially ethical and considered in our approach and working towards sustainability in our business operations/structure. Why? Because making money is easy if that is all that motivates you, but to live well speaks to so much more. It’s a personal choice how you want to express yourself in the world, and this is ours. What this looks like in practice is our “always turning towards” ethical and sustainable practices in our daily business and in our bigger vision. It speaks to our supply chain, the raw materials we use, how we work with and treat our team, the environments we create, to our creative process, it speaks to everything. 

IR: At the moment, you have one physical store in Byron Bay. Paint me a picture of what it’s like for customers when they enter the space.

DG: We are blessed with occupying what is probably the most beautiful building in the Byron Bay industrial estate. We actually dreamed of utilising this space in some way long before Temple was even created, so we feel incredibly fortunate to have realised that dream. 

The first thing a visitor would notice upon entering through the large glass doors, is that our boutique is very generously spaced for jewellery, with a high central light filled void and staircase that leads up to our office space. A multi-sensory experience is Temple’s signature. Our guests will pick up the scent of frankincense, burnt every morning and the space is quiet, minimal, elevated and inspirational. They’ll see multiple museum-inspired display cabinets showcasing our entire collection of silver, vermeil and fine jewellery. A visit to Temple of the Sun is a luxurious experience, we want our guests to feel honoured and uplifted. 

IR: Tell me about your international expansion strategy and plans, specifically into international markets?

DG: International expansion is on the horizon for Temple, but our strategy for this starts here in Australia. For now, we are firmly focused on providing Temple of the Sun’s signature experience in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, developing this with meticulous attention to detail so it is consistent and unmistakable, but with a unique personality distinct to each location. While we develop our physical footprint locally, we maintain our wholesale customers in the United States, and of course, Temple of the Sun is available internationally online.