Cameron Marks - Percy Marks

Cameron Marks officially had three days off between finishing high school and entering the family business but his ‘apprenticeship’ started long before that.

From a young age, Cameron would spend his school holidays helping out in his Dad’s shop. “I would do the cleaning, deliveries and work in the storeroom. As I got to know more about the business, I learned how to do repairs and eventually moved out to the shop floor,” says Cameron. “I was on Schoolies at the Central Coast when I got a call from my Dad to come back for a photo shoot. That was 28 years ago,” he laughs.

“I always had a feel for this industry,” says Cameron. “I am not only interested in the business side of things but am also fascinated by the family history. My great grandfather – the eponymous Percy Marks - started the business 109 years ago when immigrated to Australia from Germany, via New Zealand. At the tender age of 21, he became one of the pioneers of the opal trade in Australia, showing Australian stones at the Grand Prix World Expo in San Francisco in 1903.”

Despite the generational differences, Cameron’s ‘reign’ has been just as innovative and exciting. When he is not onsite at his Elizabeth St showroom, he can be found travelling the world attending jewellery trade fairs and diamond conferences. Most recently he travelled to Hong Kong for a diamond and coloured stone trade fair and visited the Argyle diamond mine in Kununurra, WA, as part of the Diamond Guild of Australia’s annual educational.

On free weekends, Cameron and his family head down to their Southern Highlands sheep stud which provides a respite to their busy city lives.

http://www.percymarks.com.au/