Sunrise star quits TV after 20 years to focus on her diamond venture
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If you tuned in to the weekend news in the early 2000s, then you would have seen her alongside industry stalwarts like Edwina Bartholomew, Simon Reeve, and Mark Beretta.
But now, after twenty years in the industry, Talitha Cummins has thrown in the towel to pursue another career.
Taking to social media to announce her new venture, the 43-year-old former news reporter and mother-of-two wrote: 'It’s a big day for me today.'
'I’m officially cutting ties with a 20-year career in journalism/television [and] media consulting, and launching my business in diamond and jewellery creating.'
'It’s a big shift, but the move to launching my own business has given me an energy and drive like never before.'
According to Talitha, she grew up in a family with 50 years of experience in the diamond industry. Now, Cummins has launched a business—in collaboration with her uncle and cousin—that uses lab-grown diamonds instead of real ones.
Cummins also noted that her brand, The Cut Jewellery, and its lab-grown diamonds will help 'disrupt the market'.
'When I went to the GIA [Gemological Institute of America] to study diamond grading in London we were handed a lab-grown and a mined diamond and asked to use a microscope to tell them apart. We couldn't,' Cummins shared.
'We learnt that they're indistinguishable because they are chemically, physically and visually the same. They sparkle in the same way as they're made of the same substance. Pure carbon. I was fascinated.'
'Exactly the same product, much lower price point. A business was born that day. I'm excited to be a part of what's proving to be the biggest disruptor to the jewellery industry. I'd love you to follow me on this new adventure.'
You can see Talitha’s full announcement below:
Source: Instagram/@talithacummins.
Cummins, who joined the Seven Network in 2004, served as a reporter and weather presenter at several Queensland bureaus of the network.
She previously left Seven Network after allegedly being fired unfairly while she was on maternity leave in 2017. She subsequently reached a confidential settlement with the network and most recently worked as a newsreader on Triple M Sydney.
Cummins made headlines last year as she discussed her alcohol addiction. Speaking candidly in October 2022, Cummins admitted that her problem with alcohol was so bad that she was once drinking four bottles of wine a night—but still turned up to the studio at 5 am.
However, after missing a weekend of work and trying 'many times' to stop drinking, Cummins found the resolve to give up alcohol for good ten years ago.
'My chief-of-staff sat me down after I'd not turned up to work for a weekend and just said, "you're not OK are you?" and I just said "no". My work facade had crumbled. Everyone knew,' Cummins said.
Despite the progress, she admitted that it’s still 'hard at times' and that she 'can’t help' but wonder what she wouldn’t have now if she had not stopped drinking.
'I have an amazing husband and two children,' she added.
'The chaotic life I was leading would never have allowed me to have that... When you drink heavily, you tend to hang around people who may not be great for you.'
She claimed that her decision has given her 'the ability to peel back layers in therapy' and to understand 'why she does the things she does'.
'I back myself now. I don't rely on alcohol for confidence so I've really had to develop myself.'
This comes after the news that global rough diamond prices have dipped in the last year, with the Zimnisky Global Rough Diamond Index noting its lowest value in over 12 months.
As people cut back on luxuries, many opted for services and experiences—like food and travel—over jewellery, which put diamonds at a disadvantage.
You can read more about this here.
Members, what are your thoughts on Talitha’s new venture? Let us know in the comments below!
But now, after twenty years in the industry, Talitha Cummins has thrown in the towel to pursue another career.
Taking to social media to announce her new venture, the 43-year-old former news reporter and mother-of-two wrote: 'It’s a big day for me today.'
'I’m officially cutting ties with a 20-year career in journalism/television [and] media consulting, and launching my business in diamond and jewellery creating.'
'It’s a big shift, but the move to launching my own business has given me an energy and drive like never before.'
Talitha Cummins has left her career as a news reporter to focus on her jewellery business. Image source: Instagram/@talithacummins.
According to Talitha, she grew up in a family with 50 years of experience in the diamond industry. Now, Cummins has launched a business—in collaboration with her uncle and cousin—that uses lab-grown diamonds instead of real ones.
Cummins also noted that her brand, The Cut Jewellery, and its lab-grown diamonds will help 'disrupt the market'.
'When I went to the GIA [Gemological Institute of America] to study diamond grading in London we were handed a lab-grown and a mined diamond and asked to use a microscope to tell them apart. We couldn't,' Cummins shared.
'We learnt that they're indistinguishable because they are chemically, physically and visually the same. They sparkle in the same way as they're made of the same substance. Pure carbon. I was fascinated.'
'Exactly the same product, much lower price point. A business was born that day. I'm excited to be a part of what's proving to be the biggest disruptor to the jewellery industry. I'd love you to follow me on this new adventure.'
You can see Talitha’s full announcement below:
Source: Instagram/@talithacummins.
Cummins, who joined the Seven Network in 2004, served as a reporter and weather presenter at several Queensland bureaus of the network.
She previously left Seven Network after allegedly being fired unfairly while she was on maternity leave in 2017. She subsequently reached a confidential settlement with the network and most recently worked as a newsreader on Triple M Sydney.
Cummins made headlines last year as she discussed her alcohol addiction. Speaking candidly in October 2022, Cummins admitted that her problem with alcohol was so bad that she was once drinking four bottles of wine a night—but still turned up to the studio at 5 am.
However, after missing a weekend of work and trying 'many times' to stop drinking, Cummins found the resolve to give up alcohol for good ten years ago.
'My chief-of-staff sat me down after I'd not turned up to work for a weekend and just said, "you're not OK are you?" and I just said "no". My work facade had crumbled. Everyone knew,' Cummins said.
Despite the progress, she admitted that it’s still 'hard at times' and that she 'can’t help' but wonder what she wouldn’t have now if she had not stopped drinking.
'I have an amazing husband and two children,' she added.
'The chaotic life I was leading would never have allowed me to have that... When you drink heavily, you tend to hang around people who may not be great for you.'
She claimed that her decision has given her 'the ability to peel back layers in therapy' and to understand 'why she does the things she does'.
'I back myself now. I don't rely on alcohol for confidence so I've really had to develop myself.'
This comes after the news that global rough diamond prices have dipped in the last year, with the Zimnisky Global Rough Diamond Index noting its lowest value in over 12 months.
As people cut back on luxuries, many opted for services and experiences—like food and travel—over jewellery, which put diamonds at a disadvantage.
You can read more about this here.
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