Jewelry retailers are adopting Lab-grown diamonds with each passing day. When Lab-grown diamonds were first made back in 1954 by General Electric, its uses confined to only industrial applications. It is only recently that gem quality Lab-grown diamonds are made and sold on a large scale. With increasing awareness and eco-friendly, conflict-free nature of these stones, more and more modern-day customers and jewlery retailers are moving towards choosing Lab-grown diamond. The latest entrant in the segment is London’s Lark & Berry.
Lark & Berry introduce Lab-grown diamond jewlery line
London-based Lark & Berry introduced Lab-grown diamonds jewelry line at a star-studded evening at the Cannes Film Festival, recently. The jewelry was adorned by Victoria Secret models Martha Hunt, Bambi Northwood-Blyth and socialites Lady Victoria, Sandy Hagelstam, Katherine Ormerod, Kate Tik and Nina Suess aboard a super-yacht hosted by Lark & Berry.
Lark & Berry’s designs have a delicate yet bold, classic and playful look. The pieces are ranged from USD 200 for demi-fine 14K gold collections and USD 3,000 to USD 100,000 for fine jewelry and wedding collections in 18K gold and platinum.
Starting a fine jewlery brand was long-time dream of Lark & Berry’s founder, Laura Chavez. However, the conflict-laden diamond mining held her back. It was when she came across the Lab-grown diamond industry, she paired up with British-based designer Katie Rowland and established the Lark & Berry brand.
Laura says, ”What’s amazing is that lab-grown diamonds are chemically, physically and optically the same as their mined counterparts. And they’re more affordable! The most experienced jewelers can’t tell lab-grown from mined diamonds — not even gemologists can. They’re not faux. They’re just man-made. This allows our jewels to be as elegant as Chopard but at a price people can afford. These are core values at Lark & Berry.”
Recently, De Beers announced the launch of Lightbox – the Lab-grown diamond jewelry line of the group. This came as a big news for the existing Lab-grown diamond jewelry retailers and the rest of the industry, as De Beers had earlier vowed never to sell Lab-grown diamonds.
On the entry of De Beers in the Lab-grown diamond industry Laura says, “Companies are entering the lab-grown market because they know they’re behind the times. In the age of information, controversial practices like monopolizing this industry by creating price walls so that an established brand can keep control of the market are no longer things companies will get away with. Customers now realize a diamond is a diamond no matter where it comes from. But a lab-created diamond is 100 percent traceable and more ecologically friendly than a mined one. The nice thing about a big name entering into the lab-grown market is it signals you are on the right track.”
Lab-grown diamond – the versatile stone
Lab-grown diamonds are made in controlled laboratories and consist of actual carbon atoms arranged in characteristic diamond structure. They are made of the same material as mined diamonds and exhibit the same optical, thermal, chemical and other properties.
Anthony Mathews, founder of diamond and gemstone store – Shiny Rock Polished said, “The first thing to know about a lab-grown diamond is that it is 100 percent a diamond in every way. It is not a crystal imitation, a moissanite, or a cubic zirconia”
Lab-grown diamonds are also available in various colors, from white to yellow, orange, pink, red, blue and even green. They compliment with different skin tones and outfits, giving a variety of options. Though, they are cheaper than their mined counterparts, the colored varieties and higher grades are consider a luxurious option.
Moreover, Lab-grown diamonds are sustainable, have less impact on environment and have no unethical background, as they can be tracked back to the manufacturer. Whereas, mined diamonds have huge impact on the environment, carries history of human atrocities and sometimes unethically sourced, as they are handed down through various sources before going to the end user.
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