Lightbox Promotes General Manager to COO
Adam O’Grady, general manager of the Lightbox Lab, has taken on the new role and will report directly to Lightbox CEO Antoine Borde.

O’Grady previously served as general manager of the Element Six team operating the Lightbox Lab since 2019, playing a major role in the design and construction of the $94 million, purpose-built diamond-growing factory in Gresham, Oregon. The facility opened in 2020.
He will report to Lightbox CEO Antoine Borde, who took the reins in November 2022.
“We are fortunate to have a depth of expertise, leadership and talent in Adam,” said Borde. “He is a transformational leader with deep knowledge of the lab-grown diamond category, and with the inception of the COO role, I am confident his expertise will help unlock further growth potential for Lightbox.”
In his new role, O’Grady will oversee end-to-end operations at Lightbox, from the rough stone stage to final distribution.
“I am incredibly energized to take on this new challenge and very enthusiastic about the future of Lightbox and what we can accomplish,” said O’Grady.
“I see potential for further growth and value creation, and I look forward to working closely with Antoine and the team as we continue to deliver on our objectives.”
O’Grady has nearly two decades of experience in operations, global supply chain management, and chemical, mechanical and industrial engineering.
He has a B.A. in engineering and chemical engineering from University College in Dublin, Ireland.
Before joining Lightbox, he worked at Element Six, De Beers’ industrial supermaterials and synthetic diamond business.
O’Grady served in several general management and senior project roles, working at facilities in South Africa, China and the U.K.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated post-publication to clarify what O'Grady will oversee in his new role.
The Latest

The industry veterans join the podcast to discuss diamond marketing, the FTC Jewelry Guides, and lobbying for lower tariffs.

Murphy will retire at the end of the year and Alexander, currently the company’s president, will take over at the start of 2027.

The jeweler is encouraging customers who own lookalike rings to come into the store and trade them for credit towards an authentic piece.

Submit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.

The new campaign, “You Are The Occasion,” discourages shoppers from saving their fine jewelry for special occasions only.


Mehta led India’s GJEPC through the 2008 financial crisis and was respected worldwide for his wisdom, integrity, and knowledge.

One is the driver who allegedly crashed a car into a Sacramento jewelry store in April, striking a 71-year-old employee who later died.

Retailers are seeking new ways to attract customers, increase traffic, and create revenue – Estate buying events are a popular solution.

In a new column, Peter Smith posits that people actually enjoy putting together IKEA furniture, and the same is true for engagement rings.

9lakha Jewelers in Iselin, New Jersey, was the target of a smash-and-grab robbery on Aug. 8.

The exhibition will feature more than 100 drawings of stained-glass lampshades, windows, and more, many created by women and émigrés.

Marquise-cut diamonds in drop charms are the center of the new collection, reflecting the movement of a dancer in modular styles.

The inaugural Fort Lauderdale Jewelry, Antique, & Object Show will be held from Jan. 28 through Feb. 1, 2027.

The family-owned jeweler will open a new showroom in Bel Air, Maryland, this fall.

Amanda Ileana Hernandez is married to Carlos Hernandez, one of two men in prison for the 2024 murder of Michigan jeweler Hussein Murray.

The reimagined jewel, our Piece of the Week, trades the diamonds in the original 1998 design for blue, pink, yellow, and green sapphires.

Sponsored by American Gem Trade Association

In the United States, second-quarter sales were flat amid soft consumer sentiment and lower in-store traffic.

The 22-karat gold egg, sold at Batemans Auctioneers in the U.K., was part of a 1980s treasure hunt ad campaign for Cadbury Creme Eggs.

Lucara Diamond Corp., which recovered the “Motswedi” diamond from the Karowe mine, sold the stone for an undisclosed amount.

The expanded collections now feature hand-cut gemstones like topaz, tanzanite, chrysoprase, chalcedony, smoky quartz, and fire opal.

The gemstone supplier and manufacturer acquired the remarkable 104-gram Zambian emerald at Gemfields’ auction in May.

Two suspects offered to trade the woman a “winning” lottery ticket for her jewelry.

Finsch has been in business rescue since May, and owner Petra Diamonds said it sees no viable path forward for the mine.

Michel Patrick DeSalles was sentenced after pleading guilty to the 2017 murder of Omid Gholian, who owned a jewelry store in Manhattan.

Longtime industry executive Beth Miller has taken on the role.

The brooch was owned by Virginia Fortune Ryan Ogilvy, who served as a lady of the bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II for nearly 50 years.
























