AuctionsApr 29, 2025
‘Golconda Blue’ Diamond Pulled From AuctionThe 23-carat fancy vivid blue diamond, set to headline Christie’s May jewelry auction, was expected to sell for as much as $50 million.
TechnologyOct 13, 2017
‘Jewelry as a Service’ Start-Up Raises $5M
Flont offers a fine jewelry rental service, allowing consumers to try before they buy.
A ring by Crow’s Nest, one of the designers available to rent or buy through start-up company Flont
New York--Flont, a fine jewelry e-commerce site that allows customers to rent and then buy, announced Thursday that it has completed a $5 million capital raise.
Software inventor and founder of numerous start-ups Cormac Kinney started Flont last year and the site went live in May 2017.
Now it’s being backed by a number of private investors, the most noteworthy of which is C Ventures, headed by Adrian Cheng, the executive director of massive Chinese manufacturer and retailer Chow Tai Fook Jewelry Group. C Ventures' portfolio is a who’s who of sexy digital start-ups in the fashion and art world, with companies like Armarium, Bandier and Paddle8 on the roster.
The guiding principle behind Flont is “jewelry as a service.”
“In the on-demand economy, people want short-term use of a product, and to pay for it as a service,” Kinney explained to National Jeweler, “like ZipCar, AirBnB or Uber. Answering this demand, Flont created a new sales channel that delights consumers, and still supports brands and designers.”
Kinney’s knowledge of fine jewelry is personal; his wife is designer Mimi So.
“Over 17 years, I’ve seen how retail sales have been tremendously impacted by e-commerce, and this is magnified for fine jewelry, which is a high-touch sale,” said Kinney. “More and more people prefer to shop online, or on their phone, so the industry needs to bring the jewelry to the clients. Our solution is to promote discovery through borrowing, and enable customers to ‘try and buy.’”
There are three main ways for consumers to interact with Flont.
They can become members for $299 a month (for a minimum of three months) and receive unlimited fine jewelry rentals from the site, up to $5,000 at one time, with Flont covering the cost of FedEx and insurance for one item a month or 12 total items a year, and customers paying for the shipping and insurance fees for additional items.
Flont also allows four-day rentals for non-members, in the manner of Rent The Runway, targeted toward special occasions. Rental rates range from $129 to $379, depending on an item’s retail value.
Finally, consumers can shop directly on the site, and if they’re members they receive a discount on pieces.
More than 40 fine jewelry brands are working in partnership with Flont so far, ranging from big names like Chopard, Cartier, David Webb and Van Cleef & Arpels, to independents like
Pamela Love, Sabine Getty, Deborah Pagani and, of course, Mimi So.
As the husband of a designer, Kinney has the benefit of understanding what designers need from their relationship with Flont.
“The most important benefit we provide is brand discovery,” he said. “We are uncovering and enabling new, lifelong fine jewelry consumers. Our designers benefit financially by sharing a portion of our revenue each time someone borrows their jewelry. It's ‘fair trade’ for designers. Of course, they benefit when a Flont member purchases their jewelry, too.”
When it comes to consumers, Kinney noticed an incompatibility between fine jewelry and online shopping.
Similar to Memo, the company that is centered on allowing consumers to try on fine jewelry at home before they buy and return pieces for free, Flont’s services are an attempt to overcome the disconnect that comes from not trying on jewelry in person before purchase.
Kinney said, “The ideal consumer experience consists of walking into a beautiful store, choosing from a variety of designs, and most importantly, holding the jewelry in your hand. This experience is essential to an expensive and personal purchase. By offering jewelry rental, and our unlimited jewelry membership, we enable a critical part of the purchasing process: wearing the jewelry.
“Our clients can borrow anything they like, and test drive it at work, at events, or with their loved ones. Some clients use Flont as an unlimited jewelry box, and some use it in order to decide what they want to keep forever.”
Flont has brought on a team of digital and luxury experts, including jewelry editor Brooke Magnaghi, who also was part of fine jewelry e-commerce company Stone & Strand.
With the capital it’s raised thus far, Flont will increase inventory and staff, and expand into the Chinese market.
Kinney also said his team is “developing services for both department stores and retail jewelry stores, where members borrow jewelry in person.”
Customers can already do so at Flont’s “Member Lounge” at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, where they can try pieces on and change out their jewelry.
As the husband of a designer, Kinney has the benefit of understanding what designers need from their relationship with Flont.
“The most important benefit we provide is brand discovery,” he said. “We are uncovering and enabling new, lifelong fine jewelry consumers. Our designers benefit financially by sharing a portion of our revenue each time someone borrows their jewelry. It's ‘fair trade’ for designers. Of course, they benefit when a Flont member purchases their jewelry, too.”
When it comes to consumers, Kinney noticed an incompatibility between fine jewelry and online shopping.
Similar to Memo, the company that is centered on allowing consumers to try on fine jewelry at home before they buy and return pieces for free, Flont’s services are an attempt to overcome the disconnect that comes from not trying on jewelry in person before purchase.
Kinney said, “The ideal consumer experience consists of walking into a beautiful store, choosing from a variety of designs, and most importantly, holding the jewelry in your hand. This experience is essential to an expensive and personal purchase. By offering jewelry rental, and our unlimited jewelry membership, we enable a critical part of the purchasing process: wearing the jewelry.
“Our clients can borrow anything they like, and test drive it at work, at events, or with their loved ones. Some clients use Flont as an unlimited jewelry box, and some use it in order to decide what they want to keep forever.”
Flont has brought on a team of digital and luxury experts, including jewelry editor Brooke Magnaghi, who also was part of fine jewelry e-commerce company Stone & Strand.
With the capital it’s raised thus far, Flont will increase inventory and staff, and expand into the Chinese market.
Kinney also said his team is “developing services for both department stores and retail jewelry stores, where members borrow jewelry in person.”
Customers can already do so at Flont’s “Member Lounge” at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, where they can try pieces on and change out their jewelry.
More on Technology
The Latest
IndependentsApr 29, 2025
Maryland Jeweler to Close After 36 YearsG.B. Heron Jewelers in Salisbury, Maryland, is set to close as its owner, Jeff Cassels, retires.
ColumnistsApr 29, 2025
Google Ads vs. Social Media Ads: Which Are More Effective?Emmanuel Raheb outlines the differences between the two platforms and posits that the most successful jewelers use both.
Brought to you by
Watch: The Winston Red: GIA Examines the Smithsonian’s Newest AdditionSupplier Spotlight Sponsored by GIA
SourcingApr 29, 2025
Gemfields Mini Ruby Auction Achieves $7MThe miner said its April sale featured a mix of commercial-quality primary rubies and secondary rubies of varying quality.
Weekly QuizApr 24, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CrimeApr 28, 2025
Customs Seizes Nearly 2,000 Pieces of Counterfeit Van Cleef & Arpels JewelryU.S. customs agents in El Paso, Texas, intercepted the package, which would have been worth $9 million if the jewelry was genuine.
TrendsApr 28, 2025
Suzanne Kalan Launches Tech Ring Jacket CollectionHealth monitors become statement pieces when paired with the brand’s new collection of stackable diamond-studded bands.
Brought to you by
Emerging Jewelers Accelerator Program Announces Second Cohort of Aspiring Jewelry Entrepreneurs Six new retail businesses were selected for the 2025 program, which began in January.
Events & AwardsApr 28, 2025
JCK Industry Fund Announces 2025 Grant RecipientsTen organizations were selected this year.
IndependentsApr 28, 2025
John Atencio Appoints 2 to Wholesale TeamKim Carpenter and Sam Gevisenheit have joined the brand.
CollectionsApr 25, 2025
Sylvie Looks to Water in New Sculptural Bridal Collection“Shell Auranova” is the next generation of the brand’s bridal line, featuring half-bezel engagement rings with bold and fluid designs.
FinancialsApr 25, 2025
Kering’s Jewelry Brands Persevere as Q1 Sales Sink 14%Boucheron and Pomellato performed well in an otherwise bleak quarter for Kering amid struggles at Gucci.
EditorsApr 25, 2025
Piece of the Week: Deborah Meyers Experience’s ‘The Birds’ EarringsDesigner Deborah Meyers created her birds from oxidized sterling silver, rose-cut diamond eyes, and Akoya Keshi pearl feathers.
SourcingApr 25, 2025
De Beers Sales, Production Fall in Q1 Amid UncertaintyThe company said it expects sightholders to remain “cautious” with their purchasing due to all the unknowns around the U.S. tariffs.
Supplier BulletinApr 24, 2025
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessSponsored by the Gemological Institute of America
EditorsApr 24, 2025
Q&A: Wolf’s CEO Talks U.S. ExpansionSimon Wolf shares why the time was right to open a new office here, what he looks for in a retail partner, and why he loves U.S. consumers.
IndependentsApr 24, 2025
Longtime Iowa Jeweler Herman Ginsberg Dies at 99 A third-generation jeweler, Ginsberg worked at his family’s store, Ginsberg Jewelers, from 1948 until his retirement in 2019.
FinancialsApr 24, 2025
Charles & Colvard Delisted From Nasdaq Due to NoncomplianceThe company failed to file its quarterly reports in a timely manner.
SourcingApr 24, 2025
Young Diamantaires Transition to NonprofitThe organization also announced its board of directors.
TrendsApr 24, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: So CharmingCharms may be tiny but with their small size comes endless layering possibilities, from bracelets to necklaces and earrings.
MajorsApr 23, 2025
Bulgari Doubles Size of Jewelry Factory in ItalyLocated in Valenza, the now 355,000-square-foot facility includes a new jewelry school that’s open to the public, Scuola Bulgari.
Events & AwardsApr 23, 2025
PDPaola Creative Director Wins FGI’s ‘Rising Star’ AwardPaola Sasplugas, co-founder of the Barcelona-based jewelry brand, received the Fine Jewelry Award.
AuctionsApr 23, 2025
Rare Custom Rolex Daytona Heads to AuctionA platinum Zenith-powered Daytona commissioned in the late ‘90s will headline Sotheby’s Important Watches sale in Geneva next month.
MajorsApr 23, 2025
David Yurman’s New Campaign Stars Carmelo Anthony, Jaylen BrownThe basketball stars wear men’s jewelry from the “Curb Chain” collection.
MajorsApr 22, 2025
Zales’ Rebrand Takes Playful Approach to Fine JewelryThe Signet Jewelers-owned retailer wants to encourage younger shoppers to wear fine jewelry every day, not just on special occasions.
AuctionsApr 22, 2025
Christie’s to Auction JAR Jewelry CollectionThe 21 pieces, all from a private collector, will be offered at its Magnificent Jewels auction next month.
ColumnistsApr 22, 2025
The PR Adviser: Building Buzz Through Word of MouthLilian Raji answers a question from a reader who is looking to grow her jewelry business but has a limited marketing budget.
