Policies & IssuesOct 08, 2026
Third Wave of IEEPA Tariff Refunds Begins This round of tariff refunds is for importers that have sued over IEEPA tariffs in the Court of International Trade and won.
MajorsDec 13, 2017
Swarovski Sued for Copyright Infringement in US
Galatea claims the crystal company copied its “Two in One Heart” design.
At left is Galatea’s “Two in One Heart” design; at right is a post from the Swarovski Instagram account that was included in the lawsuit and features a bangle that employs the design that allegedly infringes on Two in One Heart.
Los Angeles--A California-based jewelry company has filed a federal copyright infringement lawsuit against Swarovski North America Ltd. for allegedly ripping off one of its designs.
Galatea Jewelry Corp. was started by jewelry designer and inventor Chi Huynh, whose innovations include the Momento line of pearl jewelry embedded with near-field communication technology.
The copyright infringement lawsuit against Swarovski, filed Dec. 4 in federal court in Los Angeles, is over a design Chi created in 2009 called the “Two in One Heart.”
It is described in court documents as “a unique and original abstract jewelry design” created by Chi to “capture his vision of love as a union of two individuals, at once both separate and together.”
The design, which gives the “optical illusion of a single heart comprised of two overlapping hearts formed from the same contiguous loop of metal,” was copyrighted in the United States in early 2010.
Six years later, as part of its Valentine’s Day collection, Swarovski began advertising and selling the pendants and bangles that Galatea alleges are a copy of Two in One Heart after altering the design slightly by horizontally flipping it, covering a larger portion with crystals (not diamonds, as Galatea uses), and tapering the points and rounding the edges, the lawsuit states.
Since 2016, Swarovski has continued to manufacture, distribute, promote and sell the design nationwide in the United States through its website, brick-and-mortar stores and third-party distributors such as Macy’s and Amazon.com.
“Swarovski has repeatedly highlighted the infringing products in its marketing and sales efforts for major shopping holidays, including Mother’s Day 2016, Valentine’s Day 2017 and, most recently, Cyber Monday 2017,” the lawsuit states.
Swarovski has its North American headquarters in Cranston, Rhode Island.
The company said it does not comment on pending litigation but added: “Swarovski takes any possible allegations of potential intellectual property infringements very seriously, and we are currently investigating the claim. As a responsible corporate citizen Swarovski certainly respects others’ rights in their business. This commitment has been embedded in the way we do business since 1895.”
In addition to Swarovski North America Ltd., Galatea names Swarovski Retail Ventures Ltd., Swarovski Digital Business USA Inc. and Swarovski Crystallized LLC as defendants in the lawsuit.
Galatea is asking the court to stop Swarovski from making jewelry that it claims infringes on its Two of One Heart designs; to recall, remove and return from commercial distribution any products with this design and destroy them; and to
award it monetary damages.
More on Majors
The Latest
CollectionsOct 08, 2026
Brent Neale’s New Collection Goes ‘Back to Basics’It revisits the brand’s most requested silhouettes, from "Pillow"-set necklaces and bracelets to "Signature"-set rings and earrings.
SourcingOct 08, 2026
Ethical Gem Fair Heads Back to BrooklynThe trade-only event includes buying opportunities as well as educational sessions on artisanal mining, the new Paraíba source, and more.
Brought to you by
Meet Gemology’s Next Generation Microscope: GIA® Gemolite® NXT Professional EditionExperience gemstones with greater precision and comfort than ever before.
Events & AwardsOct 08, 2026
Pattons Fine Jewelry Sweeps Local Design ContestAra Chanakian, a jeweler at Pattons, took home top honors in every category at Jewelers of Louisiana’s annual jewelry design competition.
Weekly QuizOct 08, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
AuctionsOct 08, 2026
Reba McEntire’s Jewelry, Watches Head to Julien’s AuctionsThe live charity benefit sale in Nashville will also feature gowns, boots, and other memorabilia from the country music legend.
Supplier BulletinOct 08, 2026
Overnight Mountings’ Bridal Builder Helps Jewelers Turn Custom Design into a Hands-On Selling ExperienceSponsored by Overnight Mountings
Brought to you by
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSubmit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.
Policies & IssuesOct 07, 2026
The Plumb Club Amplifies Its Voice as Geopolitical Pressures MountThe supplier organization recently joined JA and JVC to have more input on political issues affecting the jewelry industry.
CollectionsOct 07, 2026
Blue Nile, Royal Asscher Collection Highlights Natural Diamond BeautyBlue Nile, a Signet Jewelers-owned brand, is now Royal Asscher’s exclusive licensed retailer in North America.
CollectionsOct 07, 2026
4 Standout Pieces in Audemars Piguet’s First High Jewelry Collection “Royal Oak” pays homage to the brand’s most popular watch model using 18-karat gold as well as diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires.
SourcingOct 07, 2026
AGTA Extends Deadline for 2026 Spectrum Awards EntriesParticipants now have until Oct. 14 to complete their submissions.
Policies & IssuesOct 06, 2026
6 Charged in Connection to String of New Jersey Smash-and-GrabsThe alleged thieves used crow bars and sledgehammers to smash into jewelry stores across the state.
ColumnistsOct 06, 2026
Sherry Smith: Is the Consumer Really Trading Up?Ahead of the holidays, Smith urges jewelers to take a hard look at who’s buying jewelry, what they’re purchasing, and who’s stopped buying.
SourcingOct 06, 2026
DDG Taps Influencers for ‘My Diamond Does Good’ CampaignIn the new consumer-facing campaign, four fashion and lifestyle creators share the stories behind their natural diamond pieces.
Events & AwardsOct 06, 2026
JIS Fall Returns to MiamiThe 2026 edition will feature presentations on alternative materials and design trends, as well as pop-up activations on the show floor.
SourcingOct 05, 2026
De Beers to Take Full Ownership of Gahcho KuéIt is the last fully operational diamond mine in Canada following the recent closures of Ekati and Diavik.
AuctionsOct 05, 2026
The Star Cats of the Sandy Lerner AuctionThese jewels stood out at Bonhams’ sale of the cat-loving tech entrepreneur’s collection of objects depicting the feline form.
CollectionsOct 05, 2026
Sorellina Writes Another Love Letter for ‘Postscript’ CollectionThe fine jewelry brand has expanded the collection that debuted at Couture with four new designs based on its most popular styles.
SourcingOct 05, 2026
Bruce Bridges Joins CIBJO BoardThe AGTA president was elected for a two-year term on the board of directors.
SourcingOct 02, 2026
De Beers, National Geographic Society Renew Okavango Eternal Partnership The partnership, a pledge to protect Africa’s Okavango River Basin, has been extended for an additional five years.
MajorsOct 02, 2026
Pandora Opens New $150M Manufacturing Facility in VietnamThe new facility, its first outside of Thailand, will boost its manufacturing capacity by 50 percent.
TrendsOct 02, 2026
Hearts On Fire Celebrates 30th Anniversary With Heart PendantThe special-edition “Dream” pendant, our Piece of the Week, was created to mark Hearts On Fire’s 30-year milestone with 30 diamonds.
CrimeOct 01, 2026
Police Looking for 4 Suspects in $600K Smash-and-Grab RobberyDubai Jewelers in Springfield, Virginia, was once again the target of an armed robbery.
SurveysOct 01, 2026
Rolex Ranks Among Most Recommended Brands in US, Survey Says YouGov’s 2026 U.S. Most Recommended Brands report’s out, and a fast-fashion giant is sitting at No. 1 while Rolex is just shy of the top 5.
SourcingOct 01, 2026
Columbia Gem House Opens ‘Cutting Toward Change’ FundraiserProceeds from its jewelry raffle will benefit an organization working in India to combat silicosis, a lung disease affecting stone cutters.
TrendsOct 01, 2026
Carolina Hurricanes’ Championship Ring Reveals Hidden Hockey Puck PendantThe rings, crafted by Jason of Beverly Hills, celebrate the hockey team’s Stanley Cup win with design elements that honor its traditions.
