EditorsNov 22, 2024
Out & About: Inside the CD Peacock MansionStep inside the nearly 21,000-square-foot suburban Chicago jewelry store with Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff.
SourcingJun 18, 2019
For its Next Act, Altr Goes with Hearts and Arrows
At JCK Las Vegas, the lab-grown diamond brand introduced a patented cut created for its new collection, “Altr X.”
The key visual that will be used in the advertising campaign for “Altr X,” the lab-grown diamond brand’s collection featuring a new, patented Hearts and Arrows cut. H&A originated in the 1980s with diamond cutters in Japan.
New York—Lab-grown diamond brand Altr introduced an upgrade at JCK Las Vegas—a fresh collection featuring a patented Hearts and Arrows cut the company says will set a new standard for brilliance.
Developed by R.A. Riam Group’s Ritesh Shah, the brother of Altr President Amish Shah, the cut for the “Altr X” collection bumps up the number of hearts and arrows patterns from eight to 10.
The light refraction for the diamonds in the collection tops 97 percent, which will become the “new benchmark” for the industry for both natural and created diamonds, Amish Shah said.
Altr X diamonds are round brilliants cut by hand by master craftsmen at 100x magnification and graded by Don Palmieri’s New York lab, the Gem Certification & Assurance Lab (GCAL).
But that’s not what Shah wants retail salespeople to talk about when they talk about Altr X.
He does not want them to make Altr X a “technical story” because he thinks this is where the industry is going wrong in selling diamonds—it is sharing too many details that don’t matter to consumers.
“What I want to do is slowly start moving away from conversation that a salesperson has across the counter, ‘Oh, this is a G, VS2,”’ he told National Jeweler during at an interview at JCK.
“I think we don’t get it. A consumer understands size. Let them try it.”
RELATED CONTENT: The ‘Monster’ Looking to Disrupt Man-Made Diamond MarketingShah said consumers also understand a diamond’s beauty, which is why it developed Altr X.
“We’re very clear going into ‘19, into the season, that the two things we want to focus on are size and beauty, which is brilliance, sparkle,” he said. “What matters the most to the consumer is what they can see. They can see and feel the size, they can see the brilliance.”
To help its retailers tell the story of Altr and, now, Altr X, the company created a training department in fall 2017 that is headed by Mike Marelli.
Shah said the department has done more than 750 hours of training since, working with over 1,400 store associates, and now mandates that any retailers who want to carry Altr have their staffs trained by the company.
In the interview at the show, Shah also addressed one of the main criticisms routinely made of lab-grown diamonds—that the stones, as a product of technology, will only increase
in number and drop in value over time.
He said technology does not commoditize, but selling it as a commodity does.
The company views the Altr brand as technology but also as a luxury, and it focuses on three core processes: creating consumer desire for diamonds, driving innovation and giving customers great service.
“When you do a good job, that’s when people stand in lines outside to buy one,” Shah says. “Strong technology brands are great at protecting their inherent value.”
WATCH: The 30-Second Version of the ‘Altr X’ Film
He said technology does not commoditize, but selling it as a commodity does.
The company views the Altr brand as technology but also as a luxury, and it focuses on three core processes: creating consumer desire for diamonds, driving innovation and giving customers great service.
“When you do a good job, that’s when people stand in lines outside to buy one,” Shah says. “Strong technology brands are great at protecting their inherent value.”
WATCH: The 30-Second Version of the ‘Altr X’ Film
The fall 2019 marketing campaign for Altr X is currently under production, the company said, and will be unveiled in September.
The above film was shot as part of the campaign to “rekindle desire” and will be distributed through digital media channels, store-front TVs, small TV spots and as GIFs for various uses.
“The idea,” Altr said, “is to start a conversation that is a little more edgy, modern and desirable for the consumer to engage with.”
Altr is a division of R.A. Riam Group, a New York-based diamond and fine jewelry manufacturer that also deals in natural stones. (Ritesh and Amish’s grandfather started the family’s jewelry manufacturing and diamond trading business in India in 1933.)
Altr is sold through hundreds of jewelers in the United States, both under its brand name and as private-label lab-grown diamonds and diamond jewelry, as well as in more than 50 stores in New Zealand and Australia.
The above film was shot as part of the campaign to “rekindle desire” and will be distributed through digital media channels, store-front TVs, small TV spots and as GIFs for various uses.
“The idea,” Altr said, “is to start a conversation that is a little more edgy, modern and desirable for the consumer to engage with.”
Altr is a division of R.A. Riam Group, a New York-based diamond and fine jewelry manufacturer that also deals in natural stones. (Ritesh and Amish’s grandfather started the family’s jewelry manufacturing and diamond trading business in India in 1933.)
Altr is sold through hundreds of jewelers in the United States, both under its brand name and as private-label lab-grown diamonds and diamond jewelry, as well as in more than 50 stores in New Zealand and Australia.
More on Sourcing
The Latest
CollectionsNov 22, 2024
Piece of the Week: Xander Jane’s ‘Spiked’ Pearl StudsThese punk-inspired earrings from the new Canadian brand’s debut collection reveal the alter ego of the classic pearl.
Supplier BulletinNov 21, 2024
Tasha R Releases 2025 Labbelle Lab Diamond Jewelry CatalogSponsored by Tasha R
Brought to you by
Navigating Cybersecurity: Essential Guidance for JewelersFrom protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
AuctionsNov 21, 2024
Gold Watch Gifted to Titanic Rescue Ship Captain Sells for $2MThree Titanic survivors presented him with the personalized Tiffany & Co. timepiece about a year after the tragedy.
Weekly QuizNov 21, 2024
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Harris Jewelry Ordered to Reopen Claims Portal for Refund RequestsA federal court found that the jewelry store chain violated terms of the settlement reached after it was accused of defrauding customers.
CollectionsNov 21, 2024
Channel Elphaba in Muse’s ‘Have a Heart x Cynthia Erivo’ CollectionCynthia Erivo chose Dreams of Hope, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQA+ youth, as the charity for this year’s collection.
Brought to you by
Enhance Your Expertise with IGI’s In-Person Courses in NYCThis fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Rocksbox Opens Pop-Up Store in San FranciscoThe new space was designed to evoke a warm, inviting vibe.
IndependentsNov 21, 2024
Mary Moses Kinney Is Now Part of The Edge’s Team Kinney, who spent nearly 30 years at IJO, has been hired to head Abbott Jewelry Systems’ new virtual marketplace.
CrimeNov 20, 2024
Sotheby’s to Pay $6.25M Settlement to NY State for Alleged Tax FraudThe auction house was accused of helping clients avoid paying taxes on millions of dollars’ worth of art purchased from 2010 to 2020.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
Kering Debuts New Jewelry Award With Sustainability FocusThe four finalists will present their pieces at the 2025 JCK Las Vegas show.
CollectionsNov 20, 2024
Pamela Love Channels Surrealist Artists in New CollectionThe “Camera Oscura” collection showcases earring designs celebrating female Surrealist artists Claude Cahun and Leonor Fini.
Policies & IssuesNov 20, 2024
Columbia Gem House Raises $10K for Reforestation EffortsThe money will fund the planting of 10,000 trees in critical areas across Oregon, Arizona, Montana, and other regions.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
The Jewelry Symposium Opens Registration, Scholarship ApplicationsThe event centered on advancing jewelry manufacturing technology will return to Detroit in May 2025.
CrimeNov 19, 2024
Woman Killed in Armed Robbery of Sacramento Jewelry StoreLocal reports identified the woman as the wife of the jewelry store owner.
AuctionsNov 19, 2024
‘A Tsar’s Treasure’ Fetches $2.9M at Sotheby’s Jewelry SaleA collection of pieces owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family, blew away estimates in Geneva last week.
MajorsNov 19, 2024
Trove Opens First US Flagship in NYCThe Australian jewelry box brand’s new West Village store will showcase new jewelers each month through its Designer in Residence program.
CollectionsNov 19, 2024
Snoop Dogg’s New Jewelry Collection Is All About Love“Lovechild” was created in partnership with Carolyn Rafaelian’s Metal Alchemist brand.
EditorsNov 18, 2024
Q&A: Helzberg CEO Brad Hampton on the Jeweler’s RebrandHampton discussed how Helzberg is improving the customer experience and why it was inspired by the company formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts.
Policies & IssuesNov 18, 2024
Reciprocity Jewels Returns to NYC Jewelry WeekThe group will host several curated events and an exhibition of designer jewelry made with Peruvian gold traceable to the miners’ names.
CollectionsNov 18, 2024
Dolly Parton Shines in Collaboration with Kendra ScottThe collection honors the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s “Love is Like a Butterfly” song, which shares a birth year with Kendra Scott.
Events & AwardsNov 18, 2024
IGI Jewelry Design Competition ReturnsThis year’s theme asks designers to take inspiration from classic fairy tales.
EditorsNov 15, 2024
Why Fine Jewelry Belongs at New York Comic ConSenior Editor Lenore Fedow makes the case for why more jewelers should be appealing to nerds at the annual event.
CollectionsNov 15, 2024
Marie Lichtenberg Battles Counterfeits with New ‘Raiz’in Scapular’ DesignsThe latest “Raiz’in” drop showcases a newly designed “Scapular” necklace and donates a portion of the proceeds to Make-A-Wish France.
WatchesNov 15, 2024
Piece of the Week: Citizen’s Commemorative Pocket WatchNo. 1 out of 100, the timepiece was created to mark Citizen’s 100th anniversary and will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s next month.
Recorded WebinarsNov 15, 2024
Watch: 10 Tips to Keep Your Jewelry Store Secure On the latest episode of “My Next Question,” two experts share best practices for store security during the holidays and year-round.
