Raised in an orphanage, Bailey was 18 when she met her husband, Clyde. They opened their North Carolina jewelry store in 1948.
Le Vian Celebrates 20 Years of Chocolate Diamonds
The luxury jeweler has created short, social media-focused ads to appeal to a new generation of customers.

New York—Le Vian is celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the debut of its Chocolate Diamonds collection.
The luxury jeweler introduced the Chocolate and Vanilla collection in the early 2000s, marketing brown diamonds as “chocolate” and white metals as “vanilla.”
The collection would continue to evolve through the years, adding a new “strawberry gold” flavor, a proprietary softer tone pink gold, in 2005.
In 2009, the chocolate diamonds found their way into timepieces.
SEE: Le Vian’s Chocolate Diamonds
The jeweler has exacting standards regarding what it takes to be considered a Chocolate Diamond.
Though all parameters are considered, strength of color is one of the most important factors to Le Vian’s diamond buyers.
Chocolate Diamonds must rate between a C4 and C7 on the Argyle color scale and have a certain hue, tone and saturation.
Fewer than five percent of diamonds from the Argyle Mine meet the standard, said Le Vian’s website.
Chocolate diamonds range from deep champagne colors to fancy dark browns, in line with GIA’s color chart. The clarity must be an SI or higher.
To celebrate the anniversary, the company has created a series of six and 15-second ads for social media, a change from its usual 30-second Le Vian television ads as it looks to target Millennials and Gen Z consumers.
“Indulgent and irresistible, our Chocolate Diamonds jewels have been tempting consumers for two decades,” said CEO Eddie Le Vian in a statement.
“Le Vian has always been committed to innovation and is proud to have created adverts that target the busy, modern jewelry collector and bring joy in challenging times.”
The new ads are doing well, said Le Vian, garnering more than 10,000 daily views and strong consumer engagement via likes and comments.
The Latest

Smith encourages salespeople to ask customers questions that elicit the release of oxytocin, the brain’s “feel-good” chemical.

Material Good is celebrating its 10th anniversary as it opens its new store in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston.

Launched in 2023, the program will help the passing of knowledge between generations and alleviate the shortage of bench jewelers.

The show will be held March 26-30 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.


The estate of the model, philanthropist, and ex-wife of Johnny Carson has signed statement jewels up for sale at John Moran Auctioneers.

Are arm bands poised to make a comeback? Has red-carpet jewelry become boring? Find out on the second episode of the “My Next Question” podcast.

Criminals are using cell jammers to disable alarms, but new technology like JamAlert™ can stop them.

It will lead distribution in North America for Graziella Braccialini's new gold pieces, which it said are 50 percent lighter.

The organization is seeking a new executive director to lead it into its next phase of strategic growth and industry influence.

The nonprofit will present a live, two-hour introductory course on building confidence when selling colored gemstones.
![A peridot [left] and sapphires from Tanzania from Anza Gems, a wholesaler that partners with artisanal mining communities in East Africa Anza gems](https://uploads.nationaljeweler.com/uploads/cdd3962e9427ff45f69b31e06baf830d.jpg)
Although the market is robust, tariffs and precious metal prices are impacting the industry, Stuart Robertson and Brecken Branstrator said.

Rossman, who advised GIA for more than 50 years, is remembered for his passion and dedication to the field of gemology.

Guthrie, the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie, was abducted just as the Tucson gem shows were starting.

Butterfield Jewelers in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is preparing to close as members of the Butterfield family head into retirement.

Paul Morelli’s “Rosebud” necklace, our Piece of the Week, uses 18-karat rose, green, and white gold to turn the symbol of love into jewelry.

The nonprofit has welcomed four new grantees for 2026.

Parent company Saks Global is also closing nearly all Saks Off 5th locations, a Neiman Marcus store, and 14 personal styling suites.

It is believed the 24-karat heart-shaped enameled pendant was made for an event marking the betrothal of Princess Mary in 1518.

The AGTA Spectrum and Cutting Edge “Buyer’s Choice” award winners were announced at the Spectrum Awards Gala last week.

The “Kering Generation Award x Jewelry” returns for its second year with “Second Chance, First Choice” as its theme.

The clothing and accessories chain announced last month it would be closing all of its stores.

The “Zales x Sweethearts” collection features three mystery heart charms engraved with classic sayings seen on the Valentine’s Day candies.

The event will include panel discussions, hands-on demonstrations of new digital manufacturing tools, and a jewelry design contest.

Registration is now open for The Jewelry Symposium, set to take place in Detroit from May 16-19.

Namibia has formally signed the Luanda Accord, while two key industry organizations pledged to join the Natural Diamond Council.

Lady Gaga, Cardi B, and Karol G also went with diamond jewelry for Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show honoring Puerto Rico.





















