TrendsFeb 24, 2025
Renna’s Lobster Clasp Looks Like a Claw, Now It's Patented by LawThe designer’s new patent transforms the everyday clasp into her jumbo “Lobster Clasp,” modeled after the look of a crustacean’s claw.
SourcingJun 28, 2018
De Beers Breaks Ground on Diamond Growing Facility
It’s located outside Portland, Oregon, and is expected to be operational by 2020.
A rendering of the 60,000-square-foot Element Six facility now under construction in Gresham, Oregon. It will grow diamonds for Lightbox Jewelry, the De Beers company that will begin selling lab-grown diamond jewelry this fall.
Gresham, Ore.--De Beers has broken ground on the factory where it will grow diamonds for Lightbox, its new company that will sell fashion jewelry set with white, blue and pink man-made diamonds.
The $94 million, 60,000-square-foot Element Six facility will be located in Gresham, Oregon, a suburb located about 16 miles east of Portland.
Element Six is the arm of De Beers that has grown diamonds for industrial purposes for decades, but, as De Beers announced shortly before the jewelry trade shows in late May/early June, is moving into the manufacturing of gem-quality diamonds.
Element Six currently is headquartered in Maidenhead, United Kingdom. This will be its first U.S. facility to grow gem-quality diamonds, and De Beers has said Element Six will grow these diamonds for Lightbox only. (Element Six has industrial diamond factories in the United States already, in Santa Clara, California and Houston.)
The Gresham factory is expected to be completed by August 2019 and begin production the following year, with a capacity of 500,000 rough carats per year. It will employ 60 people, including engineers and technicians.
Lightbox Jewelry is slated to launch in September and is limited, at least for now, to fashion jewelry—simple pendants and diamond solitaire earrings with and without halos that will be sold as singles as well as in pairs.
De Beers is charging $200 for a piece of Lightbox Jewelry set with a 0.25-carat diamond; $400 for a half-carat diamond; $600 for 0.75 carats; and $800 for pieces set with a 1-carat man-made diamond. (The prices are the same no matter if the piece is set with a white, blue or pink diamond but don’t include the setting.)
At a lunch event held at the JCK Las Vegas jewelry trade show, De Beers executives and those working on Lightbox for the company said the jewelry line was developed to, first, communicate clearly what lab-grown diamonds are and, secondly, to “play in the accessories space,” meaning to compete with handbags, designer sunglasses, etc. for which consumers are spending $200 to $500.
De Beers is aiming to position Lightbox as a gift for special but not once-in-a-lifetime occasions, a gift to a young woman for her Sweet 16 but not an engagement (which, of course, De Beers think
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
should be marked with a mined diamond). They are, as they put it during the Lightbox presentation in Las Vegas, for “friends, not fiancées.”
Initially Lightbox Jewelry will be sold directly to the public through its website, though General Manager Steve Coe said at the Vegas event that the company will begin a “modest” brick-and-mortar store trial later this year, expanding that in 2019 and again in 2020, after the Gresham facility opens.
The presentation drew mixed reviews from audience members.
One woman said she felt De Beers was “screwing the retailer” by selling directly to the public while others applauded the company for knocking down the price of lab-grown diamonds, which some feel is too high in comparison to mined diamonds.
Initially Lightbox Jewelry will be sold directly to the public through its website, though General Manager Steve Coe said at the Vegas event that the company will begin a “modest” brick-and-mortar store trial later this year, expanding that in 2019 and again in 2020, after the Gresham facility opens.
The presentation drew mixed reviews from audience members.
One woman said she felt De Beers was “screwing the retailer” by selling directly to the public while others applauded the company for knocking down the price of lab-grown diamonds, which some feel is too high in comparison to mined diamonds.
More on Sourcing
The Latest
Events & AwardsFeb 24, 2025
Bogolo Joy Kenewendo to Speak at Annual JVC LuncheonKenewendo, Botswana’s minister of minerals and energy, will discuss the future of diamonds.
CollectionsFeb 21, 2025
Piece of the Week: Jade Ruzzo’s ‘Tennessee’ Oval Drop EarringsHeidi Gardner, an SNL cast member, wore the smoky quartz earrings on the “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” red carpet on Sunday.
Brought to you by
A Diamond ETF is the Way to Reinvigorate Natural Diamond SalesThe jewelry industry faces challenges from lab-grown diamonds. A diamond ETF can restore natural diamonds' value and drive investor demand.
SourcingFeb 21, 2025
Zambia Lifts 15% Export Duty on Gemstones, Metals The reversal comes less than two months after the Zambian government reinstated the tax in an effort to bring in more money.
Weekly QuizFeb 21, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsFeb 21, 2025
24 Karat Club of New York Names New PresidentThe organization also announced its newly elected officers and directors.
SourcingFeb 20, 2025
Anglo Writes Down Value of De Beers by $2.9B As anticipated, Anglo took another impairment charge on the diamond miner and marketer, which saw revenue sink 23 percent in 2024.
Brought to you by
Get Ready for the JA New York Spring ShowThis year will feature a new MJSA Showcase and partnership with Piazza Italia.
SourcingFeb 20, 2025
Harry Winston’s Son Donates Fancy Red Diamond to the SmithsonianRonald Winston is giving the 2.33-carat “Winston Red” to the Smithsonian, 67 years after his father donated the Hope Diamond.
SourcingFeb 20, 2025
GJEPC Names New Chairman, Vice ChairmanKirit Bhansali, a partner in Smital Gems and chairman of India Jewellery Park, will take on the role of chairman.
IndependentsFeb 20, 2025
IJO Elects 4 New Board MembersAlisha Cornett, Nic Faini, Eric Stevens, and Seth Shipley have joined the organization’s board of directors for a three-year term.
CrimeFeb 19, 2025
Brink’s to Pay $42M After Admitting to Illegally Transporting MoneyThe company has to pay the Justice Department and FinCEN for violating the Bank Secrecy Act, the U.S.’s main anti-money laundering law.
SourcingFeb 19, 2025
Diamond Mining Company CEO Steps Down Amid Sales Slump, LayoffsPetra Diamonds Ltd. CEO Richard Duffy resigned as the diamond miner reported a 30 percent drop in sales to start its fiscal year.
ColumnistsFeb 19, 2025
The Smart Lab: Maximizing Your Jewelry Brand on PinterestPinterest is a potential gold mine for jewelry brands, Emmanuel Raheb writes, provided they follow these five tips.
MajorsFeb 19, 2025
Cartier Opens New Store Inside LAXThe boutique is the French luxury brand’s first airport store on the West Coast.
CollectionsFeb 19, 2025
Swarovski’s NYC Flagship Celebrates Ariana Grande CollabThe store’s facade now features the iconic swan logo and campaign images of the “Wicked” star.
Policies & IssuesFeb 18, 2025
New Customs Requirements for Diamond Imports: What We KnowBeginning in April, companies importing diamonds into the United States will have to list the country in which the diamonds were mined.
AuctionsFeb 18, 2025
A Menagerie of Fabergé Coming to Sotheby’sAround 30 whimsical Fabergé animal carvings will go up for auction at Sotheby’s Geneva in May.
SourcingFeb 18, 2025
Celine Assimon Stepping Down as CEO of De Beers JewellersAssimon will be leaving at the end of February after nearly five years with De Beers.
CollectionsFeb 18, 2025
Tabayer Debuts Its First Men’s Jewelry SelectionsDesigns from the brand’s “Oera” collection have been reimagined with modern masculinity in mind.
SourcingFeb 14, 2025
Navneet Gems Now Offering Unheated Montana SapphiresThe wholesale collection features material from the Rock Creek mine in a variety of colors.
CollectionsFeb 14, 2025
Carolyn Rafaelian Partners with ‘Long Island Medium’ StarThe “Divinely Guided” collection, created in collaboration with Theresa Caputo, features symbols that celebrate the power of connection.
CollectionsFeb 14, 2025
Piece of the Week: Lorraine West’s Diamond ‘Open Heart’ RingShow some love on Valentine’s Day with this 14-karat yellow gold ring that features pavé diamonds.
CrimeFeb 13, 2025
Macy’s Employee Foils $1.5M Jewelry Theft The employee confronted the thief, causing the suspect to flee and leave behind the suitcases full of jewelry.
SourcingFeb 13, 2025
Namibian Diamond Co. Suspends CEO, COO After Deadly Heist Namib Desert Diamonds also put its security manager on leave following last month’s robbery that left one employee dead.
Events & AwardsFeb 13, 2025
AGTA Announces Buyer’s Choice Award Winners for Spectrum, Cutting EdgeAGTA recently concluded its 2025 GemFair event in Tucson and is already gearing up for next year’s show, set for Feb. 2-6, 2026.
CollectionsFeb 13, 2025
Royal Chain Releases Its Spring 2025 CatalogMore than 400 new pieces are featured in the supplier’s latest catalog.
