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.
MajorsJun 02, 2015
Helzberg selling lab-grown diamonds in select stores
The test program includes white, pink and yellow stones, which are being sold in Helzberg stores in Virginia, Florida, Arizona and Illinois, among others.
Three pink diamonds grown by Greenville, S.C.-based Scio Diamond Technology in partnership with Renaissance Diamonds; Helzberg Diamonds is now selling lab-grown pinks, along with whites and yellows, at select stores.
New York--Helzberg Diamonds is selling pink, yellow and white lab-grown diamonds from Scio and Renaissance Diamonds in select stores across the country, making it the latest retailer to test the market for man-made diamonds.
When asked for comment and information on the program, Helzberg Diamonds Chairman and CEO Beryl Raff said “This year, Helzberg Diamonds is celebrating 100 years of love. Embracing innovation and change is a part of our rich heritage. Testing lab-grown diamonds, with full consumer disclosure, is only one of many initiatives to give customers choices and seek new ways to best serve them for the next 100 years.”
The lab-grown pinks are all loose, round brilliant diamonds that are either fancy vivid or fancy intense vivid and are 1/2, 3/4, or 1 carat in size.
Renaissance Diamonds Corp. President and CEO Neil Koppel said price points range from $5,000 to $11,000, making the lab-grown stones significantly less expensive than mined pink diamonds of the same size and quality.
Greenville, S.C.-based Scio Diamond Technology Corp. produced the pink diamonds in a joint venture with Renaissance, called Renaissance Created Diamonds. They are being sold to consumers under, and are inscribed with, the Renaissance brand name.
The diamonds are grown using the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, and are high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) treated to improve their color. Renaissance cuts and polishes the stones and they are graded by the International Gemological Institute (IGI) in New York.
The test program started in March and is in in-store only; the stones are not being sold online by Helzberg, which has more than 200 stores.
According to Scio, the Helzberg stores carrying the lab-grown diamonds include the locations in the Pentagon Mall in Arlington, Va.; Wellington Green in Wellington, Fla.; Chandler Fashion Center in Chandler, Ariz.; and White Oaks Mall in Springfield, Ill.
Scio CEO Gerald (Jerry) McGuire and Koppel said that Helzberg is selling some lab-grown white and yellow diamonds as well. The whites are a mix of Scio- and Renaissance-grown stones, while the yellow diamonds were all grown by Renaissance.
Lab-grown diamonds are becoming more common as the technology involved in growing them improves.
In addition to Helzberg Diamonds, which is one of the largest remaining specialty jewelry chains in the country and is a member of the American Gem Society, reports have noted that 73-store chain Rogers & Hollands carries lab-grown diamonds.
At the trade
shows in Las Vegas this past week, De Beers, Rio Tinto, Alrosa and other diamond mining companies announced the formation of the Diamond Producers Association, which will focus on maintaining demand for mined diamonds specifically, indicating that the world’s biggest mining companies view man-made stones as a threat.
While the “conflict free” aspect of lab-grown diamonds has been pushed in the past, both McGuire and Koppel said the lower price of man-made stones is what they believe will appeal most to consumers, particularly with colored diamonds, which are rarer and more expensive.
As Koppel put it, “It makes the unaffordable affordable.”
McGuire concurred.
“Consumers might not ever see (pink and yellow diamonds) in their lifetime,” he said, and even if they get the chance to see them, they likely wouldn’t be able to buy them.
“We don’t think we are going to replace mined diamonds. It would be silly to think that. But we do want to give the consumer an alternative.”
More on Majors
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.
SourcingNov 22, 2024
Facets of Fire Expands to Include Pear, Marquise DiamondsThe company brings its nanotechnology to two new fancy cuts for diamonds that feature its signature color and brilliance.
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.
Supplier BulletinNov 21, 2024
Tasha R Releases 2025 Labbelle Lab Diamond Jewelry CatalogSponsored by Tasha R
Weekly QuizNov 21, 2024
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
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.
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.
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.
AuctionsNov 14, 2024
18th-Century Diamond Necklace Sells for Nearly $5M Sotheby’s sold the necklace, which potentially has ties to Marie-Antoinette, for $4.8 million to a woman bidding via phone.
