A Tale Of Two Boundary-Breaking Lab-Grown Diamond Jewelers
By Victoria Gomelsky | March 22, 2021
"Amid all the controversy over lab-grown diamonds—from their rightful positioning in the marketplace to whether they are inherently more sustainable than mined diamonds—the question of design is often overlooked. For many consumers, however, a contemporary piece of jewelry that looks both chic and distinctive is the biggest motivator to purchase.
Kimaï and Courbet, two European lab-grown diamond jewelry brands, seem to understand this implicitly. Both brands promote their lab-grown diamond and gold styles as ethical, sustainable, and transparently produced, but it’s their classy aesthetic that is most eye-catching.
Kimaï
London-based Kimaï was founded in late 2018 by Jessica Warch and Sidney Neuhaus, both of whom grew up in Antwerp, Belgium, in families steeped in the traditional diamond trade.
Kimaï cofounders Jessica Warch and Sidney Neuhaus
Kimaï cofounders Jessica Warch and Sidney Neuhaus
“Sidney and I discovered [lab-grown diamonds] because more traders and jewelers in Antwerp began offering them,” Warch tells JCK, “so while some retailers may be less willing to adapt, there’s absolutely a change happening, which is exciting!”
While it’s tempting to see their decision to pursue the lab-grown category as adversarial, both women say their families have been extremely supportive, “partly because they, too, have seen the industry and consumer perception shift as well,” Warch says.
In the beginning, Kimaï, which retails direct through its website as well as through two Browns locations in London, avoided ... "
Céleste necklace in 18k gold with lab-grown diamonds, 21,800 euros (about $26,000); Courbet
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