Mined and Laboratory-Grown Diamonds Compete in Retail Showcases Nationwide

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend … regardless of whether they come from a mine or a lab.

That’s the message we’re hearing from many North American jewelry retailers. The only question seems to be whether laboratory-created diamonds are suited for special occasions, like engagements and anniversaries, or whether they should be relegated to lower-cost fashion jewelry. Laboratory-created diamond manufacturers are banking on the former — with one exception, De Beers, whose Lightbox imprint of laboratory-grown diamond jewelry targets younger, self-purchasing consumers.

With the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently weighing in with new terminology guidelines for diamonds (and gold, but that’s another story), it’s been an eventful summer for anyone involved in the sale of diamond jewelry. In fact, we had to delay layout of our special feature, “Lab Test,” in order to cover the most recent developments. Managing Editor Eileen McClelland did a fantastic job of talking to parties on all sides of the issue, including retailers who are doing big-time business in the category.

It’s a cornerstone of this special bridal-focused edition of INSTORE, along with a super-sized “New Arrivals” (with tons of hot-off-the-presses bridal rings) and our “What I’ve Learned” story, which interviews retailers, designers and industry consultants on their bridal lessons learned over the years. In fact, just about every feature in this issue is devoted to bridal, the most important sales category for most jewelry retailers.

So, do you think it’s time to take the plunge and commit already to this issue? I do!