Borsheims Selling Luxury Jewelry Experiences

RAPAPORT… Borsheims is offering jewelry- and diamond-related luxury adventures
through its holiday catalog this year, catering to millennials’ desire for transparency
and experiences.

The jeweler — owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway
conglomerate — is selling a number of trips revolving around products
carried in the store, it said Tuesday. For $25,000, customers can purchase a
trip for eight people to the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute, where
they can create their own custom Swiss watch.

The retailer will also sell a four-day trip for two people
to the Canadian Arctic, where its Signature Diamonds are mined. The trip, which
costs $160,000, includes collecting an 8-carat rough diamond from the mine, dog
sledding, ice fishing, watching the northern lights, and an overnight stay in a
private teepee. The customer will then fly to Toronto to select the final shape
for his or her rough diamond.

In addition, Borsheims is offering a two-week trip to
Botswana, which is home to the jeweler’s Kalahari Dream Diamonds. Purchasers
will view the water-delivery system built from the proceeds of those diamonds.
They will also take a multiday tour of the country’s national parks to see
animals in their natural habitats, and receive a 4.51-carat Kalahari Dream
Diamond. The vacation carries a price tag of $200,000.

“We certainly hope it’s memorable whenever anyone gives a
gift from Borsheims, but these gifts really take that experience over the top,”
said Borsheims CEO Karen Goracke. “Imagine how magical it would be to see for
yourself exactly where your diamond comes from, make your own Swiss watch, or
to see firsthand the good things your diamond is providing for others.”

Image: A Borsheims store in Nebraska. (Borsheims)