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To celebrate the reopening of its Parisian flagship after a two-year renovation,
Dior unveiled a special fancy-intense-yellow diamond last month called Le Montaigne. The original 150-carat rough from South Africa’s Kimberley mine was cut down to this 88.88-carat cushion, an ode to founder Christian Dior’s lucky number.
Combining color, rarity, sparkle and huge price tags, large yellow diamonds tend to make headlines, but does this fascination translate to retail sales? Los Angeles designer
Mark Broumand believes so. “Fancy-yellow diamond rings are increasing in popularity as clients are searching for a unique look and an alternative to traditional white-diamond engagement rings,” he says.
Greg Kwiat of New York jeweler
Kwiat agrees with this assessment, reporting steady demand for yellow diamonds among his clients. As well as lending “something unique and distinctive” to engagement rings, Kwiat says, yellow diamonds in smaller sizes “bring pops of color to the white-diamond designs” in his company’s fashion-led lines.
At
Le Vian, diamonds of this hue have been a big focus over the past year. The brand launched its freshly trademarked Sunny Yellow Diamonds line exclusively at retail chain Jared, with prices starting at $1,999 — a move that is “democratizing the world of natural fancy-color diamonds,” according to chief executive Eddie LeVian. Shoppers have been receptive, he adds, and sales are on the rise, confirming that yellow diamonds are not just for haute joaillerie.
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - April 2022. To subscribe click here.