June 2024 | Lab Grown Magazine

June 2024 | The Lab Grown Diamond Resource Book 22 Mailed to 24,000 Jewelers Monthly - To advertise call (888) 832-1109 | June 2024 23 And, when those stones are shown next to a larger Type IIa grown clone at a much lower price – the situation is overwhelming positive for LGDs even with the US over-populated with 1-2 carat LGDs, the opportunity for lab to be it’s own entity and stop riding the decades of investment and strategic strategy that their parent ushered in (and in many ways is still attempting to recover lost ground on) now is the time for branding to shine in the LGD sector like never before. As De Beers continues to struggle to find methods of newfound profitability, their LGD spinoff, Lightbox Diamonds is slashing prices left and right. D color - Very Flawed De Beer’s plan was to get back in control… Increase their natural diamond market share while setting industry standards in lab –like price points and the alleged no need of need for grading reports. That’s two “F’s” for Lightbox and two “A+’s” for lab. If De Beers couldn’t be the largest mining operation anymore, they could (or so they tried) to dominate the LGD sector by downgrading the category to nearly junk jewelry. They got so desperate they broke their prose to never sell LGD engagement rings. That vow went sour quickly and when the industry snared, they realized their mistake and walked it back as a test. 85% of De Beers equaled Anglo American’s interest and support from every angle. That’s gone. While the De Beers brand name and worldwide presence remains strong (for now) it needs a hefty investment arm to replace that large of a missing chunk. De Beers corporate ego is probably too big for a merger and an acquisition will want to own and/or control the most precious of their current intellectual property. Photo: Rapaport Magazine Who’s next? If De Beers doesn’t land a strong investment partner or formulate the right M&A deal within a year or so, it would be a logical conclusion for Wall Street to Main Street thinking De Beers has lost their luster. Or, is that true for the only gemstone the entire jewelry and watch industry has ever concentrated upon? LABORATORY-GROWN Decades and billions of dollars promoting just one big natural diamond basket. And it wasn’t as if they didn’t see LGDs coming. Element Six was formulated overnight but a lack of long-term strategy didn’t tag along. Lack of investment to the media mogul De beers is filled with negative optics for the industry at large. Or is it? . De Beers is openly weak at present, which could cast a dark cloud surrounding other big mining outfits as well. You can hear the rumbling thunder in the distance… Giants like Rio Tinto, Petra, Diavik, right down to Alrosa (with their own set of serious problems being owned largely by the Russian government and HQed in Russia. That equals a G7 ban and zero exports cutting out 35% of all natural diamonds hitting the market. Once again, this points to LGDs as a savior of sorts until natural sorts out this mess.; LGDs have a major upper hand. Innovation, like ofering men affordable engagement rings may turn the tide, especially in the homosexual community. Ads with two men’s hands about to touch at dinner, to some is anything but natural. But that’s online at Tiffany’s site right now. Men’s Engagement Rings (Round 2) In 2021, Tiffany & Co. thought they would re- introduce a category that never caught on inAmerica: the male engagement ring. It was tried in the 1970s and again in the 1990s by much lesser brands, which no one remembers because it didn’t work. But the reason wasn’t what you think, and this go-round via lab could change the game to lab’s favor. In 2021, some thought Tiffany’s men’s engagement look was too “Tony Soprano” pinky finger ring- like. Others just didn’t buy into men on their way to marriage wearing anything but a wedding band post ceremony. Studies were conducted where the most honest of men didn’t want to appear “taken”