Self-described as being “light years ahead”, Lightbox is a company offering laboratory-grown diamond jewelry at a relatively affordable price.
Physically, optically and chemically, the lab-grown diamonds are identical to natural diamonds.
Growing the stones by placing a small sliver of lab-grown diamond inside of a plasma reactor heated to over 3315 degrees Celsius (6000 Fahrenheit), the crystals that emerge after a growing period of 400 hours are big enough to then be cut into a polished stone.
With a bit of tinkering of the chemistry, time and temperature, scientists are able to create blue, pink and white diamonds for the Lightbox collection.
Owned by Anglo American‘s sister company De Beers Group, Lightbox is said to have been founded in response to customer demand for affordable jewelry meant for fun and fashion, rather than for celebrating life’s greatest moments.
“Lightbox will transform the lab-grown diamond sector by offering consumers a lab-grown product they have told us they want but aren’t getting: affordable fashion jewelry that may not be forever, but is perfect for right now,” said Bruce Cleaver, the CEO of De Beers Group. “Our extensive research tells us this is how consumers regard lab-grown diamonds – as a fun, pretty product that shouldn’t cost that much – so we see an opportunity here that’s been missed by lab-grown diamond producers. Lab-grown diamonds are a product of technology, and as we’ve seen with synthetic sapphires, rubies and emeralds, as the technology advances, products become more affordable. After decades of R&D investment, we’re able to offer consumers a better price today. While it will be a small business compared with our core diamond business, we think the Lightbox brand will resonate with consumers and provide a new, complementary commercial opportunity for De Beers Group.”
“Lightbox Jewelry offers consumers something new: sparkle and colours, at a very accessible price. In addition to a deep understanding of what consumers want, Lightbox brings innovation and a commitment to transparency to the lab-grown diamond sector,” added Steve Coe, the general manager of Lightbox. “We’ve learned from our research that there is a lot of confusion about lab-grown diamonds – what they are, how they differ from diamonds, and how they are valued. Lightbox will be clear with consumers about what lab-grown diamonds are and will offer straightforward pricing that is consistent with the true cost of production.”
Lightbox diamonds are exclusively sourced from Element Six, a world-leading supplier of synthetic diamonds. With plans for De Beers Group to invest $94 million USD over four years to build a new Element Six production facility near Portland, Oregon, the facility is estimated to be able to produce roughly half a million rough carats a year once fully operational.
To learn more about Lightbox, click the link below.
