Dali Diamond Launches New Diamond Cut Set In Handbag

Another and novel approach to down-streaming is being made by Antwerp-based diamond manufacturer Dali Diamond as its unveiling the “Diamond Delvaux,” a limited edition high-end luxury handbag, set with a 0.50-carat diamond, manufactured according to Dali's exclusive WebCut® design.

The bag is designed and crafted by the Delvaux leatherwear company, and will debut during the Best Jewellery Wearer Award ceremony at the International Jewellery Tokyo (IJT) show in Japan, where a bag was presented to Maki Mizuno, a Japanese movie star.

Dali says it represented the first step in a comprehensive, worldwide marketing campaign by the company to raise awareness for the WebCut® diamond.

Only 100 handbags were made, each crafted from ostrich leather and set a WebCut® diamond.

“Launching a new diamond cut in today's competitive environment is not an easy task,” admits Isi Morsel, the CEO of Dali Diamond. “In order to generate maximum awareness both from the trade and the consumer, we chose to team up with an already established brand. In Delvaux, the oldest leatherwear manufacturer in the world, we found an excellent partner to create a new and somewhat unusual jewelry item-the Diamond Delvaux”.

The WebCut® Diamond is a unique 48-facet diamond cut, inspired by the work of one of nature's best-known architects - the spider. Using the “Charles Process”, the cut maximizes the journey of light through the diamond.

For Francois Schwennicke, the CEO of Delvaux, the Diamond Delvaux couldn't have come at a better time. “In 2004, we celebrate the 175th birthday of Delvaux, and this partnership with Dali Diamond allowed us to create a very special edition of handbags to celebrate the anniversary,” he said.

The Diamond Delvaux series has been limited to 100 pieces, each of which is numbered and certified. Created from high quality ostrich leather, the bags were handmade in Delvaux' own workshop. The WebCut® diamonds used are at least half-caraters and are HRD-certified.

In addition to its debut at IJT's Best Jewellery Wearer Awards ceremony, the Diamond Delvaux collection will be shown tomorrow (Thursday) at a reception at the Belgian Embassy in Tokyo.

During the next phase of its marketing campaign, Dali Diamond will launch a jewelry line based on the WebCut®, which will be test-marketed in high-profile jewelry outlets throughout Japan during the year.

In 2005, the concept will be rolled out in other major jewelry markets in the U.S. and the Far East.