Natural Prices: Fred's High Jewelry Blue Lab Growns
October 16, 23
(IDEX Online) - Another LVMH luxury brand is embracing lab growns, with the launch by Fred of a range high jewelry pieces featuring bright blue gems, surrounded by white, natural diamonds.
In April TAG Heuer said it was producing a Carrera Plasma watch, incorporating almost 12 carats of lab growns, with a $376,000 price tag.
Paris-based Fred says it took years of research to develop its Audacious Blue lab growns now featured in its Force 10 Duality collection that comprising a $253,000 tie necklace, a bracelet, a ring and a 0.5-ct single earring that costs $53,000.
Charles Leung, the maison's CEO, said the price of the whole collection ($559,000) was in line with what the cost would have been if the center stones had been natural white diamonds rather than blue lab growns.
LVMH finance chief Jean-Jacques Guiony told the WWD website it was too early to say whether another of its maisons, Tiffany & Co, would also be using lab growns. It was something that would have to be "weighed and assessed carefully," he said.
Pic courtesy Fred