Pure Grown, the man-made diamond company formerly known as Gemesis, is selling a 3 ct. K SI stone—which it calls the largest colorless diamond ever produced by nonnatural means.
Lisa Bissell, the Fabrikant veteran recently appointed president and CEO of the company, says that she has every intention of selling the gem, which has a report from the International Gemological Institute. “I don’t run a museum,” she says. She predicts it may fetch $21,000.
With Bissell taking over, the rechristened New York City–based company—owned by Suraj Mehta, son of Indian diamantaire Jatin Mehta—is solely devoted to sales and marketing.
“I am here to produce a brand,” she tells JCK in her first interview since taking the position.
Many of the company’s stones are created by Singapore-based IIa Technologies — headed by Suraj’s brother Vishal — although it also buys from other sources, Bissell says.
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Bissell says the diamonds sell for around 25 percent less than comparable naturals. The company plans to continue to sell through its website, but it also hopes to sell to manufacturers and independents and is planning to produce its own jewelry.
Most of the colorless diamonds it sells are in the half-carat range, but it also has in stock some colored diamonds, including yellows and pinks. Noting it is not economical to produce melee, she doesn’t expect her stones will work for fashion pieces and considers them better suited for bridal items. And despite her Fabrikant background, Bissell doesn’t think her product is well suited for the mass market.
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“Lisa Bissell [Pure Grown] says the diamonds sell for around 25 percent less than comparable naturals.”
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“It’s not a low-end product,” she says, “so it doesn’t lend itself to that.”
Pictures Pure Grown. 3 ct. K SI lab-grown diamond.
