Chinese diamond jewelry retailer brings its wares to the West
Diamonds are a relatively new luxury item in China.
While the precious stones began gaining popularity in the late 19th century among a broader base of customers in Europe and North America, gaining prominence as the stone of choice for engagement rings thanks to a 1938 ad campaign by De Beers, they didn’t make their way to the Eastern country until much later.
“They first entered China in the late 1990s,” says Kellan Dong, the chief executive officer for the Shanghai Kimberlite Diamond Group. “And we were the first company to specialize in diamonds in China in 1995.”
Despite the relatively late entry into the market, the demand for diamonds in China today is very high. And that demand reportedly goes far beyond engagement rings.
“Obviously, when you get married, you need a diamond,” Dong says.
“But, in China now, the younger generations are (a growing number of the population) ... and, for them, diamonds aren’t just for marriage — they’re for daily wear.”
That interest in acquiring the pricey pieces for everyday use has prompted the Shanghai Kimberlite Diamond Group to go beyond the boundaries of design in the hope of enticing young Chinese shoppers to purchase their creations.
“We’re not just focused on the traditional,” Dong says of the designs on offer.
Through its office in Belgium, the company procures its diamonds, which are then used in pieces designed by their more than 300 designers at their “campus” in China under the guidance of chief designer Zhu WenJun.
“Our design team are all younger. They studied abroad in the U.K. and the U.S. and then they bring that Western concept to the design team. Some of them are born after 1990; they’re very young,” Dong says. “And that’s how we hope to give our younger-generation customers more choice.
The brand’s team is hoping its unique designs will entice shoppers a little closer to home too with the opening this month of its first North American store, located at 2828 Granville St. in Vancouver. The retail outpost marks the first Shanghai Kimberlite Diamond Group store outside of China, where it operates about 700 stores.
“Vancouver is, first of all, a really beautiful city,” Dong responds when asked what made the city a good first fit. “But, as we all know, it is a multicultural city, as well.”
Dong says it’s that general awareness of and connection to diverse cultures, specifically Chinese, as well as a general appreciation for luxury goods, that will make the brand a success in the market.
“A lot of our designs are influenced by Chinese culture,” he says. “So, we wanted to bring our product to Vancouver to give people more choices.
“We want to give everyone our design concept.”
The company celebrated the opening of the store with a presentation of its celebrated Moon Goddess necklace, a statementmaking piece featured at Art Basel that boasts 108 carats of diamonds and is valued at $26 million.
Inspired by the reflection of the moon on the surface of the ocean, the necklace is clearly meant to exemplify the company ’s dedication to design and innovation with diamonds. Unfortunately, for those Vancouverites interested in purchasing the stunning piece, it’s not offered for sale.
“We do have High Jewelry that we only present to our customers, but we don’t sell them,” Dong explains. Instead, the company offers “retail versions” of High Jewelry offerings such as the Moon Goddess. These retail versions offer a more subtle, and slightly more affordable, option for shoppers looking to sparkle.
After its stop in the city, the necklace will make its way back to the company’s diamond museum in Shanghai, were all the other exceptional pieces are kept.
“It’s open to the public,” Dong says of the expansive archives. “Just by reservation.”