市场情报 JNA September/October 2022 | 55 The ability to grow the product in a lab offers all sorts of design possibilities, be that colour, shape and size. There is far more control over the product that enables greater creativity. – Nick Smart, commercial director, Lightbox Lightbox and The Future Rocks both have a unique perspective on the subject – Lightbox as the first labgrown diamond jewellery brand to offer linear pricing and standardised products, and The Future Rocks as the first curated online marketplace for lab-grown diamond jewellery brands globally, which seeks to bring LGDs into the mainstream. Promising markets Though lab-grown diamonds were already making their mark before the pandemic, the introspection and changing consumer attitudes brought about by lockdowns and restrictions accelerated market acceptance of and demand for the product. Lightbox launched in 2018 as a direct-to-consumer fashion jewellery brand with linear pricing and product ranges available exclusively online to consumers in the US and Canada. In 2019, it launched in the US with wholesale partners Bloomingdale’s and Reeds Jewelers. Today, it ships to 75 countries and is present in over 120 stores in North America. “While the US and Canada remain our primary markets, we have had strong success in the UK. Hong Kong is one of our leading markets as well and there is a growing level of demand from Singapore and Australia. We believe this appetite and growing awareness and demand for lab-grown diamonds is a global phenomenon. It is gaining traction worldwide,” said Smart. The Future Rocks, for its part, has seen strong uptake from the market since its launch in April 2021. The platform carries artisan and designer brands with a distinctive future-forward perspective. Now showcasing 18 brands from the US, France, Germany and Japan among others, it ships to 22 countries around the world, with most deliveries heading to the US. Tsang is now training his sights on Japan and China, two markets where TFR launched earlier this year. “The US is the biggest market at the moment and has the biggest number of LGD brands. Japan is also showing much potential. Orders are pouring in from Japan and, at the same time, the Japanese brands on our platform are doing well globally due to their minimalist designs and unique interpretation of brand values,” Tsang shared. He has high expectations of China too, where he hopes to introduce LGDs to consumers, attract Chinese brands onto the platform and introduce these to a global audience. “Our goal is to be the driver of the LGD industry globally. Lab-grown diamonds are becoming popular in China and we expect that market to account for significant GMV (gross merchandise value),” Tsang said. The LGD customer The customer base for lab-grown diamond jewellery is widening as well, with the product category gaining more followers across age groups and occasions. According to Smart, Lightbox initially targeted a typically self-gifting female aged 25 and younger. But aside from its millennial audience, the brand has seen a broader spread of acceptance since its launch. “We span both the self-gifting and regular occasion gifting segment as well as travel jewellery. Many of our customers own diamond jewellery; Lightbox however enables them to own something they could not access in natural diamonds – a pair of pink or blue LGD studs or a bigger stone,” Smart revealed. Earrings with 2-carat lab-grown diamonds by Lightbox Lightbox的2克拉LGD钻石耳环
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