Christopher Slowinski, the jewelry designer and manufacturer behind New York-based Christopher Designs, is best known for his proprietary Crisscut diamond cuts featuring “crisscrossed” facets that create optical illusions designed to maximize the size, brilliance, and beauty of the stones.
Now, Slowinski is turning his lasers and saws on lab-grown diamonds. At the upcoming Luxury show in Las Vegas, Christopher Designs is set to unveil its Neon Crisscut collection of engagement rings, wedding bands, anniversary rings, pendants, earrings, and bracelets featuring lab-grown diamonds fashioned into five proprietary shapes (round, emerald, oval, pear, and cushion).
“The lab-grown market is expanding tremendously, and we have a unique opportunity to be the first in the space to use our patented proprietary diamond cuts,” Slowinski tells JCK. “The designs are modern, classic, and very refined. Each piece is made with the attention to detail and immaculate craftsmanship that our partners have grown to know and love.”
The collection, which starts at $1,200 retail, is the product of careful market consideration. “We collaborated quite a bit with our retail partners before entering this category,” says Slowinski. “We wanted to not only ensure its success, but position Neon Crisscut as a completely different option from our core collection to satisfy consumer desire.”
Why now? Slowinski says the lab-grown category’s increasing sophistication coupled with the continued strength of jewelry sales, a pandemic-related phenomenon that has continued well into 2022, made it clear that the time was right to expand into new territory.
“Business has been steadily climbing even considering all of the post-COVID difficulties, including production delays, inventory shortages, etc.,” says Slowinski. “Our retail partners are as busy as ever.”
All of which bodes well for the Luxury and JCK shows opening in Las Vegas on June 8 and June 10, respectively. “We were pleasantly surprised by last year’s show,” Slowinski says, “and we know this year will be even better.”
Top: Engagement rings in 14k white gold with (from top) 1.2 ct. Neon Crisscut round lab-grown diamond center with 1.54 cts. t.w. round diamonds; 1.2 ct. Neon emerald lab-grown diamond center with 1.11 cts. t.w. round diamonds; and 1.21 ct. Neon Crisscut oval lab-grown diamond center with 1.58 cts. t.w. round diamonds; all prices on request
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