Online Museum of Named Diamonds Invites Public—Especially Millennials—to Name Its Diamonds

The homepage of the Museum of Named Diamonds

A group of industry professionals has launched a website and diamond registry service to showcase named diamonds—and appeal to millennials. 

The Museum of Named Diamonds is meant to be the single registry for named diamonds, highlighting the stories of the famous ones—the Hope, the Kohinoor, the Orlov—and inviting the public to name, register, and share the stories of their own diamonds.

The team behind the project includes director and CEO Krista Olson, the cofounder of LUXURY by JCK; chairman of the board William Boyajian, former president of GIA; vice chairman Jacques Voorhees, founder of Polygon and CEO of Verichannel; and board member Jeffrey Fischer, CEO of Fischer Diamonds. 

“Every diamond has a story, which connects it on some level to a relationship,” said Olson. “Grading labs record gemological data. The museum records emotions, memories, and the excitement behind the diamonds themselves. We believe these elements are no less important than the 4 C’s.” 

Each diamond showcased has a piece of original artwork to represent it, plus a verse, and the name of the owner. Some diamonds have stories attached to them as well.

“Any diamond can be featured in the museum,” said Voorhees. “The process is simple. A name must be chosen to make the diamond unique and to connect it somehow to the relationship it represents. For example, one of our personalized diamonds is named Strawberry Harvest, because the money to buy that one-third ct. engagement-ring was earned picking strawberries during the Great Depression. That story, and many more, are preserved in the museum. We bring these stories to life and help remind people that diamonds aren’t commodities. Each one is a sliver of history. Each one is special.” 

A separate company, Nymify, is the “curator” for the museum and provides the opportunity for individuals to register their own diamond names. The cost to showcase a diamond on the page and commission original artwork to represent it is $99 to the public, $79 to the trade, and $69 if purchased in a batch of 10 or more.

“We are giving away the naming service on every diamond we sell, over one-fourth ct.,” said Stephen Burstein, of Stephen’s Fine Jewelry, a Kansas City, Kan., retailer. “It helps us move the conversation back to the relationship the diamond represents and away from mere commodity pricing.” 

The team expects that the museum and naming service will be especially appealing to millennials, who are known for sharing everything on the social web.

“A recent study found that 88 percent of engaged couples use social media to share a picture of their diamond,” said Olson. “Now they can share their diamond’s full museum page, including its name, story, and accompanying artwork, making the experience that much more exciting. And the experience is what millennials care about.”

A screenshot of featured diamonds from the site 

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