The jewelry retailer is zeroing in on Zales, Jared, Kay Jewelers, and Blue Nile as it looks to create unique brand identities for each.
Little Switzerland Introduces Lab-Grown Diamond Brand
It is called “Engrace” and is available in a variety of colors.

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands—Little Switzerland announced its big push into man-made diamonds last week, launching “Engrace Diamonds,” a lab-grown brand exclusive to its stores.
The man-made stones, sold loose and in finished jewelry, are available in a variety of colors, including white, pink, blue, orange, and olive green.
A Little Switzerland spokesperson said the diamonds are grown in the United States—he declined to name the specific company for “competitive reasons”—and graded by both Independent Gemological Laboratories and International Gemological Institute.
Loose diamonds over a half-carat are laser-inscribed with “LG” on the girdle and are sold with a grading report. Finished jewelry, created in 14-karat and 18-karat gold, also will be laser-inscribed and come with a grading report.
In addition to Engrace, Little Switzerland sells a line of lab-grown diamond jewlery called Nuri & Ash.
In launching Engrace, the retailer touted the value and affordability of the product, noting that customers can “get a bigger and higher-quality lab-grown diamond for the same price as a mined diamond.”
"As an industry leader we felt it was important to not only be the first stores in the Caribbean to offer lab-grown diamonds but to expose and educate our customers on this important new-age product,” CEO Hal Tayler said in a statement.
Little Switzerland has more than 30 locations throughout the Caribbean with boutiques in Aruba, Barbados, Curacao and St. Maarten. It also has U.S. locations, in Puerto Rico and Florida.
Engrace is being sold now online and in most Little Switzerland stores. It is expected to be sold in all the chain’s stores by late 2019.
The Latest

Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, a development economist, will head the fund created to help Botswana diversify its economy.

Sotheby’s has appointed the former Phillips executive as its global head of private sales and retail in its watches division.

As gold prices rise, today’s retailers are looking for alternatives at prices that will appeal to wider audiences.

A private collection of five Paraíba tourmalines also will be up for sale at Sotheby’s High Jewelry auction in New York, scheduled for June 16.


From Gen Z’s view of luxury to “doom spending,” these are the six consumer trends to note this year.

The show started by honoring Mildred Marcano, ended with a tearful Beth Anne Bonanno, and recognized a dozen-plus designers in between.

With the trade and customer trust in mind, GIA® developed NextGem™ – on-demand training designed specifically for retail.

The revamped online diamond marketplace will feature pricing intelligence and data-driven tools for more efficient buying and selling.

The miner said demand for higher-quality emeralds is stable, but there is notable caution in the market.

The “River of Heaven” necklace, our Piece of the Week debuting at Couture, combines 26 salt and pepper diamonds spaced by Tahitian pearls.

This year’s inductees include second-, third-, and fourth-generation jewelers.

The author, speaker, and entrepreneur will give his presentation, “Spiritual Billionaire,” on Saturday morning.

Three-time Grammy award-winning artist Nelly is set to perform at the annual event at Tao Beach on Sunday night.

These up-and-coming jewelry brands are bringing their distinct aesthetic and unique point-of-view to the Design Atelier for the first time.

The lab’s proprietary diamond cut grade has been expanded to include the popular fancy shape.

This year, it’s what could happen outside of show hours that worries JSA Executive Vice President Scott Guginsky.

High-end fashion houses know how to emotionally connect with customers online. Retail jewelers should take note, Emmanuel Raheb writes.

The designers are the third cohort of mentees from the show’s Belonging @ Couture mentorship program.

Buying discipline at trade shows starts with clarity about your inventory levels, Smith writes.

The trade show’s education series returns, with sessions on retail trends, AI, watches, marketing, corporate responsibility, and more.

The Curated Designer Project has expanded to highlight eight independent jewelry designers during CBG’s Las Vegas show.

Bring a cool tone to your summer jewelry with these white metal pieces.

The deal closed this week, which means Instore will produce the JA NY show slated to take place this fall.

The company’s jewelry sales were up in Q4 and the fiscal year, with Richemont raising prices in part because of the cost of gold.

The “Bauble” capsule collection of colorful one-of-a-kinds includes our Piece of the Week, the “Bauble” earrings, featuring rose zircon.

Everett covers colored stones’ surging popularity, the mellow return of the “Mellon Blue,” and his “The Devil Wears Prada” doppelgänger.

























