Helzberg Diamonds Launches Synthetics Line

RAPAPORT... Helzberg Diamonds has launched its owncollection of lab-grown jewelry, Light Heart, citing increased consumer demand for synthetics. The jeweler - owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway- first introduced the line late last year in a limited number of itsstores, it told Rapaport NewsWednesday. Prices of Light Heart items on Helzberg's retail site ranged from $400 to $9,000 at press time. "Helzberg Diamonds is committed to providing customers withjewelry options to best fit their styles and tastes - whether traditional mineddiamonds or lab-grown diamonds," a company spokesperson said. "We continue toevaluate consumer response to our lab-created-diamond offerings." Helzberg has been stocking other brands' synthetic-diamond jewelry sincelate 2017, including bridal and other jewelry from ALTR Created Diamonds. The company is the eighth-largest jewelry retailer in the USby revenue, according to National Jeweler's "State of the Majors" report for 2018. It operates 210stores throughout the country. Image: A pair of Light Heart lab-grown-diamond earrings. (Helzberg Diamonds)