Unlocking the Brilliance: Exploring L’ERA’s Lab-Grown Diamonds – In the realm of luxury and elegance, diamonds have always held a special place. Symbolising eternal love, sophistication, and unparalleled beauty, these precious gemstones have adorned the fingers, necks, and ears of royalty and commoners alike for centuries. However, with the rise of ethical and sustainable consumerism, the traditional diamond industry has faced scrutiny regarding its environmental impact and labour practices. In response to this demand for a more conscientious approach to luxury, L’ERA has emerged as a pioneer, offering lab-grown diamonds that redefine the concept of beauty and responsibility.
Founded by mother-daughter duo, Angele and Lara, L’ERA was borne out of a passion for diamonds and a desire to make them accessible to everyone. Angele, with her background in the jewellery industry, set out on a mission to offer high-quality, beautiful, lab-grown diamonds.
Women Talking had the opportunity to find out more about this inspirational partnership.
What was your inspiration behind the company L’ERA?
“Angele worked within a jewellery store and for the first time, due to a generous staff discount, was able to afford diamonds and immediately felt a sense of empowerment while wearing them. She remembers feeling frustrated at the time that this feeling was out of reach to many due to the high price of quality diamond pieces. It was then that she decided she wanted to set up a new jewellery brand offering more affordable diamonds so that other people could feel as she did when wearing their jewellery. Angele had no idea, yet, how she would achieve this until she discovered lab-grown diamonds. Due to using LG diamonds, L’ERA offers a better clarity and colour of diamond and is always full cut. Many leading jewellery brands still offer single-cut diamonds meaning they have just 18 facets rather than the 47/48 facets of a brilliant-cut diamond. This significantly affects the sparkle”.
Is there a meaning behind the name?
“Firstly, the last two letters of the founders’ names. LE and RA join to make LERA. The addition of the apostrophe is a nod to our Italian heritage, making the name L’ERA which means ‘the era’ in Italian. It just felt right as this is the ‘era’ of affordable diamonds”.
Has it been challenging working together?
“There could be challenges, living together and working together. However, for us, it has been great. We have totally different skill sets which complement each other well. We laugh together and cry together. Owning and running a business can be very stressful, but there is no one else we would rather be doing it with. The biggest challenge is separating home life from work life as our downtime is so often consumed with work talk”.
Why do you both have a passion for diamonds?
“For a long time, diamonds have been synonymous with quality and opulence, evoking a certain sense of luxury. They can enhance positive feelings; when I’m already feeling great about myself, wearing diamonds enhances that sensation. Conversely, during times when my confidence is low, wearing my diamond jewellery acts as a shield, providing a boost of confidence precisely when I need it most”.
Lara: “After my divorce, I grappled with self-confidence and wasn’t accustomed to wearing jewellery. Angele suggested trying some of her jewellery as a pick-me-up, and I was amazed at the sense of empowerment it provided. This experience was pivotal for me, becoming the primary reason I wanted to be involved in establishing the brand”.
Angele: “I often find myself uncomfortable in various social situations. Wearing jewellery becomes a source of confidence that helps me feel more at ease in my own skin. While I acknowledge that diamonds do not possess mystical or magical powers, the boost in confidence they provide greatly influences my mental state when I wear them”.
What is the difference between lab-grown diamonds and natural diamonds are they still classified as diamonds?
“In 2018, the Federal Trade Commission made a decisive ruling: “A diamond is a diamond, no matter whether it is grown in a lab or extracted from the ground.” Lab-grown diamonds are chemically identical to their earth-mined counterparts, boasting the same hardness of 10 on the Mohs scale and a refractive index of 2.42.
Despite their identical properties, some may wonder how a specialised machine can still differentiate between them. The irony lies in the fact that this machine specifically detects impurities within earth-mined diamonds, such as Boron. Mined diamonds acquire impurities from their surroundings during their growth, whereas lab-grown diamonds are cultivated in a controlled environment, eliminating these impurities. Consequently, a lab-grown diamond is, in fact, purer than its earth-grown counterpart.
However, the diamond industry is vehemently resisting the rise of lab-grown diamonds for apparent reasons. They argue that earth-mined diamonds are rare, which is not entirely accurate. The supply is strategically constrained by the diamond industry to generate higher demand and maintain elevated prices. The increasing popularity of lab-grown diamonds is causing a notable impact on the pricing of mined diamonds, and this trend is likely to persist as more individuals recognise that lab-grown diamonds are genuine, not imitations or fakes like cubic zirconia, for example”.
How are lab-grown diamonds crafted?
“Currently, at L’ERA, we use HPHT (High-Pressure High-Temperature diamonds). This method involves a small diamond seed being subjected to high pressure and high temperature to mimic the conditions under which natural diamonds form in the Earth’s mantle”.
L’ERA lab-grown diamonds represent a paradigm shift in the world of luxury. By embracing ethical sourcing, environmental sustainability, and technological innovation, they have redefined what it means to indulge in the timeless elegance of diamonds, it serves as a reminder that true beauty is not just found in the sparkle of a gemstone, but in the integrity of its creation.
For more information visit L’ERA here www.lerajewellery.com
Poppy Watt