Hyped Synthetic Diamond Store Closes

RAPAPORT... Vrai & Oro, a subsidiary of lab-grown diamond producer Diamond Foundry, will be shutting its Los Angeles store after onlysix months in business, the online jewelry retailer announced in a blog postlast week. Founder and creative director Vanessa Stofenmacherattributed the closing to the challenges of retail. Prior to opening the store,Vrai & Oro, which Diamond Foundry bought in2016, said that it had been a "long-time dream" to open a physical space. The onlineretailer's goal was to connect with its customers in "real-life moments." Vrai & Oro plans tocontinue its online sales, Stofenmacher stressed. "In 2018, we are moving faster than ever andfocusing 100% of our efforts on our digital experience, which means improvingour website, developing new technologies and thinking creatively about how tosolve customer pain points," she said.