Lightbox to Launch Rings and Bracelets

RAPAPORT... De Beers plansto expand its Lightbox product offering next year after observing strong consumer interest in its rollout of synthetic-diamond jewelry.The company hopes to introduce stackable rings in the latter part ofthe first quarter, Sally Morrison, Lightbox's chief marketing officer, confirmedto Rapaport News Monday. Bracelets will then come onto the market laterin 2019. John Vardis, who posts on Twitter as @diamondanalyst,revealed the development on the social-media platform on Friday after visitinga pop-up store Lightbox opened in New York last week. Lightbox launched sales of its fashion jewelry in September,featuring white, pink and blue lab-grown diamonds. De Beers is marketing themas fun, affordable products, rather than targeting the bridal market, withretail prices at $800 per carat plus the setting. Its temporary jewelry display at the Oculus transportationhub last week was the first time the products had been on show in a physicalretail location. Consumers were able to see the products, try them on, and askquestions to Lightbox representatives. "Traffic was very healthy, and consumers were engaged andcurious," Morrison added. "Primarily, their questions confirmed what earlierresearch had told us: That there is general confusion about the category.Overall response was positive about the product - people thought it lookedgood."Image: Models at the Lightbox pop-up store. (Lightbox)