Albert's Reveals New Sustainable Diamond Line

The owners and administration of Albert’s Jeweler in Schererville invited local media to a presentation on November 2nd that introduced their new line of synthetic diamond jewelry made by ALTR diamonds, a division of RIAM Group Ltd.

The technology was first successfully implemented commercially in 1954 by Schenectady Laboratories. In its early stages the quality of lab-grown diamonds was not high enough for a jewelry market, but companies have been working on improving techniques for the last six decades.

ALTR is the first company to grow, cut, polish, and brand their own diamonds in a synthetic environment, in a cost effective way.

“We’re bringing this to the market as a choice,” said President Amish R. Shah. “We’ve had a breakthrough in bringing products to the market at an affordable price. Created diamonds are diamonds grown in labs and are exactly identical in chemical, optical, and physical composition to [mined] diamonds.”

The only drawback to a lab created diamond is the stigma surrounding its creation. Members of ALTR and the associates of its retailers are prepared to explain how a lab grown diamond is still a real diamond.

To grow a diamond, ALTR recreates the same conditions that form natural diamonds 87 to 118 miles into the Earth’s mantle. They use a sliver of an already matured diamond as a seed. When it is placed under extreme heat and pressure, crystals begin to form. Since they can take new seeds out of the diamonds they produce, the entire process is sustainable.

This means lab grown diamonds are also an eco friendly alternative to the risks involved in mining precious gems.

“We can only work with retailers who understand the concepts of education and connecting with customers,” Shah said.

Albert’s is the only retailer in Chicagoland allowed to sell ALTR diamonds.

“Today is meant to educate,” said Albert’s President, Josh Halpern. “We want to tell the consumer what we’re doing, in the right way. One of the things, especially for the millennial consumer, is being eco-friendly. These [diamonds] are created in a closed environment, they are all made with recycled metals. So people who are concerned can buy an ALTR diamond and know they haven’t harmed the environment.”

They can also be confident in the quality of the gem they are getting.

Each diamond goes to the Gem Certification and Assurance Lab to be tested. They have their gemprint registered, which gives owners an insurance discount on their coverage of the jewelry. They also go through the 4 Cs Grading Analysis, which scrutinizes the crystal’s carat weight, cut, color, and clarity.

“It’s an industry changer,” said Christine Martinez, the Social Media Specialist for Albert’s. “And we’re excited about it. Lab grown diamonds are trending right now.”

Paul Lucas, Operations Manager for Albert’s, agreed with her. “We wanted to have a presentation here because we thought it would be a more personal introduction. Plus there is more interaction. With a Q&A section we thought there’d be questions that we wouldn’t think of because we are in the industry already.”

The presentation took an in depth look at the process behind synthetic diamonds and the marketing used to sell them. It revealed another application unique to ALTR’s new diamonds: they can use the carbon taken from a strand of hair or the ashes of a loved one to grow a custom diamond. They can combine samples from two different people to make an engagement ring that is truly a part of them.

“This is truly a revolution in the diamond industry,” said Albert’s owner Fred Halpern. “It’s going to change how we make diamonds, and how we sell them.”