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Anna Zuckerman started her namesake demi-fine jewelry brand in 2020, after more than two decades working in fine jewelry. She questioned the future of the industry, at a time when all eyes were shifting to lab-grown diamonds. In 2022, the lab-grown diamond industry was worth over $22 billion dollars; it is projected to reach $37 billion by 2028.
Zuckerman’s company, which launched a rebrand on Thursday, focuses on jewelry featuring Diamond Crystalline. The man-made gem is created by taking the highest-grade cubic zirconia and coating it with tiny particles of lab-grown diamonds. The stone is then crystallized through a vaporization process of extreme heat and pressure conditions. “The result ensures that the gems never get cloudy or foggy, and always maintain a brilliant sparkle comparable to diamonds,” Zuckerman said.
With the rebrand, the company aims to reposition its jewelry as something you should wear every day. “We recognized our brand’s potential in servicing clients as a lifestyle brand, and not one to be saved for occasions,” Zuckerman said. She also hopes that the brand inspires women to “indulge in self-purchase,” rather than wait for jewelry as a gift from a partner.
Zuckerman and her team have placed a premium on getting the brand in the hands of celebrities and influencers, and not just on the red carpet. Its paid partners include Ivan Bitton Style House, a fashion agency owned by Ivan Bitton that has helped place the brand on stars including Becky G and Paula Abdul. “A strong part of our growth strategy is in partnering with organic, like-minded brand ambassadors who partner with us in our mission to bring glamour and luxury to the everyday,” Zuckerman said.
A recent success for the brand came via Meghan Trainor’s music video for the song “Mother,” released in March. Trainor wears a necklace, earrings and ring from the brand.
Since the video spot, the brand has seen a 52% increase in year-over-year sales in the same time period. On March 15, as social tags started to roll in following the video’s release, the brand saw an 83% increase in website traffic and sold out of both the ring and the earrings Trainor wore.
For Bitton, working with non-precious jewels has become preferable to the alternative. “It’s because of the insurance, obviously,” he said. “Most times, celebrities prefer that it’s not a real diamond … because of the insurance and the security that diamonds entail. To have a brand like Anna Zuckerman that gives you all the glory of diamonds without all the headaches, that’s the best.”
Influencer Xandra Pohl recently wore one of the brand’s more affordable pieces at Coachella. The $60 Cruise Enamel Bear Necklace was selected by Pohl’s stylists, the on-the-rise sisters Danielle and Alix Gropper. “As stylists, we’re always exploring new jewelry brands to build out our collection and introduce new brands to our assortment of jewels. … Anna’s pieces don’t compromise quality and can be styled in so many different ways,” said Alix Gropper, adding, “We use non-precious jewels as the starting foundation for every client’s [look]. [They’re] something they can gravitate toward every day, without investing too much.” Pohl tagged the brand, resulting in the sale of 12 necklaces.
In March, Digiday cited a Hubspot study showing that “33% of Gen Z have made a purchase based on a recommendation from an influencer in the past three months.”
For Zuckerman and her team, growing consumer interest in lab-grown diamonds presents an opportunity. “Technology has become a driver of how we’re able to play with glamour, to offer the look without the barriers of entry that you have with borrowing diamonds. … There’s more opportunity for celebrities, influencers and stylists to have more fun with glamour. It is truly worry-free wardrobing.”
