Diamond Foundry-Owned Brand to Open First Retail Location

Los Angeles--Diamond Foundry, the San Francisco-based man-made diamond company backed by various Silicon Valley and Hollywood types, is breaking new ground with a store opening this week.

Vrai & Oro, the Los Angeles fine jewelry label that was purchased by Diamond Foundry in November of last year, is opening a store in downtown L.A. at the ROW DTLA shopping center this week.

It’s the first brick-and-mortar location for Vrai & Oro, which previously sold jewelry online only and markets itself as a company that sells to its customers without a retail markup.

The new store is 680 square feet and will sell all three of Vrai & Oro’s collections featuring Diamond Foundry diamonds: Essentials, which consists of everyday diamond and 14-karat gold pieces like pendants and stacking rings priced under $1,000, with most of it retailing for under $500; the Vow collection, Vrai & Oro’s fore into bridal; and its recently launched Black collection, which also consists of everyday diamond pieces but with larger stones. It’s priced from $2,080 for a 0.65-carat rose-cut diamond pendant necklace to $8,460 for 2-carat diamond stud earrings.

A spokesperson indicated to National Jeweler that the addition of larger-sized diamond pieces from the Vow and Black collections helped inspire the company to open a space where customers could see the pieces in person.

“We’re excited to be able to offer in-person appointments for larger purchases, such as engagement rings, as well as showcasing exclusive limited-edition designs,” she said, adding that the space would also offer education about Diamond Foundry-created stones.

Diamond Foundry developed its own solar power technology to create its man-made diamonds, growing them in plasma reactors at their San-Francisco location. Diamonds are cut and polished on-site and graded by the Gemological Institute of America.

The company has initiated a slew of partnerships with prestigious retailers--such as Barney’s and Portland, Oregon independent jeweler Twist--and designers over the past year.

Diamond Foundry counts Leonardo DiCaprio as an investor, and Wendi Murdoch and fashion entrepreneur Miroslava Duma as brand ambassadors.

Vrai & Oro’s brick-and-mortar store will be open to the public beginning this Saturday, with an exclusive opening event held on Friday.