Page 48 - Travel Markets Insider October 2021 Final

INSIDER

One on One with Hal Tayler, CEO of Little Switzerland
Little Switzerland’s ethically-sourced lab-grown

Engrace Diamonds shine on land and sea

With about one-seventh of the brand to the cruise ships and other potential much higher standard.”
environmental impact and produced duty free distributors. Tayler reports that in addition
with 85 percent less water compared to “We are looking for more to growing white diamonds, Little
traditional diamond mining*, Engrace distribution,” confirms Tayler. But despite Switzerland is specializing in growing blue,
Diamonds by Little Switzerland creates looking for potential distribution, Tayler yellow and pink diamonds as well.
sustainable, ethically-sourced genuine emphasizes that Little Switzerland will be “We use a proprietary method that
diamond rings, bracelets, earrings and very selective in that distribution. delivers consistency in color. And unlike
pendants. Starting this September, curated “First and foremost, any future many other ‘color enhanced’ gemstones
collections of the lab-grown diamonds partners will have to share the same on the market, we do not treat these stones
premiered onboard six cruise ships in retailing philosophy as Little Switzerland— with heat or a coating process. Our stones
which Starboard Cruise Services manages as does Starboard,” he emphasized. are injected with the same natural gases
retail operations. that occur in nature, and these gases are
While Little Switzerland and Why lab-grown diamonds? injected into the growing chamber during
Starboard announced their groundbreaking The owner of Little Switzerland’s the creation of the stones. If you were to
partnership this past September, the affiliated company began researching cut one of our colored diamonds in half,
two industry leaders had begun testing lab-grown diamonds 5-6 years ago. After a the color saturation would be consistent
the concept before the pandemic, said few years of intense testing, the company throughout the stone, rather than just on the
Hal Tayler, Chief Executive Officer developed its own proprietary growing surface or heat treated,” he says.
of Caribbean luxury retailer Little methods beyond the base technology
Switzerland. everyone else was using; and three Brilliance and Value
Tayler told TMI that Little Switzerland years ago they reached the point where Lab-grown diamonds are gaining a
is working with Starboard since the two they could begin producing and selling reputation for their brilliance and sparkle,
companies share many of the same values consistent lab-grown diamonds. as well as for value.
as well as their approach to customer Tayler explains: “The process calls for “One of the largest online sources for
service. growing a rough diamond in a machine that diamonds and engagement rings, Helzberg.
“The test was really successful and we creates heat and pressure, just like nature com, is now highlighting lab-grown
were supposed to rollout in March 2020, does. After you harvest the rough diamond diamonds over natural diamonds on its
but then COVID came and shut everything from the machine, you still have to send homepage. They compare what you get
down,” said Tayler. it out to be cut and polished, just like we for your money, from quality to brilliance,
Using the leverage and credibility do with diamonds that are grown in the saying you get twice as much with a lab-
of the highly respected Little Switzerland ground. grown stone,” says Tayler.
name, the company created an in-house “As we moved forward, we have “Because the cost of producing the
brand that it has been distributing through been able to refine the process to increase lab-grown rough diamonds is less than
its own stores across the Caribbean for the the yield and our control of the rough mining the natural in-ground stone, we
past three years. But now, the company diamonds. In the early days, we weren’t so strive to cut the stone to perfection, which
says that the time is right to expand this sure what we would end up with, in terms is where the brilliance comes from. This
of clarity, color and quality. Now we are cut is the first thing you notice with our
at the point where we can control that to a lab-grown diamonds—all the jewelry is
*International Grown Diamond Association.
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