Le Vian: Sweet Dreams Are Made of Chocolate Diamonds
New York-based jeweller Le Vian has a family jewellery collection dating back to 1501, but its designs are far from antiquated with its Chocolate Diamond making sweet jewellery dreams come true. Share
Although founded in 1950, family-owned jeweller Le Vian can date its ancestry back to the 15th Century. Its roots in jewellery date back to 1746 when its ancestors guarded the Persian royal jewels, including the Koh-i-Noor diamond, one of the worlds largest cut diamonds at 105.6 carats, and now a central part of the British Crown Jewels.
It therefore makes sense that Le Vian held a catwalk of its jewellery at the Tower of London in 2023, in partnership with high-street fine jeweller Ernest Jones, showcasing its trend forecast for 2024, as well as the family’s private collection which dates back to 1501.
Le Vian is known for its unique colour combinations, and its designers insist on starting every piece with an original idea, not taking inspiration from pre-existing pieces. According to Le Vian, this has led to over 100,000 new pieces since the company’s inception.
The New York-based jeweller is proof that luxury can be synonymous with ethics, as Le Vian donates 10-20% of its pre-tax profits to charity annually, supporting diamond producing regions, medical charities, jewellery industry charities and local communities in the New York area. As well as this, it stages an annual fundraising catwalk in Las Vegas for top buyers, collectors and members of the international press.
Although Le Vian boasts a number of colourful designs, it is most famous for its exclusive Chocolate Diamond, which they deemed to be previously underappreciated. The diamonds meet strict ethical and quality criteria and were trademarked by the company in 2000. These rich gems now have over 5 million collectors worldwide, and Le Vian even launched a collaboration with Godiva Chocolates in 2022.
Since the 2020 closure of Australia’s Argyle diamond mine, which was the source of over 80% of the world’s Chocolate Diamonds, their rarity, and therefore their price, has been increasing. A favourite among celebrities, American singer Jennifer Lopez has been known to greet her stylist with the words, “Where’s my Le Vian?”. Its diamonds have also been sported by the likes of Rihanna, Camilla Cabello and Taylor Swift.
Le Vian is available online via its website.
