Bringing a diamond’s sparkle to millennials
By Jacquie De Almeida
Leon Peres believes in travelling light, although he sometimes has little choice in the matter.
If you’ve caught him visiting a jewellery store, it’s likely because he’s hosting a diamond-cutting event for Ofer Mizrahi Diamonds, for which he serves as senior vice-president, marketing and business development. With him is about a tonne of diamond-cutting equipment, which includes a bench, polishing wheel, and laser scanner to determine the best yield on the rough. At the centre of all the action, you’ll find one of the company’s diamond cutters, who is happy to answer questions guests may have about his craft.
The events are meant to not only showcase how a diamond’s sparkle is enticed from its rough form, but to create a memorable experience. It’s a tactic that also happens to appeal to millennials, a key purchasing demographic for the diamond category.
“We have a few Canadian retailers who have signed up for our diamond-cutting events this year,” Peres tells Jewellery Business from Ofer Mizrahi Diamonds’ Chicago office, one of six in North America, including Vancouver. Other locations can be found in Panama, Hong Kong, and India, while its main manufacturing facility is in Israel.
“Millennials see the technology we bring with us and it’s something they respond to. They photograph the event and put it on Facebook. In the end, they understand a diamond is cut by an artist’s hand.”
