Grown Brilliance is a dream realized in the world of jewelry
Akshie Jhaveri was born into a family of jewelers. Raised in Mumbai, she witnessed her father create wearable art for his clients, dreaming of the moment she could follow in his footsteps. “It was my dream as a child,” she told Whitewall. “Seeing the pleasure it gave his customers when they received their piece of jewelry made me want to do the same.”
Courtesy of Grown Brilliance.
Today, that’s exactly what Jhaveri does at her company Grown Brilliance, which she founded in 2021. Working from a studio in New York City with a female-dominant team, there is, however, a catch. Grown Brilliance creates one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces from lab-grown diamonds, amplifying a sustainable message. From fine jewelry pieces to high jewelry collections, each piece is designed and created in a lab, making use of alternative energy resources for diamond production that’s both healthy for the planet and future generations.
Jhaveri shared with Whitewall how her role in the industry has taken shape, what’s in her jewelry box, and what collection Grown Brilliance is working on next.
Portrait of Akshie Jhaveri courtesy of Grown Brilliance.
WHITEWALL: How did growing up around Mumbai craft influence your view of jewelry design?
AKSHIE JHAVERI: Mumbai being the melting pot of Asia, we grew up with art and culture not just from rich Indian heritage, but also with the artistic influence of countries like Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand etc. This influence has helped me learn about jewelry design in a global and holistic way.
WW: You’ve been around natural diamonds your entire life. Why launch a lab-grown company?
AJ: I believe that we owe it to the future generation to make the world a more sustainable place to live in. If we can advance in technology to create alternative energy resources, alternative innovative ways to save the environment as a whole, then why should the diamond industry still be primitive in its thinking. When I was in the natural diamond world, there were NO alternatives to mined diamonds. The moment I saw that lab-grown diamonds are exactly the same as mined diamonds, I wanted to bring that option to those who are truly looking to live a sustainable life and do good for the environment and themselves. Not only that, but the true cost and quality benefits of buying a lab-grown diamond is another reason for me to start Grown Brilliance.
Courtesy of Grown Brilliance.
Lab-grown diamond details at Grown Brilliance
WW: What does Grown Brilliance offer the lab-grown diamond industry that’s different than other companies?
AJ: Truly Custom being one of our pride projects, lets customers bring their imagination to life. From the time they submit their idea or inspiration, to the time they receive a 3D design of their dream jewelry, it takes us only 48 hours. High jewelry is another first-of-its-kind offering that only GB provides to its customers. There is no brand that offers Lab Grown Diamond High Jewelry which is ready to purchase with a click of a button. No appointments, no fussy experience, and no pushy salespeople. Someone who is looking for that statement piece of diamond jewelry, can buy it without breaking the bank. Overall, GB’s goal has always been to make the customer’s shopping experience frictionless and fast.
WW: How are the actual pieces made?
AJ: For our High Jewelry Collection, it usually starts with one of my recent travels or a place that I have been longing to go to, as my inspiration. I send those inspirations to our design team who in turn send me back sketches of variations and ideas. I make the changes that I think would work best for that piece, and we come up with a final CAD rendering. We then create and cut the diamonds needed for each design with our diamond factory. These diamonds are planned and laser cut to precision. The piece of jewelry is then cast in our overseas factory. It is then brought to the U.S. to be handset, polished and finished, after which it goes through multiple quality checks, including mine. Once my team and I are satisfied with the piece, we decide to offer it on our site.
Courtesy of Grown Brilliance.
Surroundings that inspire
WW: Today, you live in New York City. What does the city offer you in terms of inspiration? What’s exciting you today?
AJ: New York City has gone through some major ups and downs through the years. Despite the setbacks, it has always bounced back with even more vigor. This type of resilience is what I derive my inspiration from. To me, challenges are opportunities and that’s what excites me.
WW: What collection is next?
AJ: I’m extremely excited for our next product launch for High Jewelry. We are introducing fancy colored yellow and pink diamonds into our pieces. The fire and contrast between the white and fancy-colored diamonds will be stunning.
Courtesy of Grown Brilliance.
WW: The brand is a female-founded company. How does this influence decision-making?
AJ: Our brand is just not female-founded, 75 percent of our team consists of women! In terms of decision-making, I don’t see it any different than what it would have been with a room full of men. Women today have tremendous ambition and are not afraid to speak their minds. The exciting part of the journey is hearing different ideas and viewpoints and seeing how they come to fruition: women or men, we believe in encouraging thought leadership.
WW: How does being lab-grown feed into a larger message about sustainability?
AJ: In more ways than one. Lab Lab-grown diamonds have become a direct replacement for mined diamonds. Traditional mined diamonds have devasted the earth with all the digging and the amount of water it uses. It has displaced entire communities. In countries like Africa is has been the source of funding arms and ammunition. With the invention of lab-grown diamonds, one can be certain that these are 100% conflict-free and do not hurt the earth in any way. Even the amount of energy and electricity that the LGD machines use, we offset our carbon footprint by 100 percent. Sustainable fashion has become a ‘fashionable’ word, but with Lab Grown diamonds, it holds true in every sense of the word, if the companies creating the diamonds are mindful of off-setting their overall carbon footprint.
Courtesy of Grown Brilliance.
Grown Brilliance as a very personal collection
WW: What jewelry do you wear every day?
AJ: My personal style is bold but classic, which I achieve by wearing a few necklaces and pendants some from our Naas collection, which I layer on every day. I also usually have stacks of rings which I love to move around and play with different combinations to keep the look fresh. If my outfit permits, I stack a few bangles and bracelets from our GB core collection.
WW: Do you collect jewelry? If so, what’s in your jewelry box? Any heirlooms or recent acquisitions?
AJ: Oh yes! In my culture, jewelry held a very important place in a woman’s dressing room. From heirlooms like a 12ct Cabochon emerald ring which my father handed down to me, to a solitaire tennis necklace, which has gained tremendous popularity recently, I’m constantly mixing and matching the new and old. One of my recent favorites are the Jaipur earrings. They are so beautifully and intricately designed, that one can never tell that they are brand new!
Courtesy of Grown Brilliance.
