As one of the earliest brands in the industry to venture into lab-grown diamonds, Swarovski’s early strategic move is paying off. According to its 2024 financial report, the brand’s global sales of lab-grown diamonds saw significant year-on-year growth.
In an exclusive interview with Luxe.CO, Swarovski CEO Mr. Alexis Nasard, remarked that lab-grown diamonds are among the most dynamic and rapidly growing segments in the global, Asian, and Chinese jewelry markets, calling them “the diamond of the future” that represents the direction of the industry.
Swarovski Created Diamonds Octagon Collection
This view is further supported by a McKinsey research report, which states that lab-grown diamonds will become one of the key forces reshaping the diamond industry landscape in the coming years.
This may also signal a turning point for the high jewelry market: when lab-grown diamonds offer consumers better value for money, larger carat sizes, and superior 4C grading, can brands leverage them to build strong brand equity in the high jewelry space?
To mark its 130th anniversary, Swarovski announced the launch of the Octagon High Jewelry Collection—its new series of lab-grown diamonds, named after the brand’s signature octagonal cut. The collection showcases Swarovski’s pioneering innovation and exceptional craftsmanship.
Swarovski Created Diamonds Octagon Collection
Following its brand revitalization in 2021, the octagon shape has become widely recognized among the public. Whether in store décor, display installations, or product design, this distinctive geometric contour has appeared frequently across the brand’s visual identity. For many, the elegant swan encased within a bold octagonal frame has already become one of Swarovski’s most iconic visual symbols.
Swarovski Shanghai Flagship Store
What’s even more noteworthy is that, in its latest campaign in the Chinese market, Swarovski has thoughtfully infused the octagonal design with deeper meanings rooted in traditional local culture. Could the Swarovski Created Diamonds Octagon Collection become another breakout success in China? And what differentiated path will Swarovski forge in the high jewelry market?
Entering the High Jewelry Market with Octagon-Cut Craftsmanship
This year, Swarovski’s Created Diamonds Octagon High Jewelry Collection centers on its exquisite and distinctive cutting technique to build a comprehensive product matrix that includes necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings. Crafted in 18K gold, the collection has been positioned as a key product line.
Giovanna Engelbert, Global Creative Director of Swarovski and the designer of the collection, shared that her design intent was to distill complexity into simplicity, expressing the brilliance of diamond fire and avant-garde geometric beauty through a pure design language.
Swarovski Created Diamonds Octagon Collection
In fact, the Octagon Cut had already appeared in Swarovski’s Created Diamonds Eternity Collection launched in August 2023.
The Octagon Cut reimagines the classic octagonal form through refined craftsmanship, striking a balance between strength and elegance with its sleek, elongated silhouette. This groundbreaking technique combines two highly intricate cutting styles: a step-cut crown and a princess-cut pavilion. Together, they create 57 facets on a single lab-grown diamond—a notable innovation, as most diamond cuts typically employ a single cutting method. After testing and evaluating thousands of cutting combinations, Swarovski successfully fused these two techniques to produce a dazzling and precise result. The exceptional cut not only ensures brilliant fire but also pays tribute to timeless craftsmanship.
Swarovski Created Diamonds Octagon Collection
(Note: “Fire” in gemology refers to dispersion—the rainbow-like flashes of color seen when white light enters a gemstone and splits into various wavelengths due to differences in refractive index. The intensity of fire is directly influenced by the gem’s composition, color, cut, and dispersion value.)
Gillian Anderson wearing Swarovski Created Diamonds Octagon Collection at the 78th Cannes Film Festival
In May this year, Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actress Gillian Anderson wore a bespoke piece from the Swarovski Created Diamonds Octagon High Jewelry Collection on the red carpet at the 78th Cannes Film Festival. This masterpiece took over 200 hours to complete, weighed 13.45 carats in total, and featured a 6.05-carat center stone in the brand’s signature Octagon Cut—a unique fusion of step-cut crown and princess-cut pavilion. Set within an elegant U-shaped contour, the 57 facets radiated brilliance under the spotlight of the red carpet.
“It is precisely our brand heritage, masterful craftsmanship, and artistic expression that set us apart from competitors and empower us to enter the high jewelry market,” Swarovski CEO Mr. Alexis Nasard previously told Luxe.CO.
In 2022, Swarovski launched its LUXignite strategy, designating lab-grown diamonds as a key component for accelerating its presence in the luxury sector. Two years into its implementation, the lab-grown diamond business has significantly contributed to broadening Swarovski’s customer base and increasing average transaction value.
An Enduring Octagon and a New Eastern Narrative
– Localized storytelling aligned with consumers’ emotional needs
Amid the fast-paced rhythm of urban life, an increasing number of Chinese consumers are turning to products or services that offer emotional value as a means to alleviate work and life pressures and derive joy. This form of emotional consumption emphasizes not only product value but also psychological satisfaction and emotional comfort. It signals a shift, with emotional value emerging as a new market driver.
For brands, the ability to identify emotional touchpoints and tell resonant stories presents more opportunities to connect with local consumers.
Swarovski Created Diamonds Octagon Collection
In the Chinese market campaign for the Swarovski Created Diamonds Octagon Collection, the brand cleverly integrated traditional local cultural symbolism into the product’s octagonal design. The collection has been nicknamed “Swarovski’s Eight-Pointed Star,” a name that not only reflects the geometric aesthetics and dazzling brilliance of the Octagon Cut but also carries a sense of well-wishing for the wearer.
Building on the geometric form and its cultural connotations, Swarovski crafted eight layers of blessings that align with the emotional aspirations of Chinese consumers. From themes such as family, love, friendship, home, and career —values that hold great importance in Chinese society —the collection offers a positive and distinctly Chinese cultural interpretation. Swarovski hopes the Octagon Collection will provide emotional and spiritual support to its wearers, witnessing their brightest life moments and reflecting their inner brilliance.
Swarovski Created Diamonds Octagon Collection
These well-crafted meanings stem from Swarovski’s deep understanding of local consumer psychology, positioning its jewelry not only as a product but also as a radiant vessel for emotional identity. In doing so, the brand establishes a dialogue with the public within the context of Chinese culture. At the same time, Swarovski has broken away from the conventional diamond narrative, which is limited to romance and marriage. By extending the product’s meaning to scenarios of self-love, career, and family, the brand has redefined the consumption landscape for lab-grown diamonds in China.
Swarovski Created Diamonds Octagon Collection
“We firmly believe that a trusted luxury brand should not merely play a supporting role in the cultural world—it must take center stage,” said Swarovski CEO Mr. Alexis Nasard in an interview with the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland, last year.
– Deepening Localization Strategy
In today’s Chinese market, localized storytelling has become a vital bridge between brands and local consumers, especially among younger generations who possess a heightened sense of aesthetic and cultural identity. They seek more jewelry that fuses Eastern cultural elements with artisanal value.
To advance its localization strategy, from March to May this year, Swarovski appointed pop diva and renowned actress Karen Mok as its brand ambassador. Together, they promoted the brand’s “Born to Shine” message, utilizing her confident, elegant, and globally recognized Eastern image to forge deeper connections with Chinese consumers and inspire people to shine brightly in both their personal and professional lives.
Swarovski CEO Mr. Alexis Nasard emphasized to Luxe.CO, “China is one of Swarovski’s most important markets. We are firmly committed to investing in the Chinese market and delivering outstanding products and experiences that resonate with Chinese consumers.”
Exquisite Craftsmanship as the Foundation of Value for Swarovski Created Diamonds
– A Distinctive Advantage in Cutting Techniques
When people think of Swarovski, words like “sparkling,” “bling bling,” and “radiant” often come to mind. Within the industry, Swarovski has earned the prestigious title “Masters of Light,” a reputation that stems from over 130 years of relentless innovation and refinement in cutting techniques.
Through generations of craftsmanship and creativity, Swarovski has developed an extensive array of cutting methods, consistently mastering the precise balance of proportions, symmetry, and angles. Even today, new cutting techniques continue to emerge from the brand’s headquarters in Wattens, Austria.
Cutting is often referred to as the art that gives gemstones their “second life.” It plays a critical role in determining whether a gem can display dazzling fire and brilliance. For Swarovski, this unique advantage in cutting not only serves as the key to entering the lab-grown diamond market but also as a powerful differentiator, especially in its ability to unleash the vibrant fire that characterizes its jewelry.
– Superior 4C Ratings Comparable to Mined Diamonds
In the diamond industry, “cut” is one of the core criteria used to evaluate quality. However, to assess a diamond’s overall grade, the full 4C standard—cut, color, clarity, and carat weight—is applied and recognized internationally.
Swarovski’s lab-grown diamonds are primarily produced using the CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method, achieving high standards across all four Cs: color, clarity, carat weight, and cut. The brand has established a rigorous set of quality and sustainability standards, working closely with the International Gemological Institute (IGI) to ensure each piece of high jewelry receives official certification based on the 4C criteria.
Swarovski Created Diamonds Octagon Collection
Conclusion
In recent years, the visibility of lab-grown diamonds has steadily increased across both the industry and consumer markets.
According to a report released by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in late 2024, lab-grown diamonds are projected to account for 20% of the global diamond market by 2025.
On the consumer front, Bain & Company data indicates that the global penetration rate of lab-grown diamonds rose from 5.9% in 2020 to 8% in 2021, and is expected to reach 15.8% by 2025.
With the launch of the Swarovski Created Diamonds Octagon Collection and its tailored narrative for the Chinese market, Swarovski demonstrates its ability to seamlessly integrate high jewelry, masterful craftsmanship, modern technology, and traditional local culture. This initiative also enriches the brand’s vision of “The Ultimate Joyful Extravagance,” bestowing lab-grown jewelry with meaningful and uplifting significance. In a rapidly evolving era, it seeks to uplift emotional well-being while offering consumers an ideal balance of quality and value.
| Image Credit: Courtesy of the brand
| Editor: Zhu Ruoyu
