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Australian Diamond Brand Expands UK Presence Beyond London to Manchester
Novita Diamonds runs UK showrooms in London and Manchester, part of an international expansion from its Australian base under founder Iris Arnold.
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How we reported this
Most international jewellery brands entering Britain stop at London. Novita Diamonds, which sells lab grown diamonds, did not.
The company, founded in Australia by Iris Arnold, operates UK showrooms in both London and Manchester, part of a network that also covers Singapore, New Zealand, Germany, Spain, Malaysia and Hong Kong alongside six Australian cities.
Why the north mattered
Manchester has a substantial engagement ring market that has historically been served either by national chains or by independent jewellers. An appointment-based model with an online catalogue behind it sits somewhere between the two, and the company attributes its pricing to that lower-overhead structure.
The category argument
Lab grown stones are identical in composition to mined stones and are now graded directly by major laboratories. Arnold has put the price difference for comparable quality as high as 70 per cent, while maintaining that brilliance and durability are unchanged. lab grown diamonds are winning over New Zealanders under 35.
Structure
The business states that 80 per cent of its workforce and all top management roles are held by women, and reports more than 10,500 five-star reviews across its markets. Its gemmology team is described as holding over 40 years of combined experience.
British buyers under 35 have driven most of the category growth, generally weighing transparency and value more heavily than earlier generations did.
Sources: The Korea Times, Novita Diamonds CEO Iris Arnold shares insights into the future of lab grown gems.