Expert digest
Brand Recognition
Jade’s 20 years of experience makes for incredible pieces that give the ultimate self-expression. She seamlessly blends contemporary design with the inspiration of heirloom jewellery, and has also championed ethically-sourced diamonds from the get go. Everything is handmade, from start to finish, under one roof in New York.
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More from Jade Trau
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- 20 years of experience
- Recognisable 6-prong setting
- Ethically sourced diamonds
- All made under one roof in NY
Designer Interview
Jade Lustig: "I am really honouring the shape, the sensibility and the artistry around diamond cutting and what that brings to the mix."
I think we should start with your background, because it’s quite interesting and different from most other people who work as jewellery designers.
Yes, I was a diamond buyer for many years. I started when I was very young. When I was 18 years old, I started working with my grandfather. Essentially, I just came in for a Friday job in order to make some extra cash. Within a year, because he was getting older, and the family business had skipped a generation, he sent me to Antwerp instead of going himself. He had two brothers there who ran a very large diamond manufacturing company where they would get huge amounts of rough diamonds from De Beers, and since his nephews had taken over after his brothers, he thought it was time for me to go. I was literally thrown in at the deep end, flying to London to accept these rough diamonds. I had no idea what I was doing, but from there, I became the de facto diamond buyer for my grandfather for many years. We worked across the desk from each other.