Poshology Interviews, Anjanette Dienne Clisura, President & Creative Director
Diamond in the Rough

POSH: Your jewelry is absolutely stunning and your designs are available in Connecticut! I love that you have created art with one of the earth’s most precious materials and made the main focal point of some of your creations just as nature intended it. What is your inspiration in some of the pieces that you design? The rough diamond is our inspiration to start, then there’s a theme for each collection. With the bridal collection, each ring was designed with an affectionate word in mind- precious, grace, covet, embrace, and so on. Each ring’s design embodies what the word means to us.

POSH: Since I have fallen in love with your jewelry recently, I was pleased to know that your diamonds are certifiably conflict free. Assuming people have done their homework in regards to conflict free diamonds, what percentage of your clientele would you say actually asks to see certification and or ask questions about the diamonds origin if at all before purchasing your pieces?
People used to ask more frequently a couple years ago…But that doesn’t stop us from making sure people are aware that every rough diamond of ours is conflict free. This is a very important issue to us and the diamond industry.

POSH: I love the uniqueness of your stones and I love to see different rather than the norm like so many of us are accustomed to. With that being said, what prompted or inspired you to sell rough diamonds? With what I have seen I would think that on your first day of business your pieces were flying off of your displays. Brilliant marketing aside, am I correct in assuming that or did you have to try hard to sell people on purchasing rough diamonds when first starting out? We have been blessed with the success of launching our collection. The original inspiration for us to start Diamond in the Rough was Daniel Eskapa’s (The Founder of Diamond in the Rough) exposure to rough diamonds as a child by a family friend when he lived in South Africa. Rough diamonds mesmerized him and made a lasting impression. Many years later we worked together in the jewelry business for an amazing jeweler and one of our partners was the second largest diamond miner after De Beers, so we were exposed to beautiful rough diamonds and the inspiration came again to do a jewelry collection based upon natural rough diamonds. In 2004 we started Diamond in the Rough with the intention to show the world how stunning rough diamonds are without being touched. Diamonds were discovered in India in 800 BC and until the late 1300’s they weren’t touched, so for 2,100 years this is how jewelry was worn and valued! There is such excitement every time we buy rough diamonds because we never know what nature is giving us – different colors and even inclusions in the stone that make it special – we are like two kids in a candy store! I think our passion translated to people and although it did definitely take time to educate them, our launch was immediately successful – Bergdorf Goodman was our first store and it was a true honor to be chosen!

POSH: It is exciting to know that you will be promoting your bridal line as I am sure many are excited. With that being said, most people purchasing engagement rings are usually interested in the traditional cut diamond and cliché 4 C’s. Are you seeing an increasing demand in couples wanting to step outside of the “normal box” and go after something more unique?

There is no question that the demand is there which is why we launched the bridal collection. From the first day we started Diamond in the Rough, clients have been buying our fashion rings as engagement rings. I always wanted to do an official bridal collection but we had to focus, so we started with our fashion line. Our client is NOT typical. They are choosing a Diamond in the Rough ring as a true symbol of their love and relationship. They aren’t focusing on the 4c’s or comparing their friends’ rings. One of our male clients told me that when he saw the Diamond in the Rough ring he chose he felt it embodied all that his girlfriend was; unique, one-of-a-kind, and it “looked” like her. I know exactly what he meant because I feel my jewelry finds its home and is somehow drawn to the person it should be on.