Jared Jewelers Leans Into Natural Diamonds With Documentary Film And New Collection

Jared Jewelers, the accessible luxury brand in the Signet Jewelers portfolio, is taking a multi-pronged approach to its diamond engagement and wedding business. The jewelry retailer has launched a docu-short, which is airing on its web site and owned channels, created by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Luc Jacquet, known for “The March of the Peguins,” the 2006 movie for which he won the award. The docu-short, filmed in Botswana, follows the trail of a diamond from its origins in the earth to the final setting and finger of a Jared customer.

“We’ve been working with Luc for 18 months now,” said Claudia Cividino, president of Jared Jewelers and Diamonds Direct. “He spent quite a lot of time on the ground in Botswana. The Republic of Botswana together with De Beers made available sites to him that are not commonly available. He had very privileged access and we bring that to the movie. It’s a really important look under the covers of the diamond industry. This is one important pillar of the strategy.”

To make the journey even more tangible for consumers, Jared’s new block-chain enabled platform is launching a collection called Storied Diamond – Desert Sands of Eternity. “This collection provides a unique digital passport for each diamond allowing for a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, each stone’s journey from rough to polished, showcasing its uniqueness, rarity, beauty and positive societal impact,” Cividino said.

The rough diamonds’ journey at Jared includes setting dates, and final Gemological Institute of America-certified documentation of its color, clarity, carat, and cut specifications. The journey brings trust, confidence and transparency, adding a deeper and shareable story to diamond purchases, according to Cividino.

Each piece in the collection is set in 100% repurposed gold and platinum and is priced from $1,700 to $22,999 across semi-mounts, anniversary bands, engagement rings, loose stones and select finished fashion pieces. The jewelry spans a radiant color spectrum of white, light yellow, champagne and light brown.

Leading the Storied Diamond – Desert Sands of Eternity campaign is Antonia “Toni” Gentry, who starred in “Ginny & Georgia”), and who is championing both the transparency and the timeless significance of natural diamonds. “She’s a very passionate storyteller and she’s another person who was very passionate about coming on board with us and telling this story. She’s the face of the campaign but I suspect you’ll be seeing more of her as it relates to Jared in the future,” Cividino said.

Jared’s large-scale parent company, Signet, which operates about 2,700 stores under various nameplates including Zales and KAY Jewelers, reported annual sales of $6 billion in 2024. This provides an indication of the enormous size and market power behind the Jared brand, however, Cividino declined to divulge Jared’s annual sales volume.

“It’s very sizable,” is all she would say, adding, “Jared has always been very important. We’re the fourth-largest jewelry retailer in the country and a very sizable portion of our revenue comes from engagement rings. Most of our engagement business comes through a customization program. Fifty percent of our business is in the category known as bridal and engagement, which is larger than just engagement rings.”

Cividino explained that customers shopping for an engagement ring choose a loose diamond and then choose a mount. “We can add customized options to your selection,” she said. “Really, every ring is one-of-a-kind. That’s how we do so much of what we do. Jared is the tip of the spear within Signet as the accessible luxury brand and so we are natural diamond-leaning in our business. Much of what we sell is natural even though we represent both,” Cividino said, referring to lab-grown varieties.

To help consumers feel more confident about their purchase, Jared is providing them with a digital passport for the diamond ring they buy. “When you make the purchase of this diamond you receive a QR code and that QR code opens up a pathway to more than 40 data points and images of your diamond along its journey, from the mine through to every aspect of its transformation from rough to polished, the country of origin, the setting of the diamond into the mount and all the Gemological Institute of America certifications,” Cividino said.

Diamonds have incredible provenance and are also extremely rare, Cividino said. “There are only a few sites in the world from which they emanate and even those sites are not super prolific, so diamonds are rare. Diamonds have been the symbol of love since the early 1400s. They have this emotional resonance particularly with regard to an engagement or wedding celebration. I thought it was so important that we tell the story of natural diamonds.”