Androgyny Flamingo. Cubist Sky. Gothic Cognac. Draped Fire. They’re not names of Brooklyn indie rock bands. They’re monikers for four of 16 new lab-created colored diamonds Swarovski debuted at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week last week.
The iconic Austrian crystal maker has been created and marketing lab-grown diamonds since 2018, but is now moving into the space with gusto—and a decidedly Diamonds 2.0 spirit.
The company has categorized the eye-popping new assortment of cushion-cut created diamonds into four pillars, “each referencing one of the creative communities in which Swarovski has always played a vital role: fashion, art, music and architecture,” according to a company statement.
Each “pillar” contains four cushion-cut laboratory-created diamonds, led by a hero color—the boldest of the four—available in a chunky 2.5 ct. size. The other three colors are 1.25 ct. each. For the installation in Paris, the diamonds were produced in extra-large sizes. But the standard selection in fancy colors will be offered from 0.25 ct. to 1.5 ct.
The lab-made diamonds are graded like any other diamonds. But Swarovski knows its fashion-conscious buyers shop on looks and labels—and this collection is brimming with both. The 125-year-old company gleefully celebrates its spirit of nonconformity in the naming of the new colored diamonds. Each color has been given a fantastical name that “reflects the creative field that inspired the hue,” according to the same statement.
The hero colors are Androgyny Flamingo (fashion), Cubist Sky (art), Heavy Metal Cherry (music) and Gothic Cognac (architecture). Other colors include Punk Lipstick, Surrealist Butter, Draped Fire, and Electro Arctic.
“Swarovski Created Diamonds are the marriage of art and science, with a touch of magical realism,” says Markus Langes-Swarovski, a member of the company’s executive board. “It’s also a true celebration of human ingenuity and creativity.”