There's a new jeweler in town. Vancouver-based Spence Diamonds recently arrived to Dallas-Fort Worth, bringing North Texans an ethically responsible, sustainably sourced alternative to standard diamonds.
The first two North Texas shops are in Dallas' West Village and Plano's Legacy West shopping centers.
Founded in Vancouver 40 years ago, Spence Diamonds prides itself on providing socially conscious customers with affordable, lab-created diamonds and earth-mined stones free of conflict.
"While we still offer the finest conflict-free, earth-mined diamonds, we believe that Artisan Created Diamonds are the future of this business," says Eric Lindberg, Spence executive chairman. "We've found that 90 percent of our customers who learn about them choose ACDs over earth-mined."
Artisan Created Diamonds share the same chemical composition as their natural counterparts and are typically 33 percent larger and higher in quality by two clarity grades than natural stones at similar price points.
To remove the intimidation factor present in many jewelry stores, Spence stores feature open cases with more than 2,500 different ring styles.
Gemological Institute of America-trained consultants are on hand to educate shoppers on cut, clarity, color, size, setting and origins. Then customers can create the design for their one-of-a-kind piece — choosing the style, setting, stone and finish — which is handmade at the Spence Diamonds studio in Vancouver.
Physically, chemically, and visually identical to natural diamonds, ACDs are growing in popularity with discerning jewelry shoppers who are drawn to the stone's more accessible price points and conflict-free origins, they say.
The only diamond retailer in North America to carry ACDs, Spence Diamonds donates a portion of each ACD purchase to Not For Sale, a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization working to end exploitation and forced labor around the globe.
"Customers who choose an ACD can be assured no human was exploited in the creation of their diamonds," says Lindberg. "They're also helping to protect the planet against mineral exploitation."
Spence Diamonds is located in West Village, at 3699 McKinney Ave., Dallas; and at Legacy West, at 7701 Windrose Ave., Plano.
Spence Diamonds is now open at Legacy West in Plano and West Village in Dallas.
