How do you make traceability enticing to consumers who are still stuck on the “blood diamond” narrative? The cofounders of The Clear Cut have embarked on this mission, teaming up with De Beers’ Tracr blockchain platform to tell each gem’s origin story.
Kyle Simon and Olivia Landau, the husband-and-wife duo behind the New York-based jewelry company, have embraced natural diamonds unequivocally. They originally founded The Clear Cut in 2018 as an educational provider for diamond consumers, and it grew into a retailing business. Through their Tracr partnership, which began in 2023, they advocate for transparency about diamonds’ provenance.
A meeting of the mines
One way they do this is by holding events showcasing The Clear Cut’s jewelry and Tracr technology. The couple shares where the diamonds were mined and how the stones have constructively impacted the indigenous communities in those areas. These sessions have been “eye-opening” for the attendees, who include consumers, influencers and media representatives, says Landau.
“People are really interested to learn about the diamonds from Botswana and how they give back to the community and provide education, health care and infrastructure,” she elaborates. She and Simon frequently travel to the African country to document local initiatives and create content for their social media platforms.
The collaboration with Tracr — which includes a line of pendants containing blockchain-registered diamonds — is a step toward bringing transparency to the mainstream. In November, the two companies held a joint event at a fancy venue in lower Manhattan to promote Canadian diamonds’ sustainable origins. Influencers posted afterward about the Tracr reports and tracking technology, declaring that the event had improved their knowledge of diamonds.
What does ethical mean?
Claims of traceability fall on deaf ears if the seller doesn’t educate the consumer about the details, stresses Landau, a fourth-generation jeweler. “You can’t talk about traceability without talking about the country of origin and the positive impacts first.”
Despite all the informative videos The Clear Cut has produced about responsible sourcing over the years, she says, potential clients still come to them with one burning question: “Are these diamonds ethically sourced?”
Customers are adamant that they “don’t want a blood diamond, but they don’t necessarily know what that means or where diamonds actually come from,” she explains. “Most of them can’t point out Botswana on a map or even know that diamonds come from Canada.”
For Simon and Landau, combining traceability with powerful storytelling offers a chance to reclaim the narrative of diamonds doing good, and put an end to the negative preconceived notions that are so deeply rooted in buyers’ minds.
Main image: A diamond on display at The Clear Cut x Tracr Natural Diamond event at New York venue Jean’s. (Danté Crichlow/BFA.com)
