{"id":20253,"date":"2021-04-22T22:26:15","date_gmt":"2021-04-22T22:26:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?post_type=articles&p=20253"},"modified":"2021-04-23T13:02:39","modified_gmt":"2021-04-23T13:02:39","slug":"le-vian-chocolate-diamonds-history","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/le-vian-chocolate-diamonds-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Le Vian’s Chocolate Diamonds Are Rarer Than Ever Before"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Le
Le Vian ‘Chocolate Diamond’ jewelry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chocolate. Just typing the word makes me crave the dopamine-boosting sweet treat (ideally something more decadent than what lines the shelves of my local Duane Reade). But for some celebrities and fashion aficionados alike, “chocolate” is synonymous with luxury jewels<\/a>, namely, brown diamonds from the New York-headquartered fine jewelry brand,\u00a0<\/span>Le Vian<\/span><\/a>. Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, and Chrissy Teigen\u2014among many others\u2014are no strangers to wearing not one but several designs incorporating the unique colored stone at once. Just like a bite of chocolate, it’s hard to have just one.<\/span><\/p>\n

The company’s CEO, Eddie LeVian, trademarked the term “Chocolate Diamonds” in 2000 with the mission of popularizing the formerly underappreciated stone. The team developed a strict list of criteria for diamond buyers so that customers could rely on them for the best brown diamonds in the world. “The reason that we trademarked [Chocolate Diamonds] wasn’t just to make sure nobody else says ‘Chocolate,'” LeVian tells<\/span>\u00a0GRAZIA USA<\/span><\/em>\u00a0over the phone. “It was also to make sure that when we call something a Chocolate Diamond, it’s not mixed up with lower-grade, lower-quality stones that might have a brownish tone to them; that aren’t responsibly-sourced or natural.”<\/span><\/p>\n

To earn the highly coveted title of\u00a0<\/span>Chocolate Diamond,\u00a0<\/span><\/em>a brown gem needs to meet all of Le Vian’s meticulous standards, based on the stone’s color, clarity, size, and cut. In simple terms, brown diamonds are\u00a0<\/span>extremely\u00a0<\/span><\/em>rare. But in not-so-simple terms, two pieces of criteria go as follows: The *perfect* brown diamond, according to Le Vian standards, falls between C4 and C7 on Argyle Diamond Mine’s color-grading scale (deep champagne hues) with a clarity of Slightly Included (SI) or higher (meaning, imperfections aren’t visible to the human eye). Taking all of these factors into consideration, only\u00a0<\/span>four percent of brown diamonds<\/span><\/a>\u00a0meet the requirements to become a piece of Le Vian fine jewelry.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div><\/div><\/span>
\"Le<\/div>
Jennifer Lopez wearing Le Vian's Limited Edition Football Necklace made with Chocolate Diamonds.<\/figcaption>Credit: Le Vian<\/span><\/figure>
\"Chocolate<\/div>
Rihanna wearing Le Vian Chocolate Quartz Earrings paired with a matching Chocolate Diamond necklace.<\/figcaption>Credit: Christopher Polk <\/span><\/figure>
\"\"<\/div>
Chrissy Teigen wearing Le Vian Chocolate Diamonds and Vanilla Diamond rings at the 2018 Creative Arts Ball.<\/figcaption>Credit: JC Olivera\/WireImage<\/span><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n

Le Vian’s brown diamonds weren’t given the name “Chocolate Diamonds” for the obvious reason you may think. “A lot of people assume that chocolate is because of the color of chocolate,” LeVian continues<\/span>. “But what we loved about chocolate was the addictiveness. A person who loves chocolate salivates when they see chocolate, especially if it’s high-end, good artisanal stuff. ‘Chocolate’ is a double entendre that not only speaks to the color of the diamonds but the passion and addiction that this collection of jewelry brings.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Among those celebrities, jewelry collectors, and regular people alike who practically drool over the thought of Chocolate Diamonds is J. Lo. The hitmaker’s become an unofficial ambassador of the brand over the years. After all, she’s been wearing Chocolate Diamonds since, as LeVian puts it, “the very beginning,” in the early aughts. Her love for the brand is likely one of the reasons why, according to <\/span>INSIDER<\/span><\/em><\/a>,<\/span><\/em>\u00a0Google searches for “Chocolate Diamond” went from “virtually zero in 2007 to 400,000 in 2014” (sounds like a case similar to the hitmaker’s famed Versace gown, right?).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As I write this article in April of 2021, Le Vian’s biggest supplier of Chocolate Diamonds\u2014Australia’s Argyle Mine\u2014has been closed for nearly six months. The reason? After investing billions of dollars to dig miles under the earth’s surface, Le Vian says: “If they wanted to go further, it would have cost more than the diamonds they were selling. They just felt it wasn’t profitable.”<\/p>\n

\"Le
Le Vian ‘Chocolate Diamond’ jewelry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Consequently, the company expects Chocolate Diamond prices to rise dramatically. “Something like 80 percent of the supply was coming from Argyle,” the CEO continues. “There are other mines that produce brown diamonds, but the Argyle Mine was a unique signature stone that had pure browns as opposed to other mines that may have orangey-browns or pinkish-browns, or greenish-browns.” Without the Argyle Mine, brown diamonds are rarer than ever before. “There will still be a supply, but it will not be as much as before,” Le Vian concludes.” The smaller stones will still be in the market for a few years,” says Le Vian, adding that the larger stones will “become more difficult to find sooner.”<\/p>\n

Ahead, shop five of\u00a0<\/span>GRAZIA’s\u00a0<\/span><\/em>favorite pieces from Le Vian, featuring the beloved trademarked stone.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Le
LE VIAN DIAMOND 20TH ANNIVERSARY RING 1 CT TW 14K STRAWBERRY GOLD, $3,300 VIA KAY JEWELERS. SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Le
LE VIAN CHOCOLATE & NUDE EARRINGS 5\/8 CT TW DIAMONDS 14K GOLD, $1,300 VIA KAY JEWELERS. SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Le
LE VIAN CHOCOLATE DIAMOND BOLO BRACELET 1\/4 CT TW 14K GOLD, $2,500 VIA KAY JEWELERS. SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Le
LE VIAN CHOCOLATE OMBRE NECKLACE 3\/8 CT TW DIAMONDS 14K GOLD, $1,300 VIA KAY JEWELERS. SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Le
LE VIAN DIAMOND HALO 20TH JUBILEE RING IN 14K ROSE AND WHITE GOLD, $9,000 VIA MACY’S. SHOP NOW<\/strong><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

All products featured on GRAZIA are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, Grazia may earn an affiliate commission.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26537,"featured_media":20256,"template":"","format":"standard","categories":[17,16],"yoast_head":"\nWhy Celebrities Are Obsessed With Le Vian Chocolate Diamonds - Grazia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"GRAZIA USA speaks with Le Vian CEO Eddie LeVian to find out why celeb-loved Chocolate Diamonds are rarer than ever before.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/le-vian-chocolate-diamonds-history\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why Le Vian's Chocolate Diamonds Are Rarer Than Ever Before\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"GRAZIA USA speaks with Le Vian CEO Eddie LeVian to find out why celeb-loved Chocolate Diamonds are rarer than ever before.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/le-vian-chocolate-diamonds-history\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Grazia USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-04-23T13:02:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2021\/04\/Le-Vian.gif\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"317\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/gif\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/le-vian-chocolate-diamonds-history\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/le-vian-chocolate-diamonds-history\/\",\"name\":\"Why Celebrities Are Obsessed With Le Vian Chocolate Diamonds - Grazia\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-04-22T22:26:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-04-23T13:02:39+00:00\",\"description\":\"GRAZIA USA speaks with Le Vian CEO Eddie LeVian to find out why celeb-loved Chocolate Diamonds are rarer than ever before.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/le-vian-chocolate-diamonds-history\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/le-vian-chocolate-diamonds-history\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/le-vian-chocolate-diamonds-history\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Why Le Vian’s Chocolate Diamonds Are Rarer Than Ever Before\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/\",\"name\":\"Grazia USA\",\"description\":\"Driving tastemakers in Fashion, Beauty and Culture\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why Celebrities Are Obsessed With Le Vian Chocolate Diamonds - Grazia","description":"GRAZIA USA speaks with Le Vian CEO Eddie LeVian to find out why celeb-loved Chocolate Diamonds are rarer than ever before.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/le-vian-chocolate-diamonds-history\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why Le Vian's Chocolate Diamonds Are Rarer Than Ever Before","og_description":"GRAZIA USA speaks with Le Vian CEO Eddie LeVian to find out why celeb-loved Chocolate Diamonds are rarer than ever before.","og_url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/le-vian-chocolate-diamonds-history\/","og_site_name":"Grazia USA","article_modified_time":"2021-04-23T13:02:39+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2021\/04\/Le-Vian.gif","width":600,"height":317,"type":"image\/gif"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/le-vian-chocolate-diamonds-history\/","url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/le-vian-chocolate-diamonds-history\/","name":"Why Celebrities Are Obsessed With Le Vian Chocolate Diamonds - Grazia","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/#website"},"datePublished":"2021-04-22T22:26:15+00:00","dateModified":"2021-04-23T13:02:39+00:00","description":"GRAZIA USA speaks with Le Vian CEO Eddie LeVian to find out why celeb-loved Chocolate Diamonds are rarer than ever before.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/le-vian-chocolate-diamonds-history\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/le-vian-chocolate-diamonds-history\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/le-vian-chocolate-diamonds-history\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Why Le Vian’s Chocolate Diamonds Are Rarer Than Ever Before"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/#website","url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/","name":"Grazia USA","description":"Driving tastemakers in Fashion, Beauty and Culture","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Grazia USA","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/20253"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/articles"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26537"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}