The brainchild of Vineet Chauhan, Hamish Parbhu and Vivek Kumar, this New Zealand-based company has carved a niche for itself in the art of crafting custom made fine jewellery using lab grown diamonds – redefining approachable luxury.
The First Four Words
Vivek's journey into the diamond business is marked by a desire to fulfill a personal quest for getting a bespoke designed engagement ring. "My wife had a very clear idea of what she wanted in her engagement ring when I was looking to propose.”
“At the time, New Zealand did not have a jeweller that sold high-quality lab-grown diamonds, let alone a jeweller that would design a custom engagement ring for you unless you spent more than $10,000," recalls Vivek.
Vivek Kumar
Where the business found its start was a visit by Vineet to Surat, India – the diamond capital of the world, for his own wedding shopping. It unveiled the new but fast growing world of lab grown diamonds – where one could obtain precisely what they wanted without compromising on quality, price or design.
Inspired by this ethos, Vineet, Hamish and Vivek set out to introduce this concept to the fine jewellery industry in New Zealand, giving birth to Four Words.
A journey across continents
The co-founding team of Four Words trace their origins to Fiji and India. Their parents had shared a journey of migration from Fiji to New Zealand around 1990, and while none of their families had been involved in the diamond business, their family backgrounds are primarily in textiles and footwear.
A Diamond is a Diamond – Lab or Natural
The heart of Four Words lies in the concept of lab-grown diamonds which are physically, optically, and atomically identical to natural diamonds.
"Not even trained gemologists can tell the difference," explains Vivek. “We like to think about it like ice. Ice from the freezer is the same as ice from a mountain. There are just different ways to make it”
Lab diamonds even come certified by GIA and IGI – the same organisations that grade natural diamonds.
However, lab grown diamonds aren’t to be confused with ‘American Diamonds’ which are cubic zirconias, a type of diamond simulant that often get very cloudy and crack easily. Lab grown diamonds are real diamonds, just made in a lab.
“When you talk to traditional jewellers, often they will persuade you away from buying lab grown because they don’t hold their value” says Vivek.
“But this is a common myth. If you try to resell any diamond, natural or lab, you will get approximately 40-50% of the value for it.”
“For example, a good quality 1 carat natural diamond will cost you around $11,000. With lab diamonds, the exact same thing would be $4,000. And even if the lab diamond value went to zero (it won’t), and you get full resale value for your natural diamond (you won’t) you would still be $7,000 better off.”
A unique custom design experience
One of the unique aspects of Four Words is their personalised approach to jewellery design. Clients can either select from the online collection or collaborate with the skilled team to create a custom, unique design from scratch.
Their thoughtful design process involves 1 on 1 consultations, both in person and virtually. It also includes the possibility of incorporating other gemstones like sapphires, rubies, emeralds, topaz, spinels and alexandrite.
Once the brief is finalised, the design phase commences, first with concept sketches, then diamond selection - diamonds hand picked by gemologists and then detailed photorealistic 3D designs for final approval. We go through a process of back and forth to ensure our clients get exactly what they want.
The final design is then brought to life using modern jewellery making techniques, right here in New Zealand, taking between six to eight weeks.
Each client receives a diamond grading certificate, an insurance certificate, free worldwide shipping, and duty free shopping for those who have an overseas trip planned.
More than just rings
While Four Words is renowned for their engagement rings, the brand offers a diverse array of options, including earrings, bracelets, pendants, and necklaces, available in a range of gold (white, rose, yellow in 9k, 14k, 18k, and 22K) and platinum.
In three years, the brand has already crafted more than 1,000 unique designs and grown into a team of seven dedicated people.
Dreaming bigger
The price varies depending on the design, size, and materials used. For a rough estimate, a 2 carat ideal cut, F colour, VS1 clarity diamond solitaire in an 18K gold setting would cost approximately $8,000. The exact same thing made with natural diamonds would be over $45,000.
No compromises
Four Words' guiding philosophy is clear– it is about fine jewellery without compromising on size, quality, design, value, people or the environment.
For more information, visit http://www.fourwords.co.nz/