Chatham
Chatham Inc. is a privately held, family-founded lab-grown gemstone and diamond jewelry manufacturer founded in 1938, selling wholesale loose stones and finished jewelry through hundreds of authorized retailers across the US and Canada, serving bridal, fashion, and high-jewelry consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1938
- HeadquartersSan Marcos, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Chatham does
Chatham Inc. is a privately held, family-founded manufacturer and wholesaler of lab-grown gemstones and diamond jewelry, headquartered in San Marcos, California, with origins in a San Francisco research laboratory established by Carroll Chatham in 1938. The company grows 18 varieties of gemstones — including emeralds (its founding product), rubies, alexandrite, blue and fancy-colored sapphires, padparadscha, opals, aqua spinel, morganite, champagne sapphire, chrysoberyl, paraiba-colored spinel, and colorless and colored diamonds — by replicating the temperature, pressure, and chemical conditions of natural geological formation in laboratory chambers over roughly a year's growth cycle. The proprietary growth formula remains a closely guarded corporate secret refined across four generations of Chatham family leadership, with Tom Chatham serving as president since 1976.
Chatham operates a hybrid wholesale-and-retail model: loose lab-grown gemstones are sold exclusively to authorized wholesale partners, while finished jewelry is distributed through hundreds of authorized retailers across the United States and Canada and supported by a co-op marketing program (reimbursing up to 50% of qualifying ad spend), sales training, a concierge referral service, virtual appointments, and a trade show calendar. Its finished-jewelry portfolio spans the Color Fashion Collection (price points roughly $700-$6,600), the Diamond Fashion Collection, Color Engagement Rings, and the Legacy High Jewelry Collection in 18K gold (price points from approximately $3,800 to over $22,000). The company sells to three end-consumer segments — bridal, fashion-conscious, and high-jewelry collectors — and supports responsible-sourcing positioning through RJC annual reporting, tree-planting via One Tree Planted, and an African Elephant Conservation partnership.
The business is bootstrapped and remains under family ownership with no disclosed external funding, acquisitions, or M&A activity, employing 101-250 people across its operations. Chatham's competitive position rests on its 85-year brand legacy, exclusive proprietary gem cuts (Onion, Flame, Century), a 12-month master cutter training program, and a Certificate of Authenticity and Grading Report that includes a diamond's Growth Year. The company has no AI or software platform layer; its competitive moat is industrial and brand-driven rather than technology-software-driven, and its addressable market is concentrated in North America with no disclosed international retail expansion.
Chatham firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chatham
- Legal name
- Chatham Inc.
- Website
- https://chatham.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1938
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Chatham Inc. is a privately held, family-founded lab-grown gemstone and diamond jewelry manufacturer founded in 1938, selling wholesale loose stones and finished jewelry through hundreds of authorized retailers across the US and Canada, serving bridal, fashion, and high-jewelry consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chatham industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fine Jewelry
- NAICS
- Cut Stone and Stone Product Manufacturing (327991)
- SIC
- Jewelry, Precious Metal (3911), Wholesale-Jewelry, Watches, Precious Stones & Metals (5094)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Synthetic/Lab-Grown Diamonds & Gemstones (Manufacturing & Trading) (CRAKAJAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Lab-Grown Diamond Bridal Jewelry (CRAKACAF), Colored Gemstone Jewelry (CRAKAAAB)
Keywords
Where Chatham is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Marcos
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Chatham business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Finished Jewelry Wholesale: Chatham designs and manufactures finished jewelry featuring lab-grown gemstones and diamonds, sold wholesale to authorized retail partners. The company transitioned from selling only loose gemstones to offering finished jewelry collections in 2007.
- Loose Lab-Grown Gemstones Wholesale: Chatham sells loose lab-grown gemstones exclusively to wholesale customers and authorized retailers. The company is the exclusive distributor of Chatham lab-grown gemstones.
- Loose Lab-Grown Diamonds Wholesale: Chatham grows and sells lab-grown diamonds, referred to authorized Chatham Diamond Dealers. Each diamond comes with a Certificate of Authenticity & Grading Report.
- Co-op Marketing Program: Chatham offers a co-op marketing program where authorized retailers who display Chatham jewelry accrue co-op dollars based on paid net purchases. These dollars can be applied toward pre-approved advertising campaigns, with reimbursement up to 50% of ad placement costs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Legacy Collection (18K Gold) - Premium high jewelry line |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Color Fashion Collection - Everyday elegance fashion jewelry |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Co-op Marketing - Retail Partner Advertising Support |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Chatham product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chatham grows lab-grown gemstones and diamonds in controlled laboratory conditions that replicate the temperature, pressure, and chemistry found deep within the earth, and sells these loose stones wholesale to authorized retailers. The company also designs and manufactures finished jewelry collections (Legacy High Jewelry, Color Fashion, Diamond Fashion, and Color Engagement Rings) that are distributed to the same authorized retail network across the United States and Canada.
Product overview
Chatham is a luxury lab-grown gemstone and diamond jewelry company founded in 1938, recognized as the industry leader in laboratory-grown gemstones. The company operates as a unified product portfolio consisting of: (1) Lab-grown loose gemstones sold wholesale to authorized retailers, including emeralds, rubies, alexandrite, blue sapphire, padparadscha, opals, aqua spinel, champagne sapphire, and various colored sapphires (pink, yellow, purple, white), plus chrysoberyl and paraiba-colored spinel; (2) Lab-grown diamonds available through an interactive search tool with various shapes, carats, colors, clarities, and cuts; (3) Finished jewelry collections including the Color Fashion Collection (everyday elegance with exclusive cuts like onion and flame), the Legacy High Jewelry Collection (18K luxury settings), Diamond Fashion Collection, and Color Engagement Rings. All products come with a Lifetime Warranty and Certificate of Authenticity. The company sells primarily through authorized retail partners across the US and Canada, with a wholesale-only model for loose stones.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Color Fashion Collection Chatham's most extensive finished jewelry line featuring nine lab-grown gemstones (alexandrite, aqua blue spinel, blue sapphire, champagne sapphire, chrysoberyl, emerald, paraiba colored spinel, ruby, and additional colored sapphires) with exclusive onion and flame cuts unique to Chatham, priced approximately $700-$6,600. Targeted at consumers seeking colorful, fashion-forward jewelry for everyday elegance and self-expression.
- Legacy Collection (High Jewelry) Chatham's pinnacle high-jewelry line featuring lab-grown sapphires, emeralds, rubies, and diamonds set in 18K gold, priced from approximately $3,800 to over $22,000 per piece. Targeted at affluent buyers and collectors seeking luxury-quality statement jewelry.
- Diamond Fashion Collection Lab-grown diamond jewelry collection featuring rings, pendants, earrings, and necklaces targeted at modern women seeking sustainable diamond jewelry.
- Color Engagement Rings Engagement rings featuring colored lab-grown gemstones including ruby reds, sapphire blues, and emerald greens, targeted at couples seeking ethical and distinctive bridal jewelry.
- Lab-Grown Diamond Search Interactive inventory search and sourcing service for loose Chatham lab-grown diamonds, filterable by shape (Round, Cushion, Princess, Pear, Oval, Asscher, Radiant, Emerald, Heart, Marquise), carat, cut, color, and clarity; each diamond ships with a Certificate of Authenticity and Grading Report. Targeted at authorized Chatham Diamond Dealers and end consumers seeking certified lab-grown diamonds.
- Loose Lab-Grown Gemstones (Wholesale) Wholesale-only loose lab-grown gemstones including emeralds, rubies, alexandrite, blue sapphire, padparadscha, opals, aqua spinel, morganite, champagne sapphire, and various colored sapphires, sold exclusively to authorized retailers. Targeted at jewelers and jewelry manufacturers.
- Lab-Grown Emeralds Lab-grown emeralds grown by duplicating conditions deep within the earth over the course of a year, possessing the same physical, optical, and chemical properties as mined emeralds. Sold wholesale to authorized retailers.
- Lab-Grown Rubies Lab-grown rubies grown since 1958, duplicating the conditions deep within the earth to create gemstones with the same physical, optical, and chemical properties as mined rubies. Sold wholesale to authorized retailers.
- Lab-Grown Alexandrite Lab-grown alexandrite grown since 1972, known for its color-changing properties and rarity in nature. Sold wholesale to authorized retailers.
- Lab-Grown Blue Sapphire Lab-grown blue sapphire grown during the 1975-2000 period, featuring rich, velvety hues and unmatched clarity. Sold wholesale to authorized retailers.
- Lab-Grown Padparadscha Exotic lab-grown padparadscha sapphire grown during the 1975-2000 period, known for its unique pink-orange coloration. Sold wholesale to authorized retailers.
- Lab-Grown Colorless Diamonds Colorless lab-grown diamonds first successfully grown by Tom Chatham in 1993. Grown in laboratory settings, never mined. Sold wholesale through the Lab-Grown Diamond Search tool to authorized Chatham Diamond Dealers.
- Lab-Grown Fancy Colored Diamonds Fancy colored lab-grown diamonds including blue, pink, and yellow varieties, grown since 2004. Sold wholesale through the Lab-Grown Diamond Search tool to authorized Chatham Diamond Dealers.
- Lab-Grown Opals Lab-grown opals grown since 2000, featuring play-of-color characteristics. Sold wholesale to authorized retailers.
- Lab-Grown Aqua Blue Spinel Aqua blue spinel grown since 2012, featuring vibrant blue-green hues. Sold wholesale to authorized retailers.
- Lab-Grown Champagne Sapphire Champagne sapphire grown since 2016, featuring warm peachy-pink tones and serving as a replacement for the softer morganite. Sold wholesale to authorized retailers.
- Lab-Grown Pink Sapphire Lab-grown pink sapphire featuring delicate pink hues. Sold wholesale to authorized retailers.
- Lab-Grown Yellow Sapphire Lab-grown yellow sapphire featuring vibrant yellow hues. Sold wholesale to authorized retailers.
- Lab-Grown Purple Sapphire Lab-grown purple sapphire featuring rich purple hues. Sold wholesale to authorized retailers.
- Lab-Grown White Sapphire Lab-grown white sapphire featuring clear, colorless appearance. Sold wholesale to authorized retailers.
- Lab-Grown Chrysoberyl Lab-grown chrysoberyl featuring unique color properties and brilliance. Sold wholesale to authorized retailers.
- Lab-Grown Paraiba-Colored Spinel Lab-grown paraiba-colored spinel featuring vibrant neon blue-green hues reminiscent of Brazilian paraiba tourmalines. Sold wholesale to authorized retailers.
- The Chatham Legacy Book Book by Tom Chatham documenting the journey of one of the most innovative names in the gemstone industry.
Quantifiable outcome
- Chatham cuts away approximately 80% of the rough crystal during cutting process to ensure maximum brilliance, high clarity, and rich color.
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Chatham
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Chatham technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Chatham partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- One Tree PlantedcoreFor every purchase made, Chatham takes a significant step towards a greener planet by planting a tree through this partnership. This environmental initiative is part of Chatham's responsible luxury positioning and commitment to sustainability.
- African Elephant ConservationminorChatham's partnership is dedicated to saving the African Elephant population and helping the children who live near them. While Chatham has never mined a single diamond from African soil, they contribute to elephant conservation efforts in the region.
- Authorized Chatham Diamond DealerscoreChatham refers consumers to authorized Chatham Diamond Dealers for the purchase of lab-grown diamonds. Dealers are provided access to Chatham's diamond inventory and support materials for selling Chatham products.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Chatham competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Clean Origin: Clean Origin is a DTC lab-grown diamond jewelry retailer offering engagement rings and fashion jewelry. It directly competes with Chatham's diamond and bridal offerings, though without the colored gemstone breadth.
- VRAI: VRAI is the DTC consumer brand of Diamond Foundry, selling lab-grown diamond engagement rings and fine jewelry. It overlaps with Chatham's Diamond Fashion and bridal collections in product and target customer.
- Diamond Foundry: Diamond Foundry is a leading lab-grown diamond producer that also offers finished jewelry through its VRAI brand. It directly competes with Chatham in the lab-grown diamond and bridal jewelry space and has raised significant capital to scale production and DTC.
- Brilliant Earth: Brilliant Earth is a public, DTC-focused retailer of ethically sourced and lab-grown diamond jewelry. It overlaps with Chatham in bridal, engagement rings, and lab-grown diamonds, and competes for the same ethically minded consumer via a different go-to-market model.
- Gemesis / Pure Grown Diamonds: Pure Grown Diamonds (formerly Gemesis) is one of the earliest lab-grown diamond producers and offers both loose stones and finished jewelry. It competes with Chatham in the lab-grown diamond wholesale and bridal segments with a similar B2B heritage.
- Ada Diamonds: Ada Diamonds is a luxury DTC lab-grown diamond jeweler focusing on larger, higher-quality stones and engagement rings. It directly competes with Chatham's premium and bridal positioning among ethically oriented luxury consumers.
- MiaDonna: MiaDonna sells lab-grown diamonds and moissanite jewelry with an ethical sourcing story. It competes with Chatham primarily in the lab-grown engagement ring and bridal segment via DTC channels.
Broad incumbents
- Lightbox (De Beers Group): Lightbox is De Beers' lab-grown diamond jewelry brand, leveraging the parent company's massive capital and supply chain. It competes with Chatham on lab-grown diamonds at accessible price points, with broader distribution and marketing reach.
- Swarovski Created Diamonds: Swarovski offers lab-grown diamonds and colored gemstones as part of its broader jewelry portfolio. It is a broad incumbent with strong global brand recognition that overlaps with Chatham's lab-grown colored gemstone and diamond offerings.
- Pandora Brilliance: Pandora's lab-grown diamond collection is part of Pandora's global mass-market jewelry assortment. While at much lower price points, it competes for entry-level lab-grown diamond consumers and brings scale advantages Chatham does not have.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Chatham social profiles
Digital presenceChatham compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Chatham financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chatham leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Chatham funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chatham M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chatham
What does Chatham do?
Chatham grows lab-grown gemstones and diamonds in controlled laboratory conditions that replicate the temperature, pressure, and chemistry found deep within the earth, and sells these loose stones wholesale to authorized retailers. The company also designs and manufactures finished jewelry collections (Legacy High Jewelry, Color Fashion, Diamond Fashion, and Color Engagement Rings) that are distributed to the same authorized retail network across the United States and Canada.
Is Chatham a public or private company?
Chatham is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Chatham founded?
Chatham was founded in 1938. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Chatham based?
Chatham is headquartered in San Marcos, United States, in the North America region.
How does Chatham make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Finished Jewelry Wholesale is the primary driver. The others are loose Lab-Grown Gemstones Wholesale, loose Lab-Grown Diamonds Wholesale and co-op Marketing Program.
Who are Chatham's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Clean Origin, VRAI, Diamond Foundry, Brilliant Earth, Gemesis / Pure Grown Diamonds, Ada Diamonds and MiaDonna. Broad incumbents are Lightbox (De Beers Group), Swarovski Created Diamonds and Pandora Brilliance.
Does Chatham have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chatham.
What industry is Chatham in?
Chatham's product category is Fine Jewelry. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAKAJAM, Synthetic/Lab-Grown Diamonds & Gemstones (Manufacturing & Trading), with a secondary code of CRAKACAF, Lab-Grown Diamond Bridal Jewelry. Its NAICS code is 327991 and its SIC code is 3911.