Lazare Kaplan International

What Lazare Kaplan International does

Lazare Kaplan International (LKI) is a 122-year-old U.S.-domiciled diamond-cutting company, founded in 1903 by Lazare Kaplan in Antwerp and headquartered at 19 West 44th Street, New York. The company manufactures and markets ideal-cut loose diamonds under 'The Lazare Diamond' brand, applying Marcel Tolkowsky's 1919 mathematical proportions formula to optimize brilliance, scintillation, and fire. Its product portfolio includes finished jewelry across rings, earrings, pendants, and bands organized into nine collections, with proprietary technology assets including laser inscription (co-invented 1983), a permanent owner-linked Diamond Registry, and a re-cut warranty for chipped stones .18 carats and larger.

LKI operates a fully integrated supply chain spanning cutting and polishing factories in Antwerp, Puerto Rico (since 1917), Botswana (since the early 1960s), Namibia (via the NamGem joint venture), and Japan, and has been a DTC sightholder of De Beers since 1946. The company went public in 1972 — the first diamond-cutting firm to do so — and has been under majority Tempelsman family control since 1984, with Maurice Tempelsman as Chairman and Leon Tempelsman as President.

Commercial operations run exclusively through a curated authorized-retailer network (with store-within-a-store Lazare Diamond boutiques introduced in 2000), supported by a B2B portal, a consumer diamond-search tool, a My Lazare Diamond registry, and a 2011 iPhone/iPad 4Cs tutorial app. The firm is a founding member of the UN Global Compact, a certified member of the Responsible Jewelry Council, and an active participant in the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme, with 101-250 employees and no disclosed revenue.

Name

Lazare Kaplan International

Legal name

Lazare Kaplan International Inc.

Website

https://lazarediamonds.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Lazare Kaplan International is a 1903-founded, publicly traded DTC sightholder that cuts, polishes, and markets branded ideal-cut diamonds and finished jewelry globally through an exclusive network of authorized retail jewelers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Diamond Jewelry

NAICS

Cut Stone and Stone Product Manufacturing (327991), Jewelry, Watch, Precious Stone, and Precious Metal Merchant Wholesalers (423940), Jewelry Retailers (45831)

SIC

Jewelry, Precious Metal (3911), Wholesale-Jewelry, Watches, Precious Stones & Metals (5094), Cut Stone & Stone Products (3281)

akta.pro primary industry

Diamond Cutting & Polishing (Manufacturing) (CRAKAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Diamond Jewelry (CRAKAAAA), Fine Jewelry Manufacturing (Precious Metals & Gem-Set) (CRAKAIAA), Polished Diamond Trading & Brokerage (CRAKAJAD)

Keywords

• Ideal cut diamonds
• Diamond cutting
• Branded diamonds
• Diamond jewelry
• Luxury diamonds

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Diamond Sales to Authorized Jewelers: B2B sales of ideal-cut Lazare Diamonds to authorized retail jewelry partners worldwide
2. Diamond Jewelry Products: Sale of Lazare Diamond jewelry through authorized retail jewelers including rings, earrings, pendants, and bands

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lazare Kaplan International manufactures and sells ideal-cut diamonds under the branded name "The Lazare Diamond," cut to Marcel Tolkowsky's 1919 mathematical proportions formula for maximum brilliance, scintillation, and fire. The company also produces finished diamond jewelry (rings, earrings, pendants, and bands) across nine named collections, and sells exclusively through a curated global network of authorized retail jewelers supported by a B2B portal.

Product overview

Lazare Kaplan International (LKI) is a premier diamond-cutting company founded in 1903, marketing ideal-cut diamonds under the brand name 'The Lazare Diamond.' The product portfolio centers on the core Lazare Diamond — cut to ideal proportions to maximize brilliance, scintillation, and fire — complemented by jewelry products across four categories (rings, earrings, pendants, bands) organized into nine collections (Metropolitan, Twins, Kaplan Signature, Simply Twist, Simply Classic, Trellis, Ideal Surroundings, Simply Lazare, and Fashion). Key differentiators include laser inscription authentication, a Diamond Registry/Warranty service, and an online Diamond Search tool. The company operates a B2B retailer portal alongside consumer-facing e-commerce, selling exclusively through authorized retailers rather than directly to consumers online.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Lazare Diamond: Premium ideal cut diamonds marketed as 'The world's most beautiful diamond' with laser inscription and registry warranty.

Products and services

• The Lazare Diamond The company's flagship ideal-cut diamond product, cut to precise proportions established in 1919 to maximize brilliance, scintillation, and fire. Each diamond 0.18 carats and larger carries a laser inscription with the Lazare logo and a unique identification number for authenticity verification, and is supported by the Lazare Diamond Registry and Warranty. Sold to luxury consumers through authorized retail jewelers.
• Lazare Diamond Rings Finished diamond rings featuring Lazare ideal-cut diamonds, sold through authorized retail jewelers. Spans engagement, anniversary, and fashion ring styles across nine design collections.
• Lazare Diamond Earrings Finished diamond earrings featuring Lazare ideal-cut diamonds, sold through authorized retail jewelers across multiple style families within the Lazare jewelry collections.
• Lazare Diamond Pendants Finished diamond pendants featuring Lazare ideal-cut diamonds, sold through authorized retail jewelers across multiple style families within the Lazare jewelry collections.
• Lazare Diamond Bands Finished diamond bands featuring Lazare ideal-cut diamonds (including wedding and anniversary bands), sold through authorized retail jewelers across multiple style families within the Lazare jewelry collections.
• Lazare Diamond Registry and Warranty Proprietary registry and warranty service that links each Lazare Diamond's laser inscription number to its owner, supports authenticity verification, gemologist analysis, and warrants re-cutting of registered diamonds to ideal proportions if chipping occurs from ordinary wear.

Quantifiable outcome

• Every Lazare Diamond features laser inscription with unique identification number permanently registered to owner
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Nozala Investment (PTY) Ltd.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004LKI signed an agreement with Nozala Investment, a women's empowerment investment group in Namibia, as part of the NamGem joint venture partnership.
• Namibia Government (NamGem Joint Venture)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLKI was a Joint-Venture partner with the Government of Namibia in NamGem, the country's flagship diamond cutting and polishing factory in Okahandja, acting as technical advisors and overseeing manufacturing process of incoming rough diamonds.
• Botswana GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLKI has operated in Botswana since early 1960s with first factory there, maintaining close ties to the continent of Africa through diamond manufacturing operations.
• Diamond Trading Company (DTC)coreOthersLKI became a DTC Sightholder in 1946. The DTC is the sales and marketing arm of DeBeers Group selling approximately half of world's rough diamonds to carefully chosen sightholders.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• De Beers Group: De Beers is the dominant rough diamond supplier and operator of the DTC sightholder system through which LKI receives allocations. Comparable as the upstream gatekeeper of LKI's supply chain, and increasingly a competitor via its Lightbox lab-grown brand and De Beers Forevermark branded cut.

Direct peers

• Leibish & Co. Leibish specializes in natural fancy-colored diamonds and ideal-cut stones sold through a global online and authorized-retailer network. Comparable to LKI as a niche premium diamond specialist emphasizing cut quality and authenticity, though with stronger fancy-color focus.
• Rosy Blue: Rosy Blue is a long-established DTC sightholder and global diamond manufacturer with cutting operations across multiple geographies. Comparable to LKI as a peer sightholder with global manufacturing footprint, B2B polished diamond sales model, and similar industry certifications.
• Royal Asscher: Royal Asscher is a heritage Dutch diamond cutter (est. 1854) known for its proprietary Asscher cut and branded diamond lines. Comparable to LKI as a heritage diamond cutter that built a brand around a patented/family cut technique and emphasizes craftsmanship heritage.
• Hearts On Fire: Hearts On Fire is a branded ideal-cut diamond company marketed as 'The World's Most Perfectly Cut Diamond.' Like Lazare Kaplan, it pioneered a proprietary branded cut and sells through authorized retail jewelers, making it the closest direct comparable in the branded ideal-cut diamond category. Now owned by Chow Tai Fook.

Emerging players

• Diamond Foundry: Diamond Foundry is a venture-backed lab-grown diamond producer with proprietary CVD technology and Vrai consumer brand. Comparable to LKI as a diamond producer targeting premium and ethical buyers, but operating on the lab-grown side of the structural divide affecting LKI's natural-diamond business.
• Brilliant Earth: Brilliant Earth is an online jewelry retailer specializing in ethical and lab-grown diamonds with strong ESG positioning. Comparable to LKI as an ESG-credentialed diamond brand targeting ethically-minded consumers, but competing from a digital-native D2C model rather than authorized retailers.

Broad incumbents

• Tiffany & Co. Tiffany & Co. (now LVMH) is a global luxury jewelry brand with proprietary diamond cuts and rigorous provenance standards. Comparable to LKI as a luxury diamond brand with strong authentication, heritage, and consumer-trust positioning, though at vastly larger scale and with owned retail rather than authorized dealers.
• Blue Nile (Signet Jewelers): Blue Nile is a large online diamond and jewelry retailer (now owned by Signet Jewelers) that competes for the same premium natural-diamond consumer LKI targets via authorized retailers. Comparable as a downstream channel alternative that has shifted the jewelry retail landscape LKI distributes through.
• Signet Jewelers: Signet Jewelers is the world's largest jewelry retailer (Kay, Zales, Jared) and owner of Blue Nile. Comparable as a major buyer of branded diamonds including Lazare, but also a potential disintermediation threat if it prioritizes its own house brands or shifts mix toward lab-grown diamonds.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/lazarediamonds
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/lazarediamonds
• Facebookfacebook.com/lazarediamonds
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lazare-kaplan-international

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lazare Kaplan International