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Lugano Diamonds on creating more than jewelry

A relative newcomer in the worldof fi ne jewelry, Lugano Diamonds has been doing thingsdi ff erently since 2004 . Kim Ayling speaks to founder Moti Ferder about bringing the fi rm’s one-of-a kind creations to life “It starts with the stone,” Moti Ferder, founder of Lugano Diamonds, explains. Ferder launched the Newport Beach-based brand in 2004 with his wife Idit, who serves as COO, with the aim of not just creating fi ne jewelry, but a community for those who buy it, too. Tactile, multifunctional and intriguing — despite the value, Lugano pieces are intended to be picked up, worn, touched and loved. There are no white gloves in a Lugano showroom. “My philosophy is that jewelry should be worn,” Ferder says. “So the combination of having a three-carat pink diamond — which in many places would be a big deal — [then] putting in ebony [hardwood] completely tones it down and makes it fun.” And how do these pieces come to life? “We start by thinking, ‘[How can] we make the best of a stone? How would someone use it, how can we get the most value out of it?’” Ferder says. From here, he gets to work. With a family background in Antwerp’s diamond industry, Ferder was born into the business and went through gemologist training. Despite being CEO of the international organization (there are seven stores — or ‘salons’ in Lugano lingo — in the States, and a new one over in London), he still has a heavy hand in the creation process and personally oversees the small team of designers, as well as the extended lineup of craftspeople, which totals 16. Unusual for a US jewelry brand, the entire process, from design to completion, takes place under one roof in Lugano’s Newport Beach HQ. “It’s almost like a pharmacy,” Ferder says, describing the brand’s main workshop. “Typically, [jewelry workshops] are not very appealing places… they’re dirty and scru ff y. Inour workshop, everything is white and squeaky clean. They all sit there with their microscopes — it’s quite an incredible environment.” While the stone is the starting point for each piece, Ferder thinks about his clients from the get-go: “I start with a vision of, ‘How is it going to be worn? Is it bringing something new and di ff erent?’ You don’t reinvent the wheel every single piece, but what really di ff erentiates Lugano from other brands is the

evolution. We’re creating about 150 new pieces every month, so the evolution is quite rapid, and you’re constantly learning and evolving and bringing something new,” Ferder explains. Some designs come straight from Ferder’s hands; with others, it’s his direct instructions that end up creating the design: “I sit with the design and production team

and give them instructions of what I want.” From here, 3D mock-ups are created before the fi nal design is handed over to a jeweler. “We choose the craftsman for every piece,” Ferder says. “Each one of them has di ff erent things that they’re great at. We have a lead for every piece and, based on their skill set, we can decide who’s going to execute it. For

Photos Lugano Diamonds