Lab-grown diamond producer Gemesis has appointed Lisa Bissell, a veteran of M. Fabrikant & Sons, as its president and CEO.
Bissell has 26 years’ experience in the jewelry industry, including 19 years with M. Fabrikant, and has experience building brands and working with designers, a statement said.
The statement hints at several changes at the company. While it has in recent years sold direct to consumers via the Web, the statement indicates a new emphasis on targeting the trade. Its home base is now New York City, rather than Florida. In perhaps what could be the most intriguing aspect, a note says the company was “founded in 2013,” although its roots go back to the 1990s. (The original company underwent a restructuring in 2012.)
The company said it could not comment further at press time.
In a letter to Gemesis customers obtained by JCK, Bissell promises “many positive developments and changes” to come. The note also referenced a recent JCK blog post and accompanying comments: Can Lab-Grown Diamonds Be Called Eco-Friendly?
“We already have an incredible product, and now we need to create a team that can best represent this product to the industry,” Bissell said in a statement. “We have to work to bring harmonious coexistence to various diamond categories, with an aim to benefit the consumer, along with the people and communities who are such an important part of this industry.”
Suraj Mehta, who has been listed as company president but is now called promoter—an Indian term generally meaning “founder”—hailed Bissell’s experience in a statement.
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