"FAKE it till you make it" may outdo "diamonds are a girl's best friend" if Queensland-based diamond simulant retailer Secrets Shhh has any say.
The eight-year-old business sells designer jewellery using stones grown in a laboratory.
The only difference is a diamond is mined - "that is the difference between spending $20,000 on a D-colour two-carat flawless diamond or $450 on a diamond simulant equivalent'', owner Jane Meredith said.
"Due to the current economic climate, we've experienced a growing demand for diamond simulants, with an 18 per cent growth in sales over the past 12 months.''
Ms Meredith said a key market for the business is engagement rings, with people intending to replace the stones in the future.
The first Secrets Shhh store was in Noosa, and the franchise business now has 22 stores across Australia, three in New Zealand, and a store will open in Singapore in May. Other countries are now being determined for further expansion.
The idea for the business came about when Ms Meredith was working at a ``high end'' diamond retailer at Sanctuary Cove.
A "defining moment'' occurred when restocking a display window one morning: she watched a woman with a pram gazing longingly at the diamonds.
"Whilst they are glamorous, they're largely unattainable. When my boss told me only 9 per cent of women around the world can buy our jewellery, I thought 'I'm the 91 per cent, that's not fair','' Ms Meredith says.
"Every woman is worthy of walking out with a beautiful piece of jewellery.''
"People need that at the moment - a little bit of a glimmer of hope.''
Ms Meredith hopes to open up to 45 franchises across Australia in the next few years.
(Repost from www.news.com.au)
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