Cartier Legacy to Lab Diamonds: Disrupting Designer Jewelry with Jean Dousset | E8

Jean Dousset, noted jewelry designer and descendant of Louis Cartier joins Max on the pod. Jean Dousset’s namesake brand creates custom pieces for high-profile clients, including Eva Longoria and Paris Hilton. Dousset also pioneered the use of lab-grown diamonds in fine jewelry, making stones of the best cut and clarity available to a wider range of consumers. Discover how Dousset turned a small brand specializing in high jewelry into an industry disrupter.

 

(00:00) Introduction to the Jewelry World
(00:19) Family Legacy and Early Career
(01:21) First Steps in High Jewelry Sales
(03:45) Training and Craftsmanship
(07:55) Developing a Unique Design Philosophy
(12:00) Retail Challenges and Career Growth
(27:57) The Impact of Online Diamond Sales
(34:12) Simplifying the Diamond Selection Process
(35:44) Building the First Website
(37:09) Starting from Scratch: The eBay Store
(37:47) Learning the Craft of Jewelry Making
(39:51) Bootstrapping the Business
(42:59) Opening the First Showroom
(45:54) Scaling the Business
(47:54) The Lab-Grown Unlock
(57:05) Advice for Aspiring Jewelry Designers
(59:29) Conclusion and Final Thoughts