Leadership Committee
Louis Price
Vice President
Starting in sales in the late 1970’s, Louis’ career has advanced to executive management and is now the Chief Operating Officer at M. Geller Ltd. From sales representation to leading a major diamond jewelry manufacturer and now M. Geller, he has achieved consistent growth and profitability through proven leadership, extensive industry relationships, sales, finance, marketing skills and product knowledge.
M. Geller Ltd. is a 38-year-old diamond wholesaler focusing on the special-order diamond business. As a forward-thinking company, M. Geller innovated web-based diamond inventory and programs and was one of the first diamond companies to see the opportunity and enter the laboratory-grown diamond business over 9 years ago.
Louis leads the marketing and sales teams and has been responsible for the entry and development of the laboratory-grown diamond business as well as the success of the traditional special-order diamond business through state of art technology and an analytical, high service philosophy.
“We work for our retail customers and ultimately for the consumer. By including laboratory-grown diamonds to the services we provide, we responded to rapidly increasing consumer awareness of an exciting new choice in diamonds”.
Louis is based in Chicago, Illinois.
Dick Garard
Senior Board Advisor
Richard (Dick) Garard has enjoyed a career of entrepreneurship, establishing multiple companies focused on high tech capital equipment and advanced materials processing. He has been involved in research and technology for growing diamond material in the lab and corresponding production equipment for over 30 years. He is currently CEO of Microwave Enterprises, a company supplying capital equipment and development of CVD technologies for diamond deposition. Mr Garard is a founding member of the International Grown Diamond Association, where he currently serves as President and Secretary General.
Dick is based in Morrisville, North Carolina.
Marty Hurwitz
Senior Board Advisor
After careers in television, advertising and oil, Marty became a third-generation jewelry retailer when he partnered with a childhood friend in a retail jewelry store in 1984. He founded MVI Marketing LLC (THE MVEye) in 1989, together with his wife Liz Chatelain, and grew THE MVEye into an internationally recognized organization. THE MVEye provides consumer and trade market research along with strategic consulting services to a global client list in the gem, jewelry and watch industries. In 2004 THE MVEye began its first consumer research study on awareness and acceptance of laboratory-grown diamonds. Each year since, THE MVEye has monitored the progress of the laboratory-grown diamond category with consumers and trade organizations globally. Marty Hurwitz is considered a subject matter expert on consumer and trade awareness and acceptance of laboratory-grown diamonds, along with the technologies and processes currently operating and in development in the prime growing sectors.
Marty is based in Austin, Texas.
Shelly Katzir
A seasoned executive with over 20 years of experience in the US diamond and jewelry industry. After managing the operations of a large US diamond wholesale company, as well as launching her own unique fashion jewelry brand, Shelly joined Hoover & Strong in 2012, and is currently the manager of business development and special projects. Shelly played a vital role in establishing the laboratory-grown diamonds product selection at Hoover & Strong, and has been promoting the category since 2015.
Established in 1912, Hoover & Strong is a leading US precious metals manufacturer of over 30,000 environmentally and socially responsible jewelry products and services. Hoover & Strong has been an avid supporter of sustainable and ethical sourcing and is a strong advocate for laboratory-grown diamonds. Hoover & Strong actively promotes education and transparency in the diamond industry and has recently been accredited by SCS for the distribution of sustainability-rated diamonds.
Shelly is based in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Charlotte Daehn
Director of communication and head of CSR, Charlotte deploys her energy on a daily basis to build the awareness about Courbet and laboratory-grown diamonds.
Charlotte is based in Paris, France.
Vivien Johnston
Vivien Johnston Glass FRSA is an expert in the responsible sourcing of precious metals, diamonds and gems, with over 20 years of experience in the jewellery industry. She has first-hand experience of the ethical luxury consumer market, having founded her own brand in 2006 to pilot a sustainable business model promoting positive ethics in mining and jewellery, using materials exclusively from traceable and ethical sources. Since then, she has consulted for a range of clients including major luxury jewellery houses, independent brands, laboratory-grown diamond producers, diamond and gem traders, junior mining companies, manufacturers, and international brand agencies.
Daniel Kahn
Following his experience leading strategy-consulting engagements at Monitor Deloitte and managing a US-based jewelry company, supplying to leading retailers such as Walmart, Sam’s Club and Kohls, Daniel joined the Landa Group as VP of Business Development at LANDA LABS, the group’s science innovation and incubation center, and LUSIX, the group’s laboratory-grown diamond company.
A Landa Group creation, LUSIX is a prime grower of lab grown diamonds committed to disrupting the diamond industry with leading technology and both superior and sustainable products. LUSIX diamonds are grown with the world’s most scientifically advanced technology, developed exclusivity by our own scientists and engineers. Our vision is to supply luxury to environmental and socially aware consumers.
Fusing the beauty of nature with the power of science.
Daniel is based in Rehovot, Israel.
Anup Zaveri
Anup Zaveri joined the diamond business all the way back in 1982. A partner of Polar Star, Mr. Zaveri boasts a wealth of experience as a diamond manufacturer: three decades of it, to be precise. He is the honorary treasurer of the Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB) and the convener of its Customs Liaison Committee. That's not all. Mr. Zaveri is also the acting managing trustee of the Gemmological Institute of India (GII). Together with this team at Real Illussion, he is innovating the future of diamond production one thoughtful CVD diamond at a time.
Anup is based in Mumbai, India.
Vishal Mehta
Born of the desire that everyone should own a beautiful diamond, Baron Dilip Mehta and his son Vishal founded Lumex as an integrated player in the laboratory-grown diamond industry in 2018 to reinvent the perception of diamonds. Built on the strong family heritage and 100+ years of experience in the diamond industry, we represent integrity, trust and a commitment to quality. Headquartered in Dubai, Lumex is also present in India and the USA. Lumex, an integrated player in the laboratory-grown diamond industry is a Baron Dilip Mehta family venture based in Dubai.
Vishal is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Véronique de Beaumont
After 20 years of working on the Place Vendome in Paris as an expert diamond buyer (Richemont and LVMH Groups), Véronique joined Diam Concept motivated by the company’s innovation, ethical and eco-responsible stand.
Her motivation? To pursue her dreams within the stone industry, while keeping in alignment with her professional and environmental values.
Diam Concept is the French laboratory-grown diamonds factory. Founded in May 2016 by Alix Gicquel, a worldwide recognized scientist who went up the first team working on “plasma for diamond growth” in France in 1990. Our success has been due as much to the integrity of our environmentally conscious approach, as to the exceptional quality of our diamonds.
Véronique is based in Paris, France
Tom Chatham
In 1936, a young aspiring chemist named Carroll Chatham began his research into gemstone growth at the age of 12! He built his first laboratory in his father’s cellar in San Francisco. His initial goal was to recreate the failed diamond growing experiments of French chemist, Henri Moissan from the 1890’s.
Failing at this due to numerous explosions, he turned his efforts to emerald, learning they had never been successfully produced on a commercial basis or quality. Over the course of many years Carroll was successful producing emerald while still attending college at the California Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Cal Tech.
In 1965, his son, Thomas Chatham joined him at Chatham Research Labs. Soon the first flux grown ruby was produced followed by many colors of sapphire. Alexandrite was also grown, another first in lab grown gemstones. Tom Chatham developed a greater interest in the business side of the company, creating a marketing corporation now called Chatham Created Gems and Diamonds, with start-up cutting facilities in a number of overseas locations. Tom was appointed president of the corporation in 1976. Today, the cutting and jewelry manufacturing factories employ over 300 people, with a number of production laboratories as well.
Carroll Chatham passed away in 1983 at the early age of 68, Almost exactly 10 years later, in 1993, Tom succeeded in achieving his father’s dream; laboratory-grown diamond in white, yellow, blue and pink crystals, identical to their natural counterpart.. Today, Tom is Chairman of the Board of the corporation and the company is run by CEO and President, Harry Stubbert.
Tom is based in Half Moon Bay, California.
Irene Hsieh
“Always lean into the future — you have to lean into that and figure out what to do.” If you resist the trend, you are probably resisting the future; embrace the trend, and you can ride the wind. - Jeff Bezos Jeff Bezos (founder and current chairman and CEO of Amazon.com) -
Rooted in the high-end jewelry industry for more than 25 years, Irene Hsieh, the founder of JOY COLORi, has made great achievements and changed the jewelry consumption market in Taiwan from running the gold shop to introducing the most perfect diamonds from Hearts On Fire. JOY COLORi was founded in 2019 because she believes that what the market really needs is an innovative jewelry industry with new ideas. Irene saw the laboratory-grown diamond, a diamond grown by the Diamond Foundry in the Silicon Valley laboratory of the United States. It is different from artificial diamonds decades ago, and different from moissanite and zircon that are not diamonds today. This is a 100% real diamond. It has been widely recognized by European and American industries for its mature and stable technology, and has been endorsed by GIA, IGI and other international certificates and FTC (US Federal Trade Commission), JCK News (more than 150 years of jewelry authoritative magazines) and other relevant authorities. Therefore, it was decided to be led by JOY COLORi. It was introduced for the first time in the industry, named "Future Diamond" and registered.
This time, Irene once again pioneered the concept for Taiwan’s jewellery industry to minimize environmental harm and protect human rights, so that consumers who are good at future trends can embrace the beauty of diamonds.
Irene is based in Taipei City, Taiwan.
Zulu Ghevriya
20 years experience in the Diamond and Jewelry Industry. Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the Luxury Goods & Jewelry industry. Skilled in Retail, Jewelry, Diamonds, Product Development, and Fashion.
Grown to Bring Smiles Smiling Rocks was founded by Manish Jiwani and Zulu Ghevriya to ultimately bring smiles and contribute to better and brighter world. Sustainability, Responsible Labor, and Responsible Sourcing are in the core of our brand. Our mission is to invest in the future of humanity. With that we proudly offer our customers origin-guaranteed, eco and socially conscious laboratory-grown diamonds and diamond jewelry. Grown to contribute to society and Global Peace. Giving back is our main priority. With you we want to create a new more caring world with better mentality, and new values. From each purchase we donate to charity organizations, and it is you who decides where and how much to contribute. We invite you to read our story and why it matters and explore our designs. Making the world better is a collaborative goal which can only be reached with the support of everyone.
Zulu is based in Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Heer Shah
With M.Sc in marketing from Imperial College London and B.Sc in business management from Queens Mary, London, Heer Shah has worked with brands such as Rituals, Pandora, The North Face, Procter & Gamble, Coravin, O2 Telefonica, and Bosch across Europe. With almost a decade of experience she has joined Heyaru Group to build a brand in the laboratory-grown diamond category. She will help build the group’s brands scale across B2B and D2C respectively.
Cora Lee Colaizzi
Since joining QG in 2000, as marketing manager, my roles and responsibilities have progressively increased as the company evolved from a regional to an international company. My main areas of focus are marketing, product development, and merchandising. The marketing and merchandising/catalog development department I started and lead is key to generating sales and supporting company success.
I take pride in leading and developing high-performance teams responsible for achieving the company's objectives, delivering actionable results, and striving to exceed expectations. By combining my marketing experience, creative problem-solving skills, and entrepreneurial approach to meet deadlines, my team provides clients with products that consumers wish to purchase. I have experience working in every step of the lifecycle - idea to brand, go-to-market to growth, maturity maintenance, and decline sell-off.
On the board of directors for Jewelers for Children, I serve on the special projects committee responsible for fundraising for this 501 (c) (3) non-profit. I am a member of the Women's Jewelry Association Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky chapter and the International Grown Diamond Association (IGDA) Leadership Committee.
Shashvat Sadhani
Experienced Director with a demonstrated history of working in the consumer goods industry. Skilled in Negotiation, Budgeting, Luxury Goods, Customer Service, and Retail. Strong professional graduated from Warwick University.
Shashvat is based in Surat, India.
Leon Peres
Experienced Senior Vice President Marketing with a demonstrated history of working in the luxury goods industry. Strong business development professional, skilled in Statistical Data Analysis, International Business Development, Big-picture Thinking, Lead Generation, and Team Leadership.
Leon is based in Aventura, Florida.
Amish Shah
Amish Shah, president of ALTR Created Diamonds, has never been afraid to challenge the status quo. After gaining experience, through his family business, in the diamond industry and in fine jewelry at an early age, he joined R & R Grosbard Inc. in New York in 2001 and helped transform it into an international powerhouse. Ten years later, Amish took over its operations and led a merger with his family business, conceiving R A Riam Group Inc. in New York, which includes ALTR Created Diamonds. As the only vertically-integrated diamond enterprise that provides a true end-to-end product, it creates the purest form of diamonds (Type-IIA diamonds) known to man.
Amish is based in New York, New York.
Kaushal Shah
Since 1999, Kaushal Shah has been associated with the Diamonds, Gems & Jewellery Sector for global outreach. Her marketing and sales strategies has hugely supplemented several leading Indian diamantaires and jewellery manufacturers global sales. These experiences are effectively being applied to channelise accelerated growth of laboratory-grown diamond industry. Currently associated with JA New York, Couture LV, Jewellery Show - London, Jeweluxe - Singapore, National Jeweler in the G&J industry & has set up LGD Pavilions at JANY & Jewellery Show London in 2022. Kaushal has excellent relationship with Industry leaders and sector-specific government associations and export promotion councils as well.
Having founded and managing Kaushal’s Media Pvt. Ltd. (KMPL). KMPL is the sole India representative of leading global B2B business publications and trade shows in various industry segments. Firm’s mandate being sales & service of print, online, booth space in the India sub-continent. Additionally, KMPL caters to leading exporters / businesses houses in the Furniture, Home Fashion and Gift Products as India rep of Home Textiles Today and High Point Market. Shows & magazines represented in the past include JCK LV, JCK New Delhi, JCK Orlando, International Jewellery London, Bijorca - Paris & publication like JCK (USA), Basel (Swiss), Variety (USA).