One of the majors has energized the world of fancy-cut diamond brands. In a significant break from the industry’s many branded round cuts, Zales Jewelers Inc. of Irving, TX, introduced the octagonal Zales Diamond™ in its fall marketing campaign.

The move is significant because Zales Jewelers operates more than 700 stores and is part of Zale Corp., which has more than 2,300 retail outlets in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Zales Jewelers also has a strong online presence.

While traditional round cuts will remain a staple at Zales stores, the company wants to create a brand presence with its new diamond. “The Zales Diamond is a jewel that’s been 76 years in the making,” says Pamela Romano, president of Zales Jewelers. “We are excited to debut it in all Zales stores this year.”

The Zales Diamond

The diamond design features 24 more facets than traditional round cuts, for a total of 82 facets. To underscore Zales’ view the diamond “surpasses all others in brilliance and beauty,” each Zales Diamond comes with three documents:

• A "Guide to Light Performance Analysis Report” from GemEx Systems that describes the diamond’s brilliance, fire and scintillation.
• A certificate from the International Gemmological Institute detailing the diamond’s weight, color and clarity characteristics.
• Gemprint certification, a technology that “fingerprints” the unique characteristics of each diamond and stores them in a database to be used in case of loss or theft.

The diamonds also have laser-inscribed certification numbers.

Zales Diamonds come in platinum settings and are placed in an octagonal wooden display case. To ensure no stone is left unturned, customers who buy into the brand receive brand-engraved jeweler’s loupes to examine their diamonds up close.

The Zales Diamonds retail for $2,999 (0.50 carat) to $19,999 (2 carats).

• Zales Jewelers, Irving, TX; (972) 580-4000, www.zales.com.