Editor’s Note
This article highlights the journey of a returnee entrepreneur and her multinational team, who are leveraging global insights and local manufacturing prowess to build an international diamond brand. It showcases how cross-cultural collaboration and technological innovation are forging new paths in traditional industries.
When a beam of light penetrates the laboratory glass cabinet, thousands of rough lab-grown diamonds refract uniformly brilliant light in custom trays—this is the core raw material area of YelonneChatonne’s strategically partnered large-scale diamond production base in Henan, and also the starting point for founder Yuelin and her international student team to pursue their global dream.
As a “second-generation factory owner” from a traditional factory deeply rooted in the jewelry collection field, this UK-educated master’s graduate now based in Hong Kong, together with two international partners she met during her student years, is leveraging top-tier lab-grown diamond production technology from Henan. With the combined advantages of “Chinese Intelligent Manufacturing + International Design + Local Market Operations,” they are making Chinese lab-grown diamonds shine in global markets such as London, New York, and Southeast Asia.
The brand name YelonneChatonne is derived from the transliteration of the two founders’ Chinese names—Yelonne from Yuelin, and Chatonne corresponding to Yutong, symbolizing the convergence of industrial heritage and international creativity. As a jewelry-loving “second-generation factory owner,” seasoned collector, and industry expert, Yuelin has years of deep experience in the diamond production and trade system, laying a dual foundation of professional aesthetics and stable supply for the brand. From upstream CVD lab-grown diamond selection and GIA/IGI grading standards to finished product setting and quality control, collection-grade standards are maintained throughout, forming the brand’s most solid cultural and industrial core.
Her experience studying in London made her keenly aware of the market potential of lab-grown diamonds—gems formed by simulating the natural diamond growth environment through high technology, indistinguishable in quality from natural diamonds while being more environmentally friendly and sustainable, gradually becoming a new choice for young global consumers.
Meanwhile, China’s lab-grown diamond industry already accounts for over 70% of global production. Among them, Henan, known as the “World Capital of Lab-Grown Diamonds,” gathers globally leading production technology and a complete industrial chain, supplying 80% of the domestic market and becoming the world’s largest lab-grown diamond production cluster, further solidifying the industrial foundation for local brands going global.
Based on a shared judgment of industry trends, Yuelin and her two international student partners hit it off. In 2023, the three co-founded the YelonneChatonne brand: one American partner now based in New York is primarily responsible for brand design and North American market expansion; another partner long-term resident in the UK is responsible for brand operations and channel development in the UK and European markets; Yuelin herself is based in Hong Kong, overseeing the brand’s overall strategy and leading the connection with top diamond factory resources in Henan.
Entering the large-scale diamond production base in Henan strategically partnered with YelonneChatonne, the scene in the modern production workshop is remarkable: the base is equipped with 120 top international Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) devices, efficiently operated by only 30 professional staff, with an annual production capacity of 200,000 carats. All equipment runs smoothly 24/7, simulating the geological environment where natural diamonds form, allowing carbon elements to gradually crystallize under high temperature and pressure.
Henan’s mature full-chain production ecosystem not only provides solid industrial support for the brand but also breaks the century-long monopoly of Western capital over the diamond industry, allowing Chinese lab-grown diamonds to grasp the industry’s core discourse power.
The partners have also jointly formed a research and development team to continuously optimize key parameters such as temperature, pressure, and gas concentration during the cultivation process, ensuring the rough diamonds stably meet international premium standards in core indicators like clarity and color.
In the raw material display area, hundreds of transparent sealed boxes are neatly arranged, each labeled with parameters such as weight, color, and clarity. The lab-grown rough diamonds inside are uniform in size and transparent in color.
From rough diamond selection, laser cutting, multi-facet polishing to finished product inspection, each step is completed by technicians with over 20 years of experience. Among them, the brand’s self-developed 153-facet cutting technique can significantly enhance the diamond’s fire and brilliance, becoming an important process advantage.
Furthermore, each finished YelonneChatonne jewelry piece comes with an international authoritative appraisal certificate from GIA or IGI, achieving transparent and traceable quality, providing crucial support for the brand’s entry into mature jewelry markets like the UK and North America.
Currently, YelonneChatonne has established a coordinated operational system covering the UK, the US, and the Asia-Pacific region: setting up overseas operations and design centers in London, UK, and New York, USA; establishing an Asia-Pacific operations hub in Hong Kong; and gradually expanding into markets like Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia in Southeast Asia.
Yuelin believes that multi-country partner coordination and deep-rooted local market operations are important paths for the brand’s steady overseas expansion. In the future, the team will continue to deepen technical cooperation with Henan factories, increase R&D investment, and explore a fusion model of “online customization + offline experience” to further expand international market space.
Today, YelonneChatonne products are sold in 12 countries and regions worldwide. From campus connections to multinational collaboration, this team composed of returnee youth is starting with Chinese lab-grown diamonds, relying on the hardcore strength of Henan’s world-class industrial base, writing a new chapter for Chinese brands on the global jewelry stage.
