THE ethical jewellers behind Meghan Markle’s favourite £630 earrings made a surprise TV appearance on Thursday - and walked away a quarter of a million pounds richer.
Kimaï co-founders Jessica Warch and Sidney Neuhau established their brand to redefine how fine jewellery is made, and now class the Duchess of Sussex as their most high-profile fan.
The entrepreneurs set the company up in 2019 to produce “jewellery that doesn’t cost the earth”.
They do this by only using lab-grown diamonds and making every piece from recycled solid 18k gold.
In 2019 and two months after Kimaï's launch, Meghan appeared in London with a pair of £630 Felicity earrings from the 100% ethical brand.
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This was a defining moment for Jessica and Sidney as it sparked sales of $1.2 million (£945k).
Kimaï sells exclusively fine jewellery; from engagement rings and wedding bands, to dainty earrings and pendants.
Now, the founders have secured a record-breaking £250,000 investment on Dragon’s Den.
In exchange for a 3% equity stake, they shook hands on the cash injection from fellow entrepreneur, Steven Bartlett.
It is the largest amount the Diary of a CEO front man has invested since he joined the show in 2022.
Jessica and Sidney even cited Meghan as a key customer when pitching to The Dragons, adding that actresses Emma Watson and Jessica Alba are also fans of their jewels.
They tactically managed to get Meghan wearing their earrings by sending out "cold e-mails".
"We're big believers in cold e-mails," Jessica said. "It's the same way we got all of our investors because we didn't know anyone in the space."
This year, Kimaï is set to make £500k profit after spending the last four years in a loss.
To get Steven on board, they assured him that lab-grown diamonds are "physically and chemically" identical to mined ones.
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“We use cutting-edge technology that replicates the natural diamond growing process in a lab,” Jessica and Sidney promise on the brand’s website.
“The resulting diamond is identical to one that comes from a mine in every way - except its lower environmental impact.
“At Kimaï, we’ve carefully selected all our materials and partners so we can track every step in our jewellery’s journey and give you full clarity around your stone’s story.
“We promise to always keep our supply chain transparent.
“We work with trusted professionals in Antwerp, from goldsmiths and setters to polishers.
“This allows us to make sure that everyone is working in a safe environment, as well as having close control over the entire process.”
