DANI by Daniel K celebrates a milestone year

Daniel Koren developed a passion for fine jewellery from a young age. As the son of a second-generation diamond dealer, he was captivated by the glamour surrounding the precious stones industry and set upon a career in fine jewellery, which ultimately led to the launch of his brand, Daniel K, in New York in 1999

In 2005, his signature designs, such as the unique Uternity rings with unusually set square emerald cut diamonds and the imaginative Reverso collection of multifunctional jewels, led to the entrepreneur scooping the JQ Magazine Designer of the Year award.  From that point, the Daniel K brand continued to grow in prestige and presence, boasting numerous A-list celebrities among its clients and retailing in a diverse range of global markets including the US, Dubai, Australia and Russia.

By 2014, Koren launched his first diffusion fine jewellery collection, labelled DANI by Daniel K, which showcases jewels set in sterling silver. The new brand made its worldwide debut at Baselworld, and recently celebrated its first milestone year in 2015. ‘Day and Night’ magazine stopped by the brand’s booth at Baselworld 2015, for an indulgent chat with Daniel Koren to find out the ins and outs of running a successful business.

Can you tell us about the history of the brand?
The history of DANI by Daniel K is a very short-lived one, where the concept of the diffusion line came up around two years ago. However, we are only just celebrating our first year milestone at this year’s Baselworld from when our jewellery was first showcased.  DANI by Daniel K is an extension of my primary brand, Daniel K that specialises in jewellery crafted with real gems set in either gold or platinum. It is different from its sister-brand because the new brand marks a departure in traditional materials by only using sterling silver and simulated jewels, which are all hand-cut and polished in-house. The collection retains the innovative designs and craftsmanship associated with the Daniel K brand with a much more affordable price tag, allowing the larger public to become a valuable DANI by Daniel K client.

What are the core values of DANI by Daniel K?
The core values are demonstrated in our marketing campaign slogan, ‘I live my dream,’ which encourages women to aspire to their ideal character. The brand enables luxury accessories to be within easy reach of the masses, where women can feel beautiful and special whilst still looking after the purse-strings. Alternatively, women enjoy a variety of options that offer different styles and colours and by choosing to wear DANI by Daniel K products, they are able to buy as many jewels as they want without ever having to worry about insurance policies or losing the jewellery on a big night out.

How do you ensure the brand’s creates authentic looking jewellery pieces?
My background is in the high-end jewellery market. I have experience working with real precious stones and precious materials such as gold and platinum. With my existing knowledge and primary brand, Daniel K, I am able to ensure all DANI by Daniel K creations are finished to an exceptional standard using high-quality simulated stones that look and feel like the real thing. Our role doesn’t stop at simply creating the finished piece; we also ensure our packaging and window displays are presented in the same manner as if a customer was buying the real thing. By combining these three aspects, we guarantee the customer will experience fine jewellery offered at a reasonable price at its very best.

Do you design all the pieces yourself?
As the Creative Director of the company, all designs are finalised by me.  I have a team of artists who are instructed with details of what I am currently looking for in a piece and they go away and come up with sketches. These drawings are then discussed in detail and I make the necessary changes to eliminate any design flaws. Once I feel the product looks right, the final go-ahead is given to send the sketch to the production department to create a 3D sample.

What advantages are there of buying simulated jewellery?
Other than what I mentioned earlier about purchasing costs and not worrying about insurance policies, the other main advantage is for frequent fliers. When travelling with high-end jewellery it can be very stressful to deal with customs, insurance forms and security of the valuables whilst staying in a hotel. Hence our trademark ‘Travel with luxury’ comes into play, where our customers can commission replicas of their own jewellery or simply purchase our existing pieces to travel with confidence that their jewels are safeguarded and what they are wearing looks authentic and stunning where nobody is the wiser.

Are there any plans to use gold in the future?
We use plated gold on some of our pieces. Whether its rose gold or yellow gold, we use 2.5 microns to ensure a smooth finish. However, I should mention that we also offer a bespoke service to our clients, where if they want us to substitute the existing silver material for a pure gold one, then we can do that as a special order service, but we would not change the design, setting or stone of that particular piece – just the casting of the metal would change.

What is this year’s most popular piece?
The best seller would have to be the Uternity Band Ring, which boasts a patented U-shaped mounting. This ring can also be tailored under the Daniel K brand to be crafted in platinum with real diamonds.

Where are your materials sourced from?
Our simulated diamonds and cubic zirconia are sourced from the United States as they provide the purest, cleanest and widest range of rough stones. However, the rubies, sapphires and other stones we use are purchased from Switzerland from laboratories.  The cutting and polishing of these stones are all done in-house.