LabGrownCarats brings together practical diamond research, jewelry-buying experience and specialist writing. Our goal is to help you choose the right loose diamond, engagement ring, earrings, pendant or other piece at a sensible price.
Klaus Thorup leads current editorial work. The contributors below have helped build our retailer reviews, educational articles, gift ideas and buying guides. Their individual profiles link to their articles, so you can see whose experience informs the advice you are reading.
Our founder and editorial lead
Klaus Thorup
Klaus founded LabGrownCarats in 2020 after researching lab-grown diamond earrings for his wife. He wrote the first articles, studied diamonds and lab-grown diamonds, compared retailers and bought, examined and returned jewelry as part of his research. He is responsible for current editorial decisions and reviews substantive article updates before publication.
His background includes more than ten years in economic development, trade and resource extraction. His work has involved the UN, the World Bank, the African Union, the African Development Bank and similar organizations. He has worked with the effects of mining on communities, exporting countries and the environment.
As an economist, he is especially interested in diamond prices, valuation and what buyers receive for their money. That perspective also informs the site's discussion of mining, sourcing and environmental claims.
Diamond, jewelry and editorial contributors
Rolf Hartmann
Rolf has decades of experience in the jewelry industry and specializes in lab-grown diamonds. He followed their development from industrial uses to the gemstone quality available in jewelry today.
As a writer and former editor at LabGrownCarats, he contributed retailer reviews and practical advice on finding a suitable diamond at a good price. His work helped explain both diamond quality and the differences between sellers. He remains credited on the articles he wrote.
Sharon Tate
Sharon S. Tate is a journalist and fashion editor whose background is in fashion, writing and contributing editorial work. Her focus is jewelry trends and how people choose and wear different designs.
Her LabGrownCarats contributions include lab-grown diamond jewelry trends, gift ideas, buying inspiration and guides. She helps connect the technical details of a piece with its style and the occasion it is being bought for.
Juli Church
Juli is a Certified Diamontologist with more than eight years of diamond and jewelry-industry experience, including work at Kay and Zales. Her experience in jewelry retail informs her guidance on product quality, sales practices and the questions shoppers should ask.
Her diamond training and work with buyers support a practical approach: explain the material, understand what affects its appearance and help the reader make an informed purchase. Her LabGrownCarats articles cover diamond and jewelry buying advice.
Susannah Pask
Susannah is a writer and editor with more than 25 years of experience in fashion, jewelry, bridal and luxury publishing. She has worked as a national and regional magazine publisher and editor, with publishing and editorial roles at The Atlantic Monthly, Metropolitan Home, Bridal Guide, Women's Wear Daily and W.
At LabGrownCarats, she contributed diamond-jewelry trends, ideas, gift recommendations and buying guides. Her work brings a design and occasion-based perspective to questions such as which necklace, earrings or ring will suit the wearer.
How our experience informs the site
Different articles need different kinds of expertise. A gift guide needs attention to style, fit and the recipient; a loose-diamond comparison needs careful price and quality matching; a seller review needs evidence about the retailer and the buying experience.
Our editorial review process explains how we bring those findings together. For documented purchases, delivery observations and returns, see the buying-experience comparison.