Two Dallas Friends Create a Diamond Concierge Service for the Digital Age

Launching a business just as a pandemic hits might seem like tragic timing for a startup, but with only a modest Instagram page and word of mouth on their side, Dallas-based Milliard Diamond Concierge has amassed an impressive following.

Founders and longtime friends, William Manning and Brittani Lassiter, attribute their organic success to two factors: fair prices and a personal touch. Manning worked in the diamond wholesale business for years, and his background allows the duo (Lassiter worked in corporate law) to source, design, and customize at a variety of price points. Milliard’s approachable touch is also a plus in the diamond business.

“When people come to see us, they love the intimacy of it,” Lassiter says. “We meet face to face, lay out the stones, and they can touch and feel what they’re going to buy and customize.”

Clients were predominately local or referral based initially, but followers far and wide have begun messaging the duo to make pieces with them. “We’ve always tried to grow our business very organically and not blow things up, but then to come as far as we have [with just Instagram] has been pretty awesome to see,” Manning says. “Now, we’re trying to hire somebody else to help us — we’re a little bit overwhelmed.”

Milliard can create custom engagement rings, but the concierge service’s bread and butter over the past year has been tennis bracelets (a nostalgic trend enjoying a modern resurgence), ear studs, and Roman numeral rings customized with meaningful dates. “That was Britt’s idea and it just exploded for us,” Manning says.

 

ELIZABETH ANTHONY

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For more information, visit instagram.com/milliarddiamondconcierge. An official website is scheduled to launch in the next few months.