A Light in Brooklyn’s Diamond Trade: Haejin Jewelry in Williamsburg

Sponsored By Haejin Jewelry

Haejin Jewelry is a woman-owned Williamsburg jewelry studio crafting sustainable custom lab-grown engagement rings rooted in Brooklyn artistry and ethical design.

Created By Brownstoner

Sue Kim spent years in the diamond industry before facing an uncomfortable truth. The sparkle she loved came at a devastating human cost — children and vulnerable communities forced to mine diamonds in brutal conditions. “It was something I could no longer look away from,” she said.

Such was the impetus for Haejin Jewelry in Williamsburg — to create beautiful jewelry without human cost. Today, Haejin Jewelry is known for custom lab-grown diamond engagement rings in Brooklyn, designed for couples who value beauty, ethics, and transparency.

The name Haejin means “Jewelry Formed by the Sun” in Korean. Like sunlight giving life, Kim wanted her work to bring light and warmth to the jewelry industry. Her solution? Lab-grown diamonds.

Lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds. In 2018, the Federal Trade Commission confirmed this by removing the word “natural” from the legal definition of diamonds. Lab-grown diamonds have the same chemical structure, brilliance, and durability as mined diamonds. The only difference is their origin — they’re grown in controlled labs.

“I do not see mined diamonds as the equivalent of wearing real fur, but I do think women today want choices that reflect their values,” said Kim, who quotes a McKinsey report that says half of millennial and Gen Z couples pick engagement rings with lab-grown diamonds— “well beyond what the mining industry had expected.”

Since opening in April 2024 in Williamsburg, a hub for creative engagement rings, Haejin has assumed its place in a city that stands alone in the jewelry world. From the packed Diamond District’s thousands of jewelers to SoHo’s luxury boutiques and Brooklyn’s indie studios, the city offers more choices and creative talent in a few square miles than anywhere else on Earth.

Kim developed what she calls the Williamsburg Glow—a design approach combining custom work, carefully chosen materials, and hand finishing. In her studio near McCarren Park at 123 Skillman Avenue, Kim crafts her custom engagement rings using only lab-grown diamonds and recycled gold. Before anything is made, clients see a detailed digital preview of their ring in case adjustments to height or prongs or shoulders are needed.

The space itself reflects why women choose to shop for engagement rings in Brooklyn instead of Manhattan: It’s calm and simple. There is time to ask questions, time to think, and it feels more like a thoughtful conversation than a performance.

As Haejin grows, 10 percent of future profits will help victims of unethical mining practices build new lives through job training and education, while also supporting local women and families in Brooklyn through the Brooklyn Love Restoration Project. The latter provides safety, stability, and new beginnings. “Real change isn’t just about ending bad practices,” Kim said. “It’s about creating new opportunities.”

This mix of craftsmanship and conscience has earned Haejin a following among Brooklyn couples who want custom engagement rings aligned with their values. The studio offers private design consultations where clients can learn about diamonds, explore designs, and create pieces that tell their unique stories.

For Kim, Haejin represents a new path in fine jewelry — one where beauty and ethics work together. As she puts it, “Diamonds should bring joy without causing suffering, beauty without compromise, and meaning beyond materialism.”

Learn more about custom lab-grown engagement rings in Brooklyn or schedule a private design appointment here.

[Photos via Haejin Jewelry]