The Sunburst

FOUNDER'S MESSAGE

I loved jewelry as a teenager—obsessed, really. Then years in finance made me forget that passion.

Eight years ago, I found a pink diamond trilogy in a magazine. Two white diamonds flanking the center stone. A luxury brand. £60,000+.

I was captivated. I've never forgotten it.

But I couldn't justify it—that's a house deposit, two years of nursery fees. So I stopped wanting it. Or I tried to.

Looking back, I realize: my passion was lost not only because of the intense work, but also the door was closed for me.

I got married. Had my first child.

Then shortly came my second birth. It was traumatic—a rare complication, and for a second I saw the face of death, but luckily got pulled back to earth. I had an exceptional doctor who said it was one of the most challenging cases during his whole career. I got lucky. I survived.

After that, I wanted a ring to celebrate motherhood—for the blood, the sweat, the struggle, the tears, the joy, the surprise, the love. All of it. I wanted to wear it every day to remind myself how strong I was, how lucky I am for my family, my kids, the life I get to live. And yes, to show myself I'm still pretty—I'm still me.

But when I looked for that ring, I found the same problems: insanely expensive, boring, poor quality, or just another white diamond.

I wanted color. I wanted something that looked like how I felt—bold, alive, unapologetic. I remembered that pink trilogy ring. I wanted it so badly.

I've always loved diamonds. Not because they're status symbols—because they're the toughest, shiniest, most beautiful stones on earth, forged in extreme pressure and heat, indestructible, brilliant, eternal.

And now, thanks to science and technology, the diamond production has been liberated and democratized—no more blood diamonds or holes in the earth, just sustainable and ethical diamonds from carbon capture and produced using green energy. At least, that's what I choose.

My birth journey—the fact that I survived—made me realize: if God gave me my life back, I shall live with purpose. Embrace joy. Take risks. Just live.

Motherhood gave me the courage and motivation to pursue something truly for me.

And then I realized: I could build it.

I started Iris & Carly because I had something most UK jewelers don't—direct access to the world's largest and most advanced colored diamond labs. The same facilities that produce museum-grade stones for major luxury houses, but without the brand tax.

My finance background taught me to spot the arbitrage: same gemology, 97% less cost.

I named it Iris & Carly. Iris, for colour and light — the first thing that ever made me feel alive. Carly, for my children, Carl and Molly, and for the free will to begin again. This isn't just my second chance at life. It's their inheritance: a business built on equity over exclusion, on science over scarcity, on purpose over prestige.

The motherhood ring is where I began. Strong enough to survive everything. Beautiful enough to prove I'm still me.

That became the brand philosophy: affordable luxury that lasts, colors that heal and celebrate, design that honors strength.

You've survived for it. You deserve it. Wear your strength. Shine.

— Rose, Founder