Before she became known as the Houston Diamond Girl, Lindsey Leigh Hohlt was an LSU student of fashion merchandising and business, walking the oak-lined campus paths with only a glimmer of what her future would hold. Now, with clients from all over the United States, Canada and Mexico, Lindsey Leigh Jewelry shines as a staple of the concierge jewelry scene, nixing the middleman to source the perfect stones for necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and—perhaps most importantly—rings for weddings and engagements.

“We’re not designers, so there’s no designer fee associated with us,” says Hohlt, who managed a local Houston jewelry boutique before founding her own business in 2018 from her apartment. “We source the diamond for you, and then we work with our manufacturers around the world to make your vision come to life.”

This happens through a personalized process befitting the most personalized of jewelry pieces. When a client reaches out to Hohlt, who along with her all-female staff has completed the Gemological Institute of America’s intensive diamond certification course, she works with them to discuss aspects of ring design from the cut and size of the stone to the lifestyle and personality of the bride-to-be.

“If a woman works in the medical industry and she’s at the hospital a lot, maybe she needs a more low-profile ring,” says Hohlt. “If she works as a fitness trainer, maybe she’d need something a bit bulkier so it stays put. Then, based on that conversation, we’ll talk about the ‘four Cs’: carat, clarity, cut and color. And of course we’ll settle on a budget.”

Clients can then try on the design prototype in real life before placing an official order, taking advantage of computer-aided design software and 3D printers to obtain a wax mold set with their curated stone. Then, four to six weeks after selecting the diamond, the finished piece of jewelry is ready for its time to shine.

“One reason I wanted to work in the diamond industry was to put a new face on a sector long dominated by old men,” says Hohlt, who places a high value on ethics in an industry once fraught with a bad reputation. “I just figured it was time to shake things up.”