Chris Benham has always seen jewellery as the meeting point of technical innovation and creative design. In 2009, he co-founded Inspired Jewellery with a goal to rethink how diamonds could be held and displayed. The jewellery world had long accepted the limits of traditional tension settings, but Chris believed it was possible to do better. Through merging with The Village Goldsmith, and years of addressing the technical challenge with his team, there was a breakthrough: the Floeting Diamond.

Instead of using pressure or prongs, the design supports diamonds from below with advanced materials and precision micro-engineering. The result is a diamond that appears to float, with light hitting it from every angle. The Floeting Diamond now sits at the centre of a growing global licensing and manufacturing business. It features in more than 50 countries and is now part of Tiffany & Co.’s global collection designed by Pharrell Williams - a significant milestone for a New Zealand-founded brand. The business continues to work with other global luxury names, including LVMH.

Chris’ ability to turn vision into operational excellence has been instrumental in driving this growth. By fusing creativity with smart, scalable systems, he’s turned a bold idea into a globally recognised innovation. Chris has built direct relationships with trusted suppliers in Canada, India and Asia to improve traceability and efficiency, and championed sustainability at every stage. At the same time, he’s embraced technology by introducing bespoke cloud systems and AI tools that help the business move faster and think smarter. 

As the Floeting product range expands globally, Chris has ensured the integrity and IP remain with The Village Goldsmith, positioning the business as a leader in design-led, globally scaled innovation.