shining a spotlight on ethical sourcing
“I’ve always been really interested in working with sustainable, traceable diamonds,” says New York–based jewellery designer Eva Zuckerman, founder of Eva Fehren and one of the six artisans that partnered with global mining firm Rio Tinto on Diamonds With a Story. A special 30-piece capsule collection, Diamonds With a Story centres on designs made with ethically sourced, golden-hued diamonds. “Doing something to support the use of traceable stones is important to me. I was also really attracted to the colour of the stones — I’ve always wanted to create an ombré effect using a natural golden color. Working hand in hand with Diamonds with a Story gave me access to the type of stones that I wanted to use and gave me peace of mind as to where they were coming from.”
Ranging from earthy brown to golden yellow, the gems in Rio Tinto’s Diamonds With a Story collection were culled from the legendary Argyle mine in Western Australia. The path of each gem from mine to maker is traced and logged in an audited 20-point trail. In addition to Zuckerman, Ileana Makri, Ana Khouri, Alison Lou, Arpana Rayamajhi, and Anita Ko also crafted pieces with the Argyle diamonds. Each artist’s collection has between three and five pieces; designs start at US$675/RM2,615 and range from chic, angular drop earrings to glamorous chain-link bracelets and playful floral-themed wraparound rings.
Discovered in 1979, Rio Tinto’s Argyle Mine is the planet’s largest source of coloured diamonds. In addition to vibrant pinks and blues, golden diamonds are among the most coveted investment gems and make up about 25 percent of the mine’s annual production. Some examples date back billions of years.
“The beauty of the coloured diamonds from Argyle lies in the versatility of their colour palette and their clean and pure provenance — a platform for inspiration for designers and artists alike,” says Josephine Johnson, director of global marketing at Rio Tinto Diamonds.
Traceability and the ethical sourcing of diamonds is increasingly important to jewellery lovers the world over. “There have been people in the past who were turned off by diamonds because they felt insecure about the source,” recalls Zuckerman. “My customer is very curious and educated about the things that she buys. And I think more people are paying attention to where things come from, how [companies] treat the communities where diamonds are mined, as well as the quality of the stones. I’ve seen a huge increase in awareness about these facts from my customers.”
Designs from the Diamonds With a Story collection are available online and through the individual designers.
