These precious stones are a vibrant source of inspiration for contemporary designers, many of whom leverage their creations to help needy communities.
Nataliya and Viktor Bondarenko, Rubeus Milano
“We pay tribute to the beauty of art and the beauty of nature in our latest creation, a modern vision of the toi et moi ring set with emeralds from Zambia. The model was designed by Frédéric Mané in Paris and brought to life by Jothi Seroj in France. Our ring is inspired by the tectonic plates moving. It’s a tribute to mother nature, who makes the geological world dance. It is a graphic design — an architectural and asymmetrical ring with a stunning pair of emeralds set on a bed of carved natural rock crystal. We used a high-end jewelry technique of setting stones following the rules of [the] ‘Made in France’ [standard], a real challenge mastered by the best jewelers based in Place Vendôme. The ring gives the feeling the emeralds are floating on precious magma and dazzling energy. The vivid-green, intense color of the pear-shaped emeralds reminds us of the color of the Mediterranean Sea, where the green color of the water means the water is hot and delightful for swimming and enjoying the summer.”
Patricia Inonge Mweene, Inonge Zita
“Apart from the fact that emeralds are beautiful, I like working with Zambian emeralds, as it gives me the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Zambian gem cutters. I grew up in the mining town of Ndola, Zambia’s second-biggest town. Working with emeralds gives me a chance to give back to my hometown and contribute to the development of much-needed skills and competencies for women and youth. I source emeralds from small-scale miners in Zambia and through the Zambia Gemstone Processors and Jewelers Cooperative Society. It’s an industry organization made up of veteran gem cutters and goldsmiths working to promote gem-cutting and jewelry skills in Zambia.
“Responsible sourcing is very important to my creative process. At the heart of our responsible-sourcing strategy is the multitude of people who make up the local gemstone value chain and make it possible to do what we do. I believe the design process should start as close to the area in which the resources are mined in order to facilitate skill transfer in mining communities. In Zambia, we have very high poverty and unemployment rates in communities. As part of our contribution to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we have partnered with Kariba Minerals [as well as other] jewelry and gemstone associations to support SDG 4: Education, SDG 5: Gender Equality, and SDG 17: Partnerships. Responsible sourcing cannot be done by jewelry designers in isolation; everyone along the jewelry value chain must be involved.”
Jenny Klatt and Stephanie Wynne Lalin, Jemma Wynne
“Emeralds have been a focus of our collection for several years. We’ve always been drawn to their beautiful properties and color tones. They have a certain richness to them, especially when set in yellow gold with diamonds, and we see them as the perfect neutral. We couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with Muzo on these special, one-of-a-kind pieces. Giving back is a core value at Jemma Wynne. As mothers, any organization that supports family is close to our hearts. We feel humbled that we can contribute [by] supporting these essential programs that ensure a more productive and better life for those in need.”
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