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Industry News: DDG Names Proposal Contest Winners; Major Pink Diamond Found In Russia; More February 19, 2020 (0 comments)
Diamonds Do Good Announces Proposal Contest Winners; Launches Competition For Industry Philanthropy
New York, NY—In recognition of Valentine’s Day, Diamonds Do Good last Friday announced the winners of the second annual ‘Real Stories. Real Diamonds. Real Impact’ video proposal contest. A third year of the proposal contest is now being planned.
The winning couple of this year’s contest, Nicole and Isaiah, hail from North Carolina and got engaged during a trip to Ireland. “I love simple and natural, surrounded by the natural beauty of Ireland, the natural beauty of the diamond and my beautiful fiancé, our proposal story is one I will never get tired of telling,” says Nicole.
Nicole and Isaiah will experience the natural beauty of the Northwest Territories of Canada, the third largest producer of natural diamonds. There they will see firsthand the impact natural, mined diamonds have had on the country and to share their experiences through social media.
Videos were judged by digital media influencers @thediamondsgirl, @weddingdiary, and @roamaroo, with combined followers numbering over 2,000,000.
“The contest is helping boost consumer understanding of the real, positive impact for communities of natural, mined diamonds,” says executive committee member Rebecca Foerster, president of Alrosa USA.
D.E.F President, Anna Martin, senior vice president of GIA, echoes, “Educating the younger generation on the good diamonds do and inviting them to engage in this narrative will help boost consumer confidence in, and ultimately demand for, diamonds.”
The winning video can be seen on DiamondsDoGood.com/myproposalcontest.
Separately, Diamonds Do Good also announced a newly reformatted Diamonds Do Good event in Las Vegas, set for June 1 at the Palazzo Ballroom at the Venetian Hotel, and its first annual Diamonds Do Good Jewelry Awards, honoring members of the jewelry industry who’ve made charitable giving a successful and sustainable part of their business.
Open to manufacturers and/or retailers of fine jewelry featuring precious metals and/or natural diamonds and gemstones, the contest underscores the fact that not only is philanthropy the right thing to do, it’s also the smart choice for business. Editors from JCK magazine will judge the entries. Winners will be celebrated at the annual Diamonds Do Good event and featured in the June issue of JCK magazine.
Research shows that 75% of Millennials want businesses to have a social purpose and 80% want these businesses to let them know of these programs, and that 78% of Americans would more likely buy natural diamonds if they knew the positive impacts of the industry. Diamonds Do Good, formerly known as Diamond Empowerment Fund, is the industry’s third-party advocate of the industry’s good works as highlighted on its platform DiamondsDoGood.com and associated social media channels.
For submissions and more information go to jcklasvegas2020.com/diamondsdogood. The deadline for entries is Thursday, March 12. For more information on newly reimagined Diamonds Do Good Las Vegas event, visit diamondsdogood.com/lasvegasevent.
Rare Pink Diamond Found In Siberia Makes Its Way To New York
Yakutia, Siberia—A fancy intense pink purple diamond was recently unearthed by Russian diamond mining company Alrosa, in the Yakutia region of Siberia. The find is significant because the world's primary source of pink diamonds, Rio Tinto's Argyle mine in Australia, is due to close very soon.
Related: Argyle Launches 2019 Pink Tender As Mine Prepares To Close
The stone finished out to a 6.21-carat cushion cut, and was acquired by natural color diamond dealer and collector Larry West of LJ West in New York.
“Alrosa deposits are known not only for their colorless diamonds, but also for a variety of rough colored diamonds. Our cutters’ unique skills allow us to turn them into high-quality diamonds,” said Rebecca Foerster, Alrosa's U.S. president. “A closed production cycle guarantees the origin of each stone and allows us to track its path from its birth in Earth’s mantle. With these advantages, Alrosa may well become a world leader in the colored diamonds market.”
Alrosa provides every diamond with an electronic passport that includes a detailed visual history of the diamond’s extraction and production, as well as information about the cutting craftsman’s background. As part of the company’s traceability initiative, a short film is automatically generated on Alrosa’s digital platform, based on information about each diamond available for purchase.
“As global production declines, pink diamonds will become rarer and thus more valuable,” said West. “This is the first diamond from Russia that I have bought directly from Alrosa. It possesses excellent characteristics and will certainly take a worthy place in my collection.”
Peter Meeus Makes Second Bid For HRD Antwerp
Antwerp, Belgium—Diamond consultant Peter Meeus is still looking to buy the Antwerp World Diamond Centre. His second bid, to buy a 51% stake in the organization, complies with 100% of the terms originally communicated by AWDC, he said in a statement.
Meeus's plan for HRD to grow its business includes:
- To operate a world class diamond grading lab in Antwerp, servicing the Antwerp diamond market as well as grading labs in the main trading centers;
- To further develop the quality and control and educational programs that guarantee consistency in diamond grading in accordance with internationally accepted standards;
- To position the company as an ambassador of Antwerp’s diamond heritage and promote the city as the diamond center of excellence;
- To reach at least 250,000 shops per year by 2025 and to engage the large wholesale traders in Antwerp;
- To grow the market share of HRD Antwerp to strategic partners in major diamond jewelry markets in Asia;
Meeus said, “HRD Antwerp needs a positive story. Its main differentiator from any other service providers is the Antwerp diamond heritage, a formidable story dating back to 1487. I do this not only because I believe we will make money, but also because it will be good for the business and will create jobs in Antwerp. The interest of Antwerp's trade is that this name, Antwerp, will be lying in every shop in India, China, and the Middle East. If that happens, these retailers will ask for more diamonds from Antwerp.”