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Indira Scott fronts the campaign showcasing five pendants created to celebrate sustainability in the diamond industry; pendants will be auctioned for charity by Sotheby’s in December
De Beers Group is pleased to announce international model Indira Scott as the face of the company’s previously announced ReSet Collective campaign. Ms Scott has lent her natural beauty and passion for the environment to reveal the collection of five unique natural diamond pendants, which celebrate sustainability in the diamond sector and will be auctioned for charity by Sotheby’s.
The ReSet Collective is comprised of five leading US jewelry designers – Jade Trau, Jennie Kwon, Julez Bryant, Sara Weinstock and Zoë Chicco – who visited Botswana late last year to witness first-hand the positive impact that diamonds discovered by De Beers’ joint venture partnership, Debswana, help create for the people and wildlife of Botswana. Following the trip, each designer created a unique diamond pendant, with four of the five designs incorporating a rough diamond sourced directly from Botswana.
The collection of one-of-a-kind pendants will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in an online sale, open for bidding from 10 to 17 December 2020. Estimates will range from $20,000 to $25,000, with 100 per cent of the hammer price from each piece[1] split equally between two charities: Stepping Stones International in Botswana and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in the US.
Bringing the campaign to life, Ms Scott modelled the pieces amongst the urban surroundings of New York City to complement the unique rough diamonds, diverse textures, and contemporary shapes of the pieces.
Indira Scott said: “I'm thrilled to be part of the new ReSet Collective campaign with De Beers Group. This collective of independent female designers has been so inspiring to me. Each of their stunning designs tells its own unique story about the important positive impact that diamonds help create for the people and wildlife of Botswana. It’s important for me to work with brands that are aligned with my own values and convictions, and De Beers’ support for the communities where it operates shows that it is possible to wear something beautiful while giving back. With the profits of these pieces going to the NAACP LDF and Stepping Stones International in Botswana, I’m especially proud to be involved.”
Colby Shergalis, Senior Vice President of De Beers Group Brand, said: “We are inspired by Indira’s work and passion, and delighted that she has chosen to help us share the story of the positive impact our diamonds make on the people and places where they are found. Indira immediately understood the special meaning behind the ReSet collection pieces, and it is a joy to see her wear them so proudly, knowing the contributions they are making.”
Speaking of the inspiration behind her creation, Jennie Kwon said: “While in Botswana, we came upon a leopard that was stretched on a branch. It felt like we hit the jackpot, and this one moment that really stuck with me became the basis for my pendant design”.
Jade Trau added: “When I was asked to commemorate my highlight from the trip into my piece, I knew straight away that it was going to be my visit to the mine. I wanted to honor where diamonds come from because it is honoring the Earth. So that was the idea for my piece – a beautiful artistic depiction of a diamond mine.”
Sara Weinstock said: “On this trip, I was really drawn to the zebra. It is Botswana's national animal and the bold, unique stripes are all unique in their own way, reminding me of a diamond. I decided to use the zebra print in my piece.”
Julez Bryant said: “The inspiration behind my design was born when we were driving along in the Jeep and stopped just as the elephants were walking past us. I was so moved by these majestic creatures, the utter stillness around us, and the colour palette of the backdrop.”
Zoë Chicco remarked, “My favorite part of the trip was when we saw the lions. My son is a Leo and he loves them, so for my pendant I created a replica of a lion’s head that has a rough Botswana diamond in its mouth.”
Reset Collective is the first in an ongoing series of partnerships under De Beers Group’s new ReSet platform. The initiative aims to ‘reset’ perceptions and shine a light on the significant positive contribution that natural diamonds deliver for the people and places where they are found, by collaborating with established and up-and-coming jewelry designers who will set diamonds discovered by De Beers into a range of pieces, celebrating sustainability in the sector.
Visit https://www.debeersgroup.com/campaigns/reset-collective or @debeersgroup on Instagram to see all the pieces and for exclusive content on each designer’s creative journey from her experience in Botswana to the creation of her unique pendant.
1 With Sotheby’s’ fees being payable in addition to the hammer price
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Notes to Editors
Images of the one-of-a-kind pendants designed by the ReSet Collective and being auctioned by Sotheby’s are available to download here.
About Jade Trau
Since establishing her own namesake brand, Jade has used her vast years of experience in the diamond industry to pay homage to her family heritage as a fifth generation diamantaire. Her belief is that jewelry should become an extension of the wearer and empower self-expression, which is why storytelling and enhancing the inherent magical beauty of a diamond are at the forefront of her brand. Her designs reinterpret vintage inspirations, resulting in classic yet contemporary pieces of jewelry that connect wearers across generations as well as complimenting the person wearing it. Her jewelry is manufactured and hand-finished under one roof in New York City. Using the highest quality materials, finest craftsmanship and responsibly sourced and conflict-free natural diamonds, she finds the beauty in the unseen and manifests this into her designs.
About Jennie Kwon
A native of Los Angeles and a former violinist and attorney, Jennie creates meaningful jewelry with a soul, underpinned by thoughtful design and quality craftsmanship. She takes inspiration from the art, natural beauty and style that surrounds her. Each of her pieces are meticulously designed to be graceful, balanced and wearable, with unforgettably unique accents. Jennie meticulously designs each piece with a clear and poetic voice. All the stones she uses are responsibly sourced and conflict free, and her pieces are made of fair-mined and fair-trade gold.
www.jenniekwondesigns.com | @jenniekwondesigns
About Julez Bryant
Julez began her creative journey after her dear friend lost his life to cancer. Upon his passing, he gifted her a bracelet, which Julez converted into her first jewelry design. Since then, her creative outlet has organically grown into an established fine jewelry brand, built on the belief that women should feel empowered by the jewelry they choose to wear. Her team of artisans hand-forge each piece in her design studio, located along the Southern California coastline. Her timeless collections are the perfect marriage of rough and refined, fierce and feminine, combining her love of bold shapes with soft, satin finishes and delicate hand-hammered touches.
www.julezbryant.com | @julezbryant
About Sara Weinstock
Growing up with a deep love for jewelry since her younger days marvelling through her grandmother’s heirlooms, Sara weaves storytelling and masterful creativity into her designs. Her Los Angeles based brand was born from the desire to empower, inspire and free women to express their own unique style, independence and femininity. And as a passionate artisan, she uses her life experiences combined with nature and architecture when designing her pieces. Her jewelry is meant to be personal treasures worn for all of life’s moments, whether a celebration, special occasion or a simple joy. In the same way that every woman is different, so are the stones she uses. Beautifully unique and rare, she ensures that each one is of the highest quality, responsibly sourced and special in its own way. Her jewelry celebrates the individual light that shines within all of us.
www.saraweinstock.com | @saraweinstock
About Zoë Chicco
Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Zoe discovered her knack for jewelry design at an early age when she fell in love with her grandmother’s vast collection. By the time she attended college in New York, she had committed to a lifelong pursuit of adornment design. Her focus is to create handmade jewelry to be worn for a lifetime, with a speciality in creating classic, versatile pieces with a personal touch. Delicate and modern, she draws inspiration from everything around her, including art, fashion, and friends. Every piece that goes out of the door of her Los Angeles studio is intended to be lived in, loved and hopefully passed down for generations to come. Under her careful stewardship, each piece is produced in-house by a dedicated team of artisans. With her meticulous eye for detail and quality, she ensures every piece is lovingly hand-made.
www.zoechicco.com | @zoechiccojewelry
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About Stepping Stones International
Stepping Stones International (SSI) unlocks the potential of vulnerable children and youth in Botswana by providing sustainable opportunities for self-sufficiency, empowering them to achieve their dreams and become leaders of their communities. Inspired by an all-female collective and aligned with De Beers’ commitment to standing with women and girls, the donation made through ReSet will be channelled into a programme run by SSI to support young mothers with parenting skills and back-to-work training. It also provides sessions for new fathers around the importance of their roles and responsibilities. This support is especially pertinent following lockdown, which has resulted in a spike in intergenerational relationships and teenage pregnancies. Further details on SSI and ways to donate can be found here: www.steppingstonesintl.org
About NAACP Legal Defense Fund
The NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is seen as the premier legal organisation fighting for racial justice in America. It seeks structural changes for greater democracy, the elimination of disparities and the achievement of racial justice in order to fulfil the promise of equality for all Americans. Further details on the LDF and ways to donate can be found here: www.naacpldf.org
About Sotheby’s
Sotheby’s has been uniting collectors with world-class works of art since 1744. Sotheby’s became the first international auction house when it expanded from London to New York (1955), the first to conduct sales in Hong Kong (1973), India (1992) and France (2001), and the first international fine art auction house in China (2012). Today, Sotheby’s has a global network of 80 offices in 40 countries and presents auctions in 10 different salesrooms, including New York, London, Hong Kong and Paris. Sotheby’s offers collectors the resources of Sotheby’s Financial Services, the world’s only full-service art financing company, as well as Advisory services for collectors, museums, corporations, artists, estates and foundations. Sotheby’s presents private sale opportunities in more than 70 categories, including three retail businesses: Sotheby’s Wine, Sotheby’s Diamonds, and Sotheby’s Home, the online marketplace for interior design.
About De Beers Group
Established in 1888, De Beers Group is the world’s leading diamond company with expertise in the exploration, mining and marketing of diamonds. Together with its joint venture partners, De Beers Group employs more than 20,000 people across the diamond pipeline and is the world’s largest diamond producer by value, with mining operations in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. Innovation sits at the heart of the De Beers Group strategy as it develops its portfolio of brands, including De Beers Jewellers and Forevermark, and other pioneering solutions, such as recently launched diamond sourcing and traceability initiatives GemFair and Tracr. De Beers Group employees are committed to ‘Building Forever,’ a holistic and integrated approach for creating a better future – one that is fairer, safer, cleaner and healthier; where safety, human rights and ethical integrity continue to be paramount; and where communities thrive and the environment is protected. De Beers Group is a member of the Anglo American plc group. For further information, visit www.debeersgroup.com.