Indian jewellery designers create a buzz in Hollywood
Mumbai, March 1, 2012 – Stunning diamond jewellery designed by two of India’s finest up and coming jewellery designers, VIayshree Sovani and V.Saravanan, were showcased to the world as they made their way down the red carpet at the 84th Annual Academy Awards.
Vijayshree’s diamond cuff bracelet, “The Sands of Time” was worn by actress Tabatha Coffey as she hosted the TV Guide Channel’s Oscar coverage, while “CSI” star Barbara Eve Harris looked stunning in “The World of Champagne” earrings, designed by V.Saravanan.
Indian born designers Nejal Rajesh Mehta and Reena Ahluwalia were also among the nine winners of Rio Tinto Diamond’s jewellery design competition, whose spectacular creations were on display to high-profile celebrities and stylists at an exclusive Oscars suite in Los Angeles.
Jean-Marc Lieberherr, Rio Tinto’s General Manager for Diamonds Sales and Marketing, is delighted with the increasing global appeal of Indian jewellery designers, “When the Argyle Diamonds marketing team first embarked on its partnership with the Indian diamond industry some 20 years ago, Indian-made jewellery did not have a strong profile on the international stage, “Now we are seeing Indian designers gaining international experience and credibility and competing successfully with the best around the world,” said Mr Lieberherr.
Mr Lieberherr commented that the recent signing of the “Letter of Intent” by the Government of Madhya Pradesh, which gives Rio Tinto permission to develop the Bunder Project into a world-class mine, will give India a further foothold in the diamond industry.
“This is a very exciting time for all aspects of the diamond industry in India - from mine to market,” he said.
Successful international jewellery designer and creator of the award winning “Canoe” diamond necklace, Ms Reena Ahluwahlia, is excited at the prospect of one day being able to incorporate diamonds mined from her birthplace of Madhya Pradesh into her jewellery pieces.
“To be able to design around diamonds that originated in my birthplace would be like coming full circle,” said Ms Ahluwahlia. Ms Ahluwahlia went on to say that by Rio Tinto developing a Bunder mine in Madhya Pradesh would open up very exciting possibilities for the region and for the country’s diamond industry as a whole.
“It will mean employment for people in the region and excitement in the Indian market that they will have their own diamond mine and will be able to create uniquely Indian narratives,” she said.
Notes to editors
The Indian-born winners of the Rio Tinto’s global jewellery design competition were:
Nejal Rajesh Mehta – Champagne Diamonds Master Craftsman
Trained initially in Mumbai and later at the Gemological Institute of America in New York, Nejal has worked for a number of prominent jewellery manufacturing firms in India, including A’Star Jewellery, where she is currently the head of product development and design. Her earring design ‘The World of Champagne’ is based on rings orbiting inside each other to create a multidimensional sparkle, and features champagne diamonds, white diamonds and yellow sapphires in a captivating gradient of colour.
Vijayshree Sovani – Silvermist Diamonds Rising Star
Born and raised in New Delhi, Vijayshree completed a Master of Business Administration and worked for a number of years in the corporate sector before realising her true vocation for jewellery design. She studied at the Indian Institute of Gems and Jewelry in New Delhi and the Indian Diamonds Institute in Surat and now works as a freelance designer. Her winning bracelet ‘The Sands of Time’ uses Silvermist Diamonds to depict
ripples in wind-blown sand where time has left its mark. The diamonds are set in white gold with black rhodium accents.
V. Saravanan – Sustainable Jewellery Rising Star
A childhood spent travelling all over South India, surrounded by his father’s painted artworks, developed a strong sense of heritage and aesthetic style in the young Saravanan who has since developed a reputation for creating modern jewellery pieces with a strong traditional dimension. After completing school, he began work as a jewellery technician at Tanishq Jewelry where he is currently employed as senior design coordinator. His winning necklace, ‘The Creator’ combines recycled materials such as plastic toothpaste tubes with the natural beauty of Silvermist Diamonds to provide a dramatic reminder of our need to find ways to recycle plastic materials.
Reena Ahluwalia – Canadian Diamonds Master Craftsman
Although based in Canada for the last decade, Reena was born in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, site of Rio Tinto Diamond’s developing Bunder mine. After establishing a successful jewellery design practice in India, Reena’s globetrotting tendencies took her around the world before establishing Reena Ahluwalia Design Inc in Toronto. Throughout her career, she has won many national and international awards for her innovative
pieces, characterised by their inherent fluidity and movement. Her winning design ‘Canoe’ is inspired by a poetic image of a canoe in an icy, crystalline Canadian landscape. The 18K white gold necklace is studded with 30.0 carats of Ideal Square Cut Canadian diamonds.
About Rio Tinto Diamonds Rio Tin
Rio Tinto is one of the world’s major diamond producers through its 100 per cent control of the Argyle mine in Australia, 60 per cent of the Diavik mine in Canada, a 78 per cent interest in the Murowa mine in Zimbabwe. These three mines allow Rio Tinto to produce diamonds for all market segments. Rio Tinto also has an advanced diamond project in India. Rio Tinto’s share of the production from its three operating mines is sold through its Diamonds Sales and Marketing headquarters office in Antwerp, Belgium with representative offices in Mumbai, Hong Kong and New York. Rio Tinto Diamonds is a leading supporter of the Kimberley Process as well as a founding member of Responsible Jewellery Council.
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