Canadian jewellery designer Reena Ahluwalia didn’t just look to her roots for inspiration for her latest designs—her roots are the source of the diamonds set in them.
Entitled ‘Courageous Spirit,’ the pendant and matching earrings commissioned by Rio Tinto feature stones from a sampling taken from its Bunder project in Madhya Pradesh, the state in India where Ahluwalia hails from.
“As a woman born and brought up in the region of Madhya Pradesh, creating this milestone collection is like coming full circle,” Ahluwalia tells Jewellery Business. “I am honoured to tell the Bunder story through my designs and be a part of this historic diamond moment.”
A tribute to the women of Madhya Pradesh, the collection features polished (25.34 ctw) and rough stones (2.8 ctw), including a 5.02-carat cognac diamond and a 5.04-carat white sparkler.
The necklace’s focal point is a rotating diamond-encrusted disk inspired by a compass and symbolizing Bunder’s abundance of diamonds. The project’s latitude and longitude co-ordinates are inscribed on the back.
The pieces were unveiled at an event attended by local dignitaries, including guest of honour, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, chief minister of Madhya Pradesh.
Nik Senapati, managing director of Rio Tinto India, thanked the region’s government for its support of the Bunder project.
“The government of Madhya Pradesh has supported us from the very beginning in our quest to develop a new benchmark for mine development in India,” Senapati said. “I am delighted that seven years after our initial discovery, we can showcase these exquisite pieces of jewellery that provide a window into the enormous potential of the gems contained in the Bunder deposit. The ‘Courageous Spirit’ jewellery collection holds a very special place in Indian diamond history, as it has been at least a century since India has mined, designed, and manufactured its own diamond jewellery.”
Maintaining the collection’s Indian pedigree was paramount, says Rio Tinto. In addition to having the stones cut and polished in India, Mumbai-based Uni-Design Jewellery Private Ltd., manufactured the pieces.
“By harnessing the skill and creativity of India’s respected diamond artisans, these magnificent jewellery pieces are symbolic of an important new chapter in the country’s proud diamond history,” said Bruce Cox, Rio Tinto Diamonds’ managing director.
“The Bunder project—likely to come into commercial production in 2016—presents enormous opportunities, not only for the Madhya Pradesh region, but for the broader Indian diamond industry as well, with Rio Tinto presenting a unique opportunity for India to mine, manufacture, and market its own diamonds.”
The ‘Courageous Spirit’ collection is not available for sale, but will be showcased at a number of events throughout the remainder of the year.
