Anna Hu: Meaningful Jewellery, Straight from the Heart
You may remember that, in 2017, I touched upon the idea that a diamond may not merely be a gem used to decorate jewellery, nor a profitable investment, but in fact a way to improve people’s lives. I followed this piece up with an article about the philanthropic organisation Diamonds Do Good, and its assistance for those working in the diamond industry in many different countries around the world. Today, I am returning to this topic to tell you about a new initiative by the diamond mining company ALROSA, which has teamed up with jewellery designer Anna Hu to launch Diamonds That Care.
From 3-13 July 2020, three spectacular pieces created by the Asian jewellery designer Anna Hu will be sold at Christie’s Diamonds That Care auction, which will be held online. In this day and age, it seems almost impossible to surprise anyone with unique diamonds sold at auction. But, unlike jewellery auctioned by Christie’s in the past, all proceeds from this auction will go to support the health workers on the frontlines fighting COVID-19.
Anna Hu designed three magnificent jewels for Christie's Diamonds That Care auction, set with ALROSA diamonds
This charitable social responsibility initiative is the brainchild of the world’s largest diamond mining company, ALROSA, which operates 25 mines in the north of Russia, mostly in the province of Yakutia – a region in the far east of Siberia. The company is involved not only in diamond mining, but also in the cutting and polishing of stones, especially when workers discover particularly large or colourful diamonds. Because they control the entire process, from beginning to end, ALROSA can track and provide documentation for the journey taken by any individual stone, from the moment of its discovery to its transformation into a sparkling diamond.
But let’s return to our discussion of the Diamonds That Care auction. The ethos of this rather surprising project is that each diamond sold – normally only the concern of the extremely wealthy – ought also to help those in need in some way. Sergey Ivanov, ALROSA CEO, comments: “We are living in a different world, where old social divisions are no longer important because we all face the same threat. By working with Christie’s, which operates in regions that are all affected by the coronavirus, as well as the brilliant Chinese jewellery artist Anna Hu, we are raising funds for a US-based charity that supports activities in a number of different countries. This project is the perfect, living, breathing example of how countries and stakeholders can unite in their efforts to help those in need.”
The centrepiece stone, a 27.02 carat Fancy brown-yellow diamond, was mined by ALROSA in Russia
I should note, at this point, the fact that the project has been organised in cooperation with the non-profit charity Diamonds Do Good, which I mentioned at the beginning of this article. Anna Martin, chairman of the charity’s board, comments: “We are honoured to be associated with this project, which will spread so much positivity and hope and show that diamonds truly can be a force for good in the world.”
Let’s take a closer look at the unique earrings, necklaces and rings that Anna Hu has created exclusively for this charity project. With a design inspired by the romantic imagery of the heart, they are composed of white and red gold and set with brown and colourless diamonds mined by ALROSA in Yakutia. The weight of the largest diamond on the necklace, a Fancy brown-yellow diamond, is a stunning 27.02 carats. The ring showcases a captivating 1.59 carat light brown diamond, while the earrings scintillate with a three-carat pear-cut diamond on each ear.
ALROSA also oversees the cutting and polishing of stones, especially when workers discover particularly large or colourful diamonds
Anna Hu’s work is characterized by elegant forms and harmonious colour combinations. They are rarely sold at auction but when her pieces do reach the secondary market, demand is always high, says Max Fawcett, Christie’s Jewellery Specialist. As an artisanal jeweller, Anna creates no more than 30 pieces a year, each a unique creation. Her involvement in any project creates international excitement, and we are extremely pleased to offer our leading online platform and engage with our international clients to bid for this worthy cause.
All proceeds from the sale will go to helping the medical professionals who continue to actively fight the pandemic.
WORDS
Katerina Perez With more than 12 years’ experience in the jewellery sector, Katerina’s expert knowledge spans everything from retail sales and management to content creation, including brand building, jewellery writing and styling. Born and raised in St Petersburg, Katerina’s favourite hobby as a child was playing with the treasures in her grandmother's jewellery box, inspiring a lifelong love of jewellery from a very early age. She spent five years in St Petersburg University of Culture and Arts studying not journalism but business studies and languages, and her writing skills have developed as her passion for her favourite subject – jewellery – has grown. This is why her writing comes straight from the heart rather than the pages of a book. Daughter of an entrepreneur mother, Katerina exchanged her retail management job for jewellery writing in 2013 and hasn’t looked back since.
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