channeling my ideas to focus on specific guidelines working within them while still staying true to creating something unique that does not sacrifice artistry, beauty, craftsmanship, or originality. Most competitions rarely call for anything beyond these four standards. However, for this year’s DIVA design competition (held annually by the Women’s Jewelry Association) my work as a designer was challenged to go beyond the norm to dream up a design with a lot of heart and meaning behind it.

The theme for this year’s competition is “DIVA GIVES BACK to D.E.F.” in which the WJA partnered with the Diamond Empowerment Fund to provide women in the Jewelry Industry not only the chance to showcase their talent, but the additional opportunity of making a difference. The D.E.F. is a non-profit organization that works to raise money to support education initiatives that develop and empower economically disadvantaged people in African nations where diamonds are a natural resource.

Evelyn H. in the middle joined by the DEF members and WJA menbers. Also present was Miss Africa-USA, Niyasha Zimucha.

The competition had three categories; the “Canadian Diamond DIVA”, the “Red Carpet DIVA”, and the “DIVA gives back” categories. Winning designs would be donated to the D.E.F. to be auctioned off at the Dallas Rocks Diamond Dinner and After Party.

I knew immediately I wanted to enter the “Red Carpet DIVA” category. I guess I like to do things in a big way and I yearned to put my heart into something that can help another person. I contemplated about what this design would mean and how I would properly express it. I also considered how it would fit in with the mission of the Diamond Empowerment Fund. I looked through their website many times to try to better understand the fundamental core of the organization. After a few days of reflection, I knew I wanted the design to be in the shape of a tear drop, with strands of diamonds stretching from the top towards the bottom suggesting an angel’s harp. This idea sprang from the title for the ambassador’s of the Diamond Empowerment Fund called Africa’s Angels. Once I solidified the design concept I turned to the use of color. I knew I wanted to use the color green, because to the D.E.F., green is intended to symbolize prosperity, well-being, and care for the planet Earth and its entire people, with the color also being the embodiment for the continent of Africa and its natural and human resources, coincidentally it is also the color that I use to represent my company. Not, only did I want the design to have meaning, I wanted the materials to be symbolic too. I decided early on that the green stones I would utilize in my design had to come from Africa. That led me to only a few options, in which I chose African Emeralds as the stones that I would use to complement and enhance the diamonds in the design. Upon completion of my design I christened it “Africa’s Hope” to signify the dedication and perseverance of the individuals that work to make a difference in this world, and the hope that exists because there are people who do care. A few weeks later, I received a call from Cindy Edelstein the DIVA chair informing me that my design had won.

(L-R) DEF Co President, Dr. Ben Chavis Evelyn H. and DEF Board member, Scott Rauch.

I have just completed Africa’s Hope and they measure approximately 80 mm in length, and 35mm in width. The earrings have a total weight of 4.89 carats in diamonds, and 3.54 carats in African Emeralds, They are comprised of 18k white gold with 2 pear shape diamonds, one at the top of each earring. As a designer, I hope they will do me proud, but more importantly, as a human being, I hope they will find their way into the home and heart of someone who cares sincerely about the mission of the D.E.F. and the special individuals that the proceeds raised from these earrings will inevitably touch.

-Evelyn H.

This entry was posted on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 7:39 am and is filed under DEF Blog, Diamond Empowerment Fund, News and Upcoming Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can trackback from your own site.