In Southern Florida I Found Southern Africa

I found myself in South Florida last week and had the opportunity to drop in on J.R. Dunn Jewelers in Lighthouse Point. Having sold 816 of the Simmons Jewelry Co.’s Green Bracelets over the past two years, J.R. Dunn (www.jrdunn.com) has been an important independent retailer supporting the Diamond Empowerment Fund’s mission. It was a treat to be able to thank them in person, and to see the great things they are doing.

Sean Dunn and his father, Jim Dunn, showed me around their elegant store, and then I had the opportunity to sit down with them and discuss their new venture, Precious Earth Fine Jewelry (www.preciousearthjewelry.com). This new collection is made with diamonds from Namibia that are cut and polished locally, and they are dedicated to transparency and consciousness in all of their business practices. Diamonds are vital to the Namibian economy and Precious Earth and Team Namibia are working together to advocate and empower the local population through beneficiation.

Right there, on site in the “back room” of JR Dunn, I found jewelry designer Robert Pelliccia hard at work on the Endangered Species collection that inspires the Precious

Earth collection. African iconic animals such the zebra, impala, elephant and giraffe are hand cast in 100% recycled precious metals, and each peace contains a green gemstone that symbolizes Precious Earth’s commitment to the environment.

Robert walked me through the studio, where everything from casting intricate pendants of the Baobab Tree, to hand finishing pieces depicting the elephant tusk in silver, to the leopard collection and rhino pendant designed to raise awareness for these endangered species was happening. Every design decision has a symbolic relationship to the well being of Africa. For example in Africa, the Baobab Tree is traditionally known as a food plant that represents strength as it will grow well in any terrain and provides food security.

The artistry and ethics of Precious Earth came through loud and clear, and Sean and his team are clearly dedicated leading in the growing cadre of ethical jewelers who are inspired by Africa. D.E.F. is excited to have their support, and in fact they are holding an event at J.R. Dunn’s Ft. Lauderdale store on March 27th with Success Magazine, raising awareness and funds for D.E.F.

We are excited to announce that this event was a success and over $6000 was raised for DEF. Clcik here to see more photos about the event. -Elle

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 24th, 2009 at 2:57 pm and is filed under DEF Blog, Diamond Empowerment Fund. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can trackback from your own site.

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