De Beers has partnered with ten jewellery designers for the launch of ‘Ten / Ten’, a limited edition collection of 100 alternative engagement rings.
Each jeweller has created one accessibly priced design, reinterpreting the traditional codes of an engagement ring and centering their designs round ethically-sourced diamonds from Botswana. ‘The inspiration for Ten/Ten was really driven by a combination of things,’ says Stephen Lussier, De Beers executive vice president of consumer markets. ‘We wanted to support the people of Botswana whose economy is dependent on diamond revenues, to allow more people to discover the incredible creativity of ten independent designers and to offer something really special to couples hoping to get engaged this year.’
The ten designers – Catherine Sarr of Almasika, Aurora Lopez Mejia, Bea Bongiasca, Lauren Harwell Godfrey, Lola Fenhirst, Marla Aaron, Michelle Fantaci, Natasha Tsimmerman of Platt Boutique, Pamela Love and Wing Yau of Wwake – have all put their own spin on an ubiquitous piece.
For Wing Yau, it was a case of rethinking proportions, playing with space around the stone to create an ethereal feel. ‘I wanted this ring to be simple but also to include an element of play, to offer an immediate, personal connection. I explored weight and the idea of making two rings that can come together as one, but that also come apart and be reimagined with your other jewellery over time.’ For Michelle Fantaci, the geometric silhouette leads the design: ‘The rings play off the centre, with other shapes integrated into the whole. It’s as if there were ‘ghost diamonds’ that left negative space to create a pattern,’ she says. §
