Stephanie Gottlieb Fine Jewelry and De Beers are joining forces to highlight natural, ethically sourced diamonds in a new collection.
The “And a Half” collection features De Beers’ Code of Origin diamonds, which are natural stones discovered in Botswana, Canada, Namibia or South Africa that meet the brand’s conflict-free and ethical standards.
Gottlieb was inspired to create the collection based on her own recent trip to Botswana with the De Beers Group where she visited Debswana’s Jwaneng Mine.
“During my travels, I was able to see firsthand how natural diamonds contribute directly to the lives of the people and the places where they are discovered,” said the founder and creative director. “We started our trip at the De Beers Group facilities in Gaborone, Botswana’s capital city, where we toured the processing facilities, seeing diamonds through the different steps of the sorting phase. It was clear that each employee was prideful about their contributions to their finished product, and how working for De Beers has drastically improved their lives. There is a strong focus on supporting health and education for the local people, which extends to the employees of the De Beers Group and the surrounding community.”
The And a Half collection expands on Gottlieb’s popular bridal styles, offering pieces like diamond necklaces, earrings, ear cuffs, bracelets and rings made with 14-karat white, yellow and rose gold. The collection ranges in price from $1,150 to $123,245.
Gottlieb named one of the key styles from the collection as the And a Half necklace, which is designed in a way that makes the center diamond appear to be floating. She also highlighted the Bangle and a Half as one of her favorite styles as the piece is easy to wear on its own or style in a bracelet stack.
De Beers and Gottlieb are both committed to using natural, ethically sourced diamonds. Gottlieb herself has been involved with the Natural Diamond Council for many years and joined the board of the Diamonds Do Good Organization this January.
“To truly understand the benefits that diamonds have to offer a country, we should look to Botswana as a prime example,” Gottlieb said. “Debswana is a 50/50 partnership between De Beers and the people of Botswana that has driven the growth of Botswana’s economy for more than 50 years. Botswana is the world’s largest producer of diamonds by value, and the people of Botswana take great pride in their natural resources. Not only has the country responsibly utilized its natural wealth for the good of its citizens and environment, but diamonds have also helped to develop one of Africa’s impoverished nations into one of its richest per capita.”
