As far as rare collections go, the Emeralds For Elephants collection of emerald jewelry, created to benefit the World Land Trust’s Asian elephant conservation projects, is truly world-class. Eight hand-picked designers from around the world were commissioned to create unique jewelry, each featuring a Gemfields Zambian emerald centerpiece. Gemfields is well-known for its use of ethically produced Zambian emeralds that adhere to the highest standards for fair-trade, environmental, and social practices.
Each unique design reflects the individual styling and diverse background and talents of its creator. Featured designers from the United Kingdom included cutting-edge jeweler Shaun Leane, society jeweler Theo Fennell, and Dominic Jones. From Turkey comes designer Sevan Bicakci, and from Australia comes Alessio Boschi for Autore – innovators in south sea pearls. Rounding out the design ‘dream team’ are Gem Palace from India, fabled court jewelers to the Mogul emperors; high-end titanium expert Francis Mertens of Belgium; and award winning designer JW Currens from the United States.
At a recent star-studded gala event, held at Selfridges Wonder Room in London, the ‘Emerald Queen’ elephant – featuring a 678ct Gemfields emerald – was auctioned for £150,000. Eight other pieces specially designed for the event raised another £517,000; a total of £667,000 was raised in 40 minutes. Celebrities in attendance included Indian cricket star Yuvraj Singh, Mark Shand, and Jack Penate.
Proceeds benefited the World Land Trust and the Wildlife Trust of India. The two charitable organizations are collaborating on the creation of wildlife corridors that enable elephants to follow these migratory trails with a minimum of human and elephant conflict.
Tags: collections, elephants, Emeralds For Elephants Benefit Auction, rare
