Jewellery company Ethica Diamonds has partnered with the Born Free Foundation and its ambassador Joanna Lumley to create a bespoke pendant that raised £10,000 at a charity auction in London.
The pendant was designed by Ethica Diamonds’ in-house designer Laura Basham, with input from Joanna Lumley. It features 3.65 carats of green lab-grown diamonds and 2.04 carats of light blue lab-grown sapphires, set in recycled yellow gold. The piece was developed in line with both organisations’ environmental themes, using materials selected for their lower environmental impact.
Supporting Wildlife Conservation
The Born Free Foundation is an international wildlife charity focused on conservation, rescue, and advocacy. It works to protect wild animals in their natural habitats, campaigns against exploitation, and supports the rehabilitation of rescued species such as lions and tigers.
The charity has been involved in projects including the establishment of the Shamwari Private Game Reserve in South Africa, a sanctuary for big cats, and efforts leading to the end of dolphin captivity in UK Sea Life Centres.
Speaking on the collaboration, Emily from Ethica Diamonds said:
“We’re delighted to be working with Joanna Lumley to create a truly special bespoke pendant exclusively for Born Free. We have loved getting creative and having some fun designing something which captures the essence of the charity, to celebrate and support the amazing work they do. It is a cause which is very close to our hearts at Ethica Diamonds as we are all huge animal lovers in our team, so it has been highly rewarding for us to create something so meaningful which will be helping Born Free raise a lot of money for their work. The finished piece of jewellery is really special, not only because Joanna herself has had input into the design, but also because it celebrates a new, more sustainable way to create fine jewellery that does not cause harm to the environment, animals or people through mining.”
C-Standard Launch and Lab-Grown Certification
In addition to the pendant, Ethica Diamonds donated a 1.3 carat lab-grown diamond to the event’s “Diamond in the Glass” raffle. The diamond was the first to be certified under the company’s new Carbon Negative Standard, known as the C-Standard.
A spokesperson for Ethica Diamonds said:
“This was a great opportunity for the launch of the Carbon Negative Standard that we have spent the past two years working towards. The diamond that we donated for this event was the first lab grown diamond that has been certified with the C-Standard, which is a significant step for the industry. Lab-grown diamonds are not as environmentally friendly as people think because most of them are grown using non-renewable energy, so this standard gives consumers full trust in the ethics of the product they are purchasing, particularly one that holds so much sentiment.”
The C-Standard aims to provide verifiable information on the environmental characteristics of lab-grown diamonds. According to the company, diamonds certified under this standard are produced using 100% renewable energy such as wind or solar power, and all methane used in the growth process is captured from the atmosphere, resulting in a net negative carbon footprint.
