From July 3 to 13, a three-piece collection of heart-themed jewelry designed by Anna Hu will be auctioned online by Christie's, with proceeds going to support healthcare workers fighting the global pandemic.
Hu created these unique pieces exclusively for this charity project using rich brown diamonds mined by Alrosa in Yakutia, a region in the Siberian Far East.
“Many people are in distress, and no one can remain indifferent to this pandemic. The world needs positivity, empathy, a sense of support, care and love," Hu said in a statement. "I hope to express all these feelings in my three pieces of jewelry. I was inspired and grateful to have received the opportunity to work on something larger than simply beautiful jewelry, something meaningful and with heart.”
The pieces will be sold by Diamonds That Care, the newly launched social responsibility initiative of Alrosa, the world’s largest diamond mining company. The initiative’s key theme is that every diamond should help those in need. The project is being organized in cooperation with the non-profit charitable organization Diamonds Do Good.
"By working with Christie’s, which operates in all the regions affected by the coronavirus, and the brilliant Chinese jewelry artist Anna Hu, we are raising funds for a US-based charitable organization supporting activities in various countries," noted Sergey Ivanov, CEO of Alrosa. "This project is a living example of how countries and stakeholders can unite in their efforts to help those in need."
Hu's three-piece ensemble includes a necklace, ring and a pair of earrings.
• The necklace (at top) features fancy colored and colorless diamonds, centered by a 27.02-carat fancy brown-yellow pear-shaped diamond weighing 27.02 carats. The necklace — which flows in a unique heart shape — is fabricated with a combination of 18-karat white and rose gold.
• Complementing the necklace is a heart-shaped ring that also uses a combination of fancy colored and colorless diamonds. One side of the heart features small, pavé-set colorless diamonds while the other side is highlighted by a pear-shaped, 1.59-carat faint brown diamond.
• Hu's unique earring drops include six interlocking hearts of alternating 18-karat white and rose gold. These, too, are set with fancy colored and colorless diamonds. The left earring uses brown diamond pavé and is highlighted by a 3-carat, pear-shaped brown diamond, while the right earring uses colorless pavé and is set with a 3-carat, pear-shaped colorless diamond.
“Anna Hu’s works are characterized by elegant forms and color combinations," said Max Fawcett, Christie’s Jewelry Specialist. "They are rarely sold at auction and when her pieces come to the secondary market, demand is high. As an artisan jeweler, Anna produces no more than 30 pieces a year, each a unique creation. Her involvement will create international excitement and we are pleased to offer our leading online platform and engage with our international clients to bid for this worthy cause.”
Credits: Sketches by Anna Hu provided by ALROSA.