Sustainability Forever
By Sachin Jain
Gifting or self-purchasing of diamond jewellery is often associated with celebrating important milestones, achievements, and special occasions with diamonds that light up the lives of your loved ones and even you, with joy. These, however, are not the only reasons why owning rare, responsibly sourced and natural diamonds from De Beers Forevermark should make you proud.
When you hold these rare gems in your hand, you should know that they have embarked on a long, arduous journey beginning billions of years ago from deep within the Earth’s surface and gone through multiple tests and checks before they reached you to share your happiness. These natural diamonds are the closest thing to forever you might ever hold. They are so unique and perfect that only less than 1 per cent of the world’s diamonds are eligible to be inscribed as De Beers Forevermark.
We don’t stop there in terms of the high standards we place on our diamonds. Yes, our diamonds are chosen for their rarity and beauty but, above all, they must be responsibly sourced. It is this responsibility to excellence, to have a positive impact on the people, communities, and countries, as well as to the natural world from where these diamonds are sourced, that makes your purchase special and one that you should take pride in.
For a fairer, safer future
Sustainability and building a future that is fairer, safer, cleaner and healthier and where safety, human rights, and ethical integrity continue to be paramount, sits at the heart of everything we do. Our mission and passion are the 12 ‘Building Forever 2030’ goals we set back in 2020 under which, each step we take is to build a better world, a world where communities associated with us thrive and where the environment is protected.
A key focus area for us is protecting nature. What many people don’t know is that De Beers sets aside and proactively manages the Diamond Route. One of southern Africa’s most extensive and important conservation networks, this route comprises eight different nature reserves in South Africa and Botswana and covers 2,00,000 hectares of land, which is equivalent to 2.5 times the area of New York City.
In 2018, Moving Giants — a ground-breaking initiative in partnership with Peace Parks Foundation — was launched with the ambition to move 200 elephants, 1,700 km from South Africa to Mozambique to restore two ecosystems. Last year, we also entered into a five-year commitment with National Geographic with the launch of Okavango Eternal. We will together protect the main source waters of the Okavango Delta and the lives and livelihoods they support. In the process, we will also protect Africa’s endangered species, ensure water and food security for more than one million people and develop livelihood opportunities for 10,000 people.
Further, this April marking Earth Day, the De Beers Group invested $2 million in Kelp Blue, an innovative startup focused on growing and managing large-scale giant underwater kelp forests, initially off the Namibian coast, where De Beers has recovered diamonds in joint venture partnership with the Namibian government for almost three decades. These underwater forests have the potential to safely and permanently lock away vast amounts of CO2 in the ocean, help sustain healthy marine ecosystems and also provide food and shelter for countless species.
Diamonds with a deeper meaning
Diamonds are symbolic of our greatest emotions -- love, pride, and lasting commitment. Yet, De Beers Forevermark’s diamonds hold a deeper meaning and value than most will ever know. When you adorn your De Beers Forevermark diamond, do remember that your jewellery supports communities, nature, and wildlife in the countries where your diamond was discovered.
Our versatile diamonds should be enjoyed and valued for the emotional sentiment they evoke, for the promise of responsibility they make and for the fact that they can be mixed and matched with almost anything and everything in your wardrobe, be it your everyday wear, wedding or formal attire. Whether you like to keep it modest with a few classic pieces; enjoy layering for more fashion-forward styles or are bold without being overbearing – diamond jewellery is the ultimate way to style up an outfit. Just like you are unique and there is no else in this world quite like you, your diamond is too. So, chin-up and walk with your head held high now that you know how precious and rare both you and your diamond are!
Jain is the Managing Director at De Beers India.
