One-of-a-Kind 'Conflict-Free' Diamond Masterpiece to Debut on Oscar Night

One-of-a-Kind 'Conflict-Free' Diamond Masterpiece to Debut on Oscar Night

Mystery Celebrity to Make More Than a Fashion Statement in Opulent and Socially Conscious Necklace

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Each year at the Academy Awards, the biggest stars in the world make fashion statements in designer dresses and dazzling diamonds. But at this year's Oscar ceremony, one celebrity will make a different kind of statement by wearing an artisan-crafted "conscious" diamond showpiece. The conflict-free 35-karat necklace was created by Diamonds For Humanity, a dynamic global initiative founded by designer Sabiha Foster in reaction to the civil wars and human rights abuses fueled by trade in illicit diamonds.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050221/LAM019)

Several actresses -- including Academy Award nominees -- are vying for the opportunity to be the red carpet ambassador for awareness about the devastating effects of "conflict diamonds." The Diamonds For Humanity necklace is made up of 44 conflict-free Canadian diamonds and 11 Gemesis-certified cultured canary diamonds and is valued at several hundred thousand dollars. The exquisite creation is being flown in from Europe under armed guard specifically for its Oscar night debut.

For years, civil wars in diamond-rich Africa have impeded development and provoked human, cultural and environmental tragedies as a result of the mining of "conflict diamonds." Despite the value of the regions' diamond mines, revenues are rarely used to address critical social reform and entire generations have grown up with widespread hunger and virtually no education or healthcare.

Gemesis-certified cultured diamonds have the exact DNA structure of a mined diamond and involve no human or environmental sacrifice. This conscious alternative promotes Diamonds For Humanity's philosophy of "luxury with purpose."

"Diamonds For Humanity supports and creates projects that affirm human dignity," said Sabiha Foster. "I believe that vision and design can combine to provide innovative solutions to address crucial social and environmental needs."

Like an orchid that is grown in a hothouse instead of its native environment, a cultured diamond begins its growth with a tiny diamond "seed," individually cultivated above ground under the same conditions that occur 100 miles below the earth's surface, resulting in exquisite gem-quality diamonds.

As part of its mission to address human rights abuses, Diamonds For Humanity is developing programs in conjunction with the International League for Human Rights, the Africa-America Institute, and The Indigenous Land Rights Fund. Fifty percent of every sale helps fund existing health, educational, and land reclamation programs for the displaced Kalahari Bushmen.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050221/LAM019
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Diamonds For Humanity

CONTACT: Lisa Bernfeld of Phyllis Klein & Associates, +1-323-655-4200,
lbernfeld@pkapr.com, for Diamonds For Humanity

Web site: http://www.pkapr.com/


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