Gemfields and Project Nanhi Kali Welcome the Support of Bollywood Actress Chritrangda Singh to Launch Project Blossoming

Gemfields and Project Nanhi Kali Welcome the Support of Bollywood Actress Chritrangda Singh to Launch Project Blossoming

MUMBAI, March 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --



Gemfields is proud to announce the launch of Project Blossoming - a creative and
philanthropic partnership with 10 of India's leading jewellers in support of Project Nanhi
Kali and the cause of girl child education.



(Logo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140327/10092338)




Chosen from across India, these talented jewellers have created one-of-a-kind pieces
set with Gemfields' Zambian emeralds and Mozambican rubies and inspired by the notion of
blossoming. The Project Blossoming collection will tour India, visiting each of the
designers' boutiques, before returning to Mumbai on 6 June, where the collection will be
auctioned by Christie's at an exclusive black-tie event. The proceeds raised from the sale
will go directly to this very honourable cause, which aims to raise enough money to
support a minimum of 2,000 girls.



Project Blossoming is delighted to have the support of Bollywood actress Chitrangda
Singh, who was not only eager to be the global ambassador for the project, but hopes to
use her power and influence to raise awareness both at home and abroad for a cause which
is close to her heart. "As a public figure, I am very aware of my responsibility to young
girls and through the sale of these extraordinary pieces of jewellery I hope that we can
make a real difference to the lives of many." The exclusive interview can be found on the
Project Blossoming website.



As the founding partner of Project Blossoming, Gemfields is deeply committed to the
long-term aims of Project Nanhi Kali and the education of the girl child. As a company we
know that the benefits of quality education are invaluable and so over the years the
company has supported a number of sustainable educational projects in both Zambia and
Mozambique.



"India and coloured gemstones have a rich and powerful history and as such India has
played an important part of Gemfields' success as a business," says Ian Harebottle,
Gemfields' Chief Executive Officer. "We feel that it is only fair to give back to a
country that has been so hospitable to us. With the funds raised through the sale of these
colourful jewellery creations we can have a huge impact on the lives of thousands of young
girls all over India."



The work of Project Nanhi Kali knows no bounds. Since its inception in 1996, the K.C
Mahindra Education Trust and Naandi Foundation, which together implement Project Nanhi
Kali, have worked tirelessly - reaching out to over 90,000 young, underprivileged girls
across nine states in India.



"The English translation of Nanhi Kali is a 'little bud' - the concept of which has
been beautifully incorporated into Project Blossoming," says Sheetal Mehta, Trustee and
Executive Director, K.C Mahindra Education Trust. "I am truly grateful to Gemfields for
partnering with Project Nanhi Kali and committing to support at least 2000 girls, bringing
us a step closer to our vision of reaching out to 100,000 girls.



Donations can be made, and more information can be found, on the Project Blossoming
website - please visit www.projectblossoming.com [http://www.projectblossoming.com ].



Project Blossoming Jewellers



Abaran Jewellers (Bengaluru)



Amrapali (Jaipur)



Anmol Jewellers (Mumbai)



Hazoorilal (New Delhi)



LalaJugal Kishore Jewellers (Lucknow)



Mirari (New Delhi)



Moksh (Mumbai)



Narayan Jewellers (Vadodara)



Tibarumals Jewellers (Hyderabad)



Talwarsons Jewellers (Chandigarh)



The Facts



Government of India statistics reveal that only 3 out of 10 girls who enter class 1
complete class 10. While enrolment rates of girls are improving marginally, dropout levels
remain alarmingly high. At primary school level over 45% of girls dropout of school, which
increases to over 73% by the time the child has reached class 10. Research has shown that
reasons for this dropout may be as minor as the girl child not being able to afford a
school dress/uniform to go to school and could also include more complex factors like
girls taking on the responsibility of household chores at a very young age as a result of
gender stereotyping. Successful education of the girl child [http://www.nanhikali.org ]
has been repeatedly acknowledged as an effective mechanism to break this
inter-generational cycle of poverty, social norms, myths and social evils.



About Project Nanhi Kali



Project Nanhi Kali was established in 1996 with the aim of providing quality education
to underprivileged girls in India. Today jointly managed by the K.C Mahindra Education
Trust and Naandi Foundation, the project is reaching out to over 90,000 girls across 9
states in India covering some of the most deprived, remote, and difficult regions of the
country. The project ensures underprivileged girls get access to quality education by
providing academic support, material support and social support that also involves
counselling parents and the community on the importance of issues related to girl child
education and gender equality. In this way enabling the child to attend school with
dignity and reducing the chances of her dropping out. www.nanhikali.org
[http://www.nanhikali.org ]



About Gemfields



Gemfields is the world's leading supplier of responsibly sourced coloured gemstones,
positioned at the intersection of exploration, mining and marketing. The company has
pioneered leading environmental, social and safety standards within the sector and by
doing so is able to provide discerning customers the assurance they require of the
responsible journey their gemstones have taken from mine, to market. Gemfields also
supports down-stream stakeholders in the marketing and selling of their cut and polished
coloured gemstones via their portfolio of global sales offices. In 2013, Mila Kunis was
announced as Gemfields' global ambassador and continues to be the face of its advertising
campaign, featuring exclusive collaborations with leading international jewellery
designers. www.gemfields.co.uk [http://www.gemfields.co.uk ]



Primary Media Contact: Nikita Jain, nikita@iconnectenterprise.com, +91-9987504889,
Account Director, I Connect Enterprise Pvt. Ltd.



Secondary Media Contact: Anwesha Dutta, anwesha.dutta@gemfields.co.uk,
+91-9819672220, Marketing Manager, Gemfields






Photo:
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Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140327/10092338
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
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