How did the collaboration with Maple Leaf Diamonds start?
One of the reasons we partnered together is because over my career, I always had Canadian themes in my jewelry and my design. After going to Maple Leaf Diamonds’ mines in the Northwest Territories, I was really excited about promoting Canadian diamonds and using them in my work. The Seasons collection, under the Maple Leaf Diamonds brand and designed by me, is inspired by Canada and the ever-changing landscape. Each of the four seasons has an engagement ring, wedding band and fashion pieces.
Where does the inspiration for your Vintage Opulence collection come from?
I wanted to create a stacking collection that falls between bridal and fashion, so it’s not a typical diamond engagement ring. I used rose-cut diamonds because they have a very subtle twinkle reflection. It’s quite different from brilliant-cut. When you see a rose-cut, you know it’s different, you haven’t seen a lot of them. They’re being used more now. You have a really nice, big surface of diamond, and it’s a little bit more accessible to people. They’re beautiful, and more affordable. The rings are Victorian and hand-made-looking, and different from anything else you’ve seen, especially when you stack them.
Can you tell us more about your other stacking collections?
I developed the Achievement Rings collection almost 20 years ago. Women would come, see the engagement rings and say, “When I find a man, I am going to come back and get that ring.” That’s when I realized I needed to come up with a way to satisfy their desire for diamond rings in a way that they would accept the reasoning behind it. When you get your graduate degree or you’ve achieved something in your life that you want to commemorate. It could be anything, something like a personal goal, a reason for the purchase, instead of waiting for someone else to get that for you. They also fit with the bands and engagement rings. It’s not like we are so independent that we are not open to love!
How did you start designing men’s bands?
Men tend not to be that excited about jewelry. When it comes to getting a band, they want the most plain thing, or they don’t want any ring. To bring them into the story, I created experiences with the textured rings. You can tell men the story of the ring at the [display] case, that it has a certified Canadian diamond from Maple Leaf Diamonds. It completely changes the way they look at diamonds, especially when you start with ethically sourced.
Image: Shelly PurdyArticle from the Rapaport Magazine - April 2018. To subscribe click here.