Diamonds Do Good Unveils Bracelet Contest

RAPAPORT... Diamonds Do Good (DDG) has launched a contest in which it asks designers from around the world to create a signature bracelet that defines the nonprofit's mission.The pieces designed for Project Bracelet should relate to growth, unity and equality, DDG said last week. The group is specifically encouraging Black, Indigenous and multicultural designers to participate."We believe the need for unity and equality has never been more important, and we have each grown in our own distinct way through the challenges of this past year," said DDG president Rebecca Foerster.A panel of trade members will review the bracelets - which must be created using sustainable materials - and choose three finalists. DDG will announce those finalists on July 18, the 103rd anniversary of Nelson Mandela's birth. Each finalist must present his or her design to the panel and explain how it relates to the project's themes, DDG explained.DDG will feature the winning design on its website, with donations benefiting the Flaviana Matata Foundation, which supports education, entrepreneurship, youth empowerment and higher education for girls in Tanzania. The piece may also be featured at various jewelry and department stores across the US, DDG added.DDG, founded in 2007 as the Diamond Empowerment Fund, supports initiatives to help people in countries with significant economic dependence on the diamond trade.Image: Kimora Lee Simmons wearing the first Project Bracelet design in 2007. (Diamonds Do Good)