A Perfect Match for Sandy Leong
Gemfields’ Mozambican rubies are the focal point of Sandy Leong’s newest Lunar Collection, continuing a string of successful partnerships between the two companies. Leong loves Chinese New Year, and these vivid red diamonds capture the essence of the holiday’s joyous atmosphere. The New York-based designer and Gemfields, a globally renowned ethical miner and distributor of coloured gemstones with a focus on emeralds from Zambia and rubies from Mozambique, have partnered for the first time.
Gemfields’ commitment to striving to deliver a positive impact to the gemstones’ place of origin is a huge part of why I love partnering with them,” explains Leong, who has always placed responsible sourcing at the core of her business.
The Lunar Collection, which takes its name from the Lunar New Year and draws inspiration from the long-standing association of ruby and red with Chinese culture, passion, wealth, protection, and, of course, celebration, is the powerful Year of the Dragon in 2024. Incorporating rubies—a sign of good fortune—and drawing on Leong’s early recollections of the Chinese New Year as a time of family and celebration, this collection is very personal on many levels.
“The Chinese use the colour red for celebrations. It represents vibrancy, vitality, health, wealth, good luck, and fortune,” Leong has said, explaining the power of rubies. As a continual reminder of the value of family, she remembers her mother passing down jewels to her to wear on important occasions and in everyday life. Leong created the Lunar Collection with this idea in mind; it has classic pieces that can be cherished for a lifetime and handed down through families.
Set in 18k recycled gold with conflict-free colourless diamonds, each of the nine pieces showcases rubies sourced from Montepuez Ruby Mining in Mozambique, which is majority-owned and operated by Gemfields. This aligns with Leong’s commitment to sustainability. All of them are made in New York by ethical factories.
The Gemfields Foundation will receive 10% of the Lunar collection’s net revenues, as it has done with Leong’s four prior collections with Gemfields, all of which have contributed to the re-building of a school in rural Madagascar. The Gemfields Foundation is the company’s philanthropic arm. It enables contributors to put money towards conservation and community projects in Africa, improving the lives of locals in the regions around gemstone mines, and guaranteeing that coloured gemstones benefit their home countries.
Each piece in the collection—three stunning Ruby Signet rings set with either round or baguette rubies—emits the special energy and tradition associated with the Chinese New Year, and the timeless beauty of the ruby is sure to be cherished for years to come. The collection also features a variety of ruby earrings—baguette, chain, and huggies—as well as a ruby baguette tennis bracelet, pendant, and stack ring.