Reena Ahluwalia Wins the Rio Tinto Diamonds Global Design Competition

Reena Ahluwalia Wins the Rio Tinto Diamonds Global Design Competition

Jewelry to be showcased in Celebrity Suite at the Oscars

(New York, NY) February 20, 2011-- Canadian jewelry designer Reena Ahluwalia was recently honored as an international winner of the prestigious Rio Tinto Diamonds Global Design Competition. Jewelry designers from across the globe were invited to submit designs in four categories: Champagne Diamonds, Silvermist Diamonds™, Canadian Diamonds and Sustainable Jewelry. In late February the winning designs will be showcased at the annual Academy Awards 2012 with a chance to be selected and worn on red carpet by Hollywood’s elite.

After receiving a record number of entries from around the globe, an elite panel of judges from the U.S. jewelry and fashion industries gathered in New York City and reviewed entries from designers from the U.S., Canada, Australia, India, China, and Hong Kong. Nine winners were chosen in total. Reena Ahluwalia, received the prestigious Master Craftsman award in the Canadian Diamonds category.  

Set in 18K white gold, 28.96 carat, "Canoe" Canadian diamonds necklace by Reena Ahluwalia is inspired by a poetic image of the magical Canadian landscape and its pristine white winters. It captures a snapshot of a snow covered canoe in a frozen crystalline lake. “Celebrating the magic and beauty of Canada, my home, is the inspiration for my design. Canoe is a carrier of Canadian myths, a symbol very unique to Canada that represents voyage, harmony with nature, discovery and courage. It is one of the greatest gifts the First Nations people gave to all those who came after. A crystalline perspective, this necklace hopes to capture the luminous magic of the True North,” said Ahluwalia. 



The necklace comes together with two diamond-studded links embracing the neck that represent the fluidity of lake. Irregular intersecting lines, studded with Ideal Square cut diamonds depict the chunks of floating ice. The necklace culminates into a canoe shaped element. “Canoe” has an angled faceted interior, “I wanted the diamonds to reflect on the opposite facets for a dramatic shine and create an icy crystalline look,” said Ahluwalia.

Crossworks Manufacturing Ltd., the largest manufacturer of branded Canadian diamonds in the world, collaborated with Ahluwalia, sponsored manufacturing and provided Canadian diamonds for the “Canoe” necklace.

In a Daily Jewel exclusive Reena answered a couple of questions...

DJ: What does this win mean to you?

"Exciting. I love diamonds, they have been my material of choice throughout, a medium for me to express stories that I want to tell and share"

DJ: What are you looking forward to? "Continuation of my diamond journey and a quest to innovate."

Dylan Dix, Group Executive: Marketing and External Relations, Crossworks Manufacturing Ltd. said “The opportunity to work with both Rio Tinto Diamonds and Reena Ahluwalia to promote Canadian diamonds is a reflection of the partnerships involved in our industry. The support of Rio Tinto of the secondary industry in Canada has created innovation in both polishing and jewelry design. The primary diamonds in the Canoe are the Ideal Square, a patented cut designed by a Canadian company and are set in a beautiful design by a Canadian artist. This is the ultimate reflection of our industry’s goal of celebrating the Canadian diamond pipeline from mine to market”.  

To Ahluwalia, her win, “Is a great opportunity and honor to represent Canadian Diamonds”.

About Rio Tinto Diamonds

Rio Tinto is one of the world’s major diamond producers through its 100 percent control of the Argyle mine in Australia, 60 percent of the Diavik mine in Canada, a 78 percent interest in the Murowa mine in Zimbabwe.  These three mines allow Rio Tinto to produce diamonds for all market segments. Rio Tinto also has an advanced diamond project in India.

Rio Tinto’s share of the production from its three operating mines is sold through is Diamonds Sales and Marketing headquarters office in Antwerp, Belgium with representative offices in Mumbai, Hong Kong and New York. Rio Tinto Diamonds is a leading supporter of the Kimberley Process as well as a founding member of Responsible Jewellery Council.

About Designer Reena Ahluwalia

Reena Ahluwalia is a Toronto-based Canadian jewellery designer and owner of Reena Ahluwalia Design Inc. (Est. 1999). Her multiple-award winning body of work reflects her passion for diamonds and linkages with the global diamond community for over seventeen years.

With designs that never fail to push creative boundaries, she has won numerous national and international awards. Iconic British fashion designer Alexander McQueen featured her award-winning diamond jewel in his Spring/Summer 2000 debut in New York.

An ambassador of arts and crafts, her quasi-nomadic lifestyle has enriched her thinking and enabled her to experience various cultures that help shape her cutting edge designs. This openness to cultures and experiences has also brought with it a spirit of inquiry and exploration that makes it possible to reboot her thinking keeping her designs fresh and innovative.

Ahluwalia’s work is often described as flamboyant, harmonizing precision and geometry with fluidity and movement. Her signature style is renowned for its edgy but feminine, well-engineered fluid forms and innovative narratives told through suggestive imagery. She has been successful in exploring different extremes in form, effortlessly moving from extravagant and exaggerated to small and understated. Besides selling directly to private clients around the world, Ahluwalia is also the creative force behind some of the most recognized international jewelry brands. Website: www.reenaahluwalia.com

About Crossworks Manufacturing Ltd.

Crossworks Manufacturing, a member of the HRA Group of Companies, operates three diamond polishing facilities in Canada that are located in Sudbury, Yellowknife and Vancouver. Crossworks purchases rough diamonds from the mines located in Canada through agreements with the Diamond Trading Company (D.T.C.) and Rio Tinto Diamonds as a Select Diamantaire.  Currently, the Group is the largest manufacturer of branded Canadian diamonds in the world with distribution throughout North America, Europe and Asia.