Beyonce wears ‘ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ diamonds’ again
After being ‘disappointed and angry’ due to not knowing the history of the $30 million diamond, Beyonce once again wore it in a promotional campaign.
On her Instagram account with 216 million followers, 40-year-old star Beyonce posted a new photo from the campaign called “About Love” of luxury jewelry brand Tiffany & Co. In the photo taken with her husband Jay-Z, the female singer wears a seductive dress with a deep neckline, highlighting a yellow diamond weighing 128.54 carats.
Beyonce and Jay-Z continue to participate in Tiffany & Co.’s ‘About Love’ promotional campaign.
In August, Beyonce also wore work worth $30 million in this promotional campaign and received fierce opposition . Many people pointed out that Tiffany’s family treasure is a “ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ diamond” from a colonial mine in Kimberley, South Africa, so the Halo singer is not the right person to wear it.
ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ diamonds, as defined by the United Nations, are any diamonds mined and sold in colonial mines or ᴡᴀʀ zones to finance military action against a government.
In response to the wave of criticism, a source close to Beyonce told The Sun on August 26: “She was disappointed and angry that she didn’t know its history. She thought every detail had been thoroughly checked.” “. On the same day, Ms. Tina Knowles – Beyonce’s mother – spoke up to defend her daughter: “How many of you – social activists – own diamonds? Have you tried to check to see where they come from? Where? Surely the answer is no.”
The photo published in August caused Beyonce to fall into a storm of criticism.
According to People , the giant yellow diamond was purchased by Mr. Charles Lewis Tiffany – founder of Tiffany & Co. – found in South Africa in 1877 and acquired a year later. Through an elaborate cutting process, it becomes a perfect work weighing 128.54 carats, valued at 30 million USD (nearly 685 billion VND).
After the diamond was set into a necklace, the first person given the opportunity to wear it was activist Mary Whitehouse, at the 1957 Tiffany Ball in Rhode Island. Four years later, legendary star Audrey Hepburn appeared with the famous jewelry when taking photos to promote the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s .
In 2012, on the occasion of Tiffany & Co.’s 175th anniversary, the unique gem was included in another version of the necklace, made from more than 100 carats of white diamonds. That is the jewelry design that turned Lady Gaga into the center of attention on the red carpet at the 2019 Oscars.
While there is much controversy surrounding Tiffany & Co.’s treasures, the brand insists all of its diamonds are “ᴄᴏɴғʟɪᴄᴛ free.” On its website, the company says it is committed to implementing the Kimberley Process – a United Nations initiative to prevent ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ diamonds from entering the mainstream market.
“A world leader in sustainable luxury, Tiffany & Co. is committed to ethically sourcing precious and natural materials. We have a zero-tolerance policy on ᴄᴏɴғʟɪᴄᴛ diamonds only supply gemstones of clear origin and from countries participating in the Kimberley Process,” the brand’s website reads.
