01/20/2025
This is a modern interpretation of a suffragette pendant. The colors - green, white, violet - form an acrostic, with the "g-w-v" standing in for "Give Women the Vote." This style was popularized in the Edwardian period and often imitated in the Deco period that followed it, after the 19th amendment was ratified in 1920. The colors are great, the message is powerful, the arc of the gem trade is bending towards justice for women - felt like a good time to bring it back.
The top sapphire is a known-origin stone mined in Kenya. The deep purple sapphire below is from , a collective of female artisanal miners, and was mined in Tanzania. Moyo offers free education on health and safety, gemology, and mining operations, and provides a network that allows the miners to keep a larger share of profits (around 95% of their export value, as opposed to the traditional 10-30%). The history of the gem trade is not pretty; I am grateful that orgs like Moyo are ushering in a more equitable future. It's a rare pleasure to work with a Moyo stone.
I set the pendant in white gold and added lots of sparkling details, as it was lucky enough to find a home on the neck of a particularly sparkly friend, who is one of the strongest and most powerful women I know. A great project to kick off the year. Thank you for looking. Onward 💚🤍💜
