The one-of-a-kind winning pieces from Rio Tinto’s 2009 Champagne Diamond Design Competition are debuting for the first time to the public. The designs, that began as sketches, are finally complete after months of anticipation! The winning designs - a necklace, two sets of earrings and a brooch - will form part of a nation-wide travelling exhibition, hosted by leading US jewelry retail locations! The winning jewelry designs will tour throughout the US to eight different US retail outlets from November 2 to December 27.

All four designs do a wonderful job of emphasizing the beauty that can be attained through the use of all of the different shades in the Champagne diamond spectrum. To see the finished pieces in person and possibly meet the designers themselves you can visit the following locations during the dates specified below! Dont miss out!

November 2-8   
   
George Walton's Gold & Diamond Co.  
4300 Old Seward Highway        
Anchorage, AK 99503        
907-562-2571  

  
November 9-15  
  
Hyde Park  
3000 East First Ave                        
Denver, CO 80206  
303-333-4446      

November 16-22

Hyde Park  
Biltmore Fashion Park  
2442 E. Camelback Rd.  
Phoenix, AZ 85016  
(602) 667-3541

  
November 23-30  
  
St John & Myers  
150 South Elkhorn Village                   
4379 Harrodsburg Road                     
Lexington, Kentucky 40513  
859-559-4242

December  1-6

Wick and Greene
121 Patton Avenue                 
Ashville, NC 28801   
828-253-1805  

December 7-13

Molina
3134 East Camelback Road
Phoenix AZ 85016
602-955-2055

December 14-20

Black Starr & Frost
3333 Bristol Street, Suite 2413                                     
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714-549-2522

December 21-27

Calhoun Jewelers
500 Main Street
Royersford, PA 194
(610) 948-851

Diamonds have a life of their own. This was proved true at the Rio Tinto Champagne Diamond Design Competition, where four competitors succeeded in bringing champagne diamonds to life by combining the warm range of light champagne to deep cognac colors in their expressive and inspired designs.
 
Evelyn Huang of evelynH Jewelry Inc. was named the "Champagne Visionary" as the 1st place winner of Rio Tinto Diamond’s Champagne Diamond Contest! In her piece, "Bulles de Champagne Collier", she wanted to create a champagne diamond necklace that conveyed elation, joy, and spirit. Rio Tinto is honored to award Evelyn Huang with the title of Champagne Visionary for her beautiful necklace that best highlighted the range of light champagne diamonds to the deeper tones.

Joana Miranda was awarded the second place "Champagne Wishes" title for her "Champagne Tango Earrings". Her love for the tango comes across in the movement of these graduated color champagne diamond earrings which appear to twist magically through the ear.
 
The third place, "Champagne Evenings", was awarded to Graham Edney. He brought butterflies into his gorgeous design: a delicate yet bold pair of butterfly drop earrings. These gorgeous babbles made of marquis diamond back cut peridot were topped with a Tsavorite stem. This unusual design stems from his couture design studio work in Santa Barbara.
 
Vincent Bisazza, on behalf of Charles Koll Jewellers in San Diego, was awarded the fourth place prize entitled "Champagne Days." He designed a gorgeous brooch called "Flute", composed of a stunning range of champagne diamond colors. These colors made the brooch seem to move whimsically in the light as does bubbly Champagne in a crystal flute.
 
Congrats to the four winners of the Rio Tinto Design Contest!

For those of you fashionistas, you know that Brown is the New Black and is all the rage on runways worldwide.  It used to be that brown was not considered a high fashion color but now you see it everywhere and it is beautiful.  The subtle but sophisticated tones of the champagne diamonds- which range from light champagne tones to the darker and rarer fancy cognacs - are finding a  large audience here in the States.  Even celebrities are wearing them to go with their red carpet gowns.  They are really neutral and can be worn with almost any color as well.  A  nice fresh, affordable alternative to white diamonds.  Chanpagnes, because of their various colors allow you to express your individuality and be different.

Rio Tinto’s Argyle Diamond Mine in the rugged and beautiful East Kimberley region of Western Australia is the world’s largest producer of champagne diamonds. The East Kimberley is a land of rugged mountain ranges, deep gorges and arid savannah within which lie pipes of lamproite, diamond-bearing ore.

The Australian Aborigines who are traditional owners of the land in the East Kimberley believe that the diamonds were formed when a barramundi fish escaped through a spinifex net. According to that myth, the colors of the diamonds mined from the red earth of the region come from different parts of the barramundi.

Rio Tinto’s Argyle Diamond Mine operates in partnership with local communities within this region, ensuring that it provides a legacy of stronger, healthier communities, and that the rights of traditional owners are observed and respected.