Launching to coincide with the start of July is an exciting new collaboration between environmentally aware jewellery label Zoe & Morgan and Gemfields, a world-leading supplier of responsibly sourced coloured gemstones. With rubies being the vibrant birthstone for the month of July, there could be no better time to introduce this collection, which combines the pure beauty of Gemfields’ Mozambican rubies with Zoe & Morgan’s clean and contemporary designs.
Zoe & Morgan was started in 2005 by siblings Ruth, Morgan and Zoe, who grew up in New Zealand and were inducted into the world of fine jewellery by their goldsmith father, Douglas Sibbald, whose work they observed from a young age. Now spread between London, Bali and New Zealand, they are committed to carrying on the family tradition and incorporating their own ethical values and conscious way of life into all of their pieces. Theirs is a truly global brand – with shops in London and Auckland – but one that is very aware of its global footprint.
The partnership with Gemfields – which prides itself on always working with transparency across its supply chain and positively contributing to the communities around its mines – represents a true synergy between companies who put integrity, legitimacy and respect for nature at the forefront of everything that they do. Each Gemfields ruby featured in Zoe & Morgan’s enchanting new collection of necklaces and rings has been hand-selected for its cut, clarity and, above all, for its inimitable character.
The pieces that have resulted from the collaboration are characterised by simple lines, triangles and diamond shapes. The diamond symbol has long been used to represent female energy, as well as encapsulating balance and strength: it is at the heart of the design of one necklace in the collection, which sees two diamond-shaped rubies framed with round cuts, to represent femininity as a continuous and collective whole; another necklace features smaller rubies, clustered together as if in a cave, to honour “the hidden beginnings of these gems, before they were discovered and brought out into the light”; and an arresting ring features a large diamond-shaped ruby as its central stone, encircled by round-cut rubies, its vivid colour and clean shape representing balance and strength.
Summing up the creative forces behind this, and all of their collections, Ruth says: “For us, creating jewellery is an adventure. It’s about the alchemy of imagination, freedom, family and love. Working with precious metals and gemstones that can transcend time and hold so much integrity, positive energy and happy memories.” She describes Gemfields as “an inspiring ethical company, [which] has a great respect for these precious gems and their origins”.
Gemfields has been mining rubies from the Montepuez mine in Mozambique since these precious coloured gemstones were first discovered there in 2009 and is the majority owner with local partner Mwiriti. The Montepuez ruby mine is now the most significant recently discovered ruby deposit in the world. Formed deep beneath the earth’s surface some 500 million years ago, rubies are rarer and more valuable than colourless diamonds. They are associated with passion, prosperity and protection, and as the birthstone of July, their vivid red hue will forever be connected to the sunny days of summer.
