A graduate of the Walpole Brands of Tomorrow 2020 class, Anabela Chan's jewellery design house has gone from strength to strength, crafting pieces for celebrities including Rihanna, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift – and her influence is only set to grow thanks to stockists in the GCC, India, the USA and Hong Kong. Apart from the stunning look of the pieces she creates, what's gained Chan the kind of global cult following that even far more established jewllers can only dream of is her passion for and promotion of lab-grown gems. It's this combination of sustainability, skill and artistic sensibilty that recently attracted Bloomberg to profile the desinger and her jewellery house for its Quicktake Originals series (watch below).
This documentary, entitled Why Lab Grown Gems are Becoming the Real Thing, takes an indepth look into not just Anabela Chan as an artist and entrereneur, but also into her work with Cotswolds-based SkyDiamond – a company that makes lab-grown diamonds and other precious stones from the carbon in the air around us, as opposed to traditional stone mining.
“When Bloomberg approached me with the impossible task of creating a piece of jewellery within three weeks (when it usually takes me three to six months), we made it happen - even if it meant taking you on a journey from London to The Cotswolds to French Polynesia," said Chan of the documentary. "Nine years ago when I told people I wanted to create fine and high jewellery with laboratory-grown gemstones, people thought I was crazy. Little did they know it is those crazy enough to think they can change the world that actually do.
"I went on to found the world’s first fine jewellery brand that champions laboratory grown gemstones with high jewellery designs and artisanal craftsmanship, always guided by a focus on ethical and sustainable innovations. From diamonds mined from the sky with atmospheric carbon dioxide, to Tahitian pearls raised by people and exotic fishes that regenerate coral reefs and ocean ecosystem.
"I believe in a present and future where nature and science co-exist in a positive balance - through responsible practice that work with nature to better it; through material science and circular innovations that are mindful to both planet and people."
