Young jewelry designer, Evelyn Huang, of evelynH. Jewelry, partnered with Diamond Empowerment Fund (D.E.F.) during their annual “Dallas Rocks” gala event to auction off her 2009 Women’s Jewelry Association (WJA) DIVA award-winning earrings. The event, hosted by D.E.F. founder Russell Simmons and actor Anthony Anderson of Law and Order, took place on Saturday, November 14 at the historic Union Station in Dallas, Texas.
D.E.F, founded in 2007 by Russell Simmons, is an international non-profit organization with the mission to raise funds to support educational initiatives, which develop and empower the economically disadvantaged in African nations where diamonds are a natural resource.
D.E.F.’s "Rising Star Empowerment Award" was presented to the Bush twins, Barbara Bush and Jenna Bush Hager. Jenna Bush Hager showcased the evelynH. award-winning “Africa’s Hope Diamond Drop” earrings by wearing the earrings during the gala. Russell Simmons made the final bid on the evelynH. earrings and presented them to Barbara Bush as a gift for her support of D.E.F. and her work at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital in Capetown, South Africa.
The evelynH. “Africa’s Hope Diamond Drops” feature 3.54 carats total weight of African Emeralds, 4.89 carats total weight of colorless diamonds and is set in 18 karat white gold. The earrings are valued at over $19,000.00 USD. Evelyn selected African emeralds because the color green represents hope and one of the Earth’s natural resources, along with being the symbolic color for both D.E.F. and evelynH. The teardrop design is also reminiscent of an Angel’s harp, which is emblematic of the D.E.F.’s celebrity ambassadors called “Africa’s Angels.” Celebrity angel ambassadors include South African supermodel Nicola Breytenbach and reality star Kim Kardashian. Evelyn was introduced to Russell Simmons and the D.E.F. through her recent win at the WJA DIVA Competition.
“As a designer, I always seek to create beauty and meaning with my designs.” Evelyn continues, “As a human being, I am honored the ‘Africa’s Hope’ earrings will be worn by Barbara Bush, who cares so deeply about the mission of the D.E.F. and all the special individuals that the proceeds from these earrings will inevitably touch.”
