Following on from successful previous collaborations, fine jewellery designer Sandy Leong has put Mozambican rubies mined by Gemfields at the forefront of her latest Lunar Collection. These vibrant red gems perfectly encapsulate the festive spirit of Chinese New Year, an occasion close to Leong’s heart. This is the latest partnership between the New York-based designer and Gemfields, a world-leading responsible miner and marketer of coloured gemstones, specialising in rubies from Mozambique and emeralds from Zambia.
“Using emeralds and rubies mined by Gemfields is a natural fit for Sandy Leong Jewelry. Gemfields’ commitment to striving to deliver a positive impact to the gemstones’ place of origin is a huge part of why I love partnering with them,” explains Leong, who has always placed responsible sourcing at the core of her business.
So named for the Lunar New Year – and inspired by 2024 being the mighty Year of the Dragon – the Lunar Collection draws on the storied association of rubies, and the colour red, with Chinese culture as well as with passion, prosperity and protection and, of course, celebration. This collection is a highly personal one: not only does it use rubies to convey the symbolism of the colour red as a token of good luck; it also reflects Leong’s heritage, taking inspiration from her childhood memories of the Chinese New Year as a time of family and festivity.
“The Chinese use the colour red for celebrations. It represents vibrancy, vitality, health, wealth, good luck, and fortune,” Leong has said, explaining the power of rubies. She recalls how her mother would hand jewellery down to her, to be worn both for special occasions and in the everyday – as a constant reminder of the importance of family. With this in mind, Leong designed the Lunar Collection for the modern collector, timeless treasures suitable to be passed down through generations.
Each of the nine pieces in the collection feature responsibly mined rubies from Montepuez Ruby Mining in Mozambique – majority-owned and operated by Gemfields – set in 18k recycled gold, alongside conflict-free colourless diamonds, in line with Leong’s ethos of sustainability. All are produced locally in New York by responsible manufacturers.
As with Leong’s four previous collections with Gemfields, which have helped fund the re-build of a school in rural Madagascar, 10% of the net proceeds from the sales of the Lunar collection will be donated to the Gemfields Foundation. The charitable arm of Gemfields, the Foundation allows donors to contribute funding directly towards community and conservation projects on the ground in Africa, making a tangible difference to the lives of people living in the areas surrounding gemstone mines and ensuring that coloured gemstones bring benefit back to their countries of origin.
The collection includes an array of Ruby earrings (baguette, chain and huggies), a Ruby Baguette Tennis bracelet, Ruby Baguette pendant, and Ruby Baguette Stack ring alongside three stand-out Ruby Signet rings (with either round or baguette rubies), each piece exudes the unique sense of occasion and heritage wrapped up in the Chinese New Year with a rich red ruby at its centre: classic pieces set to stand the test of time.
