Emily Blunt sparkles in Forevermark diamonds at the 2019 SAG Awards. The ring was designed by TUT alumna, Louise Kriek. PHOTO: Courtesy Forevermark.
The ring, named Force of Nature, features Forevermark's two millionth inscribed diamond of 3.48 carats as its centre stone. It was designed by TUT’s own Louise Kriek, who studied the tricks of the jewellery trade at the Faculty of the Arts.
Kriek was the runner-up of the 2015/16 De Beers Group's Shining Light Awards. The awards support aspiring jewellery design students from Namibia, South Africa and Botswana.
As part of her prize, she received an internship at the Forevermark Design and Innovation Centre in Milan, where she designed the ring that Blunt wore. “The experience has meant the absolute world to me. I got to live and work in such a beautiful city, and I got to experience behind the scenes of an international diamond brand. I witnessed extreme hard work and dedication, and that is something I will carry with me forever,” she says.
“When I first heard about the project I was both excited and nervous. I knew that I wanted to create something which would make both Forevermark and everyone back in South Africa proud. I also wanted the piece to be true to my own design style while still adhering to Forevermark’s design aesthetics. It was an honor and a privilege to work with such exquisite diamonds, and the fact that the two millionth diamond is sitting in a piece which I designed is still mind blowing to me,” she adds.
Asked what inspired her to study in this field, Kriek says: “I’ve always loved body adornment, and I’ve been making my own jewellery since I was fourteen. After I finished my degree in Music, I decided that I wanted to do something which required me to use my hands more. I went for a short silversmith course and I fell instantly in love with the process.”
In congratulating Kriek, Nina Newman, Lecturer at the Jewellery Programme, says: “We are extremely proud of Louise. She has always excelled in her Jewellery Design and Jewellery Rendering subjects and her work was of an exceptional quality. I’m not surprised that her excellence as a jewellery designer is recognised and showcased on an international level. Well done!”