Diamonds are all the time. From engagement rings signifying one of the maximum crucial steps in maximum peoples lives.
To crown jewels and references in James bond films, diamonds symbolize luxury and excellence. But, in appreciating the beauty of those stones the struggle which surrounds their excavation is often neglected and forgotten.
A big majority of gemstones originate in Africa yet, there’s nearly zero representation of the continent when they go away with close-to-zero jewelry stores on well-known high streets across London or the big apple referring to the beginning of the gemstones that beautify their home windows.
One African entrepreneur who took problem with this over a decade in the past and has fulfilled her goal of “bringing the voice of Africa to nice jewelry” is vania levels, founding father of vanleles diamonds who has recently been named a finalist in the 2020 ambitious female awards by way of Veuve Cliquot.
Early beginnings
Leles spent her adolescence in guinea-Bissau, a tropical country on West Africa’s Atlantic coast. She later moved to Lisbon for her formal education before moving to London.
Travel, particularly throughout africa was a massive a part of her upbringing having visited 15 international locations across the continent by the time she become 17.
In London, she becomes scouted to come to be a version and moved to ny in which she walked for international-renowned fashion brands together with Yves saint Lauren and Prada.
At some point of one photoshoot, whilst admiring the jewelry “someone mentioned most of the gemstones comes from Africa,” she remembers. Something which shocked her as all through her adolescence she had constantly related diamonds with struggle and war in place of fashion and beauty.
She performed additional studies and commenced to question “if most of these stones come from Africa why is there no illustration of Africa or African inspired brands”.
She became so obsessed with space she called her mom a few weeks later and said “I want to stop modeling to offer a voice to the community in which those merchandises come from in order that They are able to help clear up the troubles creating so much warfare”.
Given the complexities of the enterprise, her mother counseled doing studies into precisely why there was no illustration and spend 10 years operating in the enterprise.
Leles changed into 24 on the time and “10 years seemed like a life-time” however she heeded the advice and determined to formally teach herself about the industry.