Greenland Ruby Celebrating 5 Years, Offering NFT
Greenland Ruby is entering the metaverse with its first offering of an NFT: an original creation by designer and artist Reena Ahluwalia, in honor of its fifth anniversary.
Ahluwalia’s Fire Under Ice original artwork will be available to win as Greenland Ruby seeks to raise funds for the Pink Polar Bear Foundation, to the tune of $150 per entry ticket. While only one original artwork is available to win, each participant will be gifted a limited-edition, animated NFT of the creation. Only 500 tickets are available.
“As part of our anniversary celebration, we’re thrilled to be able to make such a grand contribution to the Pink Polar Bear Foundation with a campaign both original and innovative,” said Greenland Ruby chief commercial officer Hayley Henning in a statement. “The artwork on canvas, with 500 digital art NFTs, is a spectacular contribution from Reena, and we thank her for her incredible talent and generosity in making a tangible impact. Her depiction of our rubies in their icy landscape is perfect! There will be 500 winners, but with such a generous contribution, it will be the people of Greenland who will be the real benefactors. Happy anniversary, Greenland Ruby!”
NFTs will be available to donors as soon as they purchase their tickets, while the drawing for the original artwork will be done in September.
“At its heart, my painting conveys the beauty of our natural world. I hope my artwork and NFT will remind donors of the significant contribution they made and keep inspiring everyone to protect and nurture our environment and inhabitants,” said Reena Ahluwalia in the same statement. “This project is meaningful; I am honored and thankful to the Pink Polar Bear Foundation and Greenland Ruby for this valuable opportunity.”
For more information and to purchase a ticket, visit greenlandruby.gl.
GCAL Partners With VDB On New Search Filter
The Gem Certification & Assurance Lab (GCAL) has partnered with Virtual Diamond Boutique (VDB) to introduce the new 8X cut grade to its diamond search filter on the VDB virtual marketplace platform, a classification that signals a score of “Excellent” on all eight aspects of cut that GCAL evaluates. Cut grades will now range from 8X as Best, Ideal, Excellent, Very Good, and Poor.
“This is an important step in the growth and acceptance of the 8X diamond cut grade,” said Angelo Palmieri, GCAL chief operating officer and partner, in a statement. “Having VDB become the first to list 8X on a B2B diamond exchange is significant for many reasons. It will now be far easier for retailers to find the best of the best diamonds that their customers are requesting. Wholesalers and manufacturers can now easily search for 8X diamonds. 8X cutters and suppliers are also obvious beneficiaries. And this new search filter adds instant credibility to the growing status of the 8X cut grade. It is no surprise that VDB has once again proven to be a trendsetter and a leader in the fine jewelry industry.”
The introduction of the new filter coincides with the launch of GCAL’s 8X Oval and 8X Princess cut grade—fancy shape diamonds are typically graded only for polish and symmetry and not usually searchable by cut grade, but given the recent growth in popularity of fancy shape diamonds, VDB looks to make this a beneficial offering.
For more information, visit gcalusa.com and vdbapp.com.
WD Lab Grown Diamonds Names M. Geller Authorized Distribution Partner
U.S.–based producer of lab-grown diamonds WD Lab Grown Diamonds has announced wholesaler M. Geller as an authorized distribution partner, providing M. Geller’s customers with the inventory of stones created in its Washington, D.C.–area laboratory.
“In response to unprecedented and increasing consumer demand, WD is excited to enact this important step in the scaling of our global footprint,” said Sue Rechner, CEO of WD Lab Grown Diamonds, in a statement. “As origin traceability and provenance assurance become the increasing focus of the consumer, expanding access to our third-party sustainability certified as ‘Grown in the U.S.A.’ diamonds through M. Geller’s expansive customer network is critical.”
“Our unparalleled knowledge and service, combined with the world’s leading diamond grower, will provide our customers with an unmatched path to grow their lab-grown diamond business,” said M. Geller founder and CEO Marc Geller in a statement. “Our team is incredibly excited about this opportunity, and we look forward to building on our partnership with WD.”
For more information, visit mgellerdiamonds.com.
Top: Reena Ahluwalia with her Fire Under Ice painting for Greenland Ruby
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