PRADA FINE JEWELRY PRESENTS ETERNAL GOLD | CRASH Magazine
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PRADA FINE JEWELRY PRESENTS ETERNAL GOLD

By Roisin Breen

Pushing the boundaries of fine jewelry, Prada debuts Eternal Gold – the first truly sustainable fine jewelry collection by a global luxury brand using 100% certified recycled gold. Prada fine jewelry is embedded in sustainable practice that informs twenty-first century luxury, alongside time-honored artisanal techniques and precious gems and metals.

Inherent in the notion of fine jewelry is the idea of unique pieces created with a future in mind, to pass between generations, to stand the test of time. The eternal.

A new interpretation of this concept – sustainability – is built into the core of Eternal Gold, reflecting Prada’s wide-ranging commitment to conscious and responsible practices across every facet of its business – including the shift of Prada’s total nylon production to its innovative sustainable recycled Re-Nylon.

100 percent of the gold used in Prada fine jewelry is Certified Recycled Gold, meeting ‘Chain of Custody’ standards set by the Responsible Jewelry Council. Every step and incarnation of Prada’s responsible gold and diamond production chain is verifiable and traceable – something offered by no other fine jewelry or luxury fashion house in the world.

Prada’s recycled gold is drawn only from eligible recycled material sources, in compliance with due diligence – including industrial gold, and post-consumer precious objects. Prada partners exclusively with those suppliers of precious metal and stones who meet the highest industry standards concerning human rights, labor safety, environmental impact, and business ethics. The reduction of mining of new gold benefits both environments and human rights, and while traceability of diamond origins is conventionally only possible with stones of 0.5 carat or larger, Prada expands the concept, for the first time, to stones of all sizes. It also extends through the entire value-chain, from mining to cutting, setting and polishing – every step of every diamond’s life can be traced.

In a ground-breaking new step for fine jewelry, records of this verification have been logged on the Aura Consortium Blockchain’s platform and can be accessed by Prada fine jewelry customers who will be able to verify the authenticity of their pieces. The journey of individual pieces will be accessible by Prada’s clientele, allowing them to trace the provenance of every aspect. This radical transparency on origins, sourcing and production chains gives a modern consciousness to fine jewelry, shifting outdated industry standards to mirror societal change.

From its birth in 1913, Prada has always created “objects of luxury” – inventing items that, through precious materials and the highest level of Italian craftsmanship, are unique proposals for their clientele. They reflect timeless traditions, and the values and concerns of the modern world – Eternal Gold is a new facet of this ideology. The debut collection draws on Prada’s heritage of style, its timeless fashion lexicon, to create pieces that embody eternal characteristics of Prada, conversing for the first time with the sphere of fine jewelry.

At the core of the collection is the Prada triangle – a powerful silhouette and universal shape that has become synonymous with Prada. Originally used as a mark of luxury by Prada’s founder Mario Prada, here the triangle represents the brand – a conceptual, wordless logo, universal in its resonance.

This debut collection proposes a foundation of neo-classics, everlasting pieces. Archetypes are examined, delineated and reiterated, the collection is composed of eternal shapes with constant resonance. Snake bracelets, heart motifs, chain necklaces, ribbon chokers – defining shapes and forms of fine jewelry, they are also signs and signifiers of affection and love. Gold is the focus – truly eternal, an ancient material timeless and constantly cherished, it is used in its true form and color, an honesty of metal that reflects the transparency of Prada’s supply chains. Prada’s own archetype, the triangle, is traced in every piece – an affinity found between Prada’s triangle and diamonds’ facets. The triangle appears as a clasp closure, earrings and pendants, while its angles shape chain links and hearts, the head of a snake bracelet. Proportions are reconsidered – pendants are blown up, chain-links exaggerated to create impact. These jewelry pieces express strength, presence, and passion.

Eternal Gold is a bold reconsideration of the very concept of fine jewelry, an expansion of what its universe can represent. Combining technology with a fundamental humanity, aligning the notion of eternal pieces with a core commitment to sustainable and responsible practice, it is a challenge to traditions, a break with conventions.Timeless, precious, rare. To mark the début of Eternal Gold, the first fine jewelry line created by Prada – and the first collection of 100% certified recycled gold by a global luxury brand – a campaign celebrates exceptional personalities, whose creativities truly stand outside time.

A cast of exceptional personalities, championed for their talent and achievements, are celebrated as individuals. They are unique, like each piece of fine jewelry – and their contribution to culture is lasting. They include the award-winning American poet and activist Amanda Gorman; the American actor, model, and singer-songwriter Maya Hawke; and Dutch-Korean-Canadian musician Somi Jeon.

The nature of Prada Eternal Gold – crafted from truly sustainable recycled gold and ethical, traceable diamonds, with radical transparency offered throughout each piece’s creation – find echo in every image. Photographed by David Sims, classic portraits are juxtaposed with re ections rendered in gold – gilded youths, as if transmogrifying sitters into jewels in and of themselves. The reiteration of imagery underscores the cyclical nature of Eternal Gold while toying with the timeless appeal of jewelry – another notion of the eternal. Collapsing our notions of time, these images are immutable, immortalized, iconic – in the truest sense of the word.

There is a constant exchange between time past and to come – a rejection of the notion of heirloom, of fine jewelry passed between generations as tokens of endless love and affection. While evocative of classic jewelry pieces, Eternal Gold radicalizes their proportions, silhouettes and details to give them a truly modern impact – mirrored in this imagery, colliding notions both antique and avant-garde.

Prada Fine Jewelry Campaign featuring Amanda Gorman Photo by David Sims

Prada Fine Jewelry Campaign featuring Maya Hawke Photo by David Sims

 

Prada Fine Jewelry Campaign featuring Jeon Somi Photo by David Sims

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