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Maison Mazerea: The World’s First “Haute Diamanterie Maison”
Burgundy Diamond Mines recently announced the launch of Maison Mazerea; a new jewelry Maison focused on branded natural diamonds characterized by fancy colors, unique cuts, and certified provenance. Maison Mazerea promises true control over the value chain, handpicking the rarest rough diamonds from its own mines and other mines around the world and hand cutting the rough diamonds in their own Grand Atelier in Australia. Maison Mazerea then works directly with designer jewelers to create special pieces of jewelry fitting these ultra-rare natural diamonds. This unique business model allows them to offer certified provenance of the entire journey of the diamond from mine to consumer.
Maison Mazerea’s parent company, Burgundy Diamond Mines, was founded in 2020. They acquired and revived the old Ellendale mine in Western Australia, famed for its beautiful fancy yellow diamonds. The closure of the famous Argyle mine in Western Australia allowed Burgundy to take ownership of the cutting and polishing facilities and the famously talented team from Argyle, which now makes up Maison Mazerea’s Grand Atelier. The master diamond cutters that Burgundy acquired are some of the finest fancy-color diamond cutters in the world. Burgundy and Maison Mazerea CEO Peter Ravenscroft says, “watching them cut diamonds is pure artistry.” The acquisition saw Burgundy expanding its reach to different parts of the supply chain and led to the founding of Maison Mazerea as a way to extend that reach to the consumer.
The Maison gets its name from famed 17th-century French cultural revolutionary Cardinal Jules Mazarin, who can be credited for the rise of the idea of French luxury. Mazarin was an art lover and diamond collector who amassed a collection of dozens of diamonds that were bequeathed to Louis XIV upon his death and ultimately became the French Crown jewels and other famous diamonds that grace museums and vaults today.
The diamond industry provides significant benefits to the communities and regions where diamonds are found, with 80% of the benefits being retained by local communities. Maison Mazerea’s unique approach and complete control of the value chain give consumers even further insight into precisely where their purchase is making an impact.
Photo Courtesy of Maison Mazarea
Ravenscroft says their “direct access to the consumer allows for them to take a transparent portion of the retail sale price of the jewelry and take that back to the community where the diamond was mined via an independent foundation they have set up.” Therefore, a consumer can see exactly where and what their purchase benefits.
Maison Mazerea diamonds will go above and beyond traditional grading certificates by offering their own very detailed certification and provenance reports. These unique reports will tell the story of each diamond from formation, where it was discovered, who cut the stone, and more.
The rapid rise in the value of Argyle Pink Diamonds led Maison Mazerea to want to purchase the special stones as an investment for the company. They were able to buy one Argyle Pink Diamond from the last sale before the famous Argyle mine closed. The 1.79-carat, fancy-vivid-purplish-pink diamond is “absolutely irreplaceable,” says Ravenscroft. This diamond will never be sold, but they wanted to “share its beauty rather than have it sit in a vault.” The idea led to a unique partnership with the Princess Grace Foundation, a charity focused on the late Grace Kelly’s legacy, and the stone was renamed The Grace Diamond. For the stone to be appreciated, The Grace Diamond will be presented in different jewelry pieces annually, custom designed and crafted for this diamond. This will allow the diamond to be worn for red carpet events, exhibited, and “appreciated in the way it deserves,” says Ravenscroft.
The first of these pieces was unveiled by Prince Albert of Monaco at a special ceremony at the Princess Grace Foundation awards ceremony in New York. Named the ‘La Vie En Rose’ necklace, it features the Grace Diamond at the center. The stunning piece was handmade by famed high jeweler Lorenz Baumer and worn by Princess Charlene of Monaco for the very first time at the ceremony.
Every year, the Grace Diamond will be reset in a new design, and another diamond will take its place in the previous design and then will be auctioned off for charity. This process will continue indefinitely, creating benefits and allowing for the incredible diamond’s continued appreciation.
Maison Mazerea is at the beginning of creating a new way to bring natural diamonds to consumers that showcases their importance and benefits communities in a way not done before. This unique way could be a blueprint for other fine jewelry brands in the future.
