Gemfields uncovers rubies’ emotional significance through intimate vignettes

Still from Gemfields’ “Ruby Inspired Stories”

Colored-gemstone miner Gemfields is portraying the mystical properties believed to exist in rubies by weaving a trio of short female-centric narratives.

The purveyor’s “Ruby Inspired Stories” explore rubies’ believed symbolism of passion, protection and prosperity through tales of a single moment in three women’s lives. Rather than focusing on the physical appeal of the rubies pictured, Gemfields insteads highlights their emotional appeal, as the stones bring back memories or help to celebrate a milestone.

“The concept behind the campaign is that rubies have historically represented specific emotional attributes in different cultures: passion, protection and prosperity,” said Sally Morrison, director of marketing and sales for the Americas at Gemfields.

“We wanted to re-contextualize these meanings through a contemporary prism and give them fresh narratives for the modern world,” she said. “For us, precious stones have always, and will always be imbued with meaning, but it’s each and every person’s individual stories that matter.”

Talisman tales
Gemfields’ films were released first on its YouTube account. Each was edited to 15-, 30- and 60-second formats, enabling the brand to use the clips in a social media campaign.

The videos, directed by Leonora Lonsdale and produced by London-based B-Reel films, will also be supported by a global print campaign.

Reflecting Gemfields’ international expansion, the videos feature a global cast.

A Ruby Inspired Story on passion features British actress Sophie Cookson.

Still from Gemfields’ film

The protagonist is first shown waking up in a hotel bed, looking longingly at the empty space beside her. Throughout her day, whether taking a bath or leading a meeting, she is shown remembering moments of passion from the night before.

In the final scene, Ms. Cookson is seen unpacking her travel bag when she hears a knock at her door, which the audience can assume is the man from her dreams.

Gemfields’ story of prosperity is acted by Chinese model Grace Guozhi and London-based model and actress Kamay Lau. First the audience sees Ms. Lau walking down a city street, pausing in front of a shop window to admire a set of ruby jewelry.

The scene cuts, and the viewer is invited into her studio, where Ms. Guozhi is assisting her, mixing paint, bringing her tea and spray painting a canvas.

In the final scene, the pair is dressed in eveningwear, likely going to an event. As the assistant gets into the back of a taxi next to Ms. Lau, the older woman slides a jewelry box toward her.

Ruby Inspired Story on Prosperity featuring Grace Guozhi and Kamay Lau

Indian actress Aditi Rao Hydari stars in the ruby story about protection. She walks through a city scene, her hand on her ruby necklace, as a female voiceover speaks soothing words.

The viewer then sees an elderly woman appear in front of the protagonist, placing her hand on her necklace and holding her hand. The seemingly unfamiliar terrain of the city now feels less scary, and Ms. Hydari is seen looking out from a balcony looking calm.

Each film ends with a note about the responsibly sourced rubies from Mozambique that appear.

Gemfields does not fashion the stones it mines into jewelry, but instead has partnerships with jewelers, such as Fabergé, Gyan and Aya, whose pieces all appear in the ruby stories. Without a direct line to consumers, education and outreach is more about brand awareness, which may make consumers seek out Gemfields stones for their next jewelry purchase.

Aya collection using Gemfields rubies

“Ultimately, the consumer for our gemstones is the woman who will use a piece of jewelry to commemorate something important in her own life: an accomplishment, a connection with another human being or a statement about her own personality,” Ms. Morrison said. “We believe that these films, viewed as a group, start a conversation with consumers about how their own stories can be expressed through a ruby.”

Hidden meanings
While the desire surrounding a precious stone lies in its physical properties, such as shine and clarity, gemstones also hold an emotional appeal.

De Beers Group’s Forevermark helped consumers find the one diamond that will most express their love through an advertisement on Departures’ Web site.

The jeweler took over the homepage of the Time publication with an interactive multimedia placement for its “The One” campaign, which highlights the selectiveness of the diamond purveyor. By including video and a series of images, Forevermark is able to tell a story about its diamonds that goes beyond appearance (see story).

Colored stones also have meanings, which Gemfields has explored in other efforts.

The brand’s ambassador Mila Kunis worked with Italian jewelry designer Marina B, who sources its emeralds from Gemfields, to design a ring celebrating motherhood.

Emeralds were selected for the project because the stone is traditionally associated with symbols of motherhood, wisdom and long-lasting love, and it is also a symbol of hope in many cultures. One hundred percent of the profit from Marina B and Gemfields’ Mila Motherhood ring will be donated to the opening of the Gemfield Nkana Health Center in Zambia (see story).

“We believe a story lives in every gemstone and as such, the films have been developed to give an insight into a particular moment in a woman’s life,” Ms. Morrison said. “Intensely personal, they build intrigue around the individual and their story.

“The ruby acts as a talisman at this point, representing the passion, protection or prosperity that is shaping their own journey.“

from Jewelry – Luxury Daily https://www.luxurydaily.com/gemfields-uncovers-rubies-emotional-significance-through-intimate-vignettes/
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