Posted by | Ray Cornelius
“Square cut or pear shape these rocks don’t lose there shape, Diamonds are a girl’s best friend!”
Those are lyrics from the 1950s tune “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” made famous by Marilyn Monroe. It was actually the first thing that came to mind last night during the Atlanta debut of the Melànie D. Luxury Diamond Collection. The invitation only event took place at the swanky Ritz Carton – Buckhead and was attended by a number of Atlanta influencers and tastemakers including “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Sheree Whitfield.
The Melànie D. Luxury Diamond Collection was created in memory of Melànie D’s father, who passed away in 2009. Grief stricken and extremely upset, her mother would later gift her with diamond ring in remembrance of her dad, who always showered her lavish gifts as a little girl. In October of 2015, she noticed that one of the stones was missing from the ring and the grief she felt years before came back. So she sought out to find someone to help her replace the diamond and befriended a jeweler from Los Angeles, CA. After explaining the story about her father and the ring to the jeweler, he asked that she send it to him. Melànie was hesitant at first but felt there was spiritual connection to the him and sent the ring anyway. A week and a half later, she received the ring back at no charge. The jeweler, however, sensed Melanie’s creative flair and passion for diamonds and asked her to sketch a few pieces for him. A few weeks after that, she received samples of what would become her new diamond collection.
The Melànie D. Luxury Diamond Collection consists of at least 12 unique pieces along with accessories like earrings and bracelets. Two of Melànie’s favorites are the “Soulmate” which features black and white diamonds of a woman embracing her lover and the “Red Slipper,” which was inspired by her love for the L.Frank Baum classic, The Wizard of Oz. The collection’s brand is also symbolized by the South African “Bird of Paradise” flower.
“I still watch the Wizard of Oz over and over again and The Red Slipper takes me back to a time when dreams came true. It also reminds me of the happiness and heart of our home,” said Melànie during our interview.
In addition to the diamonds, Melànie also had several striking images of actresses, singers and entertainers like Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, Billie Holiday, Elizabeth Taylor, Eartha Kitt, Jean Harlow and Josephine Baker in rotation on a big movie screen. For her, these women are as iconic and special as the diamonds they wore in films and on stage.
“I read about each of them and their pasts and felt a deep connection to them as well. I’m a very spiritual person. So when I see them up there on the screen, I feel like I’m a part of them and they’re my sisters. (LOL) These women were also very glamorous and proper and I’m very modest too.”
Check out more images of the collection below and enjoy:
Photo Credits: RayCornelius.com