Celebrating 10 years of marriage is a unique and special occasion. It is the celebration and recognition of a beautiful accomplishment and an adventure that is still ongoing.
For Brian, this was a moment he wanted to be as romantic and memorable as the day he first married his wife, Joyce. He wanted to symbolise the incredible journey they had been on with a surprise vow renewal ceremony in at the Montage at Kapalua Bay in Maui, Hawaii and a surprise anniversary ring that reflected the colour and joy they enjoyed together, which could only mean one type of diamond: a Zimmi.
Living in America, Brian had already been looking for the perfect Zimmi for some time and understood how sourcing a Zimmi requires patience and trust – a little like marriage! As the rarest and most sought-after yellow diamond in the world, the Zimmi Diamond can only be found on the banks of the Mano River in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Luckily for Brian, Noble Fine Jewellery have Zimmi mining sites with our own team meticulously sifting through the shifting sands to find the elusive yellow rocks. These stones are then bought to our team in Antwerp for polishing. From the rough to the smooth takes a skilled polisher several weeks to achieve and with our stone ready, it was time to consider the design and for Brian, this was where the fun began…
Working in different continents (Antwerp vs New Jersey) and time zones on something as intimate as an anniversary ring, may seem impossible – but that is where the magic happened and our relationship went from internet associates to trusted partners. From sending videos of the stone, to mix and matching side stones in different styles, colours and proportions – we even asked for a picture of Joyce so we could imagine her wearing it.
We didn’t have a lot of time to get the ring complete, but by working together in an open and honest way - Joyce was going to receive the ring of her dream.
The final act for our Zimmi Ring was being couriered to Hawaii in time for the beautiful renewal ceremony the family celebrated on the beach, ten years after they had first said ‘I Do’. And for the Noble Fine Jewellery family, it was also the symbol of a different sort of romance… One that started on the day our team found Joyce’s Zimmi hiding in the dirt in Sierra Leone, to the day we bought it to Antwerp where our polishers bought the sunshine and sparkle to life, and finally the day we packaged up the ring and sent it to the proud groom.
From Africa to Europe and then America, our Zimmi anniversary ring has been on a world adventure. From the mine to the moment Brian said ‘I Do’ (again!) - what started as an internet enquiry has ended up with a lifelong friendship with Brian and his family, and we are so proud to have been a part of their story.
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