jony ive + marc newson ring cut from solid block of lab-grown diamond

sold at sotheby’s auction during design miami/2018, the lab-grown diamond ring designed by marc newson and apple’s sir jony ive is at last complete. the piece was cut from a single, homogeneous block of diamond, grown by diamond foundry, with the use of its plasma reactor technology and a scientific process which works to ‘grow’ the stone through the manipulation of atoms. through this process, the team succeeds in the creation of a block large enough to cut the intricate piece with no band or metal settings. made exclusively for (RED), an organization that raises awareness and funds to help eliminate HIV/AIDS, the piece — which sold for $256,250 — is the world’s first wearable, all-diamond ring.

all images and video courtesy of diamond foundry

the all-diamond (RED) ring was designed by apple’s departing chief design officer, sir jony ive, and award-winning industrial designer, marc newson. as part of the third annual (RED) charity event during miami art week, sotheby’s auctioned the item where it was purchased by an anonymous buyer for $256,250 — an amount that was then matched by the bill and melinda gates foundation, raising $461,250 in total towards the fight against AIDS. (RED) COO, jennifer lotito comments: ‘this is more than just a ring. it’s a thing of absolute beauty and sustainability which is going to save lives. we’re so grateful to jony, marc, and diamond foundry for delivering exquisite design and craft to help end AIDS.’

to fabricate the design, engineers at diamond foundry made use of the company’s cutting-edge technology to grow a 45-carat rough diamond. thanks to their team of master cutters, the rough diamond was cylindrically cut into an all-diamond ring, using a micrometer-sized water jet, inside which a laser beam is cast. the finished ring perfectly reflects the blueprinted design, with 2,000 to 3,000 facets — never before seen on a single piece. diamond foundry CEO martin roscheisen elaborates: ‘a project of this size and quality would not have been possible using a mined diamond. the craftsmanship of the (RED) ring represents a major milestone in the diamond industry.’