Reena Ahluwalia's Diamond Paintings Adorn DIVA Diamond Museum in Antwerp

Paintings by award-winning artist Reena Ahluwalia celebrate diamonds and diamond stories. 

For the past 500 years, Antwerp and diamonds are inextricably linked. The City and Province of Antwerp is all set to open, 'DIVA. Antwerp Home of Diamonds' museum in 2018. To mark the Antwerp 'Diamond Year', DIVA's Museum Shop opened its doors on December 7th, 2017. World-renowned artist Reena Ahluwalia's hyper-realistic diamond paintings were selected to be housed in the museum and now available for sale at its Museum shop.  

“We have known Reena for a long time and always have been great admirers of her jewelry designs and paintings. We were thrilled when we could work with her for her paintings in the Museum shop. Her paintings are truly unique, beautiful from a distance and captivating from close by. We are really honored to have them hanging in our shop.” Stefan Leemans, owner of the DIVA Museum shop said.

Artist Reena Ahluwalia with her diamond paintings 'Diamond Constellation' for the DIVA Diamond Museum, Antwerp.

Brilliant like diamonds, Reena's painting series is titled The Diamond Constellation and pays tribute to the “star-like quality and unlimited potential in each one of us”. The paintings feature highly nuanced, hyper-realistic diamonds with ultra-magnified facets and have taken over 200 hours each to complete. The provenance of Reena's diamond paintings is linked to her lifelong work as a diamond artist. Her paintings are known for their imagination and storytelling. Reena's ties to Antwerp go a long way back as an award-wining diamond jewelry designer, diamond painter and educator. Her work is featured on a special edition Belgian Postal Stamp, 'Antverpia 2010' that celebrates Antwerp as a world class diamond center. With only a handful of postage stamps in the world featuring diamonds, and even rarer featuring a diamond jewelry piece; this postage stamp is a rare honor for a diamond jewelry piece and a jewelry artist’s work. Besides working with some of the most prestigious diamond companies of Antwerp, Reena is also the past winner of the HRD Awards and speaker at various Antwerp events. Reena is an ambassador of 'Diamonds & Antwerp' (DnA).

"We want to bring the story of jewels and diamonds back to the Antwerp historic city center, where it all started 500 years ago," says Mr. Luk Lemmens, Provincial Deputy Minister for Culture, Antwerp. Diva museum will celebrate the illustrious diamond history of Antwerp, its pivotal role in shaping the world of diamond trade, craftsmanship and stories that make diamonds unmatchable. The museum will officially open in May 2018. 

Reena Ahluwalia Receives Fellow Award, Delivers Keynote Address At The George Brown College Convocation 2017

Full Keynote Speech by Reena Ahluwalia. Drawing from some of the pivotal lessons from her life, Reena Ahluwalia urged students to nurture and value their unbounded mind, their unique inner compass and passion to persevere.

After an extensive vetting process, Toronto’s George Brown College chose jewelry designer Reena Ahluwalia to serve as their keynote speaker at Convocation 2017. According to Dean Luigi Ferrara, “Reena’s influential work in the global diamond and jewelry industry, her achievements in the world of Fashion and Visual Art and service as Faculty and mentor to so many of our students, made her the ideal choice for inspiring our graduates and sending them off into this exciting new phase of their lives.” 

Drawing from some of the pivotal lessons from her life, Reena Ahluwalia, jewelry designer, painter, professor and community builder, urged students to nurture and value their unbounded mind, their unique inner compass and the passion to persevere. During the ceremony Reena received an honorary degree in International Fashion Management and an Institute without Boundaries (IwB) Fellow Award for leaving an indelible mark on industry, country, community and for her contributions to the areas of study offered at George Brown for being an exceptional role model for the students. Reena’s full Keynote Speech can be seen here: https://youtu.be/jnuiYuxtLtI

Anne Sado, President of the George Brown College, said, “Our Academic Management Committee made up of all college Deans, were unanimous in recommending Reena Ahluwalia. Our criteria for granting an honorary degree is for people who have made an exceptional contribution to the country, world, with relevance to the College. As a person worthy of this recognition, Reena Ahluwalia exemplifies the qualities that George Brown College staff and students strive for – perseverance, passion and excellence.”

The George Brown College convocation ceremony for the Centre of Arts, Design & Information Technology was held on June 12th, 2017 at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto, Canada.

Reena's Glorious, Luminous Diamonds - JNA (Jewellery News Asia)

Feature interview of Reena Ahluwalia and her diamonds.

Editor Marie Feliciano interviews Reena Ahluwalia in May 2017 issue of JNA (Jewellery News Asia). 

Diamonds & Millennials: Understand The WHY & The WHAT Will Be Answered

By Reena Ahluwalia. Blog appeared in GEMKonnect

Reena Ahluwalia speaking at the 'Design Inspirations 2017' seminar organized by the GJEPC.

What are the diamond jewellery trends that are shaping up the North American Millennial market in 2017?  

The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotional Council of India (GJEPC) recently invited me to speak and share my observations on this specific question at their design and trend forecasting annual seminar, Design Inspirations. This year’s topic focused on the challenges and opportunities around designing for the Millennials.

A great deal has already been written about the Millennials, their buying power and behaviour. Rightly so, Millennials now make the largest consumer market for diamond jewellery. According to a report by the De Beers Group, Millennials in the US alone account for over 60 per cent of this generation’s diamond jewellery purchases in the top four markets, namely – the US, China, India and Japan.

I’ll summarize what I said at the GJEPC seminar. Since the diamond jewellery market is too wide a spectrum, I decided to focus on a specific area — the non-bridal diamond trends, a rising star segment for Millennials in the US. The premise of my talk was to question why things trend, what influences and shapes them to become market forces. Truly understanding the why will help answer the what that is needed to appeal to the Millennials and the generation beyond.

One thing we have learnt in the diamond and jewellery business is that each generation brings it’s own challenges and opportunities. Collectively as an industry we must have the vision to not only seek to understand the Millennials, but also the generation that will exert their market power after them...

CONTINUE TO READ MORE: https://www.gemkonnect.com/blog/diamonds-millennials-understand-why-what-will-be-answered

Here are my top five diamond jewellery trends shaping the North American Millennial market in 2017 — Enamel, Geometric, Minimal, Meaningful and Open.

Why do these five specific segments constitute trends? I believe these trends are a reflection of what the US Millennials hold close to their heart — self expression and individuality, their digital identity, shedding excess in the world full of information overload, making deep emotional connections, making an impact through their actions, decisions and pocket. CONTINUE READING: https://www.gemkonnect.com/blog/diamonds-millennials-understand-why-what-will-be-answered

In the Name of Halloween - "Sorceress Diabolic"

All in the spirit of Halloween! I present to you...

"Sorceress Diabolic" - is a jewelry design concept by Reena Ahluwalia. 

"On a fatal night, at the witching time, the starless sky laments black and unmoving. The shadowy moon floats above. In this forbidden depths of darkness, prowls a diabolic sorceress with magic spells and dangerous enchantments. In her mask-macabre, glimmering like countess diamonds are trapped hopeless enchanted souls."

"Sorceress Diabolic" - a contemporary face-mask, designed to exaggerate and intensify the dark Sorceress’s legend. Concept drawing by Reena Ahluwalia.

Mask components are angular and pointed, recalling the sharp teeth of howling wolves and outstretched wings of ravens. Like a visual warning, a separate mouthpiece mimics teeth and fangs. Concept drawing by Reena Ahluwalia.

Profile: Reena Ahluwalia - featured in Rapaport

Rapaport discusses jewelry design and relevant diamond industry topics with designer Reena Ahluwalia. The profile can be seen at the news section. 

Diamonds.net at http://www.diamonds.net/News/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=46253

Reena Ahluwalia recognized as Top 25 "Masters of Jewellery Design in Canada"

"It's a great privilege to be recognized as a Master Canadian Jewellery Designer. I am delighted at this recognition of my ongoing journey of creating meaningful jewelry with narratives that promote socially-conscious values."

-- Reena Ahluwalia

November, 2013. Toronto — The first-ever books about fine jewellery in Canada highlight a talented group of designers who have won every major international award, and have earned prestigious jewellery commissions from people ranging from Pope John II to Uma Thurman. The two-volume, 50-year retrospective on jewellery in Canada was written and produced by Cora Golden, who also co-authored the award-winning book, Design in Canada. Produced in collaboration with Birks, Masters of Jewellery Design in Canada (Volume 1 and 2) include over 450 photographs of rarely seen Canadian-designed jewellery. Together, they provide a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the makers of the most beautiful objects in the world.

Volume 1: Post-War Pioneers profiles 25 early designers and ateliers.

Volume 2: Contemporary Artists features 25 current designers; many of whom were trained or influenced by the previous generation. Worldly and peripatetic, John de Jong caters to upscale clients across Europe and North America; while Reena Ahluwalia, also of Toronto, often uses Canadian diamonds in her extravagant creations. 

Masters of Jewellery Design in Canada (Volume 1 and Volume 2) are now available on Apple iTunes for purchase. Don't forget to get your copy!

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/masters-jewellery-design-in/id727835668?mt=11

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/masters-jewellery-design-in/id621630295?mt=11

Author Cora Golden: http://www.goldene-books.com/

Designer Reena Ahluwalia. Excerpt from Masters of Jewellery Design in Canada. Vol. 2.