Kara Ross: Supporting Female Empowerment Through Diamonds Unleashed

When we talk diamonds, we are looking for gems that are brilliant, multifaceted, beautiful and unbreakable. When we're looking at women, the same measures hold true. That's why certified gemologist Kara Ross has partnered up with Canada Mark Diamonds to produce Diamonds Unleashed, a line of diamond jewelry with a very distinctive design symbol, whose sale will directly benefit women and girls.

"I'm an expert in diamonds, and I'm taking the hardest substance on earth, and using it to symbolize women's strength," said Ross. "Women now control 80 percent of household finances, so having to wait to be given something like a diamond seems antiquated. There's nothing wrong with love and marriage, but let's take that symbolism and extend it."

Enter Canada Mark diamonds. Canada is the world's third-largest diamond producing country, behind Botswana and Russia, but they were only discovered there about 25 years ago. And Canada Mark presents some of the finest quality white diamonds currently on the market -- without any of the guilt usually associated with the gem.

"Blood diamonds are not even part of the conversation when they're coming from Canada," said Ross. "All of these diamonds are trackable and traceable, ethically mined with a fair and equal wage for all the miners, and giving back to the indigenous communities where they were mined. If I had to write up a list of the perfect partnership, it would be this."

Investing in a Better Future

The Diamonds Unleashed product line has many beautiful pieces, and begins at a thrifty $99 for 18K gold and diamond earrings and runs up to $1,100 on the Home Shopping Network. Her higher-end #BeBrilliant collection will be sold exclusively at Neiman Marcus, with whom Ross has been working for 20 years, with prices ranging from $450 to $12,000.

"The wonderful thing is, you're not going to see a pair of earrings on HSN for $99, and the same pair at Neiman's for $450, because they are made from different materials," said Ross. "But you can see the breadth of design this symbol is capable of. They're all slightly different, but I know where each one comes from, and this beautiful symbol is represented through them all."

That means when you wear a Diamond Unleashed product, you become part of a sorority of women who are investing in a better future for girls and women. It's important to Ross that Diamonds Unleashed becomes recognized as a symbol of partnership for global women's empowerment.

Partnerships That Empower

And when it comes to partnerships, organizations like She's the First and Girls Who Code have found a great one in Ross, who has promised to donate 100 percent of net profits from these gems. This aspect appeals especially to millennials, who are known to buy one product over another because it is responsibly sourced, or comes with a charitable giveback, such as Warby Parker's "Buy a Pair, Give a Pair" business model.

"I've been in business for a long time, and I wanted to continue doing this, but also give back and pay it forward," said Ross. "These groups I've chosen focus on secondary school education, because it's been proven time and again that if you educate a girl, you're not only empowering her, but her family, her community and her future children. In the grand scheme of things, this is a modern-day women's empowerment movement."

As the campaign grows, Ross said she will add more charities. Diamonds Unleashed will reach European markets before the end of 2016, and partnerships in China and other countries are already being discussed. In London, the product will be sold at Harrods, and benefit the charity Women for Women. Now, supporting girls and women can be as simple as going shopping.

Looks like diamonds really are a girl's best friend!

For more information, visit www.diamondsunleashed.org.