Winners of Rio Tinto Diamonds Design Competition Sparkle at the Oscars

NEW YORK, Feb. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Before the Hollywood stars sparkled on the red carpet at Sunday's Academy Awards, they first completed their look with winning designs from the Rio Tinto Diamonds Global Design Competition at the StyleLab jewelry suite in Beverly Hills.

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The suite was attended by celebrities and their stylists many of whom were excited to see such innovation in diamond design from talented new designers from around the globe. Stars such as Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden, Allison Janney of "The Help", Tabatha Coffey of BRAVO's "Tabatha's Takeover", and "CSI" actress Barbara Eve Harris, tried on the stunning diamond creations and made their jewelry selections for the ultimate red-carpet appearance, the Oscars.

After receiving a record number of entries, Rio Tinto assembled an elite panel of judges who chose nine winning designers from the U.S., Canada, Australia, India, China, and Hong Kong to have their pieces made exclusively for the 2012 Oscars. The finished jewelry representing the categories of Champagne Diamonds, Silvermist Diamonds™, Canadian Diamonds, and Sustainable Jewelry were perfect for the red carpet event. The winning designs included in the StyleLab Oscars suite included:

• "Desert Rose" bracelet designed by Stacey Lindsell/manufactured by Diarough, Uni-Design
• "The World of Champagne" earrings designed by Nejal Mehta/manufactured by A'Star Jewelry
• "Rain Dance" earrings designed by Michelle Buxani/manufactured by Diarough HK
• "Canoe" necklace designed by Reena Ahluwalia/manufactured by Crossworks Manufacturing
• "The Sands of Time" cuff designed by Vijayshree Sovani/manufactured by Interjewel USA
• "Nature's Beauty" cuff designed by Joseph Weinreich/manufactured by Diamond Direct LLC
• "The Silvermist Express" bangle designed by Dean Walker/manufactured by Dean Walker Designs
• "The Creator" necklace designed by V. Saravanan/manufactured by 'TANISHQ and FOLEY Designs
• "Tyger, Tyger" fan designed by Nadia Neuman/manufactured by Mondial

After browsing the jewels in the suite, Allison Janney wore the "Nature's Beauty" cuff featuring Silvermist Diamonds™. Tabatha Coffey, who hosted the TV Guide Channel's Oscar coverage, wore "The Sands of Time" cuff bracelet to complete her look, also featuring Silvermist Diamonds™.  Actress Barbara Eve Harris looked stunning in "The World of Champagne" earrings as she accompanied Lou Gosset Jr. down the red carpet. This experience provides these up-and coming, talented designers with major exposure and the ultimate opportunity to be showcased at the Oscars.

For more about Rio Tinto Diamonds visit: www.riotintodiamonds.com

CONTACT:
Kristen Lawler
Goldstein Communications
212.838.0822 ext. 232
[email protected]

SOURCE Rio Tinto