As the COVID-19 crisis persists, acts of philanthropy have been pouring in from luxury brands around the world in aid of the fight against it. Jewellery houses are no exception.
Last week, Tiffany & Co. became the latest brand to show its support for the cause with a hefty donation of US$1 million (S$1,415,520).
Through its charitable arm, Tiffany & Co. Foundation, the American jewellery house is giving US$750,000 (S$1,062,255) of its total donation to the World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund (as Gucci has done). The rest will go to The New York Community Trust’s NYC COVID-19 Response and Impact Fund. The city, where Tiffany & Co. was founded, is also one of the hardest hit states in the US, counting over 10,000 deaths from the pandemic.
Additionally, Tiffany & Co. has pledged to match its employee donations to non-profit organisations that are providing relief to communities. Its Foundation has also signed the Philanthropy’s Commitment During COVID-19 pledge, which signals to potential grant recipients that the Foundation is ready and willing to provide support to them as needed.
In Europe, the region that has the highest number of coronavirus cases in the world, jewellery brands are also chipping in to help.
Like Tiffany & Co., London-based diamond jeweller Graff has pledged US$1 million to WHO’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. The Fund aims to provide essential medical supplies to vulnerable communities, while speeding up the development of tests and treatments for the virus.
In Italy, Bulgari has made a major donation to Lazzaro Spallanzani Hospital to fund the research for an effective vaccine against the virus. The hospital’s research team was one of the first in the world to isolate the DNA of the virus.
The Roman jeweller has also begun manufacturing “hundreds of thousands” of hand sanitisers in its Lodi factory, which will be redistributed to medical establishments across Italy. The move echoes the efforts made by Bvlgari’s parent company, LVMH, whose fragrance factories are now producing 50,000 kg of hand sanitisers a week for French hospitals.
Paris-based jewellery brand Cartier has directed its support eastward, choosing to donate AED 1 million (S$385,488.10) to the Emirates Red Crescent’s The Homeland of Humanity fund. The fund, set up by several humanitarian and charity organisations in the UAE, aims to bolster measures to prevent the spread of the virus and assist the region’s most vulnerable citizens.
De Beers Group, one of the world’s leading diamond companies, has also contributed US$2.5 million (S$3,539,812.50) for the COVID-19 response in Botswana and Namibia. The donation will aid national relief efforts in the South African countries, where De Beers’ diamond mines are located.
On top of that, the De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds is now producing parts for face shields for healthcare workers in the UK. The company has also opened its corporate apartments in London to medical workers at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, and is supplying food to vulnerable groups in Canada.
The jewellery industry is not the only one in the luxury sector that is responding quickly to the pandemic. High fashion brands, especially those owned by LVMH and Kering, have been generous in supporting relief and research efforts around the world, whether through sizeable donations or producing necessary medical supplies. Just last week, Louis Vuitton announced that it will be making thousands of gowns and face masks at its Paris atelier, joining many others in combatting to shortage of medical supplies around the world.
Pameyla Cambe
Senior Writer
Pameyla Cambe is a fashion and jewellery writer who believes that style and substance shouldn't be mutually exclusive. She makes sense of the world through Gothic novels, horror films and music. Lots of music.
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