Twin Towers Creation Commemorates 9-11 Victims
By
Ashley Bailey , Saturday, August 05, 2006
Designer Nayna Mehta used over 14,000 princess cut diamonds to create Twin Towers, commemorating the tragedy on September 11, 2001 in New York City. The piece was displayed at the Jewelers of America (JA) New York Show at the Jacob Javits Convention center from July 30-Aug 2. JA is celebrating their 100th anniversary.
The base of Twin Towers features a poem written by the designer in memory of the nearly 3000 lives lost:
Those innocent souls, we never forgot
United us all in a single breath.
We shed not tears, only our doubts,
Vowed to destroy all vicious clouts.
Stronger we rose, with a will so bold,
As hard as diamonds and as pure as gold.
Victorious we emerged, its plain to see,
So come join this anthem and sing with me.
14,080 princess cut diamonds, measuring 1.4 mm each were used to create the twin, 110 row towers. The base and supporting structure were made in 18k yellow gold. The piece is mounted on a rosewood base and can be encased in a removable acrylic box. The project involved 38 artists and jewelers and took some six months to create. A percentage of proceeds from the eventual sale of Twin Towers will be donated to a charity supporting 9-11 victims.
Mehta is a graduate of the Gemological Institute of America and the director of Aura Jewellery PVT LTD. Her husband, Samir is an advisor to the company. Both Mehta and her son Nihar are partners with Bombay Jewellery Manufacturers.