Amanda Hearst Rønning Has Designed a Suite of Bridal Jewelry Inspired by Her Own Fairytale Wedding Look
When Amanda Hearst Rønning was planning her wardrobe and jewelry for her 2019 wedding to film director Joachim Rønning—the extravagant three-day affair took place last August at Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California, with an afterparty at LA's Chateau Marmont—she found it difficult to find jewelry that was truly sustainable. (For the uninitiated, Rønning is a longtime sustainability champion and co-founder of the fashion site Maison de Mode.) Eventually she chose a suite of vintage Fred Leighton jewels—pearl earrings and a diamond hairpiece—to complement her custom Oscar de la Renta wedding dress, which was crafted from repurposed fabric. But the entire process was illuminating. "I realized sustainable bridal jewelry is still a very nascent and underrepresented industry," she says.
Not long after, Rønning discovered VRAI, the six-year-old jewelry startup that creates fine jewelry from the Diamond Foundry, a buzzy Silicon Valley company—Leonardo DiCaprio is an investor—that is the only certified diamond producer in the world with a zero carbon footprint. (The diamonds are lab-made using renewable energy and are anatomically identical to mined diamonds.)
"On my wedding day, I chose to wear vintage jewelry as it was the most sustainable option available. When I came across VRAI I realized vintage wasn't the only route to sustainable jewelry," Rønning says. "Cultured diamonds are a unique and ethical option that the world is just discovering."
Naturally, a collaboration was born. Rønning has designed five pieces of bridal jewelry—launching today, the VRAI x Amanda Hearst Rønning collection is available online at both VRAI and Maison de Mode and 10% of sales will be donated to environmental conservation non-profit Well Beings—that includes two necklaces, two pairs of earrings, and a hairpin that can be converted into a brooch.
The inspiration, of course, was Rønning's own wedding jewelry. "It wasn't trendy or fashion-forward, but classic and iconic, and I wanted to imbue my VRAI collection with those same qualities," she says.
Most importantly, the pieces are meant to complement the engagement ring, not overshadow it, and are versatile for everyday wear. (Before you ask, yes, VRAI also makes engagement rings.) Along with the foundry diamonds, the jewelry is handcrafted with recycled white gold and packaged in recyclable and reusable materials for a wholly sustainable product.
"Given the world we live in right now, brides are looking at their weddings in a more conscious, thoughtful way," Rønning says. "That goes for everything from the gown, to the ceremony, to the jewelry that she wears."
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