Annie Griffiths Recounts Her Journey to Africa

New York--Well-known photographer Annie Griffiths was on hand at a recent event in New York City to talk about the journey of a Forevermark diamond.

At the Town & Country Philanthropy Summit on May 10, Griffiths shared stories from her recent trip to Africa with Forevermark, where she visited the De Beers Group’s Orapa diamond mine in Botswana and the Venetia diamond mine in South Africa.
 
While Griffiths was in Africa, she documented the wildlife and natural habitats protected at the conservation sites surrounding the mines. She also met several of the women who benefit from development funds including Sophia Mphuthi, an entrepreneur who started her own driving school in Kimberley, and Mercy Sithagu, a farmer who provides produce for her village in Nwanedi, South Africa.

This is one of Griffith’s pictures from her trip to Africa. It shows Mercy Sithagu, a farmer who provides produce for her village in South Africa.
“On this trip I realized that there is a connection between diamonds and conservation,” Griffiths said during her presentation. “I also realized how much diamonds benefit local communities. The best investment anyone can make is in the future of women and girls.”

Griffiths was one of the first female photographers at National Geographic. She has taken pictures in more than 150 countries throughout her career and received awards from the National Press Photographers Association, the Associated Press, the National Organization of Women and others.

In addition to photographing for editorial, she also shoots for aid organizations around the world and is the founder and executive director of Ripple Effect Images, a collective of photographers who document the programs empowering women and girls across the developing world.

Forevermark’s short film Behind the Lens starring Griffiths can be found on Forevermark.com.

The brand just debuted its first national responsible sourcing print ad in Town & Country’s June philanthropy issue, which is part of its new marketing campaign emphasizing the initiatives that give back to the communities from which its diamonds come.

A toolkit is available to Forevermark jewelers, the brand said, to help them take advantage of the content in their own local campaigns, on their website and in-store.