Maggi Simpkins On Heirloom Designs And Her Emotional Connection to Natural Diamonds

Known for her unique natural diamond engagement rings, and most recently her record-breaking diamond designs for Sotheby’s Black and Brilliant exhibition sale, Maggi Simpkins is a force to be reckoned with. A creative at the core, Simpkins’ love for design and aesthetics shines in her distinctive jewelry pieces, and we were lucky enough to sit down with her to talk all things natural diamonds, heirloom pieces, and the emotional connection we make with our jewels.

“The pieces that I wear and why I wear them are 100% sentimental,” Simpkins exclusively told OND. “I love holding people close to me, I love the storytelling aspect and I love wearing jewelry that belonged to a family member.” Creating heirloom engagement rings was an obvious choice as Simpkins, with no formal training of her own, began to design collections and custom pieces.

“When you start working with diamonds there’s just not really anything like them,” she explains of her affinity for natural diamonds. When she gets to work with clients one-on-one, Simpkins feels the most connected to her work: “Whether it’s bridal or whether it’s just an heirloom to be passed down, I think that’s the biggest honor,” she says proudly.

Most recently, Simpkins, along with 12 other jewelry designers, had the opportunity to work with Code of Origin diamonds in partnership with De Beers. “Code of Origin is an initiative that De Beers launched so that each of these diamonds has what we know as a QR code,” she explains. Using this QR code, you can trace back the origin of the diamond and learn more about the positive impact the natural diamond industry has on the community where the diamond was recovered.

Learn more about Simpkins, her work, and where she’s heading next in our full video interview above.