Melissa Joy Manning Herkimer Diamond Jewelry

When you get a chance to interview a leading made-in-America designer, you do it. When you get a chance to go mining for 450-million-year-old diamonds, you do it. And, when you then get the chance to collaborate with that designer on jewelry using crystals you dug up yourself, well, you get the idea. We couldn't be more excited to announce our collaboration with Melissa Joy Manning.

After spending time in her south Soho, NYC, studio and shop (honestly, we could move in) and a day up at Ace of Diamond mines fishing shiny stones out of layers and layers of rock, we thought the only natural next step would be to turn these precious gems into jewels — so you can take a piece of the project home with you. So, we came back, sketched up some ideas, et voilà! A Herkimer-diamond jewelry line brought to you by MJM and yours truly. [Ed. Note: Herkimer diamonds are different than traditional diamonds in that they are quartz crystal gems usually found at a 7.5 on the hardness scale instead of a 10. They are, however, naturally double-terminated (meaning they have points on both sides) and mined right here in New York.]

We riffed on Melissa's already coveted designs, mixing in earthy elements to reflect the origin of the stone. There are huggies that wrap delicately around the ear, a tiny Herkimer necklace you can wear every single day, and an ear cuff (a first-ever for Melissa!) that's delicate, too. Best of all, R29 readers get 20% off when they use the code "HERKLUV" upon checkout through November 20. Click through to check out (and shop!) the line and see more exclusive pics of our process. And, if anyone asks where you got your new favorite jewelry, feel free to say you (kinda) made it yourself.