Introducing Helia: Recycled Gold Meets Swiss-Grown Diamond

When we first met James and Christoph, the founders of Swiss diamond company Ammil Diamonds, we quickly realised we had quite a lot in common. At Incador, we spend a huge amount of time thinking about where our materials come from and how we can give gold recovered from old phones and laptops a new life as fine jewellery, while James and Christoph were asking similar questions about diamonds and the energy used to grow them.

We were two young businesses, one in London and one in Switzerland, approaching jewellery from different sides of the supply chain, and that first conversation eventually became Helia, our new collaborative collection.

The partnership felt particularly special to us because we are half-Swiss and some of our happiest childhood memories are of summers spent by the lakes in Switzerland. When we began designing the collection, we found ourselves returning to those landscapes and the little details that had stayed with us over the years.

Helia brings together Swiss-grown diamonds from Ammil Diamonds with our recycled 18ct gold recovered from discarded electronics, creating two very different pieces inspired by the colours and wildlife of the Swiss Alps.

Verdant Valais

Verdant Valais began with our memories of looking into the Swiss lakes during the summer and seeing sunlight catch the green algae and reeds beneath the water. We wanted to capture those beautiful shifting colours in a piece that felt delicate and organic, almost as though it had grown naturally around the stones.

The pendant brings together five pear-shaped Swiss-grown diamonds in soft greens and icy blues, each approximately 1.10ct, held within a branching gold design inspired by the movement of the plants beneath the water.

It is a piece close to our hearts and a lovely way of bringing a little of those childhood summers into the collection.

Peregrine

Our second pendant takes its inspiration from the peregrine falcon and its return to the skies of the Swiss Alps, with a remarkable 3.7ct trilliant diamond in warm champagne and blush tones at its centre.

We were immediately drawn to the unusual shape and colour of this stone, which inspired us to create two sweeping gold wings around it. The finished piece feels sculptural and quite different from Verdant Valais, while still having that same connection to the Swiss landscape.

You can discover both pieces on our Exclusive Edit page.

How are diamonds grown in the Swiss Alps?

One of the things we particularly enjoyed about working with Ammil was learning more about how their diamonds are made and being able to share that process with our clients.

Deep in the Alps in Muotathal, Switzerland, James and Christoph grow their diamonds using renewable energy powered by solar and hydropower. Every diamond begins with a tiny slice of diamond known as a seed, which is placed inside a CVD chamber where carbon gradually builds onto it layer by layer until a rough crystal has formed.

The rough diamonds then travel to Surat in India, where they are cut and polished into the finished stones we eventually design around.

Lab-grown diamonds still require energy to produce, which is why we think it is important to ask what powers them. For us, Helia is not about claiming that there is one perfect material but about understanding more of the journey behind the jewellery we create.

A new possibility for our bespoke clients

One of the most exciting things about this collaboration is that it goes beyond the two pieces in Helia. Through Ammil Diamonds, we can now source or grow Swiss diamonds in a range of shapes, sizes, colours and proportions for completely bespoke jewellery and engagement rings.

It means we can offer our clients another level of choice, looking not only at the shape, colour and carat of their diamond but also where and how it was created.

We are so pleased to finally share Helia with you. It brings together our Swiss heritage, our love of jewellery design and a partnership with people who share our curiosity about where materials come from. 

We hope you enjoy discovering the collection as much as we have enjoyed creating it.