PodcastsAug 19, 2026
Episode 8: Diamond Industry Update With David Bonaparte & Ronnie VanderLindenThe industry veterans join the podcast to discuss diamond marketing, the FTC Jewelry Guides, and lobbying for lower tariffs.
SourcingSep 05, 2013
Designer with a heart raising funds for Zimbabwe
San Diego-based jewelry designer Alexandra Hart has a special connection to this nation, all because of meeting one extraordinary local woman.
San Diego--For many in the jewelry industry, mentions of Zimbabwe do not stir pleasant associations.
Suspended from the Kimberley Process for a period several years ago, the nation, and the issues in its diamond fields, nearly tore apart the process. It remains a source of controversy within the KP today; just consider the current debate in the European Union regarding sanctions on the state-run Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation.
But in San Diego, one jewelry designer has a connection to the country that exists outside the controversy, a passion ignited by meeting one very special local woman.
A few years ago, Alexandra Hart, also known as Alix, met a fellow San Diegoan named Tsitsi Mutseta.
A native of a small Zimbabwean village called Rundongo, Mutseta came to the United States as a result of human trafficking.
Hart says though Mutseta shares few details from this period of her life, she does know that Mutseta was told she was coming to the U.S. for a better life, only to be forced into unpaid labor, working in a basement daycare in California before she was able to leave.
Mutseta eventually put herself through school and was studying nursing at San Diego State University in 2007 when she started a campus organization called Compassion for African Villages (CAV), which raises money to send back to Rundongo.
Shortly before her graduation from SDSU, Mutseta was dealt another blow: she was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Though it has been nearly seven years since her diagnosis, Hart said Mutseta is still alive today but is not expected to make it much longer.
There is not much that can be done to save her, but Hart wants to make sure CAV lives on, “so something she started doesn’t have to die when she does.”
A native of Boston, Hart has a master’s in metalsmithing from the Rochester Institute of Technology and apprenticed for a few years in the studio of Barbara Heinrich, picking up German jewelry-making techniques. In 1995, Hart moved to San Diego and opened her own business.
She works in 18-karat gold, palladium and sterling silver. Hart was one of the designers who created a collection called Pure Flight, which is part of Rio Tinto’s “Diamonds with a Story” initiative, in the Cutting Impact collection. The silver-and-diamonds designs, one of which is pictured here, debuted at the JCK Las Vegas show this past June.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
The work Hart does in the studio, though, is not the only thing that keeps the designer busy. She also is active in the community, and keeping CAV alive is one of her current causes.
This Sunday, she has organized an authentic African dinner with Zimbabwean music fundraiser to benefit CAV in the event space at Vantage Pointe, an apartment building in downtown San Diego. The event is scheduled to take place from 4 to 7 p.m. and the cost is $5 at the door.
Hart admits that the area where Mutseta grew up, where agriculture is the main source of income, has little to do with the diamond industry.
Still, she wants to eventually involve the jewelry industry in CAV in some way, in the hopes that people will be drawn to the organization’s mission in the same way she was drawn to Mutseta’s magnetic personality.
“We were attracted to help her out,” she said.
This Sunday, she has organized an authentic African dinner with Zimbabwean music fundraiser to benefit CAV in the event space at Vantage Pointe, an apartment building in downtown San Diego. The event is scheduled to take place from 4 to 7 p.m. and the cost is $5 at the door.
Hart admits that the area where Mutseta grew up, where agriculture is the main source of income, has little to do with the diamond industry.
Still, she wants to eventually involve the jewelry industry in CAV in some way, in the hopes that people will be drawn to the organization’s mission in the same way she was drawn to Mutseta’s magnetic personality.
“We were attracted to help her out,” she said.
More on Sourcing
The Latest
MajorsAug 19, 2026
Mike Alexander To Succeed Scott Murphy as Jewelers Mutual CEO Murphy will retire at the end of the year and Alexander, currently the company’s president, will take over at the start of 2027.
Policies & IssuesAug 19, 2026
Spinelli Kilcollin Embraces Dupes With Trade-In ProgramThe jeweler is encouraging customers who own lookalike rings to come into the store and trade them for credit towards an authentic piece.
Brought to you by
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSubmit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.
MajorsAug 19, 2026
Zales Wants You to Wear Fine Jewelry Every DayThe new campaign, “You Are The Occasion,” discourages shoppers from saving their fine jewelry for special occasions only.
Weekly QuizAug 13, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CrimeAug 18, 2026
2 California Men Arrested in Fatal Vehicle Smash RobberyOne is the driver who allegedly crashed a car into a Sacramento jewelry store in April, striking a 71-year-old employee who later died.
ColumnistsAug 18, 2026
Peter Smith: The IKEA Effect and Bridal Branding In a new column, Peter Smith posits that people actually enjoy putting together IKEA furniture, and the same is true for engagement rings.
Brought to you by
Why More Jewelry Retailers Are Hosting Turnkey Estate Buying EventsRetailers are seeking new ways to attract customers, increase traffic, and create revenue – Estate buying events are a popular solution.
CrimeAug 18, 2026
Thieves Snatch $1M in Jewelry From New Jersey Jeweler9lakha Jewelers in Iselin, New Jersey, was the target of a smash-and-grab robbery on Aug. 8.
Lab-GrownAug 18, 2026
Ring Concierge, Kendall Jenner’s Tequila Brand Collab on GiveawayThe jeweler has partnered with 818 Tequila to gift lab-grown diamond studs to a bride-to-be and their bridal party.
Events & AwardsAug 17, 2026
Exhibition on Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Studios to Open at The MetThe exhibition will feature more than 100 drawings of stained-glass lampshades, windows, and more, many created by women and émigrés.
CollectionsAug 17, 2026
Marquise Diamonds Dance in Spinelli Kilcollin’s ‘Wren’ CollectionMarquise-cut diamonds in drop charms are the center of the new collection, reflecting the movement of a dancer in modular styles.
Events & AwardsAug 17, 2026
There’s a New Jewelry Show Coming to FloridaThe inaugural Fort Lauderdale Jewelry, Antique, & Object Show will be held from Jan. 28 through Feb. 1, 2027.
IndependentsAug 14, 2026
Smyth Jewelers to Open Fourth LocationThe family-owned jeweler will open a new showroom in Bel Air, Maryland, this fall.
CrimeAug 14, 2026
Wife of Man Convicted in Jeweler’s Murder Sentenced for Conspiracy Amanda Ileana Hernandez is married to Carlos Hernandez, one of two men in prison for the 2024 murder of Michigan jeweler Hussein Murray.
TrendsAug 14, 2026
Paul Morelli’s Latest ‘Wavey Vine’ Earrings Embrace ColorThe reimagined jewel, our Piece of the Week, trades the diamonds in the original 1998 design for blue, pink, yellow, and green sapphires.
Supplier BulletinAug 13, 2026
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSponsored by American Gem Trade Association
FinancialsAug 13, 2026
Pandora’s ‘Talisman’ Collection Shines, Lab-Grown Diamond Sales FallIn the United States, second-quarter sales were flat amid soft consumer sentiment and lower in-store traffic.
AuctionsAug 13, 2026
This Gold Cadbury ‘Conundrum’ Egg Set a World Auction RecordThe 22-karat gold egg, sold at Batemans Auctioneers in the U.K., was part of a 1980s treasure hunt ad campaign for Cadbury Creme Eggs.
CollectionsAug 13, 2026
John Hardy Infuses ‘Icon,’ ‘Heishi’ Collections with ColorThe expanded collections now feature hand-cut gemstones like topaz, tanzanite, chrysoprase, chalcedony, smoky quartz, and fire opal.
Lab-GrownAug 13, 2026
Jean Dousset Opens Third StoreThe lab-grown diamond jewelry brand’s newest boutique is in Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California.
SourcingAug 12, 2026
Eshed-Gemstar on the Painstaking Process of Cutting ‘The Legacy Emerald’The gemstone supplier and manufacturer acquired the remarkable 104-gram Zambian emerald at Gemfields’ auction in May.
CrimeAug 12, 2026
Elderly NYC Woman Targeted in Jewelry Swap SchemeTwo suspects offered to trade the woman a “winning” lottery ticket for her jewelry.
SourcingAug 12, 2026
Another Diamond Mine Poised to CloseFinsch has been in business rescue since May, and owner Petra Diamonds said it sees no viable path forward for the mine.
CrimeAug 12, 2026
Jewelry Store Employee Gets 20 Years to Life in Choking Death of BossMichel Patrick DeSalles was sentenced after pleading guilty to the 2017 murder of Omid Gholian, who owned a jewelry store in Manhattan.
MajorsAug 12, 2026
Frederick Goldman Names New SVP of SalesLongtime industry executive Beth Miller has taken on the role.
AuctionsAug 11, 2026
Verdura Unicorn Brooch With Royal Connection Up for Auction The brooch was owned by Virginia Fortune Ryan Ogilvy, who served as a lady of the bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II for nearly 50 years.
