South African stunner Zozibini Tunzi recently took home the 2019 Miss Universe title at the annual beauty pageant. As expected, part of one of her life’s most major moments included Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray crowning her, and as the event that took place in Atlanta’s Tyler Perry Studios was televised live, people from all over the world were able to admire the glorious Power of Unity as it was placed atop her head. The crown was crafted by world-renowned luxury jeweller Mouawad, a Lebanese house based between Dubai and the US.
The first Mouawad Miss Universe crown, which is valued at approximately $5 million, takes its inspiration from the universal themes of nature, strength, beauty, femininity and community. Created with 18-karat gold, it is handset with over 1,770 white diamonds and three golden canary diamonds. Hundreds of the diamonds are set in intricate motifs of petals, leaves and vines, representing the communities of women from around the world whose bonds unite them and remind us we are stronger together than apart. What’s more, the crown’s centerpiece is a shield-cut golden canary diamond weighing a staggering 62.83 carats, and its harmony with the diamonds surrounding it symbolises the golden age of women, where they are celebrated for being strong, complex, diverse and unapologetically ambitious. The stunning centrepiece diamond and the other two golden canary pears on either side were unearthed from a Botswana mine.
“The three golden canary coloured diamonds in the crown were selected to symbolise the optimism created when communities come together to build a better future,” Mouawad Co-Guardian Alain Mouawad said.
Fred Mouawad, another Co-Guardian of the brand that has been worn by royalty, high society, celebrities and esteemed clients for decades, explained the messages behind the crown’s design further, saying: “The interconnected vine motifs set with diamonds are symbolic of how through forging bonds among communities around the world, we can empower one another to become a force for good. Likewise, the crown’s name, Power of Unity, is a message to the world to unite in the cause of humanity.”
The partnership between Mouawad, a fourth generation family-owned business, and The Miss Universe Organization will see winners of its three prestigious pageants, MISS UNIVERSE®, MISS USA® and MISS TEEN USA® honoured with crowns crafted by the jeweller. The Miss Universe 2019, Miss USA 2020 and Miss Teen USA 2020 titleholders and their successors will also receive a keepsake tiara to own as a treasured memory of their time as reigning queens.
