2021 Influential Businesswoman Awards

20 Acquisition International - Influential Businesswoman Awards 2021 Jul21330 Most Eco-Conscious Diamond Jeweler & Handbag Designer (USA): Alina Petra It’s ironic that in an industry whose clientele is mostly women, men still dominate the business. However, redressing the balance is jeweler Alina Petra who is leading the way in sustainable and ethical jewelery and luxury handbag design. os Angeles jeweler, Alina Petra, specializes in fine jewelery and non-organic stones. The business, which was established in 2016, designs and sells luxury jewelery and handbags that are the product of ethical and sustainable processes. Alina Petra is a global brand, having clients as far afield as Hong Kong and Dubai. Alina Petra’s mission is to play its part in preserving the environment and raising awareness around ethical and sustainable practices in the jewelery industry. The company only uses traceable raw materials from an ethical supply chain where workers are treated fairly and work in safe conditions. Alina Petra also favours using recycled gold in its designs. Although lab-grown diamonds are viewed as sustainable by many, Alina Petra believes this is not the case. Production methods result in a large carbon footprint due to the amount of water and energy required. Alina loves animals and started her company with them in mind. She does not use any animal-related products such as pearls or coral in her jewelery. And her handbag range is made from an eco-friendly alternative to leather known as apple leather. Made in Italy, the apple leather used in Alina Petra handbags is made from apple pulp which is a bi-product of the apple juice industry. The dried pulp is crushed to a fine powder which is then mixed with a binder and pigments to make luxury finish vegan leather. As well as being free from animal products, apple leather uses fewer chemicals in production than traditional leather and is fully recyclable. Earlier this year the apple leather mini Blossom handbag featured on the cover of several prestigious fashion magazines, including L’Officiel and Harper’s Bazaar. Many of Alina Petra’s stylish handbag designs are accessorized with detachable handles and can be further customized with the company’s signature diamond and gold handles. The vegan diamond handbag line is currently Alina’s favourite line. She considers this to be her biggest achievement to date. Alina Petra also specializes in colored diamonds. Most of us think of diamonds as being clear, or colorless, however most diamonds do have at least a hint of color. Diamonds exist in a whole rainbow of colors, but only 1 in 10,000 diamonds has a bright discernible color. The most common shades are yellow and brown with pink and L red being some of the rarest. The popularity of colored diamonds has increased in recent times which has resulted in more of them being mined. Alina Petra’s naturally colored pink and yellow diamond designer jewelery is one of the company’s most popular ranges. Alina sees herself developing a range of engagement rings featuring colored diamonds in the near future. In Los Angeles, Alina tells us that more and more women are getting involved in the creative business world and many businesses are run by women, she finds this very empowering. But, although it’s hard to believe, the jewelery business is still very much male-dominated. When she was starting out, Alina experienced a lot of judgement from men in the industry as they didn’t believe she warranted her place. Much of her early experience was negative, she had to deal with hostile work environments, mental abuse, and was a victim of sexual harassment. She tells us that many men in the industry still think they are smarter than women. It’s easy to see why Alina prefers to work in a supportive and non- aggressive environment and places a strong focus on being a conscientious, purpose-driven leader. Her past experience has led her to be a fierce advocate of equality in the workplace. Over the years Alina has learnt to trust her intuition and this has helped her to build a strong team. We ask Alina what advice she can give to any women considering entering the industry, she tells us: “Get as much knowledge and education as possible and get to know your subject very well. There is a lot of power in knowledge. Be determined, but patient. It’s unlikely that you’ll achieve your dreams overnight, but don’t let anyone convince you that they are impossible. You can achieve whatever you imagine for yourself. One thing that helped me was to keep reminding myself of why I started and the purpose behind my business.” Looking to the future Alina dreams of starting a non-profit organization, either locally or abroad, to help animals and preserve wildlife. Contact: Alina Petra Company: Alina Petra Web Address: www.alinapetra.com