The Lily Necklace: How a Year 11 Student Designed Our Newest Piece | Ethica Diamonds Cornwall

By Isabelle Lincoln-Moore 1st August 2025 3 min read

We believe in doing things that matter. Selling beautiful, ethical jewellery is one of them. Connecting with the next generation of female designers and entrepreneurs is another.

Which is why, when the opportunity came to collaborate with Truro High School for Girls, we said yes immediately.

line

The Workshop

As a female-founded and run business, we are genuinely invested in inspiring young women to think creatively, to question industry norms, and to understand what it looks like to build something with integrity and purpose.

We approached Truro High School for Girls with the idea of running a design workshop for their Year 11 students. The brief was simple and the concept was genuinely exciting - we would ask the students to design a leavers necklace. Not just any necklace, but one that had to work within a budget, appeal to their peers, and somehow capture the essence of the school they were about to leave.

To make things interesting, we turned it into a competition. Ethica would shortlist three favourite designs, the students would vote for their winner, and the winning student would receive their necklace - made by hand, in solid gold, with real lab grown diamonds - as the prize.

The standard of entries was genuinely impressive. But one design stood out immediately.

Lily's Design

Lily's entry did everything the brief asked for - and then some.

She drew her inspiration from Truro High School's crest, transforming the roses into settings for the necklace's gemstones. Each rose becomes a flower-shaped setting, open at the back to allow light to pass through - a direct reference to the school's motto, Luce Magistra, which translates as let the light be your teacher.

That detail stopped us in our tracks. It is the kind of thinking that separates a good design from a genuinely memorable one.

Luce Magistra. Let the light be your teacher. Lily designed the settings to let the light shine through. We think that is one of the most considered design decisions we have ever seen from a student.

A small note on the finished piece - from a structural standpoint, we were not able to carry the original open-petal design through to the finished necklace, as it would have made the piece too delicate for everyday wear. Longevity and quality are always priorities for us. But we ensured the backs of the settings remained open to allow light through, and kept the rose detailing around each setting prominent throughout.

For the gemstones, Lily chose a combination of lab grown diamonds and seafoam coloured moissanite. The soft green is a nod to the school's colours. The diamonds represent forever - a sentiment Lily connects to her time at Truro High as an experience she will carry with her always.

We think Lily absolutely nailed it.

A Personal Connection

What made this collaboration even more special is that our Head of Bespoke Design, Laura, is herself an alumna of Truro High School. Going back to her old school to talk to the students about what brought her to a career in jewellery design - and to see the quality of work they produced - was, by her own account, genuinely moving.

It reminded us why this kind of work matters. Not just the necklace itself, but the conversation around it. What it means to design something with intention. What it means to build something ethical. What it means to be a woman making things she believes in.

The Lily Necklace

Named after the student who designed it, the Lily Necklace is available to purchase at £700.

It is made in 9k solid gold, set with lab grown diamonds and seafoam coloured moissanite in open rose-inspired settings. Handcrafted with the same care and quality standards we apply to every piece in our collection.

If you have a connection to Truro High School - as a student, an alumna, or a parent - get in touch for a special discounted price we offer in partnership with the school.