London College of Fashion graduate Aniela Fidler questions the role of emotion in economic value with her conceptual Diamond Makers Lab, which would make diamonds from meaningful objects such as Notre Dame ash or a mother's cake.
Described by the designer as a "hybrid between a lab and a tailor-made retail experience" the workshop would be used to fabricate lab-grown diamonds from any object that is able to burn to ash.
Fidler wanted to use her project to discover what other meanings could be represented by diamonds ? in addition to the typical associations of rarity and luxury ? and to encourage consumers to question the commodity's role and value in society.

"I established Diamond Makers lab with the intention to create the most valuable diamond in the world, but instead discovered that diamonds are 'whatever' not 'forever', as the famous slogan states," said the graduate, who studied MA Fashion Futures at the London College of Fashion. "Traditionally, the marketing tactic of diamonds associates love with a rare luxury. I found this story equally fascinating and disturbing," she continued.
"If love is like a diamond ? rare, for many unmaintainable without a sacrifice, and can be measured and validated with money ? where does this leave us" How does this way of capitalising on emotion make us behave""

Fidler wanted to reposition the perception of diamonds ? which she considers to be a result of "mischievous marketing...