Diamonds Direct celebrates artist Mary Edna Fraser’s “Waterscapes” Collection

June 7, 2016

Diamonds Direct, a direct diamond importer based in Charlotte, N.C., will showcase the artistic beauty of the waterways of the Lowcountry with a display of local artwork at its Mt. Pleasant showroom beginning on Tuesday, June 21. An artist’s reception will be held that evening from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Because of the nature of these works, and Fraser’s devotion to keeping our waterways clean and safe, Diamonds Direct has identified Charleston Waterkeeper as the beneficiary of the event. They have selected items in keeping with the theme of the art, and a portion of select purchases will benefit the organization. There will be live music that evening from jazz vocalist Ann Caldwell and Roger Bellow, on strings. Libations will be provided by Hamby’s Catering.

One featured work of Fraser’s is “Lunar Light,” a batik on silk. “This work depicts my perspective when swimming in my creek, James Island Creek – one of three Charleston Waterkeeper aims to make safer and more swimmable,” said Fraser. The artwork will be publically showcased at Diamonds Direct, along with a number of new oil paintings, some of which have not been on display before. The collection, Waterscapes, will be at Diamonds Direct until August 22.

Dovy Klarberg, senior vice president of Diamonds Direct, noted, “We carefully considered the right artist for our ‘inaugural’ rotating exhibit, and Mary Edna’s art, tying into the work of Charleston Waterkeeper, perfectly reflects the Lowcountry, our new home, and a community we’re devoted to helping to support.”

Mary Edna Fraser is a master dyer. She teaches internationally and is especially interested in sharing her work with women in other cultures, where the technique of dyeing textiles is a traditional craft and means of livelihood. She is fascinated with the distinctive features of various regions and works from her own aerial photographs and memories of flight, bringing a dramatic scale and complexity to batik. For more information, visit www.maryedna.com.

Charleston Waterkeeper’s mission is to protect, promote, and restore the quality of Charleston’s waterways while ensuring the public’s right to swimmable, drinkable, fishable water. More information can be found at www.charlestonwaterkeeper.org.

Located at 1911 Hwy. 17 N., Diamonds Direct features a 6,500 square foot showroom featuring a wide selection of mounted and loose diamonds, varying in size, carat weight, shape, and certification.

Diamonds Direct’s founders began as diamond manufacturers based out of Tel Aviv Israel. In 1995, the first Diamonds Direct opened in Charlotte, N.C., eliminating the middleman and selling diamonds directly to the end customer from the manufacturing facility in Israel. Today, Diamonds Direct is one of America’s largest and most successful independent jewelry companies with seven locations in the U.S. Each Diamonds Direct offers loose and mounted diamonds, a multitude of engagement ring mountings by America’s top designers, diamond and gemstone fashion jewelry, wedding bands, pearls and much more. Diamonds Direct’s retail stores are located in Charlotte, N.C., Raleigh, N.C., Birmingham, AL, Richmond, VA, Austin, TX, Oklahoma City, OK, and Charleston, S.C. For more information, visitwww.DiamondsDirect.com.