Beyoncé has risked controversy by sporting a yellow ‘blood diamond’ necklace again in a newly released image for her Tiffany & Co. campaign with husband Jay-Z.
The singer, 40, was previously said to be ‘disappointed and angry’ at unknowingly modeling the jaw-dropping diamond after facing furious online backlash.
However in new images released by the luxury jewellery brand, Beyoncé is once again wearing the giant yellow stone around her neck.
The photograph will no doubt cause a stir after she previously came under furious fire over the decision to showcase the diamond, with many social media users calling attention to its contentious history.
Promo image: Beyoncé appeared on Instagram on Tuesday night to share a new image from the ABOUT LOVE Tiffany & Co. campaign with her husband Jay-Z
Beyoncé appeared on Instagram on Tuesday night to share a new image from the ABOUT LOVE Tiffany & Co. campaign, wearing the controversial stone.
The musician posed with her longtime partner, 51, wearing a fitted white dress with a plunging neckline.
It framed the famous 128-carat yellow diamond necklace previously worn by Audrey Hepburn and Lady Gaga.
Beyonce is just the fourth female – and the first black woman – to ever wear the gem.
In the promotional photo she hooked an arm around her husband’s as he was photographed with his head turned toward his wife,.
The rapper, who was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, looked dapper in a black suit with a white shirt and black bowtie.
Bey captioned the post: ‘ABOUT LOVE | @tiffanyandco.’
The yellow diamond was discovered in a colonial mine in Kimberley, South Africa, in 1877 – at a time when the country, and its mines, were under British colonial rule – and when predominantly black migrant workers were subjected to horrific conditions while receiving paltry, and sometimes no, pay in return.
Dedicated to the one she loves: ‘Yonce noticeably now only follows one person on the photo-sharing app, and it’s none other than her husband
According to a source close to Beyonce, the singer was unaware of the diamond’s controversial history when she first wore the diamond, and had been left outraged over the fact that she was not given more information about the gem’s background.
‘Beyonce is aware of the criticism and is disappointed and angry that she wasn’t made aware of questions about its history,’ an unnamed insider told The Sun.
‘She thought that every final detail had been vetted, but now she realizes that the diamond itself was overlooked.’
Unwitting: Beyonce was previously left ‘disappointed and angry’ after unknowingly wearing the $30M Tiffany ‘blood diamond’
The Tiffany diamond at the center of the backlash was dug from the De Beers’ Kimberley Mine in colonial South Africa in 1877 when black laborers were forced to work in horrendous conditions for miniscule pay.
The work was dangerous and unhealthy, with workers forced to work in cramped conditions, often causing fatal accidents.
Conditions outside of the mine were no better, with the housing for the workers featuring no natural water or waste disposal, with 1,144 dying from a range of illnesses including pneumonia and scurvy between 1897 and 1899 alone.
Traditionally, a blood diamond, also known as a conflict diamond, is any gem that has been mined and sold in order to fund military action against a government – as defined by the United Nations.
Striking: Beyonce modeled the famed 128.54 carat Tiffany Diamond, making her the fourth female to ever wear the gem
Spotlight: The singer faced furious backlash for wearing the gem, which was found in the Kimberley mines in South Africa in 1877 – when workers were subjected to horrific conditions
However, the term has also been applied to rough gems that were mined by people who were subjected to the kinds of conditions that Kimberley miners suffered during the 1870s – as with the Tiffany diamond that Beyonce modeled in her campaign.
Beyoncehas a colossal following of 216 million on the app, making her a mega-influencer in the company of Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian, Selena Gomez, and Ariana Grande.
And ‘Yonce noticeably now only follows one person on the photo-sharing app, and it’s none other than her husband.
The move is likely to highlight her husband’s Instagram launch, as he wasn’t previously on the popular app.
Tuesday night, four hours after his first-ever post, the lyrical genius has already collected over one million followers.
Welcome to Instagram: The move is likely to highlight her husband’s Instagram launch, as he wasn’t previously on the popular app
Grand vacation: Earlier this month the songstress treated her Instagram followers to a slew of never-before-seen snapshots from her and her husband’s recent luxurious stay in Venice, Italy
Earlier this month the songstress treated her Instagram followers to a slew of never-before-seen snapshots from her and her husband’s recent luxurious stay in Venice, Italy.
Modeling a flowing blue and white patterned dress, the songwriter posed with her legs crossed while sitting beside her beau on one of the city’s famous water taxis.
The gorgeous gown featured a dramatic slit up one leg, as well as a one-shoulder design with a cut-out across the chest that highlighted her cleavage.
Italian luxury: Modeling a flowing blue and white patterned dress, the songwriter posed with her legs crossed while sitting beside her beau on one of the city’s famous water taxis
The father-of-three left his jacket unbuttoned and donned a pair of Ozzy Osbourne-esque shades.
Before boarding the luxe boat, Beyonce turned her lavish hotel suite into a photo studio.
She strolled through the hallways with her fingers grazing the walls and a pair of white cateye shades on her face.
Photo shoot: Before boarding the luxe boat, Beyonce and Jay-Z turned their lavish hotel suite into a photo studio
