Most Precious Stone gallery

The World’s Most Precious Stone

As our first ever global social media campaign comes to an end, we wanted to share with you the awareness we were able to raise around the world. As a small charity, this is incredible, and we are so grateful to BETC Paris for choosing to donate their time, expertise and resources to work with us on this campaign.

Here’s a look back at the campaign itself:

Danielle Callaghan, 29, was happily engaged to her high school sweetheart and looking forward to a full life with her first child. But just two months after giving birth to her daughter, Joey, Danielle’s world was torn apart by the news that she had stage four breast cancer. Her doctors described her condition as ‘manageable, not curable’, but Danielle is a fighter and she’s not giving up.

Her story is sadly the same for over millions of women in the world. Breast cancer will affect 1 in 8 women in their lifetime and 1 in 5 will go on to develop secondary spread.

Patients like Danielle often cut off their hair before risking losing it gradually during chemotherapy. We gave Danielle the opportunity to do something incredible with her hair – to turn a lock of it into a beautiful diamond that carries a worldwide message of hope and helped raise essential funds for breast cancer research.

I wanted my hair to be useful, to be as precious to others as it was to me. Just because I have breast cancer doesn’t mean I can’t help fight this disease. The World’s Most Precious Stone will embody my story, my life and the funds it will raise will help others in their fight…”

Danielle Callaghan

Dean VandenBiesen, whose US company Lifegem created Danielle’s diamond, explains: “The process begins with a small lock of hair collected during a haircut. Once captured, the carbon from the hair is heated to extremely high temperatures under special conditions. This process converts the carbon to graphite with unique characteristics. The graphite is then placed in a diamond press which replicates the heat and pressure deep within earth. The more time in the press, the larger the rough diamond crystal is. The stone thus-formed is a high-quality certified diamond. All diamonds are then inspected, graded, and identified by world renowned gemologists. The world’s finest jewelers use this same certification process. A diamond that takes millions of years to occur naturally can now be created from the carbon of a lock of hair in about twenty-four weeks. We were happy to donate our services to this campaign so we can help strengthen cancer awareness and raise much needed funds.

The diamond was sent to Paris, where renowned celebrity jewelry designer Pascale Monvoisin designed a unique gold necklace to house the stone. “Danielle wanted a yellow diamond because it symbolizes the sun, strength, and light,” Pascale says.

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, people across the world were invited to donate on the website mostpreciousstone.com to help make Danielle’s diamond the most precious stone in the world.

The diamond was exhibited at The Centre for Cancer Immunology at the University of Southampton throughout Breast Cancer Awareness Month, acting as a symbol of every patient’s fight against the disease. It was then presented to Danielle to treasure and pass on to her daughter, Joey.

A short, intimate film about the campaign was shot by Dutch director Nina Aaldering to give everyone a glimpse into Danielle’s life. It is an ode to her courage and has moved and inspired people worldwide to join the fight, donate, and make Danielle’s diamond the world’s most precious stone.

The campaign launched worldwide on the 1st of October. Film, website, additional video content, newsletter, print ads in UK magazines, influencers, out of the home advertisement and social media helped make Danielle’s diamond the World’s Most Precious Stone.

This diamond hasn’t decorated any throne or been worn by queens. It’s not thousands of years old, but it still has an incredible story: My story, which is the story of millions of women with breast cancer.

Danielle Callaghan

Below is a snapshot of the awareness we were able to raise globally throughout the campaign.

Danielle’s story and The Most Precious Stone Campaign was seen in magazines including Elle UK, Marie Claire, Vogue (France & UK), New and Bella.

• Image 5 – The campaign gained the support of ex-health minister for France, Phillipe Douste-Blazy and the musician and producer Nile Rodgers.
• Image 7 – Danielle was interviewed by ITV and BRUT America.

Global out of the home advertising included:

• Image 10 – New York, 60-foot-high screen and south facing Digital Spectacular in Times Square, Traditional and Digital bulletins, Street furniture, Curb taxi Media, Intersection advertisement
• Image 11 – Italy Traditional bulletins throughout Digimupi Railway station, Milan
• Image 12 – Singapore, People Park Complex Screen, Fortune Center Screen, Sim Lim Tower Screen
• Image 13 – Hong Kong & Philippines, Digital bulletins and screens

Companies held internal awareness days across the world:

• Image 15 – Hudson x Canal USA, Breast Self-Examination Flyers – posted on back of bathroom stalls within offices
• Image 18 – Work with a local Oncology Specialist/OBGYN – ask a local oncologist or OBGYN to come into the office to discuss signs, health and offer support. Information cards provided. Host a Happy Hour – Happy Hours held on 16^th (Boston) and 18^th (NY) to raise money for mostpreciousstone.com, Pick a day to wear PINK
• Image 19 – Havas USA – Havas Support Groups – encourage creating or offering support groups at Havas for employees to share their stories, Dr. Kristine Blanche presented “Healthy Living and Prevention” to staff before the Breast Cancer Fundraiser and Happy Hour event in New York on October 18^th. Christina Wilson, author of Chest Confessions joined the HH&Y team in New York for its ”Plant it Pink” event on October 22^nd.
• Image 21 – Havas Italy, Wear it pink day on 18^th October. Pink balloons around the Village and pink ribbons available. Campaign video broadcast on office screens.

Achievement Awards 2019

Danielle was a guest of honour at our Against Breast Cancer Achievement Awards. Watch her moving speech;

Overall, the campaign raised £10,600.33 in cash donations, but the awareness raised for secondary spread breast cancer is of incalculable worth.

Recently we were able to hand over the necklace to Danielle. Here she is with her husband Tim and their daughter Joey receiving their diamond necklace, or as it has come to be known, The World’s Most Precious Stone.

With thanks to Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, Havas, Brut, Teads, Sprinklr, MakeMeReach, Tagger