Ricardo Basta (born in Buenos Aires, Argentina) is an Argentine American jewelry designer based in Southern California and is known for sourcing only ethically mined gems and diamonds.
[4] Early in his career, Basta began working for a high-end retailer in Beverly Hills that specialized in antique estate pieces, known as Frances Klein.
Basta created a pair of earrings with alternating sapphires, tanzanites, garnets, rubies, and diamonds set with ball-bearings in between each section allowing the entire length of the piece to spin independently.
[3] In 2007, Ricardo Basta was approached by Alessandra Gallo Jewellery with designer Kristin Keller, to create a tear drop pin to raise awareness about conflict diamonds and their impact on child soldiers.
That same year, Basta had his first solo show exhibiting one-of-a-kind brooches at the Gemological Institute of America Museum in Carlsbad, California.
[12] The show included pieces made with green sapphire, fire opal, platinum, diamonds, gold, mother-of-pearl, ivory and elephant hair.