Toronto-based Jewelry Designer Franky Diamond Spreads Hope by Giving Back through World Partnership Walk

For Franky Diamond, his philanthropic work, like his age-old craft of jewelry, is all about emotion and desire

The jewelry industry is engaged with designers who work in different functional areas and position their designs and categories as the relics of tomorrow. But how do you find the rare talents with a brain wired to be empathic, hands open to giving, and a craft that strengthens the purpose of giving? There are plenty of people out there with prominent achievements in the jewelry-making business, but very few like Ali Lalani, popularly known as Franky Diamond, commit to a lifetime of charity and volunteer work.

Having witnessed the suffering of people hit hardest by poverty globally, Toronto-based Jewelry Designer, Franky Diamond, partnered with World Partnership Walk – Canada’s largest public movement dedicated to helping eradicate poverty – to host a charity basketball tournament. Franky shared that with every piece of jewelry sold at the White Carat Co., a sum of $5 is committed towards a donation to the World Partnership Walk to support the good cause of building resilient communities. Franky’s contribution through the means of his jewelry manufacturing business addresses categoric, sensitive, and urgent needs in World Partnership Walk’s humanitarian work that would otherwise go unmet without this initiative. 

This partnership is just one of the philanthropic affairs Franky, an heir of a successful jewelry crafts house, piloted. Franky, who has his roots from Pakistan, began learning jewelry designing from his grandfather and father in his early childhood. It is through them and their humble background that he inherited, developed and extended his long-time passion for making a difference, contributing towards the welfare of underserved communities, and leaving a mark for others to follow. He explains, “Early in life, I learned that if you have extra or a lot, it’s incumbent on you to give back in some or the other way. My father and grandfather migrated to Canada with less than $1000 in their pockets, and yet they were sensitive towards the idea of charity. They have inspired me in a way that I now feel there’s nothing better than the pleasure of giving back.”

Besides being a strong purveyor of philanthropy, Franky is a social media influencer in his own right, spreading and directing the word about how the millennial youth, too, can strengthen the efforts of non-profit organizations in their societies or abroad.  

For over five decades, the Lalani family has been one of the most famous names in the jewelry business and for its association with multiple groups working towards eradicating poverty, introducing education, and offering women’s rights. “Seeing the work of World Partnership Walk in more than ten cities in Canada, and the fact that it has been able to raise over $100 million, to date, left a profound impact on me,” said Franky Diamond. “I could resonate with their vision and mission, and it turned out to be an eye-opener that made me realize that there’s so much work yet to be done. Through my craft, by manufacturing jewelry and diamonds, we, at White Carat Co., are striving to offer a small contribution for the larger cause that World Partnership Walk has undertaken.”

While Franky, a self-professed lover of jewelry designing, earned a degree in Business Administration from the University of Toronto, he began his career as a Tax Analyst for Price Waterhouse Coopers and later leaped into jewelry manufacturing and designing business after experiencing an artisanal-entrepreneurial inspiration. “Forming White Carat Co. was a dream as well as a mission to turn jewelry into channels for charitable donations,” he added.

Working with the people in need and organizations involved in charities reminds him to be grateful for all he’s achieved. Diamond believes, through the means of White Carat Co. and his partnership with World Partnership Walk, he’s fulfilling his creative force while doing good, and inspiring others to do the same, as well. He also adds, “It’s difficult to be everywhere, but it’s easy to do our bit through somebody who’s doing the work that you’ve wanted to see getting done. We can either choose to sit and hope for better or take a step forward by showing one act of kindness. Let’s all do the latter.”

Be it through sales, events, or partnerships, Franky continues to stay committed towards the work of eliminating poverty around the world!