Fonderie 47 is an incredibly symbolic and meaningful brand of jewelry. Behind the beautiful and intricate collection is a powerful vision aimed at cleansing Africa of the fear of easily obtainable and deadly assault rifles.

Created by Peter Thum and John Zapolski the jewelry brand gives a new life to the countless assault rifles that litter the continent of Africa. The bloody and deadly history of the continent is well documented however what is not so well known is that one of the most common results of these conquests, conflicts and failed attempts is a vast and unaccounted for amount of weaponry. These deadly leftovers of these terrifying confrontations continue to haunt the communities where they are found. Just their presence can easily lead to an increase in crime and the temptation to use deadly force to fulfill power ambitions. Unfortunatly the most common victims of these conflicts are children and women.

The unwillingness of global and local leadership is a problem that has to be tackled and the uncontrolled presence of so many weapons is something that has to be solved. The actions of the Fonderie 47 are aimed to increase awareness around the world of the sad truth of what is still a reality in Africa today.

Both John Zapolski and Peter Thum are successful entrepreneurs on whom first hand experiences of the sorrows of Africa inspired them to create an organization that would assist the destruction of AK47s all over the continent. It is one thing to see a significant presence of armed guards but an entirely different thing to see a small child carrying an AK47 assault rifle with the same attitude as it were a toy.

Every client that buys a Fonderie 47 knows exactly how many weapons were destroyed to create it. Even the serial number of the weapon is engraved in the jewelry to link the past to the future. Most of the weapons are gathered from areas in Eastern Congo, destroyed and then brought back by the two founders to America where they undergo their transformation.

The infamous history of blood diamonds is one that is steeped in the land where these weapons are coming from. In the words of John Zapolski, items of value were extracted from the land at a the cost of great destruction. Fonderie 47 focuses on removing the destructive objects.

The precious objects created by Fonderie 47 are the result of the craft and skills of two artisans, Philip Crangi and James de Givenchy. A new age master jeweler, Philip Crangi has a signature talent for fusing different types of metal together and his skills are perfect for transforming the deadly weapons into treasured heirlooms. James de Givenchy is one of the most talented living jewelers and has extensive experience in the field and the challenges of Fonderie 47 have opened his eyes to new potential.

Sean Hagerty | Image Courtesy Of Fonderie 47