Royal Asscher has named the Diamond Empowerment Fund (D.E.F.) as the first beneficiary of its Star of Africa initiative and guaranteed a minimum donation of $50,000 for the D.E.F. Scholars Program. The donation will sponsor students from Sierra Leone who attend the African Leadership Academy (ALA), founded on the belief that ethical leadership is the key to transforming Africa.

Royal Asscher’s academy generates revenue from the sale of its Stars of Africa line of fine jewelry and aims to establish education, healthcare, microeconomic and self-sufficiency programs in Africa's diamond-producing areas.

Lita Asscher, President of Royal Asscher of America, noted that "Our partnership with the Diamond Empowerment Fund will allow us to enrich the African Leadership Academy by providing students with the opportunity to gain an education in areas of leadership and entrepreneurship that will prepare and propel each exceptional mind to support their continent. Giving students the tools to become ethical leaders, Star of Africa will help D.E.F. and the ALA to develop political stability and economic development in diamond-producing countries."

D.E.F.'s executive director, Ellen Haddigan, said that the support of Royal Asscher would further D.E.F.'s goal to partner with industry leaders on empowerment through education.

Mike Asscher, Lita’s brother, said, "It is of paramount importance to our company that diamonds bring happiness and well-being to all and that they are used for development purposes. We believe that NGOs [nongovernmental organizations], the diamond industry at large and international governments should keep working in partnership to strive for a world that is 100 percent free of conflict diamonds. It is our sincere hope that the phenomenally beautiful Stars of Africa collection has a tangible impact where it is most needed."

D.E.F. was founded by Russell Simmons of Simmons Jewelry Company in December 2006 and has two beneficiaries: CIDA City Campus and ALA, both of which are based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Stars of Africa by Royal Asscher jewelry collection was launched in November. This collection of 18 rings is distinguished by floating diamonds, which are encased in a fluid-filled sapphire dome that allows them to fall freely.

Asscher introduce the Star of Africa program in New York during November of 2008. A year later, she explained that in partnering with charities and businesses, she wanted to show the industry how it can have a positive impact on Africa, particularly Sierra Leone, which she visited in 2008. Asscher came away with a strong belief in "diamonds for development" and that became the main goal of the Star of Africa initiative.