De Beers: Exquisitely Timeless

Few companies or brands conjure the elegance and luxury, across all industries, like, De Beers Jewellers. For over 130 years, De Beers has supplied the world with the highest quality diamonds as the largest and most important diamond mining company in the world. It is only in the last twenty-two years that De Beers has become a Jewellery House on par with (and in our estimation surpassing) those more established brands.

We had the opportunity to speak with the company and find out mor about their process, designs and how they work with clients to create the most stunning jewelry pieces.

• Tell us about the brand – when did it start and how has it evolved to meet customer demands of today?

De Beers Jewellers is a young Jewelry House, we are only 22 years old, yet we benefit from 135 years of unique expertise in diamonds.

We always listen to what our clients want and try to incorporate it in our creations, so our jewellery offer is constantly evolving. Today more women are buying Jewellery for themselves, so we are creating bolder designs like the new Talisman and Enchanted Lotus pieces. There is a big focus on self-expression. It is no longer about celebrating traditional moments only but also about self-love, self-purchase and celebrating accomplishments, as well as expressing style with an item which is everlasting.

Since our new CEO, Celine Assimon joined, she has driven creativity in our High Jewellery, as we imagine designs that glorify our most exceptional diamonds and bring to life our incredible craftsmanship. High Jewellery knows no boundaries – this is where we explore, try new materials like coloured titanium or aluminium, combining antique inspired techniques like Grand Feu which we used in our Metamorphosis collection for the first time, and innovate the most.

Our clients are looking for jewellery to wear every day, rather than keep in their safe so we are creating High Jewellery looks that are versatile so that our clients can have pieces that can be worn in

multiple ways, suiting different occasions and moods. With Metamorphosis, we wanted to offer High Jewellery pieces which transform to be easily worn during the day and to become a statement piece for an event. A good example of that is the Prelude necklace which can be worn as a simple riviere or an incredible necklace with four strands of diamonds suspended by two medallions. Every piece in one of the sets, Autumn, is transformable. It gives a certain nonchalance to the pieces; they are less formal and therefore very playful for our clients.

We also know they are more interested in coloured diamonds and fancy shapes, especially distinctive shapes.

• What does your craftsmanship process entail?

The hero jewel in every one of our collections is always the diamond, but a great piece of jewellery is one where the gemstone lives in harmony with craftsmanship, design and meaning. We preserve the traditional craft and infuse it with highly innovative groundbreaking techniques and materials.

• How has De Beers remained one of the most well-respected jewelers in the world?

No other Jewellery House was born in diamonds like De Beers. The company is still the best source of the world’s most beautiful diamonds, showcased in our distinct jewellery designs, as well as being truly committed to building a long-lasting positive impact in the world – this is what makes De Beers unique and respected.

• What are you most known for?

Our clients know that when they come to De Beers each diamond has been individually assessed by eye for its exceptional fire, life and brilliance – and for its beauty by our experts, rather than relying on conventional assessments and laboratory grading certificates.

Historically we’ve been known for our bridal offering but over the last years we’ve solidified our design credentials with distinct collections such as Enchanted Lotus, Talisman and Dewdrop and grown our exceptional High Jewellery offering.

• Any standout pieces that have unique stories behind them?

We often look to the natural world to inspire our designs and create unique stories around our collections. Our Enchanted Lotus collection takes inspiration from the lotus flower which is known for its natural beauty but even more so for its symbolic meaning. Found in abundance in the magical oasis of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, a country we have a deep connection with, the flower is associated with rebirth because it blooms by day, retreats into the water at night, remerging fresh in the morning. Across various cultures, the Lotus is considered one of the most sacred flowers and like diamonds, it symbolizes purity and eternity. Because of this, we felt it was the perfect flower to inspire a collection.

Our latest High Jewellery collection, Metamorphosis, pays homage to nature’s constant evolution and the transformative power of natural diamonds. It alludes to change and transformation, a theme which feels very close to us as we are on our own transformative journey at De Beers, from purveyor of the world’s finest diamonds to an innovative and creative Jewellery House.

The collection comprises 46 unique pieces and it was revealed in two chapters. The first, launched in January, introduced Prelude, a set which captured the four seasons, which told the story of the start of a magical transformation. In Chapter Two, we continued this poetic ode to the beauty of nature’s constant evolution and welcomed four beautiful butterflies. We launched this chapter in July during Couture Week and took everyone on a journey across each of the four seasons. Each set has a distinct aesthetic that showcase our exceptional craftsmanship. Spring is represented by the feminine petals of the King Protea flower, native to southern Africa, where many De Beers diamonds are discovered.