De Beers: The mineral elite
Renowned for its peerless expertise in diamond jewelry, the house of De Beers selects only the most extraordinary stones.
SIMPLY STEPPING into a De Beers store, especially the brand’s new Madison Avenue showcase in New York City, is enough to make us feel like a child in a candy store. Except that the goodies on display are jewels, all adorned exclusively with the world’s most coveted stone—De Beers is, after all, “The home of diamonds since 1888.” Here we find the breathtaking Aura Double Halo ring with a 3.01-carat Asscher-cut yellow diamond, there the timeless Talisman bracelet with its intriguing combination of rough and polished diamonds…
Exceptional creations that, according to Andrew Coxon, President of the De Beers Institute of Diamonds, are meant to be tried on. As he illustrates with a personal anecdote: “I had invited my wife to join me in New York for the opening of the first De Beers flagship store there, by chance on the same day as our 17th wedding anniversary. During the party I had to look after our guests, and later realized that I had not seen my wife for some time. When I found her, she was doing what I tell my customers to do: to try on as many diamonds as you can and wait until there’s one that you just can’t let go. The diamond chooses you! My wife had not seen me watching from across the room, but suddenly she stopped—there was one 3.88-carat cushion cut that she didn’t want to take off. Then she saw me and flashedher sparkling hand. My hair stood on end as I realized that the diamond had also chosen me! I found myself saying, ‘Happy anniversary, Darling—it’s yours.’”
How can anyone resist the allure of the world’s most beautiful gems? “We individually select each and every diamond,” Coxon adds. “We offer the widest range of diamond jewelry in all 23 shades of color from D to Z, as well as the rarer, more complex ‘fancy colors’.” Blue, green, orange and even red diamonds, nearly magical stones that change tint depending on the light… Each one is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity guaranteeing, among other things, that it does not come from a conflict zone. In the store, the quality of these treasures is further substantiated by the De Beers Iris, a technology for illuminating the stones’ facets to compare their symmetry. Another technique to help them find their soulmate…
“The De Beers woman is a woman of substance and purpose, courage and conviction,” says François Delage, CEO of De Beers Diamond Jewellers. “She chooses De Beers pieces that celebrate milestones—be it in work, life or love— and gives them enduring resonance and meaning.” For her and for generations to come.