Diamonds truly are forever at Paris couture week. And this year De Beers,has chosen to celebrate the way a diamond interacts with light
By Kim Parker
Rihanna was right. There’s simply nothing on earth that shines ‘bright like a diamond’. And this year De Beers, the luxury jeweller synonymous with this most precious of gemstones, has chosen to celebrate the way a diamond interacts with light to produce its infamous, much-coveted sparkle with a new high jewellery collection the Alchemist of Light collection.
“We were inspired by light as a transformative force – we can’t see light itself but the way it reflects allows us to perceive everything around us,” says De Beers’ CEO Celine Assimon of the new line, dubbed ‘The Alchemist of Light.’ Composed of 45 one-of-a-kind creations (divided into seven themed ‘sets’), the Alchemist of Light will launch in two separate chapters, the first of which has just been revealed at Paris Couture week.
The Atomique set is an artistic exploration of a diamond’s molecular structure, depicted in linear and geometric patterns. Created in icy white diamonds set in white gold, its monochromatic colour scheme channels the crystalline purity of a diamond’s chemical makeup. Though the set includes an astonishing ring set with a 11.03 carat round brilliant diamond from the house’s exceptional Natural Works of Art collection, and open hoop earrings composed of swirls of diamonds and white gold, the undoubted ‘star’ of the show is a breath-taking collier necklace, with a 18.57 carat, internally flawless diamond at its centre. Around it, a sculptural white gold lattice holds almost 2,000 other diamonds, resembling interlinked snowflakes suspended within a delicate bubble – a feat which took De Beer’s craftspeople a total of 1,820 hours to perfect.
Suffused with yellow, orange and bronze tones, the Light Rays set takes its cue from the warmer colours found in sunlight. Fancy coloured polished diamonds are juxtaposed with rough stones (a De Beers signature), amplified by fan-shaped titanium motifs in complementary golden shades. “It’s the first time De Beers uses titanium in a collection and it allowed us to experiment with bolder designs and colour,” notes Assimon of the motifs, which were carefully produced using a process called anodization. “Very few workshops are specialized in working with titanium as it’s very challenging,”
There are white diamonds here, too – this time set in graphic rows against black rhodium-plated gold, evoking shafts of light emerging between shadows. Micro-articulated joints allow each of the pieces to move and ‘float’ on the body, resulting in a tactile quality as ephemeral as light itself.
As De Beer’s mission to give their clients more versatile ways to wear their diamonds, many of these new jewels are also transformable: a tasselled pendant can be detached to wear as a charm elsewhere; the Atomique Necklace has detachable diamonds that can be worn on stud earrings instead, and the Light Rays Collar Necklace can be worn with or without its dramatic black gold and diamond fringe. “These designs are fluid and transformable, reflecting light as a source of inspiration,” says Assimon. “We encourage our clients to express their unique personal style through the collection by taking on the role of an alchemist of light.” A fitting sentiment from the brand which, through ensuring its jewellery can be worn over and over for years to come, remains true to its most famous advertising slogan, coined for the firm in 1947 and repeated ad infinitum ever since: a diamond is forever.
See our photo shoot of the best diamonds
The diamond ring worn by Rihanna to the 2021 Met Gala, and the necklace worn by Beyoncé to promote her Mrs. Carter world tour will go on display at Kensington Palace’s largest ever exhibit, ‘Crown to Couture’
London jeweller Hannah Martin has launched an opulent new collection of gender fluid fine jewellery for piercing. Embellished with diamonds and pearls, the 18K gold pieces bring a curated approach to body adornment
The Princess of Wales wore the storied gold Cartier shamrock brooch at this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The piece has been worn in years past by Princess Anne and the Queen Mother
The face of Chopard’s Happy Sport and Happy Diamonds collections since 2021, superstar (and owner of Hollywood’s best smile) Julia Roberts will be the muse for all the house’s women’s watch and jewellery collections
Pharrell Williams is holding his first dedicated high jewellery sale on his new auction site, Joopiter. ‘A Journey Through Gems’ will focus on eye-catching jewels by Lorraine Swartz, including red carpet earrings worn by Taylor Swift to the Grammys
Sign up for our newsletter for the best stories and ideas straight to your inbox, carefully curated by Something About Rock's editors.
From latest collections, extraordinary designers and celebrity trends, we'll keep you up to date with today's ideas and stories.
Sign up for our newsletter for the best stories and ideas straight to your inbox, carefully curated by Something About Rock's editors.
From latest collections, extraordinary designers and celebrity trends, we'll keep you up to date with today's ideas and stories.