De Beers unveils new chapter of its Alchemist of Light high jewellery

By Kim Parker

Back in January, De Beers launched the first chapter of its Alchemist of Light high jewellery collection, which explored the various ways light interacted with its iconic diamonds. Now, the luxury jeweller has revealed five new jewellery sets which push its creative exploration of light to ever-more contemporary heights.

In total, there are now 45 glittering pieces divided up into five separate themes. “The Alchemist of Light High Jewellery collection represents the most creatively and technically ambitious collection we have ever conceived and crafted”, says Céline Assimon, CEO of De Beers Jewellers. “It incorporates exceptional diamonds in white and fancy colours, including some specially selected from our Natural Works of Art collection.”

Cue a chapter entitled Frozen Capture, inspired by the way light refracts through the icy rivers of the Northwest Territories of Canada, where De Beers has operations, with exceptional brilliants mounted in white gold and rock crystal (the first time the brand has utilised the material alongside its diamonds), to recreate the look of thawing ice.

The spectacular Frozen Capture necklace, for example, displays an incredible 20.1 carat D-flawless pear shaped diamond drop, whilst the Oval Solitaire ring displays a 8.24 carat internally flawless oval-cut diamond set into a silky dome of polished rock crystal.

Many of the groundbreaking technical effects shown in the first two chapters of Alchemist of Light are on display again in these latest chapters, including colourful slivers of anodised titanium and coated aluminium. In the architectural Cascading Shadow pieces, for example, the lightweight and brightly-hued metals have been offset with clusters of rare pink and grey diamonds to create dazzling, articulated jewels inspired by the way light sweeps through the sky at dawn and dusk. Ten jewellers and setters worked on the set’s spectacular necklace, framing its central 3.41 carat fancy light grey pear-cut diamond with white marquise-cut diamonds and green roughs.

Optical illusions, themselves a trick of the light, also feature. The Op Art suite includes two mesmerising rings, each with a rare coloured diamond at its centre. In the pink ring, white pavé set diamond lines are interspersed with pink, ending in a 1.01 carat fancy intense pink diamond.

“Our design studio, collaborating with our specialist craftspeople, has created individual pieces that are truly wearable works of art,” Assimon concludes of the striking new collection. “Every piece is as exquisite as it is extraordinary.”

Like this? Explore the first chapters of De Beers’ Alchemist of Light high jewellery