Mesmerizing and seductive, it is impossible to resist the allure of diamonds. And you cannot think of diamonds without thinking of De Beers.
Associated with natural diamonds since 1888, De Beers is the only jewellery house which sources its diamonds directly from the origin- its diamond mines which are located in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Canada. Hence, the brand having first dibs on the rarest and most iconic diamonds for its high jewellery collections, is something you take for granted.
Forces of Nature High Jewellery Collection
Last month, the jewellery house unveiled the first chapter of its Forces of Nature high jewellery collection. Consisting of a selection of eight remarkable and transformable diamond solitaire rings, this evocative collection is an homage to the beauty of the natural world.
The collection unfolds like a story written in sparkling diamonds and sublime designs and craftsmanship. Each ring represents one of eight majestic animals – Lion, Zebra, Greater Kudu, Elephant, Rhinoceros, Buffalo, Leopard – that are native to South Africa, a place where De Beers’ adventure began more than a century ago.
At the heart of each ring is a unique and extraordinary diamond, chosen for its quality and rarity. “When designing the rings we were guided by the individual character of each extraordinary diamond. Their incomparable beauty challenged us to create strikingly modern, abstract interpretations of these creatures,” notes Céline Assimon, CEO of De Beers Jewellers.
Inspiration, Designs and Craftsmanship
The artistic and meaningful designs of the rings represent the strength and magnificence of the eight chosen animals, in poetic and impactful ways.
Each ring showcases a centre solitaire diamond, but these solitaires can be transformed into fabulous, bejewelled works of art, when paired with their jacket rings. “When designing Forces of Nature, we made sure to include versatility,” explains Assimon.
For instance, the spectacular Lion ring can be worn alone as a warm white trillion-cut 5.09 ct. diamond solitaire ring. Or it can worn as a statement cocktail ring with its “lion’s mane” jacket comprising of a fringe of sparkling diamonds and glossy gold beads.
What’s more, the colour and shape of the solitaires resonates with the characteristics and energies of the animals they represent. The impressive Rhinoceros ring features a dark yellow-green pear-shaped 3.17 ct. diamond, which can either be worn on its own or with its armour-like titanium jacket lit up by a sprinkle of white diamonds.
By contrast, the sleek Leopard double ring represents the eyes of this feline with a pair of exceptional, well-matched marquise-cut white diamonds, highlighted by a jacket of green and white pavé-set diamonds.
The Greater Kudu ring is a marvel of jewellery design and craftsmanship. The large 2.01 ct. cushion-cut white diamond can either be worn alone or with a two accompanying diamond pavé-set rings, representing interlocking antlers.
Similarly, the strength and presence of an African buffalo is depicted with a singularly magnificent ring which is set with a 2.01 ct. fancy orange-brown radiant cut solitaire diamond. Accompanying this is another ring set with pyramid-shaped rough brown diamonds, white diamond baguettes and white and brown diamonds set in two horns.
“Featuring rough diamonds and playful hidden details, the rings are also tribute to the evolution of De Beers Jewellers, from purveyor of the finest solitaire diamonds to a leading creative force in contemporary High Jewellery,” notes Assimon.
De Beers’ Brand Value- Show We Care
Apart from the creativity of the jewellery house’s design artists and fine craftsmanship of its ateliers, this high jewellery collection is significant because it ties in with De Beers’ brand values in an irrevocably tangible way.
The rings are bejewelled “interpretations of these creatures that roam the environment that De Beers strives to conserve through our Building Forever programme,” explains Assimon. And this sustainability initiative represents “show we care,” the company’s core brand value.
De Beers Building Forever initiative is a guide map developed by the brand to protect the natural world and leave a positive and sustainable impact on the geographical areas and communities where the company operates its mines.
This includes efforts made by De Beers and its partners to help preserve and improve biodiversity by taking a lead in conservation work and creating secure ecosystems for some of Africa’s most vulnerable animal species.
What better way to highlight this goal than by creating a high jewellery collection that throws a spotlight on the natural world and brings into focus the very animals whose biodiversity and natural habitats are being protected through De Beers’ sustainability initiatives and efforts.
Forces of Nature – More Than a High Jewellery Collection
High jewellery can be memorable in many ways – through its designs, craftsmanship, inspiration and how the pieces reflect the brand and its story. De Beers has managed to achieve all four in its Forces of Nature collection in a brilliant way.
Superbly immortalized in diamonds, precious metals and exquisite craftsmanship, eight magnificent creatures from the wilds of South Africa, representing the natural world and the beauty of diamonds, connect the savoir faire of De Beers the jewellery Maison with the brand values of De Beers the diamond jewellery brand.
