An invitation to embark on a journey of the imagination and escape to breathtaking locations that reside in the countries close to De Beer’s heart
Inspired by remote and rem arkable landscapes, the Reflections of Nature High Jewellery Collection, featuring Okavango Grace, Motlatse Marvel, Namib Wonder, Landers Radiance and Ellesmere Treasure, was launched on 25th January 2021 during Couture Week.
Five spectacular sets. Thirty-nine exceptional pieces inspired by natural beauty. Each featuring some of the most beautiful diamonds in the world, skilfully combining a beautiful juxtaposition of rough and polished, white and fancy colour, and a plethora of fancy shapes. Statements of design, innovation and time-intensive craftsmanship, each piece is an individual expression of the wearer’s style and personality.
Nature’s treasures, our diamonds were forged over billions of years, deep within the earth. Our passion for nature and our belief in the importance of forever are why we are dedicated to preserving the natural world for generations to come. This is one aspect of Building Forever, our long-term commitment to improve people’s lives and protect the planet. One way this comes to life is through the De Beers Diamond Route, a series of rich and diverse sites dedicated to the conservation of natural resources, habitats and wildlife that covers 200,000 hectares of land across southern Africa.
OKAVANGO GRACE
Amaze of waterways, floodplains and islands, set among verdant vegetation in north-west Botswana, the Okavango Delta is an oasis attracting one of Africa’s greatest concentrations of wildlife. The tall, slender reeds that stud the water and sway in the breeze have inspired the design of Okavango Grace, with rough and polished diamonds suspended in organic strands, expertly set to move.
Its nine styles offer an exuberant selection of rough diamonds in a colour scheme of green, pink, brownish pink, purple and grey diamonds that reflect the untamed character of the Okavango, contrasting with graduating round brilliant white diamonds, suggestive of water. All are bezel and prong set to artfully articulate and enhance the design’s focus on fluidity.
A striking ring features a rare 1.01 carat, fancy dark greyish green diamond at its centre, and the scalloped edges of its design are inspired by the Delta’s lush, verdant beauty. Surrounding the central diamond are round brilliant white diamonds, edged in 12 bezel-set green and pink rough diamonds. To complete the effect of shimmering water, round brilliant white diamonds are set into the upper shank. The ring has a total weight of 5.44 carats.
NAMIB WONDER
The oldest desert on Earth and home to some of the world’s largest sand dunes, the Namib snakes along the coastal plain of western Namibia, its distinctive ochre and red sands glow in the intense heat.
A repeated, rippling pattern is the motif for Namib Wonder, echoing the undulating dunes. Round brilliant pavé conveys the texture of sand, while rough diamonds express the desert’s magic and mystery. The colour theme is yellow and white diamonds, set in yellow and white gold, reflecting the dramatic hues.
The set is comprised of nine styles, including both climber and drop earrings, featuring roughs with cap settings, a new aesthetic for De Beers that creates a fringe effect. The large medallion is set with round brilliant pavé edged in oval rough diamonds, culminating in a tassel of overlapping diamonds. Delineating the shape of wings, it appears as if ready to take flight into the clear Namibian skies.
MOTLATSE MARVEL
Situated in South Africa, Motlatse Canyon, with its subtropical flora, is one of the largest canyons on earth. Its towering peaks and cavernous depths create striking vistas, particularly during sunrise and sunset. The intense light sets the rock formations ablaze, contrasting with the gorges that are plunged into dramatic shade.
The sun and its interplay with the scenery make up the main motif for Motlatse Marvel.
Meticulously re-cut baguette diamonds, channel set into sleek rows, represent the hard, resilient qualities of the canyon’s stone. These are juxtaposed with softer, more feminine cuts, such as cushion, round brilliant, marquise and pear shapes, conveying the suffusion of sunlight at dawn and dusk.
The colour theme in its seven styles encompasses warm and cool tones. Red, brown, orange and yellow diamonds suggest the intensity of the sun and the natural colour of the rock, while cooler brown and pink accent diamonds are a nod to the shadows.
The bracelet, with its spectrum of fancy colours and multiplicity of cuts, comprises 158 diamonds with a total weight of 26.98 carats. Exceptional sourcing from De Beers means the designers were able to create seamless gradations of colour for each piece.
LANDERS RADIANCE
An underwater wonderland in South Africa, Landers Reef is abundant with colourful coral and teeming with tropical fish. The scalloped aesthetic was inspired by the surface of thistle coral and forms the central motif.
With eight styles, this set has the largest mix of diamond cuts and colours. The round brilliant diamonds evoke the coral, while the tutti frutti scheme of fancy coloured diamonds, in cushions, marquises and pear shapes, represents the reef’s myriad fish. A cornucopia of rough diamonds epitomizes the vibrant, vital world of the deep.
The designs also incorporate a mix of meticulous setting techniques, with the spectacle setting framing the diamond within a bezel. It takes six hours for a single diamond to be set this way and can only be achieved through expert craftsmanship.
Fluidity is a key feature. In the cuff bracelet, imaginative design meets impeccable technical expertise. A bangle of channel set round brilliant white diamonds is interspersed with quintets of round brilliant yellow diamonds, bezel-set in a scalloped pattern. This suspends multiple yellow rough diamonds, spectacle-set so they not only move freely but can be seen from both sides.
ELLESMERE TREASURE
There is a kaleidoscopic feel to the Ellesmere Treasure set, a symmetry reminiscent of snowflakes, with floral and branching motifs forming the patterns within. The set is created from white diamonds, inspired by the pristine wilderness of Ellesmere Island, each one hand-selected for its astonishing clarity. Round brilliant pavé diamonds have been chosen to convey the purity of ice. Marquise and round brilliant accent diamonds are used to exquisite effect as they outline the frosted willow leaves, with central-focus diamonds cushion cut for maximum impact. Prong and claw settings have been used throughout the six styles to capture the delicacy of the motifs.
With its 932 white diamonds, the necklace repeats patterns of frosty Arctic flora, framed by two channels of round brilliant diamonds, conjoined with a petal-like bow studded with a 2.18 carat cushion cut diamond. The ring blooms like a frozen flower and has an unmistakable sense of contemporary grandeur. Historical yet timeless, Ellesmere Treasure is a portrait of glacial glamour.