Spring, summer, autumn, and winter: the cyclic cycle of the seasons reflects nature’s ongoing evolution. Flowers bloom, foliage turn colours, and rivers ice. A caterpillar transforms into a magnificent butterfly after emerging from its chrysalis. And raw diamonds produced billions of years ago are fashioned into exquisitely designed, breathtakingly stunning jewellery.
De Beers’ Metamorphosis High Jewellery line is committed to the transformational power of natural diamonds, with dramatic designs inspired by nature’s constant evolution. The House debuted Chapter One on January 2023, with its first set, Prelude. Prelude’s collection harmoniously embraced the four seasons, including an electrified ear cuff strung with four titanium chrysalises to represent Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. De Beers will unveil Chapter Two at Paris Couture Week in July 2023, with four gorgeous butterflies emerging from these cocoons, each representing a new season. These magnificent creatures lead four sets of 37 new pieces, which, when combined with the nine jewels from Prelude, create a total collection of 46 one-of-a-kind patterns.
The De Beers Metamorphosis collection embraces the mesmerizing beauty of raw materials while pushing the boundaries of contemporary design and technological innovation. The four Chapter Two sets are themed around the changing seasons, with four distinct aesthetics that highlight the House’s great craftsmanship. The overlapping petals of the King Protea flower, native to southern Africa, where many De Beers diamonds are discovered, symbolise spring. The Summer set is inspired by the hypnotic spirals of ammonite fossils and is created in yellow gold to seem like remnants discovered in sand. Autumn’s russet leaves are abstracted into billowing curves of Grand Feu enamel, marking the first appearance of this excellent technique in a De Beers collection. And the glacial splendour of Winter is echoed in articulated jewels suggestive of the angular fragments formed on frozen lakes.
The one-of-a-kind collection promotes movement and adaptability. Twenty pieces in Chapter Two are transformable, and articulation and en-tremblant settings ensure that every creation comes to life when worn. Modern multi-finger rings, ear cuffs, and an avant-garde tiara illustrate De Beers‘ transformation from a distributor of the world’s best diamonds to a daring and inventive High Jewellery House.
De Beers is the only luxury House with a direct connection to the source, providing unrivalled access to the world’s most stunning diamonds while also ensuring superior quality, traceability, and good effect. Metamorphosis Chapter Two features a 2.78 carat Fancy Intense Pinkish Purple cushion-cut diamond, a 7.61 carat Fancy Vivid Yellow cushion-cut diamond, and an 8.49 carat pear-shaped white diamond from the De Beers Natural Works of Art collection. The House combines these hypnotic natural gems with cutting-edge materials such as titanium, as well as classic goldsmithing processes.
“We wanted to tell the story of the beginning of a magical transformation with Prelude.” In Chapter Two, we continue our poetic ode to nature’s continual progress by welcoming four lovely butterflies. “They are an iconic De Beers emblem and a symbol of our limitless creativity,” Céline Assimon, CEO of De Beers Jewellers, explains. “I am especially proud of this chapter’s daring designs: we experimented with bold volumes, graphic motifs, and hidden details.” Our emphasis on adaptability and versatility underlines the fact that De Beers is a youthful House: high jewellery is the pinnacle of creativity and craftsmanship, but it should also be worn and enjoyable.”