De Beers moves into new concept London flagship

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Dec 3, 2021

Luxury natural diamond jewellery giant De Beers has moved out of its 20-year-old flagship store on London’s Old Bond Street and into a new concept store next door that reflects a new-look blend of heritage, modernity and sustainability.

Its design is inspired by ‘Building Forever’, De Beers’ commitment to “creating a positive long-term impact that will endure well beyond the discovery of its last diamond”.

Big features of the two-storey, 2,690 sq ft location are a new transparent storefront, a mixture of open spaces and intimate areas (with contemporary ‘love pods’ counters) plus a new specially designed lighting system that “brings out the fire, light, and brilliance of each diamond” on display. 

The second floor includes an experiential area that allows customers to interact with De Beers’ brand and history through digital features and an exhibition space. There is also a VIP room for viewers to examine its rarest diamonds.

To highlight De Beers' sustainability blueprint, every aspect of the store design “has been executed to meet the independent environmental requirements of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design to certify the building’s green design”.

Meanwhile, the De Beers website has also be upgraded to include  a ‘Virtual Home of Diamonds Experience’ while a virtual ‘Try-On Experience’ will be added in 2022.

Céline Assimon, CEO of De Beers Jewellers, said: “Our new store is a reflection of how we approach everything at De Beers - revealing the different layers of our heritage within a modern context, and forever celebrating our exquisite diamond designs and expert craftsmanship.

“To celebrate this opening, and as a true ‘Home of Diamonds’, we are presenting a selection of extremely rare fancy-coloured diamond pieces. I wanted to give them the highlight they deserve and showcase what makes them so unique and precious.”