At the WWD x SJ Global Fashion and Business Conference in Hong Kong, Emmanuelle Nodale, chief executive officer of De Beers London, shared her candid take on the shifting identity and ambitions of the natural diamond-first jeweler, which famously invented the slogan “A Diamond Is Forever” in 1947.
Speaking to Lily Templeton, WWD’s watches, jewelry and fashion editor based in Paris, Nodale said having access to some of the best diamonds in the world is no longer enough in today’s climate.
“When I joined De Beers, I found a house that has a long history, in particular as an expert in diamonds. But that is not enough for building a brand. To have beautiful diamonds, you need to tell stories and build desirability and emotion with your clients,” she added.
Nodale, who took up the CEO role in June, succeeding Céline Assimon, said her approach to the brand is both reverent of tradition and driven by the need to cater to a contemporary clientele.
“We work very deeply with the team to look at our heritage and our roots, making sure that we could build a story and we could build our design concepts around who we are, our origins,” she said, adding that an authentic connection to the client is key.
“It was also a process where we thought it was important to talk to our clients and understand not what they like, but who they are. Because I think that knowing your clients and who they are brings a lot of authenticity, and you connect with who you are yourself as a brand, and that is how you can build your message and your stories around your brand and the design you are working on for each collection,” she added.
Nodale also took the occasion to explain the pivotal rebranding to De Beers London.
Before February 2025, the company was known as De Beers Diamond Jewellers. The rebrand also came with a new tagline, “True brilliance comes from within,” and a new campaign called “Portraits of True Brilliance” featuring model and mental health activist Adwoa Aboah.
Adwoa Aboah stars in the new De Beers jewelry campaign.
Courtesy of De Beers/Oliver Hadlee Pearch
Nodale said adding London to the name was important because it is the home of the brand, despite having a strong connection to South Africa, where De Beers owns diamond mines.
The British capital also brings a lot of creative energy, allowing the brand to be global. “London is very diverse, and so it brings a lot in terms of our inspiration when we create our collections, together with our origins in South Africa, which also bring a lot of richness to our collections,” added Nodale.
From collection themes to retail concepts, Nodale said authenticity shapes every facet of the house.
“We own the full value chain from the mines to the piece of jewelry, and I think that this diamond journey, deep in the Earth until they are discovered by us, is very important and brings a lot of authenticity to the brand. We are one of the only brands that have access to rough diamonds, which gives this really raw beauty of what a diamond is about,” she explained.
The brand’s offering also celebrates the beauty of both raw and polished diamonds, as Nodale pointed to the pendant she wore from the Talisman collection.
Piece from De Beers’ Talisman collection.
Courtesy
“Each rough is very unique, as any diamonds are very unique. Going through this process of going back into the surface of the Earth is how we are willing to create our collections, in making sure that we are combining and telling the story of the diamond through our collections,” she said.
The rebrand is also set to guide and fuel De Beers’ retail expansion. Next January, the brand will open a flagship on Rue de la Paix, close to Place Vendôme, the epicenter of high jewelry in Paris.
“We will be revealing our new store concept that is very different than what you can find in any other jewelry brand, a very elevated concept. But at the same time, integrating this contrast and bridge between South Africa and London, and also always having this thread of this journey of the diamond that you will find throughout the stores,” she teased.
On navigating the turbulent luxury landscape, she remains optimistic.
“The luxury business overall is going through some challenges, but it’s less the case for jewelry. Actually, I think jewelry is very resilient. We have a very strong vision of where we want to be, be authentic and consistent with the values and the roots. I think it creates this sustainability and the timelessness of the brand,” she said.
