Brown diamonds! Antique stones! Chunky bands! If one word could sum up the sensibility of jewellery shoppers in 2026 it would be “individuality”. Gone is the desire for an algorithmically-designed engagement ring or a precious stone that lacks personality. Consumers are driven towards pieces that are statement-making and unique, reflecting exactly who they are.
“The stones people are gravitating towards now are the ones with individuality,” Frank Everett, senior vice president of jewellery at Sotheby’s, told British at the start of the year. And if any jeweller is au fait with such a statement it is De Beers London. “We’re always seeking to find new ways to express diamonds,” says Emmanuelle Nodale, brand CEO. “Bringing new perspectives to our clients.” Take the unpolished rough diamonds, which De Beers London places front and centre in its signature Talisman collection, or the distinct hues it champions: browns, yellows and even green diamonds, the rarest of their kind.
Undulation cocktail ring, by De Beers London.
Undulation Toi Et Moi ring, by De Beers.
Thanks to Taylor Swift, old mine-cut diamonds have boomed in popularity, but there is one certain cut that the A-list will not have come across until now. Five years in the making – and debuted as part of its Vibrations high jewellery collection – tonight De Beers London will unveil the first ever cabochon-cut diamond at an intimate event which will usher in the start of London Fashion Week.
For jewellery geeks out there: these are stones which are cut with softly-rounded profiles and emit a softly alluring glow. Because diamonds are the hardest material on earth, the cabochon-cut is one traditionally reserved for coloured gemstones, but De Beers London has developed a precision-cutting technique to hone fluid, domed forms. This shape makes diamond imperfections (or to use the technical term, “inclusions” ) visible, which means only stones of exceptional colour and purity can be used. At De Beers London, this means less than 0.5 per cent of the already-exquisite stones.
Cascade beaded earrings, by De Beers London.
Looking at the Vibrations high jewellery collection as a whole – one inspired by the inland waters connected to De Beers London’s diamond sourcing locations in Botswana, South Africa and Canada – it’s easy to see why this was the perfect time to unveil the innovative cabochon cut. Four sparkling jewellery sets reflect the beauty of water, whether it’s cascading down a precipice or frozen as ice. The Cascade suite, for example, is inspired by Tugela Falls in South Africa, featuring long earrings and a sautoir necklace, streaming with diamonds and fluid soft-blue chalcedony beads. Meanwhile, the Undulation suite pays tribute to the lush vegetation and wetlands of the Okavango Delta in Botswana, translated into earrings, a bracelet and rings set with green diamonds and those droplet-like cabochon-cut diamonds.
“We’re creating a bridge between heritage and innovation” says Nodale of the revolutionary new diamond cut. Individuality, in all its softly-glowing glory.
Main image, Blouson, £495, Mackintosh. Embroidered silk-taffeta dress, to order, Phillipa Lepley. Satin sandals, £785, Manolo Blahnik. Rose-gold and diamond earrings, £5,250. Rose-gold and diamond necklace, £3,775. Rose-gold and diamond ring, £6,550. All De Beers London. Hair: Natalie Shafii. Make-up: Faye Bluff. Nails: Charly Avenell. Digital artwork: Lah Retouch. Models: Peng Chang, América González.