De Beers: Origin story, reframing the view of perfection

Collaborators

Design Director

Bogdana Butnar

Design Lead

Joana Couto

Senior UX designer

James Shorrocks

Responsibilities

3D Design, Motion Design, Art direction, UI Design

Software Used

Figma, After effects, Illustrator, indesign, Photoshop, Blender

1.Problem

With the rise of lab-grown diamonds, De Beers tasked us with creatively showcasing the timeless allure of natural diamonds, ensuring they remain desirable in an evolving market. Challenged to design an engaging in-store digital experience that empowers retail staff while captivating a new generation of customers—one driven by fresh values and perspectives on the luxury market.

2.Response

Reframing so-called “imperfections” as birthmarks, I helped reposition them as natural signatures of time, celebrating the millions of years it takes for a diamond to form. A core part of the project was introducing Tracr blockchain technology to bring transparency to each diamond’s origins, strengthening trust and provenance throughout the experience. Alongside this, I crafted diamond animations and refined brand assets to evolve De Beers toward a more organic, nature-led expression, and supported an intuitive in-store UI that empowered retail staff to communicate a more meaningful, value-driven story around natural diamonds.

2.Response

3.Nature in motion

Building on the existing De Beers visual language, I created a series of “Diamond Aurora” moments using close-up animations of a spinning 3D diamond, echoing natural light phenomena to strengthen the connection between diamonds and nature. I refined the experience’s look and feel by enhancing the palette with richer purples and warm oranges, and introduced motion transitions inspired by the precise geometry of diamond facets, bringing the brand to life through considered, light-led movement.

4.Bespoke Brilliance

Developing the system further, I created a bespoke icon set for De Beers representing both industry standards such as the 4 Cs and brand-specific concepts like birthmarks. I designed the icons to align closely with the De Beers logo structure, ensuring visual consistency across the system. I then animated them to introduce subtle interaction and narrative detail, strengthening storytelling and cohesion throughout the digital experience.

5.Diamond Journey

Telling the story of a natural diamond was central to communicating its value, so we designed an immersive scroll experience that reveals its journey from rough stone to polished gem. I used 3D animation and particle effects to bring each stage of transformation to life, using motion to express time, pressure, and craftsmanship. The result is a refined, visually rich narrative that celebrates rarity, natural process, and brilliance within the De Beers digital experience.

6.Diamond Character

Interpreting the 4 Cs through a nature-led lens, I developed a visual system that uses imagery such as mountains to represent scale and natural parallels. I created 3D renders to hero each diamond’s unique qualities, which were then connected them to blockchain-backed data for authenticity. The work balances precise product storytelling with a more immersive, narrative-led approach to showcasing each gem’s value.

8.Digital Vault

Customer research highlighted a lack of ceremony in the final purchase moment, so I helped shape a post-purchase experience that extended the journey beyond acquisition. I designed animated moments around the digital vault, where each diamond’s blockchain information is stored, and supported the visual consistency of the generative AI artwork system. The experience generated unique, shareable visuals based on individual diamond characteristics, marking the world-first deployment of Stable Diffusion as an API and turning ownership into a more expressive final moment.

7.Rarity & Birthmarks

This experience highlights the value and uniqueness of natural diamonds through blockchain-powered transparency. Using tracr technology, each diamond is tracked at every stage, generating a rarity score based on its characteristics. Birthmarks are reimagined as distinctive story elements, turning traditional “imperfections” into features that add meaning and value, deepening the connection between the diamond and its owner.

9.Find your diamond

Service design insights revealed a customer segment needing greater guidance at the start of their diamond journey, so I helped shape a short, visual questionnaire powered by behavioural science algorithms to surface personal style. I designed a series of animations representing different demographics, drawing inspiration from nature and the geometric structure of diamond facets. These visuals supported clarity and confidence in decision-making, while fostering a more intuitive and engaging path to purchase.