A multisensory celebration of natural diamonds explores the geological forces and human creativity that transform these rare stones into works of art.
The worlds of art and jewellery have long crossed paths and cross-pollinated: And why wouldn’t they? Both disciplines having a kind of shared backbone: one whose rigidity derives from rarity, provenance and notably the human hands behind such one-of-a-kind pieces. No surprise, then, that De Beers is doubling down on the art world by returning to Frieze Masters for a second year.
The diamond company and the pre-eminent London art fair first teamed up last year to debut Voyage Through the Diamond Realm, an immersive film that took viewers through the journey of a diamond: from the stories people tell about the stones, to the human crafting of a rough diamond into a polished one. The film went on to be shown in New York and Mumbai.
De Beers now returns to Frieze with chapter two of the film, titled On the Birth of a Diamond, a three-part installation that draws viewers more deeply into the rarefied world of natural diamonds – and sparkling with actual rough stones and pieces – while celebrating the human talent behind what makes these stones so special. The focus is on the “twin concepts of creation and creativity”, says Lynn Serfaty, general manager of natural diamonds at De Beers. “Working with talented artists, craftspeople, actors, musicians from Botswana, United Kingdom and France, we’re delighted to return to Frieze Masters to bring the story of these natural works of art to life.”
Developed in tandem with Shifron Mercury Studio – the brainchild of artist-designers Goni Shifron and Gabrielle Laurin Mercury, who work at the crossroads of sculpture, installation and scenography using raw materials and artisan techniques – the installation kicks off with a five-metre handwoven tapestry crafted in natural fibres from Botswana’s Okavango Delta. The work evokes geological layers of the earth and is woven with ceramic “stellar fragments” that take on the form of rough diamonds and ostrich eggshell beads – and which narrate the link between the Earth’s interior and the cosmos.
“We wanted to create a scene that tells the story of origin,” explains Shifron Mercury Studio. “It was important that we keep the materials in their simplest state, trying not to transform them too much, but to let them express their own character.”
The human side of natural diamonds is expressed in a second commission, from the Botswana-based Mabeo Studio. Founded by Peter Mabeo the studio creates contemporary works with artisans using local materials, and for Frieze—with Mabeo working closely with designer Beullah Serema—it engaged 41 basket weavers, potters and wood carvers from across Botswana to make 47 handcrafted amulets. Traditionally carried for protection and connection, the amulets were then set with De Beers natural diamonds.
The collaborative work created an “innate, sensory understanding of materials”, says Mabeo, and ultimately infused the amulets with meaning, espeically when set with De Beers diamonds. “Diamonds already hold many layers of meaning. They come from nature but are shaped through human knowledge, skill and care. What interests us is not only the material itself, but the relationships, stories and shared values that can develop around it.”
Also significant for the project, adds Mabeo, was the emphasis on natural diamonds. “Our relationship with the natural world and its wonders is far more interesting than any single material,” he says. “So beyond diamonds themselves, it is the perspective and clarity that can emerge through a respectful relationship with nature and materials that we find most meaningful.
The second room features a film that further narrates the journey of the natural diamond, from the carbon formed in the earliest stars to its crystallisation deep in the earth’s mantle. The final room brings the entire experience to a spectacular finale, which we’ll offer no spoilers on.
“Together, these partnerships allow us to tell a broader cultural story about natural diamonds and the singular place they have held throughout human history and culture,” says Serfaty.
Nestled among artworks spanning antiquity, the Old Masters and the 20th century, a diamond exhibition at Frieze feels fitting, if not enlightening. Gemstones are increasingly seen as unique works of art, their rarity and value linked to both nature and the hands behind – and a message that feels more poignant in current times with the proliferation of AI and lab grown diamonds. De Beers’ ongoing partnership with Frieze is part of its Autumn cultural programme, which has just seen De Beers decamp from Venice and Homo Faber, the prestigious biennial craftsmanship fair.
Voyage Through the Diamond Realm, Chapter II: On the Birth of a Diamond is at Frieze Masters, The Regent’s Park, London, 14 to 18 October 2026. Tickets at frieze.com.
