Festivity is in the air with the holiday season well underway, adding to it is the charm of winter, snowflakes and sparkling lights. We’ve been thinking of ways to add a huge dollop of sparkle and joy now that we see all those twinkling festive lights all around us. How about a jewelry gallery on all things diamonds? So, here we are all set to light up your world with diamonds and a bit of its history.

The word diamond owes its origin to the Greek word ‘adamas,’ meaning invincible. Diamonds come in a range of colors – blue, black, fancy shades of pink, yellow, purple, green – and have always been popular in jewelry. Often accentuated with rubies, emeralds, sapphires and pearls, diamonds epitomize a wondrous purity. Historical references show these tremendously beautiful stones were the gem of choice for jewels, especially for tiaras, with the cut, color, clarity and carat defining the value of the diamonds.

In 1947, De Beers made diamonds a part of people’s lives with its eternal slogan ‘A Diamond is Forever.’ The fire and brilliance of white flawless diamonds are unmatched in its beauty. Necklaces, sautoirs, rings, cuffs, earrings, jewelry watches, pendants all set with twinkling diamonds burst with light and artistry as designers turn to nature, architecture, geometry and abstract art for inspiration to create contemporary designs.

This year, De Beers sought design inspiration in the warm Mediterranean Sirocco wind and created a line of jewels evocative of the movement and swirls of dust as it blows across the desert. Tiffany’s high jewelry Masterpieces collection had the skyline of New York and city space, art deco architectural lines as its muse, while Harry Winston’s Secrets collection featuring Secret Wonder, Secret Combination and Secret Clusterwere infused with mystery and magic. Detachable strands resulting in transformable jewelry, secret perfume bottle tucked away in a web of white diamonds added to the allure of the collection. Then there is Bulgari’s Diva white diamond jewelry and Chopard’s haute joaillerie lines, which are eminently wearable at parties with beautiful designs to choose from. This season, why not say it with diamonds?

View the jewelry Photo Gallery.

Smitha Sadanandan