De Beers Opens Second Store in United States

De Beers LV is opening its second U.S. store the first week of December—this time, on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Calif. The first store debuted in New York in June.

The store has “the same ambiance and contemporary feel as the New York store with a few surprises,” says Alyce Alston, chief executive officer of De Beers LV USA. Among the most noteworthy tweaks: an all-glass façade, which forms what the De Beers release calls “a luminous glass box, made up of an intriguing play between etched glass panels.” There will also be a light-reflecting pool, a diamond-shape staircase, and an outdoor terrace with a diamond-shape lattice of metal and glass.

The store also has enlisted the services of noted designer Neil Lane, who has designed an exclusive Hollywood Glamour Collection. De Beers' artistic director Raphaèle Canot will unveil his Talisman collection, which incorporates rough and polished diamonds.

Alston says the chain promises a series of launch events, which will no doubt attract celebrities.

Alston won't say where the chain will open next. “For now, I'm just focused on New York and Los Angeles,” she says. But she told JCK the New York store is doing well—although the last time JCK visited (in mid-September, midday, midweek), it was not particularly packed. “The traffic has been tremendous,” she says. “It's a tribute to De Beers' name and reputation.”