De Beers Woos Korea’s Luxury Market

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia

Staff Reporter

``Diamonds are a girl's best friend," Marilyn Monroe famously sang in the film ``Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." This line just about sums up every woman's fascination with the sparkling stone. Among jewels, the diamond has no equal.

Jewelry experts will tell you that no two diamonds are the same. When it comes to diamonds, it is important to remember the four Cs: cut, color, carat and clarity.

Cut refers to the shape of the diamond. The most desirable diamond color is actually one that is colorless, but there are many different colors. Carat is the term used when measuring the weight of the diamond, while clarity refers to the absence or presence of flaws in the diamond.

De Beers, the world's largest diamond supplier, takes pride in giving its diamonds an impeccable cut.

In an interview with The Korea Times on Friday, De Beers Asia CEO Marc Auclert said De Beers cuts its diamonds with the goal of achieving the best proportion of the stone, even if it means sacrificing the stone's weight.

``Diamonds from De Beers have a specificity that no other brand has: the cut. De Beers cuts its diamonds for the beauty and not for the weight retention. We want to have the most beautiful sparkle and you can see our diamonds sparkle more," he said.