In the beginning of the 20th century an advertising campaign from the famous diamond company DeBeers changed the world. They introduced the diamond engagement ring and made the western world believe it’s a tradition to propose with a diamond. This brilliant marketing concept shaped the value of the diamond, gave the whole industry its power and it shows the global impact jewellery has on our life.

Jewellery is an expression and language of a culture. Which makes it significant for our culture, who has chosen a diamond as a symbol for value and luxury, that our manifestation of value is based on a marketing fairy tale. This expression of capitalistic values is also reflected in the branding of luxury jewellery companies, making them emblematic of our culture. The power of branding lies in translating an idea or concept into a cultural value through its visual design. The value of a piece of jewellery is therefore not only derived from the materials and design used, but also from the design of the brand and its values. Therefore a piece of jewellery alone does not become a luxury good, it acquires its value when given a brand identity.

In this project, I want to reflect DeBeers marketing concept by elevating the jewellery box to a luxury good and making the box the new trend accessory. The jewellery box has always shown the essence of brand identity. The colours and logo serve as a means of communication and recognition. The logo becomes the insignia of a company. The colour becomes a luxury good, as for example with Tiffany&Co, which owns the so-called Tiffany Blue. Since you cannot own a common good like a colour.

For this project I have chosen three different famous luxury jewellery labels: Rolex, Cartier and Tiffany&Co.The boxes are designed based on each iconic piece of jewellery and brand identity. Although no jewellery is physically present, the jewellery is created in the mind of the beholder. In this way, each box is jewellery without being jewellery and illustrates the extent to which marketing concepts are embedded in our culture.

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