Meet Céline Assimon, The Woman Making Her Mark At De Beers Jewellers

Céline Assimon has nine bangles on her right wrist at all times; a signifier of sorts for both her roles. She's the CEO of De Beers Jewellers and De Beers Forevermark - and has an 11 year-old daughter. ‘I never take them off, which, you know, you should. But I’m a working mother...’ She’s now worked in the industry for two decades, but remembers the perseverance it took to get her break after graduating from the Audencia Business School, Nantes. ‘I was relentless. I must have sent hundreds of letters to every marketing director in France – whether it was Chanel, Boucheron or Cartier – to get my first internship.’ She now, of course, helms two jewellery houses and is committed to bringing more women into the highly technical roles. ‘It’s key to get more women in those careers. And it starts with education,’ she says.

Her love of jewellery, however, goes back further. Her mother favoured bold costume pieces - ‘80s and ‘90s Guy Laroche, Yves Saint Laurent and Elsa Peretti - while her paternal grandmother was more traditional. Assimon's most precious piece of jewellery was a ring of her grandmother’s that, sadly, was stolen from a coffee box in her apartment. ‘Everytime I walk by a pawn shop in Paris, or actually anywhere in the world, I look for that ring.’

Assimon's daughter won’t get to own that particular heirloom, but she’s shown an interest in her mum's job after they worked side-by-side during lockdown. After overhearing her mum’s calls about the brand’s partnership with National Geographic, she became curious. ‘It’s not the fairy tale of the beautiful princess wearing incredible jewellery. No, she’s interested by the positive impact we’re [making] on the communities and the planet. It makes me proud and reinforces my choice.’