Forget images of old men in cramped Hatton Garden shops. Icecool has taken diamond buying and jewellery creation into the 21st century with panache and flair Mark Walker, Creative director of dedicated leading online diamond boutique Icecool, has been in the diamond trade since he was 20 years old. In that time he has hunted down and handled endless mesmerising diamonds, designed and made couture jewellery for countless clients, been held up at gunpoint by rebels near the diamond mines of West Africa and even (at the tender age of 22) created a sacred crown encrusted with 25,000 flawless diamonds for a Hindu temple in India.

For years Mark Walker lived the life of a globe-trotting Indiana Jones of the diamond world, and now, capitalising on this wealth of extraordinary experience and expertise, he works in the serene safety and comfort of Icecool’s modern offices near London’s diamond district of Hatton Garden. From here, he designs Icecool’s vibrant and contemporary diamond jewellery collections, working hand-in-hand with individual clients on unique, couture diamond jewels for Icecool’s fast-growing and hugely successful bespoke service, You Dream, We Create.

Unusually, Walker combines a deep knowledge and appreciation of diamonds and their intrinsic value and qualities with an instinctive understanding of design and an innate artistic sensibility. His creative services are also in demand throughout the industry, as every year he delivers valuable insights and advice on the directional trends set to lead the world of diamond jewellery design for the next three years.

Pay a visit to Icecool’s discreet and welcoming premises – as you will when you opt for its bespoke service – and it soon becomes clear that it offers a unique proposition, so close and yet a million miles away from the commercial climate of nearby Hatton Garden. The company’s fastidious attention to detail, originality and personalised service is new-generation diamond dealing: design-driven, fast-paced and focused on the needs and dreams of the individual customer.

And while Mark Walker may have left a lifestyle more James Bond than Bond Street behind him, the resourcefulness and creativity he had to draw on while fending off rebels in Sierra Leone and fashioning sacred crowns in India are poured into Icecool’s unique and timeless collections. As a result its pioneering and informative online boutique has gathered a community of diamond devotees.

These days, it seems, investment or statement dressing is the way to go – fewer and better accessories and only the most carefully selected expensive toys – so it’s more important than ever to buy with discernment, knowledge and confidence. When it comes to buying diamonds – whether it’s for sound investment, a store of wealth or for a gift of love (or all three) – then more important even than the ‘four Cs’ (clarity, colour, cut and carat), the standard criteria for judging a diamond, is the fifth C: Confidence in the person you’re buying from. Thankfully, Icecool has the knowledge, experience and style to ensure that your choice of jewellery and the jewellery-buying experience are both as flawless as your dream diamond.

To view the latest examples of Mark’s exclusive bespoke creations please visit the icecool.co.uk ‘You Dream, We Create’ department and look at the Bespoke Gallery. Or call him on 020 7831 7648 to arrange a diamond consultation, or email him directly on markw@icecool.co.uk