Ana de Armas tells British Vogue's Editor why the Bond Girl has gone through a seismic change

Taking on the role of a Bond woman, as actor Ana de Armas did in this year’s much-anticipated No Time To Die, is an intimidating enough task. But filming stunts in spectacular Chopard diamonds, flanked by security guards? “I was terrified,” laughs de Armas, in conversation with British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful, as part of her role as global ambassador for the Natural Diamond Council (NDC), which aims to advance the integrity, transparency and sustainability of the modern diamond industry for consumers and diamond-mining communities. A necklace set with pear-shaped diamonds totalling 43 carats is arranged in front of the duo – just one of several pieces worn by de Armas in the latest Bond instalment. “I had to do so many action scenes and kick and punch… wearing that!”

Glamour and timeless style are musts for any Bond lead, of course, but memorable diamonds look set to follow de Armas into her future, too. Taking on the role of Marilyn Monroe in upcoming biopic Blonde, based on the novel by Joyce Carol Oates, de Armas wears diamonds just as effortlessly as the Hollywood star did before her. In fact, as she tells Enninful, she even recreated Monroe’s all-singing, all-dancing “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” number for Blonde, complete with the eye-popping jewels to match. Sitting down in conversation with Enninful, de Armas wears pieces custom-designed by Brooklyn-based jewellery designer Malyia McNaughton – part of the NDC’s Emerging Designers Diamond Initiative with Lorraine Schwartz – including the striking Cuban V Necklace and Dancing Wave Twist Hoops. They’re diamonds, but not as you know them.

And while aesthetics are important, de Armas is keen to point out that the roles she takes on represent more than just a pretty face. The Bond character she plays – CIA agent Paloma – quickly establishes herself as a capable, powerful character with skills to rival Bond’s own, heralding a new era in the franchise’s long history.

“Times have changed, and the franchise has to change, too. They’ve done a good job in this one, and set the tone for future Bond films and the female roles in them,” she tells Enninful. “This is not just being a girl in a pretty dress.”

A Bond film, a major biopic, a Netflix thriller (the upcoming The Gray Man): de Armas’s future looks set to sparkle just as brightly as the diamonds she wears.

To learn more about Ana de Armas’s partnership with the Natural Diamond Council, visit Naturaldiamonds.com.