Diamond Multimedia is an American company known for producing graphics cards, sound cards, modems and MP3 players, founded in 1982 by Chong Moon Lee. The company’s visual identity has gone through several distinct phases, from its early days as Diamond Computer Systems to its current form under Best Data Products ownership.
Design and History
Diamond Multimedia’s logo history traces back to the early 1990s. According to a collector’s retrospective of Diamond graphics cards, the company’s earliest cards from 1991 carried no logo at all, displaying only the text “Diamond Computer Systems.” In 1992 to 1993, the company introduced its first logo: two intersecting square diamonds. This was followed in 1994 by a short-lived revision that repeated the intersecting square diamond motif, a design that lasted less than six months before being replaced later that same year by a more elaborate logo that remained in use until the company’s acquisition by S3 in 1999.[1]
In 1999, Diamond was acquired by S3 Graphics, and the combined company later formed SONICblue.[2] In October 2003, Best Data Products completed its acquisition of Diamond Multimedia from SONICblue, including the Diamond Multimedia, Stealth, Viper and Supra trade names and trademarks, along with business assets and intellectual property.[3] Following this acquisition, Diamond resumed producing expansion boards, with the Diamond XtremeSound line being the first sound card series launched after the 2003 restructuring.[2]
The current Diamond Multimedia logo, as documented by brand asset aggregator Brandfetch, uses a color palette that includes red (hex #FE0202) and white, alongside a dark gray or black tone.[4] The logo is available in versions suitable for both black and white backgrounds.[5]
Meaning and Symbolism
The company’s name and logo reference the diamond gemstone, a motif that has appeared in various forms throughout the brand’s history, from the intersecting square diamonds of the early 1990s to the current wordmark-based identity. A trademark registration for “DIAMOND MULTIMEDIA 及圖” (with design) was filed in Taiwan in 1997 by Diamond Multimedia Systems, Inc., indicating the brand’s international trademark protection during its peak years.[6]
In 2009, Best Data Products filed a new U.S. trademark application for “DIAMOND MULTIMEDIA” as a standard character mark, covering goods including modems and graphics cards. The application included a disclaimer that no exclusive right was claimed to the word “MULTIMEDIA” apart from the mark as shown.[7]
Typography and Design
The current Diamond Multimedia logo is a wordmark-based design, with the brand name set in a custom letterform. The logo’s construction uses a rectangular badge format that incorporates the company name alongside the diamond motif. Brandfetch documents the brand’s color specifications as including red (#FE0202) and white, with the logo designed to work across digital and print applications.[4]
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