DIAMOND GEMS WEEKLY

This article serves as the introductory analysis to the inaugural Diamond Executive Report, ‘The Value of De Beers.’ View a partial version of the report in the download below, or access the full report here. To grasp the implications of Anglo American’s pending divestment from De Beers, it helps to understand the move in the context of its broader strategy. In May 2024, the mining group announced plans to separate from De Beers, either through a sale or demerger. The decis

Avi is joined by Tom Chatham, chairman of Chatham Inc., to debate the current state and future prospects of the lab-grown diamond market. The discussion explores shifting market dynamics, technological advances in synthetic diamond production, industry challenges and marketing strategies, high-tech applications and niche markets, and efforts to establish a lab-grown industry body to advocate on the sector’s behalf. Watch the full discussion above. Diamond Debates is supported

Press Release: The Diamond Press, a leading source of analysis and insight about the diamond and jewelry market, has published the inaugural Diamond Executive Report and launched the Diamond Executive Club, introducing a more structured view of the industry supported by the Global Diamond & Jewelry Tracker. The initiative brings together three core offerings to deliver high-level analysis, proprietary data, and direct engagement among executives, investors, and decision-mak

Happy new month. It’s quite crazy how quickly time is moving. We already have the Vegas shows coming up at the end of the month, though before that GemGenève gets underway this week and next, alongside the Geneva auctions with their usual line-up of spectacular diamonds. This year the offering feels a little understated, though the 5.50-carat triangular-cut fancy vivid blue-green diamond at Christie’s, and the cushion-shaped 6.03-carat fancy vivid blue, internally flawless

De Beers Sale ​​ Anglo American’s sale of De Beers has entered its next phase, with three groups submitting revised bids ahead of the April 16 deadline. Botswana is still seeking to increase its stake to a majority position, Bloomberg reported, though any move would likely be structured alongside one of the private bids. The competing groups are led by former De Beers CEO Gareth Penny, Australian mining veteran Michael O’Keeffe, and diamond trader Nir Livnat. A group of sight

This debate explores the current state of category marketing in the natural diamond industry, focusing on strategies, metrics for success, and future campaigns like Desert Diamonds. Avi is joined by Sally Morrisoin, natural diamonds market lead at De Beers, to discuss how emotional storytelling and long-term planning are key to revitalizing consumer interest and demand. Watch the full discussion above. Diamond Debates is supported by Sarine Technologies.

I’m not sure if you agree, but it feels to me that the industry has turned a positive corner in its marketing activity. Perhaps that’s a sign of tough times, with promotional efforts ramping up as the trade recognizes the urgency of reclaiming its place in the consumer mindset. We’ve had a seemingly successful launch of World Diamond Day by the Natural Diamond Council, De Beers’ Desert Diamonds push appears to be gaining traction, and organizations like the World Federation

The upturn in diamond trading through Antwerp does not signal a global market recovery, but a modest restoration of activity in the city. That’s partly due to strategic structural measures implemented in 2025, as Karen Rentmeesters, CEO of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), stressed in a recent press release. But it’s also the result of geopolitical developments that have worked in Belgium’s favor. The resurgence was evident in Belgium’s diamond trade data published

Solitaire International: The US jewelry market isn’t recovering in the traditional sense, it’s adjusting. Retailers are making a clearer choice between value and volume, and that divide is reshaping the diamond pipeline. That shift is evident in recent earnings. Signet is moving toward a more focused, margin-driven model built on higher-ticket sales, while Brilliant Earth is leaning further into volume and accessibility, even as that pressures short-term profitability. The

It’s been a fun week for me personally, having launched a new podcast with my friends Rob Bates and Edahn Golan. We’re “The Diamond Dudes,” and I think we offer something that’s been missing in the industry for some time: unfiltered, opinionated discussion about diamond industry developments, with a bit of banter mixed in. It aligns closely with what I’m building at The Diamond Press . You can listen to the first episode on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Amazon Music or watch

Angola’s declaration of its 2025 diamond production and exports highlights just how much the rough market has changed. Today, five groups shape the diamond market: De Beers, Alrosa, Angola, Okavango Diamond Company and the tender houses. That marks a clear shift from its historic structure. De Beers (in)famously controlled supply for about a century, largely through its agreement to market Russian production. Regulators finally broke that arrangement up in the early 2000s

In this debut episode of The Diamond Dudes podcast, co-hosts Rob Bates, Edahn Golan and I break down De Beers’ “Desert Diamonds” campaign and what it says about how the industry is reacting to lab-grown competition and changing consumer tastes. The conversation moves into the widening gap between natural and lab-grown diamonds, what’s actually happening at retail, and why it’s getting harder to sell lower-quality natural stones. Along the way, they reflect on World Diamond Da

A New Podcast Bringing Expert Insight to the Global Diamond Industry Three veteran analysts unite to deliver sharp, monthly commentary on the issues shaping the diamond business April 16, 2026 — The Diamond Dudes , a monthly podcast featuring three of the sector’s most respected analysts, will release its first episode on Thursday, April 16, offering listeners timely insights, candid discussion, and expert perspective on the industry’s most pressing topics. The podcast

The most significant development this past week is De Beers expanding its Desert Diamonds campaign into the bridal category. It’s a considered move as the company looks to stimulate demand across a broader range of goods. For some context, De Beers introduced Desert Diamonds last year, describing it as its first beacon concept in over a decade. A beacon is designed to spark industry-wide interest and consumer demand around a specific product category or idea, much like the

The diamond mining sector has come under pressure, not only as market conditions have weakened but as investors have grown more cautious about its prospects. It has become increasingly difficult for diamond mining companies to secure financing, with implications for the entire pipeline, as one member of The Diamond Press community wrote in an email. It’s an issue that has been building for some time and was arguably one of the more underreported stories of 2025. The mining

We all have a starting point in this industry. Mine goes back to age 11, on a school trip to Kimberley, where I was first introduced to the world of natural diamonds. In many ways, that excursion was a coming-of-age experience for me, one I’ve probably stretched into a better story over time, with a bit of embellishment thrown in. There were a few memorable moments. At one point I was left behind at a Boer War memorial, convinced I’d been abandoned and destined to become pa

Industry Matters The Natural Diamond Council (NDC) has designated April 8 as World Diamond Day , urging the industry to share stories celebrating natural diamonds. The initiative will have a soft launch in its first year, aimed at building momentum and encouraging participation across the diamond pipeline. The World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) has approved a significant budget for the global promotion of natural diamonds, president Yoram Dvash said in a letter

In some sense, it was a historic week for the diamond industry, as Rio Tinto announced the closure of the Diavik mine in Canada. The significance of the announcement is threefold. First, it marks the end of a consistent source of supply. The mine was launched in 2003 and yielded around 153.8 million carats over its life, an average of about 6.8 million carats a year, though that settled closer to 4 million in recent years (see graph below). Second, it effectively comple

Signet Jeweler’s latest results point to a business in transition rather than one simply returning to growth. Group revenue rose 2% to $6.81 billion and net profit increased five-fold to $294.4 million in the fiscal year ending January 31, but the improvement in earnings says as much about cost discipline and prior impairments as it does about underlying demand. The more meaningful story lies in the strategy initiated by CEO J.K. Symancyk, focused on sharpening brand position

There has been a trickle of positive news from the diamond market, suggesting stabilization, or even a recovery, may be taking hold. Alrosa made that case in its latest press release , arguing that a tightening in supply is reversing the downward trend in rough and polished prices seen over the past few years. That’s a bold claim, and even by Alrosa’s own admission it applies mainly to the higher-priced segment, particularly goods in the 2-carat to 10-carat range. That se