The global natural diamond industry has launched its most aggressive, coordinated, and well-funded marketing push in decades.
Emerging from a "tumultuous, challenging period" marked by economic slowdowns, shifting consumer priorities, and the escalating threat of lab-grown alternatives, the trade has realized that collective action is no longer optional, but essential for survival.
This strategic offensive, centered on the landmark Luanda Accord, signifies a complete overhaul of how diamonds are presented to a new generation, shifting the narrative from eternal love to ethical value and personal identity.
The Luanda Accord: Unity Forged in Adversity
The most pivotal development driving this transformation is the Luanda Accord, signed in June by major African diamond-producing countries (including Angola) and key industry bodies like the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), and, crucially, De Beers.
This agreement acts as the new financial engine for the industry’s category marketing efforts.
Under the terms of the Accord, diamond-producing governments and De Beers have committed to contributing 1% of their annual rough-diamond revenue to a collective global marketing campaign in an unprecedented act of collaboration. As David Kellie, CEO of the Natural Diamond Council (NDC), observed, adversity "has created unity around the importance of category marketing."
This commitment is injecting tens of millions of dollars into the global diamond industry’s main promotional body, the NDC. Following contributions of including $8 million from Angola’s Endiama and Sodiam, which is being matched by $8 million from De Beers, the NDC’s 2025 budget has surged to $38 million.
This has created a significant war chest and sends a powerful signal that the trade is willing to invest in order to defend its market share. Even more importantly, industry players are moving on from the siloed promotional efforts of the past and establishing a shared responsibility for protecting the natural diamond category.
From "Forever" to "Identity": Reshaping the Narrative
The core challenge facing the industry lies in addressing the modern consumer, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, who are not only cost-conscious but are also rethinking traditional institutions like marriage.
They are unlikely to be aware of De Beers' iconic "A Diamond Is Forever" advertising slogan. To remain relevant, the industry must reframe the diamond as an emblem of individuality, ethical value, and conscious choice.
Leaders like World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) president Yoram Dvash are spearheading this intellectual shift, positioning natural diamonds not just as luxury objects, but as powerful symbols of personal identity, tradition, and emotion.
The WFDB’s “Moments” campaign, launched under the tagline “Crafted by Earth, Celebrated by You,” focuses squarely on emotional storytelling around life’s milestones that extend beyond engagements.
The new message is centered on values that resonate with younger, more discerning buyers: authenticity, transparency, and social impact. Campaigns are now highlighting transparent sourcing and the community benefits derived from diamond mining, viewing these as essential elements for rebuilding trust and dismantling outdated, negative perceptions often associated with the trade’s history.
As Kellie asserts, consumers "want to hear many diverse voices... sharing the emotional and societal value that diamonds represent."
The Digital Offensive: Meeting Consumers Where They Research
The marketing strategy is underpinned by a profound acknowledgement of the modern consumer’s research habits. Statistics show that potential buyers spend up to a year researching diamonds on digital platforms such as Google, Pinterest, TikTok, and Instagram before making a purchase. The battle for consumer belief is fundamentally being waged online.
The NDC is leading the charge with a digital-first, story-driven approach that aims to blend the rarity and romance of natural diamonds with positive narratives concerning sustainability, social welfare, and equality. The goal is to make diamonds feel "real, rare and shareable."
This means developing sophisticated visual-first campaigns, utilizing influencer-driven content, and revamping digital assets, such as the NDC’s website, to offer the in-depth, transparent information that today’s buyers demand.
De Beers and other major players are adopting this collaborative digital focus. De Beers has not only backed the Luanda Accord but has also revived its famous slogan with contemporary campaigns such as “Forever Present” and “Worth the Wait.”
These campaigns strategically broaden the appeal of natural diamonds, positioning them as lifestyle accessories and markers of singular life moments for diverse audiences, including queer couples, single women, and multigenerational families. The digital landscape allows the industry to cater to these diverse voices and ensure diamonds are seen as a "conscious choice, not just an ornament."
The Strategic Pitfall: Differentiation vs. Divergence
While the influx of funding and the shift toward digital-first, emotionally intelligent messaging are clear positive steps, the industry faces an internal strategic debate that could undermine its efforts: how to effectively address lab-grown diamonds (LGDs).
Some campaigns, such as the AWDC’s "We Protect a Legacy" campaign, have directly leveraged the narrative of LGDs' falling value – using a gumball machine full of synthetic stones to starkly contrast with the enduring allure of the natural variety.
However, some industry voices warn that this strategy of constant comparison is counterproductive. By reinforcing the divide, the industry risks confusing consumers and potentially "cheapening the entire category." Every advertising dollar spent attacking the lab-grown market is a dollar not spent on establishing the unique, differentiating value of the natural diamond.
The argument is that differentiation is required, not opposition. The true opportunity lies in helping younger consumers understand the geological rarity and emotional permanence of a stone formed in the Earth over the course of billions of years, rather than focusing on the laboratory origin of its competitor. The current approach risks muddying the waters, suggesting that a lack of confidence is what drives the aggressive need to compare.
Final Words…
The natural diamond industry’s response to its challenging market conditions is robust, unified, and historically significant. The Luanda Accord has established the financial structure necessary to run category-defining campaigns, and the NDC, WFDB, and De Beers are aligned on a modern message emphasizing identity, ethics, and digital accessibility.
However, the success of this monumental effort will ultimately hinge on two factors: the consistent execution of the new, inclusive, and value-based narrative, and the strategic maturity to embrace differentiation over confrontation. By successfully pivoting from being mere symbols of status to emblems of conscious choice, the natural diamond industry stands a chance of securing its relevance with a new generation.
Conversely, a failure to resolve the counterproductive messaging around LGDs risks draining precious resources and confusing the very consumers that the global diamond business is desperately trying to win back.
Abraham Dayan for Rough&Polished
