At this year’s JCK Las Vegas breakfast, De Beers went full throttle on natural diamonds — launching a new brand, a new product line, and a marketing spend so big it’s the biggest in a DECADE 😱💰
📢 What’s new?
- New brand: Origin: De Beers Group 🧬
Available fall 2025 at select retailers, it’s all about the emotional journey of your diamond 💖🌍
“Consumers want a diamond that’s meaningful. Origin matters!” – Lynn Serfaty, GM of Natural Diamonds at De Beers
- New product line (aka “beacon”): Ombré Desert Diamonds 🌈💎
These babies are all about color and soul — NOT your grandma’s diamond.
“Diamonds have become too commoditized. Ombré reclaims their soul. They’re celestial, earthy, and cosmic at once.”
📈 Big business moves:
- 💸 Highest marketing budget in 10 years
- 🤝 Partnered with The New York Times to tell feel-good diamond stories
- 📦 Traceability expansion via Tracr, now backed by GIA as an equity investor
😵 What about the competition from lab-grown diamonds?
Paul Rowley (EVP of Trading) admits: “We just lived through one of the worst crises I’ve ever seen.”
But here’s the plot twist: recent U.S. data shows natural diamond sales are now outpacing overall jewelry sales. Comeback season? 🏆
🛍️ What’s next in retail?
- De Beers retail chain rebranded to De Beers London 🇬🇧
- Forevermark is now turning retail, with plans for 100 stores in India 🛒🇮🇳
⚙️ On the tech side:
- Element Six is kicking off production of diamond wafers in Oregon 🇺🇸
“These will be some of the world’s most advanced polycrystalline diamonds,” said CEO Al Cook
Translation: synthetic diamonds are being turned into high-tech space-age wafers 🧪💿
💡 Bonus: De Beers is cutting costs again — another $30 million slashed after $100M in previous cuts. Talk about trimming the fat 🪓