Events & AwardsOct 11, 2023
Matthew Tratner Joins JA New York MajorsOct 12, 2023
Natural Diamond Council Announces New Board Chair
De Beers Chief Brand Officer David Prager replaces Stephen Lussier.
David Prager, chief brand officer at De Beers, is the new Natural Diamond Council board chair.
New York—The Natural Diamond Council’s board of directors has announced a new chair as Stephen Lussier departs.
Lussier, the longest-serving board member, announced he is retiring as chair and board member.
Replacing him is De Beers Chief Brand Officer David Prager, who has served on the NDC board since last year.
“Across time and borders, natural diamonds stand apart as a source of value and values,” said Prager.
“I would like to thank Stephen for his singular contribution to the NDC since its inception. I am proud to serve as chairman of the NDC and support its dedicated team to connect more people around the world to the diamond dream.”
Lussier retired from De Beers in 2022, where he was most recently executive vice president of brands and consumer markets. He spent four decades promoting diamonds, working for De Beers’ former U.S. advertising agency N.W. Ayer, before going in-house with the miner.
NDC noted Lussier’s essential part in bringing miners together to market natural diamonds through the formation of the Diamond Producers Association in 2015, which has since rebranded itself as the Natural Diamond Council.
The organization said Lussier has served as the connector between it and its member companies.
“It has been a privilege to have had the opportunity to work with Stephen,” said Natural Diamond Council CEO David Kellie.
“His passion for building the desire for natural diamonds is unmatched in our industry and his experience and knowledge of the industry has been pivotal to the success of the NDC. Despite retiring from De Beers earlier this year, Stephen agreed to continue in his role with the NDC to ensure a smooth transition to our new chair. Personally, I’ll miss his mentorship, but also wish him a very happy retirement.”
As the last of the original board members, Lussier said it has been an honor to serve as chair.
“Consumer desire for diamonds and consumer demand for diamond jewelry are the foundation upon which our industry is built, and the work of the NDC is pivotal in maintaining and building this consumer desire,” he said.
“This could not be clearer than it is in the current market. I remain fully confident that with the right marketing, the diamond dream will live ‘forever.’”
Related stories will be right here …
Lussier, the longest-serving board member, announced he is retiring as chair and board member.
Replacing him is De Beers Chief Brand Officer David Prager, who has served on the NDC board since last year.
“Across time and borders, natural diamonds stand apart as a source of value and values,” said Prager.
“I would like to thank Stephen for his singular contribution to the NDC since its inception. I am proud to serve as chairman of the NDC and support its dedicated team to connect more people around the world to the diamond dream.”
Lussier retired from De Beers in 2022, where he was most recently executive vice president of brands and consumer markets. He spent four decades promoting diamonds, working for De Beers’ former U.S. advertising agency N.W. Ayer, before going in-house with the miner.
NDC noted Lussier’s essential part in bringing miners together to market natural diamonds through the formation of the Diamond Producers Association in 2015, which has since rebranded itself as the Natural Diamond Council.
The organization said Lussier has served as the connector between it and its member companies.
“It has been a privilege to have had the opportunity to work with Stephen,” said Natural Diamond Council CEO David Kellie.
“His passion for building the desire for natural diamonds is unmatched in our industry and his experience and knowledge of the industry has been pivotal to the success of the NDC. Despite retiring from De Beers earlier this year, Stephen agreed to continue in his role with the NDC to ensure a smooth transition to our new chair. Personally, I’ll miss his mentorship, but also wish him a very happy retirement.”
As the last of the original board members, Lussier said it has been an honor to serve as chair.
“Consumer desire for diamonds and consumer demand for diamond jewelry are the foundation upon which our industry is built, and the work of the NDC is pivotal in maintaining and building this consumer desire,” he said.
“This could not be clearer than it is in the current market. I remain fully confident that with the right marketing, the diamond dream will live ‘forever.’”
More on Majors
The Latest
Policies & IssuesOct 08, 2026
Third Wave of IEEPA Tariff Refunds Begins This round of tariff refunds is for importers that have sued over IEEPA tariffs in the Court of International Trade and won.
CollectionsOct 08, 2026
Brent Neale’s New Collection Goes ‘Back to Basics’It revisits the brand’s most requested silhouettes, from "Pillow"-set necklaces and bracelets to "Signature"-set rings and earrings.
SourcingOct 08, 2026
Ethical Gem Fair Heads Back to BrooklynThe trade-only event includes buying opportunities as well as educational sessions on artisanal mining, the new Paraíba source, and more.
Brought to you by
Meet Gemology’s Next Generation Microscope: GIA® Gemolite® NXT Professional EditionExperience gemstones with greater precision and comfort than ever before.
Events & AwardsOct 08, 2026
Pattons Fine Jewelry Sweeps Local Design ContestAra Chanakian, a jeweler at Pattons, took home top honors in every category at Jewelers of Louisiana’s annual jewelry design competition.
Weekly QuizOct 08, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
AuctionsOct 08, 2026
Reba McEntire’s Jewelry, Watches Head to Julien’s AuctionsThe live charity benefit sale in Nashville will also feature gowns, boots, and other memorabilia from the country music legend.
Supplier BulletinOct 08, 2026
Overnight Mountings’ Bridal Builder Helps Jewelers Turn Custom Design into a Hands-On Selling ExperienceSponsored by Overnight Mountings
Brought to you by
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSubmit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.
Policies & IssuesOct 07, 2026
The Plumb Club Amplifies Its Voice as Geopolitical Pressures MountThe supplier organization recently joined JA and JVC to have more input on political issues affecting the jewelry industry.
CollectionsOct 07, 2026
Blue Nile, Royal Asscher Collection Highlights Natural Diamond BeautyBlue Nile, a Signet Jewelers-owned brand, is now Royal Asscher’s exclusive licensed retailer in North America.
CollectionsOct 07, 2026
4 Standout Pieces in Audemars Piguet’s First High Jewelry Collection “Royal Oak” pays homage to the brand’s most popular watch model using 18-karat gold as well as diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires.
SourcingOct 07, 2026
AGTA Extends Deadline for 2026 Spectrum Awards EntriesParticipants now have until Oct. 14 to complete their submissions.
Policies & IssuesOct 06, 2026
6 Charged in Connection to String of New Jersey Smash-and-GrabsThe alleged thieves used crow bars and sledgehammers to smash into jewelry stores across the state.
ColumnistsOct 06, 2026
Sherry Smith: Is the Consumer Really Trading Up?Ahead of the holidays, Smith urges jewelers to take a hard look at who’s buying jewelry, what they’re purchasing, and who’s stopped buying.
SourcingOct 06, 2026
DDG Taps Influencers for ‘My Diamond Does Good’ CampaignIn the new consumer-facing campaign, four fashion and lifestyle creators share the stories behind their natural diamond pieces.
MajorsOct 06, 2026
Frederick Goldman Names COO, CMOFGI President John Orrico is also leaving the company after more than 13 years.
Events & AwardsOct 06, 2026
JIS Fall Returns to MiamiThe 2026 edition will feature presentations on alternative materials and design trends, as well as pop-up activations on the show floor.
SourcingOct 05, 2026
De Beers to Take Full Ownership of Gahcho KuéIt is the last fully operational diamond mine in Canada following the recent closures of Ekati and Diavik.
AuctionsOct 05, 2026
The Star Cats of the Sandy Lerner AuctionThese jewels stood out at Bonhams’ sale of the cat-loving tech entrepreneur’s collection of objects depicting the feline form.
CollectionsOct 05, 2026
Sorellina Writes Another Love Letter for ‘Postscript’ CollectionThe fine jewelry brand has expanded the collection that debuted at Couture with four new designs based on its most popular styles.
SourcingOct 05, 2026
Bruce Bridges Joins CIBJO BoardThe AGTA president was elected for a two-year term on the board of directors.
SourcingOct 02, 2026
De Beers, National Geographic Society Renew Okavango Eternal Partnership The partnership, a pledge to protect Africa’s Okavango River Basin, has been extended for an additional five years.
MajorsOct 02, 2026
Pandora Opens New $150M Manufacturing Facility in VietnamThe new facility, its first outside of Thailand, will boost its manufacturing capacity by 50 percent.
TrendsOct 02, 2026
Hearts On Fire Celebrates 30th Anniversary With Heart PendantThe special-edition “Dream” pendant, our Piece of the Week, was created to mark Hearts On Fire’s 30-year milestone with 30 diamonds.
CrimeOct 01, 2026
Police Looking for 4 Suspects in $600K Smash-and-Grab RobberyDubai Jewelers in Springfield, Virginia, was once again the target of an armed robbery.
SurveysOct 01, 2026
Rolex Ranks Among Most Recommended Brands in US, Survey Says YouGov’s 2026 U.S. Most Recommended Brands report’s out, and a fast-fashion giant is sitting at No. 1 while Rolex is just shy of the top 5.
SourcingOct 01, 2026
Columbia Gem House Opens ‘Cutting Toward Change’ FundraiserProceeds from its jewelry raffle will benefit an organization working in India to combat silicosis, a lung disease affecting stone cutters.
