Natural Diamond Council CEO David Kellie To Step Down
Kellie, who joined the organization in 2019, will remain in his role through the end of 2025.

He posted the news to his personal LinkedIn profile on Sunday.
“I remain committed to the mission of the NDC through the remainder of the year, including the onboarding of new members and the launch of a successful new campaign in Q4,” he wrote, adding that he plans to “enjoy a life of retirement” following his resignation.
Prior to joining the organization as CEO in 2019, Kellie was a marketing executive at Watches of Switzerland and Ralph Lauren.
Originally established in 2015 as the Diamond Producers Association, the organization was renamed in 2020.
It was launched to promote natural diamonds worldwide, initially funded by the world’s seven largest diamond producers, the three largest being Russian diamond miner Alrosa, De Beers Group, and Rio Tinto.
Though its annual allowance quadrupled in its first two years, the NDC’s budget was impacted by Alrosa’s withdrawal in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting sanctions on Russian diamonds.
The announcement of Kellie’s exit comes weeks after a new development that secures additional funding for the organization.
The Luanda Accord, signed by a handful of African countries, as well as global diamond trading centers and organizations, states that the signatories will allocate 1 percent of their annual revenue generated from rough diamond sales to the NDC to market natural diamonds globally.
The news also comes amid widespread and polarized discussion on the NDC’s newest campaign—a set of banner advertisements using Gen Z slang to compare natural diamonds and lab-grown diamonds.
The ads were posted in midtown Manhattan.
The ads were “a low-budget guerilla marketing test,” appearing only in New York, and were taken down after the negative reaction on LinkedIn, JCK reported.
Regarding Kellie's successor, the organization said, “The board of directors will take their time to consider a new person for the role vacated and will provide more information once that search is complete."
The Latest

The Museum of Arts and Design's new exhibition features 75 pieces by the designer, best known for her work in the “Black Panther” films.

Making its auction debut, "The Glowing Rose" is expected to fetch $20 million at the November jewelry sale in Geneva.

It took the masked thieves less than 10 minutes to steal eight irreplaceable jewels from two display cases in the museum’s Apollo Gallery.

You deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.

In 2026, the jewelry retailer will celebrate a milestone only a small percentage of family-owned businesses survive to see.


The new showcase dedicated to Italian jewelry design is set for Oct. 29-30.

Take a gaze at the sky with this pair of platinum diamond-set star earrings with blue lace agate drops.

The upcoming show provides savvy retailers with the opportunity to stock their cases with best sellers in advance of the holiday season.

Jeffrey Zimmer's decades of leadership at Reeds Jewelers are defined by integrity, a love of sourcing gemstones, and a heart for community.

The new high jewelry design and production process takes 30 days or less from concept to completion, the auction house said.

The holiday catalog for 2025 features never-before-seen images of more than 100 one-of-a-kind masterpieces.

The brand has released a second installment of its collection of traditional and non-traditional commitment heirlooms.

Corey rescued New England chain Day’s Jewelers, preserving its legacy with strong people skills, pragmatism, and a “get-it-done” attitude.

Charles Robinson Shay was sentenced to life in prison plus 120 years while his accomplice, Michael James McCormack, got 75 years.

Timepieces at Luxury will take place at The Venetian and, like Luxury, will be invitation-only for the first two days.

The auction house named a new global head of jewelry, as well as a new head of the jewelry department for the Americas.

As chairman of Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, Tom Dixon has been tasked with honoring the past and shaping the future of the family-run store.

Katty Villapando Lyte and Mica Rencher received a $10,000 grant for their business, Shimmer Culture LLC.

The parents of the Dallas Mavericks rookie bought their engagement ring at a Day’s store in Bangor, Maine, in 1997.

The UK-based brand sourced the gemstones, which are fully traceable, from an artisanal mining community in Tanzania.

The trio of Advent calendars include a version with 18-karat gold and lab-grown diamond jewelry in a red lacquer jewelry box.

Created in collaboration with Nymphenburg Porcelain, the lock is part of a four-piece collection that took two years to bring to fruition.

Jewelry industry veteran Alisa Bunger has taken on the role.

The company and industry leader’s two-decade tenure with De Beers will come to a close at the end of the month.

“The Winter Egg” set the world auction record for a Fabergé piece twice at previous Christie’s sales.

The company will pay 1.5x silver’s current spot price for each pound of silver oxide batteries submitted.

The line includes a “Shadow” series crafted exclusively for the new men’s offering and reimagined styles from the brand’s core collections.