GradingJun 23, 2025
GIA Names New President and CEO SourcingJul 07, 2025
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.
David Kellie, CEO of the Natural Diamond Council, announced Sunday via LinkedIn that he will step down at the end of the year.
New York—David Kellie, CEO of the Natural Diamond Council, has announced he will step down at 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.
Related stories will be right here …
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."
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Sourcing
The Latest
SurveysOct 09, 2026
These Will Be the 10 Busiest Days for In-Store Shopping This Holiday SeasonStores should expect to see the most customers on Nov. 27, and Christmas week is expected to be hectic too, as Dec. 25 falls on a Friday.
CollectionsOct 09, 2026
Elisa Solomon Collabs With Serendipity 3 on ‘Frozen Hot Chocolate’ CharmThe charm, our Piece of the Week, features brown diamond frozen hot chocolate topped with white diamond whipped cream and a ruby straw.
AuctionsOct 09, 2026
8-Carat Blue Diamond Goes Unsold at UK Jewelry Auction The top lot of Elmwood’s recent fine jewelry sale in London was a 1.84-carat, D color Tiffany & Co. solitaire diamond ring.
Brought to you by
Meet Gemology’s Next Generation Microscope: GIA® Gemolite® NXT Professional EditionExperience gemstones with greater precision and comfort than ever before.
WatchesOct 09, 2026
Movado to Sell Majority Stake in Ebel for $66.5MThe watch company agreed to sell a 95 percent interest to a group comprised of F.P. Journe, Chanel, and Swiss watch exec Pierre Jacques.
Weekly QuizOct 08, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
MajorsOct 07, 2026
Empire Safe & Vault Promotes Juan Morales to CEOAs part of the transition, Joseph Nicosia has stepped into the role of COO.
CrimeOct 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.
