ColumnistsMay 26, 2026
The Key Mindset for Better Trade Show BuyingBuying discipline at trade shows starts with clarity about your inventory levels, Smith writes.
SourcingNov 03, 2014
De Beers is ‘changing with the times’
De Beers executives gave Anglo American PLC investors an overview of the diamond business Monday, highlighting financial transparency, supply-demand dynamics and its belief in brands.
London--In a lengthy presentation Monday, De Beers executives gave Anglo American PLC investors an overview of its diamond business, highlighting financial transparency, supply-demand dynamics and the company’s beliefs in brands.
The presentation, the latest in a line in which this once very quiet company shared data from its new Diamond Insight Report, took place Monday afternoon in London, and was broadcast live over the Internet.
It served as a window for investors into a business that was long family-owned and might still seem shrouded in secrecy to some. The presentation also, as Bloomberg noted Monday, was held to convince investors that buying shares in Anglo is “the best way to gain exposure to a commodity that’s … outperforming any of the other major products the company mines.”
The presentation came almost exactly a month after an October meeting in New York in which De Beers’ executives attempted to pique banks’ interest in the diamond industry. In an industry that has relied on handshake deals for generations, the diamond miner and marketer has begun to demand more complete audits from the companies that buy its diamonds in an effort to make the industry more bankable.
The issue of financial transparency came up again Monday, as did the role of brands in the future of diamonds. This future includes Forevermark, the diamond brand from De Beers built around traceability from mine to market that is sold in more than 400 stores in the United States.
De Beers said today’s consumer has a growing desire for both ethical sourcing and branded diamonds. According to the Diamond Insight Reports, in 2013 36 percent of U.S. consumers reported buying a branded diamond, up from 22 percent in 2011 and 7 percent in 2002.
Brands, De Beers CEO Philippe Mellier said, are the future. While the company’s “A Diamond is Forever” tagline is deemed to be among the most effective marketing slogans of all time, De Beers is “changing with the times.”
“We are focusing today on Forevermark,” he said. “It’s a big diamond brand.”
Forevermark currently is sold in about 1,500 doors in 34 markets, including the 400-plus stores in the U.S. Next, De Beers plans to launch the brand in the United Kingdom and bring it to “many more” countries worldwide, Mellier said.
As De Beers has done for years, Monday’s presentation also stressed the anticipated supply-demand gap for diamonds
in the future, as no new major mines come online and demand grows due to the middle class of emerging markets.
One analyst challenged the company’s assertion during the question-and-answer session following the presentation, noting that “every year we see this chart”--referencing the supply-demand chart on page 14 of the Diamond Insight Report that shows diamond demand increasing while production drops--but the great run-up in diamond prices De Beers predicts never follows.
Finance Director Gareth Mostyn replied that De Beers believes there is “a very positive outlook for the industry” and noted that long-term, diamond prices have had to recover from the hit they took in 2008 and 2009. “We think it (the chart) is directionally accurate,” he said.
Anglo American holds an 85 percent stake in De Beers, having bought out the Oppenheimer family in 2012. The government of Botswana owns the remaining 15 percent.
More on Sourcing
The Latest
Events & AwardsMay 26, 2026
12 JCK Talks Sessions to Add to Your Las Vegas ScheduleThe trade show’s education series returns, with sessions on retail trends, AI, watches, marketing, corporate responsibility, and more.
Events & AwardsMay 26, 2026
CBG Brings Its Curated Designer Project to Las Vegas ShowThe Curated Designer Project has expanded to highlight eight independent jewelry designers during CBG’s Las Vegas show.
Brought to you by
All Eyes on Gold Prices. Alternatives to Look For. And What to BEWARE of in VegasAs gold prices rise, today’s retailers are looking for alternatives at prices that will appeal to wider audiences.
TrendsMay 26, 2026
Amanda’s Style File: A Cooldown Is ComingBring a cool tone to your summer jewelry with these white metal pieces.
Weekly QuizMay 21, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Events & AwardsMay 22, 2026
Instore Buys JA New York ShowThe deal closed this week, which means Instore will produce the JA NY show slated to take place this fall.
FinancialsMay 22, 2026
Richemont’s Jewelry Brands Lead the Charge in Q4The company’s jewelry sales were up in Q4 and the fiscal year, with Richemont raising prices in part because of the cost of gold.
Brought to you by
How Modern Training Is Becoming a Competitive Advantage for Jewelry RetailersWith the trade and customer trust in mind, GIA® developed NextGem™ – on-demand training designed specifically for retail.
CollectionsMay 22, 2026
Leigh Maxwell Celebrates 5 Years at Couture With ‘Bauble’ CollectionThe “Bauble” capsule collection of colorful one-of-a-kinds includes our Piece of the Week, the “Bauble” earrings, featuring rose zircon.
MajorsMay 22, 2026
Stuller’s New Packaging, Display Catalog Is Out The updated catalog has a newly dedicated section for gift wrapping.
PodcastsMay 21, 2026
Episode 5: Sotheby’s Frank Everett Puts the Auction Market in PerspectiveEverett covers colored stones’ surging popularity, the mellow return of the “Mellon Blue,” and his “The Devil Wears Prada” doppelgänger.
IndependentsMay 21, 2026
Springer’s Jewelers’ New Flagship Will Serve Next-Gen Luxury ShoppersFourth-generation CEO Lilly Mullen wants to emphasize experience, connection, and personalized service.
Events & AwardsMay 21, 2026
JA Announces Nina Pugliese Memorial ScholarshipThe new award, created in partnership with Henne Jewelers, honors the late designer’s legacy through supporting jewelry education.
CrimeMay 20, 2026
NYPD Warns of Jewelry Swap Scams Targeting SeniorsThe NYPD is warning elderly New Yorkers to keep their jewelry hidden when walking outside to avoid being a target.
IndependentsMay 20, 2026
Adornment & Theory’s New Store Feels Like Home Designer Viviana Langhoff has realized her dream of owning a space for her Chicago jewelry store that looks and feels like her brand.
Events & AwardsMay 20, 2026
Here Is Couture’s 2026 Education Lineup The sessions will run from Friday, May 29, to Sunday, May 31, with one being a live taping of an episode of Couture’s podcast.
Lab-GrownMay 20, 2026
Savannah Friedkin Jewelry Names New CEOFormer Stephanie Gottlieb Fine Jewelry executive Morgan P. Richardson is joining the lab-grown diamond jewelry brand.
WatchesMay 19, 2026
Here’s the AP x Swatch Pocket Watch That Caused PandemoniumThe $400 pocket watch is a blend of Audemars Piguet’s iconic eight-sided Royal Oak and Swatch’s unserious Pop watches from the ‘80s.
CollectionsMay 19, 2026
Chris Ploof’s New Collection Makes an Ancient Metal ModernWith gold prices on the rise, the “Modern Electrum” collection uses an alternative, non-tarnishing metal alloy composed of gold and silver.
IndependentsMay 19, 2026
Ellen and Michael Fruchtman Retire, Sell Marketing Agency Fruchtman Marketing has new owners, Erin Moyer-Carballea and Manuel Carballea, and will relocate to Miami.
ColumnistsMay 19, 2026
Peter Smith: The (Mostly) Immutable Sales TruthsIn a column for the 2026 State of the Majors issue, Smith lists 10 time-tested principles about sales that still ring true.
ColumnistsMay 18, 2026
Edahn Golan: What a K-Shaped Economy Means for Fine JewelryIn a column for the 2026 State of the Majors issue, Golan spells out how the growing economic divide in the U.S. is reshaping the market.
CollectionsMay 18, 2026
Foundrae’s New Collection Taps Into JoyThe “Limitless Expansion of Joy and Hope” collection evokes summer through colored gemstones and motifs of butterflies and florals.
CollectionsMay 18, 2026
Hancocks London Acquires Historic ‘Inchiquin’ EmeraldThe jewel, circa 1890, is from the late Victorian era and was owned by descendants of the last high king of Ireland.
Events & AwardsMay 18, 2026
Here Are the 2026 JCK Industry Fund Grant Recipients This is what the nine recipients plan to do with the funds.
AuctionsMay 15, 2026
American Collector Ponies Up Almost $17K for John Wayne’s RingThe Western star’s 14-karat gold signet ring sold for six times its low estimate following a bidding war at U.K. auction house Elmwood’s.
Events & AwardsMay 15, 2026
JA, MJSA To Sponsor Roundtable at TJSThe discussion, "Rebuilding the Jewelry Workforce," will take place on Saturday, May 16, in Troy, Michigan.
