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.
SourcingMar 09, 2021
De Beers Group on How It Will Achieve Gender Parity by 2030
The diamond miner and marketer has extended its partnership with UN Women for an additional five years.
Kemmonye Bakupi, a senior diamond sorter, is seen here analyzing rough diamonds with a loupe in Botswana. De Beers Group is outlining its plan to increase female representation in its workforce by 2030.
London—De Beers Group has extended its partnership with UN Women for five more years as it works to achieve gender parity across its workforce by 2030.
The company first partnered with UN Women in 2017, with the goal of increasing female representation in its workforce. Its first milestone was to increase the number of women in senior leadership positions.
By 2020, the female appointment rate increased from 22 percent to 40 percent, with the number of women in senior leadership positions overall rising from 17 percent to 30 percent.
Now, De Beers said it is focusing on achieving gender parity across its entire workforce. (The company uses the International Women’s Forum definition of gender parity, which is anywhere from 40 to 60 percent.)
It’s a member of the newly formed HeForShe Alliance, which brings together global leaders from government, corporations and civil society to develop and share solutions to gender equality’s biggest challenges.
Within the alliance, De Beers is focused specifically on addressing barriers to entry in the workforce for women, and creating a more diverse STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) talent pool, where women have been underrepresented historically.
The company first partnered with UN Women in 2017, with the goal of increasing female representation in its workforce. Its first milestone was to increase the number of women in senior leadership positions.
By 2020, the female appointment rate increased from 22 percent to 40 percent, with the number of women in senior leadership positions overall rising from 17 percent to 30 percent.
Now, De Beers said it is focusing on achieving gender parity across its entire workforce. (The company uses the International Women’s Forum definition of gender parity, which is anywhere from 40 to 60 percent.)
It’s a member of the newly formed HeForShe Alliance, which brings together global leaders from government, corporations and civil society to develop and share solutions to gender equality’s biggest challenges.
Within the alliance, De Beers is focused specifically on addressing barriers to entry in the workforce for women, and creating a more diverse STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) talent pool, where women have been underrepresented historically.
In the next five years, De Beers said it will enhance its talent development and succession programs, focus on training to encourage dialogue and challenge stereotypes, review its progress regularly, and help to increase access to STEM careers and education.
De Beers Group CEO and UN Women HeForShe Champion Bruce Cleaver said in a press release: “Achieving gender parity across our workforce is a business-critical priority for De Beers Group—not only is it the right thing to do, it’s the only way we will access the full talent pool and achieve our full potential.
“Now more than ever we have a societal imperative to keep working toward gender equality, as the COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges and we must work hard for sustainable change.”
De Beers Group CEO and UN Women HeForShe Champion Bruce Cleaver said in a press release: “Achieving gender parity across our workforce is a business-critical priority for De Beers Group—not only is it the right thing to do, it’s the only way we will access the full talent pool and achieve our full potential.
“Now more than ever we have a societal imperative to keep working toward gender equality, as the COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges and we must work hard for sustainable change.”
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
Senior Vice President, Sustainable Impact, Katie Fergusson, added: “We’ve made really meaningful progress on increasing the representation of women in leadership roles in our business during the past three years, but now we want to accelerate this momentum with a particular focus on technical roles, where women remain underrepresented globally.”
There’s more to De Beers commitment to UN Women.
In 2017 UN Women and De Beers launched Accelerating Women-Owned Micro-Enterprises (AWOME) in southern Africa. Now, De Beers will invest an additional $3 million.
The program has provided business training and mentorship to more than 1,000 female entrepreneurs in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, and qualified 50 local trainers so the program can continue.
By 2030, De Beers wants to increase the reach of the program to support 10,000 female micro-entrepreneurs.
Cleaver said, “Our commitments announced today to continue our journey toward gender parity in our workforce and to invest an additional $3 million to continue supporting women entrepreneurs in our host countries in southern Africa are further demonstration of our resolve to be a positive force for progress, and for change.
“We look forward to continuing to work with UN Women and our fellow HeForShe Alliance peers to share learnings, scale impact and accelerate progress over the next five years.”
Additionally, since it began its UN Women partnership, De Beers has granted more than 50 scholarships to young women from underprivileged communities in Canada to pursue STEM education.
De Beers also funded summer science camp for 30 high school girls, and partnered with WomEng in southern Africa to engage more than 900 girls and young women in workshops and mentorship programs.
The company’s new goal is to engage 10,000 girls with STEM by 2030.
The diamond miner and jeweler’s UN Women partnership is part of its internal sustainability program, dubbed Building Forever.
More on Sourcing
The Latest
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 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.
Brought to you by
Meet Gemology’s Next Generation Microscope: GIA® Gemolite® NXT Professional EditionExperience gemstones with greater precision and comfort than ever before.
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.
Weekly QuizOct 01, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
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.
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.
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.
TrendsOct 01, 2026
Carolina Hurricanes’ Championship Ring Reveals Hidden Hockey Puck PendantThe rings, crafted by Jason of Beverly Hills, celebrate the hockey team’s Stanley Cup win with design elements that honor its traditions.
TrendsOct 01, 2026
Amanda’s Style File: October’s Color Range This roundup of birthstone jewelry for October features vibrant tourmalines and opals with personality.
SourcingSep 30, 2026
Botswana’s President, De Beers CEO Say Diamond Demand Is RecoveringPresident Duma Boko spoke at back-to-back events in the city last week, touting Botswana’s stability and the diamond “bounceback.”
CollectionsSep 30, 2026
Oscar Heyman’s Holiday Book Is ‘A Living Archive’ The catalog showcases 112 new, one-of-a-kind pieces amid highlights from the jeweler’s historic archive.
SourcingSep 30, 2026
Gemfields Posts $98.5M Loss, Writes Down Value of Ruby MineIts Montepuez Ruby Mining operation in Mozambique, which is not yielding enough high-quality rubies, has taken a $125 million hit.
SurveysSep 30, 2026
Consumer Confidence Falls to 12-Year Low in SeptemberThose surveyed were worried about the present and the future, with write-in responses mentioning high oil and gas prices.
Events & AwardsSep 30, 2026
Jewelers of America, JA New York to Host Networking EventThe event will take place on the evening of Oct. 26 in New York City.
IndependentsSep 29, 2026
Christy Bromberg, Longtime Gift Buyer for Underwood Jewelers, Dies at 68She is remembered for her joie de vivre, upbeat personality, genuine interest in other people, and love of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
AuctionsSep 29, 2026
Dionne Warwick’s Jewelry Goes Up for AuctionOnline bidding is open now for Julien’s sale of items owned by the “Walk On By” singer, whose final album comes out this fall.
Events & AwardsSep 29, 2026
Matt Stuller to Receive 2027 Gem Award for Lifetime AchievementThe founder and executive chairman of Stuller Inc. is being honored for his impact on the jewelry industry at the 25th annual Gem Awards.
ColumnistsSep 29, 2026
Your Holiday Marketing Has a Bridal Blind SpotDecember is the most popular month to propose, and jewelers need to keep that in mind when planning their holiday marketing.
AuctionsSep 29, 2026
If You Love Cats, This Jewelry Auction Is for YouCat ladies of the jewelry world, unite. Sandy Lerner’s collection of cat jewelry and other objects is going up for auction Wednesday.
CollectionsSep 28, 2026
De Beers London Drops Water-Inspired High Jewelry Collection“Vibrations” features several firsts for De Beers’ high jewelry, including the use of chalcedony and diamonds sourced from artisanal miners.
CollectionsSep 28, 2026
Jessica McCormack Turns to Classic Motif for New CollectionThe “Bows” collection features three interpretations of the bow motif designed with Georgian and Victorian influences.
Events & AwardsSep 28, 2026
Guy Borenstein, Troy Underwood Among the Professionals Honored at AGS Conclave 2026The American Gem Society recognized industry members, one Guild, and a law enforcement official for their contributions to jewelry.
FinancialsSep 28, 2026
Instappraise, Jewelers Mutual Look to Simplify Jewelry InsuranceThrough a new system integration, customers can now receive instant personal jewelry insurance quotes at the time of appraisal.
WatchesSep 25, 2026
Smaller Rolex Watches Showing Strength on Secondary Market, Data ShowsFive of the 10 fastest-appreciating Rolex models on Bob’s Watches were Datejust 31 or Lady Datejust watches.
