Building confidence in the natural diamond category with industry partners, guided by the Building Forever and diamond traceability strategies

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 September 2026 – 16 to 19 September, De Beers Group participated in Jewellery & Gem WORLD Hong Kong (JGW), presenting an immersive experience centred on Desert diamonds.

Drawing inspiration from the wonders of nature and the artistry of human craftsmanship, the showcase created a captivating space that brought the story of natural diamonds to life.

Following its successful Asian debut in Shanghai in July, Desert diamonds returned to Hong Kong as De Beers Group's first major beacon initiative in more than a decade and its largest category-marketing investment in 15 years. The activation reaffirmed the Group's commitment to strengthening long-term confidence in the natural diamond category, working alongside strategic partners across the value chain and guided by its Building Forever sustainability framework and diamond traceability strategy.

Industry leaders convene to shape the future

De Beers Group Chief Executive Officer Al Cook, Executive Vice President of Diamond Trading Paul Rowley, General Manager of Natural Diamonds Lynn Serfaty and Vice President of Natural Diamonds APAC Loletta Lai attended the Group's breakfast meeting, where they exchanged views with industry partners from around the world.

Distinguished guests included Lekoko S. Kenosi, Ambassador of Botswana to China; Lin Qiang, President of the Shanghai Diamond Exchange; Nosiphiwo Mzamo, Chief Executive Officer of the State Diamond Trader of South Africa; Amber Pepper, Chief Executive Officer of the Natural Diamond Council; Jillian Wolk, Chief Executive Officer of Tracr and Annie Wong, Chief Operating Officer of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group. Together with De Beers Group leadership and other attendees, they discussed future opportunities and areas for collaboration across the natural diamond industry.

"We firmly believe that natural diamonds have an enduring future, and we remain confident in the long-term opportunity presented by the Chinese market. China has always been one of De Beers Group's most important markets. For more than half a century, we have built deep and enduring relationships with retailers, consumers, governments and industry partners. We continue to invest in China and launched our Desert diamonds category-marketing initiative in July this year. The campaign has already delivered encouraging results in the US market and is showing strong momentum in China. Looking ahead, we invite our industry colleagues to work together to strengthen consumer confidence in the long-term value of natural diamonds," said Al Cook, Chief Executive Officer of De Beers Group.

"The natural diamond market is gradually stabilising. Supply and demand are moving towards equilibrium, while diamond prices are showing signs of recovery. The US market remains resilient and the Chinese market is also beginning to stabilise, while India, Europe, Japan and the Gulf markets are providing further momentum for industry growth. Global annual natural diamond production has declined from a peak of approximately 170 million carats to around 100 million carats. Effective supply management is essential to restoring market balance. Looking ahead, the industry must continue to invest in detection, grading and traceability systems, enabling consumers to distinguish clearly between natural and laboratory-grown diamonds, while advancing collective category marketing and industry collaboration." said Paul Rowley, Executive Vice President of Diamond Trading at De Beers Group.

"Desert diamonds are such a gift. They resonate with Chinese philosophies of resilience, transcendence and harmony between humanity and nature, while building a bridge between southern Africa and China. Through the Asian launch of Desert diamonds, retailer partnerships, social media communications and media engagement, we aim to further support China's focus on quality consumption and help more consumers understand and appreciate the enduring value of natural diamonds," says Lynn Serfaty, Managing Director of Natural Diamonds at De Beers Group shared her perspective on the emotional and cultural resonance of natural diamonds in China.

An immersive journey from earth to adornment

Following the breakfast meeting, De Beers Group officially unveiled its Show & Tell experience, inviting global industry guests on an immersive journey that combined visual, tactile and emotional storytelling.

Visitors entering the space were transported through the changing light of a vast desert landscape. Exterior screens depicted rolling sand dunes, while the interior brought together contemporary exhibition design and traditional Chinese bamboo-weaving craftsmanship, an element of China's intangible cultural heritage.

Artist Xu Mingyu created sharply faceted geometric display cases inspired by the precision of natural diamond cuts. The woven textures echoed the intricate patterns formed on desert surfaces by the passage of time. Through this dialogue between ancient Eastern craftsmanship and the untamed poetry of natural diamonds, the installation connected heritage, nature and contemporary design.

The Show & Tell experience unfolded across five narrative chapters, creating a sensory journey from the earth to the wearer's hand.

At the Desert diamonds display, loose natural diamonds were presented along a spectrum of warm, earthy hues, recalling the layered tones of the desert landscape. The distinctive colours of Desert diamonds arise naturally from subtle variations in nitrogen content and plastic deformation, giving every stone an entirely individual appearance and personality. No two Desert diamonds are alike, just as every person's story is unique.

In a rapidly changing digital age, younger consumers are increasingly drawn to authenticity and permanence. Formed over billions of years, natural diamonds embody this pursuit through their inherent rarity and individuality. At the exhibition, retail partners presented Desert diamonds jewellery collections including Chow Tai Fook's Desert Rose collection, Kashikey, represented by Chow Sang Sang, and alongside classic three-stone and five-stone designs.

Guests then moved to the Tracr area to explore the digital identity of a registered natural diamond. From mine to retail, the origin and journey of each diamond can be recorded and traced. A dedicated science and technology zone featured a range of De Beers Group's detection instruments, enabling guests to see first-hand how natural diamonds can be differentiated from laboratory-grown diamonds.

The journey also highlighted De Beers Group's long-standing conservation work. A dedicated rhino conservation area showcased decades of commitment to habitat protection, species breeding and relocation, bringing the Group's Building Forever sustainability commitment to life in a tangible and meaningful way.

The experience concluded with a multi-sensory exploration of Desert diamonds. A fragrance experience inspired by the vast desert landscape evoked the interplay between the beauty of the desert and the brilliance of diamonds, while interactive quizzes invited guests to discover their own natural diamond aura.

Advancing trust through collaboration and traceability

During the exhibition, De Beers Group also participated actively in a series of industry exchange activities, engaging with value-chain partners to explore the opportunities and future direction of the natural diamond industry.

At the Natural Diamond Value Chain Repositioning and Outlook Forum, jointly organised by the Natural Diamond Council and the Hong Kong Diamond Federation, participants from across the industry exchanged insights on the evolution of the natural diamond value chain and its future prospects. Meanwhile, at the Brilliant Convergence: Envisioning the Future of Jewellery Design seminar hosted by the Hong Kong Diamond Federation, Loletta Lai, Vice President of Natural Diamonds APAC at De Beers Group, joined jewellery designers and industry representatives to discuss how natural diamonds can continue to inspire contemporary jewellery design and sustain their appeal in an evolving market landscape.

In addition, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) presented "The Beauty of Natural Diamonds" exhibition during the show, inviting visitors to explore the formation and unique beauty of natural diamonds through a scientific lens. Through diamond fluorescence, microscopic images of inclusions and growth features, as well as GIA Diamond Grading Reports, the exhibition revealed the unique "natural fingerprint" of every natural diamond. Notably, ahead of this year's exhibition, GIA completed its acquisition of a 30% shareholding in the Tracr diamond traceability blockchain platform, an important milestone for the natural diamond industry. This strategic collaboration supports Tracr's evolution into independent industry infrastructure, providing dual assurance through diamond grading and origin traceability, and laying a strong foundation for a more transparent and trusted future for the natural diamond industry.

Extending the industry conversation into a jewellery experience, De Beers Group also invited members of the media and fashion community to visit the De Beers London Hong Kong flagship boutique, where they experienced the beauty and distinctive appeal of natural diamond jewellery through an immersive journey. Behind the brilliance of every natural diamond lies a traceable journey, from its origin at the mine to the careful craftsmanship applied through sustainable practices. Every stage reflects De Beers Group's unwavering commitment to exceptional quality and sustainability. Through jewellery try-ons and expert-led guidance, guests experienced first-hand how natural diamonds are being reinterpreted in a contemporary fashion context, deepening their emotional connection with appreciation of the category.

Guided by the enduring belief that "A Diamond Is Forever," De Beers Group's presence at this year's Jewellery & Gem WORLD Hong Kong not only demonstrated the continuing vitality and broad potential of natural diamonds in the global market but also created an emotionally resonant natural diamond journey for industry partners and consumers through the storytelling platform of Desert diamonds. The initiative brought new depth and warmth to natural diamond category education.

Looking ahead, De Beers Group will continue to work with industry partners worldwide, with its Building Forever sustainability framework and diamond traceability strategy serving as two key pillars in advancing the natural diamond industry towards a more transparent and sustainable new era. Through the interplay of art and culture, every natural diamond formed deep within the earth can shine ever more brightly in its time, continuing a timeless story of enduring beauty.

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About De Beers Group

Established in 1888, De Beers Group is the world's leading diamond company, with unrivalled expertise in the exploration, mining, sales and marketing of diamonds. Together with its partners, De Beers Group employs more than 20,000 people across the diamond value chain. It is the world's largest diamond producer by value, with mining operations in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. Innovation sits at the heart of the Group's strategy, underpinning a portfolio of brands including De Beers London and Forevermark, as well as pioneering solutions such as Gem Fair and Tracr, its diamond mining and traceability programmes. De Beers Group provides education and laboratory services through the De Beers Institute of Diamonds, and its Ignite team has introduced a range of technology systems for diamond sorting, detection and classification, delivering quality service and advanced technology to the diamond industry. De Beers Group is a member of Anglo American plc. For further information, visit www.debeersgroup.com.

About Building Forever
In 2020 De Beers Group established a set of sustainability goals to deliver a blueprint for lasting positive impact in the countries and regions where it operates and across the diamond value chain, so that every diamond it discovers and recovers brings enduring benefit to the people and environments of the places it comes from. Building Forever sets out a comprehensive framework built on four pillars: leading ethical practices across the industry, partnering for thriving communities, protecting the natural world and accelerating equal opportunity — guiding the Group towards a fairer, safer, cleaner and healthier future in which communities prosper and the environment is protected. De Beers Group works to raise industry standards, improve transparency of diamond provenance and improve conditions for artisanal miners. Across its operations, the Group follows best practice in biodiversity, water management, air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, waste management, and mine closure and rehabilitation. De Beers Group also works with stakeholders to build a sustainable future and to raise living standards in the communities where it operates, particularly in health and wellbeing, education and skills development, economic diversification and livelihood support. The Group actively promotes inclusive economic development and welcomes diverse perspectives to help shape the future of its business, its communities and wider society. It places particular emphasis on addressing the industry's long-standing gender imbalance and on encouraging a new and more diverse generation of talent into the diamond and jewellery industry.

Read more: De Beers Group Showcases Desert diamonds at Jewellery & Gem WORLD Hong Kong