Natural Diamond Council Rebrands as The Diamond Collective

(IDEX Online) - The Natural Diamond Council has rebranded itself as The Diamond Collective, dropping "Natural" from its public-facing name as it seeks to broaden industry participation and rebuild consumer demand for natural diamonds.

The organization describes itself on its new website as "a global, industry-funded not-for-profit dedicated to the future of natural diamonds".

It says it brings together "the people, stories and expertise behind diamonds" to inspire desire, protect consumer confidence and unite the industry around a shared ambition: "more people choosing diamonds, more often."

The Diamond Collective said on September 22 that its strategy is shifting from defending the natural diamond category to renewing desire for it, while moving from individual campaigns toward a coordinated industry program with shared investment and measurable commercial objectives.

The organization has identified three priorities: unite the industry, protect consumer confidence and inspire consumers.

Planned initiatives include culturally relevant campaigns, a universal Trustmark, stronger origin and provenance narratives, renewed partnerships with retailers and brands, and the use of artificial intelligence and digital tools in consumer discovery.

Its promotional video uses the tagline: "Billions of years old. Just getting started," positioning natural diamonds as an ancient product being presented to a new generation of consumers.

New CEO Amber Pepper said the organization had spent six months consulting producers, retailers, brands, creatives and consumers before developing the strategy. "We will only realize it by acting together," she said in the launch announcement.

The organization also plans to introduce a Diamond Desire Index, initially tracking consumers in the U.S., India and China for consideration, purchase intent, sentiment and willingness to recommend natural diamonds. It says the results will be reported annually.

The move comes as the natural diamond industry faces sustained price pressure and growing competition from lab grown diamonds. Against a backdrop of continued weakness in polished diamond prices, the Diamond Collective says its strategy responds to changes in how consumers discover, value and buy luxury goods.

The NDC has its roots in the Diamond Producers Association, founded in 2015 by major diamond producers.

It changed its name to the Natural Diamond Council in June 2020 and launched the "Only Natural Diamonds" consumer-facing identity. At the time, it said the new organization would promote the desirability of natural diamonds while becoming a digital publisher covering the industry.

Today's rebrand is the second major change in the organization's public identity in six years.

In 2023 it said major diamond manufacturers and industry organizations had joined the NDC alongside its producer members, expanding its representation beyond the mining companies that were responsible for establishing it.

The organization says its legal entity remains the Natural Diamond Council. Its new public-facing identity is intended to reflect a broader model in which producers, manufacturers, retailers, brands and other participants in the diamond value chain contribute to a common effort to generate consumer demand.

Pic courtesy The Diamond Collective.