De Beers has announced on 21 October that it will provide data on country of origin for all De Beers-sourced rough diamonds above 1.25 carats. This is for rough diamonds that are newly registered on the Tracr platform, the group’s digital platform for tracing natural diamonds from source at scale. From the start of 2025, this will be extended to rough diamonds above 1 carat in size (equivalent to approximately 0.5 carats and above in polished form), thereby aligning with the size threshold for new diamond import requirements for G7 countries.
For the first time, this initiative will enable diamond jewellery consumers at scale to engage with the unique journeys their diamonds have taken from source. The inclusion of specific origin data reinforces De Beers' commitment to transparency, ethical sourcing and consumer confidence as it continues to deliver on its Origins strategy.
The announcement was made at a ‘Spotlight on Diamonds’ event hosted in Paris and attended by a range of the world’s leading luxury jewellery brands. Alongside an update on its Origins strategy, De Beers also provided insights into its broader sustainability progress as part of its Building Forever framework, highlighting how the business will focus on priority areas of livelihoods, climate and nature.
Al Cook, CEO of De Beers, said: “For the first time in history, we have the technology to provide our customers with the provenance of their diamonds at scale. We know that our clients care deeply about sustainability and want to understand the good their diamonds have done. Our ambition is to offer them the story of every De Beers-sourced diamond, tracing its journey and positive impact from its origin to its crafting.”
Previously, Tracr provided ‘DTC’ origin for all registered diamonds sourced from De Beers, confirming that the diamond originated from one of the group’s operations in either Botswana, Canada, Namibia or South Africa. This approach reflected De Beers’ aggregation process (blending together like for like types of diamonds regardless of which of the four countries they were produced in), which is a key component of the value proposition both for diamond producing countries and rough diamond buying customers.
However, with the introduction of new proprietary scanning technology in diamond producing countries and the application of advanced algorithmic matching enabled by artificial intelligence, Tracr is now able to ‘digitally disaggregate’ diamonds to confirm their specific country of origin.
As De Beers implements its Origins strategy, the business will continue to evolve and advance the Tracr platform. Tracr is working with a range of leading businesses and entities across the diamond value chain, increasing its reach across the sector while expanding the share of supply registered on the platform.
De Beers also launched a new marketing initiative partnering with Signet Jewelers recently. Named “Worth the Wait”, the campaign is the inaugural effort between the two brands. It aims to reintroduce the allure of natural diamonds to “Zillennials” — the late Millennial and early Gen Z cohort born roughly between 1992 and 2002 — drawing on De Beers’ storytelling legacy and Signet’s data-driven customer insights, said the companies. (Photo courtesy: De Beers)
29-10-2024
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