Chamwe Kaira
De Beers Group has intensified its efforts to boost demand for natural diamonds, unveiling a new phase of its global ‘Desert Diamonds’ marketing campaign.
The company aims to capitalize on growing consumer interest while distinguishing natural stones from synthetic alternatives.
The renewed focus on natural diamonds carries particular weight for diamond-producing countries such as Namibia, Botswana, Angola and South Africa, where economies and mining sectors derive substantial value from natural diamond production.
Diamonds remain critical to Namibia’s economy. The country produced 556,000 carats of diamonds in the first quarter ending 31 March 2026, up from 459,000 carats in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Debmarine Namibia produced 1,435,000 carats in 2025. Namdeb’s land operations, meanwhile, produced 647,181 carats over the same year.
Namdeb Holdings, which is 50% owned by the Government of the Republic of Namibia and 50% by De Beers Group, and serves as the holding company for Namdeb Diamond Corporation and Debmarine Namibia, paid royalties worth N$260 million to the government.
Speaking at the annual JCK Las Vegas Show, the world’s largest jewelry industry event, De Beers Group chief executive officer Al Cook said the industry must unite behind natural diamonds to maximize emerging market opportunities.
“Consumer desire for natural diamonds is strong, but we need to work together as an industry in support of ‘Desert Diamonds’ to unlock the full value of the opportunity,” Cook said.
He noted that the initial Desert Diamonds campaign, launched in late 2025, had already demonstrated its ability to stimulate demand for natural and coloured diamonds, prompting the company to expand the initiative with the introduction of “Desert Diamonds Icons.”
The latest campaign will focus on four classic jewelry pieces including stud earrings, eternity bands, tennis bracelets and halo pendants, which together account for approximately 70% of diamond jewelry purchases globally.
According to De Beers, the original campaign helped drive growth in natural diamond sales among independent jewelers in the United States, with sales increasing by 4% during the fourth quarter of 2025 and by 9% during the first quarter of 2026.
Sales of diamonds in the K-to-Z colour range recorded even stronger gains, rising by 15% and 19%, respectively, over the same periods.
Cook said the industry is operating in a rapidly changing retail environment as prices for synthetic, lab-grown diamonds continue to decline.
“With the sustained falls in price of synthetic lab-grown diamonds, and large falls in demand for larger synthetic lab-grown diamonds, there may be challenges ahead for retailers who focus on synthetic lab-grown diamonds,” he said.
De Beers argues that the weakening economics of lab-grown diamonds present an opportunity for the natural diamond sector to reinforce its position with consumers by emphasizing rarity, provenance and long-term value.
The company said the Desert Diamonds campaign will benefit from the industry’s largest natural-diamond marketing budget in 15 years and is expected to have an even greater retail impact in 2026.
The campaign will also incorporate geo-targeted marketing designed to direct consumers to participating retailers.
Beyond marketing, De Beers highlighted broader industry efforts aimed at strengthening consumer confidence in natural diamonds.
The company said collaboration across the sector is delivering progress through initiatives such as Tracr, the blockchain-based diamond traceability platform.
De Beers also pointed to developments at the Natural Diamond Council, which has secured additional funding from diamond-producing countries and industry organizations.
“The natural way forward is clear to see,” Cook said.
