Editor’s Note
This article explores the renewed consumer fascination with natural diamonds, driven by high-profile celebrity engagements and a strategic industry push to broaden their cultural relevance.
When Taylor Swift debuted her eight-carat, vintage-style engagement ring in August, global interest in natural diamonds reignited. From Lauren Sánchez’s 30-carat pink gem to Georgina Rodríguez’s equally showstopping sparkler, celebrity engagement rings are once again fuelling consumer desire.
Beyond the headlines, De Beers Group is leading a strategic repositioning. Lynn Serfaty, General Manager of Natural Diamonds, Category Marketing, is driving efforts to expand relevance.
De Beers’ latest consumer research shows emotional symbolism, design aesthetics, and celebrity influence now outweigh traditional factors like value retention.
This shift spans generations. Gen Z “Emerging Self-Rewarders” favour fancy cuts and bold colour contrasts. “Wedding-Driven Buyers” in their thirties mark milestones beyond engagements. Millennials, or “Quality-Pursuing Stalwarts”, seek uniqueness and refinement, while older “Value Inheritors” view diamonds as inflation-resistant heirlooms.
In China, De Beers’ Diamond Acquisition Study 2025 found natural diamonds are widely seen as symbols of love, individuality, enduring value and personal pride. While awareness of lab-grown diamonds (LGDs) has grown, desirability remains limited. Most LGD buyers are new to the category and tend to have lower incomes. Natural diamonds continue to hold the emotional and symbolic high ground.
China’s reverence for natural diamonds is shaped by history, philosophy and spiritual tradition.
Used to polish jade over 5,000 years ago and gifted to emperors, diamonds symbolise clarity, resilience and strength.
This legacy resonates with young Chinese women seeking empowerment and self-love.
In a culture where nature is art and legacy is identity, De Beers positions diamonds as cultural artefacts—essential to enduring relevance.
While bridal remains a cornerstone, De Beers is broadening its narrative to champion self-purchase and personal empowerment.
This shift reflects a move away from transient fashion spending toward timeless luxury.
Serfaty draws on sociologist Georg Simmel’s insight: while fashion fades, jewellery endures—unchanged for generations, even a thousand years.
The natural diamond industry is navigating economic uncertainty and more cautious luxury spending. Consumers are reassessing priorities, placing greater value on experiences, sustainability, ethical sourcing and minimalist aesthetics.
Meanwhile, competition from lab-grown diamond jewellery continues to rise, blurring understanding around value and authenticity.
Restoring long-term demand will require transparency, innovation and cultural relevance.
That renewed storytelling begins October 15–19 at Frieze Masters 2025 in London where De Beers Group will spotlight the emotional and sensory power of diamonds to an international audience.
To bring this to life, De Beers is launching Voyage Through the Diamond Realm, an immersive installation crafted by artisans from Botswana, Paris and London. Visitors will journey through the life of a diamond via sound, visuals and music. The experience will travel to Los Angeles and China in 2026, amplified globally through social media and digital platforms.
With its 3Ds framework—Defend, Differentiate, Desire—De Beers is rewriting the narrative around natural diamonds.
Defend corrects misconceptions and highlights ESG impact through the Building Forever sustainability platform; Differentiate emphasises storytelling and traceability; Desire drives cultural relevance via Gen Z insights, social media and influencer collaborations. By embedding diamonds in heritage and design conversations, De Beers connects emotion, ethics and innovation to reignite demand.
