Editor’s Note
This article highlights a significant industry milestone, as De Beers Group bridges its responsible sourcing initiative, GemFair, with its luxury brand for the first time. The new capsule collection represents a tangible step toward integrating traceable, ethically mined artisanal diamonds into the high jewelry market.
The global leading diamond company, De Beers Group, recently announced a groundbreaking collaboration between its GemFair project—dedicated to formalizing artisanal and small-scale diamond mining (ASM)—and the Group’s high jewelry brand, resulting in the launch of a capsule jewelry collection. This collaboration marks the first time that traceable, GemFair-certified artisanal mined diamonds have been integrated into high jewelry, intimately connecting exceptional design with the human story behind the diamonds’ origin. It allows consumers to appreciate the beauty of diamonds while understanding the profound significance of supporting community livelihoods.
Launched by De Beers Group in 2018, GemFair is a diamond sourcing program aimed at supporting artisanal and small-scale diamond mining by building secure, transparent market channels and advocating for responsible sourcing. Based on four principles—traceability, empowerment, fair value, and diversity & inclusion—the program utilizes proprietary digital tools and a third-party verified assurance system to ensure that every compliant diamond can be fully traced from mine to market. Simultaneously, by providing miners with professional training, fair pricing, and formal guidance, it tangibly improves their working conditions and living standards. As a key practical initiative under De Beers Group’s sustainability commitment “Building Forever,” GemFair is dedicated to transforming the rarity of diamonds into lasting responsibility for communities and the environment. It not only establishes formal channels for artisanal mined diamonds, which account for approximately 10% of global supply value and support millions of livelihoods, but also creates long-term value for mining areas through initiatives such as promoting ecological restoration, facilitating agricultural transformation, improving food security, and creating diversified livelihoods.
The newly released capsule jewelry collection transforms this journey of responsibility into wearable art. Each piece in the collection features diamonds sourced from the GemFair program, skillfully combining uncut rough diamonds with polished gems to vividly interpret the theme of “transformation” and celebrate the deep connection between the brand and the diamond mining communities. Every rough diamond, shaped by the powerful forces of nature and water, is hand-selected for its exceptional purity and brilliance. The polished diamonds are then meticulously handcrafted by artisans, creating a fascinating interplay with the rough stones that retain their natural form. This juxtaposition showcases the raw beauty of the earth while initiating a dialogue between nature and human craftsmanship. Furthermore, GemFair has now become a registered supplier for De Beers’ future jewelry collections, signifying that its diamonds fully meet the stringent standards of high jewelry in terms of both quality and responsible sourcing. This marks a crucial step in connecting extraordinary diamonds with their discoverers and eventual wearers.
To date, the GemFair program has established partnerships with over 500 mining sites globally, benefiting approximately 7,000 miners and indirectly impacting a wider community. Since its inception, GemFair has sourced over 20,000 diamonds from participating miners and conducted more than 5,700 compliance visits to mining sites.