Editor’s Note
This analysis highlights a resilient trend in the natural diamond jewelry market, where consumer preferences are shifting toward higher-quality, larger-carat pieces. The rise in average unit price and carat weight underscores a broader movement of “consumption upgrade,” extending beyond traditional occasions like weddings to include more self-purchase and gifting scenarios.
The report indicates that the market value foundation of natural diamond jewelry remains solid and shows a trend of consumption upgrade. This is mainly reflected in the average unit price of natural diamond jewelry rising against the trend by 1.8%, and the average carat weight per piece also increasing to 0.32 carats, marking consumers’ growing demand for high-quality natural diamond jewelry.
Furthermore, the consumption scenarios for natural diamonds in China have undergone profound evolution, with gifting and self-purchase demands outside of wedding contexts showing vigorous growth. Natural diamond jewelry consumption in non-wedding scenarios now accounts for 81% of the total value of China’s natural diamond jewelry market, becoming the absolute mainstay. Among these, gift-giving accounts for over three-quarters of non-wedding purchases. Notably, driven by married women, the demand for self-purchase for personal pleasure has achieved growth leading the market. Meanwhile, the purchase volume share of natural diamonds in romantic gifting scenarios remains stable at 37%, continuously confirming its core value as an emotional carrier.
Data shows that China’s diamond consumer group exhibits a clear trend of becoming younger and more affluent: the proportion of Gen Z consumers aged 18-24 has climbed to 10%, while the proportion of consumers with a monthly income exceeding 10,000 RMB is as high as 72%. As Gen Z gradually grows into a main consumer force, their purchase rate has increased from 3% in 2022 to 4% in 2024. Moreover, Gen Z and Millennials show strong future purchase intentions, at 22% and 20% respectively, undoubtedly indicating that the Chinese market possesses enormous potential for natural diamond consumption.
Simultaneously, the report accurately outlines the core customer groups driving the development of China’s natural diamond jewelry consumption market. On one hand, Millennials, as one of the core consumer groups for natural diamonds, have become the undeniable backbone force, with the highest ownership rate of natural diamond jewelry (25%) and their consumption amount accounting for nearly two-thirds of the total. Their acceptance of wearing natural diamond jewelry daily is higher than the average, and natural diamond jewelry has become a luxurious symbol for embellishing their daily lives. Gen Z represents the future of the natural diamond industry, being the group with the strongest purchase intention for the next year (22%), with a continuously rising purchase rate, and their consumption amount share has already reached 16%. Compared to Millennials, Gen Z’s purchase motivations are more diverse, more often for wedding needs and gift-giving.
On the other hand, affluent consumer groups with a household monthly income above 30,000 RMB are the value cornerstone of the natural diamond market. Their average spending per piece of natural diamond jewelry is 40% higher than the overall average, and their future purchase intention is twice that of overall consumers. They purchase more for non-wedding and self-purchase purposes, preferring natural diamond necklaces and earrings.
Currently, the purchase journey of Chinese natural diamond jewelry consumers presents a new model of online-offline dual-track integration, where in-store experience and social media “seeding” are both indispensable. The report points out that offline stores play a key role in pre-sales consultation and purchase conversion, handling 58% of pre-sales consultations and 40% of actual purchase services. Notably, online channels play an indispensable role in the preliminary research and “seeding” stages: 51% of consumers conduct research through online channels or social media, a proportion that is even higher among wedding-related consumers and first-tier city consumers (65%). The number of consumers researching via social media and shopping apps continues to increase, driving a doubling of the sales contribution from online channels.
Research reveals that the natural diamond consumption market shows a significant branding trend, with the weight of brands in purchase decisions continuously increasing. Data shows that in 2024, branded diamond jewelry accounted for a high 98% of the total market consumption value. 14% of consumers explicitly stated that their purchase decisions were influenced by advertising, with an average decision cycle from seeing an ad to completing a purchase being 29 weeks. In the field of digital marketing, the sales contribution share of social media and live streaming platforms increased by 9% and 4% respectively, with Douyin becoming a key platform for about two-thirds of purchasers to browse jewelry information.
Against the backdrop of structural demand changes in the natural diamond industry, the ‘2025 China Diamond Purchase Research Report’ released by De Beers Group vividly outlines a vibrant and resilient landscape for China’s natural diamond consumption market. The younger generation and affluent consumer groups are reshaping the value connotation of natural diamonds—they are not only a symbol of eternal love but have also become a brilliant carrier for precious emotional connections, personal significant moments, and daily style expression. Looking to the future, De Beers Group will continue to be committed to understanding and leading the consumption trends of natural diamonds, further stimulating Chinese consumers’ desire for natural diamonds and meeting their increasingly diverse needs.