TA BLE O F

C O N T E N TS
FOREWORD

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

01 | DIAMOND INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

13

02 | THE DIAMOND INDUSTRY VALUECHAIN

Global consumer demand

Diamond jewellery retail
Cutting and polishing
Rough diamond sales and distribution
Rough diamond production
Diamond exploration

20
24
32
38
42
46

03 | IN FOCUS

Changing consumer preferences and the growth

of brands in the United States and China
The miracle of production
Safeguarding the industry through technology

GLOSSARY

52
66
74
81

FOR E WO R D

As the diamond industry evolves to respond to recent

consumer trends and macro-economic realities,
there are new and sometimes surprising answers
to perennial questions. What is the outlook for
diamonds? What are the trends to watch? What do
those involved in the industry from exploration
to retail need to do to ensure continued and
sustainable success?
De Beers, as the worlds leading diamond company,
is uniquely placed to shed light on these questions.
For decades, we have undertaken extensive primary
research in the main diamond markets and across the
whole value chain. Since the turn of the millennium,
our consumer research programme has surveyed
some 800,000 consumers worldwide. The global
trade research commissioned by us reaches out to
thousands of industry participants every year.

We aspire to play a leading role in helping all those

with an interest in the industry understand how and
why it is evolving. For the first time, we have brought
together our wealth of proprietary data and insight
into a single report that provides our perspective on
the global diamond industry in 2013/14 and beyond.
This Insight Report is the first in an annual series,
designed to add depth and detail to other industry
information sources and to your understanding of
this multi-faceted industry.
The world of diamonds remains fascinating,
challenging and precious. We hope you enjoy
finding out more.
PHILIPPE MELLIER
CEO, DE BEERS GROUP

DISCLAIMER
This report has been prepared by the De Beers Group (De Beers) and
comprises the written materials concerning De Beers and the wider
diamond industry. All references to De Beers in this report refer to the
De Beers Group, unless otherwise stated.
This report has been compiled by De Beers and/or its affiliates from sources
believed to be reliable, but no representation or warranty, express or implied,
is made as to its accuracy, completeness or correctness. All opinions and
estimates contained in this report are judgements as of the date of this
report, are subject to change without notice and are provided in good faith
but without legal responsibility.
This report should not be construed as business advice and the insights are
not to be used as the basis for investment or business decisions of any kind
without your own research and validation.
This report is for information purposes only. The information contained in
this report may be based on internal data, or data sourced from, or provided
by, third parties or publicly available sources. As such, it may include the
disclosures and/or views of those third parties, which may not necessarily
correspond to the views held by De Beers.
De Beers does not offer any representation or warranty as to the accuracy
or completeness of this report and no reliance should be placed on the
information disclosed for any purpose. Nothing in this report should be
interpreted to mean that De Beers or the diamond industry (as the case may
be) will necessarily perform in accordance with the analysis or data contained
in this report. All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable
to De Beers or persons acting on its behalf are qualified in their entirety by
these cautionary statements.
To the full extent permitted by law, neither De Beers nor any of its affiliates,
nor any other person, accepts any liability whatsoever for any direct or
consequential loss arising from any use of this report or the information
contained herein.

Forward-looking statements
This report includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than
statements of historical facts included in this report, including, without
limitation, those regarding De Beers future expectations and/or future
expectations in respect of the diamond industry, are forward-looking
statements. By their nature, such forward-looking statements involve known
and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the
actual results, performance or achievements of diamond markets, or industry
results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
Such forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions
made by De Beers in respect of the present and future business strategies
and the wider environment of the diamond industry. Important factors that
could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially
from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others,
levels of actual production during any period, levels of global demand and
commodity market prices, mineral resource exploration and development
capabilities, recovery rates and other operational capabilities, the availability
of mining and processing equipment, the ability to produce and transport
products profitably, the impact of foreign currency exchange rates on
market prices and operating costs, the availability of sufficient credit, the
effects of inflation, political uncertainty and economic conditions in relevant
areas of the world, the actions of competitors, activities by governmental
authorities such as changes in taxation or safety, health, environmental or
other types of regulation in the countries relevant to the diamond industry,
conflicts over land and resource ownership rights and other such risk factors.
Forward-looking statements should, therefore, be construed in light of such
risk factors and undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of
this report. De Beers expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to
release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement
contained herein to reflect any change in De Beers expectations with regard
thereto or any change in the events, conditions or circumstances on which
any such statement is based.

TH E
JOU R N E Y
OF A
DIAM O ND

DOW N STRE A M

G LO BA L
C O NS U ME R
D E MA ND

D I A MO ND
JE W E L L E RY
R E TA I L

U PSTRE A M
M I DSTREAM
ROUGH
D I A MO ND
P R O D U CT I O N
CUTTIN G,
POLISHING A N D
JEWEL LE RY
M ANUFACTU R I N G

D I A MO ND
E X P LO R AT I O N

R O U GH DI AMO ND
SA LES AND
DI ST R I B U T I O N

EXECU T I V E
SUMM ARY

This report aims to provide an annual perspective

on the global diamond industry, drawing on The
DeBeers Group of Companies extensive proprietary
data and insight as well as other industry sources.
The report is divided into three sections: Section 1
provides an outlook for the global diamond industry;
Section 2 describes the 2013 performance and key
trends to watch in each part of the diamond industry
value chain; and Section 3 highlights three In Focus
areas of particular importance to the industry. This
years report focuses on the changing consumer
preferences in the worlds largest and fastest-growing
diamond jewellery markets, the US and China; on
how technology is helping to safeguard the industry;
and on the miracle of production, showcasing
challenges and innovation in rough diamond mining.

SECTION 1: DIAMOND INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

In contrast with precious metals and other natural
resources industries, which rely on multiple sources
of demand, the diamond industry derives practically
all its value from consumers demand for diamond
jewellery. The outlook for the industry is thus
intrinsically linked to consumer demand. Even under
scenarios of volatile or weaker global economic
growth, demand for diamonds is expected to
show positive real growth in the next decade.

Positive demand growth for diamonds will almost

certainly outstrip growth in carat production, given
the lack of major new discoveries in the last decade
and the projected slowdown in several existing mines.
Across the value chain, companies that are able to
innovate and differentiate themselves will be best
positioned to capture the opportunities created
by this supply demand dynamic.
Relentless focus on two main areas will help the
industry to achieve its full growth potential over
the coming years:
The first is safeguarding and nurturing the diamond
dream that is, the allure that diamonds have for
consumers, based on their association with romance
and a sense of the eternal, and the fact that they
are seen as a lasting source of value. As always,
changing consumer preferences, competition from
other luxury categories, and among other risks
the potential confusion caused by undisclosed
synthetics all pose challenges for the entire industry.
The second is for companies across the whole value
chain to innovate and differentiate, to take full
advantage of opportunities created by the expected
growth in demand.

With these priorities in mind, three areas of

investment are likely to be particularly important:
1. Investment in branding, marketing and raised
retail standards will help ensure that consumers,
particularly among new generations and new
markets, do not drift away from the diamond
jewellery category in favour of competing
categories, such as travel, coloured stones,
electronic accessories or designer fashion.
2. Investment in production to drive innovation and
productivity in diamond supply. Diamonds have
always been a rare and precious resource, and as
mining moves deeper into the earth and towards
more remote locations, the extraction process is
now becoming increasingly complex, remote and
more costly.
3. Investment in technology will continue to be a
key differentiator across the value chain, while
also safeguarding consumers against the risk
of undisclosed treatments and synthetics, which
could undermine the long-term credibility of
theindustry.
Lack of investment in these areas could hamper
growth for the industry as a whole.
The industrys overall supply and demand dynamics
should generate value-creating business opportunities
that will enable such investments. However, scale and
differentiation will be increasingly important factors
for future success, across all parts of the value chain.
The industry is likely to continue to consolidate and
integrate (including through vertical integration).
It is also expected to continue professionalising,
modernising and becoming more transparent in the
years to come to the benefit of all those involved
with this precious resource, from the geologist
seeking the next big find to the bride wearing her
diamond wedding ring.

SECTION 2: THE DIAMOND INDUSTRY VALUE CHAIN

Consumer demand for diamonds has shown positive
nominal US dollar (USD) growth in the last five years,
with compound annual growth in diamond value just
under five per cent from 2008 to 2013. In this period,
growth was driven mainly by the emerging economies
of China and India, as well as the US, since 2010, while
Japan and the main European markets have shown
below average growth trends in this period.
The diamond jewellery retail sector is highly
fragmented worldwide with a variety of business
models serving a wide range of target consumers.
Thesector has experienced a range of financial
returns. In developed markets, many jewellery
retailers are failing to cover their cost of capital,
resulting in negative returns and the closure of
chains as well as smaller jewellers.

The recent acquisition of jewellery chain Zale

Corporation by Signet Jewelers, another jewellery
chain, illustrates the potential for consolidation in
the jewellery retailsector.
Overall, retailers in emerging economies have
outperformed their peers in developed economies,
partly because of the recent fast growth of the
middle classes and partly because of the rapid
pace of store openings to supply growing demand
in newgeographies.
The online channel is becoming increasingly
important around the globe, although consumers
are going online for different reasons in different
countries. In the US, the internet is becoming
important as a sales channel in its own right: more
than one-tenth of diamond jewellery sales in the
US were made online in 2013. While online is not
yet a significant sales channel in China, the internet
is usedby a quarter of acquirers for research
purposes before purchase.
Many specialist fine jewellery retailers such as
Tiffany, Cartier, De Beers Diamond Jewellers and
Chopard continue to invest in product offers and
store modernisation to support the diamond dream.
Another major trend to watch is increasing activity by
global luxury fashion houses such as Dior and Chanel
in the sale of diamond jewellery. These global brands
also support the diamond dream, and are raising
consumer expectations of the store environment,
in new design generation and customer service.
Branded diamonds and branded diamond jewellery
present a growth opportunity for diamond jewellery
retailers in both developed and emerging economies.
Consumers worldwide increasingly prefer branded
products and services. Brands can also be an attractive
financial proposition for retailers because the brand
identity frequently offers differentiation from generic
propositions. The additional revenue that can be
generated from brands should make it possible for
retailers to invest in their store environment and in
promoting their businesses and the category, leading
to a virtuous circle of growth.
Cutting and polishing remains fragmented, with
midstream companies under pressure from a
combination of increasing costs in the upstream, the
availability of credit and price-point requirements
from their retail customers. The financing challenges
are increasingly critical and could intensify over the
coming years, as banks apply more stringent lending
standards to the cutting and polishing industry. One
possible consequence is that some companies may
exit the industry, leading to greater consolidation.
Over time, those firms able to add significant value to
the diamond cutting and polishing process, and those
with transparent corporate and financial structures,
are more likely to be successful.

The shift of cutting and polishing operations towards

low-cost centres in India and the Far East is likely to
have reached its peak. Over recent years, producing
countries such as Botswana, South Africa and
Namibia have been striving for increased domestic
beneficiation. However, the development of a longterm sustainable cutting and polishing industry will
require not only government intervention but also
internationally competitive productivity levels.
Rough diamond sales and distribution channels are
continuing to evolve, as producers experiment with
sales methods to maximise the value of their rough
diamonds. Over the last five years, auctions have grown
in importance and it is possible that, as technology
continues to evolve, this trend will continue. However,
the major rough diamond producers are expected to
continue to rely predominantly on long-term contracts
to sell their production.
Producing countries have been playing a more
important role in the sale and distribution of rough
diamonds. This is driven by national governments
desire to increase their share of value from the
primary resource. The continuing trend towards
in-country beneficiation of diamonds saw perhaps
its largest milestone yet in 2013, with the move of
De Beers Global Sightholder Sales to Botswana, and
the organisation of De Beers first ever international
Sight in Gaborone in November 2013.

Rough diamond production was an estimated 146

million carats in 2013, well below the 2005 peak of
over 176 million carats mined1. Overall diamond
supply is expected to increase moderately in the next
few years, driven by new projects coming on-stream.
By 2020, when many existing mines will begin to
see declining outputs, overall supply will be likely
to plateau and, unless major new discoveries are
made in the coming years, supply can be expected
to decline gradually from 2020.
Diamond production is becoming increasingly
challenging as mining moves towards deeper, less
profitable and more remote sources of diamonds.
This trend is explored further in the In Focus
chapter, The miracle of production.
Exploration spend is expected to remain high as
the chase to find the next major source of diamonds
intensifies. Today, most of the diamond exploration
spend takes place in historically underexplored
African countries such as Angola, the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zimbabwe, aswell
as the vast swathes of Arctic Siberia and Canada.
Large-scale profitable discoveries will most likely
remain elusive, however. Viable diamond deposits
of any scale are rare and difficult to find, and no
amount ofinvestment in exploration guarantees
the discovery of deposits on which sustainable
mining operations can be built.
9

In reality, exploration spend for diamonds has not

kept pace with that for other natural resources; it is
now at practically half the record levels seen in 2007,
when the industry was spending almost US$1 billion
per year on diamond exploration. This situation is not
expected to change in the near future, as the global
mining industry overall continues to face pressure
on capital expenditure.

SECTION 3: IN FOCUS
Changing consumer preferences and the growth of
brands looks in detail at how the consumer landscape
is changing in the US and China. Notwithstanding the
markets vertiginous growth over the last five years,
China still offers a tremendous growth opportunity
for the industry. Penetration of diamond jewellery is
still relatively low and consumers desire for diamonds
is high. The situation in the US, a more mature
market for diamonds, is different. Fine jewellery has
grown more slowly than other luxury categories in
recent years. However, there are promising growth
areas in the US too, not least in bridal jewellery and
branded diamonds and diamond jewellery, which
have performed particularly well in recent years.

10

Safeguarding the industry through technology

describes the vital role played by technology across
the entire diamond value chain. Geologists rely
on technological innovation to help them discover
new, viable sources of diamonds in locations that
are often hard to access and difficult to work in,
such as the Arctic Circle. Mining companies also
look to technological innovation to keep operating
costs as low as possible. Rough diamond producers
are dependent on automated high-speed technology
to sort diamonds. Laboratories and cutting centres
rely on detection equipment to identify undisclosed
synthetics and treatments, which pose a challenge
to consumers confidence in diamonds.
The miracle of production explores the increasing
complexity and cost of mining diamonds. This section
explains what it takes to bring a diamond to the
market in the 21st century, and offers an insight into
the day-to-day realities and costs of diamond mining
at the extremes of the earth.

THE FUTURE AT A GLANCE

1.

Diamond demand will continue to grow in

real value terms, driven by the effect of the US
economic recovery and the continued growth
of emerging markets, especially China.

6.

The midstream will continue to come under

competitive pressure and, as a result, will
professionalise and consolidate; businesses with
scale and/or differentiated strategies will thrive.

2.

Positive demand growth for diamonds will

almost certainly outstrip growth in production
volume in the medium term. Across the value
chain, organisations that are able to innovate
and differentiate themselves will be best
positioned to capture theopportunities created
by this supply demand dynamic.

7.

Beneficiation will continue to be important

for countries and regions where diamonds
aremined.

8.

Diamond production will decline slowly after

2020 with low likelihood of large, economically
viable new finds.

9.

As supply from existing mines decreases, mining

will become increasingly complex and remote,
and increasingly costly as a result. Investment
inoperational innovation will be required to
drive productivity.

10.

Technology will remain critically important to

support the whole value chain, including in
safeguarding the diamond dream from the risk
of weakening consumer confidence as a result
of undisclosed synthetics and treatments to
natural diamonds.

3.

There will be strong competition from other

luxury categories, and investment will be required
to safeguard and nurture the diamonddream.

4.

Brands will become increasingly important

consumers are seeking them out, and they
give retailers an opportunity to differentiate
themselves from generic propositions.

5.

Online is rapidly increasing in importance

as a channel for both research and sales of
diamond jewellery to consumers, and will
continue to doso though the pattern differs
by geographic market.

11

12

01

DIAM O ND I N D U ST RY
OUT LO O K
In contrast with precious metals and other natural resources industries,
which rely on multiple sources of demand, the diamond industry
derives practically all its value from consumers demand for diamond
jewellery. The outlook for the industry is thus intrinsically linked to the
strength of consumer desire for diamonds.
Positive demand growth for diamonds will almost
certainly outstrip growth in carat production in the
next 10 years, given the lack of major new discoveries
in the last decade and the projected production
slowdown in several existing mines. Even under
scenarios of volatile or weaker global economic
growth, demand for diamonds is expected to show
positive real growth in the next decade. Across the
value chain, companies that are able to innovate
and differentiate themselves will be best positioned
to capture the opportunities created by this supply
demand dynamic.
A positive supply demand outlook is shared by a
number of external experts. For example, in its
recent publication on the global diamond industry,
McKinsey & Company sets out four potential future
scenarios for the diamond industry2 (see Fig. 1).
In every scenario, demand growth outstrips
production growth. De Beers has undertaken some
modelling of potential rough diamond supply and
demand based on McKinseys Diamonds are Forever
scenario, and the relative supply and demand curves
are shown inFig. 2. Other industry analysts have
expressed similarly positive views (see Fig. 3).

13

F I G . 1 : FOUR FUTURE SCENARIOS FOR THE DIAMOND INDUSTRY

McKinsey recently published a report, 'Perspectives on the Diamond Industry'. Building on four key uncertainties, the macroeconomic outlook, future consolidation in the value chain, consumer attitudes to diamonds, and the supply of rough
diamonds, the report identified four future scenarios for the global diamond industry.
Consumer demand grows strongly, fuelled by recovery in the US economy and continued above-

1 DIAMONDS

ARE FOREVER average growth in emerging markets, especially China and India. Brands become more important and
increasingly invest in promoting the allure of diamonds. Even with demand in Europe and Japan
softening, the dynamics of supply and demand in this scenario mean that previously uneconomical
mining projects become economically viable, so production is maximised.

2 DEMAND

Diamond demand grows more slowly as key consumer markets such as the US, China and India
experience weak growth. Companies lose the incentive to invest heavily in brands, and diamonds lose
some appeal through a lack of investment in promoting the diamond category and consumers moving
away from conspicuous consumption. Production remains stagnant but recycling of diamond jewellery
increases as consumers encounter financial distress.

3 FEAST AND

The diamond industry develops in a volatile manner, driven by high levels of global macro-economic
uncertainty. Strong rises in demand are followed by sharp decreases, leading to scattered supply
expansion. Lead-time between the demand and supply cycles implies a wide variation in prices.
Mining companies strive to diversify their mining assets to manage volatility and adapt to the growing
resource nationalism trend. Consumers increasingly move away from diamonds, and brands slow down
their investments.

4 EAST RENEWS

The industry enjoys strong growth driven by emerging markets, especially China and India. However,
US growth is only moderate. The consumer base for diamonds widens as the emerging middle class
grows and consumers show a distinct preference for brands. Diamond producers will continue to invest
in developing new supply projects.

SHOCK

FAMINE

GLOBAL
GROWTH

Source: McKinsey & Company, Perspectives on the Diamond Industry, September 2014

FIG. 2: SUPPLY AND DEMAND CURVE BASED ON DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

SCENARIO
Production forecast in value at 2013 prices

Index base 100 in 2014

Demand forecast value in nominal terms (smoothed)

180

160

140

120

100

80

60
2014F

2015F

2016F

2017F

2018F

2019F

2020F

2021F

Source: De Beers analysis, McKinsey & Company, Perspectives on the Diamond Industry, September 2014

14

2022F

2023F

2024F

2025F

FIG. 3: DIAMOND SUPPLY AND DEMAND: PERSPECTIVES FROM T WO

INDUSTRY ANALYSTS
DIAMOND DEMAND

DIAMOND SUPPLY

Diamond demand is expected to expand at a

Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 11 per
cent in nominal value between 2013 and 2017,
driven by:

Global natural supply is expected to increase at an

average rate of 5.2 per cent between 2013 and 2017:

Output in established mines falls as older mines come

Cyclical recovery in US consumer spend on luxury

goods as economic growth recovers.

Structural demand growth from emerging markets on

the back of higher penetration of diamond jewellery
among a growing middle class.

to the end of their life or move to underground mining.

Going underground will make it difficult to maintain
existing output levels due to additional haulage time
and the technical challenges that come with
underground mining.
New mines coming online (including Grib, Gahcho Ku,
Bunder, Karponskogo, Star-Orion South and Renard)
represent only 17 million additional carats per year.

Demand is set to strengthen rapidly, determined by the

recovery of consumer confidence in two key markets:

Production will be increased by a set number of projects

coming online including:

The US, which represents the largest share of global

Petras proposed expansion of Finsch and Cullinan,

jewellery sales. All indicators point to the fact that

the US will remain strong going forward.
China, which will underpin diamond growth in the
medium term, as penetration of diamond jewellery
pieces increases. Jewellery growth in China is
expected to remain robust, with leading retailers
such as Chow Tai Fook reporting 32 per cent higher
retail revenue over the 2014 Chinese New Year.

which will lift production from ~3 million carats per

year in 2014 to over 5 million carats per year in 2019.
Grib: 4 million carats per year.
Gahcho Ku: 4 million carats per year by the end of 2017.
Renard: 1.5-2 million carats by the end of 2017.

Source: Goldman Sachs, Get engaged with Russian diamonds: Initiating as Buy, 9 December 2013
RBC, Diamond Digest, 4 March 2014

15

However, the positive supply demand outlook can be

expected to be impacted by the cyclical nature of the
industry. It is especially prone to the ripple effect
caused by de-stocking and re-stocking by midstream
operators to fulfil lower or higher demand. Despite
this, over the past 50 years rough diamond values have
consistently recovered as economic growth rebounds
(see Fig. 4).

THERE ARE TWO KEY ASPECTS TO THE HEALTH OF THE

DIAMOND INDUSTRY IN THE NEAR FUTURE
The first is safeguarding and nurturing the diamond
dream that is, the allure that diamonds have for
consumers, based on their association with romance
and a sense of the eternal, and the fact that they are
seen as a lasting source of value. As always, changing
consumer preferences, competition from other
luxury categories, and among other risks the
potential confusion caused by undisclosed synthetics
and treatments all pose challenges for the entire
diamondindustry.
The second is innovation and differentiation to take
full advantage of opportunities created by the expected
growth in diamond demand.

FIG. 4: CONSUMER DEMAND AND DE BEERS ROUGH DIAMOND SALES

OVER TIME (1980-201 3)
US recession years

USD billion

Asia/Japan financial crisis

Consumer demand (Nominal USD PWP)
Nominal De Beers rough diamond sales

NOMINAL
DE BEERS
ROUGH SALES

PWP

25

20
6
15

10
3
5

Source: De Beers

16

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

1996

1995

1994

1993

1992

1991

1990

1989

1988

1987

1986

1985

1984

1983

1982

1981

0
1980

With these aspects in mind, three areas of investment

are likely to be particularly important for future growth:
1. Investment in branding, marketing and raised
retail standards will help ensure that consumers,
particularly among new generations and new
geographic markets, do not drift away from the
diamond jewellery category in favour of competing
items, be they experience categories such as travel,
electronic accessories or designer fashion.
2. Investment in production to drive innovation and
productivity in diamond supply. Diamonds have
always been a rare and precious resource and, as
mining moves deeper into the earth and towards
more remote locations, the extraction process
is now becoming increasingly complex, remote
andmore costly.
3. Investment in technology will continue to be a
key differentiator across the value chain, and
will also safeguard consumers against the risk
of undisclosed synthetics and treatments, which
could undermine the long-term credibility of
theindustry.

Overall, supply and demand prospects should

generate value-creating business opportunities
that will enable such investments. However, scale
and differentiation will be increasingly important
factors for future success, across all parts of the value
chain. The industry will continue to consolidate and
integrate (including through vertical integration),
and to professionalise, modernise and enhance its
transparency. This will be critical if it is to stay relevant
and profitable. Companies with scale will be better
positioned to make such changes proactively and
therefore to benefit from the continued growth of
the sector. Niche companies will have to differentiate
further their value propositions.
It is the responsibility of the entire industry, especially
those organisations of scale, to continue to make
these investments and secure the future of the
industry in the face of changes and challenges to
the sector. The In Focus section of this Insight
Report discusses these three investment areas: the
changing consumer; the challenges in rough diamond
production; and the imperative of using technology to
safeguard the consumer and the industry overall.

Lack of investment in these areas will be value

destructive for the industry as a whole.

17

18

02

TH E DI AM O N D I N D U ST RY
VALU E CHA I N
This section of the report examines each stage of the diamond value
chain in turn, providing a snapshot of how the industry has performed
recently and one perspective on what the future may hold.

19

GLO BAL CO N S U M E R
DEM AND

2013 SNAPSHOT
Global diamond jewellery sales were an estimated
US$79 billion in 2013, growing at over three per
cent in nominal value in 2013 in USD terms vs 2012,
ahead of the compounded annual rate of growth
experienced between 2008 and 2012 (see Fig. 5).
China continues to be the main growth engine
of diamond jewellery demand, but the US also
performed particularly well in 2013.
In terms of polished diamonds contained in diamond
jewellery at cutting centre wholesale value (so called
PWP or polished wholesale price), demand
increased by over three per cent from 2012 to 2013,
to reach approximately US$25 billion (see Fig. 6).
The two biggest markets, the US and China, both
grew by more than the global average, with sales of
polished diamonds increasing seven per cent in the
US and 14 per cent in China, measured in USD terms.
In contrast, both India and Japan saw sales fall (by six
per cent in Japan and 10 per cent in India, measured
in USD terms).

20

FIG. 5: DIAMOND JEWELLERY VALUE, GROW TH BY GEOGRAPHY

USD billion (nominal)
2008-2012 CAGR

2012-2013 GROWTH

2008-2013 CAGR

3.4%

3%
80

LOCAL
CURRENCY

USD

60

40

20

Rest of World

1%

India

6%

12%

China

18%

12%

Gulf

4%

4%

Japan

2%

-2%

US

1%

0
2008
Note:

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Gulf includes Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain

Source: De Beers

FIG. 6: POLISHED DIAMOND VALUE, GROW TH BY GEOGRAPHY

USD billion (nominal)
2008-2012 CAGR

30

2012-2013 GROWTH

2008-2013 CAGR

USD

3.4%
5%

25

Rest of World

2%

India

6%

China

20%

Gulf

3%

Japan

2%

US

4%

20

15

10

0
2008
Note:

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Gulf includes Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain

Source: De Beers

21

US consumers account for the largest share of global

polished demand (ie polished diamond content) in
USD terms at approximately 40 per cent, followed by
China/Hong Kong/Macau (approximately 15 per
cent), India (approximately eight per cent), the Gulf
Region3 (approximately eight per cent) and Japan
(approximately six per cent). Consumers in these top
five markets accounted for approximately 77 per cent
of total demand for polished diamonds in USD terms
in 2013.
All main geographic markets consume all types of
polished diamonds. However, with the exception of the
US, which has a more evenly distributed consumption
across all types of polished diamonds, other markets
have particular focus areas of polished diamonds
(see Fig. 7). For example, India consumes mainly
stones under 0.08 carats of all clarities, while China
consumes mainly stones between 0.18 carats and 0.99
carats of medium and high clarity. In recent years,
there has been growing demand for larger and higher
clarity diamonds in both the US and China. This will
probably mean increased competition to secure supply
of the best jewels and, potentially, an increasing shift
in value towards those types ofdiamonds.

Another characteristic of the diamond jewellery

segment is the seasonality of demand. Different
geographic markets have different shopping seasons,
but Q4 tends to be the main sales season globally,
followed by Q1. Fig. 8 illustrates the main periods of
diamond jewellery acquisition by consumers for the
three largest diamond consumer markets. Of note
is the pronounced seasonality of the US in which a
high proportion of pieces are acquired by consumers
between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Other markets
have slightly less pronounced seasonal patterns.

LOOKING AHEAD
A detailed view of future consumer trends for the
diamond industrys most important markets, the US
and China, is provided in the In Focus section of this
report: see Changing consumer preferences and the
growth of brands in the United States and China.

FIG. 7: T YPE OF POLISHED DIAMOND SOLD IN MAIN DIAMOND JEWELLERY

MARKETS, BY SIZE BAND
Large

2013 polished diamonds in jewellery sales, per cent

Medium
Small

MARKET SPLIT BY VALUE,

USD

MARKET SPLIT BY VOLUME,

Carats
100

100

80

80

60

60

40

40

20

20

0
US

Note:

India

Japan

Gulf

Large = 1+ carat, Medium = 0.18-0.99 carat, Small = <0.18 carat

Source: De Beers

22

China

US

China

India

Japan

Gulf

FIG. 8: SEASONALIT Y OF CONSUMER DIAMOND JEWELLERY (DJ)

ACQUISITION S BY MAIN MARKET
Monthly distribution of DJ acquisitions, per cent

US

India

China

35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Jan

US

INDIA

CHINA

Feb

Mar

Engagements
Valentines
Day

Apr

May

Mothers
Day

Jun

Jul

Aug

Oct

Nov

Thanksgiving

Wedding season

Dec
Engagements
Christmas
New Year

Diwali/Wedding
season

Wedding season

Chinese
New Year

Sep

Golden
Week

Chinese
Valentines
Day

Golden
Week

Source: De Beers

23

DIAM O ND J E W E LLE RY
RETAI L

2013 SNAPSHOT
Diamond jewellery retail is a highly fragmented
sector with over 200,000 retail doors selling diamond
jewellery worldwide.
The past few years saw a marked contrast between
developed and emerging markets in the performance
of diamond jewellery retailers. In developed markets,
retailers have faced pressures from a weak economic
environment and strong competition from branded
luxury goods and experiential categories, as well
as the low-price models of ecommerce companies.
On the other hand, the growing middle classes and
increasing consumer appetite for diamonds have
allowed retailers in developing markets, together with
the less prevalent ecommerce models, to enjoy higher
margins and return on invested capital, although
these too have started to come under pressure.

24

DEVELOPED MARKET RETAILERS ARE UNDER PRESSURE, BUT

SOME BUSINESS MODELS PERFORM STRONGLY
In developed markets, multiple business models exist
within diamond jewellery retail, ranging from luxury
chains to small, independent, family-owned stores.
Many of the large listed retailers across the US, Japan
and Europe have failed to meet their cost of capital,
resulting in negative returns4 (see Fig. 9). Leading US
speciality jewellery chains closed over 2,000 doors in
the last five years, with several traditional large chains
such as Whitehall, Friedmans and Finlay no longer
trading5 (see Fig. 10). No new jewellery retail chains
of scale have emerged to replace the doors lost when
these stores ceased totrade.
Not all developed market retailers make returns below
their weighted average cost of capital (WACC). Among
several retailers that have established successful
business models is Tiffany, which maintains one of
the highest margins of its peer group6. Blue Nile is
another example: the company is unusual in achieving
negative working capital by minimising inventory and
maximising payables, as consumers pay for their items
before they have been acquired byBlue Nile7.

FIG. 9: FINANCIAL RATIOS FOR A SELECTION OF

LISTED JEWELLERS IN DEVELOPED MARKETS

FIG. 10: UNITED STATES JEWELLERY CHAINS

DOORS OVER TIME

Per cent

Chains ranked top 10 in 2006

ROIC
2012

US

Tiffany
Signet
Jewelers

19

Most recent
15

EBIT
2012
18

Most recent
21

15

15

14

14

Zale
Corporation

JC Penney

-2

6,500
6,000
5,500

-13

-11

5,000

-10

4,500

Blue

Nilei

54

40

4,000

Reeds

Whitehall

Signet Jewlers (US)

Gitanjali

Fred Meyer

Zale Corporationii

Ultrai

Friedmans

No longer trading

Helzberg

Finlay

6,275
274
317
411
485
793

3,500
3,000

JAPAN

Tasaki
Shinju

-2

Jewelry
Tsutsumi

-3

88
95
155

3,847
300

59
104
234

1,307

2,500

1,471

2,000

13

1,500

13

1,000

2,350
1,679

500
0

EUROPE

Damiani

-6

-5

-5

2006

-4

2013

i
i

Blue Niles 2013 annual report states that the company has
negative working capital
Source: Bloomberg

Signet Jewelers acquired Ultra in 2012, with stores now

incorporated in Signet Jewelers (US) total
ii
Signet Jewelers acquired Zale Corporation in 2014
Source: Company filings

25

FIG. 11: FINANCIAL RATIOS FOR A SELECTION OF

LISTED JEWELLERS IN EMERGING MARKETS
Per cent
ROIC
2012
CHINA Chow Tai
Fook

EBIT
2012

Most recent

15

14

13

12

Luk Fook
Holdings

19

22

11

12

Lao Feng
Xiang

14

15

Hengdeli
Holdings

10

11

Titan
Company

35

22

10

10

Thangamayil
Jewellery

12

Tribhovandas
Bhimji Zaveri

12

Chow Sang
Sang

INDIA

Most recent

FIG. 12: GROWTH OF ONLINE DIAMOND JEWELLERY

SALES IN THE UNITED STATES
Share of online acquisitions in total womens
diamond jewellery market
Per cent of pieces
Per cent of value
18

13

13
12

26

Over the past few years, however, EBIT margins

(which for the major listed developing market
jewellers are similar to those of leading developed
market peers) have come under pressure8 as jewellery
input costs have increased and the pace of expansion
has slowed (see Fig. 11). In addition, gold demand
volatility has also played a role in weakening financial
results. As economic growth decelerates in the next
few years, and competition increases, it is likely that
margin pressures will also build for diamond jewellery
retailers in emerging markets.

Both emerging and developed markets saw a rise in

the importance of online channels in 2013. More
than one in six diamond jewellery purchases in
the US were made online in 2013, a growth of over
30 per cent since 2011 (see Fig. 12). Going online
also remains the most popular way for consumers
to research a purchase in the US: almost four in 10
consumers go online for research purposes before
buying, ahead of other touch-points such as jewellery
stores and advertisements (see Fig. 13).
Although online is not yet a significant sales channel
in China, the internet is already used by a quarter
of acquirers for different purposes, such as to learn
about fine jewellery quality and prices, to learn about
brands, and to pre-select designs. The internet is used
more frequently in the diamond purchase process by
single women, half of whom use it, and also by affluent
consumers, about six in 10 of whom researchonline.
Online, including mobile usage, can be expected to
grow in importance for diamond jewellery retailers
everywhere, be it for research purposes before a
purchase or as a sales channel (pure or hybrid, via
web sales with store pick-up).

Source: De Beers

For retailers in emerging markets such as China and

India, sales of gold and gold jewellery, normally a
low margin category, represent the majority of their
revenues. However, retailers in these markets selling
diamond jewellery have benefited from structural
factors: growing economies, an increasing base of
consumers with appetite for diamonds and expanding
number of stores selling diamond jewellery. In
China, there is also a benefit from relative sector
consolidation, with multiple jewellery retailers
operating at scale.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ONLINE CHANNELS RISES ACROSS

THEWORLD

Source: Bloomberg

2006

ON THE WHOLE, EMERGING MARKET RETAILERS HAVE

OUTPERFORMED DEVELOPED MARKETS

2011

2013

FIG. 13: PRE-PURCHASE TOUCH-POINTS FOR

DIAMOND JEWELLERY ACQUIRERS IN THE
UNITED STATES
Per cent of acquisitions in 2013
% OF PIECESi

Online

34

Jewellery stores

32

Advertisingii

Magazinesiii

i
ii
iii

% OF ACQUIRERSi

38

36

19

11

22

12

Multiple responses allowed

Includes all forms of advertising for a piece of diamond jewellery
or brand
Refers to DJ acquirers who selected look in magazines to see the
range of options

27

28

LOOKING AHEAD
BRANDS MAY HELP OVERALL PERFORMANCE, ESPECIALLY IN
DEVELOPED MARKETS
One way for the retail industry to improve its
financial performance could be a greater emphasis
on branded diamonds and diamond jewellery.
Increasing consumer preference for brands is evident
in the US from the jump in claimed acquisition of
branded engagement rings, from just seven per cent
of consumers in 2002 stating that their diamond
engagement ring (DER) was branded to one-third of
consumers in 2013 claiming that this was the case.
By offering brands with a specific positioning, and a
story that goes beyond the 4Cs, retailers are able to
address consumer needs for emotional engagement,
differentiate the product from generic offerings and
reinforce the diamond dream. While scale companies
are better placed to make the level of investment
required to benefit from this growing preference, all
retailers have the potential to benefit from this trend.
Branded diamond jewellery can also be an attractive
financial proposition for retailers. Successful brands
typically command a price premium above generic
products. This is based upon factors such as polished
diamonds beauty and appearance, jewellerydesign,

higher levels of consumer confidence, and superior

service, offering retailers opportunities to differentiate
from generic propositions (see Fig. 14).
The additional revenues from brands help retailers
to invest further in the in-store experience and in
promoting their businesses and the category,
helping to generate growth.

GLOBAL LUXURY BRANDS ARE SUPPORTING THE DIAMOND

DREAM AND CHANGING CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS
Many global luxury players such as Chanel and Dior
have entered the market for diamond jewellery, and
their approach to retailing is raising the bar for all
(see Fig. 15). As consumers become accustomed to
the retail standards set by the luxury houses, their
expectations of the store environment and customer
service are rising with important consequences
for other fine jewellery retailers.
Global luxury companies are not only changing
consumer expectations of how to buy, but also
consumer beliefs about what to buy. When selecting
diamonds, a consumers focus is often on acquiring
the best diamond possible: the carat content and
quality are critical. Global luxury brands are often
trying to shift the focus towards acquiring distinctive
designer pieces, adorned with diamonds.

FIG. 14: HOW THE FOREVERMARK BRAND IS SUPPORTING RETAILERS

1

OFFERING A UNIQUE
PROPOSITION

Fewer than one per cent of the worlds diamonds are eligible to become a
Forevermark diamond.
Branded diamonds with strong consumerr benefits can command a price premium
over unbranded products, translating into a margin uplift.
Forevermark provides retailers and consumers alike with the total confidence
that their Forevermark diamond is not only natural and untreated but
responsibly sourced.
Retailers can utilise the Forevermark brand in designs tailored to specific markets and
consumer tastes. I also love the fact that, while Forevermark is a brand in and of itself, we are
able to customise the offering and the marketing message to fit our merchandise and image
strategies. Coleman Clark, B.C Clark Jewelers.

INVESTING IN AWARENESS
AND DRIVING FOOTFALL AS
CONSUMERS SEEK OUT
FOREVERMARK STOCKISTS

Launched in China in 2008 and North America in 2011, Forevermark now has over
476 and 402 retail partners in the countries respectively.
The Forevermark brand continues to make gains in brand awareness in the top
diamond jewellery markets: in 2013, prompted awareness in the US reached one third
of consumers, and in China prompted awareness was 44 per cent.
Forevermark recently celebrated its one millionth inscription globally, with 45,000
diamonds inscribed in the US in 2013, a year-on-year increase of 66 per cent.
The Forevermark US Center of My Universe campaign in 2012 and 2013 was
enthusiastically received by both consumers and retailers: very pleased with overall
traffic that was brought in due to the campaign. Three times better than last years.
Forevermark retailer.

ENHANCING THE
PURCHASING EXPERIENCE
FOR CONSUMERS

Consumer initiatives such as branded in-store diamond viewers enhance the

consumers experience, creating a dialogue around the product. Getting a client
involved in viewing the Forevermark icon and inscription number is a must. John Borghes,
Marci Jewelers.

Source: De Beers

29

FIG. 15: CASE STUDY: CHANEL

Chanel is an example that epitomises the level of sophistication that luxury retail has reached.

If I have chosen diamonds it is because they represent

the highest value in the smallest volume
Gabrielle Chanel

MARTIN GOOD/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

The brand has invested heavily in stores, securing prime locations for its flagships, (eg New Bond
Street in London and New Yorks Fifth Avenue). Additionally, the quality of materials and
architecture of these stores is rising fast: leading architect Peter Marino was engaged to work on
Chanels flagship New Bond Streett store in London, and this one store alone is estimated to have
cost 30 million to design and refurbish9. Chanel has also created pop-up stores, such as its
temporary boutiques in St Tropez10 and Courchevel11, aimed at attracting wealthy holidaymakers.
Chanel has been careful to differentiate its store formats, opening specialist boutiques exclusively
to serve customers who are shopping for fine jewellery and watches rather than fashion. This
allows Chanel to offer an experience tailored specifically to selling jewellery, with the right store
ambience, specially trained staff and accompanying security.

MARCH MARCHO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Chanel is using technology and data in innovative ways to enhance the customer experience.
For instance, new stores feature a large screen on which to stream live coverage of Chanels
fashion shows. Chanel also communicates with its customers through a twice-daily newsletter,
Chanel News12.
RADUBERCAN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

TK KURIKAWA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

30

At the same time as investment in store and customer experience has grown, Chanels marketing
investment has also risen (as has that of its peers in the luxury world). Chanel more than doubled
its overall advertising spend over the last five years (up from US$67 million in 2008 to US$153
million in 2013), pulling ahead of branded jewellery specialists whose advertising spend decreased
over the same period13. This level of investment, in both advertising and the retail experience,
helps to reinforce the consumers desire for diamonds as precious and beautiful gems that are
particularly appropriate to mark significant life occasions and milestones.

FIG. 16: JEWELLERY MARKET M&A VOLUMES AND NUMBERS OVER TIME
SUM OF DEAL VALUE
USD million

# DEALS

Includes US$5.2 million

LVMH/Bulgari deal

9,000

90
85

8,000

80
75

7,000

70
65

6,000

60
55

5,000

50
45

4,000

40
35

3,000

30
25

2,000

20
15

1,000

10
5

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Source: Dealogic

CONTINUED CONSOLIDATION CAN BE EXPECTED

A possible response to rising consumer expectations,
and the increased investment required to support
them, could be retailer consolidation. In fact, given
the recent weakness in the worlds economy and the
number of underperforming retailers, consolidation
might already have been expected to happen.
In reality, deal numbers and volumes in theindustry
have grown slowly, at only two per cent CAGR from
2003 to 201314 (see Fig. 16).

The recent transaction announced between Zale

Corporation and Signet Jewelers in the US may signal
a change in the US jewellery retail space. Thenew
combined Signet/Zale entity could have as much as
10 per cent of total diamond jewellery sales in the US.
The US$100 million of annual savings estimated to
be achieved by fiscal year-end 201815, which the new
entity hopes to generate through store rationalisation
and increasing buying power, are meant to support its
profitability and allow it to invest in responding to the
changing consumer landscape.

31

CUT T I N G A N D
POL I SHI NG

2013 SNAPSHOT
The cutting and polishing industry is global in nature.
It remains fragmented, with thousands of companies
operating with multiple business models, including
wholesalers, rough dealers, manufacturers and
polished dealers, as well as combinations of these
activities. The Israel Diamond Exchange, for example,
has more than 3,000 members16, many of which are
very small companies or sole proprietors. Even among
the leading companies in the sector, there are many
traditional family-owned businesses with a long history
in the diamond industry.
However, recent years have seen the midstream sector
coming under increasing pressure for a number of
reasons. These include lower carat supply, increasing
costs in the upstream, and growing pressure from
the retail sector, where consumers make higher
demands and brands take greater share (as described
in the Diamond Jewellery Retail chapter of this
report). These trends are compounded by significant
financing challenges: as polished demand increases,
the midstream needs additional funding. Declining
overall central bank interest rates17 have not resulted
in lower borrowing costs for midstream companies,
indicating that banks perceive increasing risks in the
diamond sector overall (see Fig. 17).

FIG. 17: DIAMANTAIRES BORROWING COSTS OVER

TIME VS LIBOR RATES
Per cent

Average interest rate

paid by diamantaires
Libor

INTEREST RATE
8

0
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Source: De Beers estimates; ICE Benchmark Administration Limited
(IBA) for Libor rates

32

33

An interview with Erik A. Jens, CEO, ABN AMRO International

Diamond & Jewellery Clients

A DIAMOND
INDUSTRY
BANKERS VIEW
ON MIDSTREAM
ISSUES AND
SOLUTIONS

CAN YOU BRIEFLY INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOUR

EXPERIENCE WITH THE DIAMOND INDUSTRY?
I joined ABN AMRO International Diamond
& Jewellery Clients, one of the major lenders to
the midstream over the last century, as the CEO
morethan two years ago. My background is in
private banking and finance, particularly hedge
funds, so I entered the diamond industry with
afresh perspective.

HOW HAVE YOU SEEN THE MIDSTREAM EVOLVE

SINCE YOU FIRST STARTED WORKING HERE?
I have seen the industrys attitude to change evolve.
A couple of years ago, the midstream had a large
culture of blame: blaming miners for high prices,
retailers for stealing margins and bankers for
limited support. Recently, however, midstream
players have looked at themselves in the mirror, and
become self-critical in their practices. There appears
to be a readiness to embrace change from within,
in order to tackle the increasingly competitive
landscape. I believe this is a positive thing because
it means the industry is becoming more transparent
and sustainable.

LOOKING AHEAD
PRESSURE ON THE MIDSTREAM IS LIKELY TO LEAD TO
PROFESSIONALISATION AND CONSOLIDATION
Financing challenges are increasingly critical and
could intensify over the coming years. Rising inventory
costs, and diamond banks drive to constrain the
growth of their lending to the midstream, will mean
financing costs are unlikely to decrease, particularly
if the trend of low interest rates begins to change.
Additional financial scrutiny of the midstream
sector can therefore be expected. Leading banks in
the diamond sector have come to realise that they
have been taking equity-type risks in the diamond
midstream without getting the corresponding returns.
This is now changing and, as a result, borrowing costs
are going up while banks are asking their borrowers
to professionalise their capital management.
Overall, this trend is expected to affect the way the
industry operates. New lending standards will increase
the regulatory burden on the midstream, leading to
higher costs and operational complexity. One possible
consequence is that less well-established companies
may even exit the industry, leading to some level
ofconsolidation.

34

Over time, those firms that are able to add significant

value in the diamond cutting and polishing process
are more likely to be successful.
To succeed in todays highly competitive midstream,
diamond businesses must develop strongly
differentiated, value-added propositions that set
them apart from their competition. Diamantaires
at all stages of the value chain have approached
this challenge in their own unique ways. Rough
dealers and preparers, such as Dianco, Diarough,
De Toledo and Fruchter Gad, have developed their
own unique, proprietary and bespoke assortments
which are carefully targeted and adapted to the
needs of specialist manufacturers.
Rough polishing has been the source of tremendous
innovation over the past decade, with Indian firms
such as K Girdharlal, Venus, Karp and Kiran leading
the way: their implementation of advanced IT and
laser technology has revolutionised the precision and
yield recovery of the cutting and polishing process.
For other firms, polished diamond distribution has
become the key to their differentiation. Sophisticated
internet-enabled stock management systems allow
businesses such as EZ Diamonds, YDI and Star Rays to
respond with speed and precision to their customers
changing needs, often integrating seamlessly with a
customers own order management systems.

WHAT ARE YOUR KEY CONCERNS REGARDING THEFINANCIAL

HEALTH OF THE MIDSTREAM?
There is general lack of transparency in business
practices and quality of reported financials across
the midstream, leading to a loss of trust. This is
compounded by the fact that the midstream is highly
levered. Banks are therefore being more critical and
thorough with funding decisions, and looking for a
greater level of security against their loans.

HOW DO YOU THINK THE MIDSTREAM CAN ADDRESS THESE

CONCERNS FOR THE FUTURE? WHO HAS BETTER ACCESS TO
FUNDING AND WHY?
When approaching financing decisions, we assess the
bankability of the clients whether their business is
in good financial health with transparent business
plans, if they apply IFRS or equivalent GAAP
standards especially when reporting receivables and
inventory, and streamlining processes such as the
removal of inventory round-tripping. Financiers
reward sound fiscal management and good
compliance by providing better lending conditions
and more favourable rates. I also believe in openness
between banks and their clients in order to work
through any issues which in the end comes back to
the importance of transparency.

Many midstream companies now also offer a

consumer branded proposition that creates a
unique identity around the precision cuts they
manufacture. These include Leo Schachter with
the Leo cut, Exelco with Tolkowsky and Crossworks
with the Ideal Square and Ideal Cushion.

THERE WILL BE A CONTINUED PUSH FOR IN-COUNTRY

BENEFICIATION
When it comes to the geographical location of cutting
and polishing, the move towards low-cost centres in
India and the Far East is likely to have reached its
peak. Over recent years, producing countries such
as Botswana, South Africa and Namibia have been
striving for increased domestic beneficiation, leading
to some cutting and polishing jobs migrating to
thosecountries.
Diamonds are critical to the economies of some
producing nations. In Botswana, for example,
diamonds represent more than one quarter of GDP18
and over three-quarters of overall exports19, whereas
in Namibia they represent eight per cent of GDP20,
and almost 20 per cent of exports21 (see Fig. 18).
However, diamond mining in itself only creates a
limited number of jobs (as is also the case with other
types of mining) since it is capital-intensive rather
than labour-intensive.

WHICH DO YOU BELIEVE ARE THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PLAYERS

IN THIS INDUSTRY AND WHAT ARE THEY DOING THAT IS
MAKING THEM SUCCESSFUL?
In an increasingly competitive landscape,
competitors have to adopt strategies to ensure
survival and sustainability. Sustainability, in
my opinion, is the right to exist. This is achieved
by being prepared to compete in a saturated
space with dynamic and flexible business plans,
investment in infrastructure and technology and
diversification. Some successful players have shown
innovative manufacturing and cutting strategies
to produce greater yields as well as developing a
uniqueproduct.

DO YOU EXPECT CONSOLIDATION GOING FORWARD?

The rate of change is still very slow, so I do not
envisage much consolidation in the next five years
or so. However, I do see the competitive landscape
getting tougher, which will lead to those less
sustainable businesses disappearing.

FIG. 18: DIAMONDS SHARE OF GDP IN KEY

PRODUCING COUNTRIES IN 2013
Per cent

Diamond production, by
value, as per cent of GDP
Diamond exports, by value,
as per cent of total exports

80

76

70

60

50

40

30
26
19

20

10

0
Botswana

Namibia

Source: The World Bank; Kimberley Process Statistics; De Beers analysis

35

36

FIG. 19: CONSENSUS VIEW OF CUTTING AND POLISHING COSTS AND

EMPLOYMENT IN CUTTING CENTRES
APPROXIMATE CUTTING AND
POLISHING COST USD/CARAT i
CUTTING CENTRE

Canada

2008
25

APPROXIMATE TOTAL
CUTTING AND POLISHING JOBS

2013

2008

2013

0 NW
180 Ontario

300

50-80

Botswana

45->125

60-120

2,200

3,750

Namibia

45->125
5 > 25

60-140

1,500
,500

970

Belgium

120

150+

1,000

150-200

US

110

300

100

80-100

South Africa

60-100

130-150

1,800

1,000

Israel

47->55

140->300

2,000

400

Far East

15-35

20-50

29,000

10,000

India

6-50

10-50

850,000

800,000

Producer countries are gaining share on

the back of government policy, despite
higher costs than traditional
manufacturing locations

Old cutting locations have lost share of

manufacturing following migration first to
low-cost locations and subsequently to
producer countries

The trend of growth in low-cost locations

has recently started to reverse

These are estimates for the majority of production units and exclude outliers

Source: De Beers estimates

This is one of the main reasons why the governments

of southern African countries, for example, have been
keen to ensure their countries expand along the value
chain to sectors that create more jobs, such as cutting
and polishing.
At the same time as creating local jobs, beneficiation
policies create a challenge. Lower worker productivity
means that cutting costs are higher in southern Africa
than in countries such as India, and so the move
towards local cutting increases costs and reduces the
profit pool that can be shared between producers and
governments (see Fig. 19).

In order for local beneficiation to be sustainable in the

long term, producing countries will need to make an
effort to develop competitive downstream industries
that can create value as well asgenerate jobs.
This will require investment in skills development and
infrastructure as well as thoughtful regulation. Only in
this way can the downstream diamond industry ensure
long-term job creation that will attract investors and
developers to the sector.

37

ROU GH DI A M O N D SA LES
AND DI ST R I BU T I O N

2013 SNAPSHOT

FIG. 20: GLOBAL ROUGH SUPPLY

Global rough diamond sales by producers increased

approximately five per cent from 2012 to 2013, to
reach a total of just under US$18 billion.

Per cent
2013 ROUGH DIAMOND SALES BY VALUE SHARE

De Beers remained the largest supplier with roughly

33 per cent of overall sales measured by value (the
same share as in 2012), followed by ALROSA with
25 per cent of sales (vs 23 per cent the year before).
Other primary suppliers included SODIAM (Angola)
with an estimated six per cent share, Rio Tinto
with a five per cent share and Dominion Diamond
Corporation and the Zimbabwe alluvial producers
with about four per cent each, all in approximate
USD value terms (see Fig. 20).
A variety of rough diamond sales channels are used
by primary suppliers (see Fig. 21). De Beers uses
multi-year contracts with more than 80 term contract
clients Sightholders to sell most of its production.
De Beers has also used sophisticated online auctions
since 2008 to sell a proportion of the Groups
production. In recent years, ALROSA has established
three-year supply agreements with a selection of
customers and supplements these sales with onetime sales as well as competitive bidding (auctions)22.
However, some producers, such as Gem Diamonds
and Petra Diamonds, use an auction-only platform.

38

Othervi
11
Artisanal/
Informaliv
12

De Beersi

33

Zimbabwe/
Marange
(Chiadzwa)iv
4

Dominionv
4

ALROSAii
25

SODIAMiv
6
Rio Tintoiii
5

Okavango Diamond Company sales are accounted for in the De

Beers number as sales from DTC Botswana
ii
Excludes sales of polished diamonds and sales of rough
diamonds to Gokhran
iii
Company Annual/Quarterly Reports
iv
De Beers estimates
v
Includes 40 per cent of Diavik production and 80 per cent of
revenue from Ekati from April 2013
vi
Company reports including Gem, Petra, Firestone, Lucara,
Kimberley Diamonds, among others
Source: De Beers

In fact, supply through term contracts with a number

of selected customers seems to be the preferred mode
among suppliers offering a relatively stable volume
and mix of goods, often supplemented by auctions,
especially of large stones.

FIG. 21: ROUGH DIAMOND SALES METHODOLOGIES

SALES METHOD

DESCRIPTION

TERM CONTRACT

Whereas BHP Billiton used auctions to sell production

from its Ekati mine, Dominion Diamond Corporation,
which acquired 80 per cent of the mine from BHP
in 201323, has recently announced that the company
plans to sell its production from Ekati and its share of
the Diavik mine production through contract sales to
approximately 30 companies from July 201424.

Agreement for the continued sale of a certain

type and amount of rough diamonds over an
extended period. Contract lengths vary.
Generally, the price is set by the seller and the
same prices are charged for the same products
to all buyers.

WILLING BUYER,
WILLING SELLER
(OR PLACED
SALES)

Ad hoc sales agreement between seller and

buyer for a particular type of range of rough
diamonds with no guarantee of continued
supply. Price, either set by seller or subject to
negotiation between buyer and seller.

MORE ROUGH DIAMONDS ARE BEING SOLD LOCALLY

AUCTION

Discrete sales event at which bidders compete

for the purchase of a parcel of rough diamonds
through a series of rounds. Various types can
be employed such as multiple unit auctions and
open ascending price auctions. In most auction
types (except for tenders see below),
participants have the opportunity to amend
their offers in response to other bids submitted.
When one bidder has outcompeted the others
in the process, the auction is complete. Price is
an outcome of the competitive bidding process.

TENDER

Discrete sales event at which bidders submit a

single bid for the purchase of rough diamonds
through a closed envelope approach. The
highest bid submitted is the winner and as a
rule participants have no opportunity to amend
their offer once submitted.

Producing countries have been playing a more active

role in the sale and distribution of rough diamonds.
This is driven by a strong desire on the part of national
governments to increase their share of value-add
of the primary resource, and has resulted in the
establishment of domestic sales channels such as
the State Diamond Trader in South Africa, and the
Okavango Diamond Company in Botswana.
The trend towards in-country value addition to
diamonds saw perhaps its largest milestone yet in 2013,
with the move of De Beers Global Sightholder Sales to
Botswana, and the organisation of De Beers first ever
international Sight in Gaborone in November 2013.

Source: De Beers

39

This move followed the conclusion of a new diamond

sales and marketing agreement between De Beers
and the Government of the Republic of Botswana
and involved the transfer of the majority of De
Beers sorting and rough diamond sales activities,
including 84 employees, from De Beers London
offices to Gaborone. Employees who relocated from
London continue to work to integrate and harmonise
international skills, while also developing the skills of
the Batswana, strengthening the domestic talent pool
and the Botswana diamond sector overall.
As of 2014, the majority of De Beers rough diamond
availability is sold in Botswana. This will help position
the country as a global centre for the diamond
industry. The holding of Sights in Botswanas capital
means that representatives of De Beers Sightholders
more than 80 of the worlds leading diamantaires
travel to Gaborone up to 10 times a year, creating
additional demand for local goods and services. It
will also facilitate the expansion into downstream
beneficiation and the development of diamond-related
services. All of this has the potential to contribute to
substantial job creation in the Botswanaeconomy well
beyond the jobs created by De Beers activities directly
related to diamond selling (see Fig. 22).

For more than 45 years, the partnership between

De Beers and Botswana has delivered significant
benefits to the people of Botswana. At the heart of
this partnership is Debswana, the diamond mining
joint venture between the Government and De Beers.
Similar arrangements exist in Namibia and South
Africa, where partnership agreements are also in
place in Namibia with the Government through
Namdeb Holdings, and in South Africa with its
Black Economic Empowerment partner Ponahalo.
Governments in all these countries, as well as the
thousands of local workers in the diamond industry,
have made substantial efforts to support the industry.
However, to ensure the long-term sustainability of
the domestic diamond sector, it remains critical
that all stakeholders work together to maintain and
strengthen the productivity and competitiveness of
the sector.

FIG. 22: REACTIONS TO THE MOVE OF DE BEERS GLOBAL

SIGHTHOLDER SALES TO BOTSWANA
BOTSWANA GOVERNMENT STAKEHOLDERS
BELIEVE THE MOVE HAS DELIVERED VALUE
De Beers handled the moving process very well.
De Beers and Botswana have been strategic partners
since before the term existed this has delivered a lot
to the country.

LOCAL BUSINESSES FEEL THE BENEFITS

I started off my business on my own a year ago.
Just before the first Sight I had six people and now
I have 13 people working for me. In five years I want
to expand my business across Southern Africa.

People are now more aware of Botswana globally,

because they have to come here more often.

A Sight guarantees me a certain income every month

you still have to work hard, but it gives you a base
I wish we could have Sights every day, though!

Botswana can show other countries how they can

benefit from natural resources.

Everyone is grateful everyone in my company.

For us, the move has been terrific. Our business was
largely started on the back of the move.
I really feel a sense of excitement for the city at the
moment. Theres a lot thats need to be done, but
there is a real feeling of momentum.

40

LOOKING AHEAD
SALES CHANNELS WILL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE
In rough diamond sales, there are significant benefits
to being a scale producer and supplier. The various
mines offer quite different production profiles, and
production fluctuates in the quantity, size and quality
of diamonds. This means that a companys ability to
offer a consistent supply of gems is strengthened by
operating several mines.

The company remains committed to its model of term

contract sales to Sightholders, to which the company
will continue to allocate the majority of its supply.
However, in May 2015, it will introduce a new category
of rough diamond customer: the Accredited Buyer.
An Accredited Buyer will not be supplied by way of a
term contract, but will be eligible to purchase rough
diamonds not already committed for sale by way of
term contracts. Over time, Accredited Buyers that
demonstrate sufficient demand for De Beers goods
will be eligible to apply for Sightholder status.

This kind of offering attracts the best diamantaires and

also allows for a steadier cash flow for the company.
Rough diamond sales channels will continue to
evolve as producers strive to maximise value creation
for their production. De Beers is in the process of
redesigning its distribution system.

41

ROUGH DI A M O N D
PRO DU CT I O N

2013 SNAPSHOT
CURRENT PRODUCTION IS WELL BELOW ITS 2005 PEAK
De Beers estimates that overall global rough diamond
production increased by three per cent from 2012
to US$18 billion in 2013. Measured in carats, the
increase was seven per cent, to reach 146 million
carats. This is still well below the production peak in
2005, when overall production was above 176 million
carats25 (see Fig. 23).
The largest diamond producing country, by volume,
is Russia, which in 2013 produced 25 per cent
of total carats, and 26 per cent of overall rough
diamond value. Botswana produced 16 per cent of
carats, corresponding to 21 per cent of overall value.
Another large volume producing country is the DRC,
which has historically produced on average 19 per
cent of total volume, but equivalent to only roughly
six per cent of value due to low value per carat26
(seeFig. 24).

The third largest company in the sector is Rio Tinto,

which produced 11 per cent of total carats in 2013,
corresponding to approximately five per cent of global
production value. Another large producer is Angolas
Catoca mine, generating approximately five per cent
of both volume and value of production in 2013. The
companies operating the alluvial fields of Chiadzwa in
Zimbabwe contributed an estimated eight per cent of
volume and four per cent in value in2013.

FIG. 23: GLOBAL PRODUCTION VOLUME (1882-2013)

Million carats (gem only 1882-2008; all carats included 2008-2013)
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20

De Beers and ALROSA continue to be the two largest

diamond producing groups by value. De Beers 2013
share of volume was 21 per cent and its share of value
33 per cent, while ALROSAs share of volume and
value were 25 per cent and 26 per cent respectively
in 2013 (see Figs. 25 and 26).

42

0
1882

Note:

2013

Prior to 2008, Russian industrial carats were excluded from the

total. From 2008, they are included

Source: De Beers

FIG. 24: ROUGH DIAMOND PRODUCTION BY MAIN PRODUCING COUNTRY

VOLUME
Million carats

Russia

Botswana

Canada

Angola

DRC

Australia

South Africa

All others

VALUE
USD million

GROWTH
Per cent

GROWTH
Per cent

+7
20,000

150

+3

140
130
120
15,000

110
100
90
80

10,000

70
60
50
40

5,000

30
20
10
0

2012

2013

2012

2013

Source: De Beers estimates

FIG. 25: GLOBAL ROUGH DIAMOND PRODUCTION

VOLUME
Million carats

De Beers

Zimbabwe (Chiadzwa)

ALROSA
Other Major/Junior

2008-2013 CAGR
Per cent

USD million

De Beers

Zimbabwe (Chiadzwa)

Catoca

ALROSA

Catoca

Informal/Artisanal

Other Major/Junior

Informal/Artisanal

2008-2013 CAGR
Per cent

2008-2013 CAGR
Per cent

-4
160

FIG. 26: GLOBAL ROUGH DIAMOND PRODUCTION

VALUE

2008-2013 CAGR
Per cent

+17

20,000

153
146

150
140

-8

130
120

15,000

10,000

110
100

90
80
70
2

60
50

22

40

5,000

30
20

71
10

10

3
0

0
2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Source: De Beers estimates, Kimberley Process Statistics

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Source: De Beers estimates

43

LOOKING AHEAD

MAJOR EVENTS IN 2013

DIAMOND PRODUCTION

DIAMOND PRODUCTION IS EXPECTED TO FALL GRADUALLY

WHILE OPERATING COSTS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE
Overall diamond supply is expected to increase in
the next few years, driven by new projects coming
on stream. By 2020, when many of the existing mines
will begin to see declining outputs, overall supply is
expected to plateau (see Fig. 27).

Rio Tintos decision to continue to

operate in the diamond industry. Rio
Tinto conducted a strategic review of
its diamond business, which included a
potential divestment. In June, the company
announced its decision to retain the
diamond business27.

In April, Rio Tinto commenced

underground operations at its Argyle
mine in Australia28.

BHP Billitons exit from the industry upon

completing the sale of its stake in the Ekati
diamond mine to Dominion Diamond
Corporation in April29.

In October, the Russian government

privatised 16 per cent of its stake in
ALROSA, by way of an Initial Public
Offering, for US$1.3 billion.

A number of projects are under way to expand

diamond production. By 2020, about 25 per cent of
carat production will come from projects currently
under development, but much of this increase in
output comes from projected expansion at current
mines such as Rio Tintos Argyle mine in Australia.
Among new developments, the largest are ALROSAs
Botuobinskaya, Lukoils Grib and De Beers/
Mountain Province Diamonds Gahcho Ku projects.
Beyond 2020, there is a risk that production levels
will begin to decline unless major new discoveries are
made in the coming years and rapidly developed. As
illustrated elsewhere in this report (see Diamond
Exploration chapter), the likelihood of large
economically viable discoveries is low, and so supply
can be expected to decline gradually after 2020.

FIG. 27: PROJECTED GLOBAL ROUGH DIAMOND PRODUCTION

Million carats

New projects

Expansions

Existing

170
160
150
140
130
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10

Source: McKinsey & Company, Perspectives on the Diamond Industry, September 2014

44

2030

2029

2028

2027

2026

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

FIG. 28: DIAMOND PROJECT PIPELINE (2014-2017)

DEPOSIT NAME

OWNER(S)

Grib

Lukoil Oil Company

ADC (1997)

Russia

Development

2014

Botuobinskaya

ALROSA

ALROSA (1994)

Russia

Development

2015

Karpinsky-1

ALROSA

ALROSA (1982)

Russia

Development

2015

Gahcho Ku

De Beers/Mountain
Province Diamonds

Mountain Province Canada

Diamonds (1995)

Permitting

2016

Renard

Stornoway, Newmont

Ashton (2001)

Canada

Permitting

2017

Star-Orion South

Shore Gold Inc

Uranerz (1988)

Canada

Feasibility

2017+

Bunder

Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto (2004)

India

Pre-feasibility

2017+

Ghaghoo

Gem Diamonds

Falcon Bridge
(1981)

Botswana Construction

Note:

COUNTRY

STATUS

EST. FIRST
PRODUCTION

AVERAGE ANNUAL
PRODUCTION
(MCTS)

DISCOVERER AND
YEAR OF DISCOVERY

2014

0.4

All data estimated based on best available public information as of May 2014

Source: De Beers

In order to make a difference to global availability,

any discovery would have to be substantial even the
largest of new projects under development, Gahcho
Ku, will only expect to add approximately five
million carats per year at its peak of production,
about three to four per cent of annual global
production (see Fig. 28).
Even if new discoveries were made, the impact of such
discoveries on production levels would be likely to
be slow. From 1950 to today, it took an average of
14 years between the discovery of a diamond deposit
and the start of production. For projects currently
in development, however, this time is even longer:
it will take more than 20 years from discovery to first
production. Gahcho Ku, for example, was discovered
in 1995, but is not projected to enter production
until late 2016.
Diamond production is also becoming increasingly
challenging as mining moves towards deeper, less
profitable and more remote sources. This trend
is explored further in the In Focus section, The
miracle of production.

45

DIAM O N D
EXP LO R AT I O N
The chase is on: diamond miners continue to search the ends
of the earth for the next big find.

2013 SNAPSHOT
AROUND US$7 BILLION HAS BEEN SPENT ON EXPLORATION
SINCE 2000
Diamond mineral systems occur in very specific
cratonic target areas these are well-known.
With growing demand for diamonds and dwindling
supplies from existing mines, the search for the
next diamond mines is expected to continue.
Since 2000, the diamond mining industry has
spent almost US$7 billion on exploration30.
To date, these efforts have yielded relatively meagre
results: only one diamond deposit of significant size
(Bunder, in India) has been discovered during this
period31, in addition to other smaller deposits such
as Orapa AK6 in Botswana (now the Karowe mine),
owned by Lucara Diamond Corporation.
Today, the majority of diamond exploration spend
takes place in relatively underexplored African
countries such as Angola, the DRC and Zimbabwe,
as well as the vast swathes of Arctic Siberia and
Canada. Recently, there has been some change in
the allocation of this spending: from 2011 to 2013
the share of global exploration spending that went to
Russia increased from 27 per cent to 54 per cent, at
the expense of countries such as Canada, South Africa
and India32 (see Fig. 29).

46

FIG. 29: SHARE OF GLOBAL DIAMOND EXPLORATION SPEND BY COUNTRY

2013-2014
More than 50% share
0.14.9% share
Per cent

549% share

None

54

14

2i
0

13
0iii

1ii

ii
iii

Guinea: 0.5%; Sierra Leone: 4%;

Liberia: 0.5%
Lesotho: 0.9%
Paraguay and Brazil: 0.1%

Note:

Total may not sum due to rounding

Source: De Beers estimates based on company publications and websites, SNL Metals & Minings Corporate
Exploration Strategies 2013; includes grassroots, late stage, and mine site exploration expenditures

FIG. 30: GLOBAL DIAMOND EXPLORATION BUDGETS, 2001-2013 BY

COMPANY T YPE

Majorsi

USD million (nominal)

Juniorsii
Otheriii

1,000

800

600

400

200

ALL MINING EXPL.

EXPENDITURE
USD billion
i
ii
iii

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

10

13

11

16

21

14

A company with adjusted annual nonferrous mining-related revenue of US$500m or more

A company whose principal means of financing exploration is through equity financing
Entities not included in the above categories

Source: SNL Metals & Mining's Corporate Exploration Strategies 2013; includes grassroots, late stage, and mine site exploration expenditures

47

48

While the appetite for exploration remains high

(2013 spending was 2.5 times that of 2001), overall
spending has still not reached the record levels of
2007, when companies spent almost US$1 billion on
diamond exploration (see Fig. 30). The trend here
differs from the mining sector in general, where 2013
expenditure, although lower than in 2012, remains
well above 2007/2008 levels. De Beers and ALROSA
represented almost 75 per cent of exploration
spending in 201333.

FIG. 31: NUMBER OF DIAMOND DEPOSITS

SUFFICIENTLY RICH TO WARRANT DEVELOPMENT
6,800
1,000
5,800

LOOKING AHEAD
LARGE-SCALE PROFITABLE DISCOVERIES WILL MOST LIKELY
REMAIN ELUSIVE
The large diamond mining companies are expected
to continue to invest in exploration, but the
probability of a major profitable new diamond
discovery will remain relatively low. Thisis simply
because finding economic diamond deposits is
difficult: even spending billions of US dollars
in exploration carries no guarantee of actually
discovering economically viable deposits.
Over the last 140 years, almost 7,000 kimberlite pipes
have been sampled by geologists, about 1,000of
which have been diamondiferous. However,only
about 60 of these are sufficiently richin diamond to
be economically viable. Just seven mines (Jwaneng
and Orapa in Botswana, Udachny and Mir in Russia,
Premier (now Cullinan) and Venetia in South Africa
and Catoca in Angola) are what miners refer to as
Tier 1 deposits with more than US$20 billion worth
of reserves (see Fig. 31).
Overall, the global mining industry is facing
increasing pressure on capital expenditure, and in
recent years many large-scale development projects
have been placed on hold.

60
53
Kimberlite Nonpipes
diamondsampled
iferous

Diamondiferous
deposits

NonEconomical Tier
economical deposits
2&3

7
Tier 1i

Over US$20 billion reserves. 7 Tier 1 finds are: Jwaneng,

Orapa, Udachny, Venetia, Catoca, Premier (now Cullinan), Mir
Source: De Beers

The geographical focus of diamond exploration will

be likely to continue to be in those areas where the
prospectivity potential is highest and where the least
exploration has been conducted to date, such as
Central Africa, Russia and Canada. In addition, South
Africa and Zimbabwe are countries with potential:
although they have a long tradition of diamond
mining, high-resolution exploration technology has
not yet been applied systematically here.

This also puts pressure on exploration spending.

Across the mining sector, exploration expenditure
fell by almost a third to about US$14 billion in 201334.

49

50

03

IN FO CU S

51

IN FO CU S:
CHANGI NG C O N S U M E R
PRE F ER E NC ES A N D T H E
GROW T H O F BRA N D S
IN T HE U N I T E D STATES
AND CHI N A
The diamond dream is very much alive. The physical
attributes that diamond jewellery consumers are
drawn to the sparkle and beauty of diamonds
are accompanied by emotional associations of love
and promise, prestige, mystique, tradition and a
sense of the eternal. Diamonds continue to be seen
as an emotional symbol and a store of value.
However, the diamond industry cannot afford to
take this situation for granted, especially when
the consumer landscape is changing so rapidly.
This In Focus section provides an insight into
the changes in two of the worlds most important
diamond consumer markets: the US, the worlds
largest, and China, the worlds fastest growing.
The results shown here are drawn from extensive
consumer research commissioned by De Beers. In its
most recent survey, the research covered over 20,000
women in the US (nationally representative) and
over 10,000 women in China (representative of 123
Tier 1, 2 and 3 cities).

52

Non-bridal diamond jewellery is the largest segment

by value in the US. In 2013, it accounted for over
four in five pieces and about two-thirds of sales value
of womens DJ. However, compared with the prerecession state of the US market, this segment has
lost share both in volume and in value to the bridal
segment (see Fig. 33).

THE UNITED STATES

OPPORTUNITIES EMERGING DESPITE CHALLENGING

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
The US remains the largest market for diamonds in
the world. Total US retail sales of diamond jewellery
reached pre-2009 downturn levels in 2013 while
polished diamond content in jewellery increased by
20 per cent from 2008. Overall, the US accounted
for approximately 40 per cent of global polished
diamond consumption by value in 2013.

This shift has been driven by two changes. Firstly, the

number of DER pieces sold has increased and the
average price per DER piece has grown even more
rapidly than unit sales. The average DER price is
more than three times higher than the average price
for other womens jewellery. As a result, in 2013 DER
accounted for a little over one in 10 pieces sold, but
represented close to 28 per cent of retail marketvalue
of womens DJ.

The US consumer market is made up of womens

jewellery, mens jewellery and jewellery for adolescent
girls, called teens jewellery. Of those three segments,
womens jewellery represents by far the largest portion
of total diamond jewellery sales, with well over 90
per cent of sales value.

Secondly, within the non-bridal segment, the two

sub-sets MWDJ and SWDJ have behaved quite
differently since the economic downturn. Over this
period, the share of MWDJ has declined in volume
of pieces, while its share of value has gone up slightly.
At the same time, the SWDJ segment has retained its
share of volume, but its share of value has declined.

Traditionally, two major segments of diamond

jewellery have been analysed in the US womens
category: bridal jewellery (including diamond
engagement rings (DER) and diamond wedding
bands (DWB)) and non-bridal jewellery (which can
be further subdivided into married womens diamond
jewellery (MWDJ) and single womens diamond
jewellery (SWDJ)) see Fig. 32.

FIG. 32: DIAMOND JEWELLERY (DJ) MAIN CONSUMER SEGMENTS IN THE

UNITED STATES (2013)
Per cent of DJ value
Total DJ demand

100
Mens &
Teens DJ

Womens DJ (WDJ)

94

Bridal DJ

Non-Bridal DJ

Teens DJ

30

64

DER

MWDJ

26

52
DWB

4
Note:

SWDJ

Mens DJ

12 5

Area of rectangles reflects approximate proportion of total market by value

Source: De Beers

53

FIG. 33: BREAKDOWN OF WOMEN'S DIAMOND JEWELLERY SHARE BY

SEGMENT IN THE UNITED STATES
Per cent (by pieces and value)
SHARE CHANGES VS 2007
Percentage points
BRIDAL

NON-BRIDAL

DER

12

DWBi

Single
Women
(SWDJ)

35

Married
Women
(MWDJ)

50

SHARE CHANGES VS 2007 AVERAGE PRICE

Percentage points
Paid in 2013

+6.2

US$3,700
28

-0.6

US$2,300
-0.6

-0.3

-5.3

Pieces
i

+8.1

US$600

13

-8.8

55

+1.4

US$1,400

Value

In 2013, diamond wedding band (DWB) defined as ring with a setting of diamonds in a single row, all about the same size

Source: De Beers

These trends reflect, in part, the impact of the

economic downturn experienced by married and
single women in the US:

FIG. 34: SHARE OF ADVERTISING VOICE IN THE

UNITED STATES

Married women in households most affected by

economic pressures exited the category while
thosewho acquired received more expensive
pieceson average.

Per cent

100

Single women continued to acquire pieces but at

lower prices on average.

Jewellery

Fashion

Time pieces

Electronics

100
13

21
9

FINE JEWELLERY IS FACING STRONG COMPETITION FROM

OTHER CATEGORIES

10

It is clear that, as the US economy recovers from the

financial crisis, the new consumer landscape holds
both challenges and promise for diamond jewellery.
First of all, fine jewellery is facing strong competition
from other luxury and experiential categories. In
2013, fine jewellery was not among the top five on the
list of gifts that US women would most like to receive,
ranking behind holidays (foreign and domestic),
electronics, home furnishings and spa days. Among
young people (aged 18-34), the desirability of fine
jewellery ranked below branded luxury products such
as designer handbags and clothing. However, diamonds
were still the most popular choice for fine jewellery for
all age segments; in fact, diamonds were almost three
times more popular than any other type of jewellery.

54

36
30

39

2007
Source: Mindshare

42

2013

Part of the explanation for this relative weakness

of fine jewellery in consumers preference may
be that other luxury and discretionary categories
have continued to compete far more strongly for
consumers attention. Share of advertising voice
for fine jewellery within the US luxury segment has
declined over the last seven years (from 21 per cent
in 2007 to 13 per cent in 2013 see Fig. 34)35.
Overall, the fine jewellery category has been growing
at a slower rate than other discretionary and luxury
goods for some time (see Fig. 35). Luxury jewellery
sales grew at a compound annual growth rate of just
below two per cent between 2004 and 2013, well
behind luxury electronic gadgets (14 per cent), fine
wines (11 per cent) and premium beauty/personal
care (eight per cent)36.
In addition, a growing number of Americans facing
financial strain in the aftermath of the financial crisis
have resorted to recycling jewellery. The experience
customers sometimes encountered when trying to
sell back their jewellery pieces, especially to nonspecialised businesses, could also have played a role
in impacting upon the products relative desirability
(see the Trends to Watch box).

FIG. 35: GROWTH OF LUXURY CATEGORIES IN THE

UNITED STATES
Per cent
CAGR, 2004-2013
Luxury electronic gadgets

13.7

Fine wines, champagne, spirits

11.2

Super premium beauty and

personal care

8.3

Luxury accessories

5.1

Luxury travel goods

4.1

Luxury tobacco

3.1

Luxury time pieces

2.5

Luxury jewellery

1.9

Design apparel

1.8

Luxury writing instruments

and stationery

(0.5)

TOTAL LUXURY MARKET = 3.6

Source: Euromonitor

TRENDS TO WATCH
DIAMOND JEWELLERY RECYCLING
Trading of previously owned diamonds (sellback, trade-up) is a normal part of the lifecycle of
jewellery and forms a growing segment of the diamond jewellery industry. However, this activity
has attracted greater attention in the diamond industry in recent years, as its scale was boosted
not only by the global economic downturn but also by the accompanying appreciation of gold
prices during that period. In many cases, consumers wanted to sell back their goldjewellery,
and diamonds were simply a by-product; on other occasions, the diamond was the main item
being soldback.
Due to the lack of a reliable buy-back offer from traditional retailers, US consumers have
increasingly turned to pawnbrokers and to high-visibility, non-specialised new entrants to sell
back their diamond jewellery. Consumers whohave sold diamond jewellery through these
channels have often left dissatisfied, especially due to a perceived lack of transparency and
objectivity in the pricing of their jewellery. Consumers who trade up their diamond jewellery
throughspecialised channels are generally less dissatisfied with their experience.
The recycling trend could undermine trust in the diamond industry and consumers belief in
the diamond dream. The industry will need to continue to work towards offering consumers
expert advice and clear choices when it comesto recycling of diamond jewellery.

55

56

FIG. 36: CONSUMERS WHO REPORTED BUYING A

BRANDED DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT RING
Per cent
36

Raising fine jewellerys place to the top of the

desirability list is not a simple matter. As discussed
in the retail section of this report, US jewellers
have been under financial pressure and find it
challenging to invest in innovation and advertising
to boost the category.
Despite the challenges facing fine jewellery in the
US, there are promising opportunities for growth in
diamond jewellery. The premium and bridal segments
continue to expand. The rise of brands and premium
products means that retailers have the opportunity
to realise higher margins necessary for investing in
desire-creating activities.

22

BRANDS HOLD THE KEY TO GROWTH

Brands are becoming more important to the US
consumer. The acceleration in consumer preference
for brands of diamonds and diamond jewellery is
evident from the claimed acquisition of branded
engagement rings from just seven per cent in 2002
to three and five times that level in 2011 and 2013
respectively (see Fig. 36). The growth in importance
of branded jewellery will have a particular impact in
attracting the brand-conscious younger US consumer.

2002

2011

2013

Source: De Beers

FIG. 37: RETAILER QUOTES ON IMPACT OF

FOREVERMARK ON THEIR BUSINESS
When I was initially introduced to Forevermark,
I was very intrigued by Forevermark's brand
promise and, more importantly, how
partnering with De Beers and Forevermark
could elevate my brand and increase my
margins. In the year and a half that I have been
involved with Forevermark, I have seen an
increase in margins anywhere from 15 to 30 per
cent. I am sometimes seeing a 35 per cent
increase on loose goods, compared with the
equivalent unbranded polished since I'm not
competing with other jewellers and online
companies who are selling inferior Gemological
Institute of America (GIA) graded stones for
little to no margin.

A variety of brands has been gaining space in the

US market for diamond jewellery in recent years.
There has been an uplift in awareness of specialist
diamond brands such as Hearts on Fire, Leo and
Tacori. Traditional branded jewellers such as Tiffany
and Cartier have seen a jump in claimed brand
acquisitions in the last couple of years, and fashion
brands such as Dior and Chanel are also growing.
Forevermark has been part of this trend and has
experienced growing retailer and consumer interest
since its US launch in Q4 2011.
The attraction of branded diamond jewellery to
retailers is that it supports both the diamond dream
and higher margins. The offer of brands with a
specific positioning and story, which goes beyond
the 4Cs, helps retailers address consumer needs for
emotional engagement with the product and protects
the offer against commoditisation (see Fig. 37).

Since partnering with Forevermark, the

sheer beauty of the diamonds, exclusivity of
the brand, and the other value added
features have enabled us to ask for margins
at 15 to 30 per cent higher than we had for
GIA certified diamonds. We have been able
to achieve it with great success.
Source: De Beers

57

BRITNEYS JOURNEY
TESTIMONAL

BRITNEYS
PROFILE

For as long as she

could remember,
Britney had known
she wanted a
diamond
engagement ring.
As soon as her
fianc proposed,
she went online to
search for rings.

26 years old

When I Googled
engagement rings,
Tiffany was the
first website to pop
up. I used its ring
finder to get an
idea of styles and
cuts and decided
I wanted a
cushion cut.

Shortly afterwards
Britney and her
fianc Kevin went
to try on rings.
They made a
special trip to the
mall where they
could browse a
number of highend department
stores and jewellers
in one go.

Event
co-ordinator for
a cruise ship
company
Lives in Chicago

CONTEXT

Has a
Forevermark
diamond
engagement ring

The DER tradition

is well established
in the US, with
acquisition rates
remaining around
80% since the 1980s
(compared with
10% in 1940).
Online is the most
popular channel
for research. In
2013, 34% of
consumers and
half of brides
researched online
before acquisition.

Note:
Names have been changed
Source: De Beers

HIGHER-END JEWELLERY IS A FURTHER GROWTH

OPPORTUNITY
Additionally, there are exciting growth opportunities
in the US for high-end diamond jewellery. Average
incomes for the top one per cent of Americans have
grown much faster than national average wages37. In
2013, female consumers with household income of
over US$150,000 accounted for eight per cent of the
consumer base for diamond jewellery, but in terms

For most brides (81%

in 2013), the decision
process begins with
selecting the shape
of the main diamond
in the DER.
While rounds are still
popular, fancy shapes
have become more
attractive, and now
represent over half
of bridal pieces:
Princess (25%)
Cushion (8%)
Emerald (4%)
Other fancy cuts
(19%).

In 2013, 36% of
consumers and 53%
of brides browsed
jewellery stores
before purchase,
visiting an average
of three stores each.
Few women decide
what they want
before going in-store.
In 2013:
48% purchase
decisions made
on the spot
Only 14%
completely selected
before purchase.

At one of the stores,

Britney was shown
a Forevermark
diamond. She loved
the beauty of the
diamond and the
sales assistant
showed her and
her fianc the
inscription.
They told her
about registering
the ring online,
and how it was
responsibly sourced.
When choosing
between a generic and
branded diamond,
beauty and rarity are
the key attributes that
influence selection
in 2013, both
attributes had over
80% relevance.
Responsible sourcing
becomes a
differentiator when
choosing between
brands in 2013, more
than half of consumers
thought it provided
distinctiveness to
the brand.

of actual acquisition this group accounted for 14 per

cent of diamond jewellery pieces and 33 per cent of
sales by value (see Fig. 38).
The presence of an affluent customer base for higherend products has resulted in a shift of the profile of
polished diamonds consumed in the US in the past
five years. Large higher-clarity stones have grown
notably, while all other types of polished have either
declined or remained flat (see Fig. 39).

FIG. 38: 2013 FEMALE CONSUMERS WITH HOUSEHOLD FIG. 39: CHANGE IN TYPE OF POLISHED CONSUMED
20082013 CAGR
INCOME OVER US$150K ACCOUNTED FOR
Per cent

CHANGE IN TYPE OF POLISHED CONSUMED IN US

33

High
0%

+11%

(7)%

(11)%

Clarityi
14
8

Low
Small
Of consumer base for
diamond jewellery

Of diamond
jewellery pieces sold

Of diamond jewellery
sales by value

Low: Pique; high: VS+

Small: <0.49 carat; large: >1 carat
Source: De Beers

ii
Source: De Beers

58

Large
Sizeii

I really loved the

Forevermark
diamond, but it
was a bit more
expensive than
some of the other
rings, and slightly
more than our
agreed budget.
The sales assistant
was lovely but I
told her I had to
go home and think
about it.

A few weeks later,

Kevin returned to
the store where they
had seen the
Forevermark
diamond and
bought it.

I couldnt believe
it when Kevin
pulled out the box
and I saw it was
from Forevemark! I
guess I secretly
hoped he would get
it. It was such a
nice surprise!

A few months
later, the couple
returned to the
same store to buy
their wedding
rings, which they
had tried on earlier
when they were
browsing for
engagement rings.
Kevins was plain,
but Britney wanted
a few diamonds on
the wedding ring
as well.

In the high-end
bridal market (DER
over US$8,000),
three- quarters of
couples have a
defined budget for
the DER.

In 2013, the most

popular places to
purchase DER were:
Independent
jeweller (28% of
acquirers)
National jeweller
(28%)
Regional jeweller
(17%).

Over half of women

have some say in
selecting their
engagement ring.
In 2013:
35% chose the
piece
25% hinted/
advised on choice.

Brides now wait 14

months between
engagement and
marriage (five times
longer than 1980s),
allowing them to
save for longer and
spend more on
diamond jewellery.

Despite this, almost

half of couples with
set budgets end up
spending slightly
more than they
had planned.

77% DER pieces in

2013 were paid for by
the man alone; men
tend to spend more
on a DER when
shopping alone than
with their partner.

Clearly, precise targeting of this consumer segment

through higher-end products and brands would help
capture its potential more effectively.

THE BRIDAL SEGMENT HAS EXCELLENT PROSPECTS

Despite a lower percentage of the US population
opting for marriage, and a longer wait to first
marriage among those who do, among those who
choose to marry the average amount spent per
occasion continues to increase, according to a report
by Mintel, a consultancy38.
In this context, the tradition for bridal diamond
jewellery is still going strong. Current penetration of
bridal diamond jewellery is in line with historic levels,
highlighting the resilience of this segment to the
economic pressures in the US in the last few years:
79 per cent of those who got engaged in 2013
acquired a new diamond-only DER;
73 per cent of those who married in 2013 acquired
a new diamond-only DER.
Of all DERs acquired in 2013, a total of 82 per cent
were diamond-only rings, the majority set in white gold
or yellow gold, followed by platinum and silver, with
the latter taking share from gold in the last fewyears.

Britney also used

this occasion to
buy a pair of
diamond earrings
a gift from her
parents to wear on
her wedding day.

In 2013, many
women bought
another piece of
diamond jewellery
in addition to their
DER for the
wedding occasion:
Earrings: 9%
Necklace: 8%
Bracelet: 4%.

Im very proud
of my ring and
love it when people
ask me about it
I can tell them
all about the
inscription and
the fact it is
responsibly
sourced.

For DER, there are

two key moments
when branding is
important: the first is
the receipt of the DER
in a branded box.
The second key
moment when
branding is important
is when friends and
family ask about the
DER, and the acquirer
is able to describe the
attributes particular
to the DER brand she
has selected.

The amount spent on diamond engagement rings

has increased in real terms over the last 10 years.
In 2003, the average DER cost just over US$2,500
(US$3,165 in 2013 terms); in 2013, it cost just
under US$3,700 onaverage.
There are several reasons for the considerable growth
of bridal jewellery in the US. The post-recession US
bride tends to be more educated, older and more
affluent (particularly second-time brides, who make
up one-third of the total), and can afford to spend
more on the wedding. Brides today also wait five times
longer between engagement and marriage than in the
1980s (14 months today on average vs less than three
months in 1980); their longer engagement period may
allow the couple to save up for the wedding and their
budget for diamond jewellery may therefore bebigger.
There has also been notable growth in the number
of brides who buy other types of jewellery to celebrate
their engagement in addition to their DER. In 2013,
17 per cent of women who got engaged and received
a DER acquired an additionalpiece of diamond
jewellery compared with only five per cent of women
in this situation 10 years ago.

59

FIG. 40: DIAMOND SALES TO CHINESE CONSUMERS

CHINA

A STORY OF GROWTH AND EVEN GREATER

GROWTHPOTENTIAL

USD million (nominal)

Diamond jewellery value

Polished diamond value

Sales of diamond jewellery to Chinese consumers

were the fastest growing in the world over the last
decade, with a compound annual growth rate of 21
per cent from 2003 to 2013 (see Fig. 40). As a result,
the share of polished diamonds sold in jewellery to
Chinese consumers grew from barely three per cent
in 2003 to just over 13 per cent of global demand in
2013. Including Hong Kong and Macau, the share
of this regions consumers in the global demand
of polished diamonds in jewellery was almost
16 per cent in 2013 in USD.
This vertiginous growth in demand for diamond
jewellery has been driven by growing numbers of
consumers able to buy into the category, and by
the increase in the average price and the sizes of
diamonds they can afford to buy. Average prices
paid jumped by 32 per cent in real terms between
2003 and 2013, to over RMB 8,000 (US$1,300)
(see Fig. 41). Average carats per piece over the
same period rose from 0.18 to 0.25.

10,000

2003 2013 CAGR

Diamond jewellery: 21%
Polished value: 23%

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000

0
2003

2007

2013

Source: De Beers

FIG. 41: 2013 CHINESE DIAMOND JEWELLERY BY SEGMENT

Per cent (by acquirers, pieces and value)
AVERAGE PRICE PAID IN 2013
4

Bridal
Single women

Married women

72

Consumers
Note:

24

RMB 10,300(US$1,700)

14

11

RMB 7,000(US$1,100)

65

65

RMB 9,000(US$1,500)

Pieces

Value

The 2013 FX assumed is US$1 = RMB 6.1905. All prices rounded

Source: De Beers

60

21
24

THERE IS STRONG POTENTIAL FOR FURTHER GROWTH

Fine jewellery is the object or experience most desired
by urban women in China. Asked to select from a
list of competitive items or experiences they most
coveted, almost half (48 per cent) of Chinese women
selected fine jewellery, a much higher percentage
than the next most desirable gift item designer
handbags, chosen by just under a third of Chinese
women. Among types of jewellery, diamond jewellery
was by far the most popular choice, with about twothirds of female consumers selecting it as their first
or second preference (see Fig. 42).

FIG. 42: CHINESE WOMEN'S DESIRE FOR DIAMONDS

AND COMPETING ITEMS
Per cent selected as first choice, 2012

Self purchase

48 48

ALL OTHER
36
31 31

Even so, China remains underpenetrated: while

diamond jewellery ownership has risen to 20 per cent
in the top urban cities surveyed (up from just 10 per
cent in 2003), it is still far below the US ownership
rate of approximately 70 per cent.
The consumer base is likely to continue to widen as
the portion of the Chinese population able to buy into
the category expands further. McKinsey & Company
predicts that, by 2020, mainstream consumers
relatively well-to-do households with annual disposable
income of between US$16,000 and US$34,000 will
make up 51 per cent of urban households (from
six per cent in 2010), and affluent households with
annual incomes of more than US$34,000 will make up
six per cent (from two per cent in 2010 see Fig. 43)39.
In addition, consumers who have already bought
diamond jewellery are expected to find additional
occasions to buy diamonds.
The number of wealthy individuals has also grown
strongly in China. In its 2013 Wealth Report, Credit
Suisse estimates the number of Chinese millionaires
(ie individuals with assets above US$1 million) to be
1.1 million in 2013, up 90,000 in one year alone40.
According to global consultancy Capgemini, China
has the fourth-largest number of high net-worth
individuals (HNWI, those with investable assets
of over US$1 million), reaching 643,000 in 2012,
up just under 16 per cent on 201141. A 2014 study
by consultancy WealthInsight shows that together,
Beijing (sixth in the list of the top 10 cities with most
millionaires) and Shanghai (ninth on the list) have
more USD millionaires (excluding the value of their
primary residences) than London42.
This potential for growth is recognised by the big
Chinese jewellery chains. Their store network
expansion has continued apace over the past three
years, leading to an estimated total of, approximately,
15,500 stores offering diamond jewellery in 2013 29
per cent more than in 2010. Chow Tai Fook, a leading
specialised jewellery chain, has disclosed its aims to
open a net of 200 jewellery points of sale each year
in the medium to long term (see Fig. 44)43. This is a
further indication of local retailers confidence in the
prospects for diamond jewellery in China.

Gift

30

31
27
25

17
DIAMOND

A piece A desktop A genuine A holiday A genuine

luxury
abroad
of fine PC, laptop, designer
watch
jewellery netbook, handbag
tablet PC
Source: De Beers

FIG. 43: SHARE OF URBAN HOUSEHOLDS BY

ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOMEi
Per cent

Affluent (>US$34,000)
Mainstream (US$16,00034,000)
Value (US$6,00015,999)
Poor (<US$6,000)
Projected CAGR
20002020
Per cent
100

100

100
0
1

20

51

27

36

10

-4

2010

2020

63

82

36

2000

i
In real 2010 dollars; in 2010, US$1 = RMB 6.73
Source: De Beers

61

FIG. 44: DIAMOND JEWELLERY RETAIL EXPANSION

IN CHINA
Number of doors,

In 2013, diamond jewellery consumption by Chinese

women was led by married women who acquired
almost two-thirds of pieces and accounted for the
same proportion of sales value. The second most
important consumer segment was bridal women,
who acquired about a fifth of pieces and contributed
just under a quarter of sales value. Single women
represented the smallest proportion of sales,
acquiring 14 per cent of pieces representing 11 per
cent of total value (see Fig. 45).

estimatedi

RETAILER

NEW DOORS IN 2013

Chow Tai Fook

Chow Sang Sang
Luk Fook
TSL

16,000

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BRIDAL SEGMENT IN CHINA

192
32
203
2

15,500

14,500

The acquisition levels for each of these three segments

were very different: 48 per cent of brides acquired
diamond jewellery, while among married women
acquisition was seven per cent and among single
women four per cent. Brides jewellery also had the
highest average price and the highest average carats
per piece. Even so, bridal acquisition rates remain
well below the peaks seen in US and Japan, asaverage
household wealth continues to grow (see Fig. 46).

14,000

13,000

12,000

12,000

10,000
2010

2011

2012

2013

i
De Beers estimate, numbers are approximate
Source: Public filings and De Beers analysis

F I G . 4 5 : DIAMOND JEWELLERY (DJ) MAIN CONSUMER SEGMENTS IN

CHINA (2012)
Per cent of DJ value
Total DJ demand

100
Mens
DJ

WDJ

97
Bridal DJ

23
Wedding
ring

13

3
Non Bridal DJ

74
MWDJ

63

DER/
Commitment
ring

10
Note:

Area of rectangles reflects approximate proportion of total market by value

Source: De Beers

62

SWDJ

11

FIG. 46: PENETRATION OF BRIDAL DIAMOND

JEWELLERY

GROWTH IS LIKELY ACROSS ALL THREE ROUTES TO

DIAMONDOWNERSHIP

Per cent
US

JAPAN

50 YEARS

80

Peak

AND NOW CHINA

30 YEARS

Peak

77

18 YEARS

Peak

48

10
3

1940

1990

1965 1995

1
1994 2012 Peak
year

Source: De Beers

As described above, the bridal segment in China is

important today not only for commercial reasons
but also because of the important role it plays in the
consumers introduction to the diamond category.
There are three main routes into the diamond
jewellery category for the Chinese consumer (see
Fig.47). By far the most common of these is falling
in love and getting married (the Love route).
Typically, a diamond solitaire ring is acquired as part
of an engagement or marriage celebration; later
on, earrings or necklaces may be given as further
expressions of love.
Major milestones in life such as birthdays and
wedding anniversaries form the second most
important route into the category for Chinese
consumers (the Milestone route). Younger
consumers, in particular, often receive their first
piece of diamond jewellery as a gift for a special
occasion from their parents or boyfriend.
Finally, there is the Spoiling route: receiving or
buying their first diamond jewellery piece (usually
earrings or a bracelet) as a treat. In 2013, 18 per cent of
Chinese consumers bought diamond jewellery for no
specific occasion and 24 per cent of diamond jewellery
was self-purchased rather than received as agift.

FIG. 47: CHINESE WOMENS MAIN ACQUISITION ROUTES

Love
route

Milestone
route

Spoiling
route

The Love route starts with the

diamond ring, typically acquired
for engagement or marriage
celebration
The diamond is used as a symbol
of true love and promise
It is often chosen together with the
purchaser
Less likely to be motivated by price

First acquisition is a solitaire

pendant acquired to celebrate a
personal milestone
The diamond represents success
and achievement
Likely to be a gift from a
boyfriend, spouse or parent
Quick decision (few days
22 per cent) or even unplanned
(36 per cent)

First acquisition is earrings or

bracelet
The diamond is ornamental,
attracting compliments
More likely that this is a nice
treat, acquired as a present from
a boyfriend
Recipients are younger and have
more say in choosing the item

Around

Around

Around

50%

23%

16%

of all journeys

of all journeys

of all journeys

Source: De Beers

63

JI L AYMAYS JOURNEY
TESTIMONAL

Ms Ji planned to buy a
diamond ring because her
wedding was approaching.
She thought that a
diamond ring was a
necessity for her marriage.

Her friends recommended

she go to the Tiffany and
Cartier stores to have a
look. However, the prices
were too high for her.

CONTEXT

In 2012, almost half of

new brides, in Tier 1, 2
and 3 cities, acquired a
diamond engagement
ring, up from below
one per cent in 1994.

In China, brands enter into

the purchase decision very
early. 99% of women have
awareness of major local
and some international
brands, and on average
each customer is aware of
5.5 brands.

Over a fifth of Chinese women

use the internet for research
into diamond jewellery:
11% look to learn more
about quality and prices
6% educate themselves
on brands
5% are pre-selecting designs.

10% of women sought

advice from friends and
family when making
significant jewellery
purchases.

Among single women and

affluent consumers, internet
use for these purposes is even
higher at 40% and 56%.

JI LAYMAYS
PROFILE
26 years old

Ms Ji decided to learn
more about diamonds on
the internet before
continuing her search.
That is the first time she
noticed the brand
Forevermark, although
she did not click the link.
Online, she learnt about
the 4Cs and browsed
various designs and cuts.

Living in
Shanghai
An employee
working in
finance
A wedding
diamond ring
bought from
Donghua

Source: De Beers

As the Chinese market matures, we expect to see

growth across all three of these consumer journeys:
Love, Milestones and Spoiling.
The growing importance of Milestones and
Spoiling makes it more likely that consumers will
acquire more than one must-have, one-off piece
of diamond jewellery over their lifetime. It also
opens the door to more indulgent pieces and more
varied designs, moving beyond the solitaire-only
design that still makes up 80 per cent of diamond
pieces across all types of jewellery, including rings,
neckwear and earrings.

ENGAGING THE CONSUMER WILL BE

KEY TO GROWTH
The diamond jewellery selection process in China
involves a high level of engagement from the woman
who will be acquiring the piece, even when receiving
diamond jewellery as a gift.
The vast majority of recent acquirers or consumers
currently choosing a piece of diamond jewellery
consider branded offers as their first or second
choice. When it comes to actual acquisition, Chinese
consumers prefer to buy from trusted domestic
retailers such as Chow Tai Fook and Chow Sang Sang,
which surveyed consumers say they can trust.

64

Since 2008, however, claimed acquisition of diamond

jewellery from international brands Cartier and
Tiffany by young middle-class consumers has grown
eight to nine times.
The purchase process is consultative: both the man
and the woman need to be convinced, despite the
fact that 71 per cent of pieces are paid for by the
giver alone. In 2013, nearly half of pieces gifted were
chosen by the recipient of the gift together with the
actual purchaser.
As part of this process, customers undertake extensive
browsing in shops. The most common place is a
specialist jewellery retailer, with almost six in 10
acquirers, followed by jewellery counters/sections in
department stores, with more than a third of acquirers.
The purchase journey involves a range of touchpoints before a selection is made, including word-ofmouth recommendations from friends and family.
The internet has its role to play too. Although not a
significant sales channel in China, the internet is used
by over a fifth of acquirers for related purposes, such
as to learn about fine jewellery quality and prices,
learn about brands, and to pre-select designs. The
internet is used more frequently in the diamond
purchase process by single women, 40 per cent of
whom resort to it, and also by affluent consumers
(about six in 10 research online).

Ms Jis elder sister

recommended she go to the
Donghua store. She
thought that the store was
reputable and had a good
selection. Ms Ji went to
Donghua on North
Sichuan Road. There she
noticed the Forevermark
counter and went to see the
products. The salesman
told her that every
Forevermark diamond is
unique and has an
invisible inscription with a
unique number.

This information about

Forevermark attracted Ms
Ji a lot, so she came back
home and searched for
more information about the
brand. on the Forevermark
website. Here she noticed its
rarity (only one per cent of
diamonds make the
Forevermark grade) and its
responsible sourcing
promise. This gave Ms Ji a
good impression that
Forevermark was a highquality product.

Ms Ji went to some
jewellery stores on Nanjing
Road, such as
Laofengxiang, Xieruilin
and Laomiaohuangjin,
but none of their products
attracted her. Finally, she
went to the Donghua store
which is located in
Nanjing Road. She went to
the Forevermark counter
and chose a 75 point
diamond solitaire to try.
The salesman gave her
another two (60 points
and 70 points) to compare.

Ms Ji didnt make her

decision at once. She came
back home and had a long
think about the three
diamonds. In the end, she
thought the 75 point ring
offered the best value for
money. The next day,
she went to the store and
bought it.

Store visits are the most

popular research
channel for Chinese
women. In 2012:
56% visited specialist
jewellery stores to view
selections
38% visited
department stores.

Chinese consumers attach

trust to known brands such
as Forevermark. Trust is
the top driver of diamond
jewellery brand
consideration in China.

Chinese consumers shop

around actively visiting
an average of three
stores before purchase.

Within the branded

offer, best value for
money still plays an
important part for the
Chinese consumer.

Ethical sourcing appeals to

consumers as it indicates
the company is more likely
to be honest with them
and to provide a genuinely
high quality product.

In addition, mobile usage in China is growing quickly,

with mobile broadband and WiFi penetration rates up
64 per cent and 600 per cent respectively from 2011 to
201344. Retailers and jewellery brands need therefore
to maintain a strong online presence in China.
Chinese spend abroad has become more important
on a global scale. In the diamond jewellery category,
the average price of pieces acquired abroad is over 50
per cent higher than the average paid at home.

It is evident that China presents a huge growth

opportunity for diamonds. But the Chinese consumer
is increasingly sophisticated and discerning. To
succeed, retailers and brands will need to establish
a trusted name, and be prepared to meet the
Chinese consumers desire for inspirational and
authentic stories, information and assurance of highqualityproducts.

According to McKinsey Consumer and Shopper

Insights, the spend by Chinese tourists on goods,
including jewellery and other luxury items, accounts
for about a third of a total projected spend overseas
in 2014 of US$154 billion. This level of spend was
generated by an estimated 93 million trips abroad in
2013, more than five-fold growth in trips since 2002.
Chinese travel abroad is expected to grow by 13 per
cent annually to reach 135 million trips by 2016.
Overall, the Chinese are reported to represent no
less than 27 per cent of global luxury purchases, with
60 per cent of this figure being conducted abroad45.

65

IN FO CU S:
TH E M I R AC LE
OF P R O DU CTI O N
Challenges and innovation in rough
diamondproduction.

The Canadian Arctic and Botswana are a long way from

the diamond jewellers of Fifth Avenue in New York,
Times Square in Hong Kong, Bond Street in London,
and Place Vendme in Paris. However, it is in places
like these that the worlds most valuable diamonds are
being extracted at immense cost and effort.
Diamonds were formed within the earths sub-cratonic
lithospheric mantle by processes more than three
billion years ago. They tend to occur within ancient
and stable parts of the earths crust, known as cratons,
where they have been protected from destructive
geological processes and were then transported to
the earths surface within kimberlite.

66

Secondly, diamond miners are developing deeper

and more remote parts of existing deposits, such
as the Jwaneng Cut 8 project or the Venetia
Underground mine.

ESCALATING COST AND COMPLEXITY

Finding, developing and mining kimberlite pipes
in some of the worlds most inhospitable places
are astonishing feats of engineering and human
ingenuity. They each require enormous investments
in exploration, project development, infrastructure,
mine equipment and also human capital training
miners to mine in a safe and sustainable way.

Finally, new projects are further away, in more hostile

natural environments that include the Arctic. Such
operations are inherently more complex to run and
involve greater infrastructure investments.
Miners go to extraordinary lengths to bring diamonds
to market. This has always been the case and supply
will continue to increase as demand grows. However,
this cannot happen without substantial effort and
investment. The cost and complexity of mining
diamonds will continue to increase, and diamonds will
remain one of the most coveted of earths products.

The cost and capital intensity of diamond mining

projects are rising, for three main reasons. Firstly,
global demand for capital goods has driven price
increases in equipment. At the same time, operating
costs in some of the major mining geographies
have increased significantly over the last few years.
In Botswana, for example, the cost of electricity
increased 11 per cent per year between 2002 and
201246 and labour costs increased 14 per cent per
year47. In Russia, the price of electricity increased
12 per cent per year over the same period48 and
labour costs 19 per cent49, while in South Africa
power prices have risen by an average of 14 per
cent over the same period50 (see Fig. 48).

FIG. 48: COSTS INCREASES ACROSS THE MOST COMMON OPEX INPUT
FACTORS
CAGR 2002-2012 in local currencies (nominal), per cent
ELECTRICITY

Botswana

LABOUR

16i

11

South Africa

14

Russia

Canada

DIESEL

11

12

14ii

19

17

i
From 2006 to 2012
ii
From 2002 to 2011
Source: South Africa: Eskom, SAPIA, South Africa Department of Mineral Reserves; Botswana: Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources,
Botswana department of statistics, press searches; Russia: Russian Statistics

67

FROM
DISCOVERY
TO START OF
PRODUCTION
Time lapse to
development has
increased for
diamond mines.

LOOKING FOR BROADER ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL

CONTRIBUTIONS
The governments of many diamond producing
countries have a strong desire to ensure that
diamond extraction maximises local social and
economicbenefits.
Diamond mining companies make substantial
direct and indirect contributions to local economic
development in most countries where they mine.
With lifespans that can cover decades, mining
projectsrequire large-scale and long-term capital
investment, often reaching billions of US dollars.
This investment often attracts significant additional
inward investment to host countries. It results
in direct economic and fiscal benefits including
infrastructure development, provision of local
healthcare and education, direct employment, and
payment of taxes and royalties. Indirect benefits
include the development of a supply chain to support
the mining operations, skills development, indirect
employment and community support.

68

M I NE

YEARS TO
P R OD U CTION

Mir
Aikhal
Udachny
Orapa
International

4 years
1 year
16 years
4 years
2 years

Jwaneng
Jubilee
Argyle
Catoca
Ekati
Zarnitsa

10 years
10 years
6 years
29 years
17 years
45 years

Komsomolskya
Nyurba
Diavik
Arkhangelskaya
Victor
Snap Lake

26 years
5 years
9 years
25 years
20 years
11 years

Grib
Karpinskogo-1
Botuobinskaya
Gahcho Ku
Renard

18 years
35 years
21 years
21 years
16 years

average
5 years

average
20 years

average
16 years

average
22 years

For example, in Canada, De Beers has numerous

comprehensive Impact Benefit Agreements (IBAs)
with aboriginal communities in the areas near the
companys operations. These IBAs not only provide
compensation for any loss or potential loss of land
during the construction, operation and closure
of a mine, but they also provide a framework
regarding priorities for local training, employment,
business contracts, environmental management
and social investment in areas such as culture and
heritageactivities.
In 2013, De Beers distributed more than US$5 billion
or over 90 per cent of the value of total sales to
governments, suppliers, employees, shareholders
and other finance providers. And of this, more than
US$3 billion was paid to stakeholders in Africa, where
De Beers has the greatest proportion of its operations.

195 0

1960

1 9 70

1980

1990

2000

2010

2020

69

DIAMONDS IN
THE D ESERT

Its in Botswana, a sparsely populated country in

southern Africa, that Jwaneng, one of the most valuable
diamond mines in the world, was discovered in 1972
by De Beers geologists. Ten years later, the mine
commenced operations, yielding about 12 million
carats per year. The ore that is mined at Jwaneng is
particularly rich in high-quality diamonds. Jwaneng
represents 60-70 per cent of the overall revenues of
Debswana, the joint venture between De Beers and
the Government of the Republic of Botswana.
The mine has been extended through various
programmes, gradually unearthing new parts of
the ore body by deepening the mine pit (see chart
below). The most recent of these projects, known as
Cut 8, will remove an initial 500 million tonnes of
waste earth to expose the ore and, to ultimately,
CROSS SECTION OF THE
JWANENG MINE, BOTSWANA

CUT-5

CUT-7
2011
1
3300 M

OVERHEAD VIEW

CUT-6

CENTRE
CUT-8
PIPE
CUT-5
CU

2320 M

CUT-8
CUT-7

20177
6244 M

C T-6
CU

1640 M

70

CENTRE PIPE
(diamond bearing ore)

recover more than 100 million additional carats and

prolong the life of the mine to at least 2028. The
project began in 2010 and the total investment cost is
US$3 billion the single largest private investment in
Botswanas history.
JWANENG IS ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE DIAMOND MINES IN THE WORLD
Mining always carries safety risks, and while open-pit
mines such as Jwaneng are generally seen as safer
than underground mines, risks remain. Technology
can help improve safety, however: in October 2013, a
slope failure was predicted using stability analysis. As
a result, the mine was evacuated ahead of the actual
slope collapse and no workers were harmed, unlike
an earlier instance in 2012, when a similar incident
tragically resulted in a loss of life.

FIRE IN
THE ICE

CANADA

SNAP LAKE
Thousands of miles lie between the heat of Botswana
and the frozen lakes of the Canadian Arctic. Canada
has been home to some of the largest recent
developments of diamond mines; however, mining
in the Arctic carries particular challenges. One
example of this is De Beers mine at Snap Lake in the
Northwest Territories, 220 kilometres north of the
closest city, Yellowknife.

At Snap Lake, it is dark and remains so throughout

most of the day. Temperatures can go down to -45
degrees Celsius and colder on the surface, although
down in the mine its warmer, where the air is heated
to an average temperature of three to five degrees
Celsius. De Beers provides all the warm clothing and
safety items required for each employee to do his or
her work safely.

The portrait of Calinda gives you a sense of what

life is like for the mine workers there.

SAFETY IS A BIG DEAL AT SNAP LAKE THE MINE HAS WON TWO

Calinda is 31 years old and has worked at Snap

Lake since she completed the Underground Miner
Training Program in 2008. These past 4.5 years
as a female underground miner have been an
honour, said Calinda, who is a lube truck operator
underground.
Calinda typically works a 12-hour shift for two weeks
on the mine before returning home to the Tlicho
community of Wekweeti for the next two weeks. The
mine can only be accessed by plane, so she and her
colleagues catch a special charter flight for De Beers
employees to and from the mine from Yellowknife,
and then board another planehome.

REGIONAL SAFETY AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE

As Calinda explains: Safety is our top priority: its on
everyones minds, allthe time, and we work together
to keep each other and the environment safe. At the
beginning andthe end of every shift, the team does
a handover, toensure everybody is aware of the exact
location theyare mining.

71

TREASURES
OF THE DEEP

In 1908, railway worker Zacharias Lewala was

shovelling sand off a railway line in Kolmanskop,
a few kilometres inland from the port of Lderitz
in Namibia, and picked up several stones, thereby
unknowingly starting a diamond rush in Namibia.
But how did this whole coastline along southwest
Africa come to be strewn with diamonds?
Its another quirk of nature. Millions of years ago,
glacial floods carried diamonds down the Orange
River from some 500 miles inland and out to sea.
Over millennia, the diamonds tumbled along the
riverbed, in the process being naturally cleaned and
polished, and arrived on the seabed in near-perfect
form, making them amongst the most sought after
treasures of nature.
It has taken a massive investment in new offshore
mining technology by De Beers to enable these
diamonds to be brought to the surface. Unaffected
by the wild crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean,
the Debmarine Namibia mining fleet is a triumph
of engineering ingenuity.
A gigantic crawler like a monster vacuum ploughs
along the seabed sucking up the diamond-rich
sediment and pumping it up to the ship (which is
essentially a floating mine) on the surface. The mv
Mafuta is the latest of Debmarine Namibias five
deep sea mining vessels.

72

At a cost of more than US$100 million, it is the largest

and most sophisticated of Debmarine Namibias
fleet. The ship is automatically kept in position
by a GPS that moves both ship and crawler along
predetermined tracks to comb the seabed areas
that geologists determine are most likely to yield the
largest number of high-quality gems. Four hundred
tonnes of sediment are pumped aboard every hour.
The sediment enters an unceasing production line
where it is automatically sized and separated, and
the diamonds sealed in cans, a complex process
untouched by humanhands.
A GIGANTIC CRAWLER LIKE A MONSTER VACUUM PLOUGHS ALONG THE
SEABED SUCKING UP THE DIAMOND-RICH SEDIMENT AND PUMPING IT UP TO
THE SHIP (WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY A FLOATING MINE) ON THE SURFACE
Once the diamonds are extracted, the sediment is
returned to the seabed to minimise environmental
damage. Once a month, when the crew of the
vessel change over amid the strictest security, the
diamonds are brought ashore by helicopter before
being transported to the sort house and eventually
beginning the long journey to diamond jewellery
retail stores all over the world.

73

IN FO CU S:
SAF EG UA R D I N G T H E
IND U ST RY T H R O U G H
TECHN O LO GY
Technology plays a vital role across the entire diamond pipeline,
helping both to secure future supply and to maintain the
diamonddream.

SECURING SUPPLY IN A SAFE AND

SUSTAINABLE MANNER
Throughout the pipeline, technology is critical to
ensuring the supply of diamonds: in exploration,
mining and sorting for diamonds efficiently, and also
making sure that these activities are safe and minimise
environmental impact.

EXPLORATION
Geologists rely on technological innovation to help
them discover new viable sources of diamonds
in locations that are often remote, previously
underexplored and difficult to work in, such as
near the Arctic Circle. In many such remote areas,
traditional approaches to exploration are limited,
and geologists therefore need to use new techniques
to select targets51.
One new exploration technique, in particular, has
been made possible by the recent development of
SQUID (Super Conducting Quantum Interference
Device). SQUID is a very sensitive magnetometer used
to measure extremely subtle magnetic fields. This
technology provides significant benefits over current
exploration methods such as airborne magnetic
and ground exploration systems, and has provided
geologists with an important new tool52.

74

Another example is improvements in geophysical

hardware that De Beers Exploration has developed.
These improvements have resulted in the development
of new systems with improved signal-processing
capabilities, substantial reduction of noise, increased
power and more sensitive receivers.
Furthermore, technology is a critical part of reducing
the environmental impact of exploration. The
development of geophysical down-hole logging
tools, for example, will improve the accuracy of
3D modelling, reducing the number of drill holes
required. This not only reduces cost, but also
minimises the effects on local environments.

PRODUCTION
Technology also plays an important role in the
advancement of mining with ever-improving process
efficiencies and novel and unique extraction methods.
De Beers has been at the forefront of many of these
innovations, ranging from process improvements
through the adoption of dense media cyclones to the
exploitation of new resources by the pioneering of
marine mining for offshore deposits.

FIG. 49: EXTENDING THE

BENEFITS OF TECHNOLOGY
OUTSIDE MINING
De Beers Scannex technology has been used
in hospitals to scan patients in a rapid and costefficient manner. This technology was first
developed alongside a team from the University
of Cape Town in the 1990s. Following its success,
De Beers formed Lodox Systems (Pty), a separate
company incorporated in South Africa, to produce
the machines.
The Groote Schuur hospital in South Africa was
one of the first in the world to use the scanner.
About 1,250 patients a year benefit from the
Lodoxmachines. In the past, time-consuming
multiple images had to be done but the Lodox
saves time so life-saving decisions can be made
more quickly.54
To date, five Lodox machines have been installed,
and orders for a further 12 have been placed55.

Technology also enhances the industry by detecting

and deterring diamond theft through improved
surveillance, smart security systems and access
control. In particular, Scannex, a security system
developed by De Beers that allows safe, low-dosage,
full-body x-ray, ensures that diamonds do not leave
with employees exiting the high security areas of the
De Beers operations53. This technology has also had
applications outside mining (see Fig. 49).
Additionally, several producers including De Beers
are using strategic laboratory facilities to add value to
production operations by extracting critical data and
information required to target, discover and evaluate
diamond deposits. Such laboratories may comprise inhouse sample treatment, indicator mineral, analytical,
microdiamond and macrodiamond capacity
andcapability.

SAFETY
Technology also helps geologists and producers to
manage the safety risks associated with operating in
remote locations. Commercially available technologies
include SMARTY cameras in vehicles to encourage
safe driving, monitor driving behaviour, and enhance
overall safety on the road; rollover protection aimed
at protecting equipment operators and motorists from
injuries caused by vehicle overturns or rollovers; and
smaller, safer drill rigs.

MIDSTREAM OPERATORS
In sorting, valuing and sales, De Beers utilises
proprietary technology to produce consistent
assortments of its diamonds to satisfy the needs
of its customers. In order to achieve this at
economically viable rates, De Beers has developed
and implemented advanced proprietary sorting
technology for weighing and shape/colour/quality
sorting of around 300 million stones that pass
through the business each year. Sophisticated electromechanical feed and dispense mechanisms, and stateof-the-art image-processing, enable the fastest sorting
machines to operate at up to 15 stones per second.

75

76

SAFEGUARDING THE CONSUMER AGAINST

THE RISK OF UNDISCLOSED SYNTHETICS
When a consumer acquires a diamond, he or
she wants to know for certain that it is a rare and
inherently precious natural gem, brought to the
surface after lying for hundreds of millions of years
within the earths mantle. Any damage to consumers
confidence in their natural diamond purchases could
have consequences for the whole industry.
Undisclosed synthetic diamonds present exactly
such a risk. The inability to distinguish confidently
(and therefore disclose) synthetics from natural gem
diamonds could lead to a collapse of consumer and
trade confidence in the value-perception of, and
desire for, natural gem diamonds. This may ultimately
lead to consumers abandoning the category,
temporarily or permanently.
Several organisations (De Beers included) have been
working hard over many years to minimise the risks
to consumer confidence resulting from deliberate
or inadvertent undisclosed synthetics.
De Beers has invested nearly US$65 million in research
over the last 30 years (in todays value) to develop
sophisticated technology, including DiamondSure,
DiamondView and DiamondPlus (see sidebar
for further detail), that can readily detect all types
of gem synthetics, providing consumers with the
confidence that they are not unknowingly purchasing
an undisclosed synthetic instead of a natural gem.
At the end of 2013, evidence came to light that
some synthetic products may have been seeded,
undisclosed, into parcels of natural diamonds in
the major diamond trading centres. Earlier in
2012, more than 600 Chemical Vapour Deposition
(CVD) synthetic colourless diamonds were found to
have been sold undisclosed to someone who then
submitted them to the International Gemological
Institute facilities in Belgium and India. Small
quantities of undisclosed high-quality CVD synthetic
diamonds were also detected in China and in India56.
Although technology was already available to detect
synthetic gems, the first generation of detection
technology had focused on screening larger gems.
At the time, there was no cost-effective method of
screening mele diamonds in the supply chain. It
was not therefore possible to assess accurately the
extent to which undisclosed synthetic mele posed
a consumer confidence risk to the industry.

WHAT IS A SYNTHETIC?
A synthetic is a product that has been partly or
completely crystallised by artificial or human
intervention through a variety of processes, such
as High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) or
Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD).
In some cases, synthetic diamond stones are treated
to improve their colour, using heat treatment,
irradiation or a combination of these treatments.
The first commercially successful synthesis of
diamond was announced by the General Electric
Company in 1955. These synthetics were produced
using HPHT processes. An alternative method
of diamond synthesis carried out by Union
Carbide, based on Chemical Vapour Deposition
techniques, is claimed to have pre-dated that of
HPHT by two years.
The primary use of synthetics since then has been
in industry, where they are used for wide range of
applications, including mechanical, optical and
electronic. Significant advances in the production
of synthetics have occurred since then, with the
first incidence of HPHT synthetics in the jewellery
industry being noticed in the late 1980s and that
of CVD synthetics in the late 1990s57.

The Swiss Gemmological Institute (SSEF) has

developed a non-portable Automated Spectral
Diamond Inspection (ASDI) machine designed
to screen colourless mele diamonds at a rate of
3,000-4,000 per hour58.
De Beers, drawing on a co-ordinated effort between its
Global Sightholder Sales and Technologies divisions,
and the International Institute of Diamond Grading
and Research (IIDGR), built a compact, portable
automated machine, the Automatic Mele Screening
(AMS) device, to scan both colourless and nearcolourless mele quickly and cost-effectively. The AMS
machine was piloted in Antwerp in mid-2013 and is
now being sold to De Beers Sightholders, helping
to maintain confidence across the industry. The first
100 AMS machines were produced and available for
shipment to the Sightholder community less than
12 months after the issue first surfaced. By the end
of July 2014, orders for 60 AMS machines had been
received, with installation and training having been
completed for 25 of these units.

Research and development efforts were accelerated

to address this issue, and effective mele-screening
technology is now available.

77

DE BEERS PROPRIETARY
DETECTION TECHNOLOGY
De Beers continues to make its detection technology
available to Sightholders and the industry at large.
Additionally, the company is working to raise
awareness of how undisclosed synthetics might
deliberately orunwittingly be introduced into the
pipeline and of how this risk can be managed.
De Beers has developed four different types of
detection machines and introduced them to the
wider diamond industry:
DiamondSure is a portable
screening instrument
designed to screen rapidly for
synthetics and simulants (with
a measurement time of a few
seconds per stone).
DiamondView is designed to
identify the two per cent of stones
that are referred for further
testing by DiamondSure.
From the characteristic surface
fluorescence patterns which
are imaged and produced by short-wave ultra-violet
illumination, a user is able to identify whether a
stone is natural or synthetic.
DiamondPlus simplifies
and significantly speeds up
the task of detecting HPHT
treatments applied to type II
natural diamonds. It tests loose
diamonds of between 0.05 and
10 carats within 15 seconds. DiamondPlus also helps
to identify CVD synthetics, by detecting a feature
which is very commonly found in CVD synthetics
currently available.

The Automated Mele

Screening Device (AMS)
machine is a compact,
automatedversion of
DiamondSure with
additional detection functionality, which enables
360 small stones per hour to be tested completely
hands-off. It makes it possible to screen melesized diamonds (1 to 20 pts) in a cost-effective
manner. During pilot testing, an average pass rate
of 98.5 per cent was achieved on nearly 80,000
colourless and near-colourless mele diamonds.
The remaining 1.5 per cent diamonds were sent
for further testing with DiamondView and
confirmed as natural. No synthetic mele was
found during this test.

78

De Beers has estimated total synthetics production

capacity by combining publicly available information
about the number and type of machines used by
the main synthetics producers with the practical
experience of Element Six Technologies (a leader
in synthetic diamond production for technical
applications, wholly owned by De Beers) in using
such technology.
If all known CVD reactors capable of producing gems
were used solely for synthetic gem production, the
company estimates that annual production would be
around 150,000 polished carats. HPHT production of
colourless and near-colourless synthetics is estimated
at below 10,000 carats.
In reality, however, most of the available capacity
is used for industrial purposes, not for gem-quality
production. Based on disclosed volumes, known cases
of undisclosed synthetics and initial feedback from
users of the AMS machines, the company estimates
that production of gem-grade synthetics is in the
range of 15,000-60,000 carats per year. The majority of
these carats are produced by two or three companies
based in South East Asia and North America.
Overall, the volume of gem-quality synthetics
produced by either CVD or HPHT processes
isestimated to still be low.
Despite these low volumes, the diamond industry
must remain vigilant about the persistent risk of
undisclosed synthetics. To date, through technological
innovation, the industry has been successful in
safeguarding consumer confidence. Continual
investment in developing and deploying technology
will be required to sustain that success in future.

INITIAL SIGHTHOLDER FEEDBACK ON AMS

1

A relationship with a client is all about

trust. It is our duty and responsibility to
reassure our clients that all diamonds
supplied are 100 per cent natural. While
our in-house systems and processes already
ensure this, it is inevitably more reassuring
for them to know that all shipments have
been screened by the latest and most
efficient technology available, prior to their
leaving our offices.
Like most responsible members of
the industry, we are concerned that
unscrupulous traders may facilitate
synthetics entering the system undisclosed.
Therefore, despite being fully confident
of the integrity of our own pipeline, we
wish to give our clients total confidence
by adding an extra line of defence by
screening all mele shipments on exit.
Currently, the AMS machine is the most
practical technology for this purpose,
and on that basis we have integrated it
into our processes.

The machine is practical and simple to use

and, therefore, having been assured of the
efficiency of its detection processes by the
International Institute of Diamond Grading
and Research, we find the AMS machine a
highly effective final safeguard in the fight
against undisclosed synthetics.

All deliveries to our clients receive a

final QC before they leave our offices.
Just as weights are checked and stone
counts made, it is easy to integrate a final
screening by the AMS machine into our
operations.

79

80

GLOSSARY
BENEFICIATION Creation of activities beyond mining the
natural resource in producing countries. For diamonds, this
usually means sorting, valuing, selling and manufacturing
4Cs The four main characteristics that define the quality
of a polished diamond: carat, colour, cut and clarity
CAGR Compound annual growth rate, a year-on-year
percentage growth rate over a specified period of time
CARAT A unit of mass for diamonds and gemstones,
standardised worldwide in the 20th century at exactly
one-fifth of a gram (the metric carat). One of the 4Cs
CARATS PER PIECE The number of carats in an individual
piece of jewellery
COLOURLESS DIAMOND A diamonds colour is a result of its
composition: colourless diamonds allow more light to pass
through than a coloured diamond
CONFLICT DIAMONDS Mined rough diamonds used to fund
rebel and revolutionary activities against legitimate and
internationally recognised governments

DIAMOND DREAM The allure that diamonds have for consumers

on the basis of their association with romance anda sense
of the eternal, and the fact that they are seen as a lasting
source of value
DIAMONDIFEROUS Containing or yielding diamonds
DIAMOND JEWELLERY Jewellery containing diamonds, no
matter how big or small, including in combination with
other precious or semi-precious stones
DIAMOND PIPELINE The industry value chain that runs from
consumers and retail stores to jewellery manufacturers,
cutters and polishers, back to producers and explorers
DIAMOND RECYCLING The sellback or trade-up of previouslyowned diamonds or diamond jewellery
DOWN-HOLE LOGGING The process of measuring physical,
chemical, and structural properties of penetrated geological
formations using logging tools that are either lowered into
the borehole on a wireline cable (wireline logging) or placed
just behind the drill bit as part of the drill pipe itself
(logging-while-drilling)

CRATON An old and stable part of the continental lithosphere

that may contain diamonds. Having often survived cycles
of merging and rifting of continents, cratons are generally
found in the interiors of tectonic plates

DOWNSTREAM The stage of the diamond value chain that

includes jewellery retailing to end consumers

CUTTING AND POLISHING The process of preparing a rough

gem-quality diamond so that it can be used in the
manufacture of jewellery

EBIT Earnings Before Interest and Tax: an indicator of

a companys profitability, calculated as revenue minus
expenses, excluding tax and interest

CVD Chemical Vapour Deposition: a process to create

synthetic diamonds

FINE JEWELLERY Jewellery made with precious materials such

as gold, and precious and semi-precious stones

CVD REACTOR A machine designed to create synthetic

diamonds using the CVD process

GEM A cut and polished precious stone fine enough for

use in jewellery

DENSE MEDIA CYCLONE A device used in the recovery plant to

separate the diamondiferous material from waste

GEM-GRADE, GEM-QUALITY A rough or manufactured precious

stone fine enough for use in jewellery

DIAMOND A precious stone consisting of a clear and typically

colourless crystalline form of pure carbon, the hardest
naturally occurring substance

GIA Gemological Institute of America. A US-based non-profit

organisation established in 1931 engaged in research, gem
identification and grading services as well as a variety of
educational programmes worldwide

DIAMANTAIRES The French term diamantaire (diamantair

in Flemish) is used in the diamond industry to denote a
person who possesses diamond-related skills
DIAMOND JEWELLERY ACQUISITION Diamond jewellery received
as a gift or self purchased
DIAMOND DEPOSIT A body of rock or other mineralisation
containing a concentration of diamond of possible
economicinterest

DER Diamond Engagement Ring

HPHT High Pressure High Temperature: a process to create

and treat synthetic diamonds
IBA Impact Benefit Agreement: an agreement made with
aboriginal peoples to ensure that they benefit from mining
projects and are compensated for any negative impacts
of mines on their communities, their land, and their
traditional way of life

81

IIDGR The International Institute of Diamond Grading

and Research is the part of De Beers which offers polished
diamond grading services and through which De Beers
diamond verification instruments are sold
INDICATOR MINERALS Minerals that are used to help locate
diamond deposits. They are minerals which are characteristic
of kimberlite, but which are usually more abundant than
diamonds (and therefore easier to find). Indicators form in
association with diamonds in the kimberlite and are scattered
over a wide area by erosion. By tracing these indicators, the
source of the kimberlite may also be found
INDUSTRIAL DIAMONDS Natural diamonds and synthetics used
for non-jewellery purposes in manufacturing processes across
various industries (oil and gas, precision tools, mining, etc.)

PWP Polished Wholesale Price, a term referring to prices

achieved by cutter polishers in Cutting Centres for
polished diamonds
RESERVES Mineral deposits that can be economically extracted
RIPPLE EFFECT Temporary mismatch between supply and
demand caused by the de-stocking or re-stocking activities
of midstream operators in response to changes in market
conditions

INTERNATIONAL GEMOLOGICAL INSTITUTE A diamond, coloured

stone and jewellery certification organisation established in
1975 and headquartered in Antwerp

ROIC Return On Invested Capital: The return on invested

capital measure gives a sense of how well a company is using
its money to generate returns. Comparing a companys return
on capital (ROIC) with its cost of capital (WACC) reveals
whether invested capital was used effectively

KIMBERLEY PROCESS (KP) Intergovernmental rough diamond

certification scheme aimed at preventing the sale of conflict
diamonds entering the legitimate diamond value chain

ROUGH DIAMOND A diamond that has been mined but

not yet cut and polished in preparation for use in
jewellery manufacture

KIMBERLITE An intrusive igneous rock that is sometimes

diamondiferous. It is unevenly grained, containing minerals
such as olivine, phlogopite and pyrope garnet, cemented with
a groundmass consisting of minerals such as serpentine,
calcite and chromate. Kimberlite occurs in the earths crust
invertical structures known as kimberlite pipes

SIGHT An event during which customers can inspect and

buy diamonds from De Beers

MACRODIAMOND A recovered rough diamond greater

than 0.5mm
MELE A term used to describe small cut and polished
diamonds. The diamond weight for mele diamonds ranges
from as low as 0.001 carats (1000th/carat) to 0.18 carats
MICRODIAMONDS Very small rough diamonds, less than 0.5mm
MIDSTREAM The stage of the diamond value chain that
includes sales of rough diamonds, cutting and polishing,
primary and secondary sales of polished diamonds and
jewellery manufacturing
NATURAL DIAMOND A diamond formed naturally over millions
of years in the earths crust
NEAR GEM QUALITY A quality band between gem-quality
andindustrial diamonds
OPEN-PIT MINING Mining from the surface to expose the
orebelow

82

POLISHED Diamonds that have been cut and polished

(manufactured) in preparation for use in jewellery
manufacture

SIGHTHOLDERS Term contract rough diamond customers

of DeBeers
SIMULANT A substance used to imitate diamond
SMALLS Colloquial term for rough diamonds under three
grainers. A grainer is a unit often used in the diamond
tradeto approximate the weight of a rough diamond; a grain
is approximately 0.25 carats
SMARTY CAMERA An in-vehicle Event Data Recorder (EDR)
which makes constant video recordings of a journey; it is
designed to reduce risk by encouraging safe driving behaviour
and aiding in the process of investigating car accidents
SOLITAIRE An item of jewellery (for example, a ring) that
highlights a single diamond
SORTING The process of classifying rough diamonds into a
variety of categories based on their natural characteristics,
specifically their colour, clarity, carat and model or shape
SYNTHETIC A man-made diamond that has the same chemical
composition, crystal structure and physical properties as its
natural counterpart. Where a product is man-made, but has
the same structure as a natural counterpart, an accepted
description must be used to makeclear that the product is
man-made. Synthetic is one such description

TREATMENT Any non-natural processes (other than shaping,

polishing and surface cleaning) that change, interfere with
and/or contaminate the natural appearance, composition or
durability of a gemstone. For diamonds, this includes colour
treatments (and decolourisation or bleaching), fracturefilling, laser-drilling, irradiation treatment, and coating
UNDISCLOSED SYNTHETIC A synthetic diamond that has been
falsely passed off as a natural gem
UPSTREAM The stage of the diamond value chain that
includes rough-diamond exploration and production
WACC Weighted Average Cost of Capital: A calculation of a
companys cost of capital in which each category of capital is
proportionately weighted. All capital sources common stock,
preferred stock, bonds and any other long-term debt are
included in a WACC calculation
WHOLESALER An organisation that buys polished diamonds
in order to distribute them to jewellery manufacturers
andretailers

83

END NOTES
1

See Kimberley Process statistics Annual Summary

Tables 2005

19

The World Bank, Kimberley Process statistics and

De Beers data and analysis

McKinsey & Company, Perspectives on the Diamond

Industry, September 2014

20

The World Bank data website http://data.worldbank.

org/; accessed on 9 July 2014, GDP current USD

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain

21

The World Bank, Kimberley Process statistics and

De Beers data and analysis

Bloomberg, ROIC and EBIT margin; accessed

1 August 2014

22

http://eng.alrosa.ru/operations/sales-policy/; accessed
on 1 August 2014

23

Dominion Diamond Corporation: http://www.ddcorp.ca/

investors/news-single?id=1945908; accessed 25 July2014

24

Rough & Polished website, http://www.rough-polished.

com/en/news/91426.html; accessed on 1 August 2014

Company filings

Bloomberg, ROIC and EBIT margin; accessed

1 August 2014

Blue Nile, 2013 Annual Report, p.26

Bloomberg, ROIC and EBIT margin; accessed

1 August 2014

25

See Kimberley Process statistics Annual Summary

Tables 2005

Laura Chesters, Bruno Pavlovsky is making the Chanel

dream come true with Bond Street address, London
Evening Standard online, 13 June 2013: http://www.
standard.co.uk/business/markets/bruno-pavlovsky-ismaking-the-chanel-dream-come-true-with-bond-streetaddress-8657099.html

26

https://kimberleyprocessstatistics.org/static/pdfs/
public_statistics/2013/2013 GlobalSummary.pdf ;
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27

https://www.riotintodiamonds.com/ENG/media/
media_releases_1429.asp; accessed on 1 August 2014

28

https://www.riotintodiamonds.com/ENG/ourmines/
argyle_diamond_diamonds.asp; accessed on 1 August 2014

29

http://www.bhpbilliton.com/home/investors/news/
Pages/Articles/BHP-Billiton-Completes-Sale-ofDiamonds-Business-to-Dominion-Diamond-Corporation.
aspx; accessed on 1 August 2014

30

SNL-MEG Corporate Exploration Strategies 2013.

Includes grassroots, late stage and mine-site expenditure

31

Rio Tinto Diamonds website, http://www.

riotintodiamonds.com/eng/ourmines/565_the_bunder_
diamond_project.asp; accessed on 25 July, 2014

32

De Beers estimates based on company publications

and websites, SNL-MEG Corporate Exploration
Strategies 2013

33

De Beers estimates based on company publications

and websites, SNL-MEG Corporate Exploration
Strategies 2013

34

2010-13 MEG Corporate Exploration Strategies. Includes

grassroots, late stage and mine-site expenditure

35

Mindshare 2014

36

Euromonitor, Euromonitor International: Luxury Goods

Retail Value in the USA; time range: 2004-2013; accessed
on 4 April 2014

10

11

12

Anne Combaz, Chanel pops up in Courchevel, The

Telegraph online, 9 December 2013: http://fashion.
telegraph.co.uk/article/TMG10505236/Chanel-pops-upin-Courchevel.html
Chanel News, http://chanel-news.chanel.com/en/home.
html; accessed 27 May 2014

13

Mindshare 2014

14

Dealogic, M&A Analytics, M&A activity in sectors:

Precious Metal/Jewelry, Retail Jewelry stores, Retail
Apparel/Shoes, Textile Apparel Manufacturing;
time range: 1995-2014; accessed on 30 April 2014

15

Signet Jewelers Press Release Signet Jewelers Completes

Acquisition of Zale Corporation, 29 May 2014

16

http://www.israelidiamond.co.il/english/news.
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17

18

84

Margaux Krehl, Chanels St Tropez pop up shop, Vogue

online, 5 May 2014: http://en.vogue.fr/fashion/fashionnews/diaporama/chanel-s-st-tropez-pop-up-shop/18619

ICE Benchmark Administration Limited (IBA)

The World Bank data website http://data.worldbank.
org/; accessed on 9 July 2014, GDP current USD

37

US Bureau of Labor Statistics; http://www.bls.gov/oes/

current/oes_nat.htm; accessed on 1 August 2014, mean
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52

http://www.ewh.ieee.org/tc/csc/europe/newsforum/
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August 2014

38

Mintel Report, Weddings US May 2013

39

McKinsey & Company, Meet the Chinese Consumer

of 2020, March 2012, pp.3-4

53

http://www.debtech.com/pdf/Leaflet_Scannex.pdf;
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40

Credit Suisse Research Institute Global Wealth

Report 2013

54

http://lodox.com/about/; accessed on 1 August 2014

55

http://lodox.com/2014/05/better-by-the-dozen-a-rollout-of-12-lodox-scanners-in-gauteng-medical-facilitiesthis-financial-year/ and http://lodox.com/2014/04/andthen-there-were-five/; accessed on 1 August 2014

56

http://www.diamonds.net/News/NewsItem.
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57

http://www.e6.com/wps/wcm/connect/e6_
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58

http://www.ssef.ch/asdi/; accessed on 1 August 2014

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Capgemini and RBC Wealth Management 2012

World Wealth Report

42

WealthInsight defines millionaires as individuals with

net assets of US$1 million or more, excluding their primary
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43

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited Annual Results

Announcement for the year ended 31 March 2014,
17 June 2014

44

http://www.chinainternetwatch.com/5132/mobilebroadband-became-daily-life-necessity-in-china/;
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45

McKinsey & Company, Winning Todays Globe Hopping

and Shopping Chinese Luxury Consumers, June 2014, pp.1-2

46

Botswana Power Corporation, 2007 Annual report,

page 6 http://www.bpc.bw/Documents/bpc_annual_
report_2007.pdf, and Namibian Manufacturers
Association, Electricity Price Comparison, page 15,
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pdf/NMA_electricity_price_comparison_2012.pdf;
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47

Business Monitor International, subscription

service, http://www.businessmonitor.com/; accessed
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48

Russian Federation Federal State Statistics Service,

http://www.gks.ru/free_doc/new_site/prices/prom/
cena-OKPD.xls; accessed on 1 August 2014

49

Russian Federation Federal State Statistics Service,

http://www.gks.ru/free_doc/new_site/population/trud/
sr-zarplata/t3.docx; accessed on 1 August 2014

50

Eskom Annual Report 2002, page 143; and Eskom

Annual Report 2012, Divisional Report, page 94

51

http://business.financialpost.com/2011/08/31/arctichas-great-riches-but-greater-challenges and http://www.

irishexaminer.com/business/karelian-diamonds-appliesfor-two-arctic-circle-claims-247056.html; accessed on
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85

Please note that names such as Tiffany, Cartier, Chanel and Harry Winston are trademarks of the respective brand owners.
De Beers UK Limited is a member of The De Beers Group of Companies and is a limited liability company, incorporated in
England and Wales (Registered Number 02054170) with its registered office at 17 Charterhouse Street, London, EC1N 6RA.
De BeersTM, A Diamond is ForeverTM, DTCTM, ForevermarkTM, and TM are used under licence by De Beers UK Limited.
De Beers UK Limited 2014. All rights reserved.
A member of the Anglo American plc group.

86

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