How The Natural Diamond Council Plans to Win Over Consumers

By Karen Dybis | August 04, 2026

This week, Amber Pepper, CEO of the Natural Diamond Council (NDC) outlined the group’s latest marketing plans in an industry presentation saying it will devote at least 80% of its advertising toward consumers, create a data-driven “desire index” to track those ads, and establish a mark for natural diamonds designed to boost shopper trust.

Pepper also debuted what the council is calling “transformational pillars” that it hopes can shift more of the marketplace and consumer interest toward natural diamonds.

Pepper outlined the pillars—industry unity, category marketing, organization evolution, consumer design, cultural relevance, and category protection—on Monday during a Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) trade meeting in Mumbai before an audience of diamantaires and industry stakeholders, including GJEPC chairman Kirit Bhansali, GJEPC reported.

What stands out in her presentation is the NDC’s plans to use AI, data, short social-media messages, and new marketing efforts like a natural diamond mark to connect with consumers, particularly Gen Z diamond shoppers.

Pepper had hinted at the natural diamond mark and other parts of her GJEPC presentation during an NDC event at JCK Vegas. However, this is the first time the newly appointed council president has spoken at length about the NDC’s global efforts to position natural diamonds to compete with consumers’ growing interest in lab-grown diamonds for fashion jewelry as well as milestone pieces like engagement rings.

Simultaneously, Anglo American CEO Duncan Wanblad told the Financial Times on Tuesday that De Beers Group and the international diamond community underestimated how lab-grown diamonds would upset and economically impact the industry. “Hindsight would probably show that we might have wanted to have been a little bit more aggressive on the signals we were getting,” Wanblad told the FT.

JCK reached out to Pepper, GJEPC, and NDC for additional information about Pepper’s presentation.

In a statement, NDC said: “It’s great to see the interest and excitement around the future focus of the Natural Diamond Council. Working closely with our partners across the industry, we are designing a strategy fit for a new era in natural diamonds.

“Natural diamonds remain one of the world’s most remarkable luxuries. As we shape this next chapter, a key focus will be putting the consumer at the center, driving demand by reigniting desire through cultural relevance and establishing a distinct position for the category for the next decade. We look forward to sharing more detail on the plan in the months ahead,” the statement said.

Here are some of the ideas from Pepper’s presentation as reported by the GJEPC that stand out.

NDC will focus on storytelling
According to GJEPC, Pepper said at least 80% of the NDC’s future investments will go toward consumer marketing rather than industry advertising. These consumer campaigns will focus on organic storytelling, cultural partnerships, and peer-to-peer engagement rather than traditional ads or marketing campaigns.

As it has done in the past year, NDC will continue to push natural diamonds into cultural touch points, like the Oscars or Met Gala, as well as fashion and sports events. It will deliver these messages through “authentic creators and localized storytelling,” the GJEPC reported.

NDC will create a data-driven desire index
Pepper also described the development of a “Diamond Desire Index”—a measurement to track consumer consideration, purchase intent, sentiment, and recommendation levels for natural diamonds in key markets, such as India, China, and the United States. NDC will report its baseline results in September.

The NDC also is now working with AI agency Artefact to impact how large language models and AI-powered search platforms present natural diamonds to the world. The goal, GJEPC stated, is to boost factual information and increase trust in AI-generated answers.

NDC will center on snappy social-media posts
Pepper also said shorter, social-first content will be its primary approach to reach consumers. By expanding its research, publishing more industry data, and developing consumer-centric campaigns aimed at digital audiences, NDC believes it can connect more broadly and better boost natural diamonds for all stakeholders, GJEPC reported.

An example might be the World Diamond Day efforts that took place in April. NDC took the lead on the event, which encouraged people both inside and outside of the industry to post stories about how natural diamonds affect them. While most of the April 8 posts came from industry members, the event still holds potential if consumers get more involved.

NDC will create the “Natural Diamond Mark”
GJEPC described a “consumer trust mark” that can be inscribed on natural diamonds and related jewelry that will be called the “Natural Diamond Mark.” The long-term goal for the mark is for it to be recognized globally, helping establish natural diamonds as a certified product for consumers. It also will give the industry a way to fight misrepresentation of what is a natural diamond against a lab-grown product.

The NDC is among the groups who have reported multiple retailers and advertisers in the past year in an effort to combat marketing that does not clearly identify lab-grown diamonds.

“It’s vital that consumers can make informed choices in total confidence,” Pepper said at the time regarding the NDC’s efforts to curtail misinformation in lab-grown diamond advertising. “This is not the first time we have successfully challenged advertising that blurs the distinction between mass-produced products grown in a factory and products of nature formed deep in the earth over billions of years.”

In May, the NDC formalized GJEPC’s membership, making it the first industry body to progress toward NDC membership under the Luanda Accord framework.

The milestone followed GJEPC’s signing of the Luanda Accord in June 2025 and the Memorandum of Understanding during the second Luanda Accord High-Level Meeting in Cape Town in February 2026. It further reflects GJEPC’s commitment to collective industry action in support of the natural diamond sector, NDC said in a statement.

Pepper also met with GJEPC in April to go over the council’s interest in working with India and its diamond industry.

“We have to stop talking about the crisis and start promoting the desirability of natural diamonds,” Pepper told the trade members. “Our mission is to ensure the inherent uniqueness of natural diamonds is honored as a symbol of life’s most cherished moments.”

(Photo courtesy of the Natural Diamond Council)