NDC’s Pepper Bets on World Diamond Day Model to Reignite Demand

By JCK News Desk | August 11, 2026

The inaugural World Diamond Day campaign last spring demonstrated how the natural diamond industry can generate consumer interest when it speaks with a unified voice, according to Amber Pepper, chief executive officer of the Natural Diamond Council.

In an interview with Solitaire, a publication of India’s Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), Pepper said the initiative produced a 30% increase in global searches for natural diamonds and is expected to become a yearly platform for consumer engagement, offering what she sees as a blueprint for rebuilding demand.

Pepper said the first World Diamond Day, held April 8, was developed and launched quickly and without paid media support, yet generated millions of impressions and a significant increase in consumer interest. She said the NDC plans to expand the program through digital storytelling, consumer participation, and retailer engagement, with the goal of establishing World Diamond Day as an annual industry-wide event.

“Our focus is to make WDD an annual tentpole by expanding digital storytelling, growing user-generated content, and equipping partners to engage consumers more effectively,” she said. “Our focus is on creating desirability by making natural diamonds culturally relevant again.”

The emphasis on World Diamond Day reflects a broader strategy Pepper outlined during the interview: shifting the industry’s attention from defensive discussions about lab-grown diamonds, inventory levels, and pricing toward creating consumer demand.

She argued that consumers purchase products they find meaningful and desirable, and that marketing efforts should focus on the qualities she believes distinguish natural diamonds, including rarity, authenticity, provenance, and emotional significance.

According to Pepper, success for the natural diamond industry will be measured not only by sales growth but by the category’s ability to connect with younger consumers. She said the NDC wants natural diamonds to become part of how consumers celebrate achievements, express identity, and mark important life moments, particularly among Gen Z and millennials.

The organization is also placing greater emphasis on tracking metrics beyond awareness, including retailer activation, consumer consideration, and, where possible, conversion and category growth.

“Over the next three years, we want to see natural diamonds increasingly become part of everyday culture—driving greater self-purchase, more frequent occasions and a larger share of the modern luxury wallet,” Pepper said. “Ultimately, our ambition is simple: When people think about celebrating themselves or someone they love, natural diamonds should be the instinctive choice.”

Top: A post by Briony Raymond, one of the jewelry brands that highlighted World Diamond Day on Instagram this year (photo courtesy of Briony Raymond New York)

The JCK News Desk uses AI to help research and produce the first draft of articles. This story was then reviewed by staff writer David Blomquist.