De Beers launches Ombré Desert Diamonds and Origin brand

De Beers Group has unveiled its first beacon jewellery concept, Ombré Desert Diamonds, and a new brand, Origin, at the annual JCK Las Vegas Show. 

The Ombre Desert Diamonds is inspired by desert landscapes where many natural diamonds are found, and features warm white, champagne and amber tones in multi-stone ombré designs. It aims to evoke the beauty and rarity of natural diamonds and renew consumer interest in the category.

Beacons are its category-wide marketing concepts intended to stimulate demand for natural diamonds through new, “emotionally resonant” design ideas. Previous examples include the eternity and three-stone rings.

Retailers across the industry will be able to participate in the Ombré Desert Diamonds programme. De Beers is backing the launch with significant investment in media and digital campaigns, and will provide participants with marketing materials.

De Beers also formally introduced a new branded polished diamond line, Origin, De Beers Group. Initially revealed at the 2024 edition of the JCK show, the programme offers loose natural diamonds supported by provenance data and storytelling tools.

Origin diamonds will come with detailed information about their country of origin, journey through the value chain, rarity score and associated social impact programmes. The data is underpinned by Tracr, De Beers Group’s blockchain platform.

The company said the offering would give consumers assurance of ethical provenance while providing retailers with tools to boost digital engagement.

At the show, De Beers also updated attendees on other parts of its Origins strategy. It reported the completion of airborne geophysical surveys in Angola, a milestone in its upstream exploration activities.

In the midstream, the company said it was intensifying efforts on traceability. This year it added single-country origin data to Tracr and launched the DiamondProof verification tool in US retail stores.

On synthetic diamonds, De Beers announced the first output of technology diamonds at its Element Six Oregon Centre. The site is part of a $130m (£96.07m) investment in industrial synthetic diamond solutions. The update follows De Beers’ decision to shut its Lightbox lab-grown jewellery brand.

Al Cook, chief executive officer of De Beers Group, said: “One year on from announcing our Origins strategy, we have made fast and meaningful progress in delivering our vision. We have met every target that we announced back in 2024. Every part of De Beers is evolving to create lasting value, benefitting shareholders, the industry and consumers. 

“The launch of our first beacon in over a decade marks an exciting new era in showcasing the magic of natural diamonds, while Origin, De Beers Group connects people with the powerful stories behind natural diamonds – the communities they help support, the landscapes they come from, and the meaningful impact they create. With innovation across the value chain – from provenance to synthetic diamond technology – De Beers is reinforcing its leadership in an evolving marketplace.”