ON TREND
October 2025
How Can We Save Natural Diamonds and Why Should We?
Aleah Arundale
Why should anyone buy a natural diamond? Unfortunately, social platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are flooded with influencers championing lab-grown diamonds, branding natural ones as outdated, overpriced, or worse. So, should we just give up? Should we stop fighting for natural diamonds?
Not so fast. Ten million people around the world are fed, educated, and supported by the natural diamond industry. For them—and for many jewelers it is worth the fight. We asked over 35,000 jewelers how to save natural diamonds. Here are some of thier ideas.
1. Use Influencers to Shift the Narrative
Elisheva Chase, CEO of Reiss Diamonds & Co., believes influencer marketing is the missing link. If influencers can boost restaurant sales by 30% with a single post, imagine what they could do for natural diamonds.
It’s not enough to place a diamond in a celebrity’s hand. We need real stories, emotional moments, and lifestyle branding that repositions natural diamonds as aspirational and modern. TikTok and YouTube are flooded with negative opinions—let’s flood them back with beauty, truth, and romance.
2. Incentivize the Sales Floor
The people who sell diamonds are often the ones pushing lab-grown gems. Why? They’re cheaper and easier to sell—and no one is giving them a reason to do otherwise.
Take a lesson from Hearts on Fire. They succeeded by training salespeople thoroughly and, crucially, rewarding them. Staff need incentives to recommend natural diamonds: bonuses, competitions, recognition. Sales staff will show what they’re paid to show. Why not make that a natural diamond?
3. Support the Retailers Who Stand Strong
Charles Marks, a veteran jeweler, suggests rewarding retailers who stay loyal to natural diamonds. These “Real, Rare, Royal” retailers are fighting a tough battle—and they need backup. De Beers and the Natural Diamond Council could provide marketing dollars, buy-back programs, and exclusive sales training for stores that champion mined diamonds.
Let’s reclaim the word “real”. Let’s start campaigns around the question: “Is it natural?”
Why not elevate these retailers? Give them the spotlight and strengthen their brand as premium, trusted sellers of real luxury.
4. Use Analogies That Resonate
Sometimes, all it takes to win a sale is a good analogy. One jeweler compares lab diamonds to fast food: “You can eat at McDonald’s or go to a five-star restaurant—both are dinner, but one’s an experience.” A fake Rolex and a real Rolex both tell time. But which do you want on your wrist?
Analogies help customers frame the value in their own terms. They also expose the truth: cheap doesn’t mean better. Often, it just means forgettable.
5. Stop Being So Polite: Call Them What They Are— Fake
Synthetic diamond marketers are pulling no punches. They talk about child labor and environmental harm. They’re shaping a powerful (and often inaccurate) narrative. Meanwhile, the natural diamond world is playing defense.
Let’s reclaim the word real. Let’s start campaigns around the question: “Is it natural?” Normalize asking. Make people proud to say, “Yes, it’s a real diamond.” Create marketing moments that tap into authenticity and emotion— because real diamonds feel different.
6. Tell the Eco-Story—The Right Way
Natural diamonds do good. They fund schools, hospitals, and livelihoods— especially in African nations like Botswana. But too often, that story is buried under vague PR messaging. It’s time to show receipts.
Say it loud: “10 million people are supported by the diamond industry.” “Every child in Botswana gets free education because of diamond revenue.” “Five million people have access to healthcare because of diamonds.” These are not just statistics, they are stories worth telling.
7. Make It About Her
A diamond’s real value is in what it says: You are worth it. A real diamond doesn’t just sparkle—it speaks. It says, “You are precious to me. I want to give you the very best.”
The emotional impact of a natural diamond cannot be overstated. Lab diamonds might cost less, but they don’t carry the same weight. A real diamond becomes a daily reminder of love, commitment, and intention.
8. Bring Back Rarity and Exclusivity
Luxury is not for everyone—and it shouldn’t try to be. When everyone has something, no one values it. Brands lose their magic when they become too accessible.
Let’s bring back desire through exclusivity. Natural diamonds are rare by nature, and that’s part of their power. Make it known: This diamond is not for everyone. It’s for those who want to give their partner the very best—not just something that looks close enough.
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