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Natural Diamond Sales Jump 9% as De Beers Expands Desert Icons
After a 9% sales jump at US independents, De Beers expands its Desert Diamonds campaign with an Icons line covering 70% of acquisitions. The push intensifies the industry's fight against lab-grown stones.
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De Beers used the JCK Las Vegas show to report that its Desert Diamonds campaign is working. Natural diamond sales at US independent jewellers rose 9% in the first quarter of 2026, following a 4% gain in the fourth quarter of 2025. Coloured diamonds in the K to Z range did even better: up 19% in Q1. Now the company is adding a new product line called Desert Diamonds Icons, launching in September, that targets the four jewellery categories accounting for 70% of all diamond acquisitions: stud earrings, eternity bands, tennis bracelets and halo pendants.
The campaign first hit the market in late 2025, focused on coloured natural diamonds. De Beers said online searches for natural diamonds have risen, and the marketing budget is the largest the industry has seen in 15 years. The new Icons line will come with training and marketing support for retailers, plus geo-targeted digital ads that push shoppers toward specific stores carrying the branded inventory.