A week ago, the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) posted a short promotional video on Instagram titled “Diamonds should be made by nature, not by Mike.”
The video introduces us to “Mike,” a fictional factory worker shoveling coal into a kitchen-size microwave oven to grow thousands of “lab-grown” synthetic diamonds. A young woman narrator tells us that “Mike-made” goods are not romantic, while natural diamonds—born of the earth, with “timeless charm”—are heirlooms she can pass down to her children, “not another copy from Mike’s giant machine.”
It’s lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek, and stamped with the disclaimer “dramatized for effect.” Still, it raises a bigger question: is this the right way to market natural diamonds?
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from the World Federation of Diamond Bourses
Romance Shouldn’t be Manufactured, and Neither Should Your Diamonds
Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to share with you a new video just launched by the WFDB, as part of its campaign to promote natural diamonds. This video shows why Diamonds should be made by nature, not by Mike. You can watch the video below. We’d be very pleased if you would share this video with colleagues and friends. Your support is essential in helping us amplify this message globally and highlight the emotional and enduring quality of natural diamonds.
Tap the Video Above!
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Promote the Positives
In recent months, De Beers CEO Al Cook and Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi have stressed that the industry’s strength lies in promoting natural diamonds’ positives—their rarity, deep emotional resonance, and support of mining communities—rather than running down the competition. So will poking fun at “Mike” win consumer trust? Or does it risk looking like a downgrade strategy instead of a confidence-building one?
WFDB Responds
WFDB president Yoram Dvash defended the video, telling us:
“The WFDB believes that the viewers of the video can distinguish between a well-researched documentary about producing lab-grown diamonds versus a video that exaggerates in somewhat of a satirical way, in order to send a message, and also has in small letters a proper disclaimer (you obviously noticed it!).”
He added that the goal was honesty:
“We believe the perception is accurate and that the consumer should be made aware that lab-grown diamonds are NOT ‘exactly the same product with the same concept and emotional value, just for much less money’! We believe that being honest with the consumer is imperative and should never be questioned, and or compromised!”
Left to Right: moderator David Ager (Harvard), Daniel Rose (Signet Jewelers), Lisa Bridge (formerly with Ben Bridge Jewelers),
Martin Katz (Martin Katz), Olivia Landau (The Clear Cut), and Wesley Tucker (De Beers’ Tracr).
Photo by Gary Roskin
CONVERGE, Diverge
That very question—how to market natural diamonds in the age of lab-grown—was front and center last week at CONVERGE, GIA’s Symposium and AGS’s Conclave. On day two, a panel titled “Thriving Through Change: Strategies for What’s Next” brought together Lisa Bridge (formerly with Ben Bridge Jewelers), Martin Katz (Martin Katz), Olivia Landau (The Clear Cut), Daniel Rose (Signet Jewelers), and Wesley Tucker (De Beers’ Tracr), moderated by Harvard’s David Ager.
Taking full advantage of the moment, I stood up and asked the panel specifically about the WFDB video. Olivia Landau kicked off the discussion, saying:
“I understand the intention behind it, but I think the execution could have been a bit different.” The message, she explained, needs to resonate with the everyday consumer who’s actually buying natural diamonds. “They may not understand how to have it land properly.”
Martin Katz urged a more positive tack:
“It’s about the story of a natural diamond. It’s a billion years old. It’s unique. It’s rare. These are all positive aspects of natural diamonds. And that’s what we need to push. There’s no point denigrating another aspect of our industry. It will only hurt all of us.”
Lisa Bridge agreed that inspiration works better than criticism:
“Clients feel better about a purchase when they hear positive stories—the impact on diamond communities, the excitement of the journey. That’s what gives them a reason to buy a natural diamond.”
Bridge spoke directly to the retail store owners. “We really need to educate our sales people on why we carry certain products, and why you should buy a natural diamond, including knowing the difference between Lab and Natural.” Because at the end of the day, the customer is getting their education and their decision-making right at the counter, and that counter should be yours. “If the salespeople aren’t educated, then we lose to all of the social media marketing.”
And Daniel Rose put it in sales terms:
“The value in that piece of jewelry isn’t just in the diamond or gold.” It’s really in what we do, says Rose. We make people happy about their purchase. “People will buy jewelry on vacations so they remember that moment.” It’s just as much about the moment as it is in the diamond jewelry.
Selling the Negatives?
The panel was also asked about turning former “negatives” of natural diamonds—like cape color and noticeable inclusions—into positives. Olivia Landau pointed to Taylor Swift’s engagement ring with its elongated old mine cushion cut:
“We’re seeing a shift towards embracing what makes a diamond unique,” says Landau. “In fact, we’ve seen a 117% increase in sales of K to O color diamonds over the past three years. Clients want something that signals natural—they’re embracing warmth, inclusions, uniqueness.”
Lisa Bridge calls herself “a nerdy gemologist”:
“I love that there’s excitement around color, inclusions, and stories. I want to be able to talk about where a diamond was born, how it journeyed to the counter. People connect with that.”
Rose added the obvious, and a way to move ahead:
“Lab-grown are here to stay, but if you tell the story right, there will be growth again in natural diamonds.”
Stay True to the Story
In the end, Landau enhanced what the panel, Cook, Masisi, and others have been saying: chaos creates opportunity, but only if the trade leans into its authentic story. “It’s a great time to figure out who you are, what your brand stands for, and what you’re authentic voice and message should be. Embrace the competition, and understand that you can’t serve every single person for every single thing, but you can find your community and build on a great future.”
As Katz summed up:
“There’s really no need to tear down the lab-grown business. High-end luxury brands don’t say, ‘Ours is beautiful, theirs is ugly.’ They just stay true to themselves.”
That may be the lasting lesson: you don’t elevate natural diamonds by mocking the competition. You elevate them by telling their story—the rarity, the journey, the human touch—and letting clients fall in love with that story at the counter. – gr
