With new trade agreements opening markets, and shifting global sourcing strategies creating fresh opportunities, India’s gem and jewellery industry is entering an important phase. GJEPC Chairman Kirit Bhansali discusses India’s growing global role, emerging export opportunities, and the road ahead, with Suneeta Kaul.

De Beers Group’s latest US consumer study finds Gen Z driving natural diamond demand, average purchase values rising, and non-bridal occasions accounting for most acquisitions, offering key retail insights.

Natural diamond ownership among Indian women rose to 15% in 2025 from 11% in 2022, driven by younger consumers, rising incomes and increasing self-purchase trends, according to NDC.

International Gemological Institute reported 21% growth in revenue and EBITDA for Jan-Mar 2026, driven by natural diamonds, laboratory-grown diamonds and jewellery certification demand, alongside expansion into coloured stones.

India’s diamond jewellery market reached Rs 497 billion in 2025, capturing 12% global demand, driven by Gen Z and self-purchasing women, with projections of Rs 1,50,000 crore by 2030.

Réia Diamonds launched a dedicated lab-grown diamond engagement ring studio on April 16, 2026 in Bengaluru, introducing a design-led retail format aligned with rising demand and evolving consumer preferences.

The ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict is disrupting diamond trade flows, impacting key hubs, delaying shipments, and pressuring logistics; however, the industry is hopeful of things returning to normal once the geopolitical tensions ease, finds out Dhwani Rathod.

De Beers launches a centenary book tracing its diamond marketing evolution since the 1930s, highlighting the 1947 slogan’s global impact on consumer behaviour, retail demand, and shifting jewellery preferences across markets including India.

Despite a sharp contraction in shipments to the United States, India’s gems and jewellery exports show resilience, supported by strong growth in the UAE, Hong Kong and emerging global markets.

Namibia signed the Luanda Accord in Cape Town on February 9, 2026, while GJEPC and DMCC agreed pathways toward Natural Diamond Council membership to support global natural diamond marketing efforts.

In order to meet the challenges of the diamond industry head on, De Beers has devised a multi-pronged strategy – the major steps include upping investment in marketing, participating in the Luanda Accord, developing a range of category campaigns, collaborating with key retail partners to grow demand, and investing in branded marketing programmes for its own retail businesses, says David Johnson, VP, Global External Communications, De Beers Group, in a conversation with Suneeta Kaul.

Limelight Lab Grown Diamonds has launched its first exclusive store in Bhopal in January 2026, strengthening its national retail expansion and targeting Central India’s growing lab-grown diamond market.

Buying activity softened as laboratory-grown diamonds and gold prices reshaped loose diamond trade dynamics at IIJS Bharat Signature 2026. Exhibitors observed slower conversions, but continued relevance, for natural diamonds, reports Khursheed Mistry.

IIJS Bharat Signature 2026 opened at JWCC, Mumbai, bringing together industry leaders, and 1,600 exhibitors and global buyers; with a focus on exports, product launches, and knowledge sessions, the show is likely to set the tone for the industry for the rest of the year.