The jewellery industry must rapidly adapt to a fundamental shift in how consumers discover products as artificial intelligence threatens to displace traditional search engines,said Raluca Anghel, Head of External Affairs at the NDC

Speaking at the CIBJO Centenary Congress 2026, , she cautioned that conversational AI platforms could overtake conventional online queries within years, reshaping digital marketing and consumer trust.

The transition from link-based search engines to AI tools that aggregate and synthesize information poses a unique challenge for diamond and fine jewellery marketers. Unlike standard Google results, which present a list of competing websites, AI platforms deliver direct, conversational answers. This shift makes the source data fed into AI algorithms critical to what consumers see and buy.

For the natural diamond sector, the stakes are particularly high. The industry has struggled with consumer confusion between mined diamonds and laboratory-grown alternatives, as well as complex terminology surrounding sustainability and origin.

Anghel emphasized that ensuring AI systems draw from verified, accurate sources is essential to combating widespread industry misconceptions. CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, has long advocated for clear disclosure standards and terminology to maintain consumer confidence.

As AI platforms increasingly mediate the purchasing journey, the digital battleground for jewellers is shifting. Industry experts at the congress noted that the challenge is no longer merely ranking high on a search page, but securing credibility within the generative answers provided by AI systems.