DiamondBuzz

Significant potential in LGD fashion as customers seek “bolder” looks, lower price points: Signet CEO

Signet Jewelers sees significant potential in lab-created diamond fashion, as customers seek “bolder” looks at lower price points, CEO J.K. Symancyk told an audience of business analysts on Jan. 14 at the ICR Conference in Orlando, Fla.

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1 year ago

January 29, 2025

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“There’s growth and momentum within fashion that we need to do a better job of tapping into,” he said. “There’s customer demand within the sub-$1,000 and sub-$500 gift-giving price point, but the way the customer shops that category has changed. Within our assortment, there’s an opportunity to amplify lab-created diamonds more in that space.”Signet’s sales of lab-created diamond fashion have risen more than 30%, he noted.

“Unlike the way this dialogue happens with regards to engagement, that’s a good thing, as it pushes [average unit retail] up and helps margin, because it’s a chance for customers to trade up in what they’re buying,” he said. “Lab-grown diamonds make diamonds more accessible to categories of fashion that they didn’t exist in before.”

DiamondBuzz

Diamond Slump forces Debswana to diversify into copper, platinum and solar

Diamond-centric mining models is giving way to broader resource portfolios

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2 days ago

March 5, 2026

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Debswana Diamond Company, the 50–50 joint venture between the Botswana government and De Beers, is moving to diversify into copper, platinum and renewable energy as the prolonged downturn in natural diamond demand pressures earnings and forces the industry to rethink its growth strategy.

The company’s board has approved plans to invest in a portfolio of non-diamond projects after revenue fell 46% in 2024, the latest available financial year, highlighting the scale of the downturn in the global diamond market.

The move signals a strategic shift toward commodities with stronger long-term demand fundamentals, particularly copper, which is central to global electrification and energy-transition infrastructure.

Debswana’s diversification reflects a broader industry pivot as diamond producers confront weak consumer demand, rising competition from lab-grown stones and elevated inventories across the supply chain.

The shift is also visible among smaller exploration companies. Botswana Diamonds recently rebranded as Botswana Minerals, signalling its own strategic focus on copper exploration rather than diamonds.

Together, these moves underscore a growing consensus across the sector: the era of diamond-centric mining models is giving way to broader resource portfolios anchored in energy-transition metals.