DiamondBuzz
US Jewellery Industry faces $117 Billion threat amid proposed diamond tariffs
The World Diamond Council (WDC), representing the global natural diamond value chain, has raised concerns over proposed U.S. tariffs that could place the $117 billion American jewellery industry at significant risk. In a formal appeal, the WDC urged the U.S. Administration to exempt natural diamonds (HS Codes 7102.10 and 7102.31) from the ongoing tariff review and include them in Annex II, citing their critical role in the nation’s economic and manufacturing sectors.
Natural diamonds, though not produced in the U.S., are essential to the health of the domestic jewellery market — a sector supporting over 200,000 American jobs and generating over $91.5 billion in annual sales. The combined impact of jewellery manufacturing and exports adds another $25.5 billion to the economy each year.
The WDC warns that tariffs on natural diamonds would effectively act as a consumption tax, raising prices on popular items like engagement rings and anniversary jewellery, placing additional financial strain on American families. Retailers are already experiencing inventory concerns, with inflationary pressures beginning to impact consumer prices.
“A tariff would destabilize the supply chain, weaken U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, and increase costs for consumers,” said Feriel Zerouki, President of the World Diamond Council. “We support the U.S. Government’s goal of fair trade, but urge an exemption for natural diamonds to protect jobs, competitiveness, and consumer access.”
The United States is the world’s largest consumer of natural diamond jewellery. The WDC emphasized that continued access to these goods is vital to preserving the innovation, craftsmanship, and entrepreneurship that define the American jewellery industry.
WDC members are actively engaging with U.S. officials, calling for a collaborative resolution that supports fair trade without undermining one of America’s most valuable consumer markets.
DiamondBuzz
SCS Global Ending “Sustainably Rated” Certificates For Diamonds, Gems
SCS Said The Decision Reflected Market Conditions That Had Failed To Support The Voluntary Programme At Scale. It Also Cited The Lack Of Adoption By The Mining Sector and The Absence Of A Clear Regulatory Framework For Product-Level Chain-Of-Custody
SCS Global Services and its nonprofit standards arm, SCS Standards, have retired the SCS-007 certification programme for sustainably produced diamonds and gemstones, ending one of the industry’s more prominent third-party sustainability certification schemes.
The programme was formally retired on September 1, 2026. SCS Global Services will no longer conduct audits against the standard, while SCS Standards will no longer maintain it. Companies that already hold certifications can continue to use them until their existing expiry dates.
SCS said the decision reflected market conditions that had failed to support the voluntary programme at scale. It also cited the lack of adoption by the mining sector and the absence of a clear regulatory framework for product-level chain-of-custody claims across an increasingly fragmented supply chain.
SCS-007 was originally introduced in 2020 as a framework for independently assessing environmental, social, climate and traceability performance in the diamond supply chain. Its scope subsequently expanded to include emeralds, rubies and sapphires. The standard incorporated requirements covering governance, traceability, environmental stewardship, social responsibility and climate performance.
The programme initially focused heavily on laboratory-grown diamonds. By 2024, SCS said it had certified eight lab-grown diamond producers, 12 diamond handlers and 65 retailers across 14 countries, with more than 100,000 certified diamonds sold through more than 500 stores.
However, adoption remained limited. Industry participants cited by JCK have also pointed to the cost and complexity of certification, particularly for growers, cutters and polishers.
The retirement comes as consumers and jewellery companies continue to seek independently verifiable information on the environmental and social credentials of diamonds. SCS Standards said it remains open to working with existing industry schemes that could build on the chain-of-custody framework developed through SCS-007.
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