To turn around consumer demand for natural diamonds, ask your vendors to support a diamond ETF with excess inventory.

The fine jewelry community is facing a critical challenge. The spread of cheap lab-grown diamonds is undermining the value and reputation of natural diamonds, confusing consumers who mistakenly assume that lab-grown diamonds are equivalent—just cheaper, and perhaps more ethical. The truth is that lab-grown is not luxury. They are infinite in quantity and lack economic substance. Lab-grown diamonds mimic a precious natural resource and destroy its prestige—and will do the same to your business. The deception threatens millions of jobs and the value of every natural diamond already owned by consumers.

To support jewelry retailers and consumers, mines and vendors must urgently collaborate to differentiate natural diamonds from lab-grown, to restore their value and regenerate demand. Many propose to increase natural diamond advertising, without identifying a source of funding. But category marketing could easily backfire in this new age of social media backlash.

There is a clear path forward: a diamond exchange traded fund (ETF) will establish natural diamonds as an investment-grade asset. Only real facts, as opposed to manipulative marketing, can rebuild consumer confidence and support a long-term interest in diamonds. Just as gold and silver ETFs increased investor participation and supported the value of those metals, a diamond ETF will have a similar effect, benefiting retailers and the industry.

Diamond Standard has approval to file a diamond ETF, as reported in the WSJ. Only one ingredient is needed—the initial assets to meet listing requirements. To raise the assets, Diamond Standard is purchasing excess inventory from manufacturers, mines and dealers, paying with ETF shares that they can later sell when prices improve.

Driving Retail Revenue
A diamond ETF will provide retailers with a powerful unique selling proposition—natural diamonds are a suitable investment, whether in a listed fund or in jewelry. Only natural diamonds have long-term value and are likely to appreciate. Consistently rising prices will incentivize sales and benefit all.

Retailers: Take Action Today
Jewelry retailers play a vital role in making this happen. I encourage you to contact your largest diamond vendors and urge them to support the ETF by investing excess inventory. Their participation will stabilize the market by reducing inventory levels, and benefit retailers by reinvigorating natural diamond jewelry as a desirable luxury good and an inherently valuable asset.

Together, we can protect and strengthen the future of natural diamonds. Thousands of investors, family offices and funds own Diamond Standard commodities, which are approved for CFTC-regulated futures and now an ETF.

See The Wall Street Journal (2) (3), the Financial Times, CNBC, Bloomberg (2) (3), Forbes and more.

To learn more about Diamond Standard, please visit diamondstandard.co.

To learn more about (or sell to) the ETF, please visit diamondstandard.co/ETF.