The diamond industry is facing an era of transformation, and AWDC is leading the way. Over the past months, three landmark initiatives have come together to reinforce one shared mission: to protect and promote the timeless value of natural diamonds worldwide.
On May 12, Antwerp hosted a pivotal stakeholder meeting, gathering influential voices from both diamond producing countries and Antwerp’s midstream diamond community. This important gathering not only informed the Antwerp representatives about progress toward a global marketing push, but also harnessed their insights and expertise to shape the strategy. With strong support from partners like Botswana, Angola, De Beers, the Natural Diamond Council (NDC), and many others, this meeting laid the groundwork for a historic agreement that would follow about a month later.
That agreement, the Luanda Accord, signed on June 18 in Luanda, Angola, marks a defining moment for the global diamond sector. Under this accord, diamond producing countries and industry leaders, including AWDC represented by our President Isidore Mörsel, committed to launching a global generic marketing campaign to promote natural diamonds. By pledging a collective contribution equivalent to 1% of rough diamond sales revenue annually, signatories are ensuring a structural, long-term investment in rekindling consumer desire and confidence. The funds, directed to the NDC, will support a coordinated effort to inform and inspire new generations about the unique, long-lasting value of natural diamonds.
This initiative is more than a marketing campaign; it is a shared story of collaboration and impact which reflects the true beauty and positive influence of natural diamonds on millions of lives worldwide. Antwerp’s leadership in bringing stakeholders together over the past few months has proven instrumental in making this vision a reality.
Meanwhile, back in Antwerp, this mission took shape in a bold and consumer-facing way through our newly launched campaign, ‘We Protect A Legacy’, unveiled on June 12 in the iconic Stadsfeestzaal, located on the biggest shopping street in Antwerp. This campaign places Antwerp’s role as the world’s natural diamond trading capital in the spotlight with a gimmicky and creative stunt. Our campaign contained a big gumball machine where passers-by could spin the wheel and receive a small synthetic diamond for just five euros, underscoring the stark contrast in value and meaning between natural diamonds and synthetic stones.
Together, these initiatives - the Antwerp stakeholder meeting, the Luanda Accord, and the ‘We Protect A Legacy’ campaign - represent a unified and forward-looking strategy to secure the future of natural diamonds. They signal an industry ready to act decisively, to collaborate globally, and to tell a powerful, authentic story to the world.
As the industry faces economic headwinds and changing consumer trends, one thing is clear: Antwerp stands as a hub for leadership and trust, protecting a legacy that matters greatly to all of us.
