The DTC has officially launched the pilot for its Forevermark in Hong Kong in a move aimed at strengthening consumer confidence and demand for diamonds at an event attended by Nicky Oppenheimer, Chairman of the De Beers Group and DTC Chairman Gary Ralfe.

 

The DTC Forevermark guarantees that the diamond is genuine, natural, and has not been altered or treated by any artificial means. It also guarantees that the diamond has been cut by one of the world’s best craftsmen.

 

The DTC Forevermark is a unique inscription on selected diamonds that provides the assurance that experts have kept an eye on the stones at every stage of their journey from mine to consumer.

“Backed by 115 years of expertise of the same organization that created, and still owns, one of the most widely recognised advertising lines in the world – ‘A Diamond is Forever’ – we believe that the DTC Forevermark has a very important role in building and sustaining consumer confidence in natural diamonds,” Oppenheimer said. “This is revealed by extensive consumer research to be a critical factor in the diamond purchasing process

 

“The Forevermark aligns with our long-term strategic objectives in that it provides consumers and jewelers with a simple, secure and cost-effective way to identify a genuine, natural, untreated, ethically sourced and exceptionally crafted diamond. We expect this assurance in the form of an internationally recognised mark of trust to help catalyse increased demand for diamond jewelry.”

 

Using proprietary technology, select diamonds of 0.30 carats and above are inscribed with the DTC’s trademarked Forevermark icon and an individual identification number, thus reinforcing the uniqueness of each stone.

 

Invisible to the naked eye and cleared by the world’s leading grading laboratories as not affecting the internal grade of the diamond, the actual size of the mark is only 1/20th of a micron deep, a mere 1/500th the thickness of a human hair, and can only be seen with a special DTC Forevermark viewer. 

 

Each Forevermarked diamond is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, representing the DTC’s commitment that a stone marked with a Forevermark has been mined, sorted, and crafted in an ethically, socially and environmentally responsible way. 

 

DTC Forevermarked diamonds have on sale since the start of this month at six authorized jewelers in Hong Kong covering around 100 retail outlets. These include: Chopard, Chow Sang Sang, Chow Tai Fook, Just Diamonds, Larry Jewelry, and Luk Fook.

 

Sales of 20,000 Forevermarked stones are targeted between September and next August.

 

Supplying the six jewelers are nine DTC Sightholders: A. Dalumi Diamonds, Eurostar Diamond Holding, Julius Klein Diamonds, Karp Impex, Louis Glick & Company, Rosy Blue Tach? Company, Chow Tai Fook and EMA Diamond Manufacturing.

 

The Forevermark process begins with rough diamonds being distributed through the DTC’s sights.

 

Sightholders taking part in the Forevermark program ensure that those of their diamonds selected for the program are watched and traced throughout the manufacturing process in line with the DTC’s Pipeline Integrity standard.

 

The polished stones are then sent back to the DTC where they are screened to ensure they are natural and untreated before they are inscribed with the DTC Forevermark and given a DTC Certificate of Authenticity.

 

The DTC Forevermarked stones are then either sent to a grading laboratory where a grading report is issued, or sent directly to a jewelry manufacturer or retailer.

 

Participation in the DTC Forevermark program was offered to DTC Sightholders and retailers who met certain criteria. 

 

Sightholders were required to have established business links with retailers in Hong Kong, appropriate systems and procedures to ensure the segregation and traceability of DTC diamonds in the Forevermark program, and a willingness to submit to immediate third party independent auditing.

 

Meanwhile, retailers need to have a revenue stream in which diamond jewelry accounted significantly, a reputation for trust, a commitment to effective marketing, and adherence to the DTC’s Best Practice Principles.