David McMillan, our Presciant creative partner was previously Head of Creative at Jared Jewelers where he orchestrated a complete brand transformation culminating in the 2024 Marketer of the Year honors from the Accessories Council. We’d like to share his natural diamonds feature film shot in Botswana with Luc Jacquet. It is a great example of purpose-driven brand storytelling. The film reinforces the emotional symbolism, the long-term heritage, geological age (billions of years) and rarity and unique structure of each natural diamond. Doing this and emphasizing the diamond brand’s commitment to socially and environmentally responsible practices, is critical in a market disrupted by lab-grown diamonds.
In the last 5 years, lab-grown diamonds have been grabbing share. In the US, their share of all diamond jewelry shot up from 5% in 2019 to 42% in 2025. For engagement rings, they are taking over—over 60% have a lab-grown center diamond, up from 18% in 2020. Why are they so successful? Lab-grown diamonds have much lower prices, typically 70-90% less than comparable natural diamonds, virtually the same chemical structures, and are indistinguishable from natural diamonds to the naked eye, though different in their structure.
It’s one of the biggest disruptions the diamond industry has ever faced, resulting in falling prices and falling revenues for mining companies and diamond jewelers, and economic challenges for countries such as Botswana, where diamonds are a major source of exports.
It’s branding that can save the industry. Jared is taking the lead. David’s film for Jared, A Diamond is Born, highlights their commitment to responsibility with all that diamonds symbolize. Rather than simply celebrating a beautiful gemstone, the film follows the remarkable story of each natural diamond, from its birth deep within the Earth billions of years ago, through the narrative of Impo, the Botswana gem cutter, whose skilled hands “tame diamonds” to reveal their brilliance and for whose community it creates opportunities, to the customer who carries its story forward. Impo shares the depths of her emotions. “Diamonds have brought prosperity to my country, the stones of light, the signature of my heart and its responsibility.” Diamonds create jobs and fund education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
Brand can elevate natural gems above synthetic substitutes and help to ensure that natural diamonds are seen as the emotional, cultural and heritage icons that they are, and continue to generate price, volume and profit premiums and support flourishing local communities. Will the natural diamond industry continue to command the elevated price points and luxury status of the past? Probably its future will be more like that of natural pearls. Genuine pearls have managed to retain their luxury status despite the almost identical qualities of artificial ones.