Brilliant Memories: Why natural diamonds mark our biggest moments

In the 14th century, ambitious artisans began to attempt something that hadn’t been seen in Europe before: cutting faceted diamonds. Other gemstones had been used in jewelry for centuries before that, but perfecting the process for transforming the most resilient gemstone on Earth, rough diamonds, into shimmering gems was a challenge even for the most accomplished craftsperson.

The effort paid off. As diamond cutters refined the process, they unlocked the iridescent potential of these ancient stones and entered them into popular consciousness. Diamonds started to appear in jewelry more widely in the medieval period, where lovers would inscribe the jewelry containing them with messages of commitment and passion.

The power and symbolism that diamonds embody—love, commitment, celebration—have endured since then.

“Diamonds mark an inflection point in your life,” says Sally Morrison, Natural Diamonds Market Lead. “You get to hold this little piece of eternity in your hand, and there's nothing else like that.”

People have always used natural diamonds to mark seminal life events and celebrate bonds, but in recent years there’s been a transformation in how many people think about the most significant people and milestones in their lives. Diamonds are used for a lot more than binding lovers to one another, now. You might buy a diamond pendant to commemorate the birth of a child, or diamond earrings as a gift to yourself for a promotion or achieving a significant personal goal.

Natural diamonds are also a physical marker in an increasingly digital world, which has imbued them with a singular value. The gems are associated with a concrete moment, the magic of nature and distinct emotions—and, in a world where sensations can feel especially fleeting, that’s no small feat.

Increasingly, people want to recognize those relationships and paths toward growth with something tangible, and research has shown that more consumers are choosing natural diamonds to do that. More than half of millennials purchase natural diamond jewelry to commemorate a relationship, whether that’s with a friend, spouse or family member.

There is also data to suggest more people are buying diamonds for themselves to celebrate their own achievements and crystallize that special feeling in a unique way. The “self-purchase” market for natural diamonds represents about a third of overall sales, and it has steadily been growing, with a chance to match or exceed bridal purchases in the next decade.

Natural diamonds might be one of the oldest materials on earth, but their meaning and significance has continued to evolve across the centuries. From marking the bonds of marriage to serving as milestones for personal achievements, friendships and love in all its forms, there is nothing quite like them.

“No more natural diamonds will be made, they're finite,” says Morrison. “A natural diamond is the only thing that people can hold in their hand that could be three billion years old. You can hold something that encapsulates that memory of one moment forever. What else on this Earth can do that?”