Marking a new move, Rio Tinto announced that it will  focus its global diamond sales and marketing initiatives “on tracked jewellery collections with a clear and transparent chain of custody, from the mine to the market”.

Explaining the decision Bruno Sané, General Manager of Marketing for Rio Tinto Diamonds said: “We see a unique business opportunity for the industry to tap into the changing expectations of a new generation of consumers who want to know where their diamonds come from.”

In line with this latest policy, Rio Tinto Diamonds’ participation in the JCK, Las Vegas  show  focused on “provenance and the business opportunity it provides” to all participants in the diamond and jewellery supply chain. The Company also released new marketing materials and branded communications at the Las Vegas show.

Simon Trott, Managing Director of Rio Tinto Diamonds commented:  “Increasingly the value of a diamond is tied to where and how the diamond was mined, how it was cut and polished and the process of bringing it to sale. This is a very reasonable expectation that is steadily reshaping the diamond industry for the better.”

At the show, Rio Tinto also formally launched the 2016-2017 “Diamonds with a Story” collections developed by six US designers: Paige Novick, Xiao Wang, Jennifer Dawes, Matthew Campbell Laurenza, Suzanne Kalan and Sandy Leong.

“These collections, using Australian tracked diamonds, were designed according to the latest consumer trends and are available to retailers through Rio Tinto’s manufacturing partners,” the Company stated.