According to a letter from WDC Executive Director Elodie Daguzan, published on its website, 13 additional companies joined the WDC as members between April and October 2023, representing a 24% increase in membership. This is the largest number ever to be registered in such a short period since the reconstitution of the organisation in 2014.

The 13 latest WDC members are: A.V. Diamonds, Arslanian Group DMCC, B.A. Asscher, Constell Group, Crodiam Consulting, Diamex Inc., DN Diamonds, Julius Klien Diamonds, Karshev Jewellery, Kunming International, Matthew Schamroth, Okavango Diamond Company (ODC), and VD Global.

In fact, 18 new members have joined the WDC since January 2023, increasing membership by 49% from 37 to 55 in just nine months. Among the individual participants are most of the diamond and jewellery industry’s largest representative associations, who themselves represent hundreds and sometimes thousands of members. As a consequence, the WDC claims to be the world’s most representative diamond organisation.

The new members cover almost the full spectrum of the industry – geographically, size-wise and where they operate in the chain of distribution. They include one of the world’s rough diamond suppliers, rough and polished diamond dealers, fancy colour diamond specialists, suppliers to the major luxury brands and to mom-and-pop operations, jewellery manufacturers, consultants and service providers. They operate in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.

Daguzan also expressed her optimism about the number of young industry leaders joining the WDC, saying that it is imperative to engage the movers and shakers of tomorrow and to co-create with them. She said that choosing to become a member of the WDC is an altruistic act, which stems from a belief that the industry has a collective responsibility to operate with integrity and compassion, and leadership is required to serve that standard.

The WDC membership is not just a mark of pride and a show of commitment to an ethically responsible supply chain, Daguzan said. It also embodies a readiness to actively promote the principles the WDC represents in the industry and in the countries where it functions. The WDC is essentially the first line of defence of the natural diamond industry, she said.

Daguzan welcomed all the new members, and encouraged them to exercise their new status in the most active way possible. She said that the WDC champions the principle of leaving no one behind, which means embracing the future together and ensuring that every part of the industry, and especially those leaders who will steer it in the future, are included in each and every step the WDC takes.