At the beginning of 2026, De Beers, the global diamond giant, made multiple adjustments to diamond prices, reducing the selling price of diamonds over 0.75 carats in January and increasing the price of rough diamonds over 5 carats in February, drawing industry attention.According to Shanghai Customs data, from January to August 2025, the value of natural finished diamonds imported through the Shanghai Diamond Exchange under general trade reached 2.35 billion yuan, marking a 41.5% year-on-year increase.
This figure signifies new vitality emerging in China’s diamond import market.Amid the interplay of evolving consumption concepts, intensifying market competition, and supply chain restructuring, China’s natural diamond consumption is undergoing a profound transformation from a singular wedding necessity scenario to diverse emotional expressions and self-rewarding gestures. The younger consumer demographic has emerged as the primary driver of this shift, while the industry is actively exploring new pathways to break through these challenges.
Shift in Consumption: From Material Value to Emotional ValueAlthough there are no wedding plans in the near future, I want to buy a diamond ring next month as a birthday gift for myself, said Ms. Li, who works in Beijing. Ever since seeing this ring during a shopping trip last weekend, she couldn’t stop thinking about it and decided to treat herself to it as a gift for her 30th birthday.Ms. Li’s consumption choices are a true reflection of the current shifts in the natural diamond market. Today, an increasing number of young people no longer associate diamonds with marriage or romance. Instead, diamonds have become a medium for self-expression and emotional connection in everyday occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries.
The demand for natural diamonds is evolving from a singular focus on material value to a greater emphasis on emotional significance and spiritual meaning.De Beers’ “China Diamond Purchase Research Report 2025” notes that against the backdrop of macroeconomic conditions and social and technological transformations, the natural diamond consumption market is undergoing a profound shift from a necessity for marriage and romance to diverse emotional expression and self-reward. This evolution also exhibits significant trends, including a younger and wealthier consumer base, more diverse and everyday usage scenarios, and increasingly integrated online and offline channels.The “2025 China Natural Diamond Industry Research Report” further confirms this trend. Data shows that engagement and wedding occasions remain the primary consumption scenarios for natural diamonds, accounting for 86%, while self-indulgence and commemorative repurchases are emerging as new growth drivers, particularly prominent among young female consumers.
