De Beers banks on ‘diamonds are for me’

Anglo American unit De Beers said its 2019 marketing budget will exceed last year’s figure of $170-million and will focus on the biggest market the United States, where women lavishing diamonds on themselves has boosted sales.

While US demand has held firm, the diamond market has weakened elsewhere and trade tensions and protests in Hong Kong have dented sales in China, the second largest diamond market.