Diamond Insight Report
Diamond Insight Report
The industry's benchmark annual analysis of the global diamond pipeline
The Diamond Insight Report is an annual market study produced by the global management consultancy Bain & Company in partnership with the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC). First published in 2011, it has become the most widely cited independent assessment of the diamond industry, tracking the full pipeline from rough production through polishing and manufacturing to retail demand. Miners, midstream manufacturers, financial analysts, and institutional investors routinely reference it when benchmarking performance or informing capital allocation decisions.
Scope and Coverage
Each annual edition addresses the principal economic layers of the diamond trade. On the supply side, the report quantifies global rough diamond production by volume and value, profiles the major producing countries and mining companies, and models medium-term reserve depletion trajectories. On the demand side, it disaggregates retail jewellery consumption by geography — with particular attention to the United States, China, India, and the Gulf markets — and tracks shifts in consumer sentiment, including the growing market share of laboratory-grown diamonds relative to natural stones.
The report also examines midstream economics: polishing margins, rough-to-polished price spreads, and the financial health of cutting centres in Surat, Antwerp, Tel Aviv, and New York. Price indices for both rough and polished goods are presented with year-on-year comparisons, giving the trade a consistent longitudinal dataset that few other publications can match.
Authorship and Independence
Bain & Company's authorship is significant because the firm sits outside the diamond industry's ownership structure, lending the report a degree of analytical independence that internal industry bodies cannot easily replicate. The AWDC partnership provides access to trade data flowing through Antwerp, historically the world's largest rough diamond trading hub, which strengthens the empirical foundation of the supply-side analysis. The combination of consultancy methodology and trade-body data access has been central to the report's credibility.
Role in the Trade
Prior to the report's launch, the diamond industry lacked a single, publicly available, methodologically consistent annual review. Producers such as De Beers and ALROSA published selective operational disclosures, and industry associations offered trade statistics, but no consolidated analysis integrated supply, midstream, and retail demand in a single document. The Diamond Insight Report filled that gap. It is now routinely cited in investor presentations, mining company annual reports, and trade-press commentary as a neutral reference point.
The report's treatment of laboratory-grown diamonds has become increasingly prominent since the mid-2010s, reflecting the segment's rapid growth. Its price-spread data between natural and laboratory-grown goods has been particularly influential in framing industry debate about long-term value positioning.
Availability
The Diamond Insight Report is made available as a public download through the Bain & Company website and the AWDC, typically released in the fourth quarter of each calendar year. Its open availability distinguishes it from proprietary subscription services and reinforces its function as a shared industry reference.