Podcast: The Young Diamantaires

RAPAPORT... How does the next generation of diamond professionals view the industry? We find out by interviewing two active members of the Young Diamantaires group.Founded in 2016 as an initiative of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB), the Young Diamantaires organization has grown and adopted a more structured format. In the latest episode of the Rapaport Diamond Podcast, German jewelry retailer Chris Zoettl and South Africa-based polished supplier Kealeboga Pule explain the group's role in securing the future of the industry.Listen to the podcast below:Show notesShow notes01:40 - Pule and Zoettl introduce themselves.05:15 - How the Young Diamantaires group can help people in the industry.07:40 - How the new generation of diamond professionals views the trade.10:40 - Are the current members of Young Diamantaires the future industry leaders?14:20 - What is the attitude of young consumers toward diamond provenance?16:00 - What participants learned from a 2019 visit to De Beers' Venetia mine in South Africa. The latest on the Young Diamantaires' fundraising project for a school near the mine.24:00 - How have the recent lockdowns affected consumer demand? People are buying fewer, more valuable items.27:20 - What's next for the group?Images: Chris Zoettl (top left), Kealeboga Pule (top right), and members of the Young Diamantaires at the Venetia mine in 2019. (Chris Zoettl, Kealeboga Pule, Simphiwe Nkwali/De Beers)