News from our businesses and markets
The International Institute of Diamond Grading & Research (IIDGR), part of De Beers Group, has announced it is expanding its existing grading partnership with Soo Kee Group into China, following the launch of Soo Kee’s bridal specialist brand, Love & Co., in the country.
IIDGR will provide bespoke grading reports for Love & Co.’s Lovemarque diamond collection, with each Lovemarque diamond to be backed by a grading report with more than 120 years of De Beers Group’s diamond experience.
The expanded partnership was announced at a gala event in Shenzen attended by more than 1,000 industry guests. Soo Kee is targeting strong growth for Love & Co. in China due to healthy demand from the domestic bridal market, with plans to establish 550 points-of-sale, including franchised outlets.
The expansion of the partnership follows a positive consumer response to the original launch of IIDGR’s partnership with Soo Kee Group in Singapore, announced in February.
Jonathan Kendall, President, IIDGR, said: “We are delighted to be expanding our partnership with Soo Kee Group, our first retail grading report partner in Asia, to provide our leading diamond grading service to their customers in the strong Chinese bridal market. An IIDGR grading report provides customers with a highly accurate and reliable assessment of diamond quality, as well as a seal of approval that their purchase is natural and free of treatments. We congratulate Soo Kee on the successful launch of its Love & Co. specialist bridal brand in China and look forward to seeking other opportunities to work together as the brand continues to grow.”
- ends -
Notes to Editors
High resolution images of Jonathan Kendall at the Love & Co. launch event in Shenzen are available for download here.
Contact
Press office
+44 (0) 20 7430 3434
[email protected]
About the International Institute of Diamond Grading & Research (a member of De Beers Group)
The International Institute of Diamond Grading & Research has been established by De Beers Group to provide a premium service and proprietary equipment to the diamond industry. Based in the UK, Belgium and India, and run by the world’s top diamond experts, the International Institute of Diamond Grading & Research offers a range of expert services. The International Institute of Diamond Grading & Research works only on diamonds that meet the requirements of the United Nations’ mandated World Diamond Council Kimberley Process. For more information, visit www.iidgr.com.
About De Beers Group
De Beers Group is a member of the Anglo American plc group. Established in 1888, De Beers Group is the world’s leading diamond company with expertise in the exploration, mining and marketing of diamonds. Together with its joint venture partners, De Beers Group employs more than 20,000 people across the diamond pipeline and is the world’s largest diamond producer by value, with mining operations in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. As part of the company’s operating philosophy, the people of De Beers Group are committed to ‘Building Forever’ by making a lasting contribution to the communities in which they live and work, and transforming natural resources into shared national wealth. For further information about De Beers Group, visit www.debeersgroup.com.