De Beers Unveils Tech-Driven Diamond Grading System to Boost Trust

De Beers has unveiled a technology-driven diamond grading system that it says aims to reduce subjectivity in grading and bolster consumer confidence, AIDI reported on March 6, 2026. The brief description of the platform in the AIDI account says it "combines advanced imaging, automated color-spectrophotometry, 3D cl" in those exact words provided in the report.

The announcement follows nearly a decade of IIDGR and De Beers investments in automated verification tools and formal grading protocols. In February 2017 the International Institute of Diamond Grading & Research, part of The De Beers Group of Companies, introduced the AMS2 melee screening instrument, claiming it was "around 10-times faster than its predecessor" with a "substantially reduced referral rate" and a price of US$45,000 for availability from June 2017. Jonathan Kendall, then President of IIDGR, said at the AMS2 launch that "confidence is everything in the diamond sector and the AMS2 will play a big part in maintaining trust in trade transactions."

De Beers’ internal grading standards also frame how any new technology must fit alongside human assessment. The De Beers Institute of Diamonds Grading Standards, Version 1.8, May 2023, requires "standardised procedures and rules" for each phase of grading and uses a 1-5 sub-grade system to make a grader's assessment more precise. The document explicitly states that "these comprise another three grades which, along with colour and fluorescence complete the five human decisions made on every De Beers Institute of Diamonds graded diamond" and requires graders to "offer justification for all assessments in clarity, polish and symmetry grading" with plotted symbols and table-inscribed Master Clarity, Colour and Fluorescence comparison diamonds to assure security.

Alongside the grading technology, De Beers has rolled out a comprehensive consumer education program designed, the company materials state, to "empower consumers with the knowledge necessary to navigate the complexities of diamond purchasing." The program messaging argues that education will "promote transparency and assurance about quality and value," can "foster greater trust and confidence in the diamond market," and could lead to "increased demand, long-term sustainability, and a brighter future for the entire industry."

The 2026 grading announcement sits beside established trade tools such as DiamondView, DiamondSure and PhosView named in past IIDGR communications, but De Beers has not linked the new system publicly to any single predecessor in the materials cited. What is clear from the record is a continuing strategy: deploy technical instruments that reduce referral rates and codify grader practice, while offering consumer-facing education to translate technical rigor into retail trust.

If De Beers publishes full technical specifications and rollout timing, retailers and independent labs will be able to measure whether the new platform materially lowers inter-grader variance and delivers the consumer assurance the company promises.