The International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA) has hailed the establishment of the International Diamond Board (IDB), which is slated to be the first industry-wide supported organization to create and promote consumer demand for diamonds worldwide through category marketing.



IDMA Secretary General Ronnie VanderLinden stated: "With the final creation of the board, the generic marketing process that was started many years ago has finally culminated in a concrete result. At the beginning of this century the De Beers Group publicly renounced its role as custodian of the diamond industry which included generic diamond promotion. IDMA has been one of the driving forces to create an all-industry body for generic diamond promotion that would draw its power and resources from the major diamond miners as well as leading diamond manufacturers and jewelers."



VanderLinden added: "IDMA wishes to see an inclusive, lean and effective organization that spends it funds on its core mission - sustaining strong consumer demand through effective category marketing. At IDMA, we will do our utmost to guarantee that this organization, set up around these principles, will be successful."