The Diamond Dealers Club of New York (DDC) and the Diamond Manufacturers & Importers Association of America (DMIA) have pledged their support to the goals and the programme of the World Diamond Mark (WDM) reports say. This development follows a visit to New York by Alex Popov, chairman of the World Diamond Mark Foundation (WDMF) where he met with DDC president Reuven Kaufman and DMIA president Ronnie VanderLinden and briefed them on the WDM's progress. Both trade body leaders pledged their organizations' support to the WDM's objectives.

Alex Popov noted that keeping in view the American diamond and diamond jewelry industry 'catering to the world's largest, most sophisticated and most demanding consumer market', the WDM program and in particular the Authorized Diamond Dealer® concept will help boost consumer confidence in diamonds and diamond jewelry, and 'improve our industry's competitive position in the luxury consumer product market'.

DDC president Kaufman said, "We've seen a flurry of efforts to install alternative, generic diamond advertising and marketing campaigns that all have failed. The World Diamond Mark, we believe, will succeed!"

DMIA's Ronnie VanderLinden emphasized the need for across-the-board consensus on an all-encompassing generic marketing and advertising campaign for diamond jewelry in the major consumer markets. "Here in the USA, we certainly have felt the lack of a generic, coordinated, consensual consumer campaign for diamond jewelry. We are certain that the WDM programme, including the Authorized Diamond Dealer concept®, constitutes a solid business plan," he stated.