De Beers has reduced its official rough diamond prices and significantly trimmed its contracted buyer base in a strategic reset aimed at aligning its sales model with prevailing market conditions during its July 2026 sales cycle. The move marks the first sale under the miner's new supply agreements, with the number of authorized sightholders reduced from around 70 to between 45 and 50.

According to industry reports, the revised pricing brings De Beers' official rough diamond prices closer to secondary market levels after they had reportedly traded at premiums ranging from 5% to 50%, depending on the category of rough diamonds. While the company has not disclosed the extent of the price reductions, the changes represent a notable shift from its previous strategy of maintaining higher official prices despite weakening market demand.

The company has also changed its invoicing method, issuing buyers a single total invoice value rather than itemized prices for individual assortments, making direct comparisons with previous sales more difficult. De Beers declined to comment publicly on the pricing changes.

The latest adjustments come amid continued pressure on the natural diamond sector from subdued luxury demand in China, increased competition from lab-grown diamonds and broader geopolitical and economic uncertainties affecting the global diamond pipeline. De Beers' parent company, Anglo American, has been pursuing the sale of the diamond business as part of its wider restructuring programme following an extended period of weak market performance.

The reduction in the number of sightholders is expected to concentrate rough diamond allocations among the company's largest and strongest customers. Industry observers view the combined pricing and distribution changes as an effort to improve market efficiency while responding to evolving supply-demand dynamics across the natural diamond industry.