Only Natural Diamonds, the consumer-facing, multichannel digital platform powered by Natural Diamond Council, has launched its first print magazine.
“While there has long been a dialogue about the fate of magazines, there is a huge desire for the tangible and a frustration with the ephemeral nature of so much content,” explained editor in chief Sam Broekema. “It was funny to find that moving from a career in print media, where everyone bemoans the ‘end of print’ to an online platform, I found that our subjects and collaborators were all so excited to create a…print magazine.”
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The inaugural spring-summer print issue is built around the theme of timelessness and features actress Gabrielle Union as its cover face. In the feature, Union shares insight into her top diamond moments, career as an actress, her family, and where she hopes to see Hollywood in the years to come.
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“Firstly, Gabrielle Union is just the prettiest person and the funniest,” Broekema said. “She walks in with no makeup and takes your breath away. And then you can’t breathe because she has the best deadpan delivery. We shot at a house in Malibu [California] and Shaniqwa Jarvis, the photographer, has this divine incense from Vyrao going on the beach, which shouldn’t make sense but honestly set the mood. Taking diamonds out of the museums or the boutique and shooting them on this strong woman frolicking on the beach represents the core of what we do.”
The print magazine leverages OND’s editorial prowess featuring diamond jewelry trends naturally fitting within the fashion landscape. Editorials include Second Skin Bangles shot by Jennifer Livingston and a story shot by Mark Lim, a fun take on Akimbo Engagement Rings, a term coined to refer to the center diamond set askew. Actress Kiernan Shipka has an inside feature shot by Alexander Saladrigas channeling a noir-era Hollywood starlet wearing the most delicate natural diamonds.
“The print edition allows us to curate the experience of the reader whereas the website leaves more room for the audience to decide their own reading adventure,” Broekema explained. “We focused the subjects and trends to those which represent that quality of enduring style and resonance. Each trend, each piece of jewelry, and style story speaks to the idea that some things will just always look and feel cool. Like Gabrielle Union.”
Another feature follows OND global ambassador Lily James on a trip to Botswana, visiting the Karowe mine. “She called the experience life changing,” the editor in chief said of the trip, James’ first time to Botswana. “She was bowled over by the ways in which natural diamonds have transformed the country: the quality of the education which is free to all; the women in leadership roles; the fast-growing economy supported by natural diamond mining.”
The print publication debuts at Couture in Las Vegas and will have a biannual frequency, bowing in spring and fall, distributed on newsstands in New York, Los Angeles, London and Paris.
Planning is underway for the fall issue, which will land in time for the 2023 holiday season, and Broekema shared that the team is taking a unique approach to gift guides. “Our features will all touch upon what sets gift giving with natural diamonds apart. I think we all know that the smaller boxes oftentimes hold the most exciting gifts,” he quipped.
Only Natural Diamonds serves as the premiere destination for diamond inspiration and diamond stories. “In only three years as the NDC, our Only Natural Diamonds consumer-facing digital editorial and advertising platform, the hub of which is naturaldiamonds.com, succeeds in engaging the next generation luxury customer. The response to our impact led us to the progression of tangibly presenting the incredible and integrous world of natural diamonds with a biannual print publication,” reported Kristina Buckley Kayel, NDC’s managing director and chief marketing officer.
“Post-pandemic, it makes sense we would all be thinking about our legacy,” Broekema continued. “Natural diamonds are the epitome of the permanent, they are millions of years old and will outlast us. Print enables us to share a vision of our values that you can hold.”