The success of its 2018 Diamond Proposal Contest in terms of strong retailer engagement in promoting the programme, as well as high millennial engagement has led the Diamond Empowerment Fund to decide on running the contest for a second year.

“The contest is helping boost consumer understanding of the real, positive impact for communities of natural, mined diamonds,” says Executive Committee member Rebecca Foerster, President of Alrosa USA.

D.E.F President, Anna Martin, senior vice president of GIA echoes, “Educating the younger generation on the good diamonds do and inviting them to engage in this narrative will help boost consumer confidence in, and ultimately demand for, diamonds”.

Details of the 2019 contest will be announced soon, DEF said in a statement released on Valentine’s Day where it also revealed the names of the winners of the video proposal contest in the first year.

The winning couple of this year’s contest, Robyn and Austin, hail from Tampa Florida and were engaged at a Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico, D.E. F said. “After 6 years together this ring represents our love and commitment, our promise to each other, and our promise of forever,” says Robyn.

That ‘forever’ will include a trip to Botswana, one of the largest producers of gem quality diamonds in the world, to see firsthand the impact natural, mined diamonds have had on the country and to share their experiences through social media.

Videos were judged by digital media influencers @thediamondsgirl, @greenweddingshoesand @roamaroo with combined followers numbering over 1,200,000.

The winning video can be seen on DiamondsDoGood.com/myproposalcontest.