SHUFFLING MY FEET IN THE SAND
‘As a fourth generation diamantaire, I am grateful for the opportunity to have a front row seat to both the fascinating history of our industry and a glimpse of where it is going.’
Matthew Schamroth is a partner in M. Schamroth & Sons of New York. His family has been in the business since the turn of the 20th Century, starting out in Antwerp, Belgium.
A member of WDC’s Kimberley Process Task Force (KPTF), Matthew is also a Vice President of the U.S.-based Diamond Manufacturers & Importers Association (DMIA), where in 2019 he created the Diamond Integrity Committee (DDIC) to protect and preserve the integrity of the diamond supply chain through the screening of natural diamonds, to ensure they are not mixed with laboratory-grown diamonds and diamond simulants. He is also Secretary General of the International Diamond Manufacturers Association
MARCH 13, 2025
Many years ago, my wife and I ventured around the world on a ship with our five children. Along the way, we had the extraordinary opportunity of getting to know Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Nobel Peace prize-winning South African who helped reshape the landscape of his country, eventually joining with Nelson Mandela in chiseling away and defeating apartheid. When asked what someone can do to change the world, he replied that no one person can really do it alone. Instead, he suggested that people “shuffle your feet in the sand where you live,” and each of our small contributions will ultimately add up to big change.”
It’s an insight that has served as my north star ever since. When I returned home from the voyage, I was resolved to jump in and become actively involved in supporting the health of my own industry. How could I complain if I wasn’t willing to roll up my sleeves and lend a hand?
The diamond industry is an amazing organism made up of not one, but approximately 20 ecosystems that coexist adjacent to one another. From the recovery of the rough deep within the earth to the moment when a diamond finds its way onto the hand of that special someone, marks a moment in time and becomes a family heirloom, many hands have played a role in its journey.
Each ecosystem is not always cognizant that the other exists, but all are reliant on one another for protecting the integrity of the natural supply chain. The existence of strong industry associations, operating not for individual profit, but rather in the interest of the industry’s overall wellbeing, is essential. From the stakeholder to the consumer, strong industry leadership benefits us all.
I started out at the Diamond Manufacturers and Importers Association (DMIA), the U.S. diamond industry’s primary manufacturer’s organization, which in turn led to my involvement in the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA). Then, in 2024, I proudly joined the World Diamond Council (WDC) and was privileged to be invited to join its Kimberly Process Task Force (KPTF). That’s the WDC team that participates actively, on behalf the diamond industry, in the Kimberley Process itself.
A fish out of water
I attended my first KP Intersessional in Dubai in May 2024. The occasion brought with it a flurry of emotions – excitement, fear, nervousness, curiosity, and most importantly a desire to make a difference. I wanted to learn from other WDC members who already have devoted their time, energy and unwavering drive to ensure the KP isn’t just relevant, but an example of how government, industry and civil society can come together, work collaboratively, and create a system that works.
After a 14-hour flight from New York to Dubai and navigating my way to the hotel, I had just an hour before our first of several bilateral meetings that would take place that day. Thankfully, the first person I ran into in Dubai was Udi Sheintal, the WDC Secretary. He immediately saw I was like a fish out of water and, without hesitation, offered me a seat next to him. At this point, I didn’t even know what I didn’t know and his kindness allowed me a moment to collect myself and begin to take it all in.
The first unknown was what exactly was a bilateral meeting? For the uninitiated, these are interactions that typically take place between the WDC and other KP participants before the formal KP sessions get underway. Our counterparts are sometimes a country or regional representative, like the EU, and sometimes a civil society group or the KP Chair itself. The purpose is to share opinions and information, to test the waters about the way ahead and hopefully align abefore the Plenary meeting
Thanks to a quick education from Udi, I started to breathe a bit easier. By the end of the week things became more apparent. The more I saw, the more my thirst for knowledge and fascination about this incredible undertaking was ignited. I was intrigued and wanted to learn more.
The central part played by WDC’s KPTF soon became clear to me. It is the industry’s A-Team – made up of exceptional people representing us on the front line. Its sole mission is protecting the integrity of the natural pipeline, starting with the rough supply.
A week later, on my flight home from Dubai, I reflected on what I had experienced. The Kimberley Process is an entire ecosystem, serving the vital interests of its various stakeholders. The diamond industry needs the KP.
Matthew Schamroth (second from right) with members of the WDC’s Kimberley Process Task Force (KPTF) at the KP Plenary in Dubai, UAE, in November 2024.
A duty to serve
Amidst all of these facets, one thing I do know for sure after three decades of enjoying this “front row seat” is that the health and wellbeing of our industry is reliant on the role played by these industry organizations. The officers, boards and committee members give of their time voluntarily. They are led by industry trailblazers, who have the foresight, wisdom and experience to steward us into the future.
The greatest strength of the WDC comes from its leadership team, which I personally witnessed in action during the KP Intersessional in May 2024, and also at the KP Plenary in November of last year. Our current President, Feriel Zerouki, is a born leader and someone I would hope to emulate. Strong and unwavering, she is always inclusive, working together with her fellow officers and the entire KPTF team. It is through collaboration where her strength shines. Her resilience and fortitude are paralleled by her ability to pivot and change directions when required.
I am grateful to these industry leaders for their sense of inclusiveness and generosity. Many have become mentors and educators and I continue to be humbled by the support they are constantly ready to provide.
In 2019 I was involved in setting up the DMIA Diamond Integrity Committee (DDIC,) with the enthusiastic backing of its sitting president, Ronnie Vanderlinden (the current WDC Vice President), and his DMIA predecessor, Jeffery Fischer. DDIC’s mission is to “develop, adopt and maintain standards for the diamond industry by providing education and procedural guidelines to middle market diamond professionals regarding laboratory grown (synthetic) diamonds and other diamond simulants.” Its goal is to protect and preserve the integrity of the diamond supply chain to the benefit of all consumers.
Around the same time the Natural Diamond Council launched Project ASSURE. The program assesses the relative performance of Diamond Verification Instruments through rigorous testing using very challenging samples sets (Assure Diamond Verification Instrument Testing Information). Together we created the first Diamond Verification Instrument (DVI) showcase at DMIA’s executive office in the heart of New York City’s diamond district. We invited all from the industry, and not just DMIA members, to come and see the technology available to fill what soon would become a need and not a want for all operating a business in the diamond industry.
Five years later, on January 10, 2024, the DDIC opened the first ever “Diamond Verification Center” in the industry, free to all DMIA members. We invited DVI manufacturers that have submitted their technology to ASSURE 2.0, and who report a zero percent false positive rate. Currently, DeBeers, GIA and JTR are participating, allowing all DMIA members the opportunity to use any of six different DVI’s to screen their goods, ensuring they are natural.
And it’s not only in United States we have made a mark. Through IDMA, where I currently serve as Secretary General, I had the pleasure of working with Alan Cohen, the former president of the London Diamond Bourse, who is truly one of our industry’s finest. In the summer of 2022, we organized a DVI showcase with full support from the ASSURE program, at his diamond exchange. When I later became a member of the WDC, it was no surprise that Alan was also a part of the KPTF.
Enjoying a front-row seat
As a fourth generation diamantaire, I am grateful for the opportunity to have a front row seat to both the fascinating history of our industry and a glimpse of where it is going.
When I “officially” began my career some 30 years ago, I would never have imagined the complexity. As opportunities arose to join industry organizations, so did my exposure to its intricacies.
I initially believed that access to the industry’s back offices would provide answers to all my questions. Instead, each new bit of information has only led to more questions. The multi-dimensional layers of the industry are astounding and continue to reveal themselves more and more each day.
From the recovery of rough to the adornment of a fine piece of jewelry, our supply chain is a complex global web. Through the steadfast leadership of these industry organizations we have shown that the diamond industry can weather even the strongest storms and remain resilient during challenging times.