De Beers Tracr - Blockchain-based Diamond Traceability
Sector: Tertiary sector · Industry: Retail · Organisation: De Beers · Maturity level: Production
De Beers Tracr is a blockchain platform for complete diamond traceability from mine to market, operating at scale since 2022. The platform has already registered over 3 million diamonds at source and enables consumers to have full transparency about the origin and journey of their diamonds. Through immutable documentation on the blockchain, trust in the authenticity and ethical origin of diamonds is created.
Documentation status
- Project status: Production
- Evidence: Evidence high
- Editorial review: Ufuk Avci, 15 April 2026
Description
Tracr was launched in 2018 by De Beers Group together with Accenture. The platform combines blockchain, AI, IoT and advanced security technologies. Each diamond is registered at the producer, receives a unique digital ID and a digital scan. When a manufacturer takes possession of the diamond, the ownership transfer is recorded on the platform and a new scan is uploaded. An algorithmic comparison (Tracr Rough Check) verifies whether the scans match — a protection against substitution.
De Beers Group, the world's largest diamond producer by value, announced Tracr in December 2017 and started a pilot project in 2018, initially tracking 100 diamonds. The platform was developed in collaboration with Accenture and combines blockchain, AI, IoT and advanced security technologies into an end-to-end traceability platform. Technical details: permissioned blockchain, decentralised architecture (avoids bottlenecks at high volume), scalability up to 1 million diamonds per week. Each diamond receives a digital ID at the producer with carat, colour, clarity, cut and origin. New features: Tracr Rough Check (scan comparison between producer and manufacturer for substitution protection), cooperation with Sarine Technologies for independent scan verification. As of 2025: over 3 million diamonds registered, total value over 3.4 billion US dollars; all diamonds over one carat with single-country-of-origin proof. Listed three times on Forbes Blockchain 50 (2020, 2022). Partners: GIA, GSI, Brilliant Earth, Alrosa (formerly). The G7 sanctions against Russian diamonds (2024) also underline the strategic relevance of Tracr.
Perspectives
B2B — organisations perspective
Diamond traders and manufacturers can trade with verified provenance certificates via Tracr — ownership transfers take place on the platform and are immutably recorded. Sightholders of De Beers thus gain a reliable basis for ethical sourcing documentation towards end customers.
B2C — consumers perspective
Consumers can access the complete product biography of their diamond via a unique diamond code — country of origin, cutting process, certification bodies. De Beers' product Origin Story makes this journey an immersive digital experience.
Employees perspective
Employees in the diamond industry need to develop new digital skills in handling blockchain technology. At the same time, the platform simplifies appraisal and certification processes through automated data collection and verification.
Benefits
General
- Blockchain technology creates immutable provenance certificates, thereby eliminating counterfeiting and fraud.
- Complete transparency in the supply chain strengthens the trust of consumers and business partners.
- Automated verification processes reduce manual effort for certifications and appraisals.
B2B — organisations
- Companies can differentiate themselves competitively through demonstrably ethical sourcing and achieve higher prices.
B2C — consumers
- Consumers gain certainty about the ethical origin and authenticity of their diamonds.
Employees
- Employees benefit from digitised and automated processes that reduce manual errors.
Challenges
General
- Implementation requires the involvement of all actors in the complex global diamond supply chain.
- High technical complexity due to integration of various technologies such as blockchain, scanning and artificial intelligence.
B2B — organisations
- Companies must invest in new technologies and training to be able to use the blockchain platform.
Employees
- Employees need training in handling new digital tools and blockchain technology.
Technology foundation
De Beers Tracr uses a fully distributed blockchain platform specifically developed for the diamond industry. Blockchain technology is particularly suitable for this use case as it creates immutable data records, making forgery of provenance certificates impossible.
Implementation examples
De Beers Tracr Blockchain Platform
The diamond industry suffered from a lack of transparency, conflict diamonds and counterfeits, which undermined consumer trust. De Beers recognised the need for an immutable and transparent solution for provenance tracking.
De Beers implemented a global Blockchain platform for seamless traceability of diamonds from mine to market.
From 2018, De Beers developed the Tracr platform as a fully distributed Blockchain solution for the diamond industry. The platform registers each diamond at the source with unique identification features and documents its entire journey through the supply chain. Since its wide-scale launch in 2022, over 3 million diamonds have been registered on the platform. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) integrates Tracr data into its grading reports, while partners such as Sarine provide advanced scanning technologies.
The platform solves problems with conflict diamonds, counterfeits and lack of transparency in the global supply chain. Consumers can now trace the full provenance of their diamonds and develop trust in ethical sourcing.
Tags
Supply chain, Transparency, Traceability, Luxury goods, Proof of origin