The world's biggest diamond trader is using the face of Asian film star Michelle Yeoh Choo Kheng in a campaign to capture the $6 billion a year market in Hong Kong.
De Beers hopes to use its 'diamond is forever' strategy as a testing ground for a launch into the mainland market.
'We think the stunning beauty of Michelle makes her the perfect choice to be the face of our campaign,' said De Beers Group chairman Nicky Oppenheimer on the eve of today's gala launch at the Grand Hyatt.
A De Beers Diamond Trading Company (DTC) 'Forevermark', invisible to the eye, is inscribed on every stone, offering a 'guarantee that it has been watched over by experts at every stage of their journey to the consumer'.
The Forevermark guarantees that the diamond is genuine, natural, and has not been altered or treated by any artificial means, Mr Oppenheimer said.
A company statement said: 'A stone marked with a Forevermark has been mined, sorted, and crafted in an ethically, socially and environmentally responsible way.'