Diamond Crystal Salt Co. is an American salt brand with roots in St. Clair, Michigan, where John and Louis Alberger, Charles Moore and Horace Williams patented a new salt-making process in 1886. The brand has passed through several corporate owners, including General Foods (1929), Akzo Nobel Salt (1987-1997) and Cargill (1997-present). In 2022, Cargill relaunched the flagship Kosher salt into nationwide retail under the Diamond Crystal Salt Co. brand. [1]
Design and History
The company’s mid-century trademark was a crystalline star composed of six diamonds, described internally as “The Symbol of Excellence.” This mark was introduced around the time of the company’s 1957 acquisition of Jefferson Island, a Louisiana rock salt producer. [2]
The 1956 corporate trademark for Diamond Crystal Salt Company is credited to Dickens Design Group, a Chicago-area design studio led by Robert Sidney Dickens. Dickens was a founding member of the Chicago Designer organization in 1936 and received a “Distinguished Building” award in 1969 for his Grand Avenue studio. [3] The attribution appears in the reference book “American Trademark Designs: A Survey with 732 Marks, Logos, and Corporate-Identity Symbols,” which lists the Diamond Crystal mark as designed in 1956 by Dickens Design Group. [2]
In 2023, Cargill introduced a refreshed brand design and sustainable packaging for Diamond Crystal Salt Co. The redesign was driven by a 2020 effort to bring the brand, previously sold primarily to foodservice professionals, to more home consumers. According to Brian Tockman, marketing and insights leader for Cargill’s salt business, the goal was to make the brand “a very accessible, active brand that is also mindful and respectful of the heritage that is behind Diamond Crystal Salt Co.” The new packaging added a window so consumers could see the salt flakes before purchase. [4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The six-diamond crystalline star mark, called “The Symbol of Excellence,” visually referenced both the company name and the multifaceted crystal structure of its salt, which is produced using the proprietary Alberger evaporation process. [2] The brand’s salt crystals are hollow and multifaceted, a characteristic that contributes to their adherence and flavor release. [4]
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