A 29.6-carat rough blue diamond found in Cullinan mid-January
In a press release dated January 21, 2014, Petra Diamonds announced that it had recovered an exceptional 29.6-carat blue diamond from its Cullinan mine in South Africa.
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Backing the right horse
Expectations are rising for the Chinese New Year even as China’s economy is projected to gallop at a slower pace in 2014. Despite the lower economic forecasts, the diamond industry should view developments in China with optimism rather than the cautious outlook many economists hold for the coming “Year of the Horse.”
Olivier Segura, LFG – “Our ambition is for our appraisals to be completely transparent”
Olivier Segura manages the French Gemological Laboratory (Laboratoire Français de Gemmologie, or LFG), which was founded in 1929 by a customs official, and run by the Paris Chamber of Commerce from 1936 to 2011.
The year prices were polished down
What an odd year it was. Polished diamond prices, which tried to rise in the early part of the year, were nearly flat throughout the second half of 2013.
Doctor Benjamin Chavis, DEF – “Education is fundamental to sustainable development throughout the world”
Co-founder and Senior Strategic Advisor of the Diamond Empowerment Fund, Dr. Benjamin Chavis is a very eclectic and inspiring figure.
Trading in Antwerp
At face value, the recent cooperation agreement between the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) and ALROSA didn’t bring much that’s new to the table.
Ode to Cartier
There are some exhibitions that should not be missed, and this is definitely one of them! From December 4, 2013 to February 16, 2014, Cartier is exhibiting at the Grand Palais. Through “Cartier: Style and History”, you will discover treasures stemming from the workshops of one of the most illustrious French high-end jewelry houses.
A tale of two cities: Moscow and Gaborone
It used to be that having a supply contract with De Beers, having a Sight, was a top honor. It was a stamp of approval that you are a top player in the game, a member of an exclusive and elite club.
Holiday forecast: cautious outlook, 3%-5% growth expected
The year’s gloom may have a happy, or at least a semi-happy end. It’s far from being obvious, so it’s worth examining. A group of diamond jewelry retailers have recently reported their outlook for the coming months, including the holiday season, along with their third quarter results.
Have you asked women?
After working almost two years in the diamond industry and reading articles on the subject almost daily, I find that some of them are of more concern to me than others. And the much-hackneyed theme of generic advertising is one of them.
Corporate diamantaires
The mid-stream diamond industry has been given a wake-up call this year by the corporatization of supply. Suddenly, the majority of rough production is being controlled by public companies following ALROSA’s October share placement and Anglo American’s 2012 buyout of De Beers.
The year of omnishambles
The Oxford Dictionaries UK Word of the Year 2012 was ‘omnishambles.’ The word describes “a situation that has been comprehensively mismanaged, and is characterized by a string of blunders and miscalculations.”