The R&M “Lettre”

Tiffany & Co. chairman and CEO Michael J. Kowalski is calling on fellow jewelers to take a stand against the proposed Pebble Partnership gold and copper mine in Alaska’s Bristol Bay.

Diamond manufacturers are frustrated by the long turnaround time of goods being sent to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) for certification.

Is the diamond industry marketing itself successfully at the level of the organizations that represent it?

World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) President Ernest Blom, and Alex Popov, chair of the World Diamond Mark Foundation (WDMF), explained the outlines of the World Diamond Mark generic diamond marketing campaign at a seminar during the fifth edition of the Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair (ADTF) today (Tuesday).

New York – Lab-grown and over-graded diamonds, smartwatches and the per-ounce price of gold are among the topics expected to have a big impact on the jewelry industry this year.

In an interview with Michael J. Kowalski, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Tiffany & Co., we discussed corporate social responsibility, ethical sourcing and responsible mining, lessons in leadership, and much more.

De Beers CEO Philippe Mellier said the diamond miner has been consulting with Sightholders’ and looking “at a variety of new ways to strengthen our relationship with Sightholders in the next contract.“

Much talk has arisen in the diamond industry about confronting the problem of lab-grown diamonds being mixed with natural, or mined, diamonds by naming and shaming–publicly calling out companies that are guilty of knowingly trying to pass off synthetic diamonds as natural.

Yesterday’s meeting on synthetics was a valuable exercise in figuring out where the trade goes from here, but it turned out to be off the record, so I don’t have much to report from it. I would, however, like to relay the piece of advice I gave at the meeting.

In many respects, 2013 was a momentous, albeit frustrating, year for the diamond industry. There were plenty of positive milestones achieved that will continue to leave their mark for years to come.

In 2013, diamonds were everyone’s best friend. Check out 15 of the most jaw-dropping, wondrous, luminescent, and headline-grabbing diamonds this year had to offer.

Who wouldn’t like to be a top official at one of the diamond industry’s international organizations, a diamantaire asked me this week.