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Testing sightholders

Often, the manner in which the diamond industry starts a year proves more influential than the weighted importance it gives the end of year holiday season. Granted, they are interconnected, with the level of restocking naturally dependent on retail sales and prices responding to the respective supply–demand dynamic.

Flat diamond prices expected

Assurances by diamond miners at last week’s Victoria Falls conference that they would seek to persuade the US and EU to lift sanctions against stones from Marange may not generate the floods of dollars that Zimbabwe expects, writes Charlotte Mathews in an article published on 22 November by the www.fm.co.za portal.

Taking inventory

It’s December, and diamond markets are eyeing inventory levels across the pipeline, characteristically hopeful that the holiday season will sufficiently trigger stronger buying in 2013. Stronger being a relative term as trading has been dulled by caution throughout 2012.

The Cyber opportunity

The online retail experience keeps reinventing itself almost with the pace and energy of ‎technology itself. Consider that Cyber Monday only became a referenced term in 2005 ‎and already feels a part of the U.S. holiday tradition. Along with Black Friday, it has also ‎become a barometer of consumer sentiment and an important avenue to […]

Between rough & retail ?

For news junkies in the diamond industry, this past week was a relatively exciting one. And for once it wasn’t De Beers making the headlines. This time, BHP Billiton completed its diamond exit by agreeing to sell the Ekati mine in Canada to Harry Winston for $500 million, while further west, ALROSA signed a two-year […]

The Blue Nile effect ?

Traditional jewelry retailers, and diamond dealers for that matter, continue to express concern about the impact that online jewelers have had on the market. With complete price transparency and extensive information available on the web, brick and mortar stores today face a far more knowledgeable consumer than before, armed with strong price comparisons.

Price or emotion?‎

There is a long-standing perception among diamond traders and jewelers — the more price ‎information becomes available to consumers, the more difficult the emotional pitch ‎becomes. Walking the halls of the recent Hong Kong show, or any of the international ‎diamond bourses for that matter, one gets a sense that the trade is more adept […]

Does the industry need generic advertising?

Generic (or industry-wide) advertising is one of the effective ways to increase the demand for and consumption of certain goods. The role of chief promoter in the diamond industry was played by De Beers Group whose slogan “A diamond is forever” can be called one of the most successful in history. Does the industry need […]