The R&M “Lettre”

Stephen Lussier, the legendary De Beers executive who currently serves as its executive vice president for brands and consumer markets, is leaving that role after 37 years with the company.

Sherry Smith, Peter Smith and Edahn Golan join Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff and try to answer the question, how long will the party last?

A new year, a new way of doing business. Alrosa introduced changes on 1 January which will, it says, provide buyers with more of what they want, and less of what they don’t.

Halfway through the peak selling period, the trade is optimistic as the US, India and Hong Kong see an upturn. 

There were many who powerfully influenced the market in the past year, but one candidate stood out from the rest.

You see what we did with that headline? Yep, anything with those words at the top (plus a bit of De Beers and the GIA) attracted readers in 2021, whether it related to the astonishing rebound in retail sales, the sharp rise in rough prices, or the seemingly growing incidence of traders trying to misrepresent […]

Despite the omicron variant, the jewelry industry’s stockings overflowed with cheer during the 2021 holiday, with jewelry sales rising 32% over the prior year, according to Mastercard’s SpendingPulse, the retail sales measurement service.

Low-value stones are the latest hot commodity among jewelers and manufacturers alike, but the rampant demand has been driving up prices and making these goods harder to find.

In the industry discussions on the role and prospects of synthetic diamonds (SDs) and their advantages and disadvantages in comparison with natural diamonds (NDs), it is always emphasized that SDs comparable in characteristics are much cheaper (at least by 50%) than NDs.

After a roller coaster 2020, 2021 continued the upswing in jewelry sales to a degree few if any expected. Sales in October rose 37%, and we expect holiday jewelry sales to top that and close a fantastic year for the industry.

Press release – Younger generations more interested in ethics and sustainability as the new status in luxury and are prepared to pay a premium for this.

Press release – Trend being led by younger consumers who value evidence of sustainability credentials.