The R&M “Lettre”

Davy Blommaert, head of diamond lending at Dubai-based National Bank of Fujairah (NBF) and a former executive of Antwerp Diamond Bank (ADB), took time out recently to speak to Rapaport News.

ALROSA found a 241.21-carat rough diamond at its Nyurbinsky mine in Yakutia, one of the largest recovered in Russia.

Press release – Moscow – As part of the visit to the United States, ALROSA President Andrey Zharkov held a series of meetings with the major consumers of the Company’s diamonds and top managers of industry associations.

Standard Chartered Plc no longer will finance diamond traders and polishers after reevaluating its portfolio and determining there is too much risk for too little return in the sector.

London – The Responsible Jewellery Council recently elected Wilfried Hoerner of Argor Heraeus SA as its new chairman of the board during its annual general meeting.

It is the most expensive fancy intense blue diamond ever sold at auction. The 24.18 ct. Cullinan Dream sold for $25.4 million at the Christie’s June 9 auction in New York.

Several civil society coalition groups have released a statement, which asserts that the global diamond industry is still tainted by human rights abuses and conflict finance.

One of the industry’s largest lenders, with a reported $2 billion portfolio, is exiting the sector.

Several events at JCK Las Vegas explored millennial marketing. Marketing to the huge but often confounding millennial generation was a main topic at this year’s JCK show.

While clearly better than last year’s show, the recent JCK Las Vegas trade show proved that the fine jewelry industry is still far from being out of the cold.

In 2015, 127.4 million carats of diamonds were mined around the world, a 2.1% increase compared to 2014, according to just released Kimberley Process figures.

Geneva – Diacore and Mellen Inc. have formed a partnership with Sotheby’s to acquire an ownership interest in the 59.60-carat Pink Star diamond.