The R&M “Lettre”

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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.

All hail the royal Princess

On Tuesday, we reported that polished prices had declined year-over-year, for the fourth month in a row. This trend started more than a year ago, when prices began to show a continuously diminishing growth rate that slid straight into the red as diamond prices sank from their July 2012 peak. Month-over-month, polished diamond prices have […]

For diamond bliss, spread the love

Two diamond and jewelry industry initiatives made headlines a couple of weeks ago. One was the introduction of the Diamond Source Protocol; the other was a call for generic marketing. These two issues are intertwined.  I’m not steadfastly against initiatives suggested by U.S. retail organizations, RJC or anyone else seeking to improve the ethical standards […]

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 […]

A warranty of discontent

It was only a month ago that we warned that governments might set regulations restricting diamond imports and trade. The issue was driven by a sense of frustration that Kimberley Process (KP) reform was not advancing and, as a result, alternative solutions might be produced to bypass the impasse.