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Value-added ethics

Two major trends are currently engulfing the diamond market – branding and ethical ‎consumerism. Savvy diamond firms across the pipeline would do well to enmesh the ‎two. Ultimately, a company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy, which ‎defines its ethical practice, should enhance and not diminish its brand.

Time for Marketing

This may not be a good time to consider marketing – considering the tough state of diamond jewelry. At the same time, it is precisely because of times like this that generic marketing is so missed.  The times really are tough. Miners are mining less, manufacturers are suffering from the high rough prices and low polished […]

Botswana’s Decision

There’s a dark horse lurking in the shadows of the diamond industry in the form of the ‎Botswana government. Not only is it about to become a major rough diamond supplier in ‎its own right – that is, independent of the Diamond Trading Company (DTC) – but it may ‎soon gain more of a say […]

Extra, Extra: The Kimberley Process is Dead!

The Kimberley Process outlived its purpose. It can no longer evolve, it cannot adjust to current problems and the old ones are mostly gone. The problems that the KP was created to address can be taken care of with much simpler tools. Therefore, let us give KP the honorable and dignified euthanasia it deserves, cherish […]

DTC June Sight Estimated at $540M

The Diamond Trading Company’s (DTC) June sight had an estimated value of $540 ‎million. The De Beers rough distribution company made slight adjustments to prices and ‎assortments that enabled the boxes to maintain their value. DTC reduced prices on some ‎boxes and increased prices on others.‎

DDC’s Kaufman: “Come To NYC, We’ll Make You an Offer”

Taking up the post of president was not an obvious one for the recently elect president of the Diamond Dealers Club of New York (DDC), Reuven Kaufman. Heavy debt, shrinking membership and a general feeling of futility ruled the DDC, but Kaufman, one of the Club’s board members, felt that change was possible.

DDI Release Draft Diamond Development Standards for Public Comment

Press Release: The Diamond Development Initiative (DDI) has released the draft standards for its Development Diamonds ethical certification project. The goal of the project is to help ensure that the more than 1.5 million artisanal and small-scale diamond miners become part of broader efforts to promote responsible business practices. 
 
The Development Diamond Standards (DDS) project […]

“Leaving Las Vegas”

The diamond industry came to the Las Vegas shows with moderate expectations. In ‎today’s economic climate, moderate expectations should be considered high, since all ‎prospects are viewed with caution. ‎

Fair Warning

An alarm must be sound. In October 2007, nearly a year before Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy protection, leading stock indices peaked and from there started to fall, a decline that ended only in February 2009. The plunge was an unheard early warning.

What Happened in Vegas

The JCK Las Vegas show ended on Monday with mixed reports from diamond ‎exhibitors. Overall, the show was okay. While it did not signal a significant boom in ‎trading, most left satisfied that the U.S. market is stable in the near term.‎