This is the time of the year for reflection, introspections, setting accounts with oneself and with one’s own conscience. With this in mind, while perusing my computer, I suddenly felt enormous empathy for Robert L., a gemologist from Texas who publishes a newsletter for a small, select readership – not all that dissimilar to Diamond Intelligence Briefs. In his latest issue, this man included a small, harmless write-up about how a grading laboratory discovered that, some seven years ago, it made a mistake and had omitted noting on a report that a certain stone had been HPHT-treated. Read More...

One of the biggest changes in modern-day journalism – as with many other professions – is the way the workload has increased tremendously. That is mainly due, of course, to newsroom operations being scaled back drastically. Add to that another well-known modern phenomenon of various bodies, whether governmental or companies, knowing how to "play" journalists with a supposed scoop. Read More...

Nothing should have surprised the diamond sector about KBC’s announcement that it is closing down the operations of the Antwerp Diamond Bank (ADB). It was not just the many rumors in the Antwerp and global markets in the week before the announcement or the news report about it in a local daily that should have prepared us for the statement. Read More...

The feeling is palpable the moment you walk through the doors. I am referring to the September Hong Kong Gem and Jewellery Fair. It's common knowledge that the Chinese market has become critical to the global diamond industry over the past decade, but it's only when you walk through the doors of the show or walk the streets of Hong Kong that you truly sense the enormity of the market and its ability to effortlessly attract the worldwide trade to its doorstep. Read More...

Let’s start with a riddle. Look carefully at these beautiful diamond bracelets containing 20 to 30 pointers. Each bangle contains a total weight of around 10 to 15 carats. They are beautiful high-collection goods having a wholesale price of some $20,000 per piece. Read More...

The audience in the large space where auctions are held tends to be tense, excited, curious and worried when an exceptional item is on the stand and the auctioneer is soliciting ever-higher bids. The bidders are usually in the audience, at times making small gestures to express their willingness to up their bid. Other bidders are on the phone with auction house staffers passing their instructions on to the auctioneer. Read More...

To be nice to De Beers, I politely put a question mark in the headline. However, my gut feeling says that it should have been an exclamation mark – maybe even a whole row of exclamation marks. Common sense would say that De Beers Diamond Jewellers should have closed down a long time ago. Read More...

1. There is generally a good mood in the entire diamond pipeline, something I haven’t seen in quite some time. From top to bottom, diamond miners are reporting an increase in income and production, as well as a rise in rough diamond prices. De Beers, Alrosa, Rio Tinto Diamonds, Petra and Gem Diamonds are all doing very well – and they represent the majority of the supply of rough diamonds to the market. Read More...

When the experts of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) issue in-depth reports on a specific country, the governments involved generally listen – especially in developing countries in Africa. These reports aren’t unilateral exercises; they are the outcome of an extensive bilateral consultation process with the relevant governmental bodies. Read More...

The award for the most ironic piece of news of the slow summer months should perhaps go to that in which online diamond and jewelry retailer Blue Nile said it was creating a physical presence in order to enable potential clients to get a see and a feel for its goods. After taking the online charge forward for the past 15 years, the leading diamond and jewelry e-tailer has an agreement with leading U.S. department store chain Nordstrom to give potential buyers the opportunity to look at goods before placing an order online. Read More...