The Law, Ethics and the “S”-Word
October 12, 06 by Chaim Even-ZoharAd agency copywriters are among the most creative writers on earth, and their ability to play on words is often mind-boggling. Those writers may, however, be less familiar with laws and ethics in the diamond industry. These thoughts occurred to me while reviewing the website of one of the world’s most prominent... Read More...
The Silence of the Lambs
October 05, 06 by Chaim Even-ZoharA few weeks ago our column started with, “Why the hell should we finance DTC Sight boxes, which we know to be overpriced and are causing losses to our clients?” fumed a diamond banker from his holiday resort somewhere on the Mediterranean coast. “That’s irrational behavior on our part. The time has come to put a stop to it. Read More...
U.S. Government Watchdog Demands Better Governmental Controls Over Kimberley Process
September 28, 06 by Chaim Even-ZoharThe U.S. Governmental “watchdog”, the GAO, has submitted a 62-page report to the U.S. Congress on the functioning, or rather the lack thereof, of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS)... Read More...
Code of Practice Favoring “Cultured Ambiguity”
September 21, 06 by Chaim Even-ZoharThe Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices (CRJP) has released today its Final Version of its Code of Practices. The 18-page document is the culmination of a worldwide consultation with stakeholders and many meetings by the CRJP... Read More...
Writing On The Walls In South Africa
September 14, 06 by Chaim Even-ZoharThe drawn-out lack of clarity and the clouds of uncertainties over South Africa’s diamond industry are beginning to pay their toll. This is visible on three levels: De Beers, the industry, and the government. Diamond factories are reducing output – there are early signs of closures. Read More...
Sightholders Losses May Ignite A Banking Revolt
September 07, 06 by Chaim Even-Zohar“Why the hell should we finance DTC Sight boxes, which we know to be overpriced and are causing losses to our clients?” fumed a diamond banker from his holiday resort somewhere on the Mediterranean coast. “That’s irrational behavior on our part. The time has come to put a stop to it. It is irresponsible from a banking risk perspective to make facilities available for the... Read More...
The Culture of the GIA Synthetic Certificate Debate
August 31, 06 by Chaim Even-ZoharThe form and contents of the proposed GIA certificate on synthetic diamonds was a hotly debated issue at this week’s GIA Symposium in San Diego. The discussion squarely reflects perceived economic interests – and even though every side likes to talk about “protecting consumer confidence”, none of the speakers had done any serious research on what the... Read More...
Note To Our Readers
August 24, 06 by Chaim Even-ZoharA leading industry player has made serious allegation of a possible illegal anti-trust violation in respect to certain dynamics surrounding the development of nomenclatures to be used for gemological grading reports for synthetics diamonds. That warrants a major news story. My staff and myself worked a few days around the clock to get all the facts, cover all the angles, get the necessary historical... Read More...
The Golden Years of the Baby Boomers
August 17, 06 by Chaim Even-ZoharSummer holidays are a great time to catch up on one’s reading. Picking only materials by perennial optimistic and good humored authors, I selected some of the recent reviews by my colleague Ken Gassman. Earlier this month he reported good news for jewelers who target the bridal market. “Gold wedding band sales have been stable since 1993, when... Read More...
Mixed Signals from Botswana
August 10, 06 by Chaim Even-ZoharWithin two years there will be some 15 diamond factories in Botswana, employing some 3,000-5,000 workers – if not more. The government’s policy of “beneficiation of the diamond resource” aims at going downstream: processing as much as possible of the raw materials domestically, moving from sorting to manufacturing and jewelry production. De Beers and the government have identified... Read More...
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