The R&M “Lettre”

Predicting the diamond market can be tricky at times, particularly for those on the supply ‎side of the pipeline. Miners, generally loath to scale down operations, have ‎understandably been treading cautiously in 2012.‎ The pledge made last week by De Beers to monitor production in line with sightholder ‎demand, should therefore not be taken lightly.

Here are a few facts: Polished diamond sales are down, rough is expensive, financing is below needs or bares high interest, the European economic outlook is grim, generic marketing is nonexistent, the prevalent price list is out of whack, in China GDP is growing but the pace is slowing, in India the exchange rate is […]

Does the DTC move to Botswana, the launch of the government’s own sights and a burgeoning polishing industry ensure long-term economic stability for the country? Botswana, along with its diamond-dependent economy, finds itself on the brink. After years of planning and negotiations, Botswana’s capital city of Gaborone is about to assume the position of the […]

It may have taken a downturn to prove it, but Diamond Trading Company (DTC) sightholders ‎are sensing that the game has changed. As a result, there was an underlying anger emanating ‎from this week’s DTC sight as prices softened a mere 3 percent and De Beers supply remained ‎unprofitable. ‎

In March 1981, after a long run of inflationary diamond prices, Thomson McKinnon Asset Management Inc. launched the Diamond Investment Trust; one of several trusts it formed to invest in diamonds. In retrospect, diamond prices were past their peak and cooling, eventually leading to the collapse of the trust.  At launch, shares in the Trust traded […]

De Beers Reduces Prices 3%. The Diamond Trading Company’s (DTC) July sight had an estimated value of $420 million before deferments or ex-plan, as De Beers reduced prices slightly. At press time, DTC sightholders were expected to reject goods to be offered, which would reduce the value of the sight.

We know his scathing columns and his vitriolic analysis of the news and customs of the diamond industry. Charles Wyndham, founder of PolishedPrices, is among those who “knock over the ant-hill”, far from the legendary British stiff upper lip. He granted an interview to www.rubel-menasche.com, and answered questions without beating around the bush…

Competition is rising between the diamond trading centers. Not only are there new kids ‎on the block vying for a greater portion of the global rough and polished trade, but the ‎diamond distribution channel is constantly changing. No longer are New York, Antwerp, ‎Mumbai and Ramat Gan the obvious destinations for the diamond business as […]

Have prices of Fancies truly declined in the past week? Not at all. The prevalent list is out of whack with the industry, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is the sad, brutal truth.  My heart goes out to diamond traders the world over. It’s not only that the global economy is whipping them, De Beers and […]

China’s current ‘Year of the Dragon’ appears to have lost some of its fire as investors and ‎analysts view China’s economy with increasing caution. Chinese diamond buyers have ‎picked up on that sentiment and are holding back from making large-inventory purchases ‎as global economic concerns deepen and local consumer confidence fades. ‎

A month ago, we published a column entitled “Fair Warning” which focused on the problematic economic situation ahead. It mostly examined external economic changes, and their impact on the global diamond and jewelry industry. That column was written a few days after the closing of the JCK Las Vegas show. Following the show, about 80% […]

Edahn Golan, Chief Editor of IDEX Online, well-known analyst of diamond. Even though professionnals are familiar with his writtings, the man should be known. Let’s meet with him…