Dear Readers,
We have so much to tell you this week that one editorial will not be enough!
First of all, a bit of self-congratulation is in order to celebrate Rubel & Ménasché’s 5th RJC certification, COP 2019. Visit our website to find out all about this (if you haven’t had the time to read our special newsletter)
Next, we wanted to wish Stephen Lussier a happy retirement and all the good things that go with it. His departure is a significant moment in the diamond industry. Stephen Lussier is a bit like the marketing ‘Pope’ for our industry and a man of great influence. However, he is not going too far, as he will remain as chairman of the NDC. It will be interesting to see what happens to the management of brands and consumer markets at De Beers under Marc Jacheet’s leadership and what this change will mean for us all.
In addition, the market continues to speculate on prices… And us with it! As Rapaport pointed out in its latest report and in its articles republished on our website www.rubel-menasche.com – The Pressure is on and The Vicious Rough Circle (this title says it all…) – both rough and polished prices are under pressure and putting pressure on the intermediary market. As a diamond company, that is exactly what we are seeing!
The need for polished diamonds (across almost all categories), driven by strong consumer demand which is favorable to the industry, is considerable. There is also a need for rough. Yet, in view of the expected rise in rough, the market is not always managing to find a balance, despite what should be a healthier environment overall. The intermediate sector’s profit margins are clearly insufficient and the profits of mining firms on the one hand and of the jewelry retailers on the other are not distributed through the entire value chain…
We will leave you to ponder this, but we will certainly talk of this again.
Finally, we are offering you a deep dive into the jewelry and high jewelry collections. This is after all our core business, so to see such creations makes us very happy. A special mention for the Maison Boucheron whose sumptuous New Maharajahs collection of sculptural designs elevates diamonds as jewelry art.
Happy reading and enjoy your week.
Source Rubel & Ménasché
