Namdia Sues G4S over $17m Diamond Heist

September 16, 25 by John Jeffay

Namib Desert Diamonds (Namdia) is suing security company G4S over the $17m heist at its HQ in January. Namibia's state-run diamond marketing company claims G4S was negligent, and that one of its employees "was complicit in the heist", in which... Read More...

Diamond Slump: S&P Cuts Botswana Credit Rating

September 16, 25 by John Jeffay

Botswana's credit rating has been downgraded for the first time in at least five years by S&P (Standard & Poor). The US-based credit rating agency cited collapsing diamond revenues, deteriorating public finances, and a rapid erosion of foreign exchange ... Read More...

Lab Growns - without the High Pressure or Temperature

September 16, 25 by John Jeffay

Researchers at the University of Tokyo say they've found a way to make tiny diamonds without the need for high temperature or high pressure conditions - unlike current lab grown technology. They use electron beams to break and remake bonds in ... Read More...

CIBJO U-Turn: Don't Say Lab Grown, Say Synthetic

September 15, 25 by John Jeffay

The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) is set to reverse a decision made in 2010 - and insist that non-natural diamonds are labelled as "synthetic". It says the terms "laboratory-grown" and "laboratory-created" should be removed from the Diamond Blue... Read More...

GIA Warning over Fraudulent Inscriptions

September 15, 25 by John Jeffay

GIA has again warned of fraudulent inscriptions, after intercepting four impostor diamonds at its Dubai lab. The stones were all submitted for updated services, and were all close matches in terms of weight, color, clarity, cut, polish and symmetry... Read More...

Memo by John Jeffay

September 10

So who will be the next owner of the remarkable 9.51-carat Mellon Blue diamond? It was part of a vast collection of art and jewelry that belonged to the American heiress and philanthropist Rachel Lambert (Bunny) Mellon. In 2014, shortly after her death at the age...  Read More...