Who wouldn't like to be a top official at one of the diamond industry's international organizations, a diamantaire asked me this week. Flying first class, nice hotels, fancy dinners, meeting ministers and presidents, giving speeches and receiving or giving awards. All dutifully reported by the diamond industry trade press. Read More...

It used to be that having a supply contract with De Beers, having a Sight, was a top honor. It was a stamp of approval that you are a top player in the game, a member of an exclusive and elite club. The industry’s reigning Queen, a monolithic power that had great influence over the entire industry, bestowed the great honor. It behaved that way as well. Read More...

The year’s gloom may have a happy, or at least a semi-happy end. It’s far from being obvious, so it's worth examining. A group of diamond jewelry retailers have recently reported their outlook for the coming months, including the holiday season, along with their third quarter results. Read More...

The Oxford Dictionaries UK Word of the Year 2012 was ‘omnishambles.’ The word describes “a situation that has been comprehensively mismanaged, and is characterized by a string of blunders and miscalculations.” What word would lexicographers of the diamond industry select for 2013? Read More...

In recent months, we have discussed in this column the retail scenarios, including expectations for future sales. Our outlook has been generally cautious, offering data that indicates rising jewelry sales, while pointing out that diamond jewelry sales are losing market share, for example. Read More...

Congratulations are due to the UN following the announcement by the M23 rebel force in the Democratic Republic of Congo that it is disarming, thus ending a long-lasting insurgency in the country. Read More...

A few years ago, during a trade show, I bumped into a diamond trader I know who presented me with his new business card. On one side of it, the card had the expected contact details of his new diamond venture, but the other side held a surprise... Read More...

After months of pointing out what is wrong and needs changing in the diamond industry, discussing problems and spreading gloom, it is time to take a positive approach and make constructive suggestions, a roadmap to a healthier sector, if you will. Read More...

The solid prices achieved at Christie’s auction on Wednesday are proof that investment in high-end diamonds is going strong – exceptional diamonds become available at a slow pace, sellers find buyers and buyers are paying top dollar for these rare and beautiful diamonds. Read More...

The sweet smell of coffee’s success is a learning opportunity for diamonds. In Israel, a cup of cappuccino costs 10-15 shekels ($2.80-$4.20) depending on the café and its location... Read More...