Exclusive
Diamond market crash is Africa’s opportunity, not its crisis – M'zée Fula Ngenge
Global natural diamond supply is forecast to fall below 95 million carats this year, the lowest since 1987. For Dr. M'zée Fula Ngenge, chairperson of the African Diamond Council (ADC), this is not a death knell but a clarion call. In an exclusive...
Yesterday
Tracr passes 5 million rough diamonds milestone as De Beers expands provenance push
De Beers Group's blockchain-enabled traceability platform Tracr reached a significant milestone in 2025, with more than 5 million rough diamonds individually scanned and registered, up from 2.8 million cumulative registrations reported in 2024. The...
28 september 2026
South African diamonds head to Hong Kong: SDT partners with BRINKS for JGW 2026
South Africa’s State Diamond Trader (SDT) has confirmed the country's participation in Jewellery & Gem World Hong Kong (JGW) 2026 through a partnership with BRINKS. SDT marketing and communication manager Tsholofelo Gopolang Tselapedi...
14 september 2026
David Benderly: PermaScribe seeks to put trust mark on diamond table, not just girdle
In this interview with Rough & Polished’s Mathew Nyaungwa, PhotoScribe Technologies president and chief executive David Benderly explains how PermaScribe differs technically from conventional laser inscription, its potential to strengthen security, and...
31 august 2026
The great reset: Paul Zimnisky on supply catharsis, De Beers' bargain and the case for natural diamonds
The natural diamond industry is in the throes of its most profound reset in a generation. Supply is plunging to its lowest level since 1987 and De Beers—once valued at over $9 billion—is reportedly being sold for as little as $1 billion.
Lab-grown...
10 august 2026
Can the industry manage without diamond price lists?
27 july 2015
Price lists have become an increasingly important part of the diamond market over the past 25 years – and the Rapaport list has achieved overwhelming importance. But do, and can, such lists, provide an accurate indication of diamond prices? Are changes to the list carried out too often and are those changes too severe particularly at a time when trading conditions are difficult? Is there a realistic alternative to the Rap list, or will the industry have to live with it?
Boosting Global Jewelry Sales a Main Theme at 2015 Presidents Meeting
20 july 2015
The usual subjects affecting the global diamond industry were aired at the 2015 Presidents Meeting in Tel Aviv, with all the main speeches relating to the issues of declining profitability, high rough prices and standstill polished prices, the dangers of overgrading and coated diamonds. If not exactly a new theme, the issue of the absolute necessity of raising diamond jewelry sales via generic diamond promotion was widely discussed.
Diamonds from Zimbabwe affect the market stronger than you think
13 july 2015
In recent months, industry members and experts have taken quite a lot of pains trying to figure out the cause of stagnation in the diamond market. Some see the reason in the problems with funding diamond manufacturers, others - in the change of consumer preferences. Diamond mining giants are consolidating their efforts to revive the long-lapsed programs of generic marketing. Experts call to pay more attention to the threat posed by synthetic stones. But there is another factor, which has somehow completely escaped the discussion.
Botswana diamond beneficiation drive suffers setback, albeit temporarily
06 july 2015
African diamond producing countries had been pushing for the beneficiation of their rough diamonds to boost earnings from the precious stones. Botswana, which is no doubt the leading diamond producer in the world in value terms, had been leading its peers in Africa on beneficiation. However, things haven’t been moving in the right direction as Gaborone had anticipated.
The rise of Online Second-Hand Jewellery Trade in the United States
29 june 2015
Could a family-run e-commerce activity that took off less than ten years ago set the pace for a revolution in the retail chain of the World’s largest diamond jewellery market? Apparently, this is what is happening in the United States where in 2007 two siblings, Josh and Mara Opperman, launched a small project called I Do, Now I Don’t.
ALROSA in the first quarter of 2015: When a record result is not because of, but in spite of
22 june 2015
The results posted by ALROSA have been influenced by two major factors – by diamond prices and by the exchange rate of the ruble. If the first of them had a negative bearing for the company’s financial results in the first quarter of 2015, the second one played into the hands of ALROSA. In addition, ALROSA employed such a traditional - and indisputably efficient - tool used by diamond miners as adjusting the assortment of its goods. As a result, despite the decline in prices and sales in carats, ALROSA managed to achieve record levels of revenue (in ruble terms) and profitability.
Market Report from India: May 2015
15 june 2015
The annual summer vacation for the diamond industry in India is when the production centres are shut down; and the market tries to set right the inventory that has piled up during the year. Due to no production during the month, shortages of polished goods coupled with increased demand, price correction becomes effective and semblance of a ‘strong’ market returns, albeit for a short period... before the production resumes in full swing in the month of June.
China: The ever-growing jewellery market
08 june 2015
China’s ever-growing jewellery market is an enigma as the variety, design, raw materials are varied and do not follow a pattern as in other consumer markets. Being the second largest jewellery market in the world, next only to the USA, the Chinese jewellery market has witnessed consistent growth in the past decade, with occasional ‘hiccups’ on the way.
Israeli Diamond Trade Positive Despite Challenges
01 june 2015
It's no secret that these are far from easy times for diamantaires in the Israeli diamond center. In fact, for many diamantaires, difficulties have been going for at least six months, and in some cases much longer. A survey of companies from small to large in recent weeks reveals that the diamond sector in general continues to fight against the odds. But for smaller players, the situation in many cases is becoming close to impossible. One Israeli diamantaire spoke of the fact that he had no choice but to simply leave the diamond industry – at least temporarily and work in a field "where he could earn some money".
Italian Jewellery Sector Still Fighting for Credit
25 may 2015
The first trimester of 2015 has not been entirely positive for the Italian jewellery sector. While overall the economy has shown signs of improvements, the credit pipeline suffered yet another preoccupying setback. In February the Italian Treasury sent its inspectors to Banca Etruria, finding hidden losses for around € 500 Million. The bank was immediately subjected to compulsory administration. Often dubbed the “Bank of Gold”, Banca Etruria has a pivotal role in the Italian jewellery sector: for decades it has been the major financier of the Arezzo jewellery district.
