Dmitry Fedorov: I want our jewelry to be displayed at a museum in the future

Dmitry Fedorov is the founder of the eponymous jewelry house. His main focus is the creation of Orthodox-inspired premium luxury jewelry of high artistic merit. He told Rough&Polished about his journey in the jewelry industry, about choosing the ‘Orthodox...

28 october 2024

Responsible business practices ‘no longer optional’, says WDC President Feriel Zerouki

The president of the World Diamond Council takes time out of her busy schedule to tell Rough&Polished readers about the critical work of the WDC. Zerouki, the first female present of the body, which includes all the important industry organizations among...

14 october 2024

James Campbell: Botswana Diamonds optimistic as it enters uncharted territory of using AI for mineral exploration

London-listed Botswana Diamonds has expressed optimism about the company’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) to scan the exploration database in Botswana to look for new mineralised deposits. Company managing director James Campbell told Rough...

07 october 2024

Artur Salyakayev: For me, happiness is freedom to make my ideas happen and create valuable products

Artur Salyakayev is an art entrepreneur, founder of the International Jewelry Academy (IJA) and the INCRUA jewelry company. He has initiated and developed successful projects in jewelry industry and services sector. He is also a leading expert...

30 september 2024

Paul Zimnisky: China key for sustained recovery in demand for natural diamonds, prices

The curtailing of upstream and midstream natural diamond production in the past months is starting to have an effect on prices, according to the New-York-based independent diamond and jewellery analyst and consultant, Paul Zimnisky. He told Rough & Polished’s...

23 september 2024

The Security Issue

26 february 2013

The recent heist of diamonds worth $50 million stolen from the runway of Brussels Airport, certainly comes as a rude shock to the industry, Diamond World reports in Weekly E-Post. The fact that the robbers, eight of them were able to make a hole into the security fence of Brussels' international airport, drive two vehicles onto the tarmac and steal diamonds from the hold of a Swiss-bound plane, in a matter of minutes and flee, is completely unbelievable. Sometimes fact seems stranger than fiction.
The episode has shaken the very activity of transport of diamonds, which is a common everyday affair. Diamond thefts are not unusual, but this scale is not going down easily with the industry. The heist having occurred, gives rise to a number of doubts and unanswered questions so far, especially when AWDC states that Antwerp carries with it a repute of being a highly secured diamond centre. While the matter is yet being investigated, if such a scale of robbery has been possible, what can be said of robberies that occur in retail stores and trade shows?
AWDC states that the stolen diamonds were both polished and rough. AWDC also states that it ‘choose to transport goods via airplane, precisely because of the safe and controlled nature of this means of transportation’. Transport for diamonds is a natural and usual affair. But this security lapse surely calls for strong answers.