The launch of the Panama Gem & Jewelry Center, took place in Panama City on March 17 and 18, opened with the announcement by the Panama Diamond Exchange of its founding directors and members. All of the PDE directors and founding members are attending the launch event.
The Hon. Founding Chairman of the PDE Board of Directors is Eli Izhakoff. The other directors include Ernest Blom, President of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses; Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO, the World Jewelry Confederation; Avi Paz, President of the World Diamond Council; and Erez Akerman, President of the Panama Diamond Exchange.
Founding PDE Members include Maxim Shkadov, President, International Diamond Manufacturers Association; Jeffrey H. Fischer, Hon. President, of IDMA and DMIA and a member of the Board of Governors of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA); Reuven Kaufman, President , Diamond Dealers Club of New York; Ronnie Vanderlinden, President, Diamond Manufacturers and Importers Association of the United States (DMIA); Alex Popov, President, Moscow Diamond Bourse; and Mehul Shah, President, Indian Diamond & Colorstone Association (IDCA).
Founding Corporate Members include Aspeco/K. Girdharlal, Beladamas NV, DHV - De Hantsetters en Verhaere NV, Diamex Inc., Dianco bvba, Diarough NV, Eurostar Diamond Traders, Harmony Gems, Firestar, IGC Group, KP Sanghvi Inc., International Gemological Institute, Nasielski DIamonds, Paras Gems, Rosy Blue, Shamas bvba, Shree Ramkrishna Exports Pvt Ltd., S. Muller & Sons, Shivani Gems, Tache NV, Vets Alphi Diamonds, and Xtra-Diamonds Group.
The Panama Diamond Exchange is the first and only diamond bourse in all of Latin America with membership in the World Federation of Diamond Bourses. It will be the anchor organization of the Panama Gem & Jewelry Center, which currently is under construction and whose first phase will be completed by the fourth quarter of 2014. The center is designed to serve as the primary trading center for the diamond, colored gemstone and jewelry trades of South and Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.
Tatiana Alexandrova, Rough&Polished, Moscow
