The Diamond Press | Diamond Industry

Pressing Matters: Complex De Beers Sale

The Diamond Disconnect

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De Beers Cannot Thrive as Both Miner and Luxury Brand

Calm After the Tariff Storm

The Diamond Industry Must Pivot to Value

Diamond Market Recovery or Continued Pressure?

News In Brief

De Beers reported an underlying loss of $739 million in 2025, more than double the prior year’s deficit, parent company Anglo American said...

Swiss watch exports declined 4% year on year to CHF 1.92 billion ($2.48 billion) in January, the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry said…

Rio Tinto reported a 19% rise in diamond revenue to $332 million in 2025…

Lab-grown diamonds accounted for 61% of engagement ring purchases in 2026, up 239% since 2020, according to The Knot’s Real Weddings Study…

The Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) elected a new board, naming Julie Yoakum, president of Kay and Peoples Jewelers, as chair.

India’s polished diamond exports fell 4% year on year to $979 million in January...

Belgium’s polished exports rose 14% year on year to $420.6 million in January...

Asian Star reported revenue fell 3% year on year to INR 6.68 billion (73.6 million) in the quarter ending December 31...

Titan Company reported revenue grew 43% year on year to INR 255.67 billion ($2.81 billion) in the quarter ending December 31...

Kering reported fourth-quarter revenue at its “Other Houses” division rose 3% year on year, supported by strong growth across its jewelry maisons...

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Spotlight

The Diamond Disconnect

The contrast between the performance of the retail jewelry sector and diamond mining revealed in the recent round of earnings is striking. At retail, Watches of Switzerland said its Roberto Coin business delivered an excellent US holiday season. Swatch Group noted that Harry Winston had a record month in December, while Birks Group reported comparable-store sales grew 2.5% over the November–December period. The momentum carried into January. The Edge Retail Academy estima

Calm After the Tariff Storm

The diamond industry breathed a collective sigh of relief after the US and India reached a trade deal that will eliminate import duties on India-sourced diamonds and gemstones. By way of recap, in September President Trump imposed a 25% reciprocal tariff, followed by an additional 25% penalty on all Indian imports, aimed at pressuring India to halt purchases of Russian oil. The impact was immediate and severe. India’s diamond trade was put at a massive disadvantage, with go

India Must Follow Antwerp’s Diamond Playbook

The recent trade deal between the EU and India laid bare the differing approaches to the diamond trade taken by two of the industry’s largest centers. Once again, Antwerp leveraged its position to secure favorable terms in the negotiations. Under the agreement, India reduced its tariff on imports of natural polished diamonds from the European Union to 2.5%, down from 5.5%. “This tariff reduction is the result of intensive lobbying efforts by the Antwerp World Diamond Cent

10 Predictions for the Diamond Industry in 2026

The diamond market enters 2026 in a state of flux after three punishing years from 2023 to 2025, with sustained pressure across mining, manufacturing, and retail. It does not take a futurist to see that many of the forces behind the downturn remain firmly in place. The question now is how those dynamics evolve as the industry searches for greater stability. To open the year, The Diamond Press sets out 10 developments and themes that are set to define the diamond trade in

Tough Love for Botswana

At last, someone has advised the Botswana government not to raise its stake in De Beers. As Anglo American prepares to divest from its 85% share in the diamond company, Botswana has signaled its interest in buying some or all of that stake, adding to the 15% it already owns. Until now, it seems that most of those with the president’s ear have entertained the notion that increasing the government’s stake in De Beers is a good idea. Yet Botswana is heading for its third str

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Pressing Matters

Complex De Beers Sale

Happy Lunar Festival as we usher in the Year of the Horse. While we have one eye on China’s Golden Week in the coming days, our attention last week was drawn to the annual Investing in African Mining Indaba in Cape Town. The conference doesn’t usually place much emphasis on diamonds, but this year was a little different amid heightened interest in Anglo American’s sale of De Beers . Most significant were comments by Anglo CEO Duncan Wanblad that the decline in diamond pr

A Good Week For Diamonds

Every so often, I’m tempted to turn this memo into a gossip column. If I ever did, it might open with something like, OMG! I’ve got so much to tell you! Perhaps I’ve found a quieter way to indulge that instinct, because the truth is it’s been a very good week for the diamond industry. The headlines were dominated by the US–India trade deal, which will remove tariffs on diamond imports into the world’s largest jewelry market from the largest source of polished supply. The

Optimism Amid Trade Advocacy for Diamonds

February is a slightly strange month. It’s a day or two shorter than the rest, which gives it a sense of ease, as though it passes a little more seamlessly. That said, it’s an important month for the diamond industry. By now, we have a clearer view of how the holiday season played out, and jewelers have a better handle on their inventory requirements. Valentine’s Day also looms on the 14th, with the National Retail Federation (NRF) expecting record spending , including arou

Deglobalization and the Case for Fewer, Better Diamonds

Watching events unfold at the World Economic Forum in Davos, one major theme has already emerged in 2026: the era of globalization is over. That presents another challenge for the diamond industry, although it’s not necessarily a new one. The trade benefited greatly from globalization in the 2010s, as the expansion of China’s jewelry market was driven by the belief that the country could transition toward a US-style, consumer-led economy. That dynamic meant more diamonds we

What Gives A Diamond Its Value

What gives a diamond its value? Is there something intrinsic in the physical product itself, or does value mostly come from how the industry positions it? I put that question to a group of industry professionals during a panel discussion on The Way Forward for Natural Diamonds at the VicenzaOro show on Sunday. As moderator, my aim was to use the idea of value as a way into a broader conversation about how we engage today’s consumer. The answers leaned heavily on emotional

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