DIAMOND GEMS WEEKLY

De Beers has announced a two-year pause in operations at the Venetia mine in South Africa, its latest effort to cut costs and streamline the business amid continued weakness in the diamond market. The decision comes as Anglo American moves closer to selling its 85% stake in De Beers, raising questions about whether the suspension is connected to the sale or simply reflects the company’s need to adjust to market conditions. Both can be true. The move sends a strong message

Solitaire International: The rise of lab-grown diamonds is prompting the natural diamond industry to refocus on the distinctive qualities of the product it sells. That may sound obvious, but the industry took its eye off the ball for some time, placing greater emphasis on grading reports and specifications than on the diamond itself. Now, as lab-grown diamonds have become increasingly standardized and near-perfect, natural diamonds stand apart through their unique inclusion

Solitaire International: The debate between natural and lab-grown diamonds is evolving beyond the familiar arguments about price and sustainability. Recent developments, including Pandora’s carbon footprint disclosures, a UK regulatory ruling on lab-grown diamond advertising, and calls for stricter terminology standards, suggest the conversation is increasingly focused on how the two products are defined and presented to consumers. My latest column for Solitaire Internation

Hong Kong’s diamond trade grew in the first quarter, signaling an uptick in global flows rather than a meaningful recovery in regional demand across China and the broader Asia Pacific market. The improvement was evident across both the polished and rough sectors. Historically, Hong Kong has served primarily as a polished trading center, functioning as a zero-tax gateway for diamonds entering Asia Pacific, particularly Mainland China. The city also maintains a significant

National Jeweler: Natural diamonds are facing a defining moment as lab-grown continues to gain market share, particularly among Gen Z consumers who are prioritizing size, price and practicality over tradition. In this feature for National Jeweler’s 2026 State of the Majors issue, Avi explores how the natural diamond industry is reassessing its identity amid shifting consumer behavior, shrinking discretionary spending and the growing appeal of experiences over products. The

Lost beneath the headlines surrounding the exceptional blue diamonds that did and did not sell during Geneva Luxury Week was the continued success of Sotheby’s collaboration with De Beers. The headline from the Geneva auctions was undoubtedly The Ocean Dream, lot 90 of Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale on May 13. After 20 minutes of bidding, the triangular-shape, 5.50-carat, fancy vivid blue-green, SI1-clarity, type Ia diamond sold for CHF 13.6 million ($17.4 million), e

This article serves as the introductory analysis to the inaugural Diamond Executive Report, ‘The Value of De Beers.’ Access the full report here. To grasp the implications of Anglo American’s pending divestment from De Beers, it helps to understand the move in the context of its broader strategy. In May 2024, the mining group announced plans to separate from De Beers, either through a sale or demerger. The decision followed a takeover bid from BHP Billiton and formed part o

Press Release: The Diamond Press, a leading source of analysis and insight about the diamond and jewelry market, has published the inaugural Diamond Executive Report and launched the Diamond Executive Club, introducing a more structured view of the industry supported by the Global Diamond & Jewelry Tracker. The initiative brings together three core offerings to deliver high-level analysis, proprietary data, and direct engagement among executives, investors, and decision-mak

The upturn in diamond trading through Antwerp does not signal a global market recovery, but a modest restoration of activity in the city. That’s partly due to strategic structural measures implemented in 2025, as Karen Rentmeesters, CEO of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), stressed in a recent press release. But it’s also the result of geopolitical developments that have worked in Belgium’s favor. The resurgence was evident in Belgium’s diamond trade data published

Solitaire International: The US jewelry market isn’t recovering in the traditional sense, it’s adjusting. Retailers are making a clearer choice between value and volume, and that divide is reshaping the diamond pipeline. That shift is evident in recent earnings. Signet is moving toward a more focused, margin-driven model built on higher-ticket sales, while Brilliant Earth is leaning further into volume and accessibility, even as that pressures short-term profitability. The

Angola’s declaration of its 2025 diamond production and exports highlights just how much the rough market has changed. Today, five groups shape the diamond market: De Beers, Alrosa, Angola, Okavango Diamond Company and the tender houses. That marks a clear shift from its historic structure. De Beers (in)famously controlled supply for about a century, largely through its agreement to market Russian production. Regulators finally broke that arrangement up in the early 2000s

A New Podcast Bringing Expert Insight to the Global Diamond Industry Three veteran analysts unite to deliver sharp, monthly commentary on the issues shaping the diamond business April 16, 2026 — The Diamond Dudes , a monthly podcast featuring three of the sector’s most respected analysts, will release its first episode on Thursday, April 16, offering listeners timely insights, candid discussion, and expert perspective on the industry’s most pressing topics. The podcast

The diamond mining sector has come under pressure, not only as market conditions have weakened but as investors have grown more cautious about its prospects. It has become increasingly difficult for diamond mining companies to secure financing, with implications for the entire pipeline, as one member of The Diamond Press community wrote in an email. It’s an issue that has been building for some time and was arguably one of the more underreported stories of 2025. The mining

Signet Jeweler’s latest results point to a business in transition rather than one simply returning to growth. Group revenue rose 2% to $6.81 billion and net profit increased five-fold to $294.4 million in the fiscal year ending January 31, but the improvement in earnings says as much about cost discipline and prior impairments as it does about underlying demand. The more meaningful story lies in the strategy initiated by CEO J.K. Symancyk, focused on sharpening brand position

Solitaire International: Retail jewelry sales are growing across many major markets, yet that momentum is no longer flowing through the diamond supply chain the way it once did. The rise of lab-grown diamonds, higher gold prices, leaner inventories and retail consolidation mean fewer natural diamonds are moving through the pipeline even as jewelry revenue climbs. The result is a weakening of the industry’s traditional trading cycles, forcing the rough and polished markets to

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

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

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

The future of natural diamonds depends less on supply, pricing, or policy, and more on how consumers perceive, experience, and emotionally connect with the product, a panel discussion hosted by CIBJO – The World Jewellery Confederation concluded at the VicenzaOro show. Panelists challenged the industry to rethink how it defines value, and whether its messaging still resonates with the public it is trying to reach. “What are the five bullet points we could craft as a consi

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