Diamond Shavings: Your (Once Again Early) Web Round-Up

If you don’t want to have your holidays ruined by bad news, please skip the first group of articles (and, to be honest, most of the rest.) But seriously, have a great holiday and enjoy any time off! …

Re-tail of Woe

- Worst season in 40 years?
- Bloomberg: Final holiday weekend sales “dismal.”

- AP: January "looks scarier."

- 2009 retail predictions. (Warning: Not pretty.)

Good News Alert! Good News Alert!: Champion ring sales up.

JC Penney discounting jewelry after Christmas.

Ken Gassman on Sterling Jewelers.

Surat factories start to reopen.

- Industry indsutry talks about government assistance.

- Two jobless polishers commit suicide.

Israeli diamond company closes.
- Israel exchange warns against "private" settlements.

NY Post: Skywatch Tower in Diamond District.

Alrosa gets $1.6 million loan.

Arizona jeweler wounded in gun battle. He’s recovering.
- Michigan jeweler kidnap plot foiled.

Sierra Leone child laborers speak.

Beyonce has two engagement rings! As everyone should …

Jewelry stolen from Paris Hilton bedroom. Police think the suspect may have been there before. Which narrows the suspect list to several thousand people. (Ba-dump-bump. Hey, it’s the holidays.)

Media Watch:

- Botswanan newspaper has good overview of country’s industry.

- The CBC on the Canadian industry’s slowdown.

- Danvers, Ma. newspaper talks to local jewelers.

- Thestreet.com talks to De Beers’ Stephen Lussier.

- Pugent Sound Business Journal interviews Blue Nile CEO.

- Local story on Crater of Diamonds Park.
- AP story on art deco jewelry.

- Central New York newspaper story on Hearts on Fire.

Hope everyone has a great holiday …