Diamond Shavings: Your Friday Web Roundup
Sightholders having their standard De Beers questionnaire panic attacks. Thailand’s only sightholder says the heck with it.
WWD: Macy’s may be bought. (via Smartbrief)
Ebay changes diamond rules.
Reuters (quoting analysts): De Beers and Alrosa unlikely to reunite.
Another diamond smuggling seizure (but not a bust as of yet.) Sure seems like a trend. More on conflict diamonds here.
South Africa ticked off about Jonathan Oppenheimer’s remarks on beneficiation.
- Also: Oppenheimer calls Botswana government “its own worst enemy” in Bushmen issue. Quite a talk!
Now, the Congo wants a diamond cutting industry.
Chaim/Idex on the DTC Ombudsman.
Kimberley Process publishes stats.
Michael Vaughan new WFDB exec. director. Congrats to him.
Discovery Times airs diamond documentary. My review: Pretty damning, which surprised me. You have to wonder at the stupidity of the Indian company that, at least according to this film, hires 13-year-olds for its factory, apparently “hits” them, and then allows all this to be broadcast on TV. Dumb and repulsive. The Rapaport trip to Sierra Leone, which I was on, seemed a little over-dramatized. For example, Chris Aire was never supposed to be on the rest of the trip, but the film makes it seems like he cut out early. Also, we never “traveled through the night,” and Rapaport left the country brimming with optimism, not as down-beat as the movie appears. You can see a split-second shot of my back as Rapaport exits the plane. I’m in a cap carrying a Dell computer laptop bag. Anyway, the best documentary on industry social issues remains the History Channel’s “Blood Diamonds,” which was just nominated for a daytime Emmy.
Media Week:
- Moneyweek (UK publication): Diamonds are a good investment.
- JCK high priestess speaks her mind on CNBC site.
Gem Diamonds (run by Harry Oppenheimer’s former PA) buys Kimberley Diamond Company. (Interview.)
Feel free to comment on any of the above by clicking the button below, and have a great weekend ….
