Diamond Shavings: Your (Early for the Jewish Holidays) Web Roundup

This is early but there is still a lot of stuff … Happy new year to all who celebrate …

A new TV miniseries will trash the industry! Hooray! Well, at least Blood Diamond star Honsou is showing up at a  Russell Simmons “diamond empowerment” event.

Botswana Beneficiation Blowback

- Chaim gets heat from last week’s piece on Botswana’s unions.  The articles he mentions are here and here. Related pieces in the same Botswana newspaper here and here. (Also note the poll on the front page: “Do you think Botswana is getting a fair shake from its diamond industry?” “No” is winning handily.)

- Polishedprices commentary here and here.

Maurice Tempelsman’s take on the industry.

Louis Vuitton exec appointed CEO of De Beers group marketing.

Media Watch:

- Wall Street Journal on Rapaport.

- New York Times picks up the jewelers-on-Madison-Ave. story.

- India Times on lab-grown stones.

- Reuters on Sierra Leone diamond diggers and the country’s election.

Nirupa Bhatt leaves Rio Tinto. Following up on that, I should note that there have been a lot of changes in Rio Tinto generally, including turnover in their Antwerp diamond office. Rio Tinto is such a big company, and diamonds are such a small percentage of what it produces, that the sector is apparently considered a “stepping stone.”

Eyebrows raised over Russian partner of De Beers (the retailer).

Diamonds found in Japan!

Gassman/Idex: Tiffany is “headed by visionaries."

Lots of diamonds at MTV Awards.

Stephane Fischler takes over International Diamond Council. First new chairman in 17 years.

De Beers defends decade-old charge in South Africa.

Rio Tinto hopes to mine in South Africa.

Liberia back in the diamond business.

Kimberley inspection team visits Congo.

Have a good holiday and weekend everyone …