De Beers Stores to Open in Houston and Washington

OK, I can now bring you the whole scoop on De Beers (the retailer)'s U.S. plans. I just spoke to Guy Leymarie, CEO of De Beers Diamond Jewellers (formerly De Beers LV), and here is what he told me:

- De Beers plans to open stores in Houston, Washington D.C. (in the Tyson Galleria), as well as San Francisco this year (in Union Square). This will bring its total stores in the U.S. to six (joining New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.)

- They want to open stores in Chicago, Miami and Dallas, but are still looking for proper locations.

- The company is still searching for a new CEO for its U.S. division to replace Alyce Alston. Currently, Hamida Belkadi is acting CEO.

- The company, as announced previously, will open up an online store in June.

- It continues to open stores all over the world — including, most recently, Korea. It also seems to be concentrating on the Middle East. It now has 17 stores. By the end of the year, it hopes to have 30.

- The U.S. stores are doing "very well," Leymarie says.