This week…So the Helzberg princess cut lawsuit has apparently been settled, and all the buyers get $200,000. No, just kidding! That’s the lawyers. The buyers get 50 bucks. Funny how that works.… What’s a simulant? What’s a synthetic? And what can be learned from Wikipedia?… Plus, the trade experienced the sad loss of Woody Justice.… All below…
Long Way Down That Holiday Road:
– How’s Christmas shaping up? My thoughts.
– Idex predicts 7–10 percent jewelry sales growth this holiday.
– NPD Group predicting flat (overall) Christmas.
Helzberg agrees to refund for Princess purchases.
Signet repurchasing $300 million in stock.
Indian press: Diamond prices rising again.
– De Beers CEO forecasts growth in diamond market. Avi Krawitz isn’t sure.
– Rap list stays put.
Woody Justice dies. Very sorry to hear. Some nice tributes in the comments.
Jeweler arrested for allegedly violating metal buying laws. As I wrote on Twitter, jewelers should pay heed to what Cecilia Gardner says at the end of the article.
– Bloomberg: attempt at national gold buying chain.
– Miner predicts gold price will rise again.
The ongoing confusion over simulants.
– Moissanite sales, profits down.
Indian industry suffers from lack of skilled labor.
Rising floods threaten Thai jewelry companies.
WFDB: Chains of custody must include smaller dealers.
Conflict minerals legislation 100 times more expensive than projected.
Chinese company strikes it rich in Marange (but can’t export).
– Zimbabwe MP: Minister of Mines “misled” us.
Blood Diamond—the Sequel(s)?
– New edition of the Blood Diamonds (with an s) book.
– Movie gets a Bollywood remake.
– Video game set in pre–Kimberley Process Angola.
Senators working on new online sales tax bill.
Richemont sues San Francisco jeweler.
Belgian industry inks deal with Chinese bank.
– Edahn Golan on the Antwerp “roadshow.”
$10 million diamond being sold in Toronto.
“Healthy bidding” at Argyle tender.
Letseng Star sold.
– Graff upping stake in Gem Diamonds.
Cape Town opening diamond museum.
Gitanjali sells diamonds from an ATM!
World’s first “perfectly spherical” diamond.
Diamond panties?
Blue Nile hosts scotch party.
Brilliant criminal steals jewels, leaves name, address.
Newt Gingrich’s wife—back at Tiffany.
Media Watch:
– There are some pretty basic things wrong with this article from Technology Review (published by MIT!) on De Beers and synthetics, including the facts that Element Six was founded by De Beers more than 60 years ago, and synthetics are not widely available at jewelers.
From the Blog:
– The Ongoing Confusion Over the Meaning of Simulant.
Happy Diwali to all who celebrate. Enjoy your weekend …
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