Among the interesting things you can read this weekend:
– Gassman: U.S. jewelry sales to rise 4% in 2007.
– The latest on the missing $28 million in diamonds in Antwerp. Here’s Chaim’s commentary.
– Diamonds also disappear at Amberif.
– Former Friedman’s CEO, Bradley Stinn, indicted. I remember him; he was honored by industry charities, and one of my officemates (who will remain nameless) had a crush on him. Doing some research, I found he is a Harvard grad who became head of Friedman’s at the tender age of 33. This is a very good history of what he did to make the company at one time the third largest jeweler in America. U.S. Attorney press release here. Sad.
– Gassman: Online jewelry sales to rise 20%.
– This is a very good piece on SoC and box trading.
– A transcript of a portion of the De Beers-Jayam trial – with helpful highlighting on the most embarrassing parts! I should mention that I have my own trial transcript and will hopefully have highlights on this blog on Monday, depending on how much I can get through this weekend. (It’s several hundred pages!)
– For anyone of you “conflict diamond issue” junkies – and I know you are out there — this is an excellent newsletter.
– Thought-provoking post on what happens when your supplier starts selling elsewhere.
– Lot of “doing good for Africa” talk at CIBJO.
– De Beers haggles with Namibia.
– Media Watch: Diamond jewelry prices will creep higher. So says the people at CNN Money.com. Nothing too exciting there.
– Charles Wyndham expresses surprise that some industry press releases and speeches don’t add up to much. Charles, I’ve been doing this for almost 15 years. You have no idea.
– And don’t forget to check out these informative, well-written blog posts:
– Blood Diamond director Ed Zwick talks to JCK, but doesn’t seem too happy about it
– De Beers: They’re heeee—-eeeere!;
– Blue Nile shooting for that big big billion
– GCAL goes for zero tolerance;
– Thinking about Ed Zwick thinking about diamonds.
By the way, I have heard a lot of you don’t like the picture they have of me. Hey, this isn’t Vogue, my friends. Have a good weekend, everybody …
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