International News
GIA temporarily expands scope of laboratory services in Dubai and Hong Kong
In response to logistics challenges related to recently announced US tariffs affecting global shipments of gemstones, Gemological Institute of America (GIA) will temporarily expand services offered by the GIA Laboratory DMCC and the GIA Hong Kong laboratory.
D-to-Z diamonds, rough or polished, up to 9.99 carats may be submitted to the GIA laboratories in Dubai and Hong Kong.
D-to-Z diamonds, rough or polished, 10 carats and above and fancy colour diamonds may be submitted to the GIA laboratory in Hong Kong until further notice.
D-to-Z diamonds, rough or polished, up to 3.99 carats may continue to be submitted to the GIA laboratories in Bangkok, Dubai, Gaborone, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Mumbai, Surat and Tokyo.
Rough diamond submissions are subject to the Kimberley Process Certification rules in each country; rough diamonds cannot be shipped to the GIA laboratory in Dubai, it noted.
The GIA laboratories in the United States (Carlsbad and New York) will continue to accept diamonds, coloured stones and pearls of any size from clients in the United States or with a United States country of origin.
The GIA laboratories in Bangkok, Hong Kong and Tokyo will continue to provide services for coloured stones and pearls, and the GIA laboratory in Mumbai will continue to provide pearl services.
DiamondBuzz
Diamond Slump forces Debswana to diversify into copper, platinum and solar
Diamond-centric mining models is giving way to broader resource portfolios
Debswana Diamond Company, the 50–50 joint venture between the Botswana government and De Beers, is moving to diversify into copper, platinum and renewable energy as the prolonged downturn in natural diamond demand pressures earnings and forces the industry to rethink its growth strategy.
The company’s board has approved plans to invest in a portfolio of non-diamond projects after revenue fell 46% in 2024, the latest available financial year, highlighting the scale of the downturn in the global diamond market.
The move signals a strategic shift toward commodities with stronger long-term demand fundamentals, particularly copper, which is central to global electrification and energy-transition infrastructure.
Debswana’s diversification reflects a broader industry pivot as diamond producers confront weak consumer demand, rising competition from lab-grown stones and elevated inventories across the supply chain.
The shift is also visible among smaller exploration companies. Botswana Diamonds recently rebranded as Botswana Minerals, signalling its own strategic focus on copper exploration rather than diamonds.
Together, these moves underscore a growing consensus across the sector: the era of diamond-centric mining models is giving way to broader resource portfolios anchored in energy-transition metals.
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