Connect with us

DiamondBuzz

JA, key industry persons met Washington officials on concerns about Russian sanctions

Jewelers of America (JA) and key industry figures met with lawmakers in Washington, DC, last week to express their concerns about plans for sanctions on Russian diamonds. 

Published

on

Jewelers of America (JA) and key industry figures met with lawmakers in Washington, DC, last week to express their concerns about plans for sanctions on Russian diamonds. 

“JA has been working tirelessly behind the scenes, and this visit to Washington, DC, was a critical step to ensure we minimize unnecessary disruptions to the US diamond industry,” JA president and CEO David Bonaparte said in a statement Tuesday. “We are very concerned about the additional requirements that could take effect on September 1.” 

These would include adopting a European Union proposal forcing all 0.50-carat and larger diamonds destined for Group of Seven (G7) markets to pass through a single import channel in Belgium, Bonaparte noted. 

JA supports efforts to keep diamonds of Russian origin out of the supply chain, including the more stringent rules that went into effect on March 1, it said. These require importers to self-certify that diamonds of 1 carat or larger are not Russian, notwithstanding their having been manufactured in a third country. 

However, mandating physical verification and certification in Belgium for all rough diamonds “would cause maximum damage to the global diamond and jewelry supply chain, while having minimal effect on Russia’s diamond revenues,” JA argued in the statement. 

Joining Bonaparte on the visit were Jon Bridge, chairman and counsel emeritus at Ben Bridge Jeweler; Dave Meleski, president and CEO of Richline Group; Matthew Swibel, vice president for sustainability and social impact at Signet Jewelers; and Ronnie VanderLinden, immediate past president of the Diamond Manufacturers Importers Association of America (DMIA) and president of the International Diamond

Continue Reading
Advertisement JewelBuzz Banner
Click to comment
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

DiamondBuzz

Big, Slightly Tinted Diamonds: Object Of Desire In The US Market

Buyers Of 2.5-Carat and Up Pieces Are Increasingly Choosing Stones With J Color Or Lower, Sometimes Much Lower On The Color Scale

Published

on

Big, slightly tinted diamonds are suddenly the object of desire in the US — and the industry is asking why.

Buyers of 2.5-carat and up pieces are increasingly choosing stones with J color or lower, sometimes much lower on the color scale, say retailers and traders. That shift signals more than a fashion tweak: it reflects how affluent shoppers now want their diamonds to read as “natural” at a glance.

 Lab-grown gems typically come in the brightest, clearest grades, so a warmly hued, imperfect-looking stone has become a visible badge of authenticity — a deliberate antique vibe in a polished world where synthetics dominate. No surprise: The Knot reports that 61% of U.S. couples now pick lab-grown rings.

A report explores who’s buying these larger, lower-color stones, how cultural moments and celebrities — think Taylor Swift — helped fuel the taste for them, and why antique cuts seem particularly suited to carrying color. The piece also ties this appetite to broader marketing narratives, including De Beers’ push for so-called “Desert diamonds.”

It’s not all doom and gloom for mined diamonds. Larger sizes — especially 2 carats and above and long fancy shapes — have held up better than smaller goods over the past year. The report isolates this rising niche and asks the key question: can these warm-toned showstoppers withstand the continued rise of lab-grown competition?

Continue Reading

Trending

JewelBuzz is Asia’s First Digital Jewellery Media & India’s No.1 B2B Jewellery Magazine, published by AM Media House. Since 2016, we’ve been the trusted source for jewellery news, market trends, trade insights, exhibitions, podcasts, and brand stories, connecting jewellers, retailers, and industry professionals worldwide.

We would like to hear from you...

GET WHATSAPP NEWS ALERTS

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x