US jewellers have warned Congress of the harm that new sanctions on Russian diamonds will cause for the entire retail sector.

The trade association Jewelers of America (JA) met with a dozen Democratic and Republican lawmakers in both the House and Senate to voice concerns over the 1 September restrictions that will require all goods of 0.50-scts and above to enter G7 countries via Antwerp for verification.

JA said it continues to staunchly support efforts that will keep diamonds of Russian origin out of the supply chain, including the more stringent U.S. Customs and Border Patrol requirements that went into effect on 1st March. However, the proposed adoption of an exclusive physical verification and certification system in Belgium for all rough diamonds would cause maximum damage to the global diamond and jewellery supply chain, while having minimal effect on Russia’s diamond revenues.

They say a single import channel will “cause maximum damage to the global diamond and jewelry supply chain, while having minimal effect on Russia’s diamond revenues”.

JA is urging all its members to lobby Congress and explain that the way the restrictions are being implemented will hurt jewellery businesses.

“JA has been working tirelessly behind the scenes and this visit to Washington, D.C. was a critical step to ensure we minimize unnecessary disruptions to the U.S. diamond industry,” said JA president & CEO David J. Bonaparte.