International News
US Watch and jewelry sales remain steady in March, overall increase of 0.4 percent
US Watch and jewelry sales remained steady in March, with a slight overall increase of 0.4 per cent, according to the latest US Department of Commerce figures. Jewelry sales rose slightly, while
Watch and jewelry sales in the US remained steady in March, with a slight overall increase of 0.4 per cent, according to the latest US Department of Commerce figures. Jewelry sales rose slightly, while watch sales dipped, as consumers opted for higher-priced items, but bought fewer of them.
In February overall sales increased by just 0.2 per cent and in January they fell by 1.0 per cent
The US government’s BEA (Bureau of Economic Analysis) reported a 0.7 per cent increase in consumer spending in March, the biggest increase for two years, but said it was largely driven by a rush to buy cars before US reciprocal tariffs forced prices up.
Watch and jewelry sales have been characterized by very modest increases in recent months, following on from a year of sustained growth – 10 per cent or more in some months – as shown below.
Reciprocal US tariffs – announced in April, then paused until July – will almost certainly hit sales, as producers forced to either absorb the costs or pass them on to consumers.
International News
De Beers Assumes 100% Control Of Gahcho Kué Diamond Mine
A Global Slump In Diamond Demand Hit The Company Hard. Its Revenue Dropped 42% In 2025, and Average Diamond Prices Plummete
De Beers is taking 100% control of the Gahcho Kué diamond mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Its partner, Mountain Province Diamonds, was facing major financial trouble and agreed to hand over its 49% share in exchange for being cleared of all its debts to De Beers.
​Here is why Mountain Province ran into trouble:
​Falling Diamond Prices: A global slump in diamond demand hit the company hard. Its revenue dropped 42% in 2025, and average diamond prices plummeted—falling to just $36 per carat in the second quarter.
​Massive Debt: Mountain Province was struggling to pay back tens of millions of dollars in short-term loans. Ratings agency S&P warning that the company was at high risk of defaulting on its debts.
​Cost-Cutting and Emergency Funds: To stay afloat, the company paused expansion plans at the mine, delayed payments into environmental cleanup funds, and sold future diamond sales rights to major investor Dermot Desmond (an Irish billionaire) for quick cash.
​Despite selling twice as many diamonds recently, prices were too low to cover their debts.
CEO Jonathan Comerford explained that trade tariffs and Middle East conflicts crushed diamond prices, leaving handing over their share of the mine as the best option to cancel liabilities and secure local jobs.
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