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
Sarine Posts $3.49 Mn H1Â Loss As LGDÂ Pressure Market
The Company Attributed The Latest Deficit Primarily To Higher Operating Expenses, Which Increased About 25% From A Year Earlier, Competition From Lab-Grown Diamonds and Weak Luxury Demand
Sarine Technologies Ltd. reported a net loss of $3.49 million for the first half of 2026, as competition from lab-grown diamonds and weak luxury demand in key markets continued to weigh on the diamond industry.
The Israel-based diamond-technology company said it expects market conditions to remain challenging, although anecdotal reports indicate that retail demand for natural diamonds has remained relatively stable.
Sarine’s loss for the six months ended June 30 compared with a $3.7 million loss in the second half of 2025 and a $166,000 loss in the first half of last year.
The company attributed the latest deficit primarily to higher operating expenses, which increased about 25% from a year earlier. Nearly half of that increase was linked to the impact of a weaker U.S. dollar against the Israeli shekel.
The natural-diamond polishing sector continued to face pressure from lab-grown diamonds, particularly in the U.S., while subdued luxury spending in China added to the strain. Sarine said those conditions hurt sales of capital equipment and some of its traditional services.
Some parts of the business, however, showed stronger momentum. Revenue from Sarine’s Most Valuable Plan, or MVP, more than doubled in the first half as diamond manufacturers increasingly adopted artificial-intelligence-driven planning tools to improve yields and reduce production costs.
Certification activity at GCAL, in which Sarine acquired a 70% stake in 2023, also increased more than 50%. The growth helped cushion weaker sales of capital equipment and lower volumes from the company’s Galaxy scanning business.
Revenue declined 6% year over year to $14.41 million, while the operating loss stood at about $2.2 million.
The results underscore the uneven impact of the diamond market’s structural shifts on technology providers. While traditional equipment and services remain exposed to pressure on natural-diamond manufacturing, demand for technologies that improve efficiency and reduce costs is gaining traction as manufacturers contend with tighter margins.
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