DiamondBuzz
VBJ Partners With Ignition 2026 To Celebrate Ideas, Culture and Craftsmanship
VBJ, Vummidi Bangaru Jewellers, one of South India’s most trusted heritage jewellery brands, partnered with IGNITION, the acclaimed thought leadership platform presented by the Shiv Nadar Foundation and curated by award-winning journalist Shoma Chaudhury. Held at ITC Grand Chola, Chennai, the event brought together distinguished voices from diplomacy, cinema and international affairs, while VBJ showcased its latest PARRO – Signature Collection, celebrating exceptional craftsmanship inspired by nature.
The evening featured compelling conversations with Dr. Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader, who shared perspectives on the evolving geopolitical landscape in West Asia; acclaimed actor Ali Fazal, who reflected on his artistic journey from Indian cinema to Hollywood; and former Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, who discussed the changing global order and insights from his latest book, China’s Wars.


Adding an artistic dimension to the evening, VBJ unveiled a curated display of its PARRO – THE SIGNATURE PARROT COLLECTION, an exclusive line inspired by the grace, vibrancy and symbolism of the parrot. Combining intricate craftsmanship with contemporary design sensibilities, the collection reflects VBJ’s enduring commitment to transforming nature into timeless wearable art.
Speaking on the occasion, Amarendran Vummidi, Managing Partner, VBJ, said:

“IGNITION has established itself as a platform where influential voices come together to spark conversations that shape perspectives. At VBJ, we believe that meaningful ideas and enduring craftsmanship both have the power to inspire generations. Our continued association with IGNITION reflects our commitment to supporting platforms that celebrate excellence, dialogue and creativity.”
Jithendra Vummidi, Managing Partner, VBJ, added:
“The PARRO collection embodies our pursuit of artistry that is rooted in heritage yet resonates with contemporary lifestyles. Presenting it at IGNITION, a forum that celebrates ideas, innovation and culture, is a fitting way to showcase how timeless craftsmanship continues to evolve while staying true to its origins.”

As a fifth-generation family-run brand, VBJ takes immense pride in its legacy as the creator of the historic Sengol (sceptre) – a sacred symbol of India’s democratic journey. Rediscovered after 72 years through meticulous research by the VBJ team, the Sengol was reinstated beside the Speaker’s chair in India’s new Parliament building, Sansad Bhavan, by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking VBJ’s enduring bond with India’s cultural and national heritage. Continuing this legacy, VBJ is now set to unveil its largest jewellery showroom on Coimbatore’s 100ft Road.
DiamondBuzz
De Beers Group Sets Out Portfolio and Organisational Actions to Support Long-Term Value Creation
Company outlines strategic cost optimisation, portfolio streamlining and operational changes to strengthen resilience while positioning for long-term growth in the natural diamond industry.
De Beers Group is advancing delivery of its business streamlining by setting out a number of planned portfolio and organisational changes to ensure an efficient cost base that strengthens resilience in the near-term while enhancing future competitiveness and retaining optionality as industry conditions improve.
Since 2024, De Beers has been streamlining its business in line with its Origins strategy to reduce costs, divest non-core assets and prioritise investment in activities that create the most value. Significant progress has been made, with more than $100 million of annual overhead costs removed from the business, the sale or closure of a number of non-core assets and significant capital and cost reconfigurations to asset expansion projects.
Simultaneously, De Beers has reinvested in natural diamond category marketing to support the industry’s efforts to grow natural diamond demand, launching new large-scale campaigns and collaborating with key stakeholders across the value chain to foster industry-wide investment. Global consumer demand for natural diamond jewellery returned to growth in 2025, while natural diamond sales increased across US independent jewellers in 2025 and into Q1 2026, led by higher value diamonds and those promoted by De Beers’ Desert Diamonds marketing campaign.
On the supply side, global rough diamond production is now decreasing, with several producers closing mines during 2026. Whilst the increasing rarity of diamonds and the emerging signs of improvement in consumer demand are likely to support longer-term value creation, rough diamond trading conditions are expected to remain challenging in the near-term due to cyclical and industry-specific factors.
Consistent with recent actions to improve business resilience, De Beers intends to pause production at the Venetia mine in South Africa for two years to reduce costs while also rephasing capital expenditure on its underground project. This will involve critical infrastructure investment to enhance the capacity and efficiency of the mine, with the intention to support future production growth as business and industry conditions improve.
De Beers is engaging with stakeholders in accordance with relevant requirements and the company’s values as it moves through this process, and will both support impacted employees and continue to invest in its community and Social and Labour Plan commitments.
This proposed action at Venetia Mine follows the decision earlier this year to pause the Tuzo Phase 3 expansion project at the Gahcho Kué Mine in Canada.
In parallel, De Beers plans to reconfigure its global operating model to refocus and prioritise resources on the core operational businesses and reduce its central corporate cost base.
Al Cook, CEO of De Beers Group, said:

“In line with our commitment to focus and streamline our business, we are making a number of changes to De Beers to ensure greater business resilience in the near-term, while supporting long-term value creation. We recognise the protracted challenging conditions as the diamond industry evolves, though we are encouraged by signs of consumer demand growth in the US and beyond, particularly in higher quality diamonds.
Global rough diamond supply is falling, bringing more support to the market. The changes we are making to our business are focused on underpinning our efficiency now and into the future, favourably positioning De Beers in its leadership role.”
De Beers Group will maintain current production levels through its other operations, and previous production guidance remains unchanged.
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