Articles and News
INDUSTRY NEWS: NEW NCDIA OFFICERS; DIAMOND THIEVES ARRESTED May 08, 2013 (0 comments)
NCDIA Announces 2013 Board of Directors
New York, NY—The Natural Color Diamond Association (NCDIA) announces its new 2013 board of directors. Officers are: president, Jeffrey Post of Gem Platinum; vice presidents, Alan Bronstein of Aurora Gems, New York, and Sean Moore of Borsheims, Omaha, NE; secretary/treasurer, Jordan Fine of Amgad Inc., New York. Directors include Kristin Hanson of Kristin Hanson, David Rosenberg of Rosenberg Diamonds, and Scott West of LJ West Diamonds.
Post, in congratulating the new board, said, “I look forward to working with each of the board members for the continued betterment, improvement and success of the NCDIA.”
Bronstein said, “My goal is to contribute to teaching retailers how to succeed in the natural color diamond environment, and to turn retailer’s clients into natural color diamond lovers and collectors.
“It is an honor to be elected to continue to serve on the NCDIA board,” added Moore. “I look forward to working with the team to ensure a consistent message and increased sales for natural color diamonds.”
Multiple Arrests Made in $50M Airport Diamond Heist Case
Brussels, Belgium--February's brazen theft of more than $50 million worth of diamonds as they were about to be loaded onto a plane stunned the jewelry world, but immediately led many to believe the robbery was an inside job. Now more than two dozen arrests have been made in connection with the crime. JCK reports 27 individuals were arrested, another eight have been questioned in Geneva, Switzerland, and a small percentage of the missing haul has been recovered. Meanwhile, Women's Wear Daily reports that 31 individuals in three countries--Belgium, Switzerland, and France--were detained, and of the individuals arrested, at least 10 are "very known" criminals.
The heist occurred February 18. Eight heavily armed men disguised as police broke through a pre-cut hole in a fence and made off with the diamonds as they were about to be loaded onto a flight from Zurich, Switzerland, to Antwerp, Belgium.
AJA President Also To Lead Russian Jewelers Guild
Moscow, Russia—Gagik Gevorkyan, president of the Armenian Jewelers Association, also has been elected president of the Russian Jewelers’ Guild. He was nominated and elected by council members who voted unanimously in his favor, and it is the first time an Armenian has held this office.
First organized in 1912 by the “Union of Russian Jewelers”, the Guild is now the largest jeweler’s association in Russia. One of its key tasks is to help develop the jewelry sector in Russia and protect the interests of domestic entrepreneurs, as well as facilitate exhibitions, shows, conferences and business meetings. The Guild promotes the development of diverse and responsible manufacturing, trade and services in the jewelry industry.
The Armenian Jewelers Association logo.
Gevorkyan is a respected leader in both the Russian and international jewelry sector. Founder of the first private jewelry house in Moscow (Estet) and president of the Armenian Jewellers Association, Gevorkyan is known for ministering to AJA with the same care and attention as he does to his own business. Members of the Russian Jewelers Guild expressed their confidence in his ability to help the Guild advance further in the world jewelry community. Read more here.
IDE and DDC Announce Summer Diamond Week
Ramat Gan, Israel—Following a resounding success of the recent U.S. & International Diamond week, the Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) and the NY Diamond Dealers Club (DDC) have planned a summer edition of the event, scheduled for August 26-29 in Israel. The date is timed to occur just prior to the Hong Kong Jewellery Fair in September and the holiday selling season.
The summer Diamond Week will again take place in the trading hall at the Israel Diamond Exchange, furnished with state of the art equipment, and exhibiting a vast range of loose diamonds of every size, color, and type. Officers of the two organizations say diamond traders have a need for this kind of show, which features minimum cost and maximum security.
Industry Groups Join OECD on Responsible Sourcing of Precious Gems
Paris, France—The International Colored Gemstone Association, Jewelers of America, Signet Jewelers Ltd., and the Diamond Manufacturers and Importers Association of America were among the organizations who last week joined a meeting of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to discuss responsible supply chains for precious gems.
The meeting was hosted by: The Fafo Institute for Applied International Studies, Jewelers of America, Signet Jewelers (parent of retailers Kay and Jared), the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the U.S. Department of State.
Also in attendance were representatives from Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada, two NGOs that are focused on keeping conflict out of the jewelry industry supply chain.
Participants addressed the evolving risks that trade in precious stones (diamond or color) may be associated with conflict and human rights abuses, and stressed the importance of providing frameworks for responsible sourcing practices, international guidelines, and business conduct.
Participants confirmed that new efforts to advance responsible sourcing for precious stones and diamonds should complement and not undermine or replace existing initiatives such as the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.