Diamonds in the news: Yakutia boosts cut diamond output 150% in 9 mths.

Excerpt:

Yakutia boosted cut and polished diamond output 150% year-on-year to $145 million in January-September, the republic's Industry Ministry told Interfax.
The ministry said output grew because cutting factories had built up adequate stocks to produce the required quantity and quality of cut diamonds and diamond-products.
Yakutia's authorities have also played their part by creating special conditions for export-oriented industries to prosper, the ministry said.
Government officials and cutting factory bosses have been sitting down to work out annual production plans every year since 1998.
In addition, all legislative and administrative questions pertaining to the diamond cutting industry are addressed by a Diamond Council set up by the republic's president.

Diamonds in the news: MinFin close to declassifying diamond data.

Excerpt:

The Russian Finance Ministry is rounding off preparations to declassify data about diamond mining, exports and imports dating back to January 1, 2003, the ministry said in a statement on Friday.
The data refers to diamonds that fall under the ministry's own jurisdiction, the statement reads.
It is thought data about diamond mining in carats and in terms of value in Russia as a whole will be published in the press, initially for half-year periods, then on a quarterly basis.
Data on rough diamond exports and imports will be published on a quarterly basis and on an annual basis.

Diamonds in the news: Diamond workers to get rating cards.

Excerpt:

THE Surat Diamond Association (SDA) has floated a proposal to issue Rating Cards, similar to the RTO Smartcard to dealers, manufacturers, workers and all those connected with the diamond industry.
For this the SDA has been circulating a draft model and information booklet in the industry for feedback on the proposal. In this regard, a meeting of diamond merchants, dealers and unit owners was held at Mahidharpura and Mini Bazaar areas on Wednesday and Thursday.

Diamonds in the news: Shinyanga turns into haven of illegal diamond trafficking.

Excerpt:

Illegal diamond trafficking and the sale of fake diamonds has become a lucrative business in the notorious Mwadui and Maganzo markets. The fake diamonds are said to be competing favourably with genuine diamonds.

Victoria's Secret in the news: Victoria's Secret Offers Fantasy Bra

Yes, it's that time of year again. Victoria's Secret has come out with the Fantasy Bra for 2004. $10 million dollars this time out.

Jewelry in the news: The Good Ship Apprentice : Culture and Community News- Home Finance And Loan Approval News and Guide Onlypunjab.com

Trump is using his Apprentice show to launch some new businesses. A lot are clearly flashes in the pan. I pass by a store selling water with his face on it, clearly a novelty, not something that people would buy for years... Now he's launching a Jewelry line.

Excerpt:

Gen Art, the nation's leading arts and entertainment organization devoted to showcasing emerging artists, in conjunction with Trump Model Management, hosted a viewing party at Pressure on University Place for the October 14 episode of The Apprentice.

Jewelry in the news: Wal-Mart Has Risen to Number One in Jewelry Retailing, yet the Prime Target Market for Jewelry Doesn't Even Shop There, says Unity Marketing.

Excerpt:

In 2003 half of American consumers bought jewelry and/or watches and spent $53.6 billion. Jewelry sales rose 5.1 percent over previous year, corresponding with renewed strength in the luxury market. The typical jewelry consumer is a 'twenty-something' to 'fifty-something' higher-income woman. But these facts just scratch the surface of an increasingly fragmented market for jewelry, according to a new study of the jewelry market by Unity Marketing.
"Today there isn't just one jewelry market. Rather when we talk about jewelry consumers, we need to look at discreet segments characterized by entirely different patterns of buying behavior. There are men buyers vs. women buyers; fine jewelry vs. costume jewelry buyers; gift purchasers vs. self purchasers. These segments overlap and intersect, requiring marketers and retailers to shift and turn in response to which type of customer is in view. Whereas the jewelry business used to be simple, today it is much more complex due to increasing market fragmentation," explains Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing and author of Why People Buy Things They Don't Need.

Diamonds in the news: Tiffany to take on De Beers.

This could get interesting:

Excerpt:

Tiffany, the high-end US jeweller, has gone head-to-head with De Beers, announcing last week that it had struck a deal with junior miner Tahera to buy or market all the diamonds from its Jericho mine in Canada.
The move pits Tiffany directly against De Beers, which dominates the global rough diamond market, and other significant players in the value chain such as Israeli Lev Leviev the world's largest polisher, who supplies more than 10 percent of total rough production. Together they maintain a degree of control over the global diamond mining, marketing, manufacturing and retail sales.
Analysts say although Tiffany's strategic move will not make it an immediate counterweight to De Beers, it does illustrate how De Beers'' long-time grip on the marketing of rough diamonds is slipping.
"In Canada, Tiffany is dealing with a first-world country. It only has to link up with two or three more juniors to become a serious challenge to De Beers, which operates in a more difficult environment in Africa," one source said.

StockLemon.com has an interesting report U.S. Canadian Minerals. It discusses the pink sheet market and the public companies using them.

Excerpt:

Stocklemon Reports on U.S. Canadian Minerals, Inc. (OTCBB:UCAD)

The Harsh Facts
Market capitalization $100 million or $300 million, depending on whose outstanding share count you believe.

Cash- $1,321.00 - that is One Thousand Three Hundred and Twenty One Dollars as of last SEC filing on 8/23/2004.
Revenues- 0

US Canadian has a Going Concern Letter From Auditor

If you're looking for studies on consumers and how they respond to Jewelry, the JCOC looks like a nice site with info on PDF files.

Jewelry in the news: IvanaTrump.com - Jewelry Collection.

Ivana Trump just announced a new reality show on her website. One wonders how long this reality show spree will last. But perhaps of more interest to our readers is her Jewelry Collection...

Jewelry in the news: LVMH WATCHES AND JEWELRY SALES UP 6%

Excerpt:

Luxury products group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton recorded 7 percent sales growth for the first nine months of 2004, with an increase of 6 percent in the watches and jewelry sector, where sales were US$440 million as compared to US$415 million one year earlier.

Diamonds in the news: Belgian diamond bourses launches quality label.

Excerpt:

The Federation of Belgian Diamond Bourses is offering a quality label for diamond traders to promote a greater level of transparency in the diamond trading sector.
Each trader who is a member of one of the four Antwerp Diamond Bourses, subscribes to the Deontology Code (regulations concerning integrity and the behaviour code among the diamond traders themselves and in their relation to their clients), and complies with its conditions is eligible to hold the title of a diamond trader certified by the Federation of Belgian Diamond Bourses. The certified diamond traders will receive a letter of proof and they can use the logo of the Federation of Belgian Diamond Bourses as a quality label.

Gemstones in the news: Government to Finalise Memo On Gemstone Authority.

Excerpt:

MINES minister Kaunda Lembalemba has disclosed that Cabinet would soon finalise a memo to establish a Gemstone Development Authority (GDA).
The authority would seek to address bottlenecks in the development of gemstone mining in the country.