Purchase prices in Tower rise as Midtown vacancies decline
New York, December 2, 2010 -- Construction for the International Gem Tower is on schedule for its 2012 delivery date with steel and curtain wall contracts awarded and above-grade construction to start in the First Quarter of 2011. As deals are currently being negotiated with major Indian companies, worldwide sales efforts will now expand to include South America and Russia.

NEW YORK: DECEMBER 1, 2010 - In many respects, the development of the diamond market in China can be compared most closely to the earlier development of the diamond market in the United States, and as such the role of the Shanghai diamond center most closely parallels that of New York, said Moshe Mosbacher, President of the Diamond Dealers Club, in his address today to the China Diamond Conference in Shanghai.

Antwerp - October 14, 2010: The European Quality Circle (EQC) announced it will hold its first series of training courses in proactive security and defence measures for diamond dealers, diamond salesstaff and representatives, jewellery manufacturers, jewellery retailers and their sales teams. The courses will be offered in a number of customised formats and will be made available for groups, companies as well as individuals.

Luxury companies must satisfy consumers' deeper social conscience, states report released at jewellery CSR session at Shanghai Expo

Antwerp - September 21, 2010: The European Quality Circle (EQC) announced that it has signed a cooperative agreement with IDEX Online. According to the agreement, EQC retailers will gain access to IDEX Online's direct and transparent polished diamond trading platform. EQC in turn will provide the online trading platform with educational and instructional tools that will assist jewelery manufacturers and retailers to become more competitive and increase their sales.

A full agenda awaits the members of the General Assembly of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses, who will gather next week in Moscow at the 34th World Diamond Congress, which will run from Sunday, July 11, to Tuesday July 13, at the Ritz-Carlton Moscow Hotel.

34th World Diamond Congress opens in Moscow, with South Korean bourse accepted as 29th WFDB member Avi Paz unanimously re-elected to second, consecutive term as WFDB President

Moscow, Russia- July 13, 2010: The World Federation of Diamond Bourses has welcomed the release on bail yesterday of Farai Maguwu, the Zimbawean human rights activist.

Antwerp - May 25, 2010: The European Quality Circle (EQC) announced it has accepted its first member in France, by issuing Verhoeven Jewellers in Dunkerque with the EQC certificates of membership. Verhoeven Jewellers is a renowned jewellery retail company that employs three generations in its family firm.

Global polished diamond prices continued to rise in March 2010, according to the IDEX Online Global Polished Diamond Price Index. After languishing for most of 2009, this is the fourth consecutive month that polished diamond prices have risen. It is clear that this is a trend, and it is likely to be sustainable for the remainder of 2010.

Polished diamond prices posted solid gains in March, according to the IDEX Online Global Polished Price Index. This is a continuation of a trend that began about four months ago. Further, leading indicators point to even higher prices later this year.

IGI launched its state-of-the art facility in Surat, India on Wednesday. IGI opened the lab with the intent to come closer to the manufacturers and polishers, the firm said in a release.

Russian diamond mining giant Alrosa is planning to supply at least $1.4 billion of rough diamonds to Russian customers over the next three years, anonymous company officials told Interfax.

According to the report, Alrosa is to sign contracts with Kristall of Smolensk, Ruis Diamond, EPL Diamonds and two members of the Almazjuvelir export group.

Less than half a century ago Antwerp was the world's manufacturing and trading center of diamonds. With the rise of cutting centers in the East, first in India, than in the so-called small tiger economies and ultimately in China, Antwerp, on the one hand has lost significant manufacturing power, but on the other hand has cemented its position as the world's leading trading center for rough diamonds as well as for polished goods. In other words, Antwerp is still the market where the largest selection of polished goods can be sourced. The industry's turnover - $45 billion - is solid proof of that simple fact.

HRD Antwerp – Diamond Lab, the first ever diamond lab to be ISO certified, has had its ISO accreditation renewed. The renewal follows a comprehensive external audit of HRD Antwerp – Diamond Lab. The successful audit resulted in an extension of its ISO certificate for another five years, starting February 12, 2010.

The World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) announced that members of its 28 diamond exchanges are entitled to discounts on a range of grading and educational services offered by HRD Antwerp. WFDB's secretary general, Michael Vaughan, negotiated with HRD Antwerp in order to offer diamond bourse members discounts on several HRD services.

The service includes consulting and training for jewelry retailers and traveling sales people. It is about how to avoid security situations and how to handle has such situation occurred.

EQC started processing jewelry Retailers' applications in France. Apply here to join EQC

Many are wondering where the future of jewellery is headed. Is the economy strong enough to bring the retail sales up, and are people even interested in buying “fashion” items right now. The answer to both of the questions is a resounding, Yes! We are bound to worry about fashion no matter how much is left in our checkbook, and yes, the worldwide economy is on it’s way up.

HRD Antwerp NV has extended its Jewellery Report services to clients outside the European Union. This expanded service commenced on January 29, 2010

The second Antwerp Diamond Symposium was a success. After one of the most difficult years the diamond industry has ever known, 2010 is likely to be a year of growth, however the sector needs to understand that there is now a "new normal" in the global economy. That was message conveyed by speakers at the 2009 Antwerp Diamond Symposium on November 16, organised by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC).

Antwerp, November 16, 2009 - HRD Antwerp has reached a partnership agreement with the quality label EQC (European Quality Circle), according to which HRD Antwerp will provide the organisation with its expertise and quality services. HRD Antwerp will become the preferred partner in supplying diamonds certificates and jewellery reports to the association.

In a sign of new emerging optimism in the jewelery industry, Antwerp this week witnesses the launch of the European Quality Circle; a European consumer-oriented group providing jewellers and retailers with a portfolio of educational and professional services designed to enhance consumer confidence in the jewelery supplier.

The third version of the consultation draft of the Responsible Jewellery Council’s (RJC) Code of Practices, updated from July 2009, has updated the list of sectors to which the Code applies to include laboratory grown diamond producers.

The increase in the diamond trade between Belgium and China prodded Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping to pay a visit to the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) last Friday – as part of his three-day official visit to Belgium, reported the Antwerp Facets News Service.

Belgium’s international rough diamond trade totaled $1.37 billion in September, as the market was seeing growing activity. Net exports stood at $127.54 million for 2.2 million carats of gem and industrial grade rough diamonds.

Harare – The Kimberley Process (KP), the international watchdog body fighting trade in “blood diamonds,” has called for Zimbabwe to be barred from the international diamond trade for at least six months, Zimbabwean state media reported Thursday.