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Business Wire
a day ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Rapaport Press Release: Trade Cautiously Optimistic for JCK
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The diamond market continued to operate under uncertainty in May. The postponement of higher tariffs, and the accompanying dialogue between the US and India, brought some relief to a market that no longer anticipates a 26% duty on polished. A US federal court ruled on May 28 that President Donald Trump lacked authority to impose tariffs unilaterally. The levies remain in place while the administration appeals. Dealers that raised prices in early April adjusted them downward. US consumer demand remained steady — a bright spot for the industry as it heads into the JCK Las Vegas show. The RapNet Diamond Index (RAPI™) for 1-carat stones — reflecting round, D to H, IF to VS2 diamonds — was flat during May. The index for 0.30- and 3-carat goods rose 0.4% and 0.6% respectively; the 0.50-carat RAPI fell 0.7%. Prices of round, 0.50- to 0.70-carat, SI diamonds softened, partly because of the tariff policy readjustment and the desire to complete sales before the July summer vacation. In late March and early April, the trade exported unusually large quantities of goods to the US to avoid tariffs. This created supply-demand imbalances, including a surplus of less-desirable goods. Sought-after diamonds remained scarce and costly to import because of the 10% duty. Preparations for JCK are at their peak. Dealers expect a reasonable show, with fewer international participants due to the tariffs. The industry is waiting to see how Trump's policy affects demand. The GemGenève show — which ended May 11 — was good, though not excellent, with strong demand for diamonds over 5 carats. It was a positive indicator for high-end items. A report claimed De Beers had sold cut-price rough to certain clients through special deals, creating waves in the industry. De Beers also announced the closure of its Lightbox synthetic-diamond venture. The GIA is updating its synthetic-diamond reports, using broader grading terminology that excludes color and clarity.
Forbes
23-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Six Tips For Buying Diamonds From Expert Diamond Dealers
The Mediterranean Blue Diamond, sold for $21.2 million at Sotheby's Geneva May 2025. The Mediterranean Blue diamond became the highest-value diamond to sell at auction this year, when it went for $21.2 million at Sotheby's Geneva last week. Unearthed at the Cullinan mines in South Africa in 2024, the 10-carat Fancy Vivid Blue diamond eventually sold to an American collector after a three-minute bidding battle. If you're thinking of adding to your own collection — albeit at a different price point — the diamond dealers of GemGenève gem and jewelry show have the insider knowledge you need. A Fancy Greenish-Yellow diamond was also on sale at Sotheby's Geneva earlier this month. Examine potential diamond purchases in good lighting with a loupe, noting shape, brilliance, color and any chips or damage. 'Before looking at any certification, you need to trust your eye. Do you like it? What does your gut feeling say?' asks Constantin Torroni, of Nicolas Torroni, an art, gemstones and jewelry dealer based in Geneva, Switzerland. A diamond's natural colors will show up well in daylight, whereas artificial light will affect how different highlights may appear. Reputable diamond dealers will be able to provide a diamond analysis report from an independent lab — look for expert organizations like the GIA, Gübelin, the BGI and the Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF. 'A diamond grading report offers reassurance by guaranteeing the natural nature of a gemstone and providing details of its properties,' says Claudia Hamann, of Claudia Hamann Edelstein Double Rose gemstones. A old-cut diamond dated back to the Renaissance, approx. 3 carats, thought to have been cut by the ... More famous Venetian lapidiarist Vincenzo Peruzzi. White diamonds graded D, E or F may command the highest prices as 'investment diamonds', but according to Torroni, 'charming gemstones' with colored highlights, inclusions, and even minor damage might offer better value for money. In addition to having more perceived charm and character, their value will also hold up better in times of crisis, as they are less vulnerable to speculation, says Torroni. Original and new cuts mean fresh inspiration for jewelry designers and interesting acquisitions for collectors. Look beyond the traditional princess-cut stones, to geometric cuts (Asscher, emerald); fancy cuts (pear, marquise), or rarer cuts like Ashoka, a modified cushion cut. Hamann, a member of the International Colored Gemstones Association (ICGA), created the asymmetrical Double Rose cut a few years ago. Rose quartz, Malayan garnets, brilliant and Double Rose cut pink sapphires, by Claudia Hama ... More Edelstein. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Antique gems and diamonds, also known as 'old cuts', were hand-cut without modern machinery anything from one to four hundred years ago. With softer shapes and unique luminosity, these stones come into their own in gentle candlelight. 'Hand-cut diamonds are true works of artistry, redolent of history and expertise in a way that makes them truly unique,' say Alain Weinberger, Dean Köning and Julien Lorincz of Fima Diamonds. Experts can date these diamonds based on the quality of faceting, which tells us about the tools used. Precision-cut modern stones will all look very similar, while many collectors believe that old cuts possess their own special character because they were made by a craftsman using hand-tools. 'This artisanal dimension provides a blend of excellence and imperfection and is exceptional in every sense of the word,' say Weinberger, Köning and Lorincz, comparing the stones to standardized modern cuts. Diamonds from the Golconda mines are highly prized, as are Mazarin and Peruzzi antique cuts, both popular in the 17th century.
Forbes
13-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
GemGenève Presents Richest Edition Yet Amidst Upbeat Mood
A diamond Art Deco brooch lent by Golay Fils & Stahl to GemGenève for the Art Deco exhibition. Gem and jewelry industry insiders came together last week for a vibrant 9th edition of GemGenève, which many visitors felt was the strongest yet. The show, which is one of the few gem and jewelry shows open to the public as well as professionals, featured a focus on African and diaspora jewelry talent, a strong international designer showing, an Art Deco exhibition — and an optimistic mood amongst gemstone and vintage dealers, despite the shadow of US tariffs. During the conference opening, GemGenève co-founders Ronny Totah and Thomas Faerber acknowledged a general sense of unease, especially around tariffs. They also reported that after initial 'panic in the markets' when the tariffs were announced, on top of the recent surge in gold prices, dealers were now 'resigned and finding solutions,' according to Totah. Faerber noted that the industry had weathered 'many ups and downs over the decades. Tariffs and taxes are regrettable but we still see a positive future for the industry.' GemGenève organizers Ronny Totah and Thomas Faerber High and antique jewelry is not usually impacted by high gold prices, and the majority of the 250 exhibitors this year still came from the US. Geneva is one of the world's main luxury hubs and a historic center for the gemstone trade. Surrounded by the spectacular scenery of the Alps and Lac Leman, the Swiss city lies at the heart of Europe and attracts well-heeled luxury shoppers from around the globe to glittering thoroughfares like the rue du Rhône. Housed in two exhibition halls at Palexpo for the first time, this year's show felt bigger and better than before. As part of a focus on international designers, the Jewellery and Gemstone Association of Africa (JGAA) showcased the work of African and diaspora designers and makers under the banner 'It's All in Our Hands,' illustrating the Association's mission of poverty elevation through jewelry and gemstone education, leveraging African gems and jewelry skills. Norma J. Banton, founder of Masterpeace Academy in Birmingham, England, has just opened a second outpost in Kenya and was showing the first pieces made by her students. A student at Nsanshi Art Studio, which was exhibiting with the JGAA at GemGenève Longo Mulaisho-Zinser, President and founder of JGAA, also announced the winners of the first 'It's All in our Hands' awards, including the Zambian goldsmith Venasho Phiri for the Sleeping Tree pendant which showcased the full breadth of his stone-setting skills, and Stefania Indelicato of Amber Souk, who has Eritrean-Italian heritage, for her 1,000 Flowers ring made with an antique millefiori bead found in Sudan. Nearby, London-based Jo Boateng was exhibiting her woven silver and glass beadwork alongside the delicate gold and gemstone creations of Catherine Marche, demonstrating the full breadth of African creativity. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Next door Strong & Precious Art Foundation was back at the show, to highlight Ukrainian jewelry art and design. This year, participating designers — including Inesa Kovalova, Olgika Nezhenskaya, Julie Kleom and Arevik — used Ukrainian gems to create pieces around the theme of 'Hidden Treasure'. The resulting jewels included meditations on time, freedom, resilience and the life cycle. A heliodor beryl, mined in Ukraine by Volyn Gems. The stones came from Volyn Gems, the country's only gem mine, which is still managing to unearth and bring to market sizeable chunks of topaz, quartz and heliodor beryl, despite much of the mainly male workforce being called up to the army. As ever, the resulting jewels were a celebration of Ukrainian culture, including a topaz brooch depicting a stylised bandura, a traditional string instrument by and gold knotted straw earcuffs, which sweep down the ear to a graceful beryl drop, by Lena Yastreb. The rest of the designer village was even more of an international mix than usual. The Armenian Jewellers Association was out in force, with a breadth of contemporary pieces that included a bejewelled hookah pipe (Vasken Melikian), a gem-set ostrich ring (Karen Hovhannisyan) and a giant pearl earring (Armen Shahinyan). Nearby, was returning designer Shavarsh Hakobian, who has further refined and extended his collection, to include a contemporary engagement ring featuring a solitaire diamond between two layers of quartz, and a butterfly wing captured in one of his emblematic rings. An automata carrousel pendant by the Australian jewelry artist William Llewellyn Griffiths, on show ... More at GemGenève Chinese jeweler Siu was back with a minimalist new collection inspired by Taoism and astronomy, in diamonds and titanium, alongside a poetic interpretation of the four elements as a spectacular set of brooches. From Italy, Donna Jewel's Laura Inghirami presented her design students' visions of the jewels of the future, with multifunctional pieces and wearable tech, while the youngest designer at the show came from Geneva itself; Johnny Depp has already worn some of Lucas Hage's fantasy-inspired heavy silver and gemstone rings. GemGenève's first Turkish exhibiting designer, was Arman Suciyan, whose colored pave points and curves came in the juciest of tonal combinations. In the centenary year of Art Deco, this year's Art Deco: A Legacy of Timeless Elegance exhibition at GemGenève brought together some of the finest examples of Deco design across textiles, interiors and jewelry, including pieces from the Faerber Collection and Golay, Fils & Stahl. A deep dive into similarly turbulent times to our own, the exhibition was a reminder to visitors of the exuberant escapism of the period, and that diamonds continue to shine bright, even in the darkest of times.
