Mass produced in unlimited quantities, they will make "diamonds" available to a much wider audience

It's time to shed some light on a question that could devalue jewelry owned by people around the world and harm the lives of millions of workers in Africa and other developing regions. This is a question of unannounced diamonds grown in the laboratory, and the risk that they will penetrate the natural diamonds pipeline.

Although the jewelry stones grown in the laboratory are still produced in relatively small quantities and it is estimated that their annual sales amount to $ 0.5 billion versus $ 23 billion from natural diamonds, steady progress in technology makes their mass production more and more possible. This, in turn, threatens their significant diversion into the natural diamond pipeline more and more - if governments, international organizations and industry do not take drastic measures, demanding that the stones grown in the laboratory be declared and tracked from the very beginning.

Why, can readers ask, should state institutions and industry players worry about protecting the natural diamond pipeline? In the end, it is claimed that grown in the laboratory stones can and should replace natural diamonds [1]. The stones produced in the laboratory not only do not differ from those of all people, but also the most complex equipment. In addition, they - or at least, it is stated - are environmentally cleaner, and they are not affected by any of those socio-political issues related to the work of mines in developing countries. And, since such stones can be mass produced in unlimited quantities, they will make "diamonds" available to a much wider audience.

At the same time, there is one fundamental gap in this argument: natural stones grown in the laboratory are completely different creatures, with completely different purposes and for completely different markets. Natural diamond is the rarest and purest part of nature: there are no two identical stones, and the age of each of them, as a rule, reaches from 1 to 3 billion years. In contrast, grown in the laboratory stones can be infinitely reproduced with the help of technology, quickly and scale. While natural diamonds are uniquely valued both in jewelry and as long-term means of preserving value, grown in the laboratory, stones do not have intrinsic value and are only an alternative material for making jewelry.

Just as there is a place in the jewelry market for lab-grown stones, it also has its place for natural diamonds - which have a dual purpose, representing unique and rare jewelry and a potential eternal means of preserving value.

The uniqueness of each natural diamond is a powerful engine of the rarities economy. Indeed, in recent years, natural diamonds have not only retained their value, but also increased in value. Diamonds of 5 carats or more purchased from 10% to 30% in value from 2009 (with peak values exceeding 60% during this time), while stones weighing 1 to 3 carats increased in price by 5% -20% during the considered period (with peaks exceeding 100%). Very rare colored diamonds increase their value even faster - their prices grew by 10% -20% per year during the specified period

http://www.ehudlaniado.com/home/index.php/news/entry/it-s-time-to-regulate-and-rename-lab-grown-diamonds

This is very important for planning the production of diamonds

Sometimes, when you talk to sightholders, they have a firm, even sharp opinion about their deliveries to sites, prices and market conditions. It happens in times of instability. At other times, their opinion is rather moderate, they are inferior to the demands of the market and everything that happens on it in such periods. But in turbulent times sightholders very rarely remain restrained or reconcile with the situation, which is now observed.

Currently, it is difficult to determine the size of De Beers' websites. All brokers agree that De Beers offered diamonds worth about $ 600 million, and there were still applications for unscheduled deliveries worth $ 50 million. There was no clear trend in prices, although there were many changes - both in the direction of their increase, and in the direction of their decrease.

LOSS OF INTEREST?

Many believe that the assortments were different on this site, many claim that they were worse, although some argue that the boxes were better. In general, the combination of price changes and assortments led to conflicting reports - some said that prices were actually higher, although others said that prices had not actually changed.

Such contradictory opinions about the site can explain such a nonsensical response of sightholders. Maybe it reflects a loss of interest. Sightholders resigned themselves to the fact that there is a new policy of pricing and that the rates of return will be low for a long time.

In response, many in the industry are taking measures to reduce costs, for example, reduce operations or reduce the number of employees. At the same time, it makes more sense to invest in marketing - and not just in advertising, but in ways to reach more potential customers and raise current accounts, or to find new sources of income.

The need to take such measures does not pass by anyone, even the largest, most recognized and well-integrated companies. Probably, it is this that should concern those who are in the middle part of the diamond pipeline. No one has immunity. Quarterly results of public companies are a confirmation of this. If they suffer, they are not at all surprised by reports that small and even medium-sized diamond firms in India quietly close production and leave the diamond industry.

BUY AND PLAY

But most companies can not just liquidate and close. They have such a large share of borrowed funds, that liquidation of the enterprise will not cover their debts to banks. Owners are simply forced to continue moving on. This partly explains why some sightholders will continue to buy goods on the site, even if it is not profitable; This is not a suicidal economy; Rather, it is a survival economy.

Of course, every business wants to be profitable, therefore, when sightholders come to pick up their goods and see prices, they are disturbed when they realize that talking about profitability with this product can be stretched. One broker said in this connection: "They buy and cry - and De Beers wants this to happen." The point is that the prices were the highest - high, but not so much that the goods were left on the counter. If the sightholders are smiling, it means that there is a profit that De Beers did not take away, "and there it does not like it," he added.

Last week, a team from De Beers was in Israel at annual meetings on the analysis of activities. I'm sure they heard a lot of complaints. In the same week, Bluedax, an online brokerage company working with rough diamonds, added a new characteristic to the sales volume report that they sent out: all transactions that were considered a possible loss were marked in red. A couple of sightholders are reported to have printed this report and put it on their desks. They wanted De Beers to see that they were losing money.

PROFITS WERE SMALL

Demand for goods in the secondary market was weak in this cycle, and even fewer boxes moved into other hands. Prices were also low, and figures show that many boxes were sold at a loss of about 1-2 percent.

The combination of low demand, uncertainty about the economic feasibility of products in the production of diamonds and possible losses when selling boxes in the secondary market requires a certain level of profit. The profit is estimated by low double-digit figures, less than 15%, although some estimates were much higher. De Beers "reused" some goods, and in the end, the profit, according to calculations, was expressed by a high single digit.

PARADOXICAL SITUATION WITH ITO

ITO (Intention To Offer - the intention to make an offer) is a schedule of supply of rough diamonds. It used to be that sightholders knew exactly when they would receive their goods. This is very important for planning the production of diamonds and for working with clients. Confidence that you have sustainable supplies, as well as knowing when and how much the goods will be delivered, means that you can engage in long-term planning. This was one of the most important aspects of the fact that you are the buyer with whom the contract is entered into.

It used to be that De Beers' fee for Value Added Services (VAS) - a rate of approximately 1.5% of the value of the product - was paid for various marketing initiatives, seminars and related activities . Currently, VAS is a payment for providing you with ITO - you receive services of a higher class and priority over those who chose not to pay. Last year, De Beers sold diamonds worth $ 6.48 billion. At a rate of 1.5%, VAS formed a significant additional income of over $ 90 million.

Changes in the way ITO works have led to uncertainty in the receipt of goods. For example, on the last site, it is estimated that there was a deficit of about 10% of the expected ITO for the so-called Indian commodity. This somewhat reduced the certainty as to when the product will be delivered, and this has a detrimental effect on the possibility of long-term planning. On the last site, it caused some disappointment, and according to one person, even a huge disappointment.

SEARCH ALTERNATIVES

The loss of certainty with respect to ITO is contrary to the concept of contractual deliveries, although it may be considered that at times like this, the non-receipt of the ITO part causes a certain sense of relief, if not for everyone, then at least for some.

The combination of price, availability and large volumes of supplies makes many diamond manufacturers participate in tenders in search of the goods they need at more reasonable prices. Make an order and win, and you will have the right product at the right price. Or lose, and then you will be without a product, which, in your opinion, does not create the necessary profit.

The irony is that for many years sightholders are afraid that De Beers will cancel the site system and replace it with a tendering system.

PRICE DEPOSIT ON DIAMONDS
 
Someone told me last week that the current deflation of diamond prices is the longest in recent years - probably from the time of the big price drop in the early 1980s. They have been falling since the peak of prices in 2011. According to the price index for diamonds IDEX Online, prices fell by an average of more than 12 percent. Round cut diamonds weighing one carat have lost more than 22% in price since July 2011, according to Mercury Diamonds.

For almost four years, since the peak prices, prices have risen by several points, so it can formally be said that the price decline is not permanent. But if you look at the chart below, you can agree that over the past four years, the price trend shows a decline.

http://edahngolan.com/buying-and-crying-the-longest-diamond-recession/

About ten years ago, when De Beers first experimented with its branded product

(JCK) - At the exhibition in Las Vegas, JCK Las Vegas 2015, two important news from the marketing of diamonds were announced:

- De Beers will revive its classic slogan "Brilliant is forever" for its Forevermark brand.

- Leading diamond mining companies create the Diamond Producers Association (DPA), intended (in part) to promote diamonds as a category.

Separately, these ads make sense. And together - no.

First of all, it's great that De Beers resurrects the slogan "Brilliant is forever"; It remains one of the most popular slogans in the history of advertising. (According to the legend, it was created at midnight by a copywriter with sleepy eyes, who prayed for the line to come, printed it, then disconnected from fatigue). In the last few years, it has been used by De Beers in its retail network, but it has almost disappeared - a sad fate for one of the most powerful weapons in the arsenal of the industry.

And yet, this slogan was created to promote the product: diamonds. He was invented to promote not the diamond brand, but the whole category of diamonds in general.

About ten years ago, when De Beers first experimented with its branded product, some joked that its new advertising slogan could be "Our Diamonds Are Forever". But, of course, it would not work. The slogan works only when it speaks about all diamonds.

So why not allow the Diamond Manufacturers Association to use it? This organization starts working with a small annual budget of $ 6 million - there are diamonds that are sold at a price higher than this amount - so why not give it impetus by allowing one of the most famous advertising slogans of all time?

In addition, DPA may want to distinguish between natural diamonds and synthetic diamonds. And this slogan is good for this. Natural diamonds were formed billions of years ago. This is an eternity!

http://rough-polished.com/ru/expertise/97414.html

http://www.jckonline.com/

Availability of diamonds that can be used for the design and manufacture of jewelry

It is believed that the fall of the meteorite in the Siberian region of Russia, which happened millions of years ago, brought trillions of carats of diamonds. Scientists in Russia said that Russia has a huge diamond deposit that has enough technical grade diamonds to meet the demand of the entire world market for the next 3000 years. The diamond deposit was discovered in the early 1970s, and it is located under a crater left by a meteorite that crashed about 35 million years ago.

A meteorite crater, known as the Popigai Crater, was discovered in Russia during the Soviet era. This discovery should transform the diamond industry in the world. Officials from the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences confirmed that the crater located in Eastern Siberia contains trillions of carats of "impact diamonds." These diamonds can be used in high-tech devices, and they have many other technological applications. But they can not be used for the design or manufacture of jewelry. It is reported that the entire Siberian diamond deposit contains more diamonds than all the current known deposits in the world.

Nikolay Pokhilenko, director of the Institute of Geology and Mineralogy. VS Sobolev SB RAS in Novosibirsk, informed news agencies that another molecular form of carbon in diamonds from the Popigai crater was also discovered. He also mentioned that they can have properties and a crystalline form that makes them almost twice as hard as traditional diamonds. This will give them excellent qualities for industrial applications. He said that this discovery could revolutionize many sectors. But he also explained that this will not affect the global diamond market, as it is regulated by the availability of diamonds that can be used for the design and manufacture of jewelry.

Pokhilenko also explained that the unsurpassed hardness of diamonds is probably due to the extremely high temperature and very high pressure that affected the carbon molecules during the explosion when the meteorite fell. He said that his institute, together with the Russian diamond mining company ALROSA, controlled by the state, plans to send a group of geological prospectors to this field. The meteorite left a 60-mile (100-kilometer) crater in Siberia when it fell about 35 million years ago and at the same time gave Russia trillions of carats of diamonds.

 Officials from the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences said that it is still necessary to determine the economic aspects of their expedition. Their scientists met in Novosibirsk to discuss the issue. Work is under way to assess the environmental and economic aspects of mining in this region. Russian officials have not yet reported new research data. It will be interesting to see how the current Russian government will continue to disclose information about the diamond field, as it is known for hiding information from its citizens and is not transparent about politics.

The deposit was discovered by Soviet scientists in the early 1970s. But the Soviet leadership decided not to conduct geological exploration work on the field, but preferred instead to produce synthetic diamonds for use in industry. Until the collapse of the Soviet Union in late 1991, the world was not aware of this deposit. Disclosure of information that the fall of the meteorite gave Russia trillions of carats of diamonds, caused great interest in this discovery.

http://guardianlv.com/2015/03/meteorite-crash-gave-russia-trillions-of-carats-of-diamonds/

Legends say that for more than 3,000 years, India was the only source of diamonds until the deposits of these gems were discovered in South Africa and Brazil. Ironically, India is now importing rough diamonds from diamond-producing countries and diamond mining companies, despite being the world's largest diamond producer. Diamond mining in the country is currently almost non-existent, although their deposits are available - for example, the Bunder project, launched by the multinational mining company Rio Tinto, which is currently suspended. Private diamond miners, such as Vajra Diamonds and several others, are working hard to mine diamonds in areas of India where their deposits are located.

The mines of Panna are located within the Panna area of Madhya Pradesh in the north of India. Diamond mines in the Panna area are managed by the Diamond Mining Project of the National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC Ltd), an enterprise owned by the Government of India. NMDC is the only diamond producer in the country owned by the Government of India, at the Majhgawan mine in the Panna area, Madhya Pradesh. But for various reasons, work on mining in the Panna area has recently been suspended.

Panna's group, as it is known locally, consists of a large group of diamond deposits, stretching about 240 km to the northeast on the spurs of the Windhis mountains. They cover an area of about 20 acres (81,000 m2). Large quarries with a diameter of 7.6 m and, probably, 9.1 m deep were dug in order to reach the diamond conglomerate.

Previously conducted exploration work in the Panna area, according to reports, did not show the presence of deposits containing high-quality diamonds. The most productive deposits were in the 1860s, and they were discovered in the town of Sakaria about 32 km from the Panna area. Diamonds Pannas are classified into 4 varieties: Motichul (Motichul) - transparent and sparkling; Manik - with a weak orange tint; Panna - with a greenish tinge; And Bunsput - a brownish hue. It is rumored that in other fields the state agency leases land annually to promising diamond miners. All mined diamonds enter the district magistrate of the Panna district and are then auctioned. There are huge amounts of diamonds of different weight and hue, and auctions are open to people with a deposit of about US $ 100.

The trip to Panna will lead to those parts of the city that are rich in diamond sites. These deposits are found on a section of the 80-kilometer strip, starting from the northeastern part of the town of Paharikhera to the south-western part of the town of Majhgavan, extending for a width of about 30 km. Similarly to the Australian method, here diamonds are also in the tube, folded olivine lamproites. There can be different kinds of diamonds, from 13 carats to 6 carats per thousand hectares. Currently, the zone where diamonds are mined is under government control and is carefully guarded.

Panna's mines in Majhgavan are the largest mechanized diamond mines in Asia, and their diamonds are second only to diamonds mined in South African mines. NMDC, the only organized diamond producer in the country, began its mining operations at Panna's diamond mines in 1968, and since then it has extracted a large number of diamonds from its quarries. But in 2011, the NMDC corporation, a state-run mining giant, grew rich by mining a 37.68-carat diamond from the ground, which was the largest (a white octagonal-quality white diamond) made of precious stones that had ever been mined on diamond Mines in the Panna area. Before that, a large diamond from the mines of Panna was obtained in June 2010, when a 34.37-carat diamond was discovered.

Mining, closed in the Panna area in 2005 due to a lack of permission for deforestation and permits from the neighboring Panna National Park, was resumed in August 2009 after obtaining a conditional authorization from the Supreme Court. It so coincided that Panna Park is also the habitat of tigers; It is estimated that the diamond reserves in the mines of Panna are 1.2 million carats.

In October 2014, the environmental impact monitoring team required NMDC to close the diamond mines in Panna by 2016 to save the tigers. But the management proved that these claims were untenable, saying that the tigers actually left the Panna area when the mining developments were closed and they charged that the actions were being carried out with intent in the personal interest.

Between August 2005 and June 2009, NMDC mines were closed around the Pannah Tiger Reserve. Officials from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) said that the reserve recorded a "zero" number of tigers in 2009, when no mining was conducted. Now Panna is home to 25 tigers after a successful resettlement program. "How can someone think that diamond mines are disturbing tigers when big cats disappeared only after the closure of our mines," said an official representative of NMDC. The corporation is going to file a petition to review the decision on the closure.

http://rough-polished.com/ru/expertise/97363.html

The middle part of the diamond pipeline - can play a key role in vertical integration

Our fragmented industry has started to restructure. Although our sector is gradually growing, our diamond pipeline is gradually shrinking. Vertical integration has begun, and mining companies are moving towards the sale of products and retail, and vice versa.

Perhaps it is not a mere coincidence that this trend is observed at the same time that De Beers is gradually losing its market share - from 80% of the rough market in the 1990s to 35% at present - and are losing their role in the As an industry leader.

Such a loss of leadership, for example, in promoting brand-name branding of diamonds to maintain consumer demand or in the management of diamond and diamond shipments, meant that thousands of diamond-diamond companies had to deal with their own destiny from the beginning of the 2000s.

I previously described the challenges facing the fragmented diamond and diamond industry, especially in the processing of raw materials and production, and also in sales - and the benefits of greater consolidation to help, for example, in promoting branding of diamonds throughout the industry, in strengthening financial The company's position and to ensure a better match between the prices of diamonds and diamonds.

We all need to study the question of how best to adapt - through mergers, vertical integration or other types of consolidation, to continue to provide added value to our industry.

Doing business in the usual way is unlikely to be a viable long-term option.

Vertical integration in our industry is proceeding slowly, but the examples that currently exist and taken from other sectors provide some interesting valuable information on how this option can be further considered in the future.

They have shown an invaluable role that will be played by all segments of the value chain, including the companies for processing raw materials and manufacturing products, thanks to their experience in polishing, which is one of the strengths. They also demonstrate the existing variety of integration options that we can consider, and the fact that the initiative can come from companies located in any part of the diamond pipeline.

Companies that sell diamonds are pushing up the diamond pipeline

Jewelry retailers are increasingly trying to get closer to the sources of rough diamonds in order to increase the security of the supply of precious stones and provide consumers with more transparency in the field of tracking. Various ways of moving up the value chain were studied.

Tiffany realized early on the benefits of moving up the value chain and from the beginning of the 2000s, with the help of its subsidiaries, opened diamond factories, provided sightholder status to key diamond producers and invested in the exploitation of the mines. Currently, about 2,500 - or 1 in 5 - of Tiffany employees work in the market of processing raw materials and manufacturing products, which helps to get about 50% of their diamonds.

If Tiffany went through this integration mostly independently, other retailers sought support from experienced and well-proven participants involved in the processing of raw materials and the manufacture of products. Both Chow Tai Fook and Signet Jewelers acquired a diamond company, and Graff established a joint venture with a diamond cutter.

Movement of companies involved in production, further along the diamond pipeline

Both diamond producers and diamond manufacturers have taken steps to approach consumers in order to obtain benefits. There are many examples that point to an approach involving cooperation with participants in the value chain and with companies that are not members of the diamond and diamond industry.

Branded diamonds "Forevermark" by De Beers are cut and polished by selected sightholders and other diamond manufacturers, and its retail network De Beers Diamond Jewelers is created as a joint venture with LVMH.

It is believed that Gem Diamonds holds some of the high quality gemstones it produces to produce diamonds itself or in partnership with other companies for processing raw materials and producing diamonds. Reportedly, the goal is to profit from this processing of diamonds and polished diamonds in the amount of up to 50% of the cost of production by 2017.

Diamond companies do not always show initiative in downward integration. Gitanjali Gems, an Indian jewelery manufacturer, has transformed into a global retailer, beginning in 2006, with the purchase of jewelry-based Samuels and Rogers based in the United States.

Vertical integration in other industries

Attempts by the diamond and diamond industry to create vertical integration resemble those in other sectors.

In the luxury market, many retailers climbed it to gain more control over the supply of materials that are essential to their sales volumes.

Examples include the share of LVMH in one of the world's leading cashmere companies; Investment companies Bulgari, Cartier and other luxury watch brands in the company-manufacturer of spare parts; As well as exclusive partnerships of companies Dior, Chanel, Hermes and other cosmetic manufacturers with companies growing plants.

In the oil industry, participants in the production of raw materials, such as Shell and BP, who initially engaged in prospecting for oil and its extraction, decided to purchase refineries and sales networks.  

Companies for processing raw materials and manufacturing products - the middle part of the diamond pipeline - can play a key role in vertical integration

The experience gained in the diamond-diamond industry and in other sectors shows that companies for processing raw materials and production can play an integral role in vertical integration.

Companies involved in both mining and selling diamonds have realized the benefits of working with well-established mid-market diamond companies - processors and manufacturers, including taking advantage of their diamond know-how, their access to financing and their ability to work with broad Assortments of diamonds, which, for example, are likely to be wider than the specific requirements of an individual retailer.

And so, although I used to draw attention to strategic associations as an option for the fact that the processing and manufacturing companies can use to strengthen their position regarding the participants in the production of raw materials and retail, another approach to consideration is the integration with participants in other parts of the value chain .

It seems more meaningful, for example, for diamond producers to work with customers in the processing and manufacturing industries, like those that have integrated with jewelry retailers that can cope with larger volumes, are better funded and can have higher profits as a result of that That they are closer to their consumers.

http://www.ehudlaniado.com/home/index.php/news/entry/join-the-train-or-you-might-miss-it

Currently, it is encouraging that the people of this third millennium are getting married

The completed exhibition JCK Las Vegas corresponded to low expectations in the trade in diamonds. The suppliers of diamonds were convinced of the strength and stability of the United States market, even if sales volumes were small and buyers insisted on more discounts.

For this reason, confidence has grown, and the exhibition can be considered successful. Unlike the March Hong Kong exhibition, which showed a continuing weakening of the Far East market, diamond dealers and jewelers left Las Vegas in a relatively positive mood, having done some business.

And again, Las Vegas is very different from other international exhibitions. For the diamond industry, this is a smaller market than in Hong Kong, where there is more trade at each stand. On the contrary, Las Vegas provides an opportunity to meet with old acquaintances and to establish potential new acquaintances - whether it is on the stand, numerous events for informal communication, or at the table for games - and get information about what is happening in the market.

Our conversations in the diamond pavilion confirmed the trends that we noted in the last few months. If you have a good product, then you will be able to sell inventory at sustainable prices. Demand is specific and good on fine cut stones, triple EX diamonds, and there is a deficit in these categories, and in the United States there is a steady demand for "piqué" products. On the other hand, there are many low-quality diamond stocks in the market, despite the fact that production levels have declined in the last six months.

Suppliers hold much of the old stock and refrain from offering fresh goods to the market until demand increases, which many expect in the fourth quarter. Manufacturers seem to be waiting for September - another milestone for determining the strength of the market, both from the point of view of the September Hong Kong exhibition and their preparations for the festive season in the United States.

It seems that buyers are also waiting for a favorable moment. A number of suppliers told Rapaport News that there was a great interest in products at the exhibition, but they did not buy much. Buyers received information and left, probably referring to the client. For this reason, probably the most important thing for an exhibition in Las Vegas is tracking the situation after the exhibition. One should always be present at the exhibition to benefit from the constant demand for diamonds in the United States.

The same trends were noted in the pavilions of finished jewelry and other shows held in Vegas last week. The Couture exposition show was in a good mood, and the market for high-priced jewelry in the US is stable, although this year the JCK Luxury was somewhat sluggish. Some noted that total sales fell in the segment of expensive products, but expensive goods were sold and increased sales, reaching levels higher than last year.

First of all, high prices refer to unique products. Perhaps, for this reason, the Antique exposition was very good, and steady sales and attendance were noted, and demand for branded jewelry from private collections was also increasing. In fact, all jewelers, without exception, tried to present something different from others in order to provoke interest in their products.

After all, the mindset of the American consumer is changing, as the generation of the third millennium came to replace the generation "X" and the post-war generation, and it became the key demographic group in the market. The market of jewelry and islets of trade in diamonds seems to understand that for people of the third millennium they need to create a different design, in another way to carry out marketing and sell. But conversations and seminars at the JCK show that the industry is still learning to adapt to these changing needs.

Perhaps there is still a transition period for the diamond industry, when it seeks to preserve the diamond dream, as Stephen Lussier, CEO of Forevermark said at a breakfast hosted by Rapaport, said on Sunday at the exhibition. In this column, these and other issues raised at the conferences organized by Rapaport will be discussed in the coming weeks, as well as some topics related to the generation of the third millennium.

Currently, it is encouraging that the people of this third millennium are getting married, the US wedding jewelry market remains an important driving force for the growth of the diamond and jewelry industry.

The analysis conducted by The Knot, an information site that focuses on the consumer, showed that in the past two years, the cost of diamond wedding jewelry has risen.

A survey conducted among brides and grooms, with an annual income of $ 65,000 to $ 81,000, showed that the average cost of a diamond engagement ring rose to $ 6,071 in 2015 from $ 5,258 spent in the group that was surveyed in 2013. The brides spent a little less on jewelry for the wedding, an average of $ 408, but more on jewelry gifts to their bridesmaids, an average of $ 105.

Although people of the third millennium are more interested in electronics and other luxury goods, rather than fashionable jewelry, the market of wedding jewelry remains the main support of the industry. Most of the brainstorming that took place in Vegas was focused on how to improve the retail experience.

http://www.diamonds.net/News/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=52489&ArticleTitle=Raising%2bthe%2bMood%2bin%2bVegas

Nanodiamonds are widely advertised in connection with their potential use

Although it may sound like an invention of a science fiction writer, nanodiamonds are completely real. Moreover, they are used to perform important work in a number of industries.

"Nano-diamonds have excellent mechanical and optical properties, large surface area and adjustable surface structures," says an article written by experts from different universities and published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. "In addition, they are not toxic, which makes them well suited for use in biomedicine."

Creation of nanodiamonds

Nanodiamonds are produced from soot formed during explosions, so they are sometimes called detonation nanodiamonds. But one explosion is not enough, the key element is carbon, the same material that the diamonds are made of. Experts agree that the pioneers of this process were Soviet scientists.

As the name implies, nanodiamonds have the smallest dimensions, and their size ranges from 4 to 10 nanometers. Keep in mind that a nanometer is one billionth of a meter, and you will understand with what small scale scientists work.

Of course, everything that scientists can do, Mother Nature can also do. The Futurity website, which collects scientific news from leading universities, reported last summer that some scientists believe nanodiamonds were created by a comet that exploded above the Earth about 13,000 years ago.

In the same vein in the research report entitled "Evidence of an extraterrestrial collision that occurred 12,900 years ago, which contributed to the extinction of the megafauna and the cooling of the late Dryas" (Evidence for an extraterrestrial impact 12,900 years ago that contributed to the megafaunal extinctions and the Younger Dryas cooling) , Describes the presence of nanodiamonds at 32 different sites in 11 countries on three continents.

"The Clovis sites in North America are covered with a thin, disconnected layer with different peak magnetic field abundances with iridium, magnetic microspheres, carbon, soot, carbon spheres, vitreous carbon containing nanodiamonds, and fullerenes with helium [extraterrestrial origin], all of which are evidences An extraterrestrial collision and associated combustion of biomass at ≈12.9 ka, - the article says. - This layer also extends to at least 15 bays of the Carolina, which are unique elliptical depressions, oriented to the northwest along the Atlantic lowland. We assume that one or more large extraterrestrial low-density objects exploded over North America, partially destabilizing the Laurentian ice shield, and this caused a cooling [late Dryas]. "

In short, this theory suggests that nanodiamonds can be created both by man and by natural phenomena, when there is enough heat, pressure and carbon participates.

What are nanodiamonds used for?

According to the study described in Nature Nanotechnology, nanodiamonds have unlimited possible applications.

"These smallest precious stones have a wide range of potential applications in tribology (the science of friction), drug delivery, bioimaging and tissue engineering, and as a simulator of proteins and filler for nanocomposites," the article states.

In addition, AZoNano notes that nanodiamonds have been used as catalysts in scientific experiments, as a seed for the cultivation of diamond films, as additives for automotive oils, electroplating and polishing materials.

But nanodiamonds are widely advertised in connection with their potential use in the fight against cancer.

According to the report of Cardiff University in Wales, scientists use nanodiamonds to determine the processes occurring in living cells, which, in turn, can help with the delivery of medicines and the treatment of cancer.

"This new imaging opportunity opens up an impressive prospect of tracking complex delivery pathways in quantitative terms with important applications for drug delivery," said Professor Paola Borri of the School of Biosciences, who leads the study at Cardiff University . "The next step for us is to develop this method for detecting nanodiamonds even smaller than those we have demonstrated so far and demonstrating specific applications for drug delivery."

http://diamondinvestingnews.com/11992-nanodiamonds-detonation-emfutur-technologies-ray-techniques.html?pmc=E-1&MyID=vim6@bk.ru&utm_source=Resource+Investing+News&utm_campaign=421b03da8f-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f83d87db0f-421b03da8f-232733721

Its decision can affect the amount of goods that customers will buy

The diamond industry continues to face challenges that require a serious rescue plan, and diamond mining companies are beginning to respond to the crisis with measures that will bring relief, albeit temporary.

DIAMOND DESTRUCTIVE COMPANIES START TO RESPOND TO DIFFICULTIES OF DIAMOND MANUFACTURERS

In the last few days, some of the leading diamond mining companies and diamond suppliers have responded with serious measures to the developing crisis in the diamond and diamond industry. In a message to the sightholders, De Beers stated that they "understand that there is currently a seasonal lull for trading", giving them the opportunity to postpone up to 25% of the total allocated to them (excluding entire out-of-plan boxes).

An interesting point about this is that, in contrast to the usual delays, which should be applied in advance, the decision to postpone the additional goods can be taken on the site. In this case, the Sightholders can first look at the product, discuss the prices (which become known only on the site) and only then decide to take, refuse or postpone the box.

Site 6 is estimated at $ 600- $ 650 million, judging by the intention to make an offer (ITO). Along with the deferred volumes according to the submitted applications (at a rate of 25%) additional delays can reduce this site by half, by about $ 300- $ 325 million to unscheduled volumes and diamonds at a sharply reduced price. Very few applications for additional volumes were submitted.

Currently, it is not known whether De Beers will ever be going to cut prices in addition to the usual price adjustment. Currently, the trend on her part was a slow decline in prices. The market appreciates this, because it does not want the value of existing drains to fall sharply, and yet the market wants the rate of decline in prices to accelerate a little.

The additional delay is an important measure taken by De Beers, nevertheless it still has a large volume of supplies to the market. According to information received from some insiders from the diamond and diamond industry, the market requires diamonds for only $ 250 million to fulfill certain orders.

One of the market insiders suggests that De Beers offers sightholders Sightholders Specials (diamonds at a sharply reduced price) - diamonds weighing 10.8 carats and higher at a price that will provide them with a high margin, say 50 percent. In the past, De Beers acted so as to actually make discounts. The total margin from such goods was high enough to ensure profitability.

This is a good idea among other ideas, because the current stock of diamonds is not depreciated. The downside is that De Beers needs to have Specials available for this. They are rare in nature. In addition, this means that De Beers will have to decide to abandon the profits that they themselves could get by selling Specials at full price.

ALROSA AND RIO TINTO TAKE MEASURES

The Russian supplier ALROSA also reacts to the difficulties existing on the market, offering the opportunity to reject up to 20% and to give up another 20% of the volume in July. Alternatively, customers can postpone up to 30% of the allocated volumes. ALROSA also informed customers that it does not reduce prices, except for the prices of a number of large stones.

Like De Beers, it is possible to postpone the volumes until August, which means that confusion with large supplies was avoided (or at least postponed) until August.

But Rio Tinto Diamonds decided to go the other way. It is reported that it lowered prices, and then gave its customers the option not to buy back the goods within two months. In view of the decline in prices and the relatively low volume of Rio's offer, traders plan to visit the week of sales and probably purchase a certain amount of goods, depending on the real need.

PRICES OF THE COMPANY DOMINION HIGH?

A few weeks ago, Dominion held a tender to determine the price. It is a tool used to form the price of its rough diamonds. Over the weeks since the tender, diamond prices have fallen even more.

Now Dominion's clients ask the question: "Will the company adhere to the results of this tender or lower the prices? Its decision can affect the amount of goods that customers will buy. "

MEASURES OF HARD ECONOMY IN THE DIAMOND-BRILLIANT INDUSTRY

It would be wrong to say that what is happening in the middle of the diamond pipeline is similar to what is happening in Greece; But there are several parallels. As the current situation in Greece threatens to drag the European economy and banks even into greater chaos, the state of the polished diamond sector does the same with the diamond-diamond industry.

In dictionaries, several definitions of the word "austerity" are given. Investopedia provides a simple definition: "the state of reduced costs and increased savings in the financial sector," which seems to be the most appropriate for this situation.

To put it briefly, Greece was badly run, allowed large monopolies and power centers of power to dictate many economic decisions, while making large borrowings to make ends meet. During the negative consequences of the 2008 economic crisis, Greece was balancing on the brink of a financial abyss and was forced to resort to austerity measures.

From the banks' point of view, they wanted Greece to return the borrowed money. But disputes continue about who is to blame, who should pay, how many should be paid, what measures are needed to save the country's economy and what exactly are the measures for "saving"?

Most diamond companies use a lot of borrowed funds and are heavily in liabilities to banks. This led many diamond manufacturers to the situation when they are doing business with the sole purpose of maintaining their credit lines, so that banks can see that they have business to continue the business. This is partly the reason for the fact that diamond deals are declining.

http://edahngolan.com/the-diamond-austerity/

When a young couple comes to buy an engagement ring, if you offer them a wide choice, the chance of what they will buy is small

"The sun is the best disinfectant," wrote Louis Brandeis, who later became a judge of the US Supreme Court. With this statement, he outlined the principle of transparency in public systems as a means of corruption.

But the sun can also cause burns and damage all the time. When the transparency of information is used incorrectly, it can harm the interests to which it should serve.

Professor George Akerlof, very famous for his Nobel Prize-winning article, "Market for Lemons" - the uncertainty of quality and the market mechanism "(The Market for 'Lemons' - Quality Uncertainty and the Market Mechanism), revealed serious problems, They hit economic markets, which are characterized by asymmetric information. (Asymmetric information is one of the worst enemies of transparency). Akerlof argues that this kind of information can lead to negative consequences, caused by failures in the market.

For example, suppose that a wine expert wants to make a deal with Joe, who is just an ordinary person who is very fortunate to inherit wealth from a rich uncle. Joe and the wine connoisseur are talking about the price of a barrel of wine that Joe is interested in selling: the vintage Chateau Petrus '98.

If they both only know that the wine is red, they can quickly and successfully strike a deal, because they are equally informed. But if detailed information about vintage wine, vineyard and wine is known only to a connoisseur, Joe may be afraid to sell it, since the information he owns is not equivalent to the information that a wine expert has.

With diamond mines and sources, the situation is more complicated than with diamond manufacturers and site visitors - they are much stronger, because they constitute a large percentage of the market. This shows the unhealthy nature of the problem, since the awareness of the two sides of the transaction is asymmetric. While both sides of any transaction will not have symmetric information, liquidity will decline.

A larger volume will not necessarily be useful if both sides do not have equal volumes and types of information. Symmetric information is the basis for making rational decisions about the purchase and, in general, the healthy nature of the transaction and the market.

Many sightholders and diamond manufacturers are concerned about the lack of information. There is a feeling that the ambiguous situation in which they are forced to work makes it difficult to make the right decisions. Of course, everyone wants to know how much their colleague / rival sold box, but does it serve you well, and does not create a false impression of a lively trade ?!

Is not our curiosity in itself a ricochet for us? This "need to know" and "the need to bring to the general knowledge" provides suppliers with information that does not benefit us. Once a supplier receives this information, he can do more than you (an asymmetric transaction), because then the supplier knows about all the profit margins along the chain.

Paradox of choice - reduction of stocks

First, it is important to understand that the market is currently crowded. When diamonds are thrown into the market in large quantities, neither producers nor diamond sellers can cope with such a large offer. This slows down the movement and the market is overstocked. This problem can be solved only by a significant and urgent reduction of stocks.

Secondly, the issue of choice comes to the fore. American psychologist Barry Schwartz argues in his book: "Why" more "means" less "- the paradox of choice" that the removal of options for consumers can significantly reduce anxiety Buyers.

For example, the company produces a variety of tasty jams and would like to bring its products to the market. If a company exhibits jams with different tastes (at sales points in a supermarket), considering that each buyer can find their favorite taste, the likely result is that the sales volume will be less than if they put only jams with three flavors. As studies have shown, as the number of options increases, our ability to make decisions decreases. Then one of two things happens: our decision does not satisfy us, or we decide not to make a decision.

Now let's compare this example with the world of diamonds. When a young couple comes to buy an engagement ring, if you offer them a wide choice, the chance of what they will buy is small. The bride then feels trapped, that any choice she makes can be better. But it's amazing when a couple is offered no more than two or three options, the decision will be made faster and even accompanied by a broad smile of satisfaction.

Stubborn as an ass - price reduction

"The bitter aftertaste of poor quality persists long after the sweet taste comes from a low price," Benjamin Franklin said wisely.

"Reduction of diamond prices is insignificant if the assortment is also low or consists of small medium sizes," say those whom I interviewed. "Only a gradual steady decline in the prices of fixed sorted diamonds will restore the confidence of sightholders and diamond producers and stability of the market."

In conclusion, let me tell you one funny story I heard a while ago:

The farmer came to the city in search of an ass. He carefully studied what you can choose, and found a young and healthy ass. After exhausting negotiations, he agreed to pay $ 1,000 for the purchase, and the donkey was to be delivered at dawn the next day.

The next day, he came to pick up the donkey and saw that he was dead, and the former owner stated that he had already spent money.

http://www.n-rothmann.com/#!Shrinkonomics-How-Reduction-Can-Enlarge-Our-Success/cuhk/5567474b0cf235f819604af4

In response to declining sales volumes, De Beers reduced production

The mood of the middle part of the diamond-diamond pipeline reaches new and lowest marks, as evidenced by first-hand information from buyers of rough diamonds. The desire to buy, the overall forecast and the desire to produce diamonds - all this is at a low level.

On the last site of De Beers sightholders refused more than half of the goods or postponed its purchase at a later date. According to several sightholders, many abandoned 60-90% of the proposed diamonds. Some did not buy any goods, having refused all allocated volume. The desire to show loyalty and understanding that they will be compensated in the future is a thing of the past. Sightholders now say that they will buy diamonds only if they can make a profit on them.

Such sentiments, although new, already have an impact on diamond mining companies. According to the production and sales figures published in the last few days, diamond miners are beginning to feel the negative impact of failures.

Do they make economic sense?

Despite all the deviations of the allocated volumes, their refusals and postponements, which are used by clients of major suppliers such as De Beers, ALROSA, Rio Tinto, Dominion, etc., why is it that a few bought-out lots are offered in the secondary market? In the end, these parties, bought during this week's sales, should have a good price.

It looks as though even diamonds that have been carefully selected for purchase have not been priced at a good enough price, so that first-time buyers can make diamonds from them. Either of the parties was not profitable, or the diamond reserves in these companies were high enough to ensure the movement of the goods.

The industry can be in such a terrible situation that it seems that almost any action it takes will not lead to a good result. Thus, the first scenario is as follows: if diamond prices decline and the supply volume remains the same, the loss of capital invested in stocks and the inability to sell the diamonds obtained in the same quantities can lead to bankruptcy.

The second scenario is: keeping the price of diamonds and allowing buyers to abandon the goods, while allowing the market to determine the required supply volume, does not seem to be a solution to the problem. Almost no one wants to produce diamonds in the current situation. Most of the purchased rough is sold to the secondary market. Profits (if any) can be obtained through payment terms. This is likely to allow you to service your loans and pay factory overhead. In this scenario, which is already used by many in the market, diamond producers hope that demand for diamonds will grow again at some point. This hope is not a solid basis for business and, in fact, many are slowly walking along this path.

And the third scenario is this: stop selling diamonds completely. This will force the middle part of the diamond pipeline to face the need to accept credit line conditions, because, as mentioned above, some of the credit lines can be supported through diamond trading. Without this key activity in buying and selling diamonds to generate some income on credit terms, most of their business cycle will essentially disappear. This is not a simple situation for diamond producers, because most of their money is tied to their stocks.

In anticipation of further price reductions

Even if diamond prices have fallen and are comparatively low compared to the previous year, most diamond buyers expect prices to continue to decline after they return from their August holidays. This creates a situation of constant purchases of diamonds in small quantities, despite the lower cost.

If this assumption is not correct and they missed the opportunity to buy at low prices, and prices start to increase as people return to work in late August, it is better to pay higher prices and stand firmly on their feet without fear of loans. The rise in prices and the increase in demand go hand in hand. Usually, in such circumstances, we expect an increase in demand for diamonds.

An example of this situation are round cut diamonds weighing 0.30 carats. Since the peak of prices for them, they have fallen in price by 30 percent. Now, if you look at many lots of diamonds, from which these diamonds are made, then the price for them is lower by 25-30 percent. Even if diamond manufacturers buy "cheap" diamonds at a price 30% lower, they still face a non-profitable scenario when cutting and polishing these diamonds. In the absence of profit in the market, they increasingly come to the conclusion that it is better to sit and wait for changes in the business environment if you can afford it. They think it's better to hold your money and try to protect your diamonds until things get better, maybe in November, when the festive season will begin.

Preliminary results of De Beers show a drop in sales volumes

On the site held last week, De Beers customers found that prices did not change the way they expected, and they decided to abandon the goods. Among the group of sightholders who refused the goods, there were diamond manufacturers, traders and even retailers - those who very rationalized business operations. Surprisingly, in some areas there was even a sharp increase in prices. The response was a huge disappointment, according to many sightholders. The hope for further steps in meeting their needs in this difficult time has unfolded.

Large-scale failures reflect an understanding that this is the only way to avoid further losses. If diamonds are offered at high prices, then the movement of diamonds is not fast enough, and diamond trading is a risky business, and then the refusal to purchase additional diamonds is a reasonable step. And that's what most people did. The total cost of the site is estimated at about $ 150-175 million, which is lower than the originally planned offer for more than $ 600 million. On the site, customers either refused about three-quarters of the goods, or postponed them to the next site, which will take place at the end of August.

According to the sightholders, the August site is now of concern, which is now expected to become large due to all recently deferred volumes. They would like to see a decline in prices, expressed by a high single-digit or even a two-digit figure, and a much smaller amount. Otherwise, they say they will not be able to make purchases with confidence from an economic point of view.

On Thursday, Anglo American, the parent company of De Beers, published its results for the half-year showing that the diamond sales volume fell by 26% year-on-year to 14 million carats. According to Anglo, a sharp decline in sales reflected the low levels of replenishment of stocks by diamond manufacturers and dealers.

According to Anglo, De Beers' average selling price rose 7% to an average of $ 206 per carat in the first half of this year. This is due to the sale of a higher product mix compared to the previous year. On the other hand, the diamond price index of De Beers declined by an average of 4% in the first six months compared to 2014.

In response to declining sales volumes, De Beers reduced production at tailing plants at the Venetia and Jwaneng mines. It also indicates that overall production volumes were affected by lower maintenance levels and reduced plant employment at the Orapa mine in Botswana.

The volume of production fell by 6% to 7.96 million carats in the second quarter and 3% to 15.63 million carats in the first half of this year. The diamond miner confirmed its forecast for annual production of up to 30-32 million carats, which is below the 32-34 million carats it planned to mine.

Production at Debswana, the De Beers diamond miner in Botswana, fell 6% to 5.913 million carats. At Namdeb, production fell by 15 percent. In South Africa, it fell by 5%, and in Canada, production fell by 11 percent.

http://www.ehudlaniado.com/home/index.php/news/entry/making-the-right-decisions-in-rough-diamond-times

A huge rarity, so the cost is incredibly high

Diamonds can be the girl's best friend, but how much do you really know about them? In addition to their dazzling brilliance and dizzying charm, diamonds are more than just jewelry.
For example, did you know that the young diamond is about 900 million years old, and the old one - about 3 billion years? Or that there are more Picasso paintings than colored diamonds?

Terrific.

We learned these pearls of wisdom and much more from Melvyn Kirtly (Melvyn Kirtly), the chief gemologist of Tiffany & Co. For more than 30 years, Curtli has been working in a luxury jewelry company and helping to select her world-famous collections of precious stones. When we were asked if we wanted to learn something about diamonds from him, we, of course, said: "Yes."

Are there any special cuts or shapes of diamonds that make the stone look bigger than it actually is?

Well no. But some cuts look different on the finger and create a different impression, depending on the frame. I think that this allows the ring to look bigger. Such cuts as "pear", for example, create a pleasant effect of lengthening the finger due to the pointed shape of the pear. And [when] there are small diamonds surrounding the central stone, the ring looks more massive, more attractive and larger in size. Therefore, there are ways to insert a diamond, which will give the impression of a slightly larger size. But this is not an optical effect, it is more connected with the frame itself.

Which of the five indicators (carat weight, cut, color, purity and certification) - 5C - is the most important?

Cut is an indicator that is really the most important, there are so many nuances, each of which makes the diamond special or simply "good". Cutting is not just about creating proportions in the stone, it's polishing, it's how the faces are exposed, it's the sharpness of the faces, it's all those elements combined that give that shine and sparkle - the light reflected off the top surface and the light going From the inside.

What is the most popular form / cut for wedding bands? Has it changed over the years?

Round diamond cut is the most preferred, and it is most bought. I think people are now open to accepting other forms, for example, cutting "emerald". And since we have several styles of frames in which diamonds are added around the cut stone of the emerald, we make them in such a way that they are more worn. But the classic round diamond cut is such a beautiful cut in the Tiffany frame, which is never obsolete - it always looks so fresh.

What do you think about vintage wedding rings?

I do not oppose the purchase of what used to be used, if it is of good quality. I think that some people like the look of antiques, and there's nothing wrong with that. The new ring, of course, is very nice for the engagement ring, because it's a new life, a new beginning, a new start and it's yours forever. In a sense, this is the most important thing.

What doubts do you have, if they exist, with respect to old-fashioned diamonds?

It may happen that the stone was worn so that during his life he could be scratched, worn, there may be problems with the frame. I think a lot needs to be checked. But again, I absolutely do not mind it. You need to be more careful and attentive.

Why are colored diamonds so terribly expensive?

They are so incredibly rare. Colored diamonds are even rarer than colorless diamonds. And when you come across a color, for example, pink or very saturated shades of pink or green, or blue or even red, which happens very, very rarely - their number, which is almost zero in the world. In the world there are more paintings written by Picasso than colored diamonds. A huge rarity, so the cost is incredibly high.

What is the most popular color?

Pink. Bright pink. Colored diamonds - this is a very interesting world, because there are shades of color - you take the main color and then there are also secondary colors that interact. Therefore, there are bluish-green diamonds or greenish-blue. There is a whole range of colors, and colors can be all the colors of the rainbow.

Are diamonds of unnatural color? In other words, white diamonds, which, by various manipulations, turned into colored diamonds?

Yes, there are, but there are ways to verify them. We do not accept such diamonds. Tiffany checks its diamonds on the side, and then our own lab technicians also check them. But diamonds can be irradiated, which causes effects similar to those used by Mother Nature to create different colors. But you can check it and find out if this shade was created with the help of artificial irradiation.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/29/diamond-facts-tiffany-and-co-gemologist_n_7674062.html

The structure and functions are closely interrelated

Proteins are the building material for all living things, and there is in fact an unlimited variety of their species, most of the very complex structures of which have not yet been determined. These structures can be the key to the development of new medicines or to understand the basic biological processes.  

But to clarify the structure of atoms in these complex folded molecules, it is usually required that they form crystals large enough to be studied in detail, and for many proteins it is either impossible or extremely difficult.

At present, a new method developed by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and other organizations is very promising for obtaining images of individual proteins with very high resolution, despite how complex their structure may be, and not The need for crystallization. The results are described in the Physical Review by Ashok Ajoy, a graduate student of MIT, research fellow Ulf Bissbort, associate professor of nuclear physics and technology Paola Cappellaro and other scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Singapore University of Technology And Design (Singapore Univ. Of Technology and Design) and Harvard University.

This method uses microscopic defects inside the crystal structure of the diamond - defects that can be introduced in a controlled manner under laboratory conditions. These defects, called nitrogen-vacant vacancies or NV-centers (nitrogen-vacancy, NV), arise when nitrogen atoms are introduced into the crystal structure, each replacing one carbon atom in an ideal lattice of diamond.

Such lattices can also include natural nitrogen-substituted vacancies-flaws, when the carbon atom is absent in its usual place in the lattice. When a nitrogen atom and a vacancy occur, they form an NV center, which can be used to detect positions and properties - in particular, spin states - of photons and electrons in atoms located in close proximity to it.

This is achieved by translucent laser light, which causes the fluorescence of nitrogen-substituted vacancies. By registering and analyzing the emitted light, you can reconstruct the details of the spin of nearby particles.

The opportunity to use NV centers in diamond has appeared in the last few years, says Ajoy, and many groups are now working to use them for applications in quantum computing and quantum communication. When NV-centers are located close to the surface of a diamond-in several nanometers-they can also be used to trap the spin states of particles in a molecule placed on a surface. Then, in principle, it is possible to detect and map individual atoms and their position, revealing the structure of the molecule.

The idea is to "place a biological molecule on a diamond and try to determine its structure," explains Ajoy. In proteins, "the structure and functions are closely interrelated," he says, so the ability to accurately map this structure can help in understanding how certain basic biological processes occur and how new drugs can be developed that can interact with specific molecular targets.

"This can help in developing what is suitable for placement on or near the [target molecule], or to block it," says Ajoy. "The first step is to know the structure."

Attempts to decipher the structure of the protein molecule were mainly based on X-ray crystallography, transmission electron microscopy or nuclear magnetic resonance. But for all these methods large volumes of the sample are required - for example, for X-ray diffraction, aggregation of molecules in the form of crystals is required, so none of them can be used to study individual molecules. This greatly limits the possibility of using such methods.

"There are many molecules in which this does not work, because it is impossible to grow crystals or they are very difficult to grow," says Ajoy. "For these molecules, our method can be useful, because you do not need crystals, you just need a molecule."

http://www.rdmag.com/news/2015/02/diamonds-could-help-bring-proteins-focus

Comparison of alternatives - round cut diamonds

In the past few months, I have carefully and thoroughly studied the components of the value of diamonds. These components were presented - color, purity, weight, shape and workmanship, and they were given explanations. I analyzed the magnitude of output, and described how these different aspects interact in terms of impact on cost.

You can ask, how does this affect the more practical level? What if I have a certain budget, a desire to weigh different options and make a decision based on my own taste? Perhaps you would prefer that the diamond be very white. Or, maybe you will want a stone as much as possible, by compromising the quality of the cut - and that it remains within your budget.

So, let's consider the variables, form, color and purity - the main characteristics of a diamond. All the rest will remain unchanged. In all of the following examples, diamonds have the highest grade of cut quality - "Triple Excellent" and zero fluorescence. The prices are given for the total weight (not per carat) and are rounded.

The following analysis is based on current wholesale market prices, according to an analysis conducted by Mercury Diamond.

Same cost, variety of diamonds

On average, couples in major US cities last year paid $ 4,000- $ 4,500 for an engagement ring. In addition to the cost of a diamond, retail prices for jewelry include the ring itself, the cost of design and premiums associated with the brand.

These three components (and in addition, such as the necessary rate of profit, location or season) are variable values that can significantly affect retail prices. Let's try to remove them from the equation for simplicity and accuracy, and consider the options available for the budget of $ 4,500. Please remember that all of the assumptions below are based on wholesale prices.

Search for a round cut diamond

Diamonds of round cut (Rounds) are the most popular in form with consumers due to their reflection of light, gloss and sparkling. If you want to have a traditional diamond, which is always in vogue, then the best cut diamond is the best. If, after the form you are most interested in the color index, then the diamond of color D is the best choice. The largest cut diamond of color D with a budget of $ 4,500 is a precious stone weighing 1.05 carats, purity I1.

If you prefer purity rather than color, let's say a round cut diamond of VVS1 purity, but you want to try to find a stone of the same weight, then with such a budget you can get a brilliant color J weighing 1.10 carats. If the most basic requirement is purity, and the color is of lesser importance, you can get even a round cut diamond of IF purity. With such a budget, the color will be K, but the size will increase to 1.25 carats.

If the value is a size, then one option is a round cut diamond of 1.45 carats, color L, purity VS1.

Comparison of alternatives - round cut diamonds

Preference is given to the "princess"

When cutting and polishing round cut diamonds, most of the raw materials go into waste, which affects the increase in their value. The diamonds of square cut, on the other hand, waste can be the least, and this allows you to have a lower cost per carat.

If we consider the weight of 1.45 carats and the purity of VS1, then $ 4,500 will allow you to purchase a diamond of a higher color category if you choose a Princess cut diamond. The compromise in terms of purity, for example, the purity of SI2, will allow you to get a diamond even more High color category - G.

Color G is a common color of the elevated category in the United States, and the purity of SI2 means that there are inclusions in the diamond, but they are not visible to the naked eye. Princess cut diamonds are the second most popular in terms of shape, which makes this diamond - 1.45 carats, G / SI2, princess cut - a good balance between size, color, purity, popularity and value.

Comparison of alternatives - cut diamonds "Princess"

Search for something different from others

Sometimes the bride just wants something different from the others, but does not deviate much from tradition. In this case, the brilliant cut diamond "pear" is suitable. The cut "pear" has one additional advantage: the diamond looks larger than a round cut diamond of the same weight.

http://www.ehudlaniado.com/home/index.php/news/entry/what-your-diamond-budget-can-buy

Rio Tinto began operating in then Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 1956 as Rio Tinto Southern Rhodesia Limited.

Her first venture in the country earned a nickel deposit in the Kadoma area.

This was the first global Rio Tinto project, as reported on the RioZim website.

After many years of mining nickel, copper, coal and other minerals, Rio Tinto in the early 1990s began to implement a program in Zimbabwe geological exploration aimed only at finding diamonds.

The exploration came to fruition in 1997 when the company discovered three diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes in the Murowa area, located in the southwest of Zimbabwe, about 450 km from the capital city of Harare.

Between 1998 and 2000, a feasibility study was carried out and mine planning was carried out, after which a small mine was launched in 2004.

Since 2004, the company has produced and sold over 1 million carats of diamonds on international markets, with 10 percent of Murowa Diamonds being reserved for the local diamond industry, as prescribed by the country's legislation.

Mining at a mine-type mine makes it possible to produce about 400,000 carats per year in large, predominantly white diamonds of jewelery quality.

As of 2013, diamond reserves at the mine amounted to about 4.9 million carats with an average diamond content of 0.9 carats per tonne of ore.

According to rumors circulating in 2013, Rio Tinto, which owned a 78 percent stake in Murowa Diamonds, wanted to get rid of it in the company.

At some point in the reports on this topic, it was even suggested that De Beers Consolidated Mines, the South African division of the De Beers group, was one of seven potential contenders for the purchase of Rio Tinto's shares in this mine.

De Beers has previously carried out some extensive exploration work in the area, but it has not been able to locate the diamond deposit.

Rio Tinto did not disclose the reasons why she wanted to get rid of the Murova mine, and one could only guess that this was partly due to the country's policy of indigenization, which limits the proportion of foreign actors in local mines to a ceiling of 49 percent.

Some mining companies capitulated before such requirements; Rio Tinto, it seemed, resisted this pressure, still holding its 78-percent stake in the mine.

Care

Despite apparent resistance to Harare pressure, earlier this year there were reports that, as Rio Tinto had notified its employees in Zimbabwe, state taxes, rather than indigenization policies, would most likely force it to close the Murova mine, which Deutsche Bank in 2013 estimated at $ 279 million.

"The government has outlined a tax regime that includes rent for land, which burdens the business," said Zebra Kasete, the managing director of the mine, in a letter to employees whom Bloomberg was familiar with at the time.

"The management team constantly maintains contacts with the government and hopes for some positive way out of this process; Otherwise it will affect the viability of Murowa Diamonds as an operating company, "he noted.

Bloomberg reported in January that the rent for the land for the diamond mines is $ 3,000 per hectare, and the Murova mine owns more than 30,000 hectares, which will cost the company about $ 109 million per year.

http://rough-polished.com/ru/expertise/97903.html

The diamond market of Mumbai in June was sluggish, as the industry saw a bad harvest of low demand from foreign buyers, as well as from the domestic sector. In light of the global market conditions, diamond mining companies have lowered diamond prices, but there are forecasts that the market will grow stronger and the shopping season this year will be better.

In India, the manufacturing sectors of both unadjusted stones and jewelry have already begun preparations for the IIJS 2015. Therefore, the demand for unmanaged stones should rise in the coming weeks and months.

But the statistical production data announced by the Gem and Jewelery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) of India, repeated the figures of the previous months, and the volume of exports fell again. The volume of polished exports of India fell by 9.34 percent in May 2015, reaching $ 1,742.30 million (2.59 million carats), compared to $ 1921.75 million (2.87 million carats) in May 2014. The volume of diamond exports showed a decrease of 17.43 percent, to $ 117.68 million (2.25 million carats) in May 2015, compared with $ 142.53 million (2.92 million carats) in May 2014. The volume of imports of diamonds was $ 1,322.62 million (11.11 million carats) in May 2015 compared to $ 1,538.73 million (12.13 million carats), indicating a decrease of 14.04 percent. The volume of imports of polished diamonds was $ 195,

In addition to the troubles of the diamond cutting sector due to the liquidity crisis, low profits, high prices for diamonds, etc., monsoon floods this year have destroyed diamond factories in Gujarat, bringing unspeakable disasters to their owners in Many places. Amreli, one of the largest centers for polishing and polishing inexpensive diamonds after Surat, where the majority of diamond cutting enterprises are located in places such as Bagasara, all of them were recently flooded during the flood. Most of these small businesses performed work for the Surat diamond manufacturers. There have been reports of huge damage to life and property, but exact figures are not yet known.

But June was rich in events in the diamond industry, as the Indian government's message to allow diamond trade in India to the world's leading diamond mining companies by creating a "Special Notified Zone" came sometime late in May as a gift of fate. SWEC, the national agency responsible for managing customs, central excise and service taxes in India, has decided to introduce the necessary provisions permitting and providing demonstrations, auctions, sales of diamonds on the Indian Diamond Exchange (Bharat Diamond Bourse ), Mumbai, from July 1, 2015, which was very encouraging for the industry participants. India, which now owns almost 14 of the 15 diamonds, already plays a dominant role in the diamond industry.  

In addition, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Indian Government has approved a plan for the development of the Common Facility Centers (CFC) for the production of diamonds in many large and small cities throughout the state of Gujarat. The government's plan is to provide about $ 8 million for a project well accepted by the Indian industry. The CFC scheme was proposed to assist small and medium-sized diamond manufacturing enterprises located in cities and remote villages. GJEPC is appointed as the central agency for this scheme, and he established the Project Steering Committee, which will soon finalize the plans for the implementation of the first phase.

In addition, with Surat, who was closely watched after the discovery of a large number of undeclared mixed synthetic diamonds in the party of natural diamonds from Mumbai, Surat and other parts of the world, including Belgium, Israel and Dubai, was removed in the last two years Suspicion, when the Diamond Detection and Resource Center (DDRC), opened by the Council for the Promotion of the Export of Gemstones and Jewelry at the Indian Diamond Institute (IDI) in Surat, check over 10 000 diamonds "stars" and "chalk" (small) in the last six months with the help of modern automated screening devices Automated Melee Screening (AMS) and other types of serious equipment, and has not detected any synthetic diamond.

http://rough-polished.com/ru/expertise/97880.html

China was the fastest growing diamond market after the United States

The appeal of the rings and earrings with gemstone inserts, which were fashionable luxury items in the 1980s and 1990s, faded as the population grew old and the economy weakened. In a country where there are no mines and which was the second largest buyer in the world less than a decade ago, the volume of exports of used diamonds rose to 77 percent, the Treasury Department said.

"I want to spend money on travel or dinner, and not just keep the diamond in the closet," said the 64-year-old housewife, who asked to be named after her maiden name, Mitsuko, after selling her diamond ring weighing two Carat in the store Komehyo Co. In the crowded area of Shinjuku in Tokyo. She refused to say how much she received for him, but she said that less than she paid 30 years ago.

As the population shrinks and the number of pensioners grows, the market for used goods expands in Japan, as people get rid of luxury goods acquired during the heyday. The exchange of precious stones for yen also coincides with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's plan to stimulate purchases and reduce savings, as the government is trying to revive the economy, which is still recovering after the soap bubble in asset prices in the early 1990s -ies.

A Healthier Lifestyle

About 25 percent of the population in 2013 was over 65, which is higher than 12 percent in 1990, according to the Statistics Bureau of Japan. For some people, for example, Mitsuko, exchanging for cash means getting rid of unnecessary things to lead a healthier lifestyle, this concept is known as "danshari". Others sell legacy jewelry or practice "shukatsu" - preparing for their own death, said Shuzo Takamura, executive director of the Japan Re-Jewelry Council.

Since 2009, the market for second-hand goods has been growing by about 10 percent per year, reaching 1.5 trillion yen ($ 12.1 billion), and it's more convenient for people to sell to stores, Takamura said.

The number of dealers authorized to trade in used precious metals, jewelry, clothing and other goods has increased by 23 percent over the past decade, reaching 741,045, according to the National Police Department. During the same period, Komehyo, founded in 1947 in Nagoya, expanded from five to 24 stores.

Record volume of exports

The weakening of the yen also makes Japanese diamonds and jewelry more attractive to buyers coming from abroad, said Naoto Owaki, senior manager of marketing and sales at Komehyo. Over the past 12 months, the yen has fallen 18 percent against the dollar, the worst indicator of the exchange rate against the dollar among 12 countries in Asia. This currency rose 0.1 percent against the dollar, reaching 123.63 at 8:10 am in New York.

The volume of polished exports from Japan in the first four months of 2015 jumped 77 percent to 38,032 carats from the same period last year, and the highest level was recorded in 2007, and the cost more than doubled to a record level of 3.01 billion yen , The ministry said until 1988. India and Hong Kong were the main buyers in terms of volume, each of these countries account for about one-third of the total.

Last year, China was the fastest growing diamond market after the United States, according to De Beers SA, the world's leading diamond and diamond seller. Japan, ranked second to the financial crisis of 2008, now ranks fourth after the United States, China and India.

The driving force of growth

Most of the demand in China is provided by the developing middle class, according to a statement by Paul Gait, a London-based analyst from Sanford C. Bernstein.

"The Chinese diamond jewelry market has the potential to become a huge driver of the overall growth in demand," Geith wrote in an April report.

India, where sales are growing as revenues grow, is also the center for diamond polishing and polishing in Asia.

Vaibhav Bhandari, 24, a Japanese-born trader with diamonds from India, buys diamonds at auction four times a month in Okachimachi, the center of jewelry wholesale in Tokyo, for sale to jewelers from Mumbai and Hong Kong.

http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-NNGC3T6JIJVE01-6FSBOHUF98J2K5IISITPKERAR1

"Diamonds with a history" four themes that it considers important for the "generation Y"

If you think that the advertising campaign "Brilliant is forever" will surely appeal to representatives of the "generation Y", it's time to reconsider your views. De Beers will have to do a lot of work before the end of September, when it will launch a new advertising campaign using the legendary slogan in the pre-holiday marketing campaign in the US.

In the end, a formula that has retained its appeal for decades and passed on from generation to generation as a diamond advertisement simply does not fit into the current market situation. The new generation of consumers buys in a different way, communicates differently, and also looks at products, brands and companies in a different way.

Generation Y - people born between 1980 and 2000 - are not passive consumers of marketing ideas and are not able to focus on one thing for a long time. If it was easy for advertisers to find representatives of the "baby boomer generation" and "generation X", reading newspapers and watching TV, then people of "generation Y" prefer to do several things at the same time - for example, watch their favorite TV shows online, while reading specially Customized for their preferences news on Twitter and Facebook. Movable and smart, they communicate with their peers in unprecedented ways - using sms messages, chat rooms, tweets, pins, file sharing, "likes" or posting "posts" in any of today's many social networks.

Indeed, De Beers, even when confident that representatives of the "generation Y" are driven by the same emotions and desire for love and fidelity that were associated with the slogan "Diamonds Are Forever" from previous generations, recognizes that today's mechanisms of brand interaction With consumers radically different from those that existed in the past.

"Previously, the key moment of the advertising company was a 30-second television advertisement in which a certain thought was expressed - thus the author of the advertisement informed the consumer about what he believed he should believe in," thinks CEO Forevermark Stephen Lussier in Rapaport News interview. "However, with representatives of the" generation Y "this method works much less efficiently - it is more difficult for them to instill the necessary thought. Moreover, the information reported in this way looks much less reliable in their eyes than in the eyes of previous generations. "

Of course, the upcoming campaign is not just for "generation Y". A 30-second commercial is still good for attracting customers from previous generations - in the end, they have the most money to buy fashion jewelry with diamonds. However, representatives of the "generation Y" are now buying their first diamond engagement rings, and the idea is to convince them to buy diamonds after 10 years.

For this purpose, emphasizes Lussier, the key component of marketing addressed to this generation is to be telling stories, and not advertising or communication of certain statements.

In the same way, Rio Tinto, in its campaign Diamonds with a Story, notes that consumers crave stories with a storyline. "Stories inspire, enthrall and add to our lives a new dimension," the company explains. "They respond to our deep desire for ownership, and if it comes to diamonds, stories raise their emotional value."

Both De Beers and Rio Tinto recognize that representatives of the "generation Y" want to be involved in the story behind the diamond. It is she who gives the acquisition a value, through which consumers are willing to pay more. "

However, not everything is simple here. Lussier notes that storytelling takes more time, and besides, by definition, they should be more interesting and exciting and less oriented to commercial gain - they are not aimed at selling the product directly.

Therefore, although Forevermark in the campaign "Brilliant is forever" will use 15 and 30-second television spots, which will show the engagement ring with a diamond, these videos will serve only as a starting point for the story, which the brand hopes to tell. Lyusya explained that the development of this story will happen with the help of social networks, where celebrities, bloggers and, in particular, people with whom clients can associate themselves, will be involved.

"Advertising is only part of the story," he noted. "You need to involve others so that they tell your story in their own words, if you want them to believe you."

Consequently, perhaps the biggest problem that brands face today is how to encourage representatives of the "generation Y" to respond about the product in a positive way. Secondly, the brand should strive to prolong interaction with consumers as long as possible, even before they reach the store.

"Generation Y", and representatives of other generations, began to spend more time collecting information before buying a diamond, which is why De Beers wants to send them to their site for consumers, from where they eventually go to the store. The longer the company can keep their interest in their history - with the help of television and print advertising, social networks and their branded site - the more successful will be the relationship with the brand.

Changed the criteria for the success of the advertising campaign. If one or two decades ago the success of a typical advertising campaign could be estimated by the number of sales per unit of time, today De Beers will look at the level of interaction with the brand in the short term and whether the attitude to the product will change in the long term.

Perhaps that's why Lussier describes the campaign as aimed at attracting to the brand, rather than raising awareness about it. Even representatives of the "generation Y" know that a diamond is forever, they just do not understand why.

In these circumstances, as noted by Lussier, the main message of the forthcoming campaign is almost entirely oriented towards representatives of the "generation Y". Proceeding from the fact that, according to De Beers research, "generation Y" is of interest, the campaign will emphasize that the diamond is unique, natural, has an enduring value and has a positive impact on the environment and the community where it is mined. All these are the basic values that representatives of the "generation Y" are looking for in the product - or, in accordance with the concept of the campaign, they should look.

Similarly, Rio Tinto has chosen for its campaign "Diamonds with a history" four themes that it considers important for the "generation Y". The company commissioned jewelers to develop jewelry with diamonds that tell stories about: Rio Tinto's ability to sell viable products made from materials obtained in accordance with the ethics of the product; A sense of pride for the mine and the country of origin of the diamond; Availability for the company of a unique range of colors of diamonds; And, finally, the joy that the company's products deliver.

http://www.diamonds.net/News/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=52742&ArticleTitle=Diamond+Storytelling+

Diamond industry registered last year the world sales of diamonds worth US $ 22 billion

The diamond sector has long been considered an exclusive circle for insiders, but the new Singapore stock exchange plans to change this situation.

In an attempt to make the precious stone an independent class of financial assets, the Singapore Diamond Investment Exchange (SDiX) will start trading in physical diamonds in September using electronic exchange technology to see prices in real time, and this Will add liquidity to the market.

If successful, the exchange could accelerate Singapore's entry into the trade in physical diamonds in addition to recent attempts to make the city state the center of the gold trade, as stated by IE Singapore, the government trade promotion agency.

Prices for diamonds are currently fixed for offline offline transactions. Alain Vandenborre, chairman of the board of directors with the functions of CEO and chief financier of SDiX, said: "There are no reports of price transactions or the opening of prices, so they are completely opaque and very illiquid."

Precious stones are currently sold mainly to jewelers. Therefore, the exchange will create additional demand through financial investors, he added.

SDiX will offer two types of products: standardized baskets of small diamonds and individual large diamonds. Mr. Vandenborre said that the prices for stones weighing less than one carat are often more volatile and, therefore, are of greater interest to traders; Large stones have over time a higher increase in the cost of capital.

All the diamonds on the exchange will be certified by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and will be stored on the Bharat Diamond Bourse in Mumbai, from which SDiX ordered a special real safe. After the stones take part in the auction and will be sold, they will be transferred to the Singapore store Singapore Freeport. Both storage facilities are operated by Malca-Amit, which provides transportation and security services.

First, SDiX will conduct trades from 12.30 to 17.30 with lunch at 2.30 pm for 1 hour. This coincides with the time of trading in India (from 10 to 15 hours), which is the largest center for cutting and polishing in the world.

As members of the exchange, both diamond suppliers and brokers will act, and over 25 of them from six countries have shown interest, including UOB KayHian, which will become a pioneer broker, and players such as Kiran Gems and Rosy Blue.

Approximately half of them confirmed their membership in the exchange; The rest are in the process of registering as members, said Mr. Vandenborre. The exchange will seek to increase the number of members when it starts working.

SDiX hopes to gradually expand its trading hours to cover trading activities in Europe, the US and Japan.

Linus Koh, Chief Executive Officer, said: "The idea is to focus on liquidity as early as possible, and then we will expand it as the market develops."

Mr. Koch used to be the main financier of the Singapore Exchange (Singapore Exchange, SGX), as well as the president and chief operations officer in the already discontinued Singapore Mercantile Exchange.

Although SDiX starts trading in physical diamonds, in two to three years it can expand its activities and engage in futures and other diamond financial instruments.

The stock exchange begins work while reducing the availability of loans for the diamond and diamond industry, which registered last year the world sales of diamonds worth US $ 22 billion. In particular, diamond manufacturers, being under pressure from giant diamond mining companies charging high prices for rough diamonds on the one hand, and large retail chains demanding low prices, on the other hand, struggled to service their debts by abandoning banks , Which reduced the provision of loans or completely withdrew from this business.

One of the private equity investors, David Tice, a former United States fund manager based in the United States with US $ 1.6 billion in fund management experience, said:

The United States is the main retail market for diamonds, but the demand for precious stones has grown faster in recent years in China and India. Therefore, Singapore is "well positioned" to attract the flow of diamonds, said Satvinder Singh, deputy chief executive officer of IE Singapore.

"We are constantly looking for new trade clusters, which we can attract and support in Singapore. We hope that this platform will expand trade in physical diamonds and strengthen Singapore as a center for trade in diamonds - if not all over the world, at least in Asia. "

Listing the strengths of Singapore - open economy, well-established financial center and a reserve of highly educated staff - Mr. Sigh added: "We start quite late to work in the precious metals market, but we definitely have everything necessary to influence."

The controlling interest in the stock exchange belongs to Mr. Vandenborr. Temasek Holdings is the second largest shareholder with a 20 percent stake through its wholly owned subsidiary, Vertex Ventures, which is engaged in venture capital.

http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/energy-commodities/new-exchange-to-help-investors-see-sparkle-in-diamonds