Arjav Diamonds, part of the DTC Sightholding group Blue Star Diamonds, has launched an online auction for rough diamonds, out of the Indian diamond-processing city of Surat. Blue Star chairman Ashit Mehta told IDEX Online that the auction consisted of 60 lots of large stones. "All the goods on auction are above 4.80 carats," Mehta said, adding, "Prices range from $1,500 p/c all the way up to $25,000 p/c, with an average price for the entire auction of $3,000 p/c."

Botswana exported $462.5 million worth of polished diamonds in March, a 50.7% year-over-year increase in exports, based on figures released by the Bank of Botswana. This brings the country’s first quarter diamond exports to $1.019 billion, the highest value ever in the first quarter. The exceptional level of exports, which include rough and polished diamonds, gained 34% over the first quarter of 2010 and is 0.2% above exports in the first quarter of 2008.

The small African kingdom of Swaziland is about to become a diamond producer once again and is considering how to approach this opportunity. As an old open-pit mine was recently re-commissioned, the kingdom took another important step and became a member of the Kimberley Process. For the second time within a week, a high level delegation from Swaziland headed by Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade, Jabulile Mashwama visited the Israeli diamond center.

The U.S. imported $36.8 million worth of rough diamonds in March, declining 18.4% from last year. Net imports dropped 87.9% to just […]

Any analysis of the 2010 diamond pipeline will need to focus on at least three factors: replenishment throughout the value chain, enormous […]

Mother’s Day sales improved for many jewelers compared to last year, retailers interviewed by National Jeweler reported.

Sotheby’s reported a net income of $2.4 million in the first quarter ended March 31. Traditionally the auction house posts a loss […]

Blue Nile’s first quarter net sales increased 8.3% to $80.2 million, a record first quarter sales level. Net income totaled $2.4 million, inching up from last year.

Gemological Science International (GSI), the third-largest gemological laboratory in the U.S., recently opened a satellite office in Israel. GSI Israel is located […]

BHP Billiton is moving forward with the Misery open pit project at its Ekati diamond mine in Canada, expecting to start producing […]

De Beers announced that it will sell the Namaqualand diamond mine in South Africa to Trans Hex for 225 million Rand ($33.5 million). The sale joins a number of low producing diamond mines the company has sold in South Africa in the past few years. No details about the transaction were made available, and it’s not clear if this is a cash-only agreement. The timeline of the agreement is not known either, though in the past the approval of the South African government was needed, which may determine the ownership transfer.

Warren Buffett stood behind the counter of a Borsheim’s jewelry store in Omaha this weekend. The chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway […]