The Rapaport Diamond Podcast

With diamond trading currently quiet, the industry is looking ahead to various events that may lift sentiment and business activity. From where do you see the turnaround coming?  

Rapaport News Editor Joshua Freedman chats with Lita Asscher, president of Royal Asscher Diamond Company, and Harsh Shah, director of Pasavaja Gems, about the Young Diamantaires group following their recent fact-finding trip to India.

Rapaport is the primary source for diamond pricing and information. Here's our view of the global diamond market for the week of April 21st. Read all the stories of the week on our website Rapaport.com, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

In his presentation during International Diamond Week in Israel, Rapaport Group Chairman Martin Rapaport outlines the challenges the industry faces regarding synthetics and Russian sanctions, stressing the importance of full disclosure of supply relating to both issues.  

Bruce Cleaver, cochairman of De Beers, sat with Rapaport’s Avi Krawitz to discuss the company’s ongoing negotiations for a new marketing and mining deal with the Botswana government. They also talked about traceability and how De Beers is facilitating this through its Tracr blockchain platform, the importance of branding, lab grown and De Beers positioning in that sector, and current market condit...

The discussions and meetings that took place in Israel this week, said a lot about the diamond trade’s mindset. What do you think should be on the agenda that wasn’t?

What does the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision have to do with the diamond industry? Well, pretty much everything if we want to understand the slow market environment that we continue to experience.

Rapaport Editor in Chief Sonia Esther Soltani chats with Senior Analyst Avi Krawitz and News Editor Joshua Freedman, highlighting the major events, trends and quirky news stories that have shaped the diamond industry in the first quarter of 2023. 

David Kellie, CEO of the Natural Diamond Council, chats with Rapaport’s Avi Krawitz about the organization’s latest projects — including a rebuttal to the lab-grown sector’s sustainability claims, a path to partnering with other sectors of the trade, and the group’s ongoing work with brand ambassador Lily James.

Iris Van der Veken, executive director of the Watch & Jewelry Initiative 2030, discusses with Rapaport’s Avi Krawitz the organization’s immediate and long-term goals, how the luxury brands are approaching sustainability challenges, and how to raise the bar when it comes to issues such as climate change, gender equality, and governance. 

Frederik Degryse, CEO of iTraceiT, a new platform that aims to validate a diamond’s origin and journey, chats with Rapaport’s Avi Krawitz about the rising demand for traceability programs and the challenges providers of such services face in facilitating diamond-origin claims. 

Sam Karmiel, owner of Icerock Diamonds, discusses the learning curve he experienced as his business shifted focus to selling expensive diamonds via Instagram.

Rapaport Acting Editor Rachael Taylor and Senior Analyst Avi Krawitz discuss the role technology is playing in jewelry design and marketing. They also explore the legacies of two major brands that are the subjects of books Taylor recently published.  

Rapaport Senior Analyst Avi Krawitz, News Editor Joshua Freedman and Senior Reporter Leah Meirovich look back on 2023, picking their favorite industry moments of the year, their personal and professional highlights, and the top stories on Rapaport.com — and outlining their expectations for 2023.

Mountain Province CEO Mark Wall expresses optimism for the diamond trade, noting that the eventual release of pent-up demand in China, coupled with supply constraints, will support the market. He also outlines the opportunity the macro environment provides Canadian producers, discusses the long-term prospects for Mountain Province, and provides an update on the Ice Road that is developed each year...

Rapaport Senior Analyst Avi Krawitz and News Editor Joshua Freedman question whether sentiment in the diamond industry is aligned with that of the retail sector. They also discuss the high-end market, the growing importance of the GemGenève show, the lab-grown diamond segment, De Beers’ negotiations with Botswana, and the recent Kimberley Process (KP) plenary meeting.

Rapaport Acting Editor Rachael Taylor and Senior Analyst Avi Krawitz examine the move toward gender-neutral styles by jewelers and designers, expecting unisex to be a major trend this holiday season.

The editorial team examines the slowdown in diamond trading, considering the impact of economic forces on consumer sentiment even as the US is supporting the trade while China remains sluggish. The journalists also assess some of the headlines that shaped the market in the past month, including those relating to the rough sector, De Beers Forevermark and the recent trade show in Singapore.

Kieron Hodgson, managing director at UK investment firm Panmure Gordon, discusses mistruths about lab-grown and natural diamonds, the role of research analysts in the industry, how regulatory improvements have helped the trade through Covid-19, the current market environment, and why rough prices must rise. 

Matt Stuller, founder and chairman of Stuller, discusses how he got into the jewelry industry, the company’s growth, how it has navigated the Covid-19 crisis, the state of the jewelry market and its challenges, and his expectations for the holiday season.

The editorial team discusses key events and some surprising stories that dominated the headlines in the past month, including Signet’s acquisition of Blue Nile, the India International Jewellery Show (IIJS) and Tiffany & Co.’s move into non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

Pritesh Patel, chief operating officer at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), outlines the organization’s digital and sustainability strategy following its recent move toward paperless reports.

Rapaport’s Avi Krawitz chats with Wesley Tucker, head of digital transformation and Tracr at De Beers, about the industry’s drive to develop diamond tracking programs.

Lisa Bridge, CEO of jewelry chain Ben Bridge, discusses her recent appointment as president of the American Gem Society and the mood among US jewelry retailers heading into the second half of 2022.  

Digital-marketing expert Ben Smithee, founder of The Smithee Group, joins Rapaport’s Avi Krawitz to discuss the rapidly changing media space and how it is impacting the diamond and jewelry industry.