European Commission closes case on SOC complaints
Brussels, Belgium—The European Commission (EC) has closed its investigation into De Beers' Supplier of Choice (SOC) program based on increased transparency in the company's distribution...
Alrosa VP talks changes for Russian diamond giant
Amsterdam, the Netherlands—Alrosa Vice President Sergey A. Oulin confirmed the Russian diamond producer has plans to restructure its marketing strategy, selling the majority of its rough to...
BHP Billiton backs off bid for Rio Tinto
London--The board of mining company BHP Billiton announced today that it is not moving forward with its acquisition of rival mining company Rio Tinto.
NRF fighting against credit card fees
Washington, D.C.—The National Retail Federation(NRF) is calling for MasterCard to withdraw hidden fees charged to process credit card transactions, a practice that costs consumers $40 billion...
EC appeals De Beers-Alrosa decision
Brussels—The European Commission (EC) has reportedly appealed the July ruling by the European Union's (EU) Court of First Instance, which annulled an EU antitrust decision that barred De Beers...
EU annuls ruling barring De Beers from buying Alrosa rough
Brussels, Belgium —In a ruling today, the European Union's (EU) Court of First Instance annulled an EU antitrust decision that had barred the diamond giant from purchasing rough diamonds from...
KP participants publish diamond-trade figures
Brussels, Belgium—In an effort to boost transparency, Kimberley Process (KP) Chairman Karel Kovanda of the European Commission has announced the publication of participant's rough-diamond...
'Blood Diamond' director to speak at Rap conference
New York—Ed Zwick, who produced and directed Blood Diamond, will offer his views on conflict diamonds and problems confronting artisanal diamond diggers at a press conference during the 4th...
KP participants agree to tackle conflict diamond issues
Gaborone, Botswana—The diamond industry and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that have kept critical pressure on the conflict diamonds issue reported positive progress as the Kimberley...
Report: U.K. retailers not doing enough to combat conflict diamonds
United Kingdom—A new survey by Global Witness and Amnesty International UK released on Tuesday reports that many of the United Kingdom's leading retail jewelers still do not have effective...
Namibia to vice chair Kimberley Process
Gaborone, Botswana—The 2007 Kimberley Process Plenary Meeting has elected the South African nation of Namibia to serve as vice chair of the Kimberley Process for 2008.
DTC confirms: Fewer sightholders in next round
London—In recent presentations to diamantaires in Antwerp, Belgium, and Israel, Diamond Trading Co. (DTC) Managing Director Varda Shine has acknowledged what has been industry speculation for...
WFDB, IDMA discuss diamond-industry challenges
Amsterdam, the Netherlands—The World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) and the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA) Presidents' Meeting kicked off on Sunday, focusing on...