Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Jewelers Ethics Association : Time for a Change

30 December 2008

It is time for a change in the colored gemstone industry!

Consumers are leading the way, and we must follow to preserve our industry!
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As we prepare to start a new year we must reflect on what has transpired over the past 12 months in our industry. Given the state of the world economies and the impact that it’s surely to have on the coming year’s gemstone business, we need to consider what we did right and did wrong in the past year, in an effort to see if we can overcome our weaknesses and capitalize on our strengths. The one issue that seems to repeat itself over and over is that change is needed in our industry in 2009, serious change that must be instituted if we are to avoid the pitfalls of 2008…..
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When an organization of 7 of the richest gemological laboratories can unilaterally decide to take away the legitimate and unique commercial trade name like “Paraiba Tourmaline” from its rightful owners, and legitimize the name’s use by just anyone in the world…..it is time for a change.
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When that same organization of 7 of the richest gemological laboratories takes this action without first making serious investigations as to the legitimacy of the Mozambique tourmalines that they are helping to promote….it is time for a change.
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When an organization who bills itself as the “The world’s foremost authority in gemology ™” allows a multimillion dollar bribery conspiracy to exist within their organization over a period of many years, and then refuses to properly divulge the situation and indeed, specifically covers up the situation from the industry….it is time for a change.
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When it takes several hundred frustrated consumers a period of years to finally get some industry action on a multimillion dollar fraud perpetrated through undisclosed selling of diffusion treated andesine…..it is time for a change.
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When a committee of jewelers, whose fiduciary duty is to be vigilant on behalf of the consumers and the jewelry industry, fails in their duty to protect consumers and the industry from fraud….it is time for a change.
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When the organization that promotes itself as the “Authority in Color™” issues several years of erroneous Identification Reports that allows diffused andesine to be sold as natural, and then makes no apologies or issues no responses to consumers regarding the organization’s extremely costly errors….it is time for a change.
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When new gemstones can be promoted and sold on the world markets with absolutely no oversight, no advanced testing and certification, and no protection for consumers….it is time for a change.
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When gemstone cookers in Thailand and China feel so confident that no one is watching that they dump tons of treated gemstones on the world markets without proper disclosure, and no one questions them….it is time for a change.
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The question is: Where will this change start? Answer: It starts with you, and me and every grass roots member of this industry. Consumers are already way ahead of us.
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We are playing catch up with consumers when it comes to consumer protection. But catch up we must, and it must start immediately.
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A new structure of organization is coming to the world gemological industry. A new structure started not by the ISG or any other of our fellow grass roots gemological organizations.
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This new structure is being established by consumers and grass roots jewelers to help protect consumers and this industry, and represents an important change in the way things are run….from the grass roots of the industry.
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Next month the Jewelers Ethics Association will formally announce their beginning.
This will be a joining of consumers and the grass roots gemstone industry for the purpose of making the necessary changes for the future of this industry.
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The ISG is in full support of this new organization, and will offer every resource at our disposal to make it a success both for consumers and the industry.
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It is necessary that this industry make changes.
The JEA is going to be the right place to start.
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Until then, everyone at the ISG wishes all of you a very Happy New Year!
We look forward to an exciting year ahead.
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Important Note to all of the ISG Community: Please be advised that the ISG office is currently withholding the renewal of our membership in the American Gem Trade Association until we can have a meeting of the ISG community in Tucson . We will have a closed door meeting on this issue with everyone in the Presidio Room of the Hotel Arizona during the week of the ISG at Tucson 2009. This does not affect our table #40 at the AGTA GemFair nor any of the schedules. For more information please contact the ISG office.Robert James FGA, GG President, International School of Gemology

Send us your thoughts, suggestions, and responses to:
Contact the ISG
©2008 International School of Gemology . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

All images are taken using the ISG Student Reference Collection of gemstones in the ISG office. We do urge and support sharing of this information in its entirety, with copyright notices intact, to others who are interested in the study of gemology. Jeweler’s Associations are welcome to distribute to your members.
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Additional Reading :
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Non Compliant Diamond Grading Laboratories are a menace to the diamond consumer.
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The world jewellery and diamond governing bodies such as CIBJO and the WFDB do not permit jewellery or diamond dealer members to have cross ownership or interests in laboratories.
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" We're keen to make ADGL as independent and honest as possible " : Mike Muller ADGL
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CONFLICT OF INTEREST DIAMOND MERCHANT
NON DISCLOSURE IS DECEPTIVE & MISLEADING

It is widely know that, one owner of Auscert, Mr Anthony Bates is the owner of the jewellery store Tishé , this is a fact.

Tishé is an Auscert member. The owner, Mr Bates is the same person who grades and certifies the diamonds he is selling !
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"Simply, we are not a CIBJO approved Laboratory, thus we can do whatever we want. We are not answerable or legally bound to any of their codes of ethics or rulings from the blue book" : Anthony Bates of Auscert Diamonds
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"To be honest, the last diamond I sold through my design studio was a DCLA certified stone and it was bloody nice, correctly graded and the client loved it!" : Anthony Bates Auscert Diamonds

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Happy New Year
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Diamond Imports
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do not endorse any
Diamond Grading Lab in Australia
*
Always check your diamond's accuracy
*
Fair Trade Diamonds

For Your Protection
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Highest Quality Diamonds
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Today in History

1879 : Edison demonstrates incandescent light

In the first public demonstration of his incandescent light bulb, American inventor Thomas Edison lights up a street in Menlo Park, New Jersey, U.S.A. Although the first incandescent lamp had been produced 40 years earlier, no inventor had been able to come up with a practical design until Edison embraced the challenge in the late 1870s. After countless tests, he developed a high-resistance carbon-thread filament that burned steadily for hours and an electric generator sophisticated enough to power a large lighting system. One of the most prolific inventors in history, Edison acquired a record 1,093 patents in his lifetime and laid the basis for the modern electric world.

Posted by The Diamond Guru

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Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Holocaust survivor escaped with gems

A Pembroke Pines woman who hid her mother's diamonds while she was in Auschwitz tells her tale in a memoir.

BY JENNIFER COHEN
Special to The Miami Herald

Her mother gave her four diamonds to be used to buy bread should she ever find herself hungry during World War II, but those diamonds gave Irene Weisberg Zisblatt the fortitude to survive the Holocaust.

''I can not buy bread with your diamonds, mother, but as long as I am alive they will stay with me,'' she wrote in her memoir, The Fifth Diamond: The Story of Irene Weisberg Zisblatt.

A resident of Pembroke Pines since 1990, Zisblatt recently discussed her book and appearance in Steven Spielberg's documentary, The Last Days, at Nova Southeastern University.

Born Chana Seigelstein, Zisblatt lived in Hungary with her parents and five siblings. In 1942, when she was 11, her mother, Rachel, sewed the diamonds into the hem of her skirt before she was taken by the Nazis to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland.

Zisblatt's entire family was killed in the gas chambers, and those four diamonds were the last mementoes of them. The only way Irene could keep the diamonds hidden was to swallow and retrieve them over and over again. She did this for 15 months.

Zisblatt told the audience how, as a young prisoner in the camps, she was a favorite of Dr. Josef Mengele, who performed experiments and surgeries on her and other prisoners without anesthesia. A girl named Sabka was another of Mengele's regular victims. Though they weren't allowed to speak, they formed a friendship and Zisblatt drew strength from their bond.

"The diamonds survived because, to me, they were the strength, the hope, the courage, and my mother, so they had to survive,'' Zisblatt said. In having a valuable secret from the Nazis, she felt that she was defeating her torturers. ``For every time that I was hungry, beaten or was tortured with experiments, I was hitting back by keeping my mother's diamonds.''

Mengele injected chemicals into her eyes in an attempt to change their color and forced her to remain in a cold room for days. He injected viruses under Zisblatt's fingernail and surgically experimented on her to find a way to remove the numbers tattooed on her arm. Afterward, he ordered the nurse to administer a lethal injection to both girls, but the nurse worked for the underground and was able to free them, one of many miracles Zisblatt experienced.

''Mengele was the most good-looking man,'' she said. ``He could have been the one scientist in the world who could have developed extraordinary things for humanity, but he became a murderer. He would look at me and smile and at times I could not believe this man could ever hurt me, he could be so charming. But the next minute, he was cutting me up into little pieces.''


In 1945, Irene and Sabka were part of a group of 5,000 prisoners forced to march in the cold. Every day, weakened prisoners dropped dead around her. After two months, they escaped. Exhausted and covered in lice, they walked through the forest and managed to stay alive by digging up food.

The pair were finally liberated by Gen. George Patton's Third Army, but Sabka died the very next day. Once again, Zisblatt lost her only family. After her recovery, she was taken in by relatives in America and began a new life with a new name. She married in 1956, and although she had been given watery soup filled with chemicals to destroy her reproductive organs, she gave birth to a son and a daughter in the 1960s.

Not wanting to remember her past, Zisblatt kept her mother's diamonds in a vault. Years later, at her husband's suggestion, she had the diamonds set into a pendant in the shape of a tear drop. She does not wear them regularly -- only when she speaks to future generations.

Zisblatt had vowed that if she survived, she would be a voice for her fellow prisoners. But it was not until her son asked her about the Holocaust that she was ready to share her story.

''For 50 years, I didn't say a word. I didn't want my children to live with my pain,'' she said.
After taking part in the March of the Living, a walk through the camps culminating in Israel, she began to share her story to educate children in order to rid the world of prejudice and indifference, and to teach future generations about the past and what hatred can do.

''I am a survivor of man's hatred,'' Zisblatt said. 'We were dragged from our homes, robbed of our childhood, yanked from our mothers' arms. I was living in a factory of death.''

The Fifth Diamond: The Story of Irene Weisberg Zisblatt' is available at www.TheFifthDiamond.com.

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Additional Reading :

Diamond Circle Capital : " the market is thirsty for liquidity "

Diamonds-The Universal Gem & Portability of Wealth

" Rapaportization " of Diamonds

Investing in Diamonds: The Terms of Engagement An excellent insight

Diamond Circle Capital : Can commoditisation be good for diamond prices?

Breaking Point: The Real Story of Israel's Gaza Operation Demand Unbias Reporting

Israel V Gaza ( Hamas ) : The Arab Art of Failure

Rabbi and the Terrorists

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Diamond Imports
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For Your Protection
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Today In History

1916: Rasputin murdered

Grigory Rasputin, a self-fashioned Russian holy man, is murdered by Russian nobles eager to end his sway over the royal family. Rasputin won the favour of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra through his ability to stop the bleeding of their haemophiliac son, Alexei. Although the Siberian-born peasant was widely criticised for his lechery and drunkenness, he exerted a powerful influence on the ruling family of Russia. He particularly influenced the Tsarina, and when Nicholas departed to lead Russian forces in the First World War, Rasputin effectively ruled Russia through her. In the early hours of 30th December 1916, a group of nobles lured Rasputin to Yusupovsky Palace, where they attempted to poison him. Seemingly unaffected by the large doses of poison placed in his wine and food, he was finally shot at close range and collapsed. A minute later he rose, beat one of his assailants, and attempted to escape from the palace grounds, where he was shot again. Rasputin, still alive, was then bound and tossed into a freezing river. A few months later, the imperial regime was overthrown by the Russian Revolution.


2006 Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein is hanged by the Iraqi government having been found guilty of ordering the deaths of 148 people in the town Dujail in 1982.
1997 In Algeria,approximately 400 people are killed in the Wilaya of Relizane massacres.
1994 Pro-life activist John Salvi shoots dead two people and injuries five others in an attack on two abortion clinics in Boston, U.S.A. Salvi is convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison but committed suicide in 1996.
1993 Israel and the Vatican agree to establish full diplomatic ties.

Posted by The Diamond Guru

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Monday, December 29, 2008

Diamond Dealers Club of Australia Arbitration Request

Cuckoo !
Here cum de club here cum de club
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Is Your Diamond Dealer Reputable?

" We're keen to make ADGL as independent and honest as possible " : Mike Muller ADGL

I can only shake my head in disbelief at the above comment not to mention the revealing nature of such an incredibly naive remark.

It is one thing to produce great looking certificates but it is extremely important that the certificate or grading report has accurate information and is technically correct.

Under the DDCA constitution any dispute or grievance between DDCA club members or non-member can be settled via arbitration with possible disciplinary action on a DDCA member.

Three of the DDCA benefits of joining the club are :

The DDCA " members protect the consumer individually as a whole."

The DDCA " Members are recognised as ethical and honourable members of the industry "

The DDCA " enables participation in upholding and maintaining honour, ethics and standards in the local industry. "

Under the current situation I do not agree with the above three benefits. It's a sham.

Two recent new DDCA club members are:

1) Anthony Bates, qualifications unknown, of the non compliant diamond grading laboratory SGTL better known as Auscert Diamonds in Melbourne who own a retail jewellery story.

2) Brett Bolton of Bolton Gems, wholesale supplier of their branded diamonds called " Eternity " falsely portrayed as independently certified by ADGL ( Australian Diamond Grading Laboratory of Australia )

Both Messrs Bates & Bolton have objected to my criticisms of their primitive and unsophisticated modus operandi in regard to diamond certification international protocols quite possibly with hot laser damage therefore voiding any diamond grading report aside from the obvious conflict of interest issues.

They have both gone to extraordinary lengths to silence me without success. Some of their actions have been incredibly childish only exposing them to further exposure and ridicule amongst the more serious professionals in the Australian diamond industry except in Melbourne and Brisbane where a group of diamond vendors continue to sell diamonds with exaggerated inaccurate gradings.

I am more determined than ever to expose at my personal cost what most of the jewellery industry in Australia has failed to do by protesting the disgusting betrayal of trust that both Bates and Bolton represent through their immoral actions.

I refused to be fooled or cowtail to Bates, Muller and Bolton who are an insult to all the decent honest jewellers who preceded them to the present.

Those jewellers and diamond vendors who retain their product and services are also guilty by collusion and also deserve contempt.

Ignorance is not an excuse.

Their actions are simply just wrong !

A young child recognises the difference between right and wrong at a very early age. Bates, Muller and Bolton are not children but continue to assume everyone else around them is which makes their actions even more repulsive.

Muller, Bolton and Bates and others like them, have only been able to escape detection and judgement because none of the limp jellyfish in the Australian jewellery industry have protested.

There is no protection for the public consumer of diamonds.

The symbolism of trust and friendship that diamonds represent are being white washed by shysters and con men. It is nothing new except for those who pretend to walk the high moral ground while shafting everyone around them for a quick gain at everyone elses' expense hiding behind second rate dodgy diamond grading reports.

In regard to Mr Bates we have had some limited success in requesting Auscert Diamonds disclosed that they trade both in diamonds and certify diamonds because it is a conflict of interest irrespective of any upgrades they may have made to their pseudo diamond grading lab.

Monica Crofts, a partner of Mr Bates, who also sells coloured gemstones and provides jewellery valuations from the same shared office once wrote that diamond certification does not have to be independent because it is an " art form " and after all she is a qualified scientist. Perhaps I missed the point for which I am grateful since comments like this only encourage others who think they are mildly sane to think they are normal.

We can only assume Auscert has a lot of coloured pencils in stock and maybe they paint by numbers when producing one of their Mickey Mouse diamond certificates.

As for Mr Brett Bolton of Bolton Gems, wholesale supplier of the branded " Eternity " diamond certified by ADGL, another pseudo diamond grading lab originally established by Bolton Gems themselves but now hiding behind an ex employer Mr Mike Muller qualifications unknown, his ego is terribly bruised so much so that he is completely blinded by his actions and is incapable of admitting he is acting dishonourably, deceptively and misleading both his retail clients and therefore the public consumer of diamonds.

Under the guidance of one of the most incredibly inept lawyers I have ever encountered, Brett Bolton ,who enjoys his infamous reputation as one of the movers and shakers of the Australian jewellery industry by birth and not by merit, has decided to waste more money on attempting to silence The Diamond Guru again without success.

Here cum de club here cum de club

We have written to both the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Diamond Dealers Club of Australia requesting an arbitration hearing separate from any pending supreme court actions between myself and Brett Bolton.

We await confirmation.

In Australia it happens too often that those who are guilty of trangressions continue to escape the consequences of their actions.

Tick Tock Tick Tock ,

Daniel F Katz GG

Founding Member DDCA resigned.

Additional Reading :

ADGL Graded Laser Damaged Eternity Branded Diamonds

ADGL Graded Eternity Diamonds Continue to Deceive

HOT VS COLD LASER SYSTEMS

Eternity Diamonds " Certification " by ADGL is NOT Recognised by JAA.

Misleading & Deceptive Conduct :Section 52 Trade Practices Act

ADGL Removes JAA & NCJV Logos

ADGL Continues to Mislead
The use of GIA Facetware estimator lends false credibility to ADGL.
GIA confirms their GIA Facetware is only a prediction and certainly not to be used with the GIA name on another diamond grading laboratory's grading report confirming cut grades as being actual GIA cut grades.
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Why is it unethical for a jeweller or a diamond dealer to certify their own diamonds?

Is Your Diamond Dealer Reputable?

Why is it unethical for a jeweller or a diamond dealer to certify their own diamonds?

Dodgy Online Diamond Dealers ~ The Risk

Non Compliant Diamond Grading Laboratories

Read More about Auscert

Update on Auscert

The Auscert Difference NOT endorsed by Diamond Imports

The Auscert Difference NOT endorsed by Diamond Imports Part 2 Principals: Anthony Bates and Monica Crofts

AUSCERT the Diamond Merchant

CONFLICT OF INTEREST DIAMOND MERCHANT NON DISCLOSURE IS DECEPTIVE & MISLEADING

It is widely know that, one owner of Auscert, Mr Anthony Bates is the owner of the jewellery store Tishé , this is a fact.

Tishé is an Auscert member. The owner, Mr Bates is the same person who grades and certifies the diamond he is selling !

In Australia please note that you must ensure that the diamond you purchase is accompanied by a DCLA Diamond Grading Certificate. (This is our opinion )

Avoid conflict of interest diamonds from non compliant diamond grading laboratories in Australia.

Diamond Imports

do not endorse any

diamond grading lab in Australia


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Today in History

1998 Six people are killed in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race as a storm causes havoc with the competition.
1993 Construction of the Tian Tan Buddha, the world’s tallest outdoor seated bronze Buddha, on Lantau Island in Hong Kong is completed.
1989 Václav Havel becomes President of Czechoslovakia.

Posted by The Diamond Guru

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Sunday, December 28, 2008

Diamond industry lays off 100,000 workers

The ongoing recession has taken the shine off the Surat diamond industry. Around 100,000 diamond cutting and polishing workers have so far been laid off in the wake of the global turmoil hitting the diamond industry hard.

"The Rs 50,000 crore diamond industry in Surat is facing severe financial crunch and it has laid off 100,000 workers for the first time in the past 40 years," MD of Gitanjali Group Mehul Choksi said while speaking at the 'Sparkle International Gems and Jewellery' convention held today at Surat.

Nearly 13 lakh workers and their families are dependent on diamond, gems and jewellery industry in Surat, added Choksi, who is also the chairman of Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry's (FICCI) Gems and Jewellery Committee.

"Diamond cutting and polishing units owners and workers should work together at a time of global recession. The industry players should not leave the gems and jewellery workers in limbo when the enitre industry is passing through a tough phase," Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi said while inaugrating the the three-day conference-cut-exhibition at Surat. Source BS Reporter / Ahmedabad December 27, 2008

Modi refuses sops to diamond industry
27 Dec 2008, 0227 hrs IST, Kumar Anand & Yamini Dhall, ET Bureau

SURAT: The captains of the troubled diamond industry looking for a bailout package were coldly reminded of their responsibility towards their workforce. “You have earned enough, now give it back to your people.”
In keeping with Gujarat’s no-sops policy, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi refrained from announcing any direct relief package for the troubled diamond polishing industry while inaugurating the three-day event gems and jewellery event ‘Sparkle’ in Surat on Friday.
The industry, which was hoping for subsidy on power and relief package for its skilled workers, instead got a rather crisp round up on how they could help themselves.
As far as the relief packages go, the CM said that he could only ‘talk to the Centre’.
It may be mentioned here that the Surat diamond industry has been facing crisis due to a drop in demand from importing countries like the US that is caught up in global recession.
Since Diwali, as many as 60% of the 8,000 cutting and polishing units in the city went on a long holiday, leaving one lakh skilled workers jobless.
Giving it back to the “prosperous” players from the sector, who had asked for a relief package, the CM said: “You have earned enough, now it is time the industry came forward to look after its workforce.”
He said that he would provide alternative employment, training programme and relief to the affected workers directly. “We are the only state to give VAT respite to the diamond industry. And who is the biggest beneficiary of the government’s Jyotigram Yojana (24-hour electricity supply to villages)? It’s the diamond industry.
The state government is ready to work as a catalyst, but it is upon the industry to get out of the trouble by modernising itself and add value to its products,” he advised.
He said sops and incentives were not the way to get out of the present crisis. Instead, the industry should sit together and discuss how to move ahead in such turbulent times. “It is the insensitive diamond industrialists who have got the industry into trouble.
Instead of investing in the diamond industry, they went on to invest surplus income in sectors like the real estate that has aggravated their trouble.
They should have instead concentrated on their basic sector, which may not have led the industry into such trouble,” he further said.
He also suggested a common branding for the Surat diamonds its marketing and linkage so that it could carve a place in the market. “It is for the industry to identify existing strength in linkages and branding.
The government is ready to help them in human resources development and planning.
We are also ready to help diamond workers get out of the trouble by absorbing jobless under the Gram Rojagar Yojana,” he said.
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Dear DG,

Although laying off 100,000 diamond workers is nothing to sneeze at, India,with a reported 1,200,000 diamond workers, looks better placed than other diamond centres to 'weather the economic storm?'

India, after all, are original manufacturers of low end goods which helped them weather recessionary periods far better than other competitive cutting and export centers globally, in the past.

Their product base is of course broader now.

However they still remain the masters of goods which are 'ALL SHOW FOR NO DOUGH!

This could be the cutting edge that makes the difference in this economic climate.

Time will tell.

Best wishes,
SM

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~
Lotus (Nelumbo Nucipera Gaertn) is the National Flower of India.
It is a sacred flower and occupies a unique position
in the art and mythology of ancient India and
has been an auspicious symbol of Indian culture since time immemorial
***

Diamond Imports
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Today in History

1973 Aleksander Solzhenitsyn’s book, ‘The Gulag Archipelago, 1918-1956’, is published in Russian in Paris.It is soon translated into English and spreads all around the world.

1908 An earthquake in Sicily kills over 100,000 people and destroys several towns as well causing devastation on the southern Italian mainland.

1065 The consecration of Westminster Abbey takes place in London, England.

Posted by The Diamond Guru

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" Rapaportization " of Diamonds

• Commoditization •

Can diamond qualities and prices be standardized?•
What is the impact of certificates and the Internet on retail profit margins?•
Can commoditization and branding coexist?•
Will investment diamond markets return?•
What is the outlook for Exchange Traded Funds and Diamond Future contracts?

Technology •
Will advanced treatments and synthetics make it impossible to authenticate diamonds?•
How will technology change the way we grade and market diamonds?

Branding and Marketing •

What are the benefits of branding?
How does it add value?•
Are profit margins sufficient to support branding initiatives?•
How important are authentication and social responsibility issues?•
Will diamond mining company brands change how diamonds are distributed?•
Are generic diamonds on the way out and what impact will that have on trading markets?

The New Economics of Globalization •

What are the forces impacting the U.S. economy?
Is the American party over?•
How low can polished go?•
Will India and China dominate demand?•
Are rough prices and the big stone boom sustainable?•
Inflation, interest rates, and the credit crunch…How to survive a U.S. recession

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Rapaport feels need for cash market for diamonds
27th December 2008

Martin Rapaport, the maverick in world diamond industry, is a rather controversial figure who went against the tide to commoditise diamonds and brought to fore the issues relating to conflict diamonds (backed the Kimberley Process) and fair trade diamonds.

He was in India to set up his company’s office in Surat. He spoke to ET on sidelines of the gems and jewellery expo ‘Sparkle’ about the new emerging order in the world diamond industry and the way forward for Surat.

World-wide diamond industry is undergoing a change.What is the way forward?

That’s true. The global diamond industry is going through a fundamental change. It’s a fundamental shift. We can no longer go back to the old way of doing business. There is a need to create a cash market for diamonds. We need to create a business model that acts as a heart for the circulatory system in diamond. Facilities for trading, sorting and merchandising would be key. The future of diamond is not manufacturing, it is trading.

What is the emerging order in the world market for diamonds?

Diamond has become a downstream industry where manufacturers have been forced to become marketers. That is not how it should be. The new market forces have given them an opportunity to break free of the producers who control the entire business and are forcing manufactures into marketing.

Do you see a drop in demand for diamonds?

Diamonds will continue to be in demand, especially from the younger people. But the demand would be for more socially responsible diamonds. For example, India plans to employ physically challenged people in the industry. This is a wonderful idea.

What are your plans for India and Surat?

I am here to set up our Surat office. We have offices in Mumbai and Jaipur and we would be opening our largest office in Surat. We will float diamond tenders here. Surat is a huge cutting centre and can absorb everything — the big pieces and the small pieces. The city can act as the diamond recycling centre. Source : The Economic Times

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Gemmological Institute of India organised a lecture on “ Introduction to Diamond Pricing” by Mr. Martin Rapaport of Rapaport Diamond Report. on Wednesday the 7th December 2005 at the Y.B. Chavan Centre, Convention Hall, Nariman Point.

The lecture covered the following areas :

How and why do diamond prices change?

What are the economic forces that impact the diamond markets?

Who controls diamond prices?

It was well attended by GII students and people from the Diamond Industry. Source

Additional Reading :




Cash is King




Diamonds For Art Lovers : Diamonds, like art, are a commodity that is gaining attention as an alternative investment.

Luxury Versus Commodity

Diamonds-The Universal Gem & Portability of Wealth

Historical Feature: The Diamond Boom of the 70's

Fair Trade Diamonds

Kosher Diamonds = Fair Trade Diamonds: Beginning of the New York Process


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In Australia
Avoid Conflict of Interest Diamonds
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Additional Reading :
DO NOT TAKE THE GIA GAMBLE !
GIA : Corrupt Diamond Grading Reports
*GIA Versus DCLA
*GIA " The Internet Certificate "
*Historical Feature: GIA's Bribery Scandal Certifigate 1
*RISKY CORRUPT GIA DIAMOND GRADING REPORTS Certifigate 2
*GIA emerging from tough 18 months, but it's still setting the standard Certifigate 3
*Upgrading the Jennifer Lopez Pink Certifigate 4
*GIA " The Internet Certificate " Certifigate 5
*GIA Bribery Accusations: Correspondence awaiting reply Certifigate 6
*Certifigate: Rallying Support for Closure Certifigate 7
*Kimberley Process,Corruption & Integrity: Is it failing ? Certifigate 8
*U.S. Court Subpoenas GIA ‘Certifigate’ Records : Certifigate 9
*Problems with GIA Graded Diamonds in Australia
*GIA GTL's Colour Grading Of Fluorescent Diamonds
*GIA Harms Its Own Brand - " GIA – the World’s Most Trusted Name in Diamond
*Australian Diamond Vendors Trade in Fear of Rejection
*Diamond Grading & International Diamond Council
*FAILED LEADERSHIP AND FRAUDULENT CERTIFICATES
*Adamas Gemological Laboratory
*Controversial GIA Fluff Letter Revealed: Dealers Protest
*Beware of GIA Lasered "H & A" Diamonds
*TRADE ALERT: Fake GIA Laser
*International Diamond Council Diamond Grading Laboratories
*Misleading & Deceptive Conduct :Section 52 Trade Practices Act
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Diamond Imports
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For Your Protection
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Today in History

1895: First commercial movie screened

French film pioneers Auguste and Louis Lumière publicly unveil their Cinématographe at the Grand Café on the boulevard des Capucines in Paris.About 30 people paid to see short films showing scenes from ordinary French life, including the feeding of a baby, a game of cards, street activity, a working blacksmith and soldiers marching. One of the films, which showed the head-on arrival of a train, caused many patrons to flee in horror. As early as 1885, hazy motion pictures had been produced, but it was not until the developments of the Lumière brothers that the first real cinema was made.

1989 Alexander Dubcek, former Czechoslovakian leader and architect of the “Prague Spring”, is elected speaker of the Federal Assembly in Czechoslovakia.

Posted by The Diamond Guru

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Saturday, December 27, 2008

Luxury Items Compete : Diamonds Versus Fashion

Stephen Lussier, Executive Director of De Beers talks with TheStreet.com about the enduring value of diamonds.
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Diamonds are a store of value.
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How will other luxury brands survive the recession ?

Enduring Value of Diamonds

Interview
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Upmarket Luxury Competes Against Cheaper Luxury Items.
Fiona Patten stated the possible recession would stimulate demand for sex toys and porn films as Australians sought cheaper pleasures.
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Diamond Imports
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For Your Protection
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Today in History

1979: Soviet backed coup in Afghanistan

As invading Soviet troops pour into Afghanistan, Afghan President Hafizullah Amin is murdered in a Soviet-backed coup. Afghan Babrak Karmal, a product of the KGB, was installed in his place. Despite early gains, the Soviet army met with unanticipated resistance from Muslim guerrillas, who launched a jihad, or holy war, against the foreigners. Armed by the United States, Britain,China and several Muslim nations, the Muhajadeen, or holy warriors, inflicted heavy casualties on the Russians. In April 1988, after years of stalemate, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed a peace accord with Afghanistan. The last Soviet soldier left Afghanistan in 1989, where civil war continued until the Taliban’s seizure of power in the late 1990s.

1997 In Northern Ireland, Loyalist paramilitary leader Billy Wright is shot dead in the Maze prison.

1985 Palestinian terrorists launch two separate attacks at airports in Rome and Vienna against passengers queuing for Israel’s national airline El AL. A total of 18 people are killed in both assaults.

1978 Following its approval in a national referendum, King
Juan Carlos ratifies Spain’s first democratic constitution in nearly five decades.

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Friday, December 26, 2008

Diamond Descent for the Purpose of a Diamond Ascent

The Great Depression
and
Its Lessons for De Beers and Botswana

During the holiday season we tend to reflect on events that have taken place thousands of years ago and rediscover their relevancy for present times. From a historical perspective, the diamond industry is still very young; its history is measured in decades or, at best, a few hundred years. The Great Depression of the 1930’s was when the industry faced its greatest crisis – and, measured by the results, it may have been turned into the industry’s greatest triumph. It happened exactly 76 years ago: in 1932, when the world was enmeshed in the Great Depression, De Beers Chairman Ernest Oppenheimer made a unilateral decision to close all of the company’s diamond mines. No exception. Apparently, this decision was made without prior South African Union government approval. Based on the ensuing debate, such consent would not have been given – the government had a different agenda.

In parallel to the present global financial meltdown, the current troubles in the diamond industry were not created but rather exacerbated by the banking crisis. Likewise in the Great Depression. When the stock market crashed a few years earlier, in 1929, the world was already facing a severe overproduction of rough diamonds. At the onset of the Great Depression, the bad situation deteriorated further. In 1929, world production of diamonds totaled 7.4 million carats (of which 57 percent was of industrial qualities, unfit for jewelry); by 1933, it had gone down to 4.0 million carats (of which 83 percent was industrial).

So is there really any relevance to today’s situation? Yes, far more than one would expect. Though De Beers was a major player during the Great Depression, the company wasn’t totally in control. Actually, it delivered only about 50 percent of the goods to the then-existing producers’ Syndicate. Today, De Beers holds about 45 percent of the world’s rough supplies.

Most of the South African output during the Great Depression came from (state-controlled) alluvial diggings, and the government was extremely reluctant to decrease production so as to secure continued employment in the diamond sector. When De Beers, as a company, did what it felt was in its own best interest and closed its mines, other mines followed suit and either shut down or severely curtailed production – including in Angola and the Congo. By the end of 1932, De Beers Chairman Ernest Oppenheimer was able to inform his shareholders that “with the exceptions of the South African state diggings, all productions of diamonds in the Union of South Africa and in South West Africa has ceased for the time being. The producers outside the Union have co-operated with producers in the Union in bringing about material reductions in production and prospecting work and in reducing or ceasing deliveries of diamonds [to the markets].”

The near stoppage of supply prevented a further slide in the value of the inventories of the trade in the cutting centers – and those of De Beers itself. The market started to improve. It worked. And, most significantly, the supply stoppage brought about an immediate reversal of the slide in rough prices.

The U.K. Wholesale Price Index for rough diamonds had collapsed from 100 in 1929 to 58 in 1932. This was a decline of 42 percent within three years. However, in 1933, when the worldwide supply had almost halved because of the 1932 cutbacks, the Price Index rose steeply to 95 – almost back to the pre-crash 1929 levels. Production growth followed. By 1937, worldwide production reached 9.6 million carats – and the price index (in that year alone) topped 102, slightly above the 1929 levels.

Though in these years there were various production quotas and delivery agreements within the De Beers-dominated Diamond Corporation, there was not yet a single authority with control over both production and selling. This was only achieved in 1934, when the establishment of the Diamond Trading Company (that later became the Central Selling Organisation) was agreed among the producers and with blessing of South Africa’s government. We’ll probably never know whether the DTC would have been created if there would not have been a Great Depression at the time.

In the current global financial crisis, the situation is similar to that of 1932 in that there is no single authority that can force diamond mines to close down or reduce output. But most diamond mining operations are taking actions either to close down temporarily or to reduce output. The Russians will mostly stockpile (by selling rough to its government). South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) took the greatest hit in the Great Depression; that unpleasant role will now be assumed by Botswana.

This week’s newspapers report on job redundancies of over 1,000 workers in Botswana’s Damtshaa, Orapa No. 2 and Letlhakane mines, which are already partly closed. And not just for the holidays. Only Botswana’s most profitable productions (Jwaneng and Orapa No. 1) will remain unaffected. De Beers has publicly stated that its mining operations will face cutbacks “in line with prevailing market conditions.” What will that mean?

2009 Expected Rough Demand 50% Lower than in 2008

Our revised research updates – which we’ll publish early next year – clearly indicate that the demand for rough diamonds from the cutting centers in 2009 will be some 50 percent below the 2008 levels. If rough prices decline further, in value terms the reduction may even be steeper. If De Beers sold about $6 billion-plus in 2008, it will not be able to sell much above $3 billion in 2009, assuming the company will maintain its relative market share. However, if supplies to the market are curtailed by the full aforementioned 50 percent, rough prices may remain stable or even strengthen.

This is in the hands of the producers. It is in their own best self-interest. The arithmetic is rather straightforward. If, for example, the Argyle-type rough will not pick up, it stands to reason that this major mine will be closed forever within a matter of months.

The world diamond output in 2008, measured in carats, is 40 times (!!) higher than in 1933. The pipeline is far heavier. In the 1930’s the stocks were held – and financed – mostly by the producers; today they are held by the downstream players – primarily the cutting and trading centers and the retail trade. Producer stocks are minimal.

Though it is hard to give exact estimates, we believe that the rough and polished inventories in the diamond pipeline (from cutting centers to consumers), measured in polished wholesale prices, total some $45-$50 billion. The cutting and trading center debts (excluding the jewelry wholesale and retail) are in the range of $15-$18 billion, which is less than one year of worldwide polished consumption. Though these figures may sound staggering, they are actually quite reasonable. The financial crisis has forced a glass ceiling on these figures – a ceiling which might temporarily be broken by government intervention in the cutting centers. I wouldn’t count on it.

At the end of the day, the price developments will depend on the supply side. Producers are reducing mining activities mostly to improve their cash-flow management. They don’t want stocks and don’t want to finance stocks.

This was different in the Great Depression. By the end of 1935, for example, the stocks held by the Diamond Corporation (on behalf of the producers) were £12,449,000, compared to worldwide sales of the Diamond Trading Company of merely £3,260,000. This was, however, a peak year in terms of producers’ stocks. In 1937, producer stocks and annual sales were in balance (respectively, £9,857,000 and £9,164,000).

Industry Driven by Supply Shortages

If these figures show anything, it is that the recovery after the Great Depression, when it came, came quite quickly. That may be different this time since analysts predict that consumer behavior will change – and the change may be lasting. We don’t know yet how high diamond jewelry will remain as a spending priority. Customer visits to U.S. retailers fell 24 percent last weekend compared with a year earlier, the biggest drop on record. Even the deepened discounts failed to attract consumers.

Part of this bad showing may be attributed to inclement weather and a slowing U.S. economy. It is self-evident that consumers were working with smaller budgets for holiday gifts this year because of rising unemployment and declining home values. There is no evidence as of yet that there is a change in overall consumer behavior.

McKinsey researchers stress that past recessions have affected spending on different categories of consumer goods in different ways. They didn’t go back to the 1930’s but rather to recent downturns. An analysis of consumer spending during the 1990–91 and 2001–02 downturns shows that US consumers changed their priorities instead of making across-the-board cuts. Daily amenities – eating out, personal-care products and services, and apparel – tended to suffer. But categories such as groceries and reading materials, which substituted for more expensive options, actually benefited from higher spending, as did less discretionary items, like insurance and health care. Spending on education showed the biggest increase, says McKinsey.

The firm also cautions that while these historical trends are instructive, they may not tell the whole story this time around: tighter consumer credit, low personal-savings rates and declining home values may cause individuals to cut spending faster and further across more categories. This doesn’t point to a lasting change. Nevertheless, we must be careful.

It is obvious that a Japan-type almost permanent non-recovery in diamond consumption after the Asian meltdown (and the bursting of the Japanese assets bubble) of the 1990’s must be avoided in the U.S. at any price. De Beers is counting on the assumption that tomorrow’s consumer will look for lasting-value products. Diamonds will be marketed stressing the foreverness of its value.

Ironically, this reinforces the notion that price stability remains the cornerstone of the industry’s survival strategy. A price collapse will never make for a convincing consumer promotion on lasting values, nor will it encourage investments in diamonds. With the inventories and the pipeline debts in the hands of the downstream players – who will have to hang on by their teeth – producers will have to resort again to the proven strategies of the early 1930’s. And, as a matter of fact, I believe they will.

The global financial crisis has not changed the supply fundamentals in the diamond industry. After we are back to “normal” (a process I expect will start in earnest in the fourth quarter of 2010), rough supply shortages – caused by declining production and failure to discover new major mines – will continue to drive rough prices.

The total “size” of the industry, however, seems to be heading to a near-permanent contraction. The current crisis will expedite a process of consolidation and “shake-down” that would have been inevitable in any event. The challenge facing each and every player in 2009 is to survive the crisis and come out stronger – while knowing that many marginal players will need to depart from the industry.

So while there is much pain ahead – there is also hope and expectations. During the Great Depression, the industry came together and restructured – and found much government understanding in the process. There are valuable lessons to be learned from the past.

A Happy New Year to you all.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25TH, 2008, CHAIM EVEN-ZOHAR

Additional Reading:
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Today in History

2006 The Appeals Court in Iraq turns down Saddam Hussein’s appeal against the death sentence handed down to him for ordering the deaths of 148 people in the town Dujail in 1982.
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2004 A massive tsunami strikes south Asia devastating the area and claiming the lives of more than 200,000 people in 13 countries.
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1990 In Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reaffirms the fatwa against author Salman Rushdie for his book the Satanic Verses.

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Thursday, December 25, 2008

Gem grader GIA cuts jobs at Carlsbad headquarters

The Price of Integrity
NAME THE GIA BRIBERS

GIA's Xmas Present

GIA the foremost authority in bribery diamonds has sacked 11.3% of it's potential diamond grading bribers.

It was a sad day for those GIA diamond graders who aspired working for the educational and research organisation which has a tax free income that generates hundreds of millions of dollars annually to support the lifestyle of freeloaders that was recently cleansed of it's despotic chairman Ralph Destino who presided over GIA during it's systematic period of corruption and bribery scandals refusing to name the GIA bribers.

The high price of integrity has it's limitations
Remember GIA diamond grading reports are not guaranteed

Ho Ho Ho
NAME THE GIA BRIBERS
Merry Xmas
The Diamond Guru

" Job Cuts " by Sasha Zivkovic


The Gemological Institute of America, the nation's top rater of diamonds, has cut 117 jobs at its Carlsbad headquarters, citing the global recession that has taken the sparkle out of the jewelry trade.

The nonprofit trimmed 11.3 percent of its 1,642 worldwide employees last week as part of a cost-cutting plan that also reduces work hours for some remaining employees, imposes a 10 percent pay cut on executives and halts company contributions to employee 401(k) retirement plans.

" Redundancy " by Sasha Zivkovic

“It was a really, really sad day, and we did everything to avoid it,” said Laura Simanton, a spokeswoman for GIA, which employed 976 people in Carlsbad before the cuts. “But the diamond and gemstone industry has been having a difficult time. The pipeline is not flowing.”
That pipeline – from the stones that come out of South African diamond mines, to diamond cutters and polishers in India, to swank jewelry stores in Manhattan – has been squeezed by the credit crisis and softening demand for luxury goods.

This year, De Beers, the world's largest producer of diamonds, said it would cut diamond mine production and reduce the amount of unpolished stones that it auctions off.

That move was taken in part to buoy slumping prices, but the company also said its customers, those who cut and polish gems before reselling them, are lowering inventories at the request of their lenders.

GIA's place in the pipeline also has been disrupted. The nonprofit generates much of its revenue from fees imposed for grading and rating diamonds and gemstones.

In addition to the employee reductions at its Carlsbad headquarters, GIA cut 36 jobs at its New York office.

“There are significantly fewer stones going into the pipeline, which reduces the number of stones going through our labs,” Simanton said. “And that means a significant reduction in our operating revenue.”

GIA, founded in 1931, created the diamond mantra of color, clarity, cut, and carat weight and a grading system to value them.
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GIA Harms Its Own Brand - " GIA – the World’s Most Trusted Name in Diamond Grading and Gemstone Identification "
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GIA : Hypocrites & Bribery Diamonds

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GIA Royalty & Religion - Why Some Dealers Avoid Both
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GIA Sins

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Is Sin Harmless ?
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GIA the Whore & " Malaya " Tourmaline ~ My liar, your liar, pants on fire !
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Destino Retires...finally ! : Ralph Destino Receives GIA's Highest Cover-Up Award.
The RTL ( Rats That Lie ) award was established in 1994 to recognize individuals who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to furthering the Institute's mission in exaggerating diamond grades, taking bribes and concealing the real truth through legal channels.Destino is the 12th disciple of the now kiss-arse award.
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The Missing Stafford Pink Diamond : Jury Awards USD$6.9 million : GIA Escapes Further Exposure
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GIA League of Honour 2002 : Historical Feature ( Check the bottom of your shoes if you smell something )
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GIA confirms two fake diamond-grading reports


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Independently Certified Diamonds

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Today in History
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The Birth of Christ?
Although most Christians celebrate December 25 as the birthday of Jesus Christ, no one in the first two Christian centuries claimed any knowledge of the exact day or year in which he was born, most were more interested in the story of his death. However, early in the 4th century, church leaders designated 25th December, the birthday of the popular pagan god Mithras, as Jesus’ official birth date. The celebration of the birth of Christ also took over the pagan winter solstice holiday that also fell in late December. From thereon, 25th December was to be observed by Christians at a holy Mass, or Christ’s Mass. Today, one-third of the world’s population celebrates the birth of Jesus on this day.

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Tuesday, December 23, 2008

ADGL Graded Laser Damaged Eternity Branded Diamonds

" G-D's miracles are meant to be signposts and symbols
that stand out to teach us and guide us to eternity "
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Hot Laser Inscribed Eternity Diamond
showing damaging penetration marks that automatically
lower the purity grade of the diamond


Hot laser inscription can penetrate a diamond's girdle and therefore alter the clarity grade of a diamond AFTER CERTIFICATION therefore voiding the actual certificate grading.

" We're keen to make ADGL as independent and honest as possible " : Mike Muller ADGL

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How well is a graded diamond received by consumers?

Most consumers are aware of the fact that you need a diamond grading report, preferably from one of the leading INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED ACCREDITED COMPLIANT DIAMOND GRADING LABORATORIES .

They need re-assurance and our industry needs to be transparent and confident. This is where diamond grading plays an important role.

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From Austalian Jeweller October 2005 page 10 :

Bolton Gems unveils grading lab

The 2005 JAA Australian Jewellery Fair provided a backdrop for the launch of Australian Diamond Grading Laboratory (ADGL).

The trade-only grading lab - a subsidiary of Queensland gemstone supplier Bolton Gems - intends to compete in Australia and New Zealand with Australia's existing laboratories, providing diamond certification as well as additional services such as personalised girdle engraving.

Heading the grading team is diamond expert Mike Muller.

Muller, head quality controller at Bolton Gems, said calls for an alternative to other grading labs and the need to capitalise on Bolton Gems' facilities motivated the release.

"There is definitely room for another lab in this country and it's important that the industry has a choice when it comes to diamond grading," said Muller.

"Bolton Gems has been certifying its branded product for many years and the company has some advanced equipment that is under-utilised.

We thought 'we have the expertise, the facilities and the experience, so why not put these to greater use and support the industry at the same time? "

Muller said that the group has outlined a policy of full disclosure to avoid any potential conflicts of interest that may arise because of the lab's connection with Bolton Gems.

"We're keen to make ADGL as independent and honest as possible," he said.

"We're adopting similar standards to those employed by GIA and HRD when grading stones and we use the OGI system from Israel.

What's more, we're launching a consumer website to provide full disclosure of all of our processes and standards."

In addition to grading diamonds for the trade, ADGL will provide certification for Bolton Gems' Eternity Finely Cut Diamonds and Eternity Heart and Arrows brands as well as extending certification services to other non-branded diamonds.

While the ADGL launch comprised part of Bolton Gems' stand at the JAA fair, the crux of the company's exhibition was dedicated to its precious gemstone stock, particularly diamonds, according to general manager, Afzal Nazim.

"ADGL was one of a number of innovative initiatives Bolton Gems offered at this years fair," Nazim said.

"We also introduced a cutting edge trade only website designed to help jewellers compete with Internet diamond retailers selling direct to the public.

The improvements offered by our customers are being implemented with the website to be fully operational in a matter of days."

For the real story click here:

Deceptive official looking diamond grading laboratory certificates from pseudo diamond grading "labs" that sound reputable shouldn't be trusted.

Neither should any merchant who presents one.

Traders can not be Independent Graders
Independent Graders can not be Traders

AVOID BUYING CONFLICT OF INTEREST DIAMONDS

ADGL Graded Eternity Diamonds Continue to Deceive

We have written to the Diamond Dealers Club of Australia requesting disciplinary action be taken against Brett Bolton of Bolton Gems a recent new member of the DDCA. As a member of the club we feel that Bolton's actions has brought discredit to the DDCA and to the fragile reputation of the whole Australian diamond industry.

Any member or non member of the DDCA under the DDCA's constitution is allowed to make a complaint about the actions of a fellow DDCA member.

Under the legal structures set in place by the DDCA an arbitration hearing will document the decisions made and published if required world wide to other World Federation Diamond Bourse members.

Bolton Gems ( and ADGL themselves ) by their misleading actions must be held accountable for trivialising and abusing the importance of independent diamond grading as a beneficial protection to both the diamond vendor and the diamond consumer.

" The DDCA provides an environment for the trading of diamonds, within a set of trading practices. DDCA has a legal, Ethical framework to enact regulations for members and protect consumer confidence. "
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" Ethics, good business practice and morality are paramount and these are protected vigorously by the Constitution of the DDCA which provides for Arbitration and Disciplinary procedures against any bourse member who transgresses the DDCA code of practice. "

The Diamond Dealers Club of Australia on their website states : " Dealing with a member of our club will provide you with the confidence to know that the individual is a person of integrity."

Where are the ethics and the integrity ?

Where are the disciplinary procedures ?

Daniel F Katz GG

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Diamond Imports

Cold Laser Inscribed

For Your Protection

Don't Mess With The Guru

Seasons Greetings
from Bondi Beach Australia
***

Happy Hannukah

" These lights we kindle upon the miracles, the wonders, the salvations, and the battles which you performed for our forefathers in those days at this season through Your holy priests. "

G-D's miracles are meant to be signposts and symbols that stand out to teach us and guide us to eternity.

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Monday, December 22, 2008

New Diamond Arrivals

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" Diamond has a greater potential for brightness than any other natural gemstone. This is because of diamond's extreme hardness [resistance to scratching], adamantine luster [lustre],lack of colour and high refractive index ( the degree to which light is bent as it passes through the stone[diamond] ) .The proportions, polish, transparency, colour and clarity of the diamond all affect it's brightness" : Renee Newman GG
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FRESHLY CUT
Kiss Her With A Diamond
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RBC 518 Round Brilliant 1.40ct F VS2 Ex Ex Ex Ex DCLA#164482
AUD$20,614.00 GST incl

RBC 521 Round Brilliant 1.32ct G SI2 Ex Ex VG Ex DCLA#164485
AUD$11,308.00 GST incl

RBC 519 Round Brilliant 1.06ct G SI1 Ex Ex Ex Ex DCLA#164483
AUD$ 9,460.00 GST incl

RBC 520 Round Brilliant 1.10ct E SI1 Ex Ex Ex Ex DCLA#164484
AUD$10,923.00 GST incl

RBC 522 Round Brilliant 0.76ct H SI1 VG Ex Ex Ex DCLA#164486
AUD$ 3,608.00 GST incl SOLD 29th December 2008

FS 487 Cushion Cut 0.83ct D IF Ex VG Ex DCLA#164490
AUD$ 8,206.00 GST incl

FS 488 Cushion Cut 0.55ct D VVS2 Ex VG Ex DCLA#164491
AUD$ 3,080.00 GST incl

FS 486 Emerald Cut 1.26ct E VS1 Ex Ex Ex DCLA#164489
AUD$12,463.00 GST incl

FS 485 Emerald Cut 1.31ct F VS2 Ex VG Ex DCLA#164488
AUD$11,880.00 GST incl

FS 484 Marquise Cut 1.21ct G VS2 VG VG Ex DCLA#164487
AUD$ 9,834.00 GST incl
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" This new transparency grade will make Australia unique and I'll have to definitely mention it in an update of the Diamond books. " Renee Newman GG
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ALL OUR DIAMONDS ARE IN STOCK
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Diamond Imports
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Diamond Excellence Buy Diamonds With Confidence
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100% Australian owned and operated company based in Sydney
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Diamond Importers & Diamond Wholesalers
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We buy directly from diamond cutters
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Professional service with over 35 years experience
in the Jewellery & Diamond Industry
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All diamonds are in stock & available for immediate purchase
on our web site exclusively
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Unlike other web sites we never drop ship or advertise diamonds
we have not seen
We do not consign from other diamond dealers
We only sell the diamonds we own
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We invite you to view selected diamonds before purchasing
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Buyers Only Please
If you want to browse go to a shop.
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Diamond Imports avoids non compliant diamond grading labs
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Today in History

1989: Romanian government falls

The Romanian army defects to the cause of anti-communist demonstrators, and the government of Nicolae Ceausescu is overthrown. The end of 42 years of communist rule came three days after Ceausescu’s security forces opened fire on demonstrators in Timisoara. After the army’s defection, Ceausescu and his wife fled from Bucharest in a helicopter, but were captured and convicted of mass murder in a hasty military trial. On 25th December, they were executed by a firing squad. Ceausescu, ruler of Romania since 1965, had resisted the liberalisation of the USSR and other Soviet bloc countries in the late 1980s. By the time of his government’s downfall in 1989, Romania was the most repressive and economically backward country in Europe.

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Sunday, December 21, 2008

Varda Shine - MD Diamond Trading Company


Varda Shine
Shine on those Crazy Diamonds

This managing director turned down a seat in medical college
and an air force call of duty for a particularly glittering career

***
Varda Shine, the aptly-named managing director of the Diamond Trading Corp. (DTC), a global supplier of rough diamonds, welcomes me warmly into her suite on the sixth floor of the heritage wing of the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel on a late November evening. Our meeting has not been easy to organize—Shine is in India only for a few days and has business meetings to conduct, a conference to attend and a dinner meeting right after our chat. It takes a last-minute shuffling of schedules before we settle on a 1-hour slot over coffee, biscuits and room service chocolates in her suite.

(Her dinner appointment would come as a godsend. Within 2 hours of our interview, and almost moments after Shine left the hotel with associates, terrorists laid siege to it for almost three days, gunning down several guests, especially foreigners. Shine was unharmed and returned safely to London.)

That evening, Shine is dressed simply in a printed blouse, skirt and a woollen black bolero. A streak of blood-red colour in her brown hair leaps out. As we walk over and settle into the couch in the corner, I sense Shine shrugging off exhaustion and mentally preparing for our chat. And then, in a flash, there is a fresh smile on her face and she is ready to go. I ask what brings her to India.

“Basically, once a year I go round to each one of the cutting centres around the world and have meetings with all the sightholders. It is really an annual review. How the year has been so far...what are the plans for next year and so on,” explains Shine as a member of her staff orders coffees for all of us. Shine prefers espresso but “by the time they bring it here it will be too cold”, so she settles for black coffee.

She speaks with an unobtrusive but obvious accent that is hard to pin down. It is actually Israeli. Shine was born in Israel and spent the first three decades of her life there before moving to London 11 years ago. But for a quirk of fate she would have become a doctor instead of being at the helm of one of the biggest names in the global diamond business.

After her army service, a mandatory two years for all citizens in Israel, Shine was accepted to study medicine in university. “But then I had eight months to kill from the time I was released from the air force and the academic year started,” explains Shine. So while looking around for ways to “kill her time and collect a little money”, she saw a job advertisement for a sales assistant in Diamdel Israel, a supplier of rough diamonds.

“I went in, saw how things worked and then really learnt it from the bottom up,” remembers Shine. That was the moment, 25 years ago, when Shine’s relationship with the diamond industry began. She repeats the number to herself: “Twenty-five years... shocking, isn’t it?”

In hindsight, Shine reckons that each step of her professional experience, from the air force to the early days at Diamdel, prepared her for her ever-expanding responsibilities at DTC. “At the air force there were five of us girls running a training facility for new air traffic technology. We had our own budgets, building...it was really like running a business,” explains Shine. And despite pressure from the forces to stay back— “a tempting offer”, Shine recalls—she decided to move on.

When she joined Diamdel, Shine remembers that the international market was just recovering from a slump. “So it was a good time in 1983, because the market had just started rising again. It was a great experience. And then I went from sales assistant to sales manager and then I developed a computer system for stock management which they still use in Hindustan Diamond Corp.!”

So with the experience of one fall and rise behind her, is Shine coping better with the current slump in the global economy?

Shine smiles and takes a deep breath before replying. No doubt she has a well thought-out, cut and polished answer to this stock question. “There is a problem. We can’t deny that. But diamonds are different. We have three stories to tell.”

The first, Shine explains, is that diamonds retain their value over a long time. So people buy and hold them. I try to ask her if diamond prices fluctuate like those of other commodities when she interrupts, “Diamonds are not commodities!” She has a look of a shock on her face, and not all of it is faux.
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Would you buy a handbag that quickly goes out of fashion or a diamond that is always in fashion?
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The second story is “a new trend in consumerism”: “What we call ‘fewer, better things’. In times of recession, consumers gravitate towards quality. In good days, people buy, buy, buy... But now quality is more important. Would you buy a handbag that goes out of fashion in two months...or a diamond that is always in fashion?”

The final reason why she believes diamonds will buck the trend is the emotional aspect. “It is the ultimate way in which people...human beings know how to express their feelings,” she explains.

No doubt the story has been told and retold a thousand times to colleagues and business associates on her many journeys all over the world. But Shine’s moving hands and nodding head convey a sense of sincerity; this woman really likes her diamonds.

As she sips on her coffee, I ask her what keeps her in the De Beers family—DTC is part of the Belgian conglomerate. Isn’t she sick of the stones after 25 years? Shine rubbishes the idea. She explains: “We did some market research which showed that once a woman gets a diamond she is addicted. I am living proof!”

And she’s right: From where I sit, I can see Shine’s diamond ear studs, a diamond pendant and a rather glamorous diamond-studded ring. Each one of them several times the size of the one I had bought for my fiancee at our engagement.

Her husband, Shine explains, can never gift her anything with diamonds because “I always know the real price and I tell him, poor man, how much he overpaid for it!”

I take a courtesy sip of my otherwise untouched coffee as her assistant politely tells me to wrap up our meeting.

Finally I ask her for some help: If I had to spent my entire inconsiderable salary on one piece of diamond jewellery for the missus, what should it be? Without a moment’s hesitation Shine replies: “Ear studs. I always say diamond ear studs. She can wear them whenever she wants to and with any dress. You must buy her a pair!”

I promise her I will. And later tell the missus nothing of it.

Curriculum Vitae Varda Shine
Born: 29 June 1963
Education: Business and management programmes, Oxford University and Cranfield University, UK, and Insead, France.
Current Designation: Managing director
Work Profile: Joined Diamdel Israel in 1983 after a two-year army stint. Moved to the DTC office in London in 1997. Promoted to diamond manager in 1999 and then sales director in 2003. Appointed managing director, DTC International, in January 2006.
Pastimes: Walking holidays, operas and old movies. But Shine gets little time.
Nowadays: She takes a break on Saturdays and prefers to work Sundays.
Favourite Politicians: “I think Botswana has the best politicians in the world. They are very proactive and want to do good things for their country.”
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Today in History
2005 Pop star Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish become one of the first couples to have a same-sex civil partnership ceremony following a change in the law in England and Wales.
1988 Terrorists blow up a Pan-Am jumbo jet carrying more than 270 passengers and crew as it flies over the Scottish town of Lockerbie. All on board are killed as well as 11 people in the town when the plane crashes.

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Diamonds Are Forever -- Until You're Robbed

Paris Hilton has lost a lot over the past few years - two fiancee's, countless pairs of underpants and her dignity - but now The LA Times is reporting that the celebutante has actually lost something of value - approximately $2 million worth of bling and other assorted items, which were stolen from her Hollywood Hills home last night.

According to sources, the robber - dressed in a hooded sweatshirt and gloves - gained access to Hilton's house through an unlocked door. I guess when your dwelling is a late-night hotspot and a revolving door of revelers it was inevitable that someone would forget to lock up as they scurried off into the night.

The alarm sounded at 5 a.m. when a security guard reported a forced entry at Paris' domicile, which is equipped with security video equipment. Thankfully she wasn't home at the time of the invasion.

Recently Paris told Esquire magazine that this house is the best thing she'd ever purchased with her vast fortune, while also lamenting how fame has made her a target for exactly this kind of behavior.

Ironically the heiress launched a video game two years ago called "Paris Hilton's Diamond Quest."

Perhaps the thief just wanted to take the game to the next level? Source

Additional Reading : Diamond Guru Celebrities

Naked Engagement

Kobelli Jewellery
Fawaz Gruosi de Grisogono
The Miss World 2007 ~"Diamonds are a girl's best friend"
Mouawad : Jeweller to Royalty and Celebrities Since 1890
The Most Expensive Piece of Jewellery Ever Created for a Movie
$30 Million Dollar Diamond Bikini
Diamond Billionaire's Posh London Home
Paris Hilton: Watchful Eye
Leviev ~ Extraordinary Diamonds
Scarlett Johansson Goes Around with 'Brilliance'
Nicole Kidman's Oscar Night's Diamond Necklace
Certifigate 4 : Upgrading the Jennifer Lopez Pink
Lee Simmons Wants Diamond From Dog's Ashes
The $12 Million Dollar, 150 Carat Diamond Wedding Dress
Graff Sells 70 Carat Diamond for USD$11 Million
Halle Berry Diamonds Are Forever Ad Campaign
Celebrity Engagement RingsRolls-Royce Sports a Diamond Lady
Celine Dion compensates dancers with diamond gifts
Royal Jewellery & Diamond Tiaras Slide Show
The Million-Dollar Mobile Phone
Christina Onassis Jewels For Sale
Christina Onassis' Diamonds
Ivana Wears +450cts of Leviev Diamonds for Wedding Weekend
Auction of Esmerian's Jewels is Canceled
High Flying Diamond Intrigue : Jewellers,Auctioneers, Bankers, Lawyers, Celebrities
Madonna's New Jewelry! April 2008
Scarlett Johansson Engagement Ring
From Russia With Love
Mariah Carey Marries with a 10 Carat Diamond
Mariah Carey + Nick Cannon 10 ct FLP Asscher Cut Diamond Ring
GIA Royalty & Religion - Why Some Dealers Avoid Both.
The Father of Blood Diamonds : Jamil Sayid Mohamed
Love Story of the Week: Why Some Men Never Marry
Russell Simmons Speaks at JCK Fair Las Vegas
In Pictures: The Biggest Billionaire Gifts Of 2007
"My diamond mine in Africa" : Alan Bond
Ellen Gives Portia Pink Diamonds for 'Dream Wedding'Cameron Diaz Fuels FireUma Thurman & Arpad Busson Engaged

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Today in History
1975: The Jackal attacks OPEC headquarters
In Vienna, Austria, Carlos the Jackal leads a raid on a meeting of oil ministers from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). German and Arab terrorists stormed in with machine guns, killed three people, and took 63 people hostage, including 11 OPEC ministers. Calling his group the Arm of the Arab Revolution, Carlos demanded that an anti-Israeli political statement be broadcast over radio, and that a bus and jet be provided for the terrorists and their hostages. Austrian authorities complied, and all the hostages were released in Algeria unharmed. OPEC did not hold another summit for 25 years. Carlos, born in Venezuela as Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, was sentenced to life imprisonment in France in 1997 for his terrorist activities

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Saturday, December 20, 2008

JVC, NCDIA produce colored-diamonds guide

New York--The Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) and the Natural Color Diamond Association (NCDIA) have released "The Essential Guide to the U.S. Trade in Color Diamonds," the associations announced this week.
The NCDIA and the JVC developed the book in response to inquiries from the industry about the laws governing the manufacture, sales and marketing of colored diamonds.The guide includes an overview of the geology of natural-color diamonds, simplified nomenclature to describe "natural," "synthetic" and "simulated," and a description of treatments used to alter the color of the stones
It also includes guidelines on when diamond treatments must be disclosed and answers to frequently asked questions regarding colored diamonds.Cecilia L. Gardner, JVC's president, CEO and general counsel, said of the guide, "Natural color diamonds are very rare...and very expensive. Consequently, these diamonds are often imitated so manufacturers will likely continue to develop new technologies to create synthetic and imitations.
The guide details various treatment procedures and explains the information that jewelers need to disclose if a diamond has been treated, if the treatment is not permanent, if the diamond requires special care or if the treatment significantly affects the value of the gemstone."
Robert May, NCDIA executive director, said legal compliance is necessary to maintain consumer trust in the diamond industry and to protect the pre-eminent position of natural-color diamonds.
"The law requires honest and timely disclosure for all diamonds. Legal compliance and proper disclosure is imperative when a color diamond might be the result of geological processes that began millions of years ago, or the consequences of a technological treatment that began this morning.
The guide is a simple-to-understand, essential tool for sales associates or anyone communicating with consumers about color diamonds,"
May said.To download the guide, visit the JVC's Web site, JVCLegal.org, or the NCDIA's Web site, NCDIA.com.
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Independently Certified Diamonds

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HPHT-Treated CVD Synthetic Diamond Submitted for Dossier Grading

Figure 1. This 21-point CVD synthetic diamond was found to be HPHT treated. Photo by Robison McMurtry.

Figure 2. The HPHT-treated CVD synthetic diamond showed weak gray birefringence, in contrast to the bright high-order interference colors seen in as-grown samples. Photomicrograph by K. M. Chadwick; field of view about 1.73 mm.

Figure 3. DiamondView imaging of the synthetic diamond shows blue-green fluorescence with yellow-green striations, consistent with that reported for HPHT-treated CVD synthetic diamonds. Photomicrograph by K. M. Chadwick.
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Karen M. Chadwick of the GIA Laboratory in Carlsbad, California, submitted the following entry to the Gems & Gemology (G&G) Lab Notes section.

G&G has reported on synthetic diamonds grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) for several years (see W. Wang et al. in Winter 2003 and Spring 2004, and P. M. Martineau et al. in Winter 2007).

CVD synthetic diamonds have been submitted to the GIA Laboratory (see the Spring 2008 and Summer 2008 Lab Notes sections), but those samples were untreated, even though high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) processing of CVD synthetics is well known.

The 21-point round brilliant in figure 1 was recently submitted for Diamond Dossier grading. Standard testing identified it as a type IIa synthetic diamond, grown by the CVD method.

It was graded near colorless (GIA does not use letter grades on synthetic diamond reports) and VVS -- with the clarity grade based on pinpoint inclusions. Between crossed polarizers, it exhibited weak gray birefringence (figure 2).

In comparison, the as-grown sample described in the Spring 2008 Lab Note showed strong birefringence with high-order interference colors, consistent with the samples examined by Wang et al. (2007).

The sample was inert to long-wave ultraviolet (UV) radiation but exhibited weak yellow fluorescence to short-wave UV. To the ultra short-wave UV radiation of the DiamondView, the sample fluoresced blue-green -- with yellow-green striations (figure 3) -- and exhibited weak blue phosphorescence.

The fluorescence color was similar to the green luminescence of HPHT-treated nitrogen-doped CVD synthetic diamonds reported by Martineau et al. (2004), and contrasted distinctly with the orangy pink to orangy red hues of the as-grown CVD synthetics described in previous Lab Notes.

The striations are growth phenomena typical of CVD synthetic diamonds.

Photoluminescence spectra collected at liquid-nitrogen temperature (about 77 K) with 488 and 514.5 nm laser excitation exhibited a very large peak doublet at 736.6/736.9 nm, which was once considered indicative of CVD synthetic diamonds, but has recently been identified in some natural colorless and near-colorless diamonds.

Large peaks observed at 575.0 and 637.0 nm are also consistent with CVD synthetic diamond (see Wang et al., 2003).

In contrast to the as-grown CVD synthetic diamonds documented in the two earlier Lab Notes, the photoluminescence spectra for this diamond did not exhibit a 596.5/597.0 nm doublet.

Again, this is consistent with the HPHT-treated CVD synthetic diamonds discussed by Martineau et al. (2004).

The 488 nm spectrum did display a large peak at 503.1 nm (the H3 defect), which is also consistent with the results of Martineau et al. (2004) for the treated synthetics -- and contrasts with the relative absence of such peaks in the near-colorless as-grown CVD synthetic diamond samples investigated by Wang et al. (2007).

The H3 defect usually does not occur in as-grown CVD diamonds; it is introduced during HPHT annealing to remove brown coloration.

We have seen very few HPHT-treated CVD synthetic diamonds in the Lab, but the criteria above allowed us to successfully identify this sample.

Source: GIA

Additional Reading :

*GIA Examines the Newest Generation of Apollo CVD Synthetic Diamonds

*First CVD Synthetic Diamond Submitted for Dossier Grading to GIA Lab

*" DiamondSure " & " DiamondView "

*Cultured Diamonds Definition - V - Uncultured

*Element Six's real hopes for artificial diamonds

*Lab Grown Diamonds: Applications V Gems

*GIA Examines the Newest Generation of Apollo CVD Synthetic Diamonds

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Today in History
1999 Portugal relinquishes sovereignty over Macau to China.

1991 Paul Keating becomes Prime Minister of Australia.

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Zimbabwe's Deadly Diamond Fever Part 3


Thursday, 18 December 2008 18:46

" INTERNATIONAL civic organisations have demanded the immediate suspension of all locally extracted diamonds from the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) after citing a government crackdown that has reportedly claimed the lives of at least 50 illegal diamond diggers at Chiadzwa, Manicaland.

The Kimberley Process Civil Society Coalition, which comprises civic organisations fighting against illegal diamond trade, last week piled pressure on the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) to impose a blanket suspension on Zimbabwe’s rough diamonds. "
Zimbabwe KP Suspension will Lead to
More Human Suffering

Though we are generally supportive of the NGOs Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada (PAC), their calls for the suspension of Zimbabwe from the Kimberley Process (KP) are totally misplaced and will only widen the suffering of the Zimbabwean people, while benefiting no one. In Zimbabwe, not a single government crony, military official, corrupt miner, or other killer of innocent diamond diggers is using the KP in Harare. All the country’s diamonds from its informal sector are smuggled out – with no exceptions – as we wrote about in last week’s memo.

Also mentioned last week, and what we want to elaborate on this week, is Rio Tinto’s 78 percent-owned Murowa Diamond Mine near Zvishavane in southern Zimbabwe, which is not involved with the government-instigated violence going on in the country’s diamond fields in the Northeast. Diamonds from Murowa (including some of its old inventories) are the only legal – and quite distinguishable – Zimbabwean goods on the market. In fact, Rio Tinto has been, for quite a while, the only legal exporter of rough diamonds from Zimbabwe.

In comparison, there may have been three KP certificates issued from non-Rio Tinto sources. These goods went to Dubai and South Africa. These may have been proper goods from official tenders or government sales. However, whoever exported as such in 2007 ceased doing so in 2008.

Suspending Zimbabwe doesn’t change anything in the chaos of the informal sector – the smuggling will simply continue. These 200 or so mining syndicates couldn’t care less about KP certification; they don’t use the process and will not even notice its closure.

However, in the formal mining sector, some 1,500 people working at Murowa’s three kimberlite pipes and in the nearby community are dependent on the mine. These locals earn money, get food, have access to health care and have decent shelter. Calling for Zimbabwe’s suspension from the KP will automatically lead to the closure of Murowa.

One NGO official said to me “let Rio Tinto simply stockpile the goods.” That is the only option that is NOT open. From a security perspective, no diamond mine in a country where anarchy prevails and where law and order have broken down will risk its staff and workers by sitting on a stockpile. Sooner or later, that leads to hostage-taking, blackmail or an assault on the mine office. The rule in such environments is simple: you fly out the output as frequently as commercially feasible or as required from security considerations.

It may well be that, at some point, at the highest echelons of Rio Tinto the decision will be made to close – irrespective of what the KP leadership will decide. That would be a pity. I know for sure that those immediately in charge are very much aware of the humanitarian imperative not to walk away. They truly care.

In fairness to the NGOs, we realize that there are other considerations. As we wrote last week, governments that use diamond revenue to terrorize their own people shouldn’t be seen as legitimate by the KP system. A country’s military that arbitrarily kills diamond diggers should be reason enough for a country to jeopardize its KP membership status. However, if any of these killers availed themselves of the KP certification mechanism, we would have great sympathy for the call for KP suspension. But each situation ought to be judged on its merits.

Rio Tinto’s Community Involvement

Zimbabwe’s suspension from the KP system will lead to Rio Tinto’s withdrawal and the cessation of its participation and funding of various community activities. Zimbabwe is experiencing one of the harshest AIDS epidemics in the world. Rio Tinto has teamed up with Population Services International (PSI), a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., that harnesses private-sector resources to address health problems of low-income and vulnerable populations in developing countries.

As part of its HIV/AIDS program, PSI undertakes education, counseling and testing for organizations and individuals. At Murowa, staff and workers, and their families, are encouraged to join voluntary HIV testing and counseling. Murowa pays for full medical coverage for all employees and their families - in a country where most of the population no longer has access to medicine.

Rio Tinto is also actively assisting local people to develop their own businesses to provide long-term benefits to the community through the injection of skills and money. This enables the kick-start of new businesses that might otherwise never have gotten off the ground – and this helps to generate employment and income for the community that will be there long after the Murowa mine has closed.

To date, the company has facilitated the launch of three community-based business initiatives, each of which currently has a strong service link to the mine but has the potential to service other markets. These new companies include the Murowa Construction Company, a small construction enterprise created by former Murowa mine employees. Murowa provided the construction company with financial and practical support to build a two classroom block at the Murowa Primary School, the oldest and biggest junior school in the area. This was subsequently handed over to the school.

The Murowa Manufacturing Sewing Group is another business venture that has been supported by the mine and was formed to manufacture school uniforms for the region. The company also facilitated the development of a small, family-run nursery, the Guzha nursery, which supplies the trees required to carry out rehabilitation of the land around the mine. This information, and far more, is readily available in a booklet called “Sustainability Report 2007 - Murowa Diamonds: More than Diamonds.”

If a player like Rio Tinto is “forced out” of Zimbabwe because of some ill-advised removal of the country from the KP, the NGOs will spend years trying to collect money to initiate just the kind of activities developed by Rio Tinto. KP suspension will only add to the suffering. Moreover, there are precedents for how to deal with such situations without suspension.

Angola Precedents

NGOs ought to remember that during the pre-KP days, when there were sanctions on Angola’s diamonds, an exception was made for a well-organized mining site where none of the diamonds produced were conflict related. In 2003, when the KP officially became operative, those diamonds from secure non-conflict origins continued to be officially exported.

Why should Zimbabwe be different? There should also be some consistency in the way the KP operates. Venezuela, a producer of diamonds, has “voluntarily withdrawn” from the KP for a period of two years. In fact, all that country’s mining output is smuggled out – but the KP has accepted this Venezuelan defiance (i.e. “slap in the face”) and has not officially revoked Venezuela’s participation.

The international industry, the World Diamond Council and the NGOs should be concerned about the “ease” in which smuggled diamonds secure KP certificates en-route to the cutting centers. Getting to the bottom of this should be a far greater priority than indirectly pushing Rio Tinto out of Zimbabwe. Like I said, it doesn’t make sense to take an action that benefits no one and harms many.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18TH, 2008, CHAIM EVEN-ZOHAR

Additional Reading :

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Cholera Is Raging, Despite Denial by Mugabe
The outbreak is yet more evidence that Zimbabwe’s most fundamental public services — including water and sanitation, public schools and hospitals — are shutting down.Zimbabwe’s once promising economy, disastrously mismanaged by Mr. Mugabe’s government, has been spiraling downward for almost a decade, but residents here say the free fall has gained frightening velocity in recent weeks. Coffin makers report an increase in sales. With the cholera spilling into neighboring countries, and millions of people enduring severe hunger, there are rising international calls for Mr. Mugabe to step down after 28 years in power. But he seems only to be digging in and even declared Thursday that the nation's cholera epidemic had ended, a day after the World Health Organization warned that the outbreak was grave enough to carry "serious regional implications." Photos
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December 13, 2008 Victims of Zimbabwean diamond crackdown to be dumped in mass grave
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Zimbabwe's police and army clash in Harare 1st December 2008 : Police shot at rioting soldiers on the streets of Harare on Monday as unpaid uniformed personnel sided with the country’s impoverished people for the first time in protest against Zimbabwe’s collapsing economy
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Kimberley Process Under Threat Politically Incorrect Part 1
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U.S. Lashes Back After Chavez Forces Envoy From VenezuelaFriday, September 12, 2008
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Today in History

1989: U.S. invades Panama

The United States invades Panama in an attempt to overthrow military dictator Manuel Noriega. The American government originally favoured Noriega because of his anti-communist beliefs, but U.S. policy changed in 1989 as communism collapsed in Europe and it was no longer as important to give unqualified support to anti-communist regimes. In the attack, the U.S. invaders promptly crushed Noriega’s Panamanian Defence Forces, and the dictator himself sought asylum in the Papal Nuncio in Panama City. He surrendered in January and was taken to the United States where he was indicted on drug trafficking charges and accused of suppressing democracy and endangering U.S. nationals. Noriega was found guilty of drug trafficking and sentenced to 40 years in prison.

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Monday, December 15, 2008

Rare Blue Diamond Sets All Time Record


A rare blue diamond weighing 35.56 carat of the Wittelsbach family since 1722, has broken the other world records by fetching a whopping amount of 16.3 million pounds at an auction.
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The grey blue in colour stone had been anticipated to fetch up to 9 million pounds at Christie’s Geneva auction, reports the Telegraph.
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However it surpassed in sale and sheen, the other diamonds sold under the hammer that set a world record when Bond Street jeweller Laurence Graff made the whopping bid.
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The Whittelbach Diamond, a priced, private property of the Whittelbach family boasts of a 300 years history, being the inheritance of the family since 1722.
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The coloured sparkler owes its history back to the year 1664 when it was gifted as a part of dowry by King Philip IV of Spain to his teenage daughter, the Infanta Margarita Teresa.
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The princess was engaged to her uncle Leopold I of Austria, who later became the Holy Roman Emperor.
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However the rare blue beauty's origin has been traced back to the Indian diamond mines which passed on to the heirs and found its way to a German dynasty, The Wittelsbach family in 1772 to be christened as "Der Blaue Wittelsbacher".
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According to the words of François Curiel, chairman of Christie''s Europe and its international head of jewellery, said: "It is a great honour and a lifetime dream to handle a museum quality stone such as the Wittelsbach.
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The appearance of a large blue diamond, among the rarest of colours, with a history that can be traced back to the 17th century and 300 years of royal connections will surely be a thrilling occasion for all collectors of exceedingly rare jewels and works of art."
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The Blue Beauty, so far the crowning glory amidst its category stones.

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Exceptional Diamonds Keep Fetching High Prices at Auctions
(December 14, '08, Edahn Golan)

A pair of pear-shaped D Flawless diamonds of 17.01 and 17.79 carats was sold on Thursday for $3,554,500 to a private buyer in New York. The duo, inscribed by Forevermark, are two out of about 50 high end polished diamonds that were sold in the past few weeks for good prices, despite the economic down turn.

The initial shock reaction that seemed to stunt purchases of high-end products - paintings, antiques, jewelry and diamonds - has largely dissipated, with top-end diamonds fetching at times even record breaking prices.

Just one day before above sale, the 35.56 carat grayish blue VS2 Wittelsbach Diamond sold at a Christie’s auction for $24.26 million breaking the record for an auctioned diamond. A few days before that, Christie’s magnificent jewels auction in Hong Kong sold only 63 percent of the lots, but total sales were 79 percent of the auction house’s estimates.

According to Rahul Kadakia, Christie’s Head of Jewelry, private buyers dominated the Thursday sale, acquiring all of the top ten lots.

How can these items, and a large number of other such diamonds, find buyers willing to pay $100,000 per carat and more at such times. Clearly, buyers with cash are seizing the unique opportunity to buy goods at a time when fewer bidders are around to push up prices. Dealers of large stones say the pair of D Flawless diamonds sold last week could have been sold for much more, at better times. Possibly twice as much.

Such diamond dealers are hard pressed for cash, and are willing to offer the goods for the chance to recover their costs.

Eighteen jewels sold for over $1 million at Christie’s New York in 2008, according to Kadakia.
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Today in History
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1891: Basketball invented
Canadian James E. Naismith nails two peach baskets to opposite ends of a gymnasium balcony, draws up some simple rules, and creates the sport of basketball. In 1891, the staff of the International Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Training School in Massachusetts presented Naismith, a physical education instructor, with a challenge: to devise a winter game that would occupy incorrigible students. The game that he created, basketball, was a great success with his students, and in January 1892, the rules were sent to Christian schools throughout the United States. The YMCA’s international students also introduced the game in their native countries, and by the early 20th century basketball was a widely played sport.

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Sunday, December 14, 2008

Comparing Certified Diamonds

The true test to evaluate a diamond is to visually compare it next to other diamonds. At the end of the day all the numbers, certificates and photos in the world mean nothing if you do not like the look of the diamond and it does not sparkle.

You may have heard of terms like Excellent Cut, Ideal Cut, Russian Make, Hearts and Arrows, Belgium Cut, Fine Make and others used by jewellers and diamond retailers when selling their diamonds in order to give the illusion of a ‘better’ quality diamond than other diamonds. Be wary of accepting these terms as is. They are especially dangerous when assigned to diamonds by the jeweler or diamond dealer themselves without third-party independent support such as a
diamond certificate or diamond grading report.

It is important to remain aware of the facts and differences with certification and the process, as well as the different grading standards each diamond grading laboratory offers. While it might be possible to find certified diamonds with the same grade stated on a certificate that appears notably cheaper.

As a potential diamond buyer you must be aware that there is no single set of parameters diamond laboratories grade to and every laboratory has a different set of standards.

There is no such thing as cheap diamonds, if a diamond is advertised at a special price or seems to have a special price you should ask yourself why?
There are no bargains in the diamond industry and there usually is a reason why one diamond is discounted or appears to be cheaper than another diamond.

Not all diamond grading laboratories are as well respected or as stringent in their grading as each other.

The diamond certification laboratory or grading laboratory should be accredited, compliant and totally independent of the diamond dealer, jeweler or diamond retailer so that there is no conflict of interest or financial bias.

A genuine independent diamond certificate must be issued from an
independent, accredited laboratory and it must accurately state the full details of the diamond if it is to be of assistance for the diamond purchaser.

You should always make certain that you check the credentials of the diamond grading laboratory who issued the diamond grading report or diamond certificate.

If you have not heard of the laboratory, it could very well be associated in some way with the store, jeweller or diamond wholesaler itself, and so have a vested interest in aiding the sale.

It can be a very daunting, often stressful and a long involved process when you are trying to choose the perfect diamond especially when it is for a diamond engagement ring.

Just comparing diamonds on a diamond price match policy alone is not nearly good enough.

You have to visibly compare the diamonds next to each other to truly see which diamond is the better quality diamond.
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Today in History
1900 German physicist Max Planck publishes his groundbreaking study of the effect of radiation on a “blackbody” substance, and the quantum theory of modern physics is born.

Posted by The Diamond Guru

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Zimbabwe's Deadly Diamond Fever Part 2

A grave digger at Granaville Cemetery in Harare, Zimbabwe.

TRADE ALERT
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THE DIAMOND TRADE SHOULD NOT BUY
ANY DIAMONDS FROM ZIMBABWE

DUE TO SEVERE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES BY THE GOVERNMENT

THE KIMBERLEY PROCESS SHOULD
SUSPEND ZIMBABWE IMMEDIATELY !!!
Robert Mugabe

Crying for Zimbabwe
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“As a military helicopter hovered over the diamond fields of Chiadzwa in eastern Zimbabwe, police on horseback moved in with attack dogs to remove thousands of illegal diggers who had poured in, hoping to get rich. The diggers resisted, attacking the dogs with iron bars. The police opened fire from the helicopter, routing them. By the time it was all over, dozens lay dead.” This is the opening paragraph in a full-page article titled “Battle for Zimbabwe’s Blood Diamonds,” which appeared this week in London’s Sunday Times.

The article describes the fields where this particular slaughter, as well as others similar to it, took place and how silent and mostly empty they were, sealed off by soldiers in an effort to stop any one from returning. Though the article didn’t really explain the quiet or almost barrenness of these fields, Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen gave the answer. “The Dutch embassy in Zimbabwe recently uncovered evidence that poisonous chemicals are being used to drive residents out of remote areas where mines are being run by Mugabe supporters,” states Verhagen. This is as horrifying as it is tragic.

The only reason for killing diamond diggers is to enable Mugabe’s government cronies to have free reign in the mining areas. Though the international diamond trade – and foremost the World Diamond Council (WDC) – has repeatedly rung the alarm bell on the Zimbabwe tragedy, it was articles appearing in the general press that propelled governments into some action. This week, a meeting of European Foreign Ministers in Brussels decided that “the EU had to cut off any possible illegal income being used by [Zimbabwe President Robert] Mugabe to support his government, such as his trade in illegal diamonds.”

Such a statement is many years overdue. It also opens a Pandora’s Box for the diamond industry. This is because, currently, the Kimberley Process (KP) only prohibits the trade in “rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict aimed at undermining legitimate governments.”

However, governments that use diamond revenue to terrorize their own people are “quite all right” in terms of the KP system. A military that kills diamond diggers at random is no reason for a country to jeopardize its KP membership status. Incidentally, it is also “quite all right” for totally corrupt governments to allow and encourage diamond revenues to end up in the Swiss bank accounts of their leaders, their family members and their military. As of now, these corrupt governments maintain the full right to issue KP certificates.

Less than One Certificate per Month

In fact, in Zimbabwe, where anarchy prevails amid the breakdown of all governing systems, the country has virtually ceased issuing KP certificates; Mugabe’s government cronies and military officials have all set up their own mining operations and subsequently smuggle the goods out. A government official estimates that there are presently some 200 different mining syndicates operating.

Just last month at the Kimberley Process Plenary in New Delhi and in its official press release, KP authorities noted, in quite a shockingly simple manner, the Scheme’s “concern with the continuing challenges to KP implementation in Zimbabwe.”

The KP administration in Harare is actually fairly well organized; it functions properly and is headed by good people. They have, however, no work. Classified Kimberley Process data show that in the first nine months of 2008, the Zimbabwe Kimberley Authority issued exactly eight (!) certificates, for a total of US$18.8 million. These diamonds were all exported to Europe. They originate from one mine, Rio Tinto’s 78 percent-owned Murowa mine near Zvishavane in southern Zimbabwe.

Quite removed from the violent areas in the Northeast, Rio Tinto exploits three kimberlite pipes; this is a very different scenario from the country’s informal diamond sectors. Rio Tinto supports a wide variety of community projects in the area, which may provide the best justification to allow Zimbabwe’s continuing KP membership.

Smuggled Goods

We need to understand what is happening in Zimbabwe’s diamond fields – and what is happening to the country’s diamonds. According to press reports, the diamond fields have become the last resort for money for President Mugabe’s thoroughly corrupt regime. The rest of the country has already been plundered bare; there is nothing left. This claim is probably an exaggeration since there are more resources in the country, but it highlights the renewed interest and preoccupation of the general press and international governments with diamonds.

Until recently, Zimbabwe’s corrupt elite were using an estimated 4,000 diamond diggers, often children, who were paid a paltry fee to work the various diamond fields. The reality is that these people, who have been digging illegally, have been doing so for their lives and for their families’ survival. The goods they found were sold mostly to Lebanese diamond traders waiting across the Mozambique border, adjacent to the Chiadzwa fields. The diamonds ended up mostly in the Middle East, “easily distinguishable by their color and frostiness, whatever the paperwork gave as their origin,” to quote Jon Swain of the Sunday Times.

The money collected by Mugabe’s cronies would then partly be used to pay the military – the forces that keep the regime in power. What we have seen in recent days is that the military is not happy depending on others and is now clearing the diamond fields so that officers can use their own soldiers to do the digging.

It had been reported in this column a few months ago that a huge part of the rough processed in Surat originated from Zimbabwe. Lebanese traders in Mozambique will deliver the diamonds in Mumbai; home delivery, just like pizza.

The Indian police are trying to intercept smugglers. “Recently, two citizens of Guinea and Lebanon were held for ‘smuggling’ diamonds worth a few hundred thousand dollars. Both were known to have imported diamonds to India via Dubai, without KPCS and they are languishing in Surat jail now. Locals say there are hundreds of such cases which go unreported,” reports India Commodity On-Line.

But smuggled Zimbabwe diamonds don’t end up just India. This week, the Los Angeles Times published, in a syndicated article appearing in several U.S. dailies, interviews with a number of smugglers. According to an excerpt, “Itai, 28, got into trading diamonds 18 months ago. He smuggles them in his mouth across the border to sell to Lebanese and Israeli dealers in Mozambique. He has bought two houses and five cars. Three months ago, he says, he and his aunt traded a clear 30-carat stone as big as his thumbnail for $30,000 in a hotel-room deal with an Israeli.”

Many of the smuggled diamonds from Zimbabwe appearing in the markets have valid Kimberley Certificates – official paper purchased somewhere en route in South Africa, other African countries, the Middle East or elsewhere.

Undoubtedly, we have a problem.

KP Mandate Limited

Technically, these diamonds are not classified as “conflict diamonds.” They weren’t mined by rebels using the money to fight the legitimate government. Therefore, the diamonds meet the KP criteria. After all, they were merely mined by cronies of the “legitimate” government in order to keep that regime in power – or just to enrich themselves.

It is quite disgusting. Zimbabwe is a full member of the KP, even though, officially, only Murowa diamonds are exported from the country. In 2007, according to the KP statistics, some 500,000 carats were shipped out valued at some $25 million (at $47 per carat). Export destinations were mostly Europe, Dubai and South Africa. Diamonds reaching the latter two jurisdictions may bypass now the KP process altogether.

How much money are we talking about? One of the most despised cronies of Mugabe is the governor of the Reserve Bank, Gideon Gono, who claims, “If Chiadzwa was properly managed, as much as $1.2 billion a month could be realized.” He probably referred to Zimbabwe dollars; otherwise, the figure would be idiotic and unrealistic. With the country’s millions of percentage points of inflation, Gono’s figure roughly translates to US$10,500. (One U.S. dollar equals 115,000 Zimbabwe dollars.) These are nonsense figures any way you look at them; based on the anecdotal evidence and reports from trading centers, we are talking about tens of millions dollars – but certainly not more than that.

WDC Chairman Eli Izhakoff’s statement that “Zimbabwe’s production of rough diamonds is relatively modest, and is estimated to be 0.4% of world production” is probably a correct assessment. But that is not something a newspaper reader in London or Seattle would know. We don’t have the complete picture. In the best of times, official exports were in the range of US$35 million.

Reporting from Mutare, in the heart of the Manicaland Province, Robert Dixon of the Los Angeles Times quotes a local source, saying: “The diamond game is the filthiest game in town, and everyone's into it. It's not even semi-organized chaos. It's a bunch of thieves who backstab each other. A lot of leaders of the political regime are involved in trading. They have their own diggers and traders. But it's all to their personal account. They've all got a vested interest in chaos."

What Choices?

The WDC said this week that the diamond industry has already taken action and is providing customs authorities, diamond bourses and the KP people with expert instruction and photographic examples to assist in identifying the type of diamonds being illegally exported from Zimbabwe. Also, the organized trade has been urged to exercise extreme caution and vigilance when trading in rough diamonds.

Are there other things that can be done? The NGOs have lately called for the KP mandate to be toughened in order to curtail this illicit trade, i.e. to curtail smuggling. As much as I sympathize with such an idea, this simply cannot be done. Smuggling is not an invention of the diamond industry and almost 100 percent of the smuggling in the world is in other products. Fighting smuggling is the responsibility of law enforcement and customs officials in the respective countries. This is far removed from the KP, which is mainly governed by officers of foreign or commerce ministries.

Smuggling is a predicate money laundering offense. Anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) programs are in place in most of the diamond industry, and they are continuously being strengthened. They are also effective. But smuggled diamonds are not the same as conflict diamonds. If someone smuggles a Diamond Trading Company (DTC) sight box from southern Africa to Europe, that doesn’t make the goods “conflict diamonds.”

I am the last one to condone smuggling, but also the first one to warn the NGOs not to make the mistake of equating illicit diamonds with conflict diamonds, as was done in the NGO presentations at the Kimberley Process Plenary in New Delhi. None of this lament helps Zimbabwe.

Crying for Zimbabwe

Recently, I received a long letter from E.E.H in Harare, which I would like to partially quote: “I reckon that these are the last days of TKM and ZPF. The darkest hour is always before dawn. We are all terrified at what they are going to destroy next…I mean they are actually ploughing down brick and mortar houses and one family with twin boys of 10 had no chance of salvaging anything when 100 riot police came in with AK47's and bulldozers and demolished their beautiful house - 5 bedrooms and pine ceilings - because it was 'too close to the airport', so we are feeling extremely insecure right now.

“You know - I am aware that this does not help you sleep at night, but if you do not know - how can you help? Even if you put us in your own mental ring of light and send your guardian angels to be with us - that is a help - but I feel so cut off from you all knowing I cannot tell you what's going on here simply because you will feel uncomfortable. There is no ways we can leave here so that is not an option. To be frank with you, it's genocide in the making and if you do not believe me, read the Genocide Report by Amnesty International which says we are - IN level 7 - (level 8 is after it's happened and everyone is in denial).

“This Government has GONE MAD and you need to help us publicize our plight – or how can we be rescued? It's a reality! The petrol queues are a reality, the pall of smoke all around our city is a reality, the thousands of homeless people sleeping outside in 0 Celsius with no food, water, shelter and bedding are a reality. Today a family approached me, brother of the gardener's wife with two small children. Their home was trashed and they will have to sleep outside. We already support 8 adult people and a child on this property, and electricity is going up next month by 250% as is water. How can I take on another family of 4 – and yet how can I turn them away to sleep out in the open?

“Censorship! We no longer have SW radio [which told us everything that was happening] because the Government jammed it out of existence - we don't have any reporters, and no one is allowed to photograph. If we had reporters here, they would have an absolute field day. Even the pro-Government Herald has written that people are shocked, stunned, bewildered and blown mindless by the wanton destruction of many folks homes, which are supposed to be 'illegal' but for which a huge percentage actually do have licenses. Please! - do have some compassion and HELP by sending out the articles and personal reports so that something can/may be done.”

We, in the diamond business, ought to start thinking about tomorrow. When Mugabe and his cronies are gone, how will we help the country’s informal alluvial mining sectors mine diamonds for the benefit of the Zimbabwe people? How will we avoid the scenario in which a new government will just continue to do very much of the same in the diamond areas? The British and U.S. governments have considerable experience in mining “rehabilitation” programs – but this was always in the context of post-conflict programs.

There is no war in Zimbabwe – except for a government that fights its own people.

Have a thoughtful weekend.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11TH, 2008, CHAIM EVEN-ZOHAR
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Additional Reading :
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Cholera Is Raging, Despite Denial by Mugabe

The outbreak is yet more evidence that Zimbabwe’s most fundamental public services — including water and sanitation, public schools and hospitals — are shutting down.Zimbabwe’s once promising economy, disastrously mismanaged by Mr. Mugabe’s government, has been spiraling downward for almost a decade, but residents here say the free fall has gained frightening velocity in recent weeks. Coffin makers report an increase in sales. With the cholera spilling into neighboring countries, and millions of people enduring severe hunger, there are rising international calls for Mr. Mugabe to step down after 28 years in power. But he seems only to be digging in and even declared Thursday that the nation's cholera epidemic had ended, a day after the World Health Organization warned that the outbreak was grave enough to carry "serious regional implications." Photos
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ZIMBABWE: Call to suspend diamonds from the Kimberley Process
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December 13, 2008
Victims of Zimbabwean diamond crackdown to be dumped in mass grave
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Zimbabwe's police and army clash in Harare 1st December 2008 : Police shot at rioting soldiers on the streets of Harare on Monday as unpaid uniformed personnel sided with the country’s impoverished people for the first time in protest against Zimbabwe’s collapsing economy
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Zimbabwe's Deadly Diamond Fever Part 1
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The Morality of Diamonds
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Lesotho Video : King Letsie III & Antwerp
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Diamonds: A Symbol of Value & Death
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Kimberley Process Under Threat Part 2 - Hezbollah in Venezuela
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Kimberley Process Under Threat Politically Incorrect Part 1
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Kimberley Process Threatened by Russia. Is it failing ?
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U.S. Lashes Back After Chavez Forces Envoy From VenezuelaFriday, September 12, 2008
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Madison Dialogue
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Panama Diamond Exchange
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Do NOT Trade Diamonds from Venezuela
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ILLICIT DIAMONDS FLOW
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Sierra Leone Sells First Gems
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The Father of Blood Diamonds : Jamil Sayid Mohamed
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Historical Feature : The Role of Conflict Diamonds in al Qaeda's Financial Structure

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Independently Certified Diamonds
Today in History

1911: Amundsen reaches South Pole

Norwegian Roald Amundsen becomes the first explorer to reach the South Pole, beating his British rival, Robert Falcon Scott. In early 1911, Amundsen sailed his ship into Antarctica’s Bay of Whales and set up base camp 60 miles closer to the pole than Scott. In October, both explorers set off, Amundsen using sleigh dogs, and Scott employing Siberian motor sledges, Siberian ponies and dogs. On 14th December 1911, Amundsen’s expedition won the race to the Pole and returned safely to base camp in late January. Scott’s expedition was less fortunate. The motor sleds broke down, the ponies had to be shot, and the dog teams were sent back as Scott and four companions continued on foot. On 18th January 1912, they reached the pole only to find that Amundsen had preceded them by over a month. Weather on the return journey was exceptionally bad, two members perished, and a storm later trapped Scott and the other two survivors in their tent only 11 miles from their base camp. Scott’s frozen body was found later that year.

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Posted by The Diamond Guru

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Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Robbery : Diamonds Must Still Be Worth Something

Robbers dressed in drag stole more than $100M worth of jewelry
from a Harry Winston store in Paris.
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Robbers in Drag Steal $100M in Jewel Heist
6th December 2008

PARIS, France (CNN) -- Four armed robbers -- two of them men disguised as women -- walked into a luxury jewelry store in Paris and swiped an estimated €80 million (U.S. $101 million) in jewels, the Paris prosecutor's office said.

Robbers dressed in drag stole more than $100M worth of jewelry from a Harry Winston store in Paris.

The incident, which lasted about 15 minutes, took place Thursday around 5:30 p.m. at the Harry Winston store near the famed Avenue des Champs-Elysees, around the corner from a police station.

The case has been turned over to the unit in charge of handling organized crime cases, said Isabelle Montagne, assistant to Paris prosecutor Jean Claude Marin.
No shots were fired and no one was wounded, she said.

After they entered the store, the four thieves pulled out their weapons, forced the customers and employees -- about 15 people in all -- into a corner, and grabbed jewels out of display cases and safes, the prosecutor's office said. The robbers seemed to know the locations of secret hiding places for jewels and called some employees by their first names, it said.

The group then fled the store, which is located on a wide street near subways and other public transportation. French state radio reported that it was not immediately clear how the robbers left the area.

Investigators believe it was the work of a highly professional group, and that the culprits were French or from elsewhere in Europe, state radio reported.

In a written statement, the Harry Winston company said, "We are cooperating with the authorities in their investigation. Our first concern is the well-being of our employees."

The same shop was robbed of millions of euros worth of jewelry just 14 months ago, in October 2007. Source: CNN.com /Europe

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Today in History
1950 Harry Gold, who confessed to serving as a courier between Klaus Fuchs, a British scientist who stole top secret information on the atomic bomb, and Soviet agents, is sentenced to 30 years in jail in America.

1941 The Second World War: China declares war on the Axis powers Japan, Germany and Italy.
1917 The First World War: Following the withdrawal of Turkish troops, Britain take control of Jerusalem in Palestine.

Posted by The Diamond Guru

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Arbitration in Absentia: Part 2

During the present economic crisis, our collective (and journalistic) attention is so focused on the major issues that otherwise-also-important stories take a backseat. However, journalistic fairness requires us to follow up on a particular Diamond Dealers Club-related arbitration story we covered earlier this year. We initially wrote about an arbitration proceeding in which a $641,736.23 judgment was handed down against an Israeli diamantaire who claimed profusely that he had not received proper notice and therefore was not aware of the date of the proceedings. In our reports, we delved into the issue of lack of uniformity in arbitration proceedings among bourses in different countries and regretfully stressed the perceived acrimony too often felt in cross-border bourse arbitrations.

Essentially, both sides in the arbitration petitioned the Supreme Court of the State of New York. The willing party, Lajb Blatman, sought a court confirmation of the arbitration award while the Israeli party, the brothers A. and U., petitioned to vacate the arbitration award. The arbitration involved a debt of New York’s Diaglobe Corporation owed to Blatman’s Australia Diamond Supply.

Given that considerable time has passed since our previous editorial, titled “Arbitration in Absentia,” we thought it useful to cite below the circumstances of the arbitration, as summarized by Supreme Court judge, the Honorable Paul G. Feinman:

The Circumstances around the Arbitration

“Lajb Blatman, President of Australia Diamond Supply Ltd., is a member of the New York Diamond Dealers Club (DDC). A. H. and U. H. are owners of the Delta Diamond Ltd. and are members of the Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) in Israel. Both the DDC and the IDE are diamond bourses, and are members of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB). Diamond bourses require all members worldwide to resolve all controversies against each other by arbitration pursuant to the by-laws and rules of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses.

“On or about January 8, 2008, Blatman commenced arbitration with the DDC against the Brothers [the court documents originally refer to the brothers by name. CEZ] and their affiliated companies, Delta Diamonds Ltd. in Israel, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, and Nili Jewelry Designs in New York to recover the sum of $588,530 plus other associated fees and charges. In his arbitration claim, Blatman alleges that, in August and July 2007, he sold diamonds on behalf of his corporation, Australia Diamond Supply, to Diaglobe Corporation in New York, a diamond dealer affiliated with Delta Diamonds Ltd., Israel. Diaglobe agreed to pay the sum of $580,090 for the sale and delivery of the diamonds, but to date, it has not made payment to Blatman.

“On January 16, 2008, following the filing of the Demand for Arbitration with the DDC, the brothers were notified, by Registered Mail, Return Receipt Requested, of an arbitration hearing scheduled for February 12, 2008, at 3:00 pm, before the DDC Arbitration Panel. The notice was sent to the brothers at their offices in Ramat Gan, Israel, Hong Kong and Shanghai, China and New York. A copy of the notice was also sent to Shoshy Koskowicz, Legal Advisor to the Israel Diamond Exchange.

“On or about January 28, 2008, after receiving the Demand for Arbitration, A.H. contacted Martin Hochbaum, Managing Director of the DDC, and requested an adjournment of the February 12, 2008 hearing. After being advised to make his application in writing, on January 29, 2008, A.H. sent Hochbaum a written request, via facsimile, seeking an adjournment until after Passover; sometime after April 28, 2008. In a letter to A. H. dated January 31, 2008, Hochbaum acknowledged receipt of Brothers letter, and informed him that the DDC’s policy is to ‘adjourn a matter only in special circumstances.’ Hochbaum also informed him that according to WFDB rules, a case ‘shall commence within 60 days of its filing date,’ and as such, the arbitration hearing was being rescheduled to March 4, 2008, the latest date possible under the rules. This response by Hochbaum was sent to H. via the same facsimile number from which H. sent his written request for an adjournment. Hochbaum also sent a facsimile copy of his response letter to the Brothers at their Hong Kong, Shanghai and New York offices, and also sent facsimile copies of the letter to both the WFDB and to Joskowicz at the IDE.

“On March 4, 2008, when the Brothers did not appear for the hearing, in accordance with the DDC’s bylaws and inner rules, the arbitration was held and the arbitrators proceeded to hear Blatman’s evidence. On March 6, 2008, the Arbitration Panel, finding the Brothers to be ‘principals of Diaglobe,’ rendered an award in favor of Blatman in the amount of $641,736.23 and provided for payment of legal expenses to Blatman calculated at 15 percent of the confirmed award (which amount to $96,260) for a grand total award of $737,996.66. On March 13, 2008, the DDC sent the Brothers the arbitration award and decision by certified mail to all of their office locations in New York, Israel, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.

“After receipt of the arbitration award in Blatman’s favor, on or about March 20, 2008, the Brothers, by their legal representatives, notified the DDC that their non-appearance was the result of their lack of knowledge of the rescheduled arbitration hearing date and requested that the arbitration award be vacated. By letter dated March 25, 2008, the DDC responded by informing the Brothers’ legal representative that his ‘letter does not accurately portray the situation including the circumstances surrounding the request for an adjournment,’ and informed him of his right to make an appeal under the DDC’s arbitration bylaws. In a letter dated March 26, 2008, the Brothers sought intervention by the WFDB. However, the WFDB informed the Brothers that ‘from the outset [it] had been copied correspondence by the DDC’ relating to the dispute, and pointed out that the DDC’s January 31, 2008, letter adjourning the arbitration was sent in reply to the Brothers ’ request for a delay in the arbitration. The WFDB further explained that given the arguments made, it would not be able to reschedule the arbitration and cancel the recent decision.”

The facts above, as cited by the judge, have been reported in our previous articles. The Israeli party did not avail itself of the opportunity to appeal, probably because of the requirement that the awarded amount needed to be deposited with the DDC in advance of the appeal.

What has happened since? Again, we quote the judge, the Honorable Paul G. Feinman:

The Parties Go to Court

“On May 1, 2008, Blatman filed a petition seeking to confirm the March 6, 2008, arbitration award. The Brothers oppose the petition to confirm. On May 14, 2008, they brought a separate proceeding to vacate the award on the ground that the arbitrators failed to adhere to the procedures set forth in New York Civil Practice Law & Rules (CPLR) Article 75, including the requirements of CPLR § 7506. First, they allege that the initial Demand for Arbitration, which included the date set for arbitration, was not properly served on them because the Demand was not personally delivered or sent by certified or registered mail.

“Rather, the Brothers contend that the Demand was sent via facsimile to the legal advisor to the IDE, in violation of statute, and as such was ‘fatally defective to the proceeding.’ The Brothers also insist that they are not principals of Diaglobe as the Arbitration Panel determined. The Brothers next allege that after the date for the arbitration was rescheduled by Hochbaum, the notice of this rescheduling was not properly served upon them, since it was sent by a facsimile that they did not receive. According to the Brothers, their lack of knowledge of the rescheduled date resulted in their non-appearance at the arbitration hearing. Finally, they assert that the arbitration award was not properly served on them, since they received only a facsimile copy of the award in clear violation of the requirements of CPLR § 7506.

“In further support of this petition to confirm, and in opposition to the petition to vacate, Blatman argues that the evidence clearly demonstrates that the Brothers received notice of the adjournment and thus, their contention that they lacked knowledge of the adjourned date is without merit. He also argues that the facsimile method used by the Administrators to respond to the Brothers’ request for an adjournment was ‘reasonably calculated, under all the circumstances to provide notice’ to the Brothers, especially since this was the very method (and facsimile number) A.H. himself used in making his written request for an adjournment. Blatman further argues that there is nothing in the CPLR that requires a response to a request for an adjournment be sent via certified or registered mail, therefore, the petition to vacate the arbitration award should be denied.”

The Position of the Court

In the U.S., as in many other countries, the courts encourage the use of arbitrations for dispute resolution in non-judicial forums and therefore tend to be reluctant to intervene. Indeed, the starting point of the judge was that “where the parties have agreed to submit their dispute to binding arbitration, an award [decided upon] should be given effect, unless it is in clear violation of public policy. Thus, the scope of judicial review of an arbitration proceeding is very limited.” In reviewing an arbitration award, “courts are obligated to give deference to the decision of the arbitrator,” said the judge.

Under the relevant law, there are four situations in which a court will intervene and void an arbitration decision: only if the rights of a party were prejudiced by (i) corruption, fraud, or misconduct in procuring the award; or (ii) because of partiality of an arbitrator; or (iii) if the arbitrator exceeded his power or failed to make a final and definite award; or (iv) if the arbitration did not follow the proper procedure. Thus, the party seeking to void the arbitration award is imposed with a heavy burden to prove that any of the aforementioned conditions apply.

In this specific arbitration instance, the issue before the Court is whether the arbitration award should be voided on the ground that the arbitration failed to follow notification procedures. New York law uses a different language than the WFDB rules, but the language is consistent with the DDC by-laws. The law provides, in the relevant part, that “arbitrator shall appoint a time and place for the hearing and notify the parties in writing personally or by registered or certified mail not less than eight days before the hearing. The arbitrator may adjourn or postpone the hearing.

Says the judge: “Here, the Brothers’ assertion that they did not receive notice of the Demand to Arbitrate in accordance with the requirements of [the relevant law] is belied by the documentary evidence to the contrary. Copies of Certified Mail Receipts, dated January 16, 2008, from the U.S. Postal Service show that notice of the Demand for Arbitration was sent to the Brothers not only at Diaglobe Corporation and Nili Jewelry Designs in New York, but also at their offices of Delta Diamond in Ramat Gan, Israel, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, China. The Brothers’ bare contention that they only learned of the arbitration from Joskowicz at the IDE cannot overcome the post officer certifications. Further, a review of the Demand for Arbitration and the accompanying letter reveals that the [DDC] arbitrators complied with the requirements of [the relevant NY law] (b) by appointing a time and place for the hearing and notifying the parties in writing by certified mail prior to eight days before the hearing. Therefore, to the extent the petition to vacate (void) the arbitration award on the basis of the service of the original notification, it is devoid of merit.”

Another major point of contention between the parties is whether the arbitration award should be vacated because notice of the adjourned or rescheduled date was neither personally delivered to the Brothers nor sent via registered or certified mail. “The Brothers’ contention that, the facsimile notice of the adjourned date violated the relevant law, and that their non-receipt of the notice resulted in their non-appearance at the arbitration, deserve careful consideration,” says the judge.

In court, Brothers’ lawyers relied on a precedent, which the judge dismissed as being irrelevant to the case in question. It involved the question whether the new date which was set for the arbitration represented a “new hearing,” i.e. a new case, or merely as result of the initial hearing to be adjourned to be convened at a later date. This makes, apparently, a big difference in the required way for notifications.

Says the judge: “As previously addressed, this court is persuaded that the Brothers actually received the initial Demand for Arbitration, as indicated by the date-stamped certifications from the post office records, in compliance with the statutory requirements. Next, and perhaps most importantly, for purposes of this decision, the DDC did not provide the Brothers with a ‘new notice of hearing.’ Rather, the Brothers received an adjournment based on their very own request. In its response letter, the DDC informed A.H. that its policy is to ‘adjourn a matter only in special circumstances,’ explained the 60 day commencement rule, and rescheduled the arbitration to March 4, 2008. The contents of this letter clearly evidences an intent to attempt some accommodation of the Brothers by an adjournment of the arbitration, even if it was not for as long as the Brothers had requested.”

Ramification on Future Arbitrations

“[While the relevant law] requires that notice of the time and place for the hearing be made in writing, delivered personally or by registered or certified mail, there is nothing in the statute from which to conclude that responses to requests for adjournments adhere to those same specific requirements. Here, the record is devoid of any evidence tending to show that the DDC’s response to A.H.’s adjournment request was intended to serve as a new notice of hearing rendering the prior notice a nullity, which would otherwise require the arbitrator to give notice in accordance with the requirements of the aforementioned relevant laws. The notice of hearing, including all of the information contained therein, remained the same - the only change was the adjourned date at the Brothers’ request,” concludes the Judge.

“The law is well-settled that the means selected for providing notice must be ‘reasonably calculated, under all the circumstances to provide notice’. The Brothers’ request was sent via facsimile. Given the absence of statutory or contractual requirements to the contrary, the DDC’s facsimile response to the facsimile request for an adjournment was an appropriate means to provide notice to the Brothers. It should be noted that the Brothers’ claim that they did not receive the DDC’s facsimile response to the request for adjournment lacks candor. The facsimile confirmations submitted by DDC regarding the arbitration serve as persuasive proof that the facsimile was indeed sent to and received by the Brothers, the IDE and the WFDB. Both the IDE and the WFDB acknowledge receipt of the adjournment by facsimile. Ironically, the Brothers aver that they did not receive this facsimile, although it was sent to their many office locations, including Diaglobe in New York, Nili Jewelry Designs in New York, and Delta Diamond, Israel, Hong Kong, and Shanghai,” says the judge.

“Assuming, however, as the Brothers contend, they did not receive notice of the adjournment until after the March 4, 2008 hearing, it is nonetheless undisputed that they were at least aware of the February 12, 2008 originally scheduled arbitration hearing, for which they sought an adjournment. Had the Brothers made any effort to attend the hearing on February 12th they would have learned of the adjourned date well in advance of the March 4th. Their failure to appear at the arbitration amounts to nothing more than an obvious disregard and conscious decision to refrain from attending the arbitration,” concludes the judge.

The Brothers’ final argument is that the arbitration award should be vacated because the award was not served in accordance with the provision of CPLR § 7507. Instead, they allege that they received only a facsimile copy from the legal advisor to the IDE. CPLR § 7507 provides, in relevant part, that “the arbitrator shall deliver a copy of the award to each party in the manner provided in the agreement, or, if no provision is so made, personally or by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested.”

Here, evidence of postal record receipts showing a mail date of March 13, 2008, serves as ample proof that notice of the arbitration award was mailed to the Brothers at various office locations as required by the statute. Thus, their argument here, too, is patently without merit.

Some Final Thoughts

In his judgment confirming the validity of the arbitration, the judge notes specifically, “the evidence presented sufficiently demonstrates that the notice provisions of the arbitration agreement were satisfied. Thus, the Brothers’ claim that their rights were substantially prejudiced by the arbitrators’ actions in failing to adhere to the relevant law must be rejected.”

We don’t know whether the last word has been said and whether the Brothers will appeal. In our initial story, we quoted DDC Managing Director Martin Hochbaum, who is responsible for the administrative side of sending notices, who said he had adhered to all the proper procedures. The court confirms that contention. The court didn’t address the substantial issues raised in the arbitration.

Given the current economic crisis and the difficulties many parties will have today to make substantial payments, one can only observe that justice delayed is – indeed – justice denied. It makes more sense, in almost any situation, to exhaust the normal bourse arbitration appeals process, then to seek redress of the courts. As this judgment shows, the instances in which a court will void an arbitration decision are extremely limited.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4TH, 2008, CHAIM EVEN-ZOHAR

Additional Reading :

The World Federation of Diamond Bourses was founded in 1947 to unite and to provide bourses trading in rough and polished diamonds and precious stones, with a common set of trading practice.

The WFDB provides a legal framework and convenes to enact regulations for its 26 member diamond bourses.

The function of the WFDB is as diverse as the members who belong to it.

Ethics, good business practice and morality are paramount and these are protected vigorously by the Constitution of the WFDB which provides for Arbitration and Disciplinary procedures against any bourse member who transgresses the code.


DDCA Invitation Letter from Avi Paz : Diamond Dealers Club of Australia joins WFDB


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Personalized attention and commitment to customer satisfaction
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Today in History

1987: Palestinian intifada begins

The first riots of the Palestinian intifada begin in the Gaza Strip, occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War of 1967. The uprising soon spread to the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Palestinian demonstrators marched while youths threw stones at Israeli police, troops, and citizens. Palestinian leaders called for the creation of an independent Palestine, and terrorist attacks against Israel increased. Israel used force to combat the intifada, and arrested and deported thousands. Israel suppressed many expressions of the intifada, but violence persisted. In 1993, the Palestinian mainstream, led by Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Chairman Yasser Arafat, drastically changed course and acknowledged the right of Israel to co-exist with Palestine. Later that year, Arafat signed a peace accord with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and a major peace agreement in 1994. In 2000, the peace process stalled and Palestinian-Israeli violence resumed.

Posted by The Diamond Guru

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Monday, December 8, 2008

Diamond Marketing

De Beers: Diamonds Are a Recession's Best Friend
***
In a marketing gambit more dazzling than their product, De Beers touts diamonds as the cure for evil consumerism.

Unlike Prada, Vuitton, Hermes and other luxury marketers who are hawking their wares conventionally this Christmas season, De Beers isn't pretending it's indulgence-as-usual.

Instead, they are acting more boldly and directly than Hank Paulson: They are making the case that even though Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers have disappeared—and the Big Three and Citigroup hover on the edge of vanishing—a diamond is forever.

But their fiendishly clever psychology goes even deeper: De Beers is actually using grim times to re-position the purchase of a diamond bauble as not just a gift, but a philosophical and ethical declaration.

"Here's to Less" one ad is cheerily but somewhat ominously headlined. The copy sounds more like an ad for a zen retreat than for a girl's best friend: "Our lives are filled with things. We're overwhelmed by possessions we own but do not treasure. Stuff we buy but never love.”

The implicit message: If more people bought diamonds instead of credit-default swaps, we’d be just fine now.

Buy a diamond, De Beers is saying, and you are recognizing what is truly valuable in life—and rejecting the superficial consumerism that has brought the world’s mightiest economy to its knees. This is a wickedly clever kung-fu move for the new Obama-ready marketplace: Monroe becomes Thoreau.

Think about the incredible co-option that’s going on here. Diamonds are ultimate artifact of capitalism and consumerism—inherently neutral objects whose value depends on the manipulation of scarcity and the aggressive promotion of cultural symbolism through Jacob the Jeweler and Harry Winston the Jeweler.

Yet here we have the world’s leading diamond firm instructing us in the evils of consumerism and arrogating for itself a higher plane of spiritual meaning. Note as well their wily use of the word "stuff"—a bit of vernacular so the message doesn't get too grandiloquent. The hypocrisy dazzles more than the product.
At the same time, De Beers is inviting the reader to share their karmic virtue. You may work on Wall Street, you may have even have been a bond-trading contributor to the current mess, but now you can atone. Guilt is being expiated, validation is being bestowed. And you can make a dame happy at the same time. Wowee.

This is gutsy. The unwritten rule of luxury goods marketing is to rise above the messiness of the moment. But De Beers clearly believes this is no ordinary moment, and that they’ve got to address a mood so sour that not even the rich are in a mood to spend.

The copy closes with what they call in marketing “asking for order”—but in a seductive, intimate voice that reminds us of the emotional value of the diamond: “Perhaps now is an opportunity to assess what really matters. After all, if everything you bought her disappeared overnight, what would she truly miss?”

If this campaign actually works, it will be because it fits neatly into the manufactured narrative framework that De Beers has spent generations creating in one of greatest marketing triumphs that capitalism has ever seen. When diamond sales skidded during the Great Depression, De Beers hired the agency N.W. Ayer and launched a national advertising campaign to establish the diamond ring as our national engagement and wedding gift.

At the same time, De Beers began a concerted effort to convince Hollywood to connect the industry’s glamour and romance to the stone—proto product placement. Between 1938 and 1941, diamond sales went up 55 percent.

Then, in 1947, De Beers launched their “A diamond is forever” campaign, and by 1965, a staggering 80 women had their engagements measured in carats. Christmas 2008 continues this tradition of inserting diamonds deep into the culture, and rendering them transcendent at the same time.

A second ad in De Beers’ contrarian Christmas campaign is even more pointed in its criticism of the boom years. “We live in an age of the fast and disposable” we are told. “Where a week can be considered long-term.”

The business-and-finance lingo is no accident. A diamond embodies Buffet-like values, a Victorian sense of time and patience. The implicit message: If more people bought diamonds instead of credit-default swaps, we’d be just fine now.
While these exotic instruments were vaporous and insubstantial, diamond were “ there as the earth formed, there as the first civilizations took hold.” This is powerful language with an end-of-days, apocalyptic quality.

Trend expert Faith Popcorn says “I think diamonds could end up being thought of like they once were, an emergency escape mechanism. The Jews sewed them into their hems and used them for safe passage. We’re all worried about the Banks and how we would 'get out of Dodge' if we had to.”

Love, permanence, spiritual peace, the rejection of false gods, and safe passage to boot. You can’t get that from a Birkin bag.
Additional Reading :

Upmarket Luxury Competes Against Cheaper Luxury Items Australian Sex Party- Diamonds or Dildos ?

Antwerp Symposium: Industry Considering its Fate

Diamonds Demand Driven

De Beers Willing to Reduce Output to Meet Demand

Diamond Rough Natural Supply & Demand

CIBJO : De Beers Seduces it's Goomah

Diamond Rough Supplies To Be Cut

Diamonds Dubai Style & Asia

Cash is King

***



Today in History

1980: John Lennon shot dead
Musician John Lennon is shot and killed by an obsessed fan in New York City. The British star, formerly of the rock group The Beatles, had once caused outrage when he declared that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus.Love and peace were Lennon’s central themes; he found love when he married singer Yoko Ono, but peace was shattered on 8th December 1980, when he was shot outside his apartment building in New York City. He died on the way to the hospital. His assailant, Mark David Chapman, was convicted of murder and sent to jail. Bereaved fans kept vigil in front of the entrance to his home for an entire week.

Posted by The Diamond Guru

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Sunday, December 7, 2008

Zimbabwe's Deadly Diamond Fever

BEATING THE RECESSION IN FIVE EASY STEPS

STEP 1: MOVE TO ZIMBABWE.

STEP 2: JOIN THE ZIMBABWIAN ARMED FORCES AND BECOME AN OFFICER.

STEP 3: BUY A BULLET PROOF VEST AND THE BEST LIFE INSURANCE POLICY AVAILABLE.

STEP 4: IGNORE THE "KIMBERLEY PROCESS."

STEP 5: START DIGGING.


Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi / Associated Press
Miners take a break at the Marange field in eastern Zimbabwe in 2006. In a country where the paralyzed economy offers few opportunities, diamond mining is an attractive gamble.

***
The rich Marange diamond field draws illegal miners as well as regime thugs who will gun them down.

By Robyn Dixon December 4, 2008

Reporting from Mutare, Zimbabwe -- Ronald seems a sober, respectable, church-on-Sunday type. Not the kind you'd find prospecting for diamonds here in Zimbabwe's wild east, a world of swaggering foreigners, dirty money and shoot-to-kill police. Not the sort who'd utter movie-script lines like this one: "You can make $15,000 or $20,000 in 30 minutes. But you can die within seconds."

Ronald, like the rest of Zimbabwe, has caught Africa's nastiest ailment -- diamond fever.

Sleepy towns such as Mutare have blinked awake to find their quiet streets buzzing with opportunists and black marketeers. Every day, illicit miners show up at the hospital with gaping bullet wounds and flimsy excuses for how they got them. Characters straight out of "Blood Diamond" cruise like sharks.

But the biggest sharks are nowhere to be seen: Officials of President Robert Mugabe's regime are looting the diamonds, industry sources and members of Zimbabwe's security services say.

Not only are they personally enriching themselves with one of the few natural resources still left in this ruined country, party fat cats may be finding life support in the diamond riches, Western diplomats and analysts fear, and gaining one more motive to cling to power.

"I think the political implications are very interesting," said a diplomat based in Harare, the capital. "Right now, the government's getting very little. If it can regularize this in some way, it could really prop things up for a while. It could give them some time to pursue their interests and just keep going.

"The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid political problems with Zimbabwe's government. Others who were willing to discuss the diamond trade declined to be identified for fear of repercussions.

Industry and security sources say government leaders have their own syndicates to dig and trade diamonds on the black market.

"The diamond game is the filthiest game in town and everyone's into it," says one source familiar with the gem industry. "It's not even semi- organized chaos. It's a bunch of thieves who backstab each other."

A lot of leaders of the political regime are involved in trading. They have their own diggers and traders. But it's all to their personal account. They've all got a vested interest in chaos."

Regime cracks down

Diplomats, industry sources and some nongovernmental agencies believe the Marange field here could be one of the most significant diamond discoveries in decades.

Mugabe's regime is certainly behaving as if it is. In mid-November, the government sent in the military to crack down on unsanctioned miners. Soldiers even fired on miners from helicopters, local sources say. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change says nearly 140 people have been killed.

One insider close to the ruling party said the scope of the crackdown was a measure of how significant the diamonds were to the regime."

I don't think they would expend such resources if there was not something significant there," he says.

A prison official in Mutare said top figures in the ruling ZANU-PF party and security officials are running the illegal diamond trade here."

The people in the police, prisons service, army and CIO [Central Intelligence Organization] have got groups of people who are working for those lieutenants, known as syndicates," says the official. "Usually these high-ranked officers in the armed forces are working for the ministers, governors and other ZANU-PF bigwigs."

The exploration rights at the Marange field were initially held by a subsidiary of the diamond giant De Beers, which let its license expire in early 2006.The rights were then taken up by a British company, African Consolidated Resources.

In late 2006, a rush began, driven by the large quantities of diamonds close to the surface -- making the site almost unique. The government promptly evicted the company in much the same manner it evicted white farmers from their land in 2000. Today, the site is ostensibly being developed by the state-owned Zimbabwe Mining Development Corp., but most of the gems find their way onto the black market.

The British company continues to pursue a legal battle in the High Court over the right to mine the area, but in cases involving property rights in the past, High Court judges -- appointed by Mugabe -- have sided with the government.

Almost irresistible

In a country where the paralyzed economy offers few opportunities, diamonds are almost irresistible. Ronald, 31, who had given up working for an insurance firm for black-market currency dealing, was drawn into illegal mining. He gave only his first name, fearing possible jail.

A crowd digs for diamonds at the Marange field in eastern Zimbabwe in 2006, when the rush began. The field is known for large quantities of diamonds close to the surface — making it almost unique.(Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi / Associated Press)
December 28, 2006

Ronald says he saw five unsanctioned miners, including two women, shot to death by police on the diamond field late last month as they fled carrying large sacks of soil. One of those killed was a policeman mining illegally.

"It's like war," Ronald says.

At dawn that same day, he had been in the diamond field filling bags with dirt to carry off and later sieve. "We heard a gunshot. It was very close. Then everybody, including myself, started to run, carrying our bags of soil. We were running and running. . . . We were more than 50 and they were firing shots at us."

They scattered, but Ronald didn't want to drop his sack, thinking he might have a gigantic diamond. Finally, exhausted, he ditched it to save himself.

"That was the day I thought, 'Maybe this is the end of my life.' " Yet he went back in.
It is filthy, back-breaking work, a shock after his peaceful insurance job and black-market money dealing. The hastily dug tunnels can be deep, and they often collapse, burying prospectors alive.

Opinions differ on the significance of the Marange field. Some put its worth in billions of dollars annually; others estimate this at under $50 million.

Local industry figures say that in the last 12 months, high-quality diamonds have increasingly been turning up. The Reserve Bank chief, Gideon Gono, said last month that more than 500 syndicates were operating in Marange, and estimated that the government was losing $1.2 billion in diamond revenue every month.

But a Belgian-based diamond expert scoffed at the figure -- equivalent to global diamond production -- and said 90% of the gems were low-quality industrial diamonds.

'Dangerous'

Brilliant flame trees line the streets of Mutare, like dawdling women bearing scarlet parasols. Intelligence men are everywhere. Foreigners brag loudly and flirt with local women in restaurants and bars. A car draws up and a plump fellow nods hello.

"Ah, things are tough, eh? Things are dangerous," he says, grinning slyly. Pause. "You wanna buy dah-mons?"

It's a place of treachery and swirling rumor: People talk of a $5-million diamond found here recently, or the woman who made her fortune trading cabbages for diamonds.

When the rush started, miners were loath to leave their diggings even for water: It was common for them to swap a diamond for a bottle of water, or so the story goes.

Industry sources whisper the names of notorious international diamond dealers said to have fingers in the Marange pie.

The fenced area in Marange operated by the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corp. is known locally as "Mai Mujuru's Breast," meaning the breast of Mama Mujuru, a reference to the country's corpulent vice president, Joyce Mujuru. You need just a short time there, people tell you breathlessly, and you'll have a diamond the size of a bird's egg.

"It's a ZANU-PF place," says opposition lawmaker Pishai Muchauraya. "No one is allowed to get in there. If you're a special person, you will go there and you will be allowed just 20 minutes. That's where you can get clear diamonds."

But Ronald, the illegal miner, says he paid a bribe to a policeman to spend several hours at Mai Mujuru's Breast. He got only one tiny diamond, which he sold for $150.

A $30,000 deal

Itai, 28, got into trading diamonds 18 months ago. He smuggles them in his mouth across the border to sell to Lebanese and Israeli dealers in Manica, Mozambique. He's bought two houses and five cars. Three months ago, he says, he and his aunt traded a clear 30-carat stone as big as his thumbnail for $30,000 in a hotel-room deal with an Israeli.

He says most of the illegal miners are well educated: "They're teachers, nurses, soldiers, policemen and civil servants."

The prison official said the real aim of the recent crackdown was to give the syndicates operated by top ruling party figures free rein.

"In effect, these operations are not to restore order but to make sure [the syndicates] can take the diamonds," the official says. "But what is devastating us is that they're actually killing people. They're shooting to kill."

Political violence and power struggles in Manicaland province, where the Marange diamonds are found, suggest how important the area is to Mugabe and ZANU-PF. Manicaland was one of the areas most severely hit by political violence after the elections in March, which saw ZANU-PF lose the Mutare council, the mayoral post and 20 parliamentary seats there to the Movement for Democratic Change.

Although Zimbabwe's diamonds are not technically "blood diamonds," or ones that fuel wars, they are bloody in nature.

'I might die'

Isaac, 38, and Richard, 32, brought their brother Cledious to the hospital after he was shot in the back while mining illegally. The three brothers and two cousins were in a tunnel at about 6 a.m. when police threw in a tear-gas canister.

"We started running away. He was the last to come out. We heard a gunshot and we looked back and saw our brother on the ground," Isaac says. Police took him to their camp and dumped him, unattended and bleeding profusely.

The base wasn't guarded," Richard says. "I went in to collect him. We carried him five kilometers [about three miles] to our base camp. He was crying, saying, 'I might die.' "

The brothers assured him that he would live. In their hearts, though, they fear he faces a slow and painful death.

But seeing fortunes being made all around them, they won't give up mining, even if their brother dies."

If one person is killed," Richard says, "there's more for the rest."

Additional Reading :

Sexy Diamonds in Zimbabwe


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Today in History
1941: Pearl Harbor bombed
On Sunday 7th December 1941, American neutrality in the Second World War ends when Japanese forces conduct a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. Over 400 planes from six Japanese carriers bombed the harbour and airfield, and within two hours much of the American Pacific fleet was rendered useless. Losses were devastating: Five of eight battleships, three destroyers, and seven other ships were sunk or severely damaged, and more than half the island’s aircraft were destroyed. Fortunately for the Americans, all three U.S. Pacific fleet carriers were out at sea. A total of 2,400 Americans were killed and 1,200 were wounded in the attack. Japan’s losses were 29 planes and four midget submarines. The next day, Japan attacked the Philippines, Malaya, Thailand and Hong Kong,while Britain and the United States declared war on Japan.

Posted by The Diamond Guru

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Saturday, December 6, 2008

Destino Retires...finally !

" Darshan my enlightened friend, I am telling you this...
GIA must think we are all schmucks. "
***
Donna Baker, GIA president and CEO, presents
the Richard T. Liddicoat Award
for Distinguished Achievement to Ralph Destino, GIA chairman emeritus.
Photo by Melissa Jacobs

" Our actions , whether individually or collectively, leave an imprint on our brand "" Embedded in those initials [GIA] and in that slogan are the precious qualities that form the soul of GIA : independence, integrity, honesty......a consistent sense of mission " : GIA Chairman Ralph Destino

Chairman Ralph " Rhetoric Larry " Destino stressed that the GIA has a policy of "zero tolerance" for any misconduct by employees of the laboratory.
*
" Ralph Destino, Chairman Emeritus, Cartier, Inc. A Fifth Avenue daylight stroll with Ralph Destino is a Trump-like experience. He waves to well-heeled friends, shakes hands with another luxury goods mogul, nods to a current golf buddy. Simply put, Destino is the definition of upscale finery to an entire generation of corporate leaders " : Harry Feinberg
*
" ...the Certifigate scandal covers a wide range of fraud, corruption, bribery, and forgery. We are talking about serious offenses. Whoever recognizes these basic elements has the answer to where we are heading: criminal matters must be dealt with and resolved in a court of law. It is just that simple." : Chaim Even-Zohar

" The GIA Board will do nothing. History repeats itself. They are self serving only. RESIGN! " 16-May-2008 Paul Roth

" GIA has failed to present the facts openly and now is subject to obstruction of justice. " 16-May-2008 Diamond Helper

" ...the object is to put people in jail who deserve to be there and to FIX the GIA (not destroy it) by excising the cancers that seem to still exist there. It is seemingly run like a self perpetuating oligarchy for the benefit of very few. " 13-May-2008 Marty Haske

" We speak up and tell our customers that for the moment we don't trust their grading! " 13-May-2008 Vincent

" The Diamond Dealers Club South Africa rule provides for one clarity and one colour grade latitude in classification to it's members.Any further latitude entitles the DDCSA to take action as they have done in the past against any offending members.The notice served to confirm that when a member sells a diamond, they cannot legally hide behind an inaccurate classification they know to be wrong." 25th April 2008 Inaccurate Diamond Grading Certificates, Memorandum from Diamond Dealers Club South Africa.

" If you stay away from the above [ GIA Board of Governors ] you have a better chance at running a clean company." 12-May-2008 Joseph L., New Jersey

" ...is it any wonder how cynical we have become when some large diamond suppliers themselves are sitting on the GIA board? Why is that allowed? " 11-May-2008 Daniel F Katz

" It is finally time GIA was held accountable...........Destino is the wrong man for GIA, he was on the board that allowed the scandal in the first place " 11-May-2008 Ron K

"So the GIA turns over the information to the investigative lawyers in their [own ] law firm and nothing happens for almost 3 years." 11-May-2008 Isaac

***
Ralph Destino Receives GIA's Highest Tribute

Ralph Destino, GIA chairman emeritus, recently received the Richard T. Liddicoat Award for Distinguished Achievement, the highest tribute the Institute bestows on a staff member.

The award was presented to Destino by Donna Baker, GIA president and chief executive officer, during a surprise ceremony Nov. 17 at the Institute's headquarters in Carlsbad, California, following a Board of Governors meeting.

The RTL award was established in 1994 to recognize individuals who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to furthering the Institute's mission.

Destino is the 12th recipient of the award. "This year, the Richard T. Liddicoat Award for Distinguished Achievement goes to an individual who truly embodies the characteristics that made Mr. Liddicoat so great, and who sets an example for all of us in our service to the industry and the public," Baker said while presenting the award to Destino.

"Your time at the helm as executive chairman of our Board of Governors, and then as GIA chairman, was characterized by your selfless and remarkable contributions," she said, as she highlighted his accomplishments over the past 16 years.

"Your leadership, enthusiasm, professionalism and eloquence have distinguished you at GIA and helped strengthen our ability to fulfill our mission of protecting the public trust in gems and jewelry."

Destino expressed his thanks and admiration for Liddicoat as he received the recognition.

"I am doubly grateful to receive this award, first because it carries the name of a man I hugely admired, and second because it comes from an Institute whose name is synonymous with the highest level of integrity," Destino said.

"What could be more treasured -- and humbling -- than that combination?"

Source: GIA Dec 2005

Now for the translation of this story in words most of us can understand :

Ralph Destino Receives GIA's Highest Cover-Up Award

Ralph " Rhetoric Larry " Destino, GIA's honourably discharged talking head spokesman and one of the three stooges of the Greedy Institute of Arrogance, recently grabbed the Richard T. Liddicoat Award for Unbelievable Stunts, the highest enforced liability and price of peace the Institute bestows on a staff drone.

The award, not bestowed by judicial decree as in arbitration, was presented to Destino by Donna Baker, GIA president, lawyer and ex flying nun, during a surprise sudden religious sacrifice Nov. 17 at the Institute's Billy Boy Temple of Carlsbad, California, following a Board of Gunevim meeting.

The RTL ( Rats That Lie ) award was established in 1994 to recognize individuals who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to furthering the Institute's mission in exaggerating diamond grades, taking bribes and concealing the real truth through legal channels.

Destino is the 12th disciple of the now kiss-arse award.

"This year, the Richard T. Liddicoat Award for Distinguished Achievement goes to an individual who truly embodies the characteristics that made Mr. Liddicoat so great, and who sets an example for all of us in our service to the industry and the public," Baker said while hypocritically presenting the award to Destino. ( If Mr Liddicoat was alive today he most probably would have vomited at these patronizing words " sets an example ".)

"Your era at the helm as executive dictator of our Board of Gunevim, and then as GIA Führer , was characterized by your incredible efforts to cover up the GIA bribery scandal," she said, as she highlighted his accomplishments and neglected to mention his failures over the past 16 years ignoring the fact that Destino presided over GIA during it's worst and most disgraceful bribery scandal breaching the trust of all GIA's supporters and past students.

"Your leadership, enthusiasm, professionalism and rhetoric have distinguished you at GIA and helped strengthen our ability to fulfill our mission of prostituting the public trust in gems and jewellery by covering up the GIA bribery scandal ."

Destino, like a rat that flees a sinking ship, feigned his thanks and admiration for Liddicoat as he received GIA's holy tablet of recognition.

"I am doubly grateful to receive this award, first because it carries the name of a man I hugely admired, and second because it comes from an Institute whose name is synonymous with the highest level of bribery whilst escaping prosecution for fraud ," Destino said.

"What could be more treasured -- and arrogant -- than that combination?"

" Possibly naming the GIA bribers ???? Nah... we got away with that one too. "

" Hasta la vista amigos ~~~~~~~~~~~~ "

Additional Reading :

GIA Harms Its Own Brand - " GIA – the World’s Most Trusted Name in Diamond Grading and Gemstone Identification "

FAILED LEADERSHIP AND FRAUDULENT CERTIFICATES

*GIA Royalty & Religion - Why Some Dealers Avoid Both.

GIA Board Names New Leaders

The Story : Certifigate

" Certifigate " - Now The Cover-Up : Historical Feature

*Historical Feature: GIA's Bribery Scandal Certifigate 1

*RISKY CORRUPT GIA DIAMOND GRADING REPORTS Certifigate 2

*GIA emerging from tough 18 months, but it's still setting the standard Certifigate 3

*Upgrading the Jennifer Lopez Pink Certifigate 4

*GIA " The Internet Certificate " Certifigate 5

*GIA Bribery Accusations: Correspondence awaiting reply Certifigate 6

*Certifigate: Rallying Support for Closure Certifigate 7

*Kimberley Process,Corruption & Integrity: Is it failing ? Certifigate 8

*U.S. Court Subpoenas GIA ‘Certifigate’ Records : Certifigate 9

*
TRUTH AND JUSTICE - NO BLACKMAIL OR EXTORTION : Certifigate 10

*
GIA’s Box of Trade Secrets : Certifigate 11 Reputation
*
GIA League of Honour 2002 : Historical Feature ( Check the bottom of your shoes if you smell something )

The Missing Stafford Pink Diamond : Jury Awards USD$6.9 million : GIA Escapes Further Exposure

More BS from GIA, the foremost authority in bribery diamonds : Larry Wright does it Wrong

***

Diamond Imports

Excellent Cut Diamonds
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No blind drop shipping
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No computer guy turned " Diamond Expert "
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No claims of “diamonds below wholesale”
*
Top quality loose diamonds and jewellery
*
Comprehensive and detailed diamond reports and information
*
Personalized attention and commitment to customer satisfaction
*
Australia's No.1 Diamond Dealer
*
Genuine Diamond Specialists
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ALL OUR DIAMONDS ARE IN STOCK
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*

Today in History
*
2006 Joseph Kabila is inaugurated as President of the Democratic Republic of Congo

1983 Swedish journalist, Lars Ljungberg becomes the first person to successfully undergo a heart and lung transplant operation in Britain.

1865 The 13th Amendment to the American Constitution, officially ending slavery, is ratified.

Posted by The Diamond Guru

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Friday, December 5, 2008

Rabbi and the Terrorists

"....anyone who murders any person who had not committed murder or horrendous crimes, it shall be as if he murdered all the people." (Qur'an 5:32)
~
Defenceless
Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg, 29, and his wife, Rivkah, 28

Tortured & Murdered
by cowardly Islamist terrorists
in front of their two year old child

Rabbi and the Terrorists
By Dennis Prager

It was obvious to observers around the world that one of the designated targets of the Pakistani Islamist terrorists was the Mumbai Chabad House, the one Jewish center in Mumbai.

The 10 Islamic terrorists who came from Pakistan to India chose their targets with great care.

If one assumes that the terrorists' primary goals were to destabilize India, weaken growing Indian-Pakistani cooperation in fighting terrorism, and greatly increase Indian-Pakistani tension, hopefully to the point of military war between the two countries, every one of the targets made strategic sense.

Slaughtering as many people as possible in India's major economic center, including as many foreign tourists as possible at Mumbai's finest hotels, also made sense.

But one target seemed to make little sense.

In fact, until the attack was over people were uncertain whether the terrorists' attack on the Jewish center known as the Chabad House was part of the original plan or chosen spontaneously.

Only when the lone terrorist who was captured told his interrogators that the Chabad House was planned a year earlier was it indisputable that killing the Rabbi, his wife, their children and any other Jews present was part of the plan.

The question is why?

Why would a terrorist group of Islamists from Pakistan whose primary goal is to have Pakistan gain control of the third of Kashmir that belongs to India and therefore aimed to destabilize India's major city devote so much of its efforts -- 20 percent of its force of 10 gunmen whose stated goal was to kill 5,000 -- to killing a rabbi and any Jews with him?

The question echoes one from World War II: Why did Hitler devote so much time, money, and manpower in order to murder every Jewish man, woman, and child in every country the Nazis occupied?

Why did Hitler -- as documented by the late historian Lucy Dawidowicz in her aptly named book "The War against the Jews" -- weaken the Nazi war effort by diverting money, troops, and military vehicles from fighting the Allies to rounding up Jews and shipping them to death camps?

From the perspective of political scientists, historians, and contemporary journalists, the answer to these questions is not rational.

But the non-rationality of an answer is not synonymous with its non-validity.

For the Islamists, as for the Nazis, the destruction of the Jews -- and since 1948, the Jewish state -- is central to their worldview.

If anyone has a better explanation for why Pakistani terrorists, preoccupied with destabilizing India, would expend so much effort at finding the one Jewish center in a country that is essentially devoid of Jews, I would like to hear it.

With all the Pakistani Islamists' hatred of Hindus, they did not attack one Hindu temple in India's major city.

With all their hatred of Christian infidels, the terrorists did not seek out one of the 700,000 Christians in Mumbai.

To reinforce my point, imagine a Basque separatist terrorist organization attacking Madrid.

Would the terrorists take time out to murder all those in the Madrid Chabad House?

The idea is ludicrous.

But no one seems to find it odd that that Pakistani Muslim terrorists who hate India and want it to give up control of Indian Kashmir would send two of its 10 terrorists to kill perhaps the only rabbi in Mumbai.

As Newsweek reported during the siege, "Given that Orthodox Jews were being held at gunpoint by mujahideen (sic), it seemed unlikely there would be survivors."

Newsweek, like just about everyone else, simply assumes Islamists will murder Jews whenever and wherever possible.

They are right.

For years I have warned that great evils often begin with the murder of Jews, and therefore non-Jews who dismiss Jew-hatred (aka anti-Semitism, aka anti-Zionism), will learn too late that Jew- and Israel-haters only begin with Jews but never end with them.

When Israeli Jews were almost the only targets of Muslim terrorists, the world dismissed it as a Jewish or Israeli problem.

Then it became an American and European and Filipino and Thai and Indonesian and Hindu problem.

Two final points: One is that it is exquisitely fitting that the same week the murders in Mumbai were taking place, the United Nations General Assembly passed six more anti-Israel resolutions.

As it has for decades, the U.N. has again sanctioned hatred for a good and decent country as small on the map of the world as the Chabad House is on the map of Mumbai.

Two: Statements from Chabad in reaction to the torture-murders of a 28-year-old Chabad rabbi and his wife called on humanity to react to this evil "with random acts of kindness."

Evil hates goodness.

That's why the terrorists targeted a Chabad Rabbi and his wife.

Copyright 2008, Creators Syndicate Inc.

***

If this Isn't Terrorism, What Is?

Last week in Mumbai we witnessed as clear a case of carefully planned mass terrorism as we are ever likely to see.

The seven-venue atrocity was coordinated in a highly sophisticated way. The terrorists used BlackBerrys to stay in touch with each other during their three-and-half-day rampage, outwitting the authorities by monitoring international reaction to the attacks on British, Urdu and Arabic Web sites. It was a meticulously organized operation aimed exclusively at civilian targets: two hospitals, a train station, two hotels, a leading tourist restaurant and a Jewish center.

Reuters: Murder in Mumbai: The work of 'practitioners.'

There was nothing remotely random about it. This was no hostage standoff. The terrorists didn't want to negotiate. They wanted to murder as many Hindus, Christians, Jews, atheists and other "infidels" as they could, and in as spectacular a manner as possible. In the Jewish center, some of the female victims even appear to have been tortured before being killed.

So why are so many prominent Western media reluctant to call the perpetrators "terrorists"?
Why did Jon Snow, one of Britain's most respected TV journalists, use the word "practitioners" when referring to the Mumbai terrorists? Was he perhaps confusing them with doctors?

Why did Britain's highly regarded Channel 4 News state that the "militants" showed a "wanton disregard for race or creed" when exactly the opposite was true: Targets and victims were very carefully selected. Why did the "experts" invited to discuss the Mumbai attacks in one show on the state-funded Radio France Internationale, the voice of France around the world, harp on about Baruch Goldstein (who carried out the Hebron shootings in 1994), virtually the sole case of a Jewish terrorist in living memory?

Unfortunately, in recent years we have become used to leftist media burying their heads in the sand about the threat that Islamic fundamentalism poses, in much the same way as they once refused to report accurately on communist atrocities. But now even conservative media may be doing it, too.

What is the motivation of journalists in trying to mangle language -- such as going out of their way to refer to terrorists as "militants," as one Mumbai story on yesterday's Times of London Web site seemed to do? Do they somehow wish to express sympathy for these murderers, or perhaps make their crimes seem almost acceptable? How are we going to effectively confront terrorists when we can't even identify them as such?

But then the terrorists in Mumbai didn't need to make any public announcements. They knew that many deluded Western journalists and academics will do that job for them, explaining that the West is to blame, especially the Zionists.

We have started seeing this already on the BBC -- the world's largest TV and radio network, which broadcasts in dozens of different languages around the world and is lavishly funded by the British taxpayer.

You would be hard pressed to find any talk of radical Islam on the BBC in recent days, or mention of the fact that Islamists think India should be a Muslim country. Instead the BBC continues to try to persuade its massive global audience that "it is a local Indian problem," that "the subcontinent has a history of unrest," and so on.

Even the Pakistani angle has been presented as some kind of local Pakistan-India dispute rather than as a problem with radical Islam -- this despite the fact that according to numerous reports the Mumbai terrorists themselves were screaming "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is the Greatest) as they murdered "the Jews and the infidels" in line with bin Ladenist ideology.

For some time, many have argued that an element of anti-Semitism has distorted the way the BBC covers the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But now, following the Mumbai events, we can perhaps see that anti-Semitism may even be at work in the way the BBC covers foreign news in general. For much of the Mumbai siege, the BBC went out of its way to avoid reporting that the Jewish community center was one of the seven targets. At one point viewers were told that "an office building" had been targeted (referring to the Jewish center as such).

Then on Friday morning, TV pictures of Indian commandos storming the besieged Jewish center were broadcast by networks around the world.

Heavily armed commandos, their faces covered by balaclavas, rappelled from helicopters onto the roof while Indian sharpshooters in buildings opposite opened fire and a helicopter circled overhead. Huge crowds of onlookers could be seen looking aghast as they watched from nearby streets. While Sky News and other channels were gripped by these dramatic pictures, BBC World was not, almost pretending there was no siege at the Jewish center -- even though by then it was one of only two sites that remained under attack in Mumbai. Had the terrorists chosen to besiege a church or mosque instead, can you imagine the BBC ignoring it this way?

Meanwhile -- perhaps even more disgracefully -- a New York Times report on the last day of the siege stated: "It is not known if the Jewish center was strategically chosen, or if it was an accidental hostage scene."

Has the New York Times learned anything since the Holocaust, when, even after the war ended in the spring of 1945, the paper infamously refused to report that the Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Germans and so on killed in the camps had been Jews, and killed as Jews?

Dozens of eyewitness accounts by local Indians said the gunmen shouted "Allahu Akbar" from the Jewish center. It is housed in a nondescript block and is not obviously marked from the outside as a Jewish center. It is the one Jewish building in a densely crowded city of millions. And the Times, the self-proclaimed paper of record, wants to let readers think it might have been an accidental target?

Even the Times's British equivalent, the Guardian, began its news story: "The inclusion of the headquarters of an ultra-orthodox Jewish group was obviously intended to send its own message." Does the New York Times think that the seeking out and murder by Muslim terrorists of the only New York rabbi in Mumbai and his wife was "an accidental target"?

There was nothing accidental about any of the seven sites that the terrorists attacked. And it was no accident that Mumbai was hit. It is the most multireligious city in India -- with Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Parsees and Jews living in relative harmony.

By Tom Gross
Mr. Gross is a former Middle East correspondent for the Sunday Telegraph.

***

The Chabad Rabbi in India was not ‘Killed’

Media suppresses word ‘murder’ and overlooks ‘torture’ by Islamic terrorists

By Shelomo Alfassa
Syndicated by HaModia and Scholars For Peace in the Middle East

(December 1, 2008) On Thanksgiving Day 2008, gunshots rang out startling the family of Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and others inside the Chabad center in Mumbai, India. A maid at the Chabad center thought it was firecrackers--then an Islamic gunman came up the stairs.

Explosions and gunshots rattled the building and continued through the night. At the same time the Chabad center is attacked, Islamic terrorists were attacking a police station and a few minutes later they opened fire at a hospital.

They also opened fire in restaurants and at hotels, all together, at over 10 locations, the Islamic terrorists murdered over 190 people.

The Chabad center maid told the media that the gunmen destroyed the elevator, dining room and “everything” else. The rabbi ran to the telephone to call the Israeli Consulate.

He got them on the line, told them there were men with guns in the house, but in the middle of the conversation, the line went dead after the rabbi said, “something’s wrong.” The rabbi was then grabbed by the Muslim terrorists, held down and had a belt secured around his legs to prevent him from walking. Several other Jews in the center had their hands and feet bound with telephone cords or nylon rope.

The Indian Express reported that, Rabbi Holtzberg, his wife Rivka and their three friends died in a “brutal manner…” The paper horrifically reported that there was “brutality unleashed on the Holtzberg.” The paper reported that police photos inside the Chabad center spoke, “volumes of the nightmare the family and their friends must have gone through before they died.” The Rabbi’s body was found in a room on the second floor, with his legs under the mezuzah, stretching into the hall where his wife’s body was found. Rivka’s body was found near the legs of Rabbi Holtzberg, the floor was covered red in blood. The rabbi's 2-year-old son Moshe was found drenched in blood, crying in the silence, beside his parents who lay dead on the floor. The dead bodies of the murdered Jews were then booby-trapped with live hand grenades and other explosives. Indian security forces indicated the Jewish women were murdered first, as the Jewish men were first tortured before being murdered.

In the United States, where the news media like to cover up all things which may make Muslims look bad, they never mentioned that the Israelis were mutilated beyond belief. In the Digital Journal news, it was also reported that the victims of the terrorist attacks had been tortured. In the words of one doctor, “It was shocking and disturbing.” A doctor who conducted the post-mortems on the victims added: “Of all the bodies, the Israeli victims bore the maximum torture marks. It was clear that they were killed on the 26th itself. It was obvious that they were tied up and tortured before they were killed. It was so bad that I do not want to go over the details even in my head again.”

When someone is “killed” they may have been hit by a car, drowned at sea or struck by lightning. In contrast, when someone is “murdered,” this speaks of a victim who was targeted with premeditated malice. It is someone who inhumanly had their life taken from them, it is someone who was a victim of severe mutilation, targeted brutality, a person who had their life taken by another person who sought them dead. This begs the question, why did the media avoid using the word “murdered” ?

*The Wall Street Journal reported: “The dead also included a young New York rabbi and his wife…”
*The Boston Globe reported: “the New York rabbi and his wife were among the foreigners killed…”
*The International Herald Tribune reported: “Two of the victims, a rabbi and his wife…”
*The Sun-Sentinel reported: “killed were Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg, 29, and his wife, Rivkah, 28, who died in the attack...”
*The Associated Press reported: “The bodies of New York Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife, Rivkah, were found at the Jewish center…”
*National Public Radio reported: “Among the dead are Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rivka…”
*The New York Times reported: “six of the hostages were killed, including the Brooklyn couple who operated the center…”
*The Los Angeles Times reported: “the Chabad Lubavitch members who were killed by militants”

The stupidity of the Western media is blatant.

What is not being made clear in prominent Western media is that this was a meticulously planned and well-organized attack. What is the motivation of journalists in trying to downplay these heinous atrocities? Do they wish to express some sympathy for these murderers? The main stream media remains a giant bureaucracy with no feeling, soul, or intelligence. They make it too easy for blatant evil to be excused or explained away.

The Muslim murderers had a well coordinated well thought out plan. They had been in the country for months, obtained jobs in the area, stockpiled food for the siege, and stockpiled ammunition enough to kill thousands. Some of the Muslim murderers had even rented rooms in the Chabad center! They utilized BlackBerry email devices to stay in touch with each other and outsiders, to exchange intelligence information in different locations during the attacks. An Indian Marine commando told the media that it was obvious the terrorists were well trained. The Marine said the attackers were “very determined and remorseless.” The Times of India reported that the sole surviving murderer told Indian police that the terrorists were sent with a specific mission of targeting Israelis at Chabad House in order to avenge "atrocities committed against the Palestinians."

The Chabad rabbi and his wife (as well as the other 190+ victims) were not killed, they were murdered, there is a difference, and one that needs to be differentiated at every opportunity.

***

Jews murdered in Mumbai's Chabad House were tortured first
December 2, 2008, 5:20 PM (GMT+02:00)
Murdered Israeli victims carried home

Mumbai hospital doctors were horrified by the condition of the six Israeli bodies recovered from the smashed, blood-spattered rooms of Chabad Center Monday. Local and Israeli pathologists confirmed they were tortured by their Islamist terrorist captors before being bound together and killed in cold blood.
DEBKAfile adds: Israelis were the largest group of foreigners murdered by the Islamist terrorists. The single captured gunman confirmed they had been specifically targeted. The six bodies were flown home by an Israeli Air Force plane and are being laid to rest Tuesday in their home towns in state ceremonies.
Laid to rest Tuesday, Dec. 2 in state ceremonies in six Israeli towns are Norma Schwartzblatt-Rabinovitz, 50, from Mexico, who was due to immigrate to Israel and two of whose children already live there; the center's director Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, 29, and his wife Rivka, 26; Ms Yocheved Harpaz, 59, mother of four from Givatayim; Betzion Chroman, 28, father of three, who held dual US-Israeli citizenship, and Leibisch Teitelbaum, father of 8, an American from Brooklyn.
Israel's president, political leaders, rabbis and tens of thousands of mourners attended the eulogies for the dead at Kfar Chabad near Tel Aviv and their funerals. Rivka Holtzberg was six months pregnant. Her two-year old child, Moshe Holtzberg, was saved by his Indian nanny who fled the building with him in her arms. He was found later to be covered in bruises from a beating.
An Indian doctor, who conducted the post-mortem of the victims in Mumbai, said: "Of all the bodies, the Israeli victims bore the maximum torture marks. It was clear that they were killed on the 26th itself (the first day of the Islamist terrorist attack). It was obvious that they were tied up and tortured before they were killed. It was so bad that I do not want to go over the details even in my head again."
"Bombay has a long history of terror. I have seen bodies of riot victims, gang war and previous terror attacks like bomb blasts. But this was entirely different. It was shocking and disturbing," a doctor said.
Asked what was different about the victims of the incident, another doctor said: "It was very strange. I have seen so many dead bodies in my life, and was yet traumatized. A bomb blast victim's body might have been torn apart and could be a very disturbing sight. But the bodies of the victims in this attack bore such signs about the kind of violence of urban warfare that I am still unable to put my thoughts to words," he said.
At the Mumbai synagogue, members of the Jewish community, Israeli diplomats and visitors gathered Monday for a memorial for Rabbi Gavriel Holtzman and his wife Rivka, directors of the Chabad Center which provided a home from home for Israelis and Jews visiting India. Their two-year old son, rescued by his Indian nanny, cried for his parents. His nanny, Sandra, travelled to Israel with the child and his grandparents.
Copyright 2000-2008 DEBKAfile. All Rights Reserved.

***

Dear reader,

There are three sure things in life they say are Death , Taxes and Anti Semitism.

* The Interactive SS Microsite

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The Aramaic Prayer " Mourners Kaddish "

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Thursday, December 4, 2008

Graff purchases Light of Letseng for US$18.4 M

The gem is known to be an exceptional one of its kind

The 478-carat Light of Letseng diamond, an asset of Gem Diamonds, was bought over by Graff Diamonds for $18.4 million, recently, in a competitive bidding wining over six other entities. The gem as the Gem Diamonds explains has a selling price of $38,400 per carat, compared with a current global average diamond price of $90 per carat.

The stone is an exceptional one, being the twentieth-largest rough diamond to ever be mined and was recovered at Lesotho’s Letseng mine in September 2008. It is likely to yield a 150 ct, D-colour flawless round brilliant polished diamond, which would be the largest in its category. Also, there is a possibility of the rough to be cut and polished to yield a D flawless diamond of up to 300 carats.

Beyond the diamond purchase, Laurence Graff – Chairman of Graff Diamonds picked up 8.2 percent stake in Gem Diamonds over the months of September and October 2008.

The Light of Letseng was bought by him through SAFDICO, the manufacturing arm of Graff Diamonds. Source : By: Diamond World News Service

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Yesterday in History
1967: First successful heart transplantOn 3rd December 1967, 53-year-old Lewis Washkansky receives the first successful heart transplant in Cape Town, South Africa.Washkansky, a grocer who suffered from chronic heart disease, received the transplant from Denise Darvall, a 25-year-old woman who was fatally injured in a car accident. Surgeon Christiaan Barnard performed the revolutionary medical operation, which was a success. After the procedure, Washkansky was given drugs to suppress his immune system and keep his body from rejecting the heart. These drugs also left him susceptible to sickness, though, and 18 days later he died from double pneumonia. Despite the setback, Washkansky’s new heart had functioned normally until his death, and in the 1970s the development of better anti-rejection drugs made transplantation more viable.

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