5 diamonds centers you may not know

By Ehud Arye Laniado
www.ehudlaniado.com
5 Diamond centers you
may not know

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Presentation by Ehud Arye Laniado
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This presentation is about 5
diamonds center that you not know.
A link to the full article can be found on the
last slide of the presentation
October 2015
The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity. None of the information made
available here shall constitute in any manner an offer or invitation or promotion to buy or to sell diamonds. No one
should act upon any opinion or information in this website (including with respect to diamonds values) without
consulting a professional qualified adviser.

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5 Diamond Important centers You May Have Missed
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Thailand
October 2015

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• Known mostly for its semi-precious gem trade, Thailand also has
many manufacturing facilities that polish diamonds together with
its jewelry manufacturing industry.
• Several mid-size and large international diamond firms operate
diamond polishing facilities in Thailand. These turn out round,
square and fancy-shaped diamonds, mostly weighing one carat
or less in a full range of color and clarity.
• A local diamond exchange and a diamond manufacturing
association supports these activities.
October 2015

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• As a popular tourist destination, Thailand also has a reputation as
a place with good jewelry and gem retail deals, which has created
an active consumer market catering to travelers.
• In 2014, Thailand imported 781,288 carats of rough diamonds
worth more than $408 million, or $523 per carat, according to the
Kimberley Process (KP). Compared to 2013, this is an increase
of 12.4% in volume and 16.1% in value.
October 2015

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Brazil
October 2015

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• After India—the world’s first diamond-producing country—saw
its diamond resources slowly depleting, Brazil emerged as the
next major diamond-sourcing country. It started by chance.
Gold miners found diamonds when sifting for gold during the
1720s in Brazil’s Minas Geraes state. The region proved to be
rich with diamonds and for some 150 years, Brazil was the
world’s biggest diamond-producing country, until diamonds
were found in South Africa.
October 2015

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• A large jewelry manufacturing industry developed in the
country, and today some 1,800 companies are involved in gem
polishing and jewelry manufacturing. As one of the BRIC
countries, Brazil became an important consumer market in
recent years. A country rich with resources and a large
population, it is a sizable diamond jewelry consumer market.
However, expectations for it to become an even larger market
were not fully met.
• According to KP, Brazil produced 56,923 carats of diamonds
with a stated value of $2.7 million in 2014, the majority of which
was exported to other countries for polishing.
October 2015

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Angola
October 2015

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• Not known for its consumer market or as a polishing center,
Angola is nonetheless an important player as a diamond-
producing country. It is home to one of the world’s largest
diamond mines, CATOCA, and has been a top five diamond-
mining country for many years.
• Part of its diamond history is a sad one. Fraught with civil war
for many years, during the 1990s diamonds mined in the
country by rebel forces were allegedly used for financing their
arms buying. This was one of the drivers for forming the
Kimberley Process Certification Scheme to stem the trade in
conflict diamonds.
October 2015

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• Angola is known for its vast mineral and petroleum reserves.
Its economy is among the fastest growing in the world,
especially since the end of the civil war. Already a large
diamond-producing country, many geologists believe that the
West African country’s soil holds many more resources yet to
be explored and developed.
• In 2014, Angola produced 8.8 million carats of rough
diamonds worth $1.32 billion, according to KP. All of it was
exported for processing elsewhere.
October 2015

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Mauritius
October 2015

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• The small island nation of Mauritius has a very developed
jewelry manufacturing industry that serves the entire world.
Starting from small workshops and shops, it blossomed into an
industry that aims foremost at exports. It is estimated that 90%
of Mauritius’ jewelry manufacturing is exported.
• Today, jewelry manufacturing is an important economic sector of
the country, and its fourth largest manufacturing industry. Total
exports of jewelry have increased to $126 million in 2012,
according to Statistics Mauritius.
October 2015

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• The country’s jewelry manufacturing sector has 574 registered
jewelers, employing around 2,000 people, according to local
authorities. Their activities are mainly diamond polishing,
manufacturing of gold and silver jewelry, polishing semi-
precious stones, manufacturing diamond-studded jewelry and
jewelry findings.
• In terms of cutting and polishing diamonds, the country’s
manufacturers specialize in highest quality cuts of pear,
marquise, oval, trilliant, round and princess-shaped diamonds. A
number of patented shapes are polished in Mauritius by well-
known diamond and jewelry brands and exported to France,
Belgium, the U.S., Italy and more countries.
• In 2013, Mauritius exported $68 million worth of gem quality,
loose polished diamonds, according to government trade
October 2015

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Panama
October 2015

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• North America is the largest diamond jewelry consumer market,
and South America’s Brazil is the former leading source of
diamonds and a large consumer market. Yet laying between
them, Latin America may seem left out. That is now changing
with the opening of a diamond exchange in Panama, serving as
the gateway of diamonds to Latin America as a whole.
• In March of 2014, the Panama Diamond Exchange and the
Panama Jewelry Hub launched at an investment of $200 million
under the leadership of Eli Izhakoff. It was created to serve as a
trading platform and gateway for suppliers and buyers from
North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East to Latin
America markets.
October 2015

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• The goal is to increase Latin America’s $8 billion fine jewelry
retail business to more than $10 billion by 2017. As the first
diamond exchange in the region, it will serve an active and
growing industry. According to PDE, Latin America has more
than 11,500 jewelry stores and nearly 750 wholesalers of
diamonds, precious stones and jewelry.
• The region is also rich with resources and some 320 mining
companies are actively mining diamonds, emeralds and other
semi-precious gems.
October 2015

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India, where it all began
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The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity. None of the information made
available here shall constitute in any manner an offer or invitation or promotion to buy or to sell diamonds. No one
should act upon any opinion or information in this website (including with respect to diamonds values) without
consulting a professional qualified adviser.
September 2015
A full version of the article can be found here:
http://www.ehudlaniado.com/home/index.php/news/entry/5-diamond-important-centers-
you-may-have-missed

5 diamonds centers you may not know

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