IDEX Online

(IDEX Online) - Swiss watch exports increased by 11.2% in June, following on from negligible growth (+0.4%) in May. There was strong growth in the US (+12.7%), the biggest single market, and the UK (+12.2%), driven by a favorable base effect (lower sales last June), according to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FHS). There were increases also for the United Arab Emirates (+20.4%) but sales were down in China (-16.5%), Germany (-10.6%) and Italy (-21.4%).

(IDEX Online) - A piece of costume jewelry, bought for £5 ($7) at a yard sale in England, turned out to be a 3.02-carat diamond set in an 18K gold ring valued at £15,000 ($20,225). The unnamed owner took it to a traveling jewelry and antique appraisal event in Oxford, run by WeBuyVintage, a company that buys vintage, antique, and precious items for cash. "I was completely shocked," said the woman who brought the ring for appraisal.

(IDEX Online) - Burgundy Diamond Mines, owners of Ekati, are to enter receivership after running up debts of over $280 million and failing to find a buyer for Canada's first commercial diamond mine. The Supreme Court of British Columbia placed its subsidiary Arctic Canadian Diamond Company, operator of the mine, into receivership on 14 July. The mine, which opened in 1998, will cease operations and the remaining 350 workers will be laid off.

(IDEX Online) - Only natural diamonds should be graded with the 4Cs, says CIBJO (the World Jewellery Confederation). And the word "synthetic" should be regarded as the preferred term to describe diamonds created through industrial processes. CIBJO, the body that represents the gem and jewelry industries globally from mine to marketplace, aims to reinforce the distinction between lab grown and natural stones.

(IDEX Online) - A new four-part podcast charts the spectacular rise and dramatic fall of billionaire Nirav Modi and his Firestar Diamond empire. It's presented by Mick Brown and Robert Mendick, journalists at The Telegraph in the UK, who say they tracked down the fugitive diamantaire in London in March 2019, after he'd spent more than a year on the run.

(IDEX Online) - Anglo American has selected a preferred bidder for De Beers, its loss-making diamond division. The Global Diamond Consortium, led by former De Beers CEO Gareth Penny (pictured), has emerged as the frontrunner, ahead of two other shortlisted bidders that have not officially been identified.

(IDEX Online) - Richemont's jewelry sales surged by 21% (at actual exchange rates, 24% at constant) in the three months to 30 June, as demand for high-end items remained strong. The Swiss luxury conglomerate said its four jewelry maisons - Buccellati, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Vhernier had seen "excellent growth", and had enjoyed a seventh consecutive quarter of double-digit growth. Revenue from  jewelry for the quarter was EUR 4.7 billion (USD 5.4 billion).

(IDEX Online) - Stephanie Gottlieb, a long-time advocate of natural diamonds, has launched her first collections of lab grown jewelry. But she maintains there's still a huge divide between natural diamonds (forever) and lab growns (for right now). Gottlieb, who opened New York City-based Stephanie Gottlieb Fine Jewelry in 2013, has made custom pieces for Britney Spears and is an acknowledged designer and influencer.

(IDEX Online) - Lucara has recovered a 1,305.4 carat diamond from its Karowe mine, in Botswana - its 10th stone over 1,000 carats since full-scale open‑pit mining started in 2012. The diamond was unbroken, thanks to the Mega Diamond Recovery (MDR) X-ray Transmission (XRT) machines that scan large ore fractions before they reach the main crushing stages. Without XRT, the chances are high that a stone of this size would have been broken.

General Pre-holiday trading showed stable to slightly higher demand in the U.S. and Europe. The Chinese market is showing initial signs of recovery, although consumer demand remains focused on non-set gold jewelry. 1/6ct and Below The size category that experienced the sharpest decline in 2026 is finally showing signs of stabilization. Our upcoming Rough Price Review also indicates early signs of stabilization in the rough market, with modest price recovery.