‘ice’berg Secrets to getting that next diamond sale ‘Noblesse’ platinum ring 90 brilliant-cut diamonds by Lucas Ruppli, Furrer Jacot. Tip of the By Jacquie De Almeida scanning rows of trays lined with dazzling diamond rings. aside from wondering how on earth to decide which one to get, he’s undoubtedly also thinking about how he’s going to pay for it. after all, the last 18 months haven’t been easy on most people, and laying down several months’ salary for a piece of jewellery may need a little convincing. I t’s a scene played out time and again in jewellery stores everywhere. a slightly anxious, though happy man cautiously nears the counter, his eyes The tougher economy certainly took its toll on the diamond industry. Sales ground to a halt and so did large-scale mining operations. De Beers, BHP Billiton, and Rio Tinto all imposed temporary shutdowns in self-defence, and companies throughout the supply chain cut back, hoping to weather the storm. However, according to the experts, the situation appears to be turning around somewhat. Speaking at the Antwerp Diamond Symposium in December, moderator and IDEX columnist Chaim Even-Zohar forecast a slight increase of 0.4 per cent in retail diamond demand this year over last, although 2009 did see a 9.7 per cent decline compared to 2008. The outlook for polished demand and rough sales is similar. This year is likely to experience an increase over 2009, but not a complete return to 2008 levels. 58 Jewellery Business ❘ February 2010