An Initial Agreement Reached for Zimbabwe's Diamond Exports

As the World Diamond Council concluded its 7th Annual Meeting in St. Petersburg Thursday, an agreement that will enable two rough diamond exports from the Marange diamond fields in Zimbabwe was reached.


In many ways a forced continuation of the KP congress held in Tel Aviv last month, the tug of war between supporters and opposers of the approval agreed that by September, Zimbabwe will be able to carry out two supervised exports of rough diamond from the Marange production.



The sides agreed that KP will conduct a review mission to Zimbabwe, held in conjunction with a visit of the KP Monitor Abbey Chikane to the country. Chikane will visit Zimbabwe again on the week of September 6 to certify the second supervised export. The Kimberley Process Monitoring Committee will review the report issued by the review mission to formulate a position regarding future exports, the WDC said in a statement.



"Although we can regard this as progress, there remains much to do," said WDC President Eli Izhakoff, adding that a great deal of good will was shown. "We need to build on this and to continue the hard work of the past several months."



Throughout the two-day gathering, intensive meetings were reportedly held to break the log-jam over the diamond exports.



Izhakoff invited the KP to hold a mini-summit in St. Petersburg alongside the Council, in an attempt to reach an agreement. As a result, a delegation from Zimbabwe, headed by Minister of Mining Obert Moses Mpofu and Attorney General Johanne Tomama, traveled to St. Petersburg for the meeting. So did a delegation from the U.S. State Department led by Susan Page, Assistant U.S. Deputy Secretary of State.



The Plenary Session brought to St. Petersburg representatives of the global diamond industry, government representatives from producing, cutting and consumer centers, member of the banking community and the media.



While the resolution of the situation in Zimbabwe remained high on the agenda, another central issue were the steps needed to reform and refine the KP, seven years after its rough diamond certification scheme was first launched.

Source: Edahn Golan

NAOMI CAMPBELL ORDERED TO TESTIFY AGAINST CHARLES TAYLOR

Judges at the United Nations-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) in Sierra Leone have ordered British supermodel Naomi Campbell to give evidence later this month in the ongoing trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor about allegedly receiving a blood diamond from him.
A subpoena was issued for Campbell to appear at the end of this month in The Hague, where the ongoing trial of Mr. Taylor is taking place, reports the UN News Service.
Taylor faces 11 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in his role of fuelling the extended civil war in Sierra Leone while he served as president of neighbouring Liberia.
Three judges of the SCSL's trial chamber, in announcing the subpoena, said they were responding to a request from prosecutors for Campbell to testify, which may help tie the former warlord to using rough diamonds for personal enrichment and for arms purchases for the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels in Sierra Leone.
The prosecution reportedly wants to ask Campbell about allegations that she was given rough diamonds as a gift from Taylor while both attended a private dinner at the home of the former South African president Nelson Mandela in 1997. Campbell previously declined to voluntarily testify in the trial and has consistently declined to publicly talk about the case, telling prosecutors that she was concerned for her safety, sources say.
Taylor has pleaded not guilty to the multiple charges against him, which include pillage, slavery for forced marriage purposes, collective punishment and the recruitment and use of child soldiers. The charges relate to his alleged support for two rebel groups in Sierra Leone - the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council and the Revolutionary United Front.
The Prosecution opened their case against Taylor in June 2007 but Taylor boycotted the proceedings and dismissed his legal team. The trial was adjourned until new counsel could be assigned.
The Prosecution opened witness testimony in January 2008 and formally closed their case in February 2009 after having presented testimony from 91 witnesses. The Defence opened their case in July 2009. Sources say that the Prosecution has asked the court to allow it to reopen its case to present witnesses.

Source: diamondintelligence

Zimbabwe snubs diamond sale ban, to sell gem

Zimbabwe’s government has resolved to defy a diamond sale ban ruled by the world approving authority, the Kimberly Process and will now begin exporting diamonds from its Chiadzwa fields.

http://www.dcla.com.au/news.php

Blood Diamond Monitor Says Zimbabwe Meets Standards

The global body that guards against the sale of so-called "blood diamonds" says Zimbabwe has met its standards and could soon resume exports from controversial diamond fields.

A report from the Kimberley Process, seen by reporters Tuesday, says Zimbabwe has "satisfied minimum requirements" of the Kimberley certification scheme for the trade in rough diamonds.

The Kimberley Process halted the sale of diamonds from the Marange fields last year, after rights groups said Zimbabwe's military was smuggling gems out of the country and abusing civilians who worked in the fields.

The regulator gave Zimbabwe a June deadline to fix the problems and sent South African monitor Abby Chikane to evaluate progress.

Last week, human rights groups said evidence suggests the situation in the Marange fields has not improved.

The groups, which include Global Witness and Human Rights Watch, also said Zimbabwe's government is harassing a local non-profit that has helped to expose alleged abuses in Marange.

Farai Maguwu, director of the Center for Research and Development, was arrested last week after meeting with Kimberley monitor Chikane.

Zimbabwe's government banned the export of all diamonds last month until the country's gets Kimberley Process approval. The ban affected Zimbabwe's two other diamond mines, one controlled by Australia's Rio Tinto and the other run by a Saudi group.

Zimbabwe says it has stockpiled two million carats worth of diamonds from Marange, which it is ready to sell when the Kimberley certification is approved.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

Lawyers oppose Naomi Campbell diamond testimony

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Former Liberian President Charles Taylor's defense lawyers on Monday opposed a request by prosecutors at his war crimes trial to call supermodel Naomi Campbell as a witness, branding the move "a publicity stunt."

Prosecutors earlier this month filed a motion seeking to have Campbell subpoenaed to testify about claims Taylor gave her "blood diamonds" at a reception in South Africa in 1997.

But Taylor's lawyers said the evidence was "tangential to the real issues" against Taylor and said prosecutors were trying to introduce it too late in the trial — 15 months after they closed their case.

"For the prosecution to present such inferential evidence at this advanced stage, as part of an obvious publicity stunt, would bring the administration of justice into serious disrepute," Taylor's British lawyer Courtenay Griffiths wrote to judges.

According to the prosecution motion seeking a subpoena, Campbell told prosecutors through her lawyer she does not want to get involved in the case and is concerned for her safety.

Prosecutors want Campbell to testify about Taylor's alleged gift of diamonds along with actress Mia Farrow and another witness, Carole White, who were both at the same reception in South Africa.

In a written statement to the court, Farrow said Campbell told her that two or three men woke her up and "presented her with a large diamond which they said was from Charles Taylor."

White says she heard Taylor say he was going to give Campbell diamonds and saw them being delivered.

Prosecutors say Campbell's testimony would provide "direct evidence of the accused's possession of rough diamonds from a witness unrelated to the Liberian or Sierra Leone conflicts."

Taylor, once one of West Africa's most powerful men, is charged with 11 counts of murder, torture, rape, sexual slavery and the use of child soldiers and terrorism in his role backing rebels in Sierra Leone's 1991-2002 civil war.

An estimated 500,000 people were the victims of killings, systematic mutilation or other atrocities in that war, with some of the worst crimes committed by child soldiers who were drugged to desensitize them.

It is unclear when judges will rule on the prosecution request.

Source (AP)

Idex The May Diamond Retail Benchmark List is now available for FREE

Diamond Retail Benchmark

Introduction to the DRB List

For the first time ever, diamond jewelry consumers are going to have a diamond retail benchmark that will guide them in how much they should pay for a diamond. The Diamond Retail Benchmark (DRB) is derived from up-to-date market data using an objective and fully transparent methodology.

The diamond category is one of the few retail sectors that up to now has not had a Retail Benchmark for consumers. For consumers, many of them first-time diamond buyers, the purchase of a diamond may sometimes prove to be a confusing experience. As a luxury product that will accompany consumers through major life events and will be bought to celebrate those events, confidence is elementary. Consumers should be able to buy a diamond with the confidence of knowing they paid a fair price.

The DRB presents a retail price recommendation for a diamond based on each of the 4Cs – Cut, Carat, Color and Clarity. The benchmark is based on the high-end of retail prices currently in the market place, therefore allowing enough room for all business models. The DRB should be used as background information only. Actual prices are determined by the sellers.

WFDB welcomes establishment of Canada’s first diamond exchange

WFDB President Avi Paz has welcomed the establishment of Canada’s first diamond exchange, the Diamond Bourse of Canada, which had its grand opening on January 27 at the Ontario Bar Association Conference Centre in Toronto.
“It’s only logical for Canada to establish a full-fledged bourse,” Mr. Paz said. “While Canada’s population is small compared to its huge southern neighbour, the country’s jewellery industry and trade, as well as its consumer market, have been growing steadily.”
The Diamond Bourse of Canada has been invited to attend as an observer the meetings of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses at the 34th World Diamond Congress in Moscow in June.
The bourse’s first president, Bhushan Vora, credited the government of Ontario for its help the organisation’s establishment. The government matched the Can. $140,000 in funds raised to help create the bourse. Mr. Vora noted the bourse will be self-financed through its Can. $1,500 annual membership fees, as well as commissions on activities such as tenders.
The bourse’s vice president is Greg Jacobson.
The diamond exchange features a full trading floor, private viewing rooms, a customs bonded facility with safety deposit boxes, advanced security, and a lounge and social club room.
The bourse later announced that its trading facility will be fully operational by the end of March. A feature of the trading will be a technology centre, with equipment provided by Sarin Technologies, De Beers and HRD Antwerp NV. A grading certificate drop-off window has already begun operating, and the customs bonded facility will be functional by the third week of the month.
The Diamond Bourse of Canada is currently receiving membership applications from Canadian diamond producers, jewellery manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, allied service companies and public sector organisations, as well as from international diamond trading houses.


Photo caption: From left to right: Gregory Jacobson, Vice Chairman of the Board; David Lindsay, Deputy Minister of Ontario Northern Development and Mines; Preeti Saran, Canada's Consul General for India; and Bhushan Vora, Chairman of the Board.