Contact Information

Sygma Diamonds b.v.b.a.
Diamantbeurs, Office 268
Pelikaanstraat 78
2018 Antwerpen
Belgium

Tel: +32.3.231.66.43.
Fax: +32.3.231.02.54.
sygmadiamonds@sygmadiamonds.com
http://www.sygmadiamonds.com/

Two counterfeit GIA grading reports Surface in Antwerp (Idex, no.189)

The GIA laboratory has recently discovered two fake GIA grading reports. According to this report, the two were “high quality diamonds”: 3 carats, D-color, Internally flawless. The buyer had doubts and had one of the diamonds tested. When the result came back, it showed the diamond was a high pressure/ high temperature (HPHT) annealed. GIA had already issued a report for this diamond earlier. The original report said that it was an E VVS1. The diamond left the laboratory with full disclosure and an inscription which said it was HPHT processed, but this was removed from the girdle.
Doubts and questions about the authenticity of a GIA Diamond Grading Report: contact the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory by telephone at 760-603-4500 or fax 760-603-1814. Report numbers can be verified through these contacts. If it does not match the “GIA file” the client will be informed immediately. Then the original grading report can be updated: the diamond is fully graded again, including all of the screening steps for treatments.

De Beers Settles U.S. class action suits for $250 million (Idex, no.189)

Diamond miner De Beers has settled the majority of civil action suits filed against it in the United States. According to Gary Ralfe: “This settlement does not involve any admission of liability on the part of De Beers and will bring an end to a number of outstanding disputes.” …!!!

Things to do with a diamond…

We already know that diamonds make the ladies happy and pretty, but in Hollywood, these magical stones also have a “healing” power. The lucky ones who have tried this extraordinary experience were the celebrities. They were invited by the Diamond Information Center during the week of Academy movie-awards. The movie-stars enjoyed the treatments using the natural healing properties of $70 million diamonds at the Diamond Aquifer: A Mystical Retreat. Celebrities such as Felicity Huffman (desperate housewives), Keira Knightley (the Pirates of the Caribbean), Paris Hilton (heir of the Hilton-chain) and Terrence Howard(Hustle and flow) received a diamond-based beauty and therapeutic treatments, including the Diamond Healing Massage by Carneros Inn (using $6 million of rare, loose diamonds). They also experienced the Diamond Experience Facial by Natura Biss, using $6 million of rare, loose diamonds to improve the intuitive readings given by Suzannah Galland and Astrology readings by Michele Karn.

Diamonds gossips: it’s raining jewels

Spotlights, cameras and beautiful artists were once again present at the 78th Annual Academy Awards. The movie-stars wore the best haute-couture and off course, their jewelry. Here are some jewelry highlights from the evening.

Diamonds as heavy as herself
The 60-year-old Country singer, the slender Dolly Parton amazed the crowd with her Leighton jewelry worth $2 million. She wore diamond briolette pendant earrings with old European cut diamonds of approximately 16 carats, worth $1,215,000. Around her neck, she wore a diamond chain necklace with approximately 47.8 carats of round brilliant cut diamonds for $100,000. For her arms she chose the two vintage diamond bracelets worth $265,000. Miss Parton also wore an antique cushion-cut diamond ring, which were $75,000. The best was the assemble of her brooches; a pair of 1920s diamond flower clip brooches in platinum for $12,500, a $60,000 diamond bon-brooch, a pair of 1930s diamond “string bean” brooches, worth $60,000 and a pair of 1930s “string bean” brooches $40,000.

Larger market for retailers: diamonds are boy’s best friends
Bad boy Samuel L. Jackson chose his jewels out of the Chris Aire collection: $125,000 platinum and diamond Aire Traveler time piece and a personalized “SLJ” platinum tie pin, worth $15,000.
The nominee Terrence Howard made his royal presence on the red carpet with a 20 carat diamond ring, worth $1 million. He also wore a 30 carat platinum pear and marquis shape diamond brooch which were $500,000, both from Sol Raphael. Even though Howard was dressed like a star, he did not receive a trophy for his acting performance.

Hip-hop jeweler arrested for Money Laundering Charges (Rapaport 6/16/2006)

Yakov Arabov, popular jeweler amongst the celebrities in the U.S., was arrested on money-laundering activities. The authorities have charged the Russian Arabov with distributing more than 476 kilograms of cocaine and with laundering money for $270 million. They have reasons to believe that Arabov is connected to a drug organization called the “Black Mafia Family”.
Arabov, known as “Jacob the Jeweler” to the music industry, has launched his career after the formal rapper Notorious B.I.G. introduced him to his showbiz-friends. Amongst his client-list, there are names such as Madonna, 50 cent, Jennifer Lopez and Sir Elton John. Paul Wilmot, a spokesman for Jacob & Co., said the arrest was “the result of an unfortunate misunderstanding.”

Sightholder Files DTC Complaint With EC (Rapaport 6/1/2006)

A Diamond Trading Company (DTC) sightholder in Belgium has filed a complaint against De Beers value added service (VAS) with the European Commission (EC). Technically, sightholders can not take their complaints to the court. Instead, they have the possibility to find a solution and, if that does not work out, then they can take their case to the EC’s ombudsman. The content of the complaint concerns not only about VAS but also about DTC’s Supplier of Choice (SOC) program. There are two main issues. First, the promised goods were different from what was received. Secondly, the sightholder claims that an additional 1.5 percent cost was added to SOC services to cover VAS.

Alrosa and Ide Presidents

The president of Alrosa (Alexander Nichiporuk) and the president of Israel Diamond Exchange (Avi Paz) had a meeting in Moscow concerning their cooperation between the Russian diamond miner and Israeli traders.
The two discussed mainly about rough diamond trading, Kimberly process, HPHT treatment and consumer confidence.
In the Russian diamond exchange, the Diamond Chamber of Russia, 37 percent of its clients are Israeli traders. Israel is interested to have a bigger share of Alrosa’s rough diamonds and sides are considering holding tenders in Israerl and Russia.