Condividiamo alcune notizie provenienti dagli Uffici Esteri dell’ICE.
STRONGEST NATURAL DIAMOND GROWTH COMING FROM INDIA’: AL COOK, CEO OF DE BEERS GROUP
(ICE) – ROMA, 8 GEN – Al Cook, CEO of De Beers Group, sees India as a bright spot for natural diamonds as rising demand, growing aspirations, and higher disposable incomes pull consumers toward the category. Despite the inroads made by lab-grown diamonds as a cheaper alternative, Cook—who visited India for the second time in eight months this week—says domestic consumers remain discerning in their choices. In an interview with Viveat Susan Pinto, he outlines De Beers’ priorities for India and its retail strategy. Excerpts:
It underlines just how critical India is for us. Despite global turbulence, India continues to grow strongly. We expect GDP growth of around 7% through 2025. At a time of instability, India is increasingly viewed as a source of global stability. Diamonds were first discovered in India more than 2,500 years ago, and that heritage continues today—around 90% of the world’s diamonds are cut and polished here.
What we see now is a powerful convergence of India’s historical significance and its growing global prominence. We see the strongest natural diamond demand growth coming from India. Domestic demand in India remains very strong—about 11% growth last year, marking four consecutive years of double-digit growth. We expect the Indian diamond market to be roughly twice the size by the end of the decade (2030), at $20 billion compared to $10 billion now.
For centuries, diamonds were from India and by India. Increasingly, they are also going to India and for India. In many ways, diamonds are coming home. And India is the second-largest diamond market after the US. All this is bringing me here.
There are two distinct dynamics at play here. One is the domestic demand aspect, which I’ve highlighted earlier and its significance for us. Second is that India is the world’s hub for cutting and polishing of diamonds, while the US represents about half of global diamond consumption.
Due to US tariffs, diamond exports from India to the US have declined by roughly 50%, which is clearly challenging. That said, we’re confident that India and the US will reach a trade agreement. The US has indicated that once an agreement is in place, diamonds would move to zero tariff, which gives us confidence over the medium term.
There are a few areas we are focusing on. While I’m not at liberty to disclose numbers, we have the highest-ever spend on marketing in India. That will continue into 2026.
We’re also seeing very positive progress with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) issuing clear guidelines distinguishing natural diamonds from lab-grown diamonds. This is a critical step for consumer protection. We’re working with partners such as Tanishq to deploy detection technology across India that can identify natural versus lab-grown diamonds in about three seconds.
In our discussions with the government, the emphasis is consistently on transparency and consumer trust. This week, we have opened our largest-ever Forevermark store in Mumbai. Together, these developments reinforce India’s position as one of the most important diamond consumer markets globally.
We view lab-grown diamonds as a separate category. Indian consumers are among the most sophisticated jewellery buyers globally. We don’t believe there will be confusion.
Lab-grown diamonds are fashionable and accessible, with wholesale prices around $50 per carat—nearly 20 times cheaper than natural diamonds. That price difference alone creates a clear distinction. Separation is reinforced by three factors: price, detection technology, and regulation.
BIS standards are explicit—if a product is called a diamond, it must be a natural diamond. Consumers may choose lab-grown diamonds for casual or fashion jewellery. But for life’s most meaningful moments—engagements, marriages, the birth of a child—people typically want something enduring. That is where natural diamonds continue to matter.
At a broader level, lab-grown diamonds are inexpensive but have little to no resale value and should not be viewed as a store of value.
It creates an interesting dynamic. High gold prices can make consumers cautious in the short term, but they also support demand for diamond-studded gold jewellery.
READ MORE AT: : https://www.financialexpress.com/business/news/strongest-natural-diamond-growth-coming-from-india-al-cook-ceo-of-de-beers-group/4100536/ (ICE MUMBAI)
BIS STANDARDS ALIGN WITH GLOBAL CONSUMER PROTECTION GUIDELINES FOR DIAMONDS
(ICE) – ROMA, 8 GEN – With India rapidly emerging as one of the world’s most important jewellery consumption markets, the need for transparency and consumer confidence has never been more critical. Valued at approximately $80-85 billion in FY24, the Indian jewellery sector is projected to grow to $225-245 billion by FY35, underscoring the scale and momentum of domestic demand.
Within this broader growth, diamond jewellery occupies a distinct and rapidly expanding segment. India has already become the second-largest diamond jewellery market globally, overtaking China, with the market currently estimated at around $10 billion. Diamond jewellery demand in India is expected to double by 2030, reflecting rising consumer aspirations and increasing penetration beyond traditional metropolitan markets.
Amid this evolving landscape, ensuring clear, accurate, and transparent disclosure has become a key priority for the industry, enabling Indian consumers to make informed and confident purchasing decisions.
In this context, the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) welcomes the Bureau of Indian Standards’ (BIS) launch of new IS 19469:2025, an adoption of the modified version of “ISO 18323:2015 – Jewellery – Consumer Confidence in the Diamond Industry”, in an endeavour to strengthen consumer trust, ensure clarity in nomenclature, and align India’s diamond trade with international guidelines.
The revised Indian Standard, developed under the MTD 10 Committee of BIS, lays down comprehensive terminology and disclosure requirements for natural diamonds, laboratory-grown diamonds, treated diamonds, composite stones, and imitations. By clearly defining acceptable and prohibited terms, the standard aims to eliminate ambiguity, prevent misleading descriptions, and ensure that consumers are fully informed about the products they purchase.
Importantly, the standard clarifies that the term “diamond” refers only to natural diamonds, while laboratory-grown diamonds must be clearly disclosed using approved terminology.
BIS developed and notified the standards following an initiative taken by GJEPC and detailed deliberations held with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
Pursuant to the Ministry’s directives, a Working Group 4 was constituted with representatives from industry stakeholders for detailed deliberations on this important subject.
Under the new standard, India officially adopts the terms “laboratory-grown diamond” and “laboratory-created diamond”, while expressly disallowing misleading or outdated descriptions such as “fake,” or “artificial” for such stones. The standard also mandates full disclosure of treatments and provides clear definitions to prevent consumer confusion. The new standards also states that abbreviations such as “lab grown”, “lab created” “lab diamond” or “LGD” shall not be used.
This milestone reflects India’s leadership in promoting ethical, transparent, and globally aligned diamond trade practices. It provides clarity for traders, marketers, consumers, exporters, importers and certification agencies, ensuring uniform terminology in both domestic and international markets.
Kirit Bhansali, Chairman, GJEPC, said: “We thank BIS for launching the new standard aligned with globally harmonised framework for diamonds. This standard will enhance consumer confidence and credibility in both natural and laboratory-grown diamond segments. This is a major step forward in ensuring India’s diamond trade continues to lead the world with integrity and transparency.”
Bhansali further added, “GJEPC has been at the forefront of advocating clarity and fairness in diamond nomenclature. This collaboration between BIS, GJEPC, and industry stakeholders has ensured that consumers are protected and that the trade operates under uniform, internationally recognised definitions.”
The notification will serve as a definitive reference for jewellers, traders, laboratories, and consumer protection authorities across India.
https://gjepc.org/solitaire/bis-standards-align-with-global-consumer-protection-guidelines-for-diamonds (ICE MUMBAI)
ORO: L’ANNO È STATO OTTIMO? ANCHE IL 2026 SI ANNUNCIA FAVOREVOLE
(ICE) – ROMA, 6 GEN – ZURIGO (awp/ats) – Il 2025 è stato un anno da incorniciare per l’oro. Il metallo giallo ha guadagnato oltre il 60%, aggiornando costantemente i suoi record: oggi, per la prima volta nella storia, sono stati superati i 4400 dollari all’oncia (il chilo è cioè a circa 113’000 franchi). E secondo gli esperti gli ingredienti ci sono tutti affinché anche il 2026 si presenti favorevole.
Uno dei principali fattori che determinano l’elevato livello di prezzo è e rimane l’incertezza globale. Si va dalle conseguenze della politica doganale del presidente degli Stati Uniti Donald Trump, ancora difficili da valutare, ai numerosi conflitti geopolitici, in particolare la guerra in Ucraina.
In tempi come questi l’oro è il bene rifugio per eccellenza, quando di tratta di proteggere un portafoglio e preservarne il valore. Un approccio che supera peraltro i secoli, facendo pensare che nulla è cambiato: nell’antica Roma un’oncia d’oro permetteva di acquistare una tunica elegante, oggi con la stessa quantità si compra un abito elegante.
Ma un fattore importante è anche quello delle banche centrali. Poiché il dollaro americano è la valuta di riferimento mondiale, è stato a lungo la valuta di riserva per eccellenza. Di recente, però, si è rafforzata una tendenza proprio tra gli istituti centrali dei paesi emergenti: il distacco dalla supremazia del dollaro. L’oro funge da sostituto.
Secondo i calcoli degli esperti della società d’investimento VanEck, dal 2022 le banche centrali di tutto il mondo sono acquirenti netti di oro e ne immagazzinano ogni anno più di 1000 tonnellate. Anche nel 2025 questa tendenza è proseguita, con circa 700 tonnellate già alla fine di ottobre, secondo il produttore di oro Heraeus. Questi acquisti rappresentano un grande sostegno per il corso del metallo.
Soprattutto in Cina, l’abbandono del dollaro fa parte della strategia e gli attuali acquisti potrebbero essere addirittura superiori alle cifre ufficiali, ipotizza Arthur Jurus, direttore degli investimenti della banca privata Oddo BHF Suisse. Stando a Commerzbank è però improbabile che le riserve auree delle banche centrali aumentino all’infinito. Infatti le riserve hanno tradizionalmente lo scopo di garantire il commercio estero e di fornire agli importatori valuta estera sufficiente per pagare le loro merci: ciò è difficilmente realizzabile con l’oro.
Vi è poi la politica monetaria: tassi d’interesse più bassi equivalgono a un prezzo dell’oro più alto. Infatti, i tassi d’interesse reali bassi rendono più attraente il metallo prezioso, che di per sé non produce alcun reddito.
E nel 2026 i tassi d’interesse dovrebbero continuare a diminuire, almeno negli Stati Uniti.
In questo contesto il nuovo presidente della Federal Reserve avrà un ruolo decisivo. Il successore più probabile di Jerome Powell è Kevin Hassett, fedele sostenitore di Trump e quindi garante dei tagli del costo del denaro ripetutamente richiesti a gran voce dal presidente americano. Sino alla fine del mandato di Powell, in maggio, la situazione dei tassi d’interesse potrebbe comunque rimanere tranquilla.
IG Markets fornisce un altro motivo per le tendenze in atto, anche se meno fondamentale. Negli Stati Uniti si terranno presto le elezioni di medio termine e, secondo le statistiche, gli anni di questo tipo sono positivi per l’oro, spiega Christian Henke, capo analista di mercato. In tali periodi infatti la volatilità aumenta, le azioni sono meno richieste e gli investitori cercano rifugi sicuri.
Ma quanto sarà davvero ricco il buffet dell’oro nel 2026? Henrik Marx, responsabile commerciale di Heraeus Precious Metals, ipotizza un intervallo di prezzo compreso tra 3500 e 5000 dollari per oncia. Anche altri esperti prevedono ulteriori aumenti di corso, magari dopo un periodo di pausa, visti i livelli piuttosto elevati. Le stime oscillano tra i 4500 dollari di Oddo BHF e i 4950 dollari della Deutsche Bank. Allo stesso tempo, molti esperti si lasciano una porta aperta: se, ad esempio, la guerra in Ucraina dovesse finire o altri eventi dovessero far diminuire il desiderio di sicurezza non si può escludere una forte correzione. (ICE BERNA)
e aggiungila