Kiran Gems is widely recognised as the world’s largest manufacturer of ethically sourced natural diamonds and India’s premier diamantaire, with a reputation built on scale, precision manufacturing, technology-led operations, and long-standing commitments to responsible sourcing and social impact. The newly listed stock materially increases the depth and breadth of supply on GET-Diamonds ahead of the first major sourcing events of 2026:

Diamond Declarations

Importers of polished diamonds into the European Union must now include a due diligence statement on diamond origin in their customs declarations. The requirement forms part of the latest phase of EU sanctions targeting Russia-origin diamonds.

Botswana’s Intent

Botswana will push ahead with its bid for a controlling stake in De Beers despite warnings from the International Monetary Fund, President Duma Boko said. The IMF cautioned that a larger state stake could strain public finances and deepen Botswana’s reliance on diamonds, a view Boko rejected, arguing the country must assert greater control over its natural diamond resources.

Retail Contraction

The US jewelry sector contracted 3.1% year on year to 22,152 active businesses in the third quarter, the Jewelers Board of Trade reported. Retailers accounted for 16,822 of the total.

Holiday Sales

US jewelry sales rose 1.6% over the November–December holiday season, according to Mastercard. Overall retail spending increased 3.9%, with e-commerce up 7.4% and in-store sales rising 2.9%, as consumers focused on value and discounts amid tighter budgets.

Exceptional Year for Jewelry

Sotheby’s said 2025 was an “exceptionally strong year” for its jewelry category, with sales rising 35% year on year to approximately $305.9 million. December highlights included the $8.8 million sale in Abu Dhabi of the Desert Rose, a 31.68-carat fancy vivid orangey pink diamond, while the house’s two inaugural jewelry sales at its new New York headquarters in the Breuer building totalled $43.9 million.

GIA Broadens Colored Stone Services

Gemological Institute of America has rolled out redesigned colored stone reports and expanded its service offering. The updates include origin-determination services for opal, peridot and demantoid garnet, alongside revised weight categories and related fees for colored stone submissions.

Doing Good

Diamonds Do Good named its 2026 honorees ahead of its flagship fundraising event on May 28 in Las Vegas. Tiffany & Co. will receive the Vanguard of Sustainable Luxury Award, Anna Martin will be honored for Lifetime Achievement, and retailer CD Peacock will receive the Community Impact Award.

Simply Magnificent

Christie’s’ Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels sale realized $69.5 million, led by “The Royal Blue” Kashmir sapphire necklace, which fetched $16.2 million. The New York Magnificent Jewels sale followed with $46.5 million in total sales and a 95% sell-through rate.

Titan Embraces Lab Grown

Titan Company has launched a lab-grown diamond jewelry brand, beYon, the group’s first push into the segment. The brand opened its first store in Mumbai, with additional locations planned in Mumbai and Delhi.

World’s Largest Producer

Alrosa recovered 29.7 million carats of rough diamonds in 2025, retaining its position as the world’s largest producer with roughly one third of global output. The miner remained profitable despite weak market conditions and G7 sanctions, CEO Pavel Marinychev said.

KP Chair

India has agreed to assume the chairmanship of the Kimberley Process in 2026, following delays in appointing a successor to the United Arab Emirates’ two-year term. Ghana will serve as vice chair, positioning it to take over the leadership in 2027.

Lab-Grown Transparency

The Bureau of Indian Standards introduced a new diamond disclosure standard that restricts use of the term “diamond” to natural stones and mandates full disclosure for laboratory-grown diamonds. The rules also ban abbreviations such as “lab grown,” “lab created,” and “LGD.”

Retail Earnings

Timepieces underpinned earnings across several major retailers. Signet Jewelers reported a 3.1% rise in third-quarter sales to $1.4 billion, with net income nearly tripling to $20 million, driven by watches and services, while bridal was flat and fashion edged up 1%. Birks Group posted a 16% increase in fiscal first-half sales to CAD 93.1 million ($67.6 million), supported by its European Boutique acquisition and stronger third-party watch sales. Watches of Switzerland said half-year revenue rose 8% to GBP 845 million ($1.13 billion), led by a 15% increase in US sales and a 16% rise in Roberto Coin wholesale revenue, while profit jumped 54% to GBP 44.4 million ($59.2 million).

Kering’s Jewelry Expansion

Kering Group agreed to acquire a 20% stake in Raselli Franco Group for EUR 20 million ($23.5 million), with an option to take full ownership by 2032. The move is intended to support growth at its jewelry houses, including Boucheron, Pomellato, Dodo and Qeelin, while tightening control over the group’s value chain.

Miner Relief

The Government of the Northwest Territories will extend targeted property tax relief for diamond mines into the 2026–27 fiscal year, citing ongoing market volatility, trade disruption and elevated operating costs. Burgundy Diamond Mines, owner of the Ekati mine, secured a CAD 115 million ($83.3 million) loan facility managed by the Canada Enterprise Emergency Funding Corporation, which supports businesses affected by US tariffs.

Maintaining Standards

The Responsible Jewellery Council appointed Sara Yood, president and CEO of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee, and Eduard Stefanescu, sustainability manager at C. Hafner, as co-chairs of its standards committee. The committee oversees the RJC’s Codes of Practice, Chain of Custody and Laboratory Grown Materials standards.

Executive Moves

Bulgari appointed Laura Burdese as its next CEO, effective July 1, succeeding Jean-Christophe Babin. Burdese joined the brand as chief marketing officer in 2022 and became deputy CEO in July 2024. Wesley Tucker will step down as CEO of Tracr at the end of February, with De Beers yet to name a successor to head its traceability platform. Petra Diamonds confirmed the permanent appointments of Juan Kemp and Vivek Gadodia as joint CEOs, following their interim leadership after Richard Duffy’s departure in February.