Life Without De Beers
It’s November and that means it’s time for the new DTC Sightholder list. Of course, we are especially interested at Modern Jeweler, since we publish the world’s only Global Diamond Directory of DTC Sightholders and Select Diamantaires. Generally, the Directory is published in January but this year we’ve delayed it until March, since there have been many indications that there will be significant changes in the sightholder list this year. Some analysts have even suggested that all New York sightholders will be dropped. Other commentators have argued that they shouldn’t be, while admitting it seems likely.
The latest evidence, which has been analyzed in depth by Chaim Even-Zohar, is a new DTC brochure announcing a support group for ex-sightholders. The “Sightholder Support Programme,” is a package designed to assist those clients who will no longer be Sightholders on March 31, 2008 by offering “high profile consultancy support in managing its reputation and relationships with key stakeholders.”
Any group that requires a program for support is likely to be large in size don’t you think? We’ll know soon enough.