Exporters of diamonds and other gems watched with delight as the United States announced the election of Barack Obama as its 44th President.

The name Pink Panthers conjure up images of an inept inspector and a suave Peter Sellers and this time the meaning behind the nickname is no different: diamond thievery. It all started seven years ago with a jar of face cream. Milan Jovetic was part of the group that robbed the Graff store on New Bond Street, London of $30 million worth of diamonds. The Scotland Yard found a $1 million diamond ring hidden in his girlfriend's face-cream jar, the same hiding place used by the thief in the 1963 movie The Pink Panther. British newspapers called them The Pink Panthers , as the Interpol went after more robberies.

On Thursday, a New York City Diamond Broker was robbed of $500,000 worth of diamonds in North Dallas. The broker, a 28 year-old employee of Trapz, LLC, had just gotten into his car when the thieves approached.

Federal prosecutors discovered a scam in which DC tax office manager Harriette Walters created fake property tax refund checks that were cashed by friends and at least one co-worker. Evidence was uncovered that showed the embezzlement was ongoing, and wen

GemEx, a Wisconsin-based company that analyzes the quality diamonds has accused Zales, the jewelry conglomerate, of false advertising and misleading consumers.

Although people are donating less spare change this holiday season, the Salvation Army is still receiving its usual array of strange contributions. In Uniontown, PA, someone wordlessly proposed to the traditional collection kettle, dropping in a diamond r

Bianca Grimaldi, whose fiancee died in the September 11 terrorist attacks, lost the diamond engagement ring he gave her just moments before boarding the plane that eventually struck the Pentagon.

A Chandler, Arizona Diamond Jeweler was robbed Saturday by two armed men. While the store owner was shot and injured, one of the assailants ran and was later caught, and the other drove away and later died of a gunshot wound.

A rare, 5-carat pink diamond will be sold in Hong Kong this December by Christie's. Experts predict that the jewel may reach near world record prices, thanks mainly to the enthusiasm of top Asian jewelry collectors.

Alrosa Diamonds, the World’s Biggest Producer of Diamonds,surpassing De Beers diamonds, Plans Public Offering in 2012 and geological Diamond Exploration. Diamond prices are expected to continue to rise.

It used to be that people shopping for diamond jewelry might go online to check out pricing before they went into the brick-and-mortar stores to buy, but things are quickly changing, according to the Israeli Diamond Portal. Now shoppers are more confident

Due to the global recession, all of the normally exported Indian diamonds, gems, and diamond jewelry are experiencing much less consumer demand. Because of accumulated inventory, this has caused the loss of over 200,000 jobs in the Indian diamond and gem

Aeon Holdings, after entering into a purchase agreement with Green Star Energies to acquire an interest in several mineral leases in Pennsylvania, will no longer continue as an online diamond jewelry retailer.

De Beers Diamond Jewellers is partnering with "Brides" magazine to launch the Duo, an intertwined engagement ring and wedding band, beginning on February 10, 2009.

Rio Tinto's Argyle Diamond Mine is ready to release it's rare blue diamonds in the unveiling of the "Once in a Blue Moon" collection. The Argyle Diamond Mine is known for producing rare pink and champagne diamonds, but is much less known for the very rare

The largest diamond in the universe makes the largest diamond previously known, the 530-carat Star of Africa diamond, seem like a grain of sand. If you were to make it into an engagement ring, you would need all the gold on earth to set it in.

Even in these challenging economic times, people are stilling willing to invest in something that never loses value: diamonds. In Mississauga, Ontario, a customer special-ordered a seven-carat round brilliant stunner.

In Tampa, Florida, even the wealthy are turning to pawn shops as a means to make some extra cash. More and more, Capital Pawn owner Joe Cacciatore is seeing high-end luxury brand jewelry and goods.

A government auction was held on March 20 at the New Yorker Hotel near Penn Station, and the focus of the auction was confiscated diamonds. The US Department of the Treasury used the auction to sell off diamonds seized from money laundering schemes, drug investigations and IRS Tax confiscations—with some of the diamonds coming from dealers within New York’s own Diamond District.

In what’s being hailed as Britain’s biggest jewel heist, two gunmen casually strolled into Graff Jewelers in Mayfair, an upscale London store, and stole gems and diamonds worth £40million on Thursday. The thieves managed to steal 43 bracelets, necklaces, rings and watches in less than two minutes.

Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, Israel’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, met with leaders of the Israeli Diamond Industry to discuss extending financial support for a professional training program for diamond polishers.

Despite a serious downturn in the economy, diamonds are selling surprisingly well at auction. Both Christie’s and Sotheby’s have financially suffered due to the recession, but they are both seeing high figures from their diamond sales. In fact, these sales are getting the most buck, so to speak.

Good news for the technologically savvy ladies who want to invest in an elegance cell phone. Stuart Hughes, designer extraordinaire, recently revealed the diamond 3GS iPhone… and it’s something else!

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is one of the most respected diamond-grading facilities in the world, took quick action. Investigation led to the arrest of one person so far. The Diamond Dealers Club of South Africa released a statement that, “We join GIA in condemning unscrupulous parties who fraudulently sell treated diamonds without disclosure and sell forged grading reports”. The GIA believes that the problem is not widespread.

Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli has announced that he will be initiating a session of his country’s National Assembly in the next few weeks in order to finish legislation that grants the diamond exchange free zone status. The President also claimed his government would speed along panama’s membership in the Kimberly Process.

Battle Creek, Michigan – D.NEA is a well-known producer of eco-friendly and completely conflict-free gemstone and diamond jewelry. Their diamonds are all lab-grown, using the same intense heat and pressure that turns carbon into diamonds, but the process takes far less time, has little ecological impact, and the results are far less expensive. Because the diamonds are synthesized in a controlled environment, there are none of the imperfections that natural diamonds can hold. The clarity of a lab-created diamond is always perfect. It has proven relatively easy to grow a colorless diamond, but giving them color has been more difficult. Previously, colored diamonds—blue in particular—were quite small. Now D.NEA has developed a process that has allowed them to create the world’s largest lab-grown blue diamonds.

National Jeweler reports that a fancy 1.77 carat purple-pink diamond has been “reborn” since it failed to sell in Rio Tinto’s 2008 Argyle Pink Diamond bid. The diamond has become a 1.61 carat, radiant-cut, fancy purple-red stone after it was purchased by Scarselli Diamonds of New York.

Fifty individuals, believed to be part of a diamond smuggling ring, have been arrested.

Recently, it has been heavily speculated that the world famous Hope Diamond and the Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond were cut from the same stone. Well, a statement from the National Gem Collection refutes this, claiming the two amazing jewels were not cut from the same stone after all.

At the Sotheby’s Hong Kong Jewels and Jadeite Spring Sale on April 7, a rare blue diamond that was once part of the De Beers Millennium Collection is being sold. The 5.16 carat, pear-shaped, Internally Flawless Vivid Blue diamond was originally presented by diamond giant De Beers to celebrate the Millennium. Bidding is expected to reach close to $6 million.

Dover, Delaware -- DNA2Diamonds, a company that makes diamonds from the cremated remains of people or pets, has recently forged an almost macabre partnership with the Trader Funeral Home of Dover, Delaware. The funeral home will now advertise turning a loved one into diamond jewelry as a possible memorial. Only a small amount of hair or cremated remains is required to create a diamond, so even those who chose burial over cremation can benefit from this option. “Our customers love our memorial diamonds,” says Tom Bischoff, President of DNA2Diamonds, “Not only because they’re a tangible reminder, but because they forever contain the essence of the loved ones and encase the closeness of their memories”. Bischoff has taken what was not long ago a seedling of a company and gone to funeral director trade shows to ply his goods.

Sydney, Australia -- Sotheby’s Australia is planning a landmark auction on April 12. It will be the first time the Australian branch of the well-known auction house has had its own jewellery sale, and it will feature a home-grown red diamond. This will also be the first red diamond offered up for public auction in Australia. Sotheby’s noted in a press release that while the Argyle pink diamonds are considered rare and precious, so few truly red diamonds have been found that diamond connoisseurs consider them to be the most valuable of all colored diamonds.

Diamond-encrusted mobile phones have become almost commonplace. Rose gold, yellow gold, white gold, and platinum are used to make the faces of cellulars all over the world. With the iPhone—in all its incarnations—having been pimped to the highest possible degree, famed cell phone designer Stuart Hughes has chosen to take a step back…in time.

The name Pink Panthers conjures up images of an inept inspector and a suave Peter Sellers and this time the meaning behind the nickname is no different: diamond thievery. It all started seven years ago with a jar of face cream. Milan Jovetic was part of the group that robbed the Graff store on New Bond Street, London of $30 million worth of diamonds. The Scotland Yard found a $1 million diamond ring hidden in his girlfriend's face-cream jar, the same hiding place used by the thief in the 1963 movie The Pink Panther. British newspapers called them The Pink Panthers , as the Interpol went after more robberies.

The World Federation of Diamond Bourses and the International Diamond Manufacturers came together for a ceremony to mark the opening of the 34th World Diamond Congress in Moscow with special guests of honor that included Russia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Alexei Kudrin and President of Alrosa Fyodor Andreev. WFDB president Avi Paz said that the diamond industry is hanging in there, despite the effects of the worldwide economic crisis, but that the industry will always take challenges in stride. He remarked that their purpose continues to be to sustain the viability and stability of rough supplies, as well as to continue manufacturing and marketing polished diamonds.

Diamonds weren't this man's best friend. A young diamond polisher named Sumit Sevanti was found on the fourth floor terrace of a diamond polishing unit in the Sneh Mudra Society of Surat, India early Tuesday morning. He had severe head injuries and died of bleeding. Police quickly ruled out suicide though the murderers dragged the body from the room and tried to throw the body to the fourth floor to make it look like Sevanti killed himself. Police said Sevanti and his murderers were probably friends and consumed liquor together after work in the polishing unit. Neighbors nearby confirmed hearing sounds of a loud gathering.

A diamond planet located 4000 light years from Earth has been discovered by a team of international astronomers who believe it to be the only one of its kind in the universe.

Just as the world's largest diamond producer, De Beers, has landed back on its feet with a big jump in half-year sales, CEO Gareth Penny has announced that will step down from his position later this year. No word on why exactly Penny has decided to leave the company, but it's a surprising development as the group is heading into a better period since the global economic crisis harshly affected the world. Penny would only say to the media, "I feel it's the right time" and "We've come out of a difficult period."

United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron was asked in an interview India's NDTV channel if the 105-carat Koh-i-noor Diamond currently in Britain would be returned to India any time soon. The Koh-i-noor Diamond is one of the largest diamonds in the world to date. The First Lord of the Treasury and Leader of the Conservative Party said no after an awkward silence. Then he later he mentioned that returning the diamond to India would "set a dangerous precedent for other priceless cultural items held in British museums," the Daily Mail reports. He said it will stay put. The head of Parliament is in India for a two-day stay with the purpose of strengthening relationships and creating jobs in the United Kingdom. Hindu academic scholars say that the Koh-i-noor diamond was discovered in India at least 700 years ago and possibly even 5,000 years ago. Koh-i-noor means "Mountain of Light" in Persian.

Winnsboro, Texas resident Angela Vickers has found a 2.93-carat yellow diamond at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. She was on her first family vacation with her husband and three children. The family went searching for diamonds in the 37 1/2-acre diamond search area after a friend told Vickers of the park. They searched for three hours until she found the diamond stone. It was a bright yellowish color, the size of a pea, and it’s a round diamond with a pyramid shape on top. She named it God's Blessing Diamond because she felt that God led her to it, right in the shade.

An ex-beauty queen, a CIO operative and several police officers were caught after being involved in attempts to extort diamond buyers in Zimbabwe. Former Miss Mutare Derleen Soma, CIO operative Walter Mupira and 6 Zimbabwe Republic police offers came together to rob and extort, mostly taking on foreign diamond buyers as their victims in their own city. The police officers who were already arrested are Munyaradzi Muza, Ernest Kariwo, Gift Msipa and Tichawona Joseph.

Diamond investment and consumerism is on the rise in the Asian Market, with China’s emerging market as one of the largest sectors in diamond transactions

Fashions Night Out is now an annual event that was first created last year by Vogue, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, retailer NYC and Co. and the city of New York to help the NY economy through fashion. It spread to become a worldwide shopping and fashion extravaganza with designers, models, celebs, and fashionistas heading to events in Paris, Brazil, Los Angeles, South Korea, London and everywhere in between.

Danielle Cavalieri found out her husband John Gunther cheated on her and decided to call the wedding off. But she wanted to keep the diamond engagement ring. She wanted to keep it so bad that she went to court with him over it. Her claim? She should be able to keep a $19,000 ring after the breakdown of her marriage because it wasn't her fault. Her argument was that her then-fiance automatically forfeit the diamond because of his infidelity.

De Beers, one of the world's biggest diamond producers, has sold its Jagersfontein mine in South Africa's Free State province. The mine was sold to the Superkolong Consortium, a black economic empowerment holding (BEE) company.

Buying a diamond can now cure paralysis. Ok, not exactly. But did you know that studies are now showing that implants from these shiny objects can cure patients of neural disease. Two researchers from the Case Western Reserve University are now building implants made of diamond and flexible polymer designed to identify chemical and electrical charges in the brain of patients

If Chad Clay wanted to win big points with the general public for best marriage proposal ever, this was certainly the way to do it. At the end of the video, a split second shot of an ideal round-cut diamond engagement ring. And what girl doesn't love her diamonds—especially when they're backed by a pop of the big question.

Barbie doesn't have a diamond engagement ring from Ken, yet—but what she does have is a beautiful pink diamond necklace that could go for as much as $500,000 at an upcoming auction. Barbie's 1-carat diamond is being auctioned at Christie's in New York City on October 20.

At 5 million pounds (about $8 million), the Apple iPhone 4 with diamonds is known as the most expensive mobile phone in the world. It has 500 individual flawless cut diamonds worth 100 carats and was designed by British designer Stuart Hughes. It has two diamonds placed on the home button, that can be swapped and interchanged.

Who knew a kitchen pot could be so covetable? Perhaps it's because the pot is encrusted with diamonds and worth 150,000 Euros ($210,500!) The saucepan is decorated with 18ct gold and its handle and lid are studded with 270 diamonds. It comes with a high-class jewelry box made of rootwood. It's most likely the most precious pot in the world, reports Bornrich.org and has already applied to be included in the Guinness Book of World Records.

A high-quality "exceptionally rare and truly magnificent pink" 24.78 carat pink diamond is being auctioned by auction house Sotheby's. According to various media publications, it has the potential to garner a record-breaking price. According to David Bennett, chairman of Sotheby's International Jewelry Division, bids on the pink diamond were said to be anywhere from 27 to 39 million dollars.

The famous Hope Diamond, the pigeon egg-sized 45.52 carat gem which is known to be the largest of its kind in the world, has been set on a modern necklace at Washington's Smithsonian museum in honor of the 50th anniversary of its arrival there. "We celebrate the 50th anniversary of this gift," Cristian Samper, director of the Museum of Natural history said. He called the diamond a "gift to the world."

Could this diamond be one of the next celebrity engagement rings? Maybe not. But it sure set a world record. The expensive gem, classified as the "Perfect Pink" diamond, sold at Christie's in Hong Kong for $23.2 million, a record-breaking price and the most expensive gem ever sold at an auction in Asia. The anonymous bidder paid 179.9 million Hong Kong dollars for the 14.23 carat diamond. Rubies and sapphires from Myanmar were also sold to private Asian bidders and in total, auction sales rose to $612.6 million.

A giant gas planet named WASP-12b is 4,200 Farenheit, more than 1,000 light years from Earth and is slowly being eaten its parent star. The only great thing about it? It's reportedly covered in mountains made of diamonds! The planet is said to be the first "carbon-rich" world ever observed. The planet contains an unusual of carbon.

Now that the Giants baseball team have moved to San Francisco, they're designing their own championship king. While the team is not exactly sure what the ring will look like yet, they do know for sure that it will include diamonds and be nothing short of extravagant. Giants senior vice president for communications Staci Slaughter says they are starting the process to look for the right company to make the ring.

If diamonds are a girl's best friend, then Bulgari diamonds are every movie star's best friend. We're talking grand Italian stars of the 50s and 60s like Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida, and Elizabeth Taylor, who bought diamonds from the Roman jeweler without a second thought. Now their diamonds and countless others are on display at the Grand Palais in Paris with the exhibit "Bulgari: 125 Years of Italian Magnificence

Unfortunately, the new trend for diamonds isn't the latest pair of studded diamond wedding bands. Instead, more than one person has been reportedly thrown in jail and taken to court for swapping real diamonds with replicas. First, a 38-year old from Singapore was accused of trading his replicas for real diamonds at jewelry shops

How's that for a great Christmas present? Twenty-nine year old Labor member of the British Parliament Luciana Berger has received a gift of diamond earrings from an anonymous giver. However, she said she felt so uncomfortable with the gift, she gave it up.

Alan Perry is now known as the "rain-day diamond jeweler." The gemstone dealer promised his customers that if more than three inches of snow fell in Asheville, North Carolina in December, their holiday purchases would be free. Now Perry is coughing up the jewels. Why? It snowed six inches.

He may be known as a deviation from the norm in the modern art scene, but some art buffs and parents groups think Damien Hirst may have gone too far with his latest creation: a baby skull encased in platinum and studded with more than 8000 pink and white diamonds.

The diamonds on the Miss America crown are sparkling for one 17-year old Nebraskan girl who has swept up the coveted crown for the 2011 Miss America pageant. Teresa Scanlan, the blonde 17-year old Miss Nebraska has beaten 52 other contestants to become the youngest person to receive the title since 1941 and the first woman ever to win for Nebraska. She has won the spot for one year, as well as a $50,000 scholarship.

According to the Associated Press, the wealthy were back to big spending this past holiday season. That means high-end jewelry retailers like Tiffany's and Damiani saw shoppers searching for most expensive jewelry in diamonds and gold. Tiffany & Co. talked of holiday sales that were better than expected and raised their profit outlook for 2011 accordingly.

Recently a state department notice was released that said President Barack Obama and his family have received elaborate diamond jewelry gifts since 2009. Gift giving has been a sign of diplomacy in countries throughout the world, but media reports say that Obama's gifts to other diplomats have not been nearly as lavish as the gifts given to him.

Swarovski, the chi chi crystal and diamond brand, definitely supports designers—both up and coming and experienced veterans. So much so that this season, Nadja Swarovski and her crew are sponsoring shows for New York, London, Milan and Paris designers during Fashion Week. For New York Fashion Week, Fashionista.com reports she is sponsoring the following shows:

Talk about getting innovative with the times! The already groundbreaking diamond jewelry retailer James Allen has a new iPhone and iPad application which allows its user to view more than 20,000 actual diamond photos from his or her mobile device. The new app lets the user view every diamond closely, using their custom made Virtual Loupe® feature, which is an online simulation of the magnifying lens used by jewelers to see diamonds up close

Van Cleef & Arpels were seen at this year's Oscars. In fact, their diamonds were seen at the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards, too. Grace Kelly draped herself in it. Marlene Dietrich wore it. So did Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Scarlett Johansson, and Sofia Coppola. The luxe diamond company is one of the most well known in the luxury jeweler business. And it's also one of the oldest.

Straight off the heels of a major debut—the launch of James Allen's iPhone/iPad application for mobile devices—and a place in Internet Retailer magazine's Top 100 E-Retailers of 2010 alongside websites like Amazon.com, James Allen has just been featured in Mobile Commerce Daily, the leading mobile commerce and retail news site for its groundbreaking foray into the world of e-commerce and mobile capability.

The world was stunned by the earthquake in Japan that was so powerful it was immediately called the strongest earthquake to hit the region in at least a century. It measured at 8.9 on the Richter scale and immediately triggered tsunami waves that flooded particular areas, and exposed radiation from damaged nuclear power plants. As tsunami warnings were issued in New Zealand, Hawaii, and the US West Coast, many Japanese citizens were left without homes, shelter, and food.

A collection of diamonds was stolen at a jewelry show in Basel, Switzerland, valued at around ten million dollars. A team of thieves stole four large diamonds, one of which weighed in at 30 carats.

A $10,000 diamond ring was the grand prize at Elebash’s Diamond Dash this week. Five hundred people flocked to downtown Pensacola, Florida to participate in a scavenger hunt for charity. Participants went on a mad hunt all over the city, moving from clue to clue and in hopes of winning the grand prize.

The Baselworld jewelry show in Basel, Switzerland showcased some of the most beautiful diamond jewelry in the world—but it was the diamond watches that really got everyone's attention. The biggest influence at the event? Simply put, the reinvention of luxury watches and the need luxury watch companies felt that they needed to reinvent themselves to inspire their customers to buy watches.

Where do you typically shop for diamond engagement rings? Cartier? Harry Winston? Tiffany's? James Allen? Jared? COSTCO? Yes, it looks like Costco is competing with the other high-end diamond jewelry retailers in the market. While it's definitely not the first place one would think of when they think of diamonds and engagement rings, Costco has carved an enviable niche in the diamond market.

Today, the Gem and Jewelry Export Promotion Council announced that the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) will begin grading diamonds weighing up to 2.99 carats at its Mumbai laboratory to help assist India’s growing diamond trade.

Terrorism in India, specifically Mumbai terror attacks in the city’s diamond hub, threatens the security and future of Mumbai’s diamond trade.

Diamonds aren’t forever according to new scientific research that shows that the precious stones evaporate when exposed to intense UV light.

The FBI busted a diamond theft ring that extended across multiple states and amounted to almost $2 million in stolen diamonds. Five men have been arrested.

The NYC Diamond District is due for a makeover according to a recent report funded by New York business organizations who want to increase tourism the district.

Christies Auctions Yellow Diamond known as Vivid Yellow for $6.6 Million in Magnificent Jewels Auction, New York. Stone is one of the rarest in its class.

The Oppenheimer family, Africa’s second richest family, have finally sold their 40 percent stake in De Beers to Anglo American for $5.1 billion.

Christies to auction largest diamond pair in the world in Christies Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels sale. Each stone is estimated to fetch $7-$9 million.

The Russia diamond industry sees huge growth and prospects of underground mining in development. Emerging markets are expected to continue to fuel sales.

Sotheby’s sun drop yellow diamond sells for $12.36 million to an anonymous buyer. The 110 carat diamond is the world’s largest pear-shaped yellow diamond.

Canada and India diamond industries have established a direct trading link. The Diamond Bourse of Canada and the ICCC have signed a memo of understanding.

As the end of 2011 nears, diamond companies and diamond mines around the world are in flux and seeing strategic shifts in the face of emerging markets.

Harry Winston Diamond Corporation—the Canadian-based luxury jewelry retailer and diamond miner—has reported heavy losses in its third quarter.

A 4.8 carat blue diamond from Petra Diamond’s Cullinan mine in South Africa, a mine acquired from De Beers, has sold for $1.45 million.

Lazare Kaplan sues Belgium diamond banks KBC and ADB for theft of $135 million and racketeering. Diamond trader Erez Daleyot named in theft scheme.

Diamond prices are on the rise and are expected to outpace the price of gold in the next few years, fueled by a growing middle class in China and India

Diamond prices are on the rise and are expected to outpace the price of gold in the next few years, fueled by a growing middle class in China and India

Buckingham palace will host an unprecedented display of the Queen’s personal diamond jewelry to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee, marking her 60 year reign.

Graff Diamond Sues a Hong Kong Pawnshop for Return of a Large Diamond that was Stolen from its London Store in 2007.

The Israeli diamond industry experienced double-digit growth in exports and imports in 2011, according to statistics by the country’s Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Labor. Israel’s net polished diamond exports increased by about 23% and its net export of rough diamonds increased by about 15% in 2011. Its net imports of polished diamonds rose by about 34% and its import of rough diamonds was up by about 18%.

South Korea's foreign ministry has temporarily suspended an official over a suspected share-rigging case involving a diamond mine in Cameroon.

he United States is assuming leadership of The Kimberely Process (KP)—the international group that monitors blood diamond activity and certifies "conflict free" diamonds.

India’s diamond industry in Surat to train poor, unskilled tribal women in diamond cutting and polishing.

The 2012 Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair (ADTF) drew in diamond traders from around the world and showcased the Antwerp diamond business and the city's cultural offerings.