Jewelers of America (JA), the national trade association for businesses serving the fine jewelry marketplace, invited key industry stakeholders to Washington, D.C. to meet with top lawmakers and share concerns about implementation plans for import restrictions of Russian diamonds into the United States.
JA President & CEO David J. Bonaparte represented the organization and led the group consisting of Jon Bridge, Chair/Counsel Emeritus of Ben Bridge Jeweler; Dave Meleski, President & CEO of Richline Group; Matthew Swibel, VP, Sustainability and Social Impact of Signet Jewelers; and Ronnie VanderLinden, President of Diamond Manufacturers Importers Association of America and President of International Diamond Manufacturers Association.
Advocacy and lobbying are two of JA’s core initiatives that support Jewelers of America’s mission to ensure consumer confidence and protect the U.S. retail jewelry industry. JA continues to staunchly support efforts that will keep diamonds of Russian origin out of the supply chain, including the more stringent U.S. Customs and Border Patrol requirements that went into effect on March 1.
However, the proposed adoption of an exclusive physical verification and certification system in Belgium for all rough diamonds would cause maximum damage to the global diamond and jewelry supply chain, while having minimal effect on Russia’s diamond revenues.
“JA has been working tirelessly behind the scenes and this visit to Washington, D.C. was a critical step to ensure we minimize unnecessary disruptions to the U.S. diamond industry,” says JA President & CEO David J. Bonaparte.
“We are very concerned about the additional requirements that could take effect on September 1 – including adopting a European Union proposal that would force all G7/U.S.-bound diamonds of a half a carat and above through a single import channel in Belgium.”
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