French Gem Group to Hold Diamond Symposium

RAPAPORT... The French Association of Gemmology (AFG) will hold aconference in Paris on the state of the diamond industry, it said Monday.The 18th Paris Gemmological Rendez Vous - whichwill take place on September 9 - will cover topics including diamondmining, the current state of the market, colored diamonds, and the gemologicaland historical aspects of natural diamonds. Martin Rapaport, Chairman of Rapaport Group, will be a speaker at the event."This year's symposium will be taking a comprehensive lookat diamonds," said AFG president Didier Giard, referencing the many challengesthe natural-diamond industry faces, including synthetics and a volatileinternational market. "[Our speakers] will be giving us their considered views,backed by years of experience, on the diamond industry, from many differentangles." Speakers at the event will be: Alan Bronstein, president of the Natural Color DiamondAssociationAur?(C)lien Delaunay, director of the French Laboratory ofGemmologyRichard Duffy, CEO of Petra DiamondsDavid Fisher, principal scientist, De Beers TechnologyStephane Fischler, president of the World Diamond CouncilPeter Karakchiev, head of the international relationsdepartment at AlrosaJim Pounds, executive vice president of diamonds at DominionDiamond MinesMartin Rapaport, Chairman, Rapaport GroupEddy Vleeschdraeger, director at the Scientific andTechnical Research Center for Diamond, and author of Hardness 10Feriel Zerouki, senior vice president of internationalrelations and ethical initiatives for De BeersImage: Didier Giard. (AFG)