Diamond News Archives

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References

1. ^{^} Skip to main content (www.zerohedge.com)

While there is much talk in the U.S. media about a "retail apocalypse," the NRF published an article, based on a report that was released by IHL Group, named "Retail Renaissance - A Growth Story^[1]," pointing out, that [brick-and-mortar] retail stores "are definitely not going away." Quoting the IHL report, the NRF wrote that "for each company closing stores, 5.2 are opening stores. For every segment of retail, there are more companies opening stores than closing stores. Even the much-maligned department store category has more brands opening stores than closing them."

According to IHL, the recent wave of store closures is driven by just a handful of companies, with 16 retailers accounting for 73 percent of retail store closings to date this year.

Noting that consumer expectations are evolving, retailers must clearly invest heavily to improve the in-store experience, IHL reported. The NRF said that in the most recent edition of its Consumer View^[2] report, two-thirds of consumers had said that technologies such as augmented and virtual reality, smart dressing rooms and in-store navigation apps have improved their in-store experiences. "At the point of sale, technologies such as self-checkout, curbside pickup and mobile payment have made checking out an easier and more satisfying experience. The cost of implementing these technologies has been high but it appears to be paying off. If anything, stores remain an integral and growing part of the retail landscape," the NRF wrote.

And in a remark that is Highly relevant to the retail jewelry industry, in particular to the independents, the NRF emphasized that it is "easy to forget that retail is an industry dominated by small business: 98 percent of retail is made up...

Please note: The Frank Talk articles listed below contain historical material. The data provided was current at the time of publication. For current information regarding any of the funds mentioned in these presentations, please visit the appropriate fund performance^[2] page.

August 19, 2019

A number of weeks ago, I told you about my visit to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)^[3], where we celebrated the two-year anniversary of our quantamental gold ETF^[4]. The timing couldn’t have been better. Investor sentiment in gold was surging, as was the price of the yellow metal, on plunging yields around the world and uncertainty surrounding the U.S.-China trade war.

Some of the institutional investors I met with at the NYSE relayed their clients’ concerns about the state of the world economy right now. They were receiving more calls and emails lately about gold, which has been used in the past as a hedge against government policy that was well-intentioned but that ultimately had unintended consequences.

I can sympathize. The United States is the strongest, most prosperous country on the planet. This has been made possible only by free markets and the rule of law. But even the U.S. is not immune to the unintended consequences of well-intentioned policies. I believe gold is a rational investment to help protect your wealth against said policies.

The Law of Unintended Consequences

There are several recent examples. I called the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Fiduciary Rule one of the costliest financial regulations of the past 20 years. Meant to protect investors from nosebleed fees and advisors’ conflicts of interest, the rule may end up costing investors in the...

From left: Michael Goren, VP Global Sales & Marketing at Sarine; Mehul Shah, VP BDB; Ramniklal Shah, Founder of Venus Jewel; Ms Rajeshwari Mehta, VP Business Development at Sarin India; and Yoav Efrat, Managing Director at Sarin India

Sarine Technologies Ltd. launched its Sarine Lab Services on August 12^th with a grand opening event at the Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB).

Established on the BHD premises and open exclusively to BDB members, the new Sarine facility provides free pre-grading to ascertain light and cut grade services for sorting purposes. In case a report is required, this can be obtained at a fee. Light performance results are analyzed via the Sarine Light system and cut grade measurements are determined with the Sarine DiaMension HD system.

The opening of the new Sarine Lab Services was arranged with the endorsement of the BDB committee and with the participation of Mr. Mehul Shah, Vice President of the Bharat Diamond Bourse.

Sarine's close connection to the Indian diamond industry spans 30 years. Therefore, the company was delighted when it was approached by the BDB committee to see how they could help its members, both large and small, stay competitive and capture new opportunities. Together, the BDB Committee and Sarine agreed to take necessary action, allowing any BDB member free access to lab services that can help them add value for their customers.

David Block, CEO of Sarine Technologies, said that the company was pleased "to open the new Lab Services center at the BDB, making the lab experience accessible for BDB members. Our partnership with the BDB committee and members is a source of pride for Sarine, as we work together to advance...