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Video: Vegas Show Sees Light Traffic
Jun 4, 2019 5:28 AM
By Avi Krawitz
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RAPAPORT... The JCK Las Vegas show ended Monday, with participants noting
a decline in buyer traffic and exhibitors at this year’s event. Sentiment among
diamond suppliers was relatively weak, as buyers were conservative, and overall
dealer trading was quiet.
“You can’t come to this show and rely on foot traffic
anymore. Neither can you expect to sell big volumes in the loose-diamond section,”
explained a Mumbai-based exhibitor who requested anonymity. “It’s not a
transactional show. We measure success by our ability to showcase our goods and
our brand, and in terms of lead generation.”
Most diamond suppliers viewed the US market in a positive
light, and there was good activity in the finished-jewelry section of the show.
That this didn’t translate to improved diamond trading reflected an imbalance
within the trade and weakness in the midstream, rather than softness in US
demand, diamantaires noted.
Buyers were serious but more selective in the goods they
were looking for, focusing on nice makes and clean goods within a certain category
range. There was steady demand for 0.60- to 1.99-carat, F to J, VS2 to I1
diamonds. Other categories remained weak, with continued declines in prices of
0.30-carat goods, as well as for large stones above 3 carats.
Diamond dealers expressed concern about profitability and
the rising popularity of synthetics, with more exhibitors in the lab-grown
pavilion of the show. Traceability was another issue on suppliers’ minds, with many
focused on showcasing their tech-enabled programs that empower retailers to
tell the story of their diamonds in a more effective manner. “After all, our
job is to make the jewelers’ lives easier,” concluded another Mumbai-based
diamantaire.
Organizers announced that next year’s show will take
place from Tuesday, June 2, to Friday, June 5, which excludes a weekend due to
the Jewish Shavuot holiday.
Watch Avi Krawitz’s video blog from JCK Las Vegas:
Image: Sands Expo and Convention Center, the venue for the 2019 JCK Las Vegas show. (JCK)
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Tags:
Avi Krawitz, JCK, JCK Las Vegas, Jewelry, las vegas, mumbai, Polished Diamonds, Rapaport News, shows, trade fairs, Trade Shows
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