IJD’s Diamond Day

The second day of the Dubai Jewellery Show was indeed 'Diamond Day' - the DTC's self-titled 24 hours of diamond promotion in the region. The first of many conferences held by the DTC kicked off mid-morning, with the DTC noting that in 2004, diamond set jewelry sales are expected to show an 8 percent increase by year-end.

The Gulf region today stands as the world's 3rd largest diamond market, “we are witnessing an amazing upward trend in the diamond industry and its increasing share in the luxury product market,” noted Jonathan Chippindale, DTC marketing director of the Gulf Region.

Recently, the DTC opened new offices in Saudi Arabia in an effort to capitalize on the region's booming demand for diamond jewelry. They have also implemented a new program entitled 'Whisper Diamonds’. The program was designed to solely focus on the needs of Gulf region diamond consumers, linking a diamond purchase to the expressions of emotions.

As for the show itself, as the sun begins to fade, the buyers come out.

During the first day attendance picked up towards the onset of the evening, with many exhibitors taking the opportunity to fly out buyers from different Gulf markets.