...Report on Argyle Diamonds and the Diamond Industry 1 INTRODUCTION India was the only known source of diamonds before the eighteenth century when diamonds were discovered in Brazil. The modern diamond industry was born in 1867 when diamonds were discovered in the Kimberley region of South Africa. The De Beers mining company was formed and they controlled 80-90 per cent of the rough diamonds entering the diamond market. The De Beers share of the diamond market fell in the 1990’s when the Soviet Union moved to a free market economy as Russian diamond mining companies were selling their diamonds on the open market. The Central selling Organisation (CSO) controlled by De Beers is responsible for regulating the price of diamonds on the market and marketing a large percentage of the world’s diamonds. The CSO protected the dominance of the diamond cartel but this monopoly was challenged by Argyle Diamonds when they refused to renew their marketing contract with De Beers. Argyle has been characterised by low value coloured diamonds, however their highly sought after pink diamonds has successfully differentiated their products from other diamonds the in the market (Vinciullo, Annear and Disbury, Not dated). 1.1 AIM OF THE ASSIGNMENT The aim of the assignment is to research and analyse the diamond industry and to evaluate Argyle Diamonds’ strategic position in the diamond industry. 1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE ASIGNMENT • To research and evaluate competition in the precious...
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...3.3 PRICE The use of synthetic, or lab grown diamonds, has challenged the natural diamond industry, even though production of synthetic gems is low compared to naturally-mined stones – only 1 to 2 out of every 100 carats sold is a synthetic (see table at top). Unlike other precious gems – rubies, emeralds and sapphires – where synthetics can sell at up to a 90 percent discount to naturals, high-quality synthetic diamonds can only trade at around a 2 to 20 percent discount (see table 2) Overtime, with the advancement and improvement of technology, the production of gem quality synthetic diamonds will continue to improve. Synthetic diamonds are manufactured based on demand, keeping that in mind, the relative prices will come down because...
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...STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENT ASSIGNMENT ON ANALYSIS OF THE SECTOR USING PORTERS DOUBLE DIAMOND MODEL ON INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY Submitted To Prof. A. K. Kher Submitted By Rameez Bagban 03 Shahanawaz Mujawar 11 For the academic year 2014-15 INTRODUCTION: The Indian automobile industry is one of the key drivers of industrial growth and employment, which will gain rapid importance. In order to accelerate and sustain growth in the automotive sector, a roadmap is needed to steer, coordinate and synergize the efforts of all stakeholders. Exogenous and endogenous factors affecting industry also affects the competitiveness of the firms. Competitiveness captures the awareness of both the limitations and the challenges posed by global competition as an exogenous factor. Underdeveloped economies tend to be competitive by producing cheaper products, developing economies by producing better products, and developed economies by producing innovative products continuously. Though Indian automobile manufacturers are manufacturing innovative products and leading India to a new summit, there are various roadblocks, which prevent this industry from being a global player. COMPETITIVENESS DEFINED: Competitiveness has emerged as a paradigm towards the economic development. Michael Porter has defined competitiveness as productivity with which a nation utilizes its human, capital and natural resources. To understand competitiveness, the starting...
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...The Price Of Diamonds Is Too High There are many arguments about the price of diamonds being too high considering that diamonds are not actually a scarce resource. Up until recently only De Beers controlled the diamond industry making the diamond industry monopolistic. (Zimnisky, 2014) However, over the last 25 years a series of events led to the dismantling of the De Beers monopoly. De Beers no longer has complete control over the diamond industry and instead it is market forces, not the De Beers monopoly, driving the diamond market. (Zimnisky, 2014) The following essay will discuss what events led to the dismantling of the De Beers monopoly, the role of the diamond cartel in determining the price of diamonds as well as the history of the diamond cartel. diamonds in South Africa and businessman Cecil Rhodes purchased as many diamond mining claims as he could including the farmland owned by the De Beer family. (Zimnisky, 2014) Eventually, Rhodes had acquired enough properties of the majority of the world’s supply of rough diamonds and he called his company De Beers Consolidated Mines Limited. De Beers effectively influenced all the world’s rough suppliers to sell production through the de Beers channel, acquiring full control of the global supply not produced by the de Beer mines. (Zimnisky, 2014) This power gave rise to the diamond cartel. De Beers is the dominant company in the industry and has been around since 1880. (FALL, 2007) Since 1925, the Oppenheimer family...
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...Blue Nile Case Group D Monday and Wednesday 11:00-12:15 Anthony Allen, Laura Blakeman, Daniel DeMaiolo, Carla Hill, and Mason Shattuck 1 Industry Analysis: Dominant Economic Features Definition of Jewelry Retailing Industry & Nonstore Retailer Subsector According to the United States Census Bureau, the Jewelry Retailing Industry (NAICS code 448310) “comprises establishments primarily engaged in retailing one or more of the following items: (1) new jewelry (except costume jewelry); (2) new sterling and plated silverware; and (3) new watches and clocks. Also included are establishments retailing these new products in combination with lapidary work and/or repair services” (United States Census Bureau Jewelry Industry Definition, 2008). While Blue Nile competes in the larger Jewelry Retailing Industry, it also competes in the narrower Nonstore Retailers (Subsector 454) category because of the e-commerce component of the business model. The United States Census Bureau comments that “industries in the Nonstore Retailers subsector retail merchandise using methods, such as the broadcasting of infomercials, the broadcasting and publishing of direct-response advertising, the publishing of paper and electronic catalogs, door-to-door solicitation, in-home demonstration, selling from portable stalls and distribution through vending machines. Establishments in this subsector include mail-order houses, vending machine operators, home delivery sales, door-to-door sales, party...
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...company’s competence? Who is the company? What’s their background? What do they know about buying and selling diamonds? Established in 1989, Rare Investment is proud to be one of Canada’s leading authentic Rare Jewel Diamond Houses with unrivalled expertise in the sales and service of natural fancy colored diamonds and rare jewel investments. Through our 30-year history in the industry and our long-standing reputation with the industry’s leading mining and polishing companies, we provide investors with direct access to the world’s rarest diamonds with the greatest potential for appreciation. CREDIBILITY In any organization ‘credibility’ is paramount. When looking to invest in diamonds, we encourage investors to learn about a company’s leadership and credibility. Rare Investment's strategic operations are overseen by an executive team with expertise and experience in rare diamond valuation, diamond education, brand management, as well as significant expertise in the diamond trade. Rare Investment is backed by a sophisticated team of industry experts, GIA certified diamond advisors, highly-educated market researchers and the long-standing reputation of Rare Investment. Our brokers of rare jewels are highly skilled in valuing rare diamonds and have world renowned experience searching the world’s most coveted mines for the rarest and finest natural fancy colored diamonds with the greatest potential for appreciation. COST Has the company made money for investors? What kind...
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...Antitrust September 17, 2009 Tonight’s Agenda Role Call Review of Last Week, Current Events Antitrust Case Study: DeBeers Wrap Up Review of Last Week “People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and division, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.” -- Adam Smith “Perfectly Competitive Market” Consumers well-served. Receive goods at lowest price possible. Society able to choose among competing good with maximum efficiency. Firms that do not produce what consumers want at a fair price are quickly eliminated. Highly restrictive model applying stringent standards. Antitrust Perfect competition model is essentially static. Real world markets are extremely dynamic. Perfect competition model is unsuitable as a benchmark. Antitrust Laws Promote a competitive economy by prohibiting actions that restrain, or are likely to restrain, competition and by restricting the forms of market structure that are allowable. Limit the activities of firms that have legally obtained monopoly power. Intended to provide a general statutory framework to give the Justice Department, the FTC, and the courts wide discretion in interpreting and applying them. The Development of Antitrust Laws Trust was a device for pyramiding control over several operating companies. The Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)...
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...Gems and Jewellery Last Updated: December 2010 Gems and jewellery form an integral part of Indian tradition. A legacy passed from one generation to another. The components of jewellery include not only traditional gold but also diamond, platinum accompanied by a variety of precious and semi-precious stones. The Indian gems and jewellery sector is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 13 per cent during 2011 – 2013, on the back of increasing government efforts and incentives coupled with private sector initiatives, according to a report ‘Indian Gems and Jewellery Market Forecast to 2013’, by RNCOS. As per the credit rating agency Crisil, the diamond industry in India is predicted to remain stable during 2010-11 due to improved prices and steady demand. Gems and jewellery exports from India is expected to grow by 30-35 per cent in 2010-11, according to the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), on the back of revival in demand in the international markets. Industry Structure Although, the market is highly dominated by the unorganised players, with increase in consumer income and economic prosperity, the future of organised retail in India is very bright. In its bid to enhance the market strategy, a gems and jewellery special economic zone (SEZ) sprawling over 40 acres with an investment of US$ 441.1 million is being planned to be set up by Gold Souk, the jewellery mall developer. The company plans to have residential apartments named Gold Souk...
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...depicts the adverse effect of diamonds on the people of Africa. It also addresses the real price of diamonds which it believes to be the lives of millions of Africans. Additionally, it examines the response from the United Nations and question if enough is being done to crack done on the sale of blood diamonds. The famous phrase “Diamonds are Forever” is known to most people all over the world. What most people do not know is where most of these diamonds are coming from and how they came to become perfect gestures of love and romance. Looking at a clear cut diamond ring, it is hard to imagine the possibility of thousands of innocent people being murdered, tortured, and forced to mine for these stones; unfortunately that is the case in Africa. Diamonds in West Africa have been used for the last 30 years to fund rebel groups and their desire to take control of their nations by violence and intimidation. In such conflicted regions of the world, diamonds lose their connotation of beauty and elegance and are stained with blood. In this paper, I will discuss the many ways in which “conflict diamond” has brought nothing but poverty, suffering and war to the West African people. I will further explain what world organizations such as the United Nation have done in order to counteract the adverse effects of the conflict diamond on the African community, and the extent to which such efforts have been successful. Conflict diamonds are diamonds illegally traded to fund conflict...
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...Until the beginning of the eighteenth century all known diamonds came from the Golconda region near Hyderabad in India. Pliny wrote an incredible account of how diamonds were found in an inaccessible valley. The locals threw meat into the valley and the diamonds stuck to it. Eagles carried off the meat to their nests from which the diamonds were recovered. At their peak the Golconda diamond fields probably supported many thousands of workers but were practically exhausted by the late seventeenth century. In 1844 diamonds were discovered in Brazil and for a while the Chapada Diamantina, or Diamond Highlands, in the state of Bahia, became the diamond capital of the world attracting prospectors and adventurers in the same way that the California Gold Rush did. A series of major diamond finds in South Africa from 1867 onwards, coinciding with a decline in production in Brazil, soon made it by far the biggest source of diamonds. As in Brazil and Indian the first finds were alluvial but by 1869 diamonds were being mined in South Africa. Their value depended on their rarity and Cecil Rhodes realised that if suppliers competed against each other that would be threatened. By the end of his short life Rhodes had gained control of the diamond mines and extended British rule over much of southern Africa. Mark Twain said of him that when he stands upon the Cape of Good Hope, his shadow falls to the Zambesi (Twain, 1904). One area that was not under British rule was South-West Africa...
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...as a result of DeBeers unethical research behavior they have been convicted along with the General Electric Company by the US justice department for conspiracy to raise prices in the $500 millions-a-year industrial diamond industry. "The indictment charges GE and DeBeers, which account for 80 percent of the industrial diamond market, with conspiring to fix and raise prices worldwide."(San Antonious, 2012) The DeBeers corporation was first guilty and second showed a direct correlation of purposely breaking the no-tolerance segment of the US law called the Sherman Act. Cartels: The Sherman Act’s first offence for even operation are unafraid thru intimidation and threats to acquire or control whatever item they go for to all suppliers/workers, businesses, the public or middle-man altogether. Next, DeBeers illegal cartels withheld large sums of the discovered diamonds they had acquired so they can hike up diamond prices. So, DeBeers could make it seem publicly that there was a perception that there was a shortage in supply of available diamonds to buy, therefore causing the public market to scurry to buy them at absorbent prices because they had to. Later as the demand of the market became more financially beneficial to them as a corporation, they made the diamonds more available, therefore allowing DeBeers to have financial gain on four parties directly: suppliers, businesses, the public and middle-men. So because of DeBeers acting unethically, they are facing years of jail-time...
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...儿都不值钱。 Diamonds are not such high in value and rare in amount. On the contrary, diamond mine are one of the common minerals. In fact, in European and American areas, there are even more cut- diamonds than vehicles. They are valuable, however, they could not be exchanged freely like other products as the prices for second-hand diamonds are far below its origin. Besides, the natural diamonds can now be replaced by rhinestones. Actually, diamond might be worthless without its traditional image of romance. 钻石市场供大于求。世界上钻石的供给量，一直都超过它的需求，按照经济学供需规律，钻石应该会跌价，变得很便宜才对。但是，戴比尔斯通过持续买进市场上多余的钻石，来维持它的高价，估计到目前为止，戴比尔斯已囤积了价值超过百亿美元的钻石了。戴比尔斯还能支撑多久，还能持续买进多少市场上的钻石，没人能回答。 In diamond market, supply always exceeds demand. According to economic rules, the price will finally drop. However, De Beers have controlled and manipulated the price by continuously purchasing the stockpiles of diamond that come from other competitors. The price of which, has amounted to more than $10 billion up till now. How long can De Beers last and how much diamonds can they buy? No one knows. 天价打造的“浪漫形象”。戴比尔斯在世界钻石市场的成功，可以说是一个近乎达到垄断的完美范例。它一方面总能刺激市场对钻石的需求，另一方面则减少钻石供给，即使在1955年通用公司（GE）研究实验室宣布发明了人造钻石后，戴比尔斯公司仍能成功维持钻石的高价完美形象。事实上，戴比尔斯公司每年花在广告上的费用多达1.6亿美元，不断传递着“Diamonds are Forever”的信息，持续钻石浪漫的传奇。 They has put much emphasis as well as financial resources on preserving the romantic image of diamonds. To be frank, De Beers spends as high as $160million in advertising every year, continuously conveying the idea of ‘Diamonds are Forever’...
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...How might Porter’s Diamond explain why some locations produce firms with sustained competitive advantages in some industries more than others? Answer with reference to examples from at least two different industrial sectors. Answer. Porter’s diamond model is a model that can help understand competitive position of location in global competition that suggest a inherent reason why some firm within location are more competitive that other on a global scale. The argument is that the local are provided organization by specific factor, which created more potential competitive advantage for country or region. The Porter's model includes 4 drivers of local advantage, which are shortly described below: 1. Local factor conditions A company in local is exploited by factor conditions. Factor conditions can be seen as advantage factors such as workforce shortage, as a factor potentially strengthening competitiveness, this factor may heighten companies' focus on automation and zero defects. For example, in analyzing of film production industry in the Hollywood, has pointed out the local skilled labor, in the area. Also, resource constraints may encourage development of substitute capabilities; Japan's relative lack of raw materials has reduced and zero defect manufacturing. 2. Local demand conditions Focusing on the domestic market provide the primary driver of growth, innovation and quality improvement. The strong domestic market is stimulates by stat up the to a slightly expanded...
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...Stay in current industry and go into synthetic diamonds for industrial purposes. * This will not damage the brand name that they have created for themselves in the natural diamond industry as opposed to if they decided to do both synthetic and natural diamond industry. * Less risk if they decide not to enter a new industry that is growing, however not positive if maybe just a fad. * If they stay in current they have to do product development which means to stay in the same market but develop new products. * This way they can differentiate themselves from other natural diamond companies and capture more market share because there is more competition now. * Have to come up with new occasions to use the diamonds for other than just weddings because industry is currently in the mature stage so profits may be increasing at a decreasing rate. * Make synthetic diamonds only for industrial purposes and not more jewellery, that way they don’t lose any brand loyalty from existing customers. 2. Stay in current industry; however go into synthetic diamond industry with a new brand name. * that way the DeBeers reputation and name is not destroyed if they use same name brand * huge risk going into different market which is a substitute for current industry * synthetic diamond industry is in early growth stage because it is growing by 10-15% every year. * Synthetic diamonds are much more eco-friendly to produce than natural diamonds and that is becoming...
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...Their strenghts are that they own their own diamond mines and retail shops. Because the business have been existing for over a 100 years, they’ve been able to gain a lot of expertise. * As they are market leader they also have a high turnover. * Their last big strength is that they have been able to present diamonds of high quality through the years. Weaknesses: * They are specialized in only one product, so events influencing the product, influence the whole company. As an example we can say that the association with blood diamonds reflect badly on the whole company. * An other weakness is that the mining of diamonds is a very cost intensive process. * Last weakness is that is hard for them to find a complementary strategy, so they can gain market share. A big opportunity arises for them, as there is an upcoming new market for their diamonds in the emerging economies; India and China. * Through their partnership with LVMH they’ve been able to increase their brand recognition and represent themselves al over the world. * The acquisition of new mines in Canada brought is another opportunity for the company. Finaly we the threats for DeBeers company: * The diamond market is well known for its fierce competition: not only from competitors but as well as not being able to buy certain mines in countries as Canada and Australia. * Negative publicity as the association with blood diamonds have had a bad reflection on the company...
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