With customers entering stores pre-informed and decision-ready, jewellery retailers are witnessing a shift in conversion dynamics, making in-store experience design a critical factor in influencing final purchase outcomes.

The ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict is disrupting diamond trade flows, impacting key hubs, delaying shipments, and pressuring logistics; however, the industry is hopeful of things returning to normal once the geopolitical tensions ease, finds out Dhwani Rathod.

Gemfields released its audited 2025 Annual Report on March 26, 2026, reporting lower revenue and operational disruptions across emerald and ruby assets, alongside cost reductions and Fabergé divestment.

Gemfields reported improved loss metrics for FY2025 despite operational disruptions at Montepuez and Kagem, with auction revenues at $ 129 million and focus shifting to stabilization and deleveraging in 2026.

At IIJS Bharat Tritiya 2026, jewellers report steady raw material sourcing despite global volatility, with cautious sentiment prevailing; the industry, however, is closely monitoring geopolitical risks and pricing pressures, reports Khursheed Mistry.

Gold and silver exchange-traded funds declined up to 4% in India after crude oil prices surged and the US dollar strengthened, dampening bullion sentiment and delaying expectations of global interest-rate cuts.

Escalating conflict in West Asia has disrupted India’s gem and jewellery trade, halting diamond shipments and logistics through Dubai and threatening exports and rough supply for the country’s $30-billion industry.

Jewellery retail is shifting from event-based transactions to long-term customer relationships. As buying behaviour evolves, repeat customers are emerging as the most reliable drivers of profitability, stability and sustained growth for retailers.

As margin pressure, price volatility and shifting customer behaviour reshape jewellery retail, habitual discounting is eroding authority and long-term value, prompting retailers to rethink pricing discipline and strategy.

The objective of Gemological Science International (GSI) is not just to issue reports, but to help the trade build credibility with its customers through transparent and consistent certification, and ensure that certification, testing and education remain aligned with how the jewellery business is actually conducted on the ground, says Ramit Kapur, Managing Director, GSI, in a conversation with Dhwani Rathod.

As jewellery buying shifts toward longer consideration cycles, retailers and manufacturers must reframe hesitation not as failure, but as a trust-led decision process shaped by permanence, complexity, and emotional alignment.

The Flemish Government approved a policy effective January 1 2026 allowing Antwerp diamond companies to hire foreign polishers and sorters through faster permits to meet rising demand driven by the US duty advantage.

With the steep Trump tariffs now having come into play, the cutting, polishing, manufacturing and export hubs of India are facing severe problems, with joblessness and unit-closure a distinct possibility. The silver lining is that the GJEPC is hopeful of a solution, particularly in view of the advocacy efforts of its US counterparts, who are also working hard to impress upon the Trump administration that the high tariffs will have a deleterious effect on the US jewellery industry as well. In a free-wheeling conversation with Suneeta Kaul, Kirit Bhansali, Chairman, GJEPC, talks about the impact of the tariffs, the steps being taken to bring about some relief to the industry, its expectation from the government, and more.

India’s apparel and jewellery exporters are preparing for a potential decline in U.S. orders following the imposition of a 25% tariff on Indian imports by the United States, which takes effect today.