Israel Diamond Sales May Increase

A top official of the Russian state-owned diamond company Alrosa said that its diamond sales activities in Israel may be expanded next year, the Israel Diamond Exchange reports. Alrosa's auction sales manager Vladimir Lakiv made the comments as he was touring the trading hall of the diamond bourse in Ramat Gan during U.S. / International Diamond Week.

Accompanied by Israel Diamond Exchange President Yair Sahar and Ekaterina Brizna, manager of Alrosa's Israeli subsidiary Arcos, Lakiv spoke with many of the traders attending the diamond confab and said he was very impressed by the scale of the event.

Lakiv noted that a final decision to expand sales activities in Israel would be taken by Alrosa's top brass in Mirny and Moscow, but that it was "safe to assume" it would take place, in light of past and present successful auctions in Israel and due to its future potential.

Earlier this week in Moscow, Alrosa and Kristall signed a two-year contract to maintain the former's rough diamond sales volume to the latter, according to IDEX Online.

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