Gazeta Yakutia publishes the interview with the president of ALROSA Company Vladimir Kalitin. He commented on the situation in connection with Antwerp Diamond Conference. The principal topic of the event was the problem of marketing and branding in the industry.

Mr Kalitin mentioned that now diamond had ceased to be strategic raw material for high technologies and had become a real gemstone only. As a result, the largest diamond market participants tend now to bring the gemstones to the market instead of keeping them. Moreover, in several countries there have technological works been finished aimed to grow large synthetic jewellery crystals and to improve of natural stones artificially.

Scientific and technological progress will form positive impulses for the development of traditional diamond business. Under these new circumstances it is important to change marketing technology, and first of all huge amounts of money should be spent for publicity and promotion. Besides, the potentialities of branding are underestimated now. ALROSA Company proposes to form a technological chain in diamond market — from diamonds mining to jewellery retail, with this chain belonging to one famous brand. The attempts of the company to realise this project are clear — besides diamonds mining its enterprises cut gemstones worth $120-150 mln a year.