Maybe it's time to keep our diamonds under the floorboards – an Indian diamond merchant and his family, who were staying in Belgium, were held hostage by robbers for 18 hours and freed them only after taking millions of dollars worth of gemstones. 

The heist took place Saturday in Antwerp, the world's biggest diamond center, which is considered a crime-free zone. Just two weeks ago I listed the top five most notorious diamond robberies in the world. Luckily, I don't have to change it due to this robbery.

According to the Antwerp police, five or six armed men walked into the villa of Pankaj Maldar, who head Carp Impex NV diamond firm and took his wife and two children hostage.

The gang, who apparently knew the exact nature of the diamond stocked by Maldar's firm, called up Maldar at his office and demanded the diamonds in return for his family's safe release. Maldar, left with no choice, did as he was ordered. 

Vasant Mehta, chairman of the Gems and Jewelry Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), said the industry would take up the issue with Belgian Crown Prince Philippe during his visit to India beginning March 25.

"Antwerp is perhaps the safest place in the world. This robbery has come as a very big surprise," he added.

A spokesman for Ludo Van Campenhout, who is in charge of Antwerp's diamond quarter, criticized the attack but said security measures in the area were adequate: "attacks on diamond merchants are virtually non-existent in Antwerp. If attacks happen, they are at people's homes," he said.

Antwerp robbery aside, European swindlers seem to have had a lucrative weekend: some €800,000 was stolen from a poker tournament held in Berlin's Grand Hyatt Hotel, at the Potsdamerplatz business square.

The heist, which Der Tagesspiegel magazine already dubbed one of the most spectacular robberies of the last few years, was perpetrated by several masked men during a 10-mimute interval between the hotel security guards' shifts. They fled the scene using a black Mercedes which was waiting for them outside.

The robbers probably had their eye of the $1 million dollar prize waiting for the winner of the poker tournament, but that was kept in the hotel safe, leaving them only the "small change" of the floor. 

While visiting the Inhorgenta Europe 2010 fair in Munich, it was the Lapponia booth the caught my eye.

The international Finnish jewelry company used the exhibition – which is the biggest in Germany – to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Germany is Lapponia’s biggest market.

Lapponia is a subsidiary of Kalevala, which focuses on selling jewelry exclusively to the Finnish market.

Lapponia, the international branch, operates in Germany, Scandinavia, Britain and Japan. Lapponia offers sleek, elegant designs, crafted in gold, white gold, silver, platinum and diamonds.
Lapponia and its production line are based in Helsinki, but the company employs jewelry designers worldwide and has at its disposal designers for, France, Hungary, Taiwan, Denmark and, of course, Finland. They express their vision whilst basing their designs on Lapponia's signature inspiration, derived from Finland's climate, nature and vistas.

Marja Paavolainen, Lapponia's export manager, answered a few of my questions.

How were your holiday season sales?

"We're very pleased by our holiday season's sales. We had a great start to 2010, in light of some successful cooperations with international buyers and we're hopeful ahead of 2010."

What characterizes Lapponia's spring collections? Which shapes, materials and sized?

"I would like to start by saying that Lapoponia adhere to its own conceptual line rather than to general, changeable trends. The spring collection features jewelry suitable for the younger consumer as well, like necklaces with leather straps and metal pendants in various sizes."

Some of the pendants are set in diamonds, as seen in the picture below – 12, 80-point diamonds.

As for Germany, your biggest export market, are the jewelry purchased by local consumers or by foreigners and tourists?

"In Germany, jewelry is bought mainly by local consumers. Lapponia's designs, especially those marketed in Germany, are suited for the German consumer's taste – clean, precise lines."

I was also interested in knowing whether there is a difference between consumption in southern Germany, which is considered a wealthier region, and northern Germany, whose larger cities belong to East Germany. Lapponia's sales agent for south Germany said that there were no significant differences, other than those noted in the salespeople's efforts.  

The international competition for young designers

As part of Lapponia Jewelry's 50th anniversary celebrations, the company held the Next Episode competition, meant to encourage young designers to create contemporary artworks.

The competition entailed two phases: nearly 140 participants from 26 countries sent their entries for the first stage. Seventeen of the designs submitted graduated to the second phase, where mock up models were produced.

Finnish designer Mari Isopahkala was named the winner. Her entry, "Pisara" ("Drop"), introduced sophisticated solutions and has great potential in terms of varying and extending the concept further.

The outcome was the most complete in the competition – combining inspiration, a theme and name, esthetics and solutions into a beautifully finished composition.

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It seems that British-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto is eying the world’s second largest diamond market – China. 

Rio Tinto will be opening a Hong Kong office, which will join Rio Tinto’s diamonds sales and marketing branches in Belgium, India and the US. The move aims to support the marketing of all rough diamonds from Rio Tinto’s mines.

Rita Maltez has been named head of the Chinese operation. Maltez has been with Rio Tinto since 1999, and has been involved in the development of the company’s emerging markets strategy for diamonds.

“This is a strategic decision that reflects Rio Tinto’s long term commitment to the diamond industry and the important role that China will play in this future. We look forward to fostering new relationships as China’s development continues,” Jean-Marc Lieberherr, the diamond miner’s general manager of diamonds sales and marketing, said.

Rio Tinto stated that the new Hong Kong office will facilitate the development of a market in China for its diamond productions, and customers’ activities.

The astronomical growth China has experienced in the last decade, including during the global financial crisis, has created a new nation of consumption, which is nearing western proportions. With 1.3 billion and counting, the highest number of young millionaires and new companies opening daily, it’s no surprise that many international companies – from everyday fashions to luxury goods – are looking to expand into China.

One of the secrets to succeeding in China is working with local experts who understand the Chinese market, since penetrating it is not as easy in getting into the more developed, western markets. The only exception seems to be Google.

Google’s entry to China was made somewhat late in the game and only after it seemingly took over most of the world. Nevertheless, Google has recently claimed that the Chinese authorities hacked into users’ email accounts in an attempt to follow human rights activists.  Beijing denied any involvement, but Google has already announced that it was reconsidering its Chinese venture. Will Google be the first company to pull out of the Chinese market? 

A delegation from the Israel Diamond Institute is scheduled to meet with representatives of the Chinese diamond industry, as part of the HKTDC Hong Kong International Jewellery Show, set for March.

Two months ago, a Chinese diamond industry delegation visited Israel for a series of meetings meant to cement the cooperation between the Israeli and Chinese diamond industries. The future, they said following the meetings, is looking bright.