Archive
Columns
Essays, scene reportage, and opinion verdicts. Sorted most recent first.
Where Johannesburg’s diamond money actually goes
A scene piece on Bedfordview — the suburb where most of South Africa’s working diamond trade actually lives, twenty kilometres east of Sandton.
The case for buying wholesale: a South African primer
Wholesale-to-public diamond buying in South Africa: how the model works, what the trade-offs are, and which dealers actually run it.
Why ideal-cut still matters when the trade has moved on
Most of the South African trade has settled for very-good cut grades. The case for paying the small premium for ideal cut anyway, in 2026.
A reader’s guide to South African diamond certificates
GIA versus EGL versus SGL versus the in-house certificate. What each one guarantees, what each one does not, and which to insist on.
What the Kimberley Process actually requires
The Kimberley Process documentation a South African dealer must produce — and what compliance does and does not guarantee a buyer.