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| I am thinking of opening a Store in Zurich which would offer
Diamonds to much cheaper prices then is offered on Bahnhofstrasse...
and maybe even eventually supply the whole of Switzerland.
Anyone in this sort of business ? What do you think ?
Comments welcome | |
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Do you have an actual business plan? I think this is very simplistic. Unless youre Dan Gertler or Lev Leviev it wont be easy. We have a system like this but pay $300k per year just for our license..... If you cant source your stones then youre out of 300k. They dont give you free trials in this game.
The current system makes sure that all parts of the value chain earn the same amount of money. A 50/50 split of the profit margins. So you would effectively have to source youre own roughts, take them to India for cutting and polishing (costs 1/10th the price of Isreali stones) unless you want to go to one of the new cutting centers being set up in Qatar?
But it depends on what kind of stuff you want to deal in? If you want just high quality gem stones you will have to focus on mainly Botswana for sourcing them and NY or Geneva for cutting/polishing. If you want to deal with higher margin things like Garbage Walmart quality stones (black diamonds, champagnes, industrials etc...) then it would be easier, less travel time, and less people wanting to get their part of the value chain. Thats because the Opera house does most of the dirty stuff. Stay away from Rosey Blue though. Go for the smaller guys.
If you want to do this you will really have to be vertically integrated and compete with those who have real connections.
As for all these people on this site who say they wouldnt buy "African Stones" trust me, they own African diamonds. Its all the same once the parcel is opened at the cutters desk. The only difference is who is the sorter (Gem, reject, or industrial)..... Some of these wankers have day dreams about saving the world but could never admit that Apple Computer is fund the war in Goma by way of their demand for Coltan.
The blame always goes to diamonds. Normally from people who dont know anything about them.