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Antwerp Diamond Centre is to release a stalled shipment of gems worth $200 million.

Some $200 million (£128.5 million) worth of diamonds has been released by a regulatory body in Belgium after a trading organisation lost its license.

According to Israeli Diamond Industry, the shipment of rough diamonds was seized because Brink, the organisation managing the transfer, had to commence bankruptcy proceedings for its Cash in Transit company earlier in November, with its license to trade revoked as a result.

The stones were held at Zaventem Airport under the authority of the Antwerp Diamond Centre (AWDC), an international regulatory body for the industry, after it raised financial concerns over the issue.

An open letter from the AWDC stated that the stalled shipment paralysed the distribution chain of rough gems, causing a great deal of damage to the sector, adding "Antwerp cannot be held hostage in this conflict any longer."

Last week, two rough diamonds mined in Lesotho, southern Africa were sold for $22.7 million, while a 4.68-carat rough blue diamond went for $4155,000 per carat – a record value for a gemstone from that site.

A very rare diamond ring could fetch $27 million in an auction in Switzerland next week.

A rare pink diamond could set a new record when it goes up for auction in Geneva next week.

The stone, which has been named Fancy Intense Pink, is currently presented as an emerald cut diamond ring and Sotheby's has estimated that it is worth around $27 million (£17 million).

It was sold by renowned American jeweller Harry Winston 60 years ago and has been kept in a private collection until now.

A star attraction at the upcoming auction at a luxury hotel in the Swiss city on November 16th, the item is predicted to overtake most valuable jewel ever to go under the hammer, the Wittelsbach blue diamond, which fetched $24.3 million in December 2008 at a sale held by rival auction house Christie's.

Thaindian News recently reported a diamond encrusted pen sold at an auction in Visakhpatnam, India for 2.3 million rupees (£32,000) in October.

The pen was said to have been made by six craftsmen and was embellished with 2,500 stones encased in white gold.

A team of experts will drill into the Hope Diamond in a forthcoming documentary in an effort to create a fingerprint of the gem.

An upcoming documentary on the Hope Diamond will follow a team of experts who drill into the precious gem in a bid to learn more about its unique properties.

Mystery of the Hope Diamond, which has been produced to mark the 50th anniversary of the precious stone being donated to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and will be screened on the Smithsonian Channel in the US, will see the specialists use a Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer on the diamond.

This will split the sample of the diamond into its atoms and sort them by weight – as well as magnify the image 1,000 times – resulting in what the Smithsonian describes as an "atomic fingerprint" of the gem.

In the documentary, which is being voiced by Kim Basinger, the Hope will also be modelled by Hilary Rhoda and placed in a new surround, as it has been on show at the museum without one since September 2009.

The Cullinan Blue Diamond Necklace is currently on display at the Smithsonian, which received it as a gift last month ahead of its 100th anniversary celebrations.

Actress Kim Basinger is to narrate a documentary on the Hope Diamond

Hollywood star Kim Basinger is to narrate a documentary on the Hope Diamond set to be aired next month.

The Associated Press reports that the actress will provide the voiceover for Mystery of the Hope Diamond, a Smithsonian Channel programme marking the 50th anniversary of its donation to the National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC by Harry Winston, its last private owner.

Premiering on November 21st, the documentary will look at the history of the blue diamond, which was discovered in 17th century India and has previously been owned by King George IV.

The programme will also see the Hope Diamond placed in a new setting, as it will be worn by model Hilary Rhoda.

Although the museum has not put a value on the diamond, the news provider notes that some believe it is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Weighing 45.52 carats, the Hope Diamond takes its name from Henry Philip Hope, who acquired the gem in the 19th century.