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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.

New figures have indicated diamond production and exports in Australia rose in the second quarter of 2010.

Diamond production in Australia climbed by over 2.5 million carats during the second quarter of 2010, official figures have revealed.

Statistics from the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics show output of the precious stones was up by 2.5669 million carats in the three months to June 30th.

This was a substantial increase when compared to the rise of 453,000 carats seen during the same period in 2009.

Exports of both sorted and unsorted diamonds were up to $100 million (£64.9 million) in the quarter – a jump of 32 per cent – and for the full 12 months to the end of June, diamond production rose 27 per cent to 11.135 million carats.

However, exports over the year were down 49 per cent, to $345 million.

The Australian figures follow those published by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre for Belgium.

According to Diamond World, the country's exports of polished diamonds were up 25.5 per cent year-on-year in August.
 

Belgium saw a rise in imports and exports of both polished and rough diamonds during August.

Exports of polished diamonds by Belgium firms rose 25.5 per cent year-on-year during August, latest statistics have revealed.

Figures from the Antwerp World Diamond Centre showed polished precious stones sold to other countries totalled $353.8 million (£229.65 million) last month, Diamond World reports.

Exports in terms of volume were up 11 per cent year-on-year to 267,079 carats, while trade in rough diamonds was also strong, prompting the body to note demand is rising for the gems.

It said uncut diamonds exported over the period were valued at $555 million – a 37.9 per cent year-on-year increase – while the worth of imports was up 51.7 per cent to $781.8 million.

One country to have seen diamond exports decline is Botswana, with Rapaport recently reporting figures from the central bank show overseas sales were down by 56 per cent to a value of $126.1 million in July.

However, total exports for the first seven months of the year were up 31 per cent.

The Diamond Centre Piece - Chelsea Flower Show's Most Expensive Garden

The £20 million ‘Ace of Diamonds’ garden to be exhibited at this month’s Chelsea flower show is attracting global interest in the gardening and diamond industries. Leading U.K. online fine diamond jeweller DiamondGeezer.com has designed and made a centre piece for the most expensive garden design to be created in the 97 year history of the Chelsea Flower Show which starts on May the 25th.

Chelsea Flower Show's Most Expensive Garden Design

In the centre of the garden, designed and created by celebrity gardener David Domoney stands a hand-made 3 foot high replica of DiamondGeezer.com’s ‘Signature’ diamond solitaire ring in platinum. The over-sized version of this popular DiamondGeezer.com platinum diamond ring works perfectly as an elegant court-yard table at the centre of this remarkable diamond garden and quotes a famous line from the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

The ‘Ace of Diamonds’ garden celebrates the links between plants and precious stones and will be littered with fine jewels supplied by Bond Street jeweller Leviev. The garden will be worth more than all Chelsea’s other collections put together when the Royal Horticulture Society’s annual showpiece begins on May 25.