Global leaders of the gem and jewellery industry opened the US & International Diamond Week at the Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) on Monday. With in excess of 1,000 people looking on, the second US & International Diamond Week was inaugurated. The panel which opened the Week included guest of honor Conroy Heng Chi Heng of the Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group, and others including Lawrence Ma, president of the Hong Kong Diamond Exchange, IDE President Yair Sahar, DDC NY President Reuven Kaufman, CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri and internationally renowned Italian jewelry designer Roberto Coin.

The event has seen over 500 foreign diamond buyers registering from 22 countries including United States, India, China, including Hong Kong, Italy, Russia, Belgium, Great Britain, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Uzbekistan, Brazil and Taiwan.

IDE President Yair Sahar said that when he and Kaufman began discussing the idea of the Buyers Week a year ago they could have had no idea of the size of the response to the event. He said the second Israel Diamond Week would take place at the Diamond Dealer Club in New York in November. Kaufman said that "This is a great example of inter-bourse cooperation. The more we work together, the more we will succeed."

IDE General Manager Moti Besser welcomed the IDE's guests from Hong Kong and China, saying that the region accounted for one-third of Israel's polished exports. In a special message sent by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said: "Israel is among the most important diamond centers in the world and the diamond industry in Israel is one of our major exporters. In addition to being a leading polishing center, Israel has become a crossroads of international trade for a significant volume of the world's rough and polished diamonds."