The

diamond Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, ...

industry in

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ' ...

is a significant part of the country's manufacturing and exports. Armenia is a major supplier of diamond.

Overview

, a country without many

mineral fuels In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. ...

, is known for its diamond processing industry. The industry was established during the Soviet era and is considered one of the traditional sectors of Armenia's economy. After the

collapse of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...

in 1991, the production declined gradually, but was later recovered with the investments from the

Armenian diaspora The Armenian diaspora refers to the communities of Armenians outside Armenia and other locations where Armenians are considered an indigenous population. Since antiquity, Armenians have established communities in many regions throughout the world. ...

. In 1999, the diamond industry provided about 30% of total manufacturing exports from Armenia. The industry started to show some slow decline again in mid-2000s, because of increase in cost of the production instruments and increase of the markets in China and India. Today, over 50 diamond-cutting companies operate in Armenia. The estimated number of people involved in the industry is about 3,000 to 4,000. Some of the advantages of Armenia in diamond-cutting industry are the presence of a large number of ethnic Armenian jewelers abroad, who are willing to invest in the country and its access to Russian and international markets. Most diamonds polished in Armenia come from Israel, Russia and several EU countries, most notably

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

US Embassy report

On August 26, 2011,

WikiLeaks WikiLeaks () is an international non-profit organisation that published news leaks and classified media provided by anonymous sources. Julian Assange, an Australian Internet activist, is generally described as its founder and director and ...

released a report of the US Embassy in Yerevan dated December 12, 2003 named ''Armenia: Report on Kotayk Province'':

Armenian Jewelers Association

In 1998, the Armenian Jewelers Association (AJA) was founded by Armenian jewelers from around the world. Its mission is to "promote Armenian jewellers globally. Bringing together Armenian Jewellers and developing the jewelry industry in Armenia is a mission of great importance."

Armenian diaspora

One of the important sectors that Armenian communities in Antwerp excel and involved in is the

diamonds Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, bu ...

trade business, that based primarily in the diamond district. Some of the famous Armenian families involved in the diamond business in the city are the Artinians, Arslanians, Aslanians, Barsamians and the Osganians.

References

{{Armenia topics Diamond industry Economy of Armenia Diamond industry in the Soviet Union

Overview

US Embassy report

Armenian Jewelers Association

Armenian diaspora

See also

References