Sanctions on Russian diamonds by the US and EU could impact the lives of as many as 1.5 million people in Gujarat, India, according to India’s Gem Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), IDEX Online reports.
Dinesh Navadiya, regional chairman of the GJEPC, told the Times of India that 800,000 people living in rural areas will be “directly impacted” and a further 700,000 “with some link to the industry” will be affected.
“The supply of rough to the international diamond industry has been disrupted following Russia’s attack on Ukraine,” he said, “but after the latest US sanction on Russia diamond supplier Alrosa, the diamond industry across India, including Surat and Gujurat, will face a shortage of rough diamonds in the coming days.”
