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With the 2015 Presidents' Meeting kick starting recently at the Tel Aviv Hilton hotel, IDMA President Maxim Shkadov and Secretary General Ronnie VanderLinden are sounding the alarm bells. "At this meeting, we will need to put the hard facts on the table. IDMA's members are struggling for survival. Due to the ever changing conditions, the seesawing of the industry's -- and our members' -- performance, the future of global diamond manufacturing is in the balance," Shkadov stated.

"The manufacturers are those who carry the largest and most significant burden of the diamond pipeline - a burden that particularly during the past years has put diamond manufacturers in each and every country where diamonds are cut and polished at risk. No matter where diamonds are cut, we are experiencing unendurable pressure from all the market's segments and players," Shkadov added.

Maxim Shkadov speaking during today's Think Tank meeting about generic diamond promotion and advertising to consumers.

IDMA Secretary General Ronnie VanderLinden said the number of IDMA members is dwindling. "We are about to lose Namibia and the jury is still out on Canada. In Sri Lanka, diamonds factories have been closing and it is putting the Sri Lanka Diamond Manufacturers sustenance in jeopardy. All this is a direct outcome of the precarious state of our industry. This is not only worrying, it is potential disastrous," VanderLinden said.

Shkadov said he would reiterating his organization's arguments for the difficulties the industry is facing. "I will address rough diamond prices and pricing methods; the industry's financing structure; the ensuing lack of profit in our sector; the crisis in industry financing; and the need for well-coordinated generic diamond promotion efforts in the consumer market.

IDMA will welcome members from Armenia, Belgium, Botswana, China, Germany, India, Israel, the Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the USA to the 2015 Presidents Meeting in Tel Aviv.