IndependentsOct 16, 2025
Retailer Hall of Fame 2025: Jeffrey Zimmer Jeffrey Zimmer's decades of leadership at Reeds Jewelers are defined by integrity, a love of sourcing gemstones, and a heart for community.
SourcingAug 15, 2016
Journalist who exposed industry abuses now on trial
Rafael Marques de Morais, a reporter who authored a book detailing abuses in the diamond fields of Angola, now faces trial at the hands of those he implicated.
Luanda--A reporter who authored a book detailing abuses in the diamond fields of Angola and was just honored for his contribution to free speech now faces trial in his home country at the hands of those he implicated.
Rafael Marques de Morais went on trial Tuesday to face charges of criminal defamation brought by seven generals, all of whom are shareholders in the companies (among them Sociedade Mineira do Cuango, or SMC, and ITM-Mining) accused of human rights abuses in his 2011 book, Blood Diamonds: Torture and Corruption in Angola.
Originally, the journalist was set to face nine counts of defamation but, following his first day in court, he now faces up to 15 additional counts, according to a tweet posted on his Twitter account Tuesday.
The trial has been adjourned until April 23 to give his lawyers time to address the new charges, and will be closed to the press when it continues, news sources report.
If convicted, de Morais faces prison time and could be forced to pay damages upward of $1 million.
An independent journalist operating in Angola, de Morais published Blood Diamonds in Portugal in 2011. The book details more than 500 cases of torture and 100 killings allegedly carried out by guards of a private security firm called Teleservice and soldiers in the Angolan Armed Forces in the Lunda Norte province in northeastern Angola.
Last Wednesday, he received the Index on Censorship’s 2015 Freedom of Expression award for journalism at a ceremony held in London. This Tuesday, he was back in Angola.
As de Morais explains in this piece published Monday by British daily newspaper The Guardian, he is not on trial for the content of the book but for “having lodged a complaint against the generals for their moral responsibility in the events.”
The complaint to which he refers is a 2011 charge he filed with the Angolan Attorney General calling on authorities to investigate the generals, the owners of Teleservice and SMC shareholders for the alleged abuses. The attorney general set that case aside.
The generals attempted to sue de Morais and the Lisbon-based publisher of his book for libel and defamation, but the Portuguese Attorney General dismissed the case.
The generals then brought the case to Angola. However, they couldn’t try him again on the same charges brought in Portugal due to double-jeopardy laws, so new charges were
drafted on the basis that de Morais defamed the generals when he tried to sue them in 2011.
Mauricio Lazala, the deputy director of the London-based Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, told National Jeweler on Thursday that it has written to three major players in the industry--Tiffany & Co., Signet Jewelers Ltd. and De Beers, as well as Chicago independent Leber Jeweler--asking them to issue public statements of support for de Morais.
The Centre, a nonprofit that works to increase transparency and accountability in business and human rights, then will disseminate these statements via its website, e-newsletter and connections with journalists worldwide.
Leber Jeweler is submitting a statement and Lazala said they are waiting on responses from Tiffany, Signet and De Beers.
Brian Leber of Leber Jeweler said he’s known de Morais for years and has long supported his efforts to bring attention to the human rights abuses committed against artisanal diamond miners and their families in Angola.
“If Angola is to be part of the global community and if Angola’s diamonds are being sold by U.S. retailers to U.S. consumers, then Angola has a fundamental obligation to observe the rights of Rafael Marques (de Morais) to both freedom of speech and freedom of the press,” Leber said.
This is not the first time de Morais has seen the inside of a courtroom for speaking out.
He spent 43 days in jail in 1999 after calling the Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who has ruled for the country for 35 years, a “dictator and corrupt man.”
More on Sourcing
The Latest
AuctionsOct 16, 2025
Sotheby’s Introduces Custom Jewelry ServiceThe new high jewelry design and production process takes 30 days or less from concept to completion, the auction house said.
MajorsOct 16, 2025
Oscar Heyman’s Holiday Catalog Is Out, and It’s SpectacularThe holiday catalog for 2025 features never-before-seen images of more than 100 one-of-a-kind masterpieces.
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessYou deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.
CollectionsOct 16, 2025
Foundrae Adds To ‘United in Love’ CollectionThe brand has released a second installment of its collection of traditional and non-traditional commitment heirlooms.
Weekly QuizOct 16, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
IndependentsOct 15, 2025
Retailer Hall of Fame 2025: Kathy CoreyCorey rescued New England chain Day’s Jewelers, preserving its legacy with strong people skills, pragmatism, and a “get-it-done” attitude.
CrimeOct 15, 2025
Men Receive Lengthy Prison Sentences for 2023 Murder of Colorado JewelerCharles Robinson Shay was sentenced to life in prison plus 120 years while his accomplice, Michael James McCormack, got 75 years.
Brought to you by
JA New York Fall Is Right Around the CornerThe upcoming show provides savvy retailers with the opportunity to stock their cases with best sellers in advance of the holiday season.
Events & AwardsOct 15, 2025
‘Douriean Fletcher: Jewelry of the Afrofuture’ Opens at MADThe Museum of Arts and Design's new exhibition features 75 pieces by the designer, best known for her work in the “Black Panther” films.
Events & AwardsOct 15, 2025
JCK, Luxury to Debut New Watch Section in Vegas Next YearTimepieces at Luxury will take place at The Venetian and, like Luxury, will be invitation-only for the first two days.
AuctionsOct 15, 2025
Christie's Announces New Jewelry Department LeadershipThe auction house named a new global head of jewelry, as well as a new head of the jewelry department for the Americas.
IndependentsOct 14, 2025
Retailer Hall of Fame 2025: Tom DixonAs chairman of Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, Tom Dixon has been tasked with honoring the past and shaping the future of the family-run store.
Events & AwardsOct 14, 2025
Here Are the Winners of the BIJC, JA ‘Emerging Jewelers’ Grant Katty Villapando Lyte and Mica Rencher received a $10,000 grant for their business, Shimmer Culture LLC.
IndependentsOct 14, 2025
Day’s Jewelers Crafts Custom Jewelry for No.1 NBA Draft Pick Cooper FlaggThe parents of the Dallas Mavericks rookie bought their engagement ring at a Day’s store in Bangor, Maine, in 1997.
CollectionsOct 10, 2025
Count Down to the Holidays With Astrid & Miyu’s Advent CalendarsThe trio of Advent calendars include a version with 18-karat gold and lab-grown diamond jewelry in a red lacquer jewelry box.
CollectionsOct 10, 2025
Piece of the Week: Marla Aaron’s ‘Nymphenburg Lock’Created in collaboration with Nymphenburg Porcelain, the lock is part of a four-piece collection that took two years to bring to fruition.
MajorsOct 10, 2025
Frederick Goldman Names New VP of SalesJewelry industry veteran Alisa Bunger has taken on the role.
AuctionsOct 09, 2025
This Fabergé Egg Could Crack $27M At Auction“The Winter Egg” set the world auction record for a Fabergé piece twice at previous Christie’s sales.
MajorsOct 09, 2025
Sy Kessler Buying Watch Batteries as Silver Hits Record High The company will pay 1.5x silver’s current spot price for each pound of silver oxide batteries submitted.
CollectionsOct 09, 2025
Katkim Launches First Men’s CollectionThe line includes a “Shadow” series crafted exclusively for the new men’s offering and reimagined styles from the brand’s core collections.
SourcingOct 09, 2025
Gemfields’ Mini Mixed-Quality Ruby Auction Garners $11MThe rough on offer was recovered from a newer area at the Montepuez mine.
SourcingOct 08, 2025
In ‘Storied Diamond,’ Jared Jewelers Is Emphasizing the Journey The retailer’s new collection of engagement rings and fashion jewelry is set with natural diamonds that are traceable via blockchain.
CollectionsOct 08, 2025
Emily P. Wheeler Shifts Into Neutral for Latest ‘Ombré’ CollectionThe champagne colorway in her newest “Ombré” collection combines white and trendy brown diamonds, a departure from her usual vibrant hues.
CollectionsOct 08, 2025
Tsuba Designs Inspire Monica Rich Kosann’s New CharmsKosann partnered with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, to create a set of necklaces inspired by the artwork on samurai sword handguards.
CrimeOct 07, 2025
Men Who Posed as Utility Workers Found Guilty in Jeweler’s MurderCarlos Jose Hernandez and Joshua Zuazo face life in prison for the October 2024 murder of 72-year-old Detroit-area jeweler Hussein Murray.
CollectionsOct 07, 2025
Jessica McCormack Looks to Sea Spirits for ‘Tempest’ CollectionThe brand’s first high jewelry collection, “Tempest” plays with movement while calling to mind the folklore of the sea.
SourcingOct 07, 2025
Columbia Gem House Announces ‘Opals for Outback Heroes’ FundraiserProceeds from its jewelry raffle will go to a volunteer-run fire and rescue group in the Lightning Ridge area of New South Wales, Australia.
