Located in Valenza, the now 355,000-square-foot facility includes a new jewelry school that’s open to the public, Scuola Bulgari.
The Film That Should Be on the Industry’s Radar
Out in select theaters Friday, “A United Kingdom” tells the story of Botswana’s road to independence.

I’d like to start out this blog post by saying that the following is not meant to be a movie review because I am not a movie reviewer. I don’t have any experience in the genre and don’t fancy myself an expert on acting, directing, cinematography or costumes.
So please take what follows as a public service announcement, an FYI if you will; here is a movie that just came out that I enjoyed and that I think people in the jewelry industry should see, if only to better understand the history behind one of the world’s biggest diamond producers.
A few weeks ago, thanks to the Diamond Empowerment Fund, Signet, the GIA and Fox Searchlight Pictures, I attended a special screening of a movie called “A United Kingdom” here in New York.
Shot in London and Africa, “A United Kingdom” tells the true story of how Botswana earned its independence and became a democracy in 1966. The film touches--albeit lightly--on the role diamonds played in that.
The movie stars David Oyelowo (Martin Luther King Jr. in “Selma”) as Seretse Khama and Rosamund Pike (nominated for an Oscar for her turn in “Gone Girl”) as Ruth Williams.
The film starts out in post-World War II London, where the black Khama meets the white Williams. They fall in love and get married but, predictably for the time period, nobody is happy about it.
The mixed-race marriage stirs up both familial and political strife.
Khama, you see, was heir to the throne of one of most powerful tribes in the country, at that time a British protectorate called Bechuanaland.
It also happened to be the British protectorate that sat atop South Africa, which at the time was on the brink of instituting the racist apartheid-era policies that would govern it for the next 50 years.
British officials did not want the Khama-Williams relationship to anger the ruling party in South Africa and endanger its access to the country’s natural resources--gold, diamonds and uranium--at a time when the government was reeling financially from the war.
So they conspired to keep the two apart, even exiling Khama for a period of time.
But in the end, it didn’t work.
Khama strategically engineered his return to his homeland--using inside knowledge of a potential diamond find in his homeland as one of his key bargaining chips--was reunited with his wife (and first child, by that point) and began to push for independence.
In 1964, he

At the DEF screening for “A United Kingdom,” which was held at the Roxy Hotel Cinema in downtown Manhattan, we got a chance to hear from one man who has a very personal connection to the individual portrayed in the film.
DEF board member Marcus ter Haar is the grandson of Khama and Williams. His mother, Jacqueline, was their first child and is the baby in the movie.
You can hear from Marcus yourself, and see a trailer for “A United Kingdom” on DEF’s website.
For those who prefer books to movies, there’s “Colour Bar,” the nonfiction book by Susan Williams on which the screenplay was based.
Directed by Amma Asante (“Belle”), “A United Kingdom” opened in select cities Friday. A list of theaters showing the movie is available on the film’s website.
And if you want to read a review of “A United Kingdom” written by a journalist who has experience in the genre, you can check out the one by Rolling Stones’ Peter Travers (Spoiler alert: he gave it 3 1/2 out of 4 stars.) And there’s also Glenn Kenny for The New York Times, which tagged the film as an NYT Critics’ Pick.
The Latest

Paola Sasplugas, co-founder of the Barcelona-based jewelry brand, received the Fine Jewelry Award.

A platinum Zenith-powered Daytona commissioned in the late ‘90s will headline Sotheby’s Important Watches sale in Geneva next month.

The risk of laboratory-grown diamonds being falsely presented as natural diamonds presents a very significant danger to consumer trust.

The basketball stars wear men’s jewelry from the “Curb Chain” collection.


The Signet Jewelers-owned retailer wants to encourage younger shoppers to wear fine jewelry every day, not just on special occasions.

The 21 pieces, all from a private collector, will be offered at its Magnificent Jewels auction next month.

Lilian Raji answers a question from a reader who is looking to grow her jewelry business but has a limited marketing budget.

GCAL by Sarine created the new role to sharpen the company’s focus on strategic partnerships and scalable expansion.

The Indiana jeweler has acquired Scottsdale Fine Jewelers in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“Cartier: Design, Craft, and Legacy” opened earlier this month at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Van Cott Jewelers in Vestal, New York, is hosting a going-out-of-business sale.

Industry veteran Samantha Larson has held leadership roles at Borsheims, McTeigue & McClelland, Stuller, and Long’s Jewelers.
The two organizations will hold the educational event together this fall in Mississippi.

The entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” star will share his top tips for success.

The Ukrainian brand’s new pendant is modeled after a traditional paska, a pastry often baked for Easter in Eastern European cultures.

The jeweler has announced a grand reopening for its recently remodeled location in Peoria, Illinois.

The “Strong Like Mom” campaign features moms who work at Tiffany & Co. and their children.

Interior designer Athena Calderone looked to decor from the 1920s and 1930s when crafting her first fine jewelry collection.

During a call about its full-year results, CEO Efraim Grinberg discussed how the company is approaching the uncertainty surrounding tariffs.

The free program provides educational content for jewelry salespeople and enthusiasts to learn or refresh their diamond knowledge.

The feedback will be used to prepare other jewelers for the challenges ahead, the organization said.

The online sessions are designed to teach jewelers to use AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude to grow their business.

The opening marks the jewelry retailer’s first location in the Midwest.

The “United in Love” collection offers tangible mementos of hearts entwined with traditional and non-traditional commitment heirlooms.

Robert Goodman Jewelers will hold a “Black Jewelry Designers and Makers” event on April 27.