August 24, 2011; New York City, NY
Contact: New York Foreign Press Center Media Relations Officer Melissa Waheibi
Telephone: 646-282-2835; email: waheibimn@state.gov
Forty-five foreign journalists attended the tour to New York's Diamond District which consists of one street on one block. New York City is the undisputed center fo the diamond and jewelry industry for North America and much of the world. Consumers and wholesalers come from around the globe and throughout the United States to the dense cluster of manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers concentrated here. The diamond and jewelry businesses in New York City generate an annual $24.183 billion in economic impact. There were formal presentations by the executive director of the district; an economist who conducted the recent impact report; the President of the Diamond Dealers Club; and a representative from the Department of Commerce. The tour concluded on the street with interviews and footage of the jewelry vendors.
