Israel’s Economy Ministry said that Leo Schachter Diamonds was the top exporter of diamonds from Israel in 2014, according to a list of the country’s top 20 diamond exporters that was released by the ministry's diamond controller.
That came despite Leo Schachter Diamonds' exports dropping 12 percent on the year to $288 million, in was a tough 12 months for many global diamond industry players.
Of the top five diamond exporters last year, Niru Diamonds Israel posted the strongest growth, with net exports soaring 39 percent to $156 million.
Israel’s Economy Ministry publishes a list of the country's top 20 diamond firms annually, based upon the firms' stated exports.
Altogether, the 20 leading exporters posted net polished diamond exports of $1.93 billion last year, representing about 31 percent of the country's total polished diamond exports in 2014, said Shmuel Mordechai, the Economy Ministry’s controller of diamonds, jewelry and gemstones.
Mordechai pointed out that the list did not include 20 firms that requested anonymity and were, therefore, not included. Altogether, they were responsible for 22 percent of Israel’s net polished exports last year – or $1.4 billion.
