Panama Gem & Jewelry Center launch opens with announcement of PDE’s founding directors and members

March 17, 2014

Members of the PDE Board of Directors pose with PDE founding members, during the launch of the Panama Gem & Jewelry Center in Panama City on March 17.

The founding directors and members of the Panama Diamond Exchange, posing at the start of two-day launch of the Panama Gem & Jewelry Center in Panama City.
Frank De Lima, Panama's Minister of Economy and Finance, addressing the cocktail reception on May 16, which kicked off proceedings for the Panama Gem and Jewelry Center launch event.Alberto Vallarino Clement, Chairman of Grupo Verde Azul, which together with Grupo Los Pueblos is developing the Panama Gem & Jewelry Center, speaking to guests at the May 16 welcoming reception.From left: Diego Vallarino, VP of Real Estate Development, Grupo VerdeAzul; Eli Izhakoff, Hon. Chairman of the PDE Board of Directors; and Alberto Vallarino Clement, Chairman of Grupo Verde Azul, at the welcoming reception on March 16.From left: Alberto Vallarino Clement,, Chairman of Grupo Verde Azul; Judy Meana, PDE's Director of Communications; Frank De Lima, Panama's Minister of Economy and Finance; and Eli Izhakoff, Hon. Chairman of the PDE Board of Directors, at the welcoming reception on March 16.Members of the Panama Diamond Exchange Board of Directors and founding members of the PDE, at the industry networking session on March 17.Latin American and international diamond dealers confer, at the industry networking event on March 17.Members of the international delegation attending the launch of the Panama Gem & Jewelry Center, during a visit to the Panama Canal on March 17.President of diamond and jewelry industry associations touring the Miraflores Locks at the Panama Canal on March 17.International visitors to the launch of the Panama Gem & Jewelry center touring the old colonial center of Panama City on March 17.During a press conference on March 18 (from left): Eli Izhakoff, Hon. Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Panama Diamond Exchange; Ricardo Quijano, Pamana's Minister of Commerce and Industries; Alberto Vallarino Clement, Chairman of Grupo Verde Azul; Ernest Blom, President of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses; and Erez Akerman, President of the Panama Diamond Exchange.Erez Akerman, President of the Panama Diamond Exchange, speaking at the press conference on March 18. To his right is Alberto Vallarino Clement, Chairman of Grupo Verde Azul, and Ernest Blom, President of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses.

Click on image to see slideshow of photographs from Panama Gem & Jewelry Center launch event.

The launch of the Panama Gem & Jewelry Center, taking place in Panama City March 17 and 18, has opened with the announcement by the Panama Diamond Exchange of its founding directors and members. All of the PDE directors and founding members are attending the launch event.

The Hon. Founding Chairman of the PDE Board of Directors is Eli Izhakoff. The other directors include Ernest Blom, President of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses; Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO, the World Jewelry Confederation; Avi Paz, President of the World Diamond Council; and Erez Akerman, President of the Panama Diamond Exchange.

Founding PDE Members include Maxim Shkadov, President, International Diamond Manufacturers Association; Jeffrey H. Fischer,  Hon. President, of IDMA and DMIA and a member of the Board of Governors of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA); Reuven Kaufman, President , Diamond Dealers Club of New York; Ronnie Vanderlinden, President, Diamond Manufacturers and Importers Association of the United States (DMIA); Alex Popov, President, Moscow Diamond Bourse; and Mehul Shah, President, Indian Diamond & Colorstone Association (IDCA).

Founding Corporate Members include Aspeco/K. Girdharlal, Beladamas NV, DHV – De Hantsetters en Verhaere NV, Diamex Inc., Dianco bvba, Diarough NV, Eurostar Diamond Traders, Harmony Gems, Firestar, IGC Group, KP  Sanghvi Inc.,  International Gemological Institute, Nasielski DIamonds, Paras Gems, Rosy Blue, Shamas bvba, Shree Ramkrishna Exports Pvt Ltd., S. Muller & Sons, Shivani Gems, Tache NV, Vets Alphi Diamonds, and Xtra-Diamonds Group.

The Panama Diamond Exchange is the first and only diamond bourse in all of Latin America with membership in the World Federation of Diamond Bourses. It will be the anchor organization of the Panama Gem & Jewelry Center, which currently is under construction and whose first phase will be completed by the fourth quarter of 2014. The center is designed to serve as the primary trading center for the diamond, colored gemstone and jewelry trades of South and Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.

View scenes from the launch of the Panama Gem & Jewelry Center, March 16-18, 2014, including the Latin America Diamond & Jewelry Summit.