The Diamond Trading Company’s First Sight for 2011 was a historic one, as it was opened for the first time by a DTC Sightholder. The honour went to Mr. Erez Daleyot, Group CEO of DD Manufacturing (DDM), who also received an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the DTC.

Mr. Daleyot won this historic honour at the Diamond Empowerment Fund auction held in London last November where the DTC had allowed Sightholders to bid for the opportuity of opening the first Diamond Sight of 2011 and being a guest of De Beers’ Chairman, Mr. Nicky Oppenheimer and Ms. Varda Shine, CEO of DTC. ” He said, “The Diamond Empowerment Fund’s vision and values fit perfectly with our own, and we are very excited to have had the opportunity to support them to create a better future for the next generation in southern Africa.”

Ms. Shine, Board Member of DEF and co-host of the DEF charity event last year at which $1,000,000 was raised, commented that “we were so pleased that one of our Sightholders won the bid, and especially a company that is aligned with our own DTC beneficiation objectives in supporting empowerment and development of opportunities for youth in southern Africa. DDM has been a fantastically generous supporter of good causes at our past charity events.”

DD Manufacturing (DDM) specialises in loose, larger polished diamonds to deliver diamonds of the highest attainable cut and quality to top-end jewellery retailers around the world. Life Diamonds (South Africa), amongst the largest diamond manufacturing operations in South Africa, and an integral part of the DDM group, actively supports social projects.