据5名知情人士透露，奢侈品巨头历峰集团（Richemont）与美国零售商西格内特珠宝有限公司（Signet Jewelers Ltd.）正在洽谈加入一个收购钻石矿商戴比尔斯（De Beers）的财团，该财团目前在竞购中占据领先地位。
Luxury giant Richemont and US retailer Signet Jewelers Ltd. are in talks to join a consortium that’s in prime position to buy diamond miner De Beers, according to five people familiar with the matter.
在天然钻石行业正从史上最严重危机之一缓慢复苏之际，卡地亚（Cartier）等奢侈品牌的拥有者历峰集团以及大型珠宝零售商西格内特的支持浮出水面，业内人士普遍认为这将对天然钻石市场构成利好。该行业此前遭受重创，原因是中国市场需求低迷以及来自人造宝石的竞争加剧。
The emergence of support from the owner of luxury brand Cartier and major jewelry retailer Signet will be seen by the industry as a boon for natural stones, at a time when the sector is slowly emerging from one of its worst ever crises. The industry has been hit hard by a slump in Chinese demand and increased competition from lab-grown gems.
知情人士称，这两大集团正与全球钻石财团（Global Diamond Consortium）就加入该组织进行洽谈。该财团由戴比尔斯前首席执行官加雷思·彭尼（Gareth Penny）领导。由于谈判处于保密状态，知情人士要求匿名。其中部分人士表示，尽管谈判已进入深入阶段，但仍无法保证双方最终会加入。全球钻石财团和西格内特均拒绝置评。历峰集团未回应置评请求。
The two groups are in talks with Global Diamond Consortium — a vehicle headed by former De Beers Chief Executive Officer Gareth Penny — about joining the group, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the talks are private. While negotiations are advanced, there’s no guarantee that they’ll join, some of the people said. GDC and Signet declined to comment. Richemont didn’t respond to requests for comment.
据彭博社周二报道，该财团于7月成为从矿业巨头英美资源集团（Anglo American Plc）手中收购戴比尔斯的优先竞购方，目前正与博茨瓦纳政府就将其持股比例增加至25%左右一事进行谈判，博茨瓦纳政府目前已持有戴比尔斯的股份。
The consortium emerged in July as the preferred bidder to buy De Beers from miner Anglo American Plc, and is currently in talks with the government of Botswana, which already owns a stake in De Beers, about increasing its ownership to around 25%, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.
全球钻石财团已将全球最大的两家钻石生产国纳米比亚和安哥拉，以及一些最大的钻石制造公司纳为成员。
GDC already includes Namibia and Angola — two of the largest diamond producers — as well as some of the biggest diamond manufacturing companies.
目前尚不清楚历峰集团和西格内特讨论收购的股份规模。但鉴于南部非洲的三个国家将持有该公司的大量股份，且已有多个其他私人投资者承诺出资，如果达成交易，历峰集团和西格内特持有的股份比例可能相对较小。
It’s not clear what size stakes Richemont and Signet are discussing taking. But given that the three Southern African states will have significant shares of the company — as well as multiple other private investors who are already committed — Richemont and Signet are likely to have relatively minor holdings should a deal be agreed.
历峰集团是全球领先的奢侈品集团之一，由南非亿万富翁约翰·鲁珀特（Johann Rupert）控制。其旗下品牌包括江诗丹顿（Vacheron Constantin）、卡地亚和梵克雅宝（Van Cleef & Arpels），其珠宝业务约占其总业务的三分之二以上。西格内特是最大的珠宝零售商之一，旗下拥有Zales、Jared和Kay等品牌。
Richemont is one of the world’s leading luxury goods groups, controlled by South African billionaire Johann Rupert. Its brands include Vacheron Constantin, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, with its jewelry division accounting for about three-quarters of its business. Signet is one of the biggest jewelry retailers, owning Zales, Jared and Kay.
多年来，钻石行业一直寻求获得奢侈品零售商的更多支持，以助力推广天然宝石。
For years, the diamond industry has sought to win more support from luxury retailers to support the promotion of a natural stones.
在大流行期间实现销售额激增之后，该行业本已开始走弱，随后又遭遇中国奢侈品消费骤降的打击，导致价格暴跌。合成宝石日益普及、贸易摩擦以及突如其来的地缘政治巨变带来了更多痛苦。
After bumper sales during the pandemic, the sector was already weakening when it was hit by a collapse in Chinese luxury spending that saw prices plunge. The rising popularity of synthetic stones, trade tensions and sudden geopolitical shifts have added more pain.
自2024年初击退必和必拓（BHP Group）近500亿美元的收购意向以来，英美资源集团一直在寻求出售这家昔日的钻石垄断企业，但由于钻石市场危机，这一进程受阻。在短短三年内，英美资源集团已对该业务进行了三次资产减值，今年2月将该部门的账面价值下调至23亿美元。
Anglo has been looking to sell the one-time diamond monopoly since it fended off an almost $50 billion approach from BHP Group in early 2024, but the process has been stymied by a crisis in the diamond market. Anglo has so far taken three impairments on the business in just three years, lowering its carrying value for the unit to $2.3 billion in February.