Report: EU's Russian diamond ban to cover jewelry

MOSCOW, Nov 17 (PRIME) -- Russian diamonds’ import prohibtion in the framework of the upcoming 12th package of E.U. sanctions will cover jewelry with diamonds and pearls, newspaper Euobserver reported on Friday citing a draft document.

"The EU is to ban "unsorted diamonds", as well as most "non-industrial" and "synthetic ones". Its list also includes any "articles of jewelry", "articles of natural and cultured pearls", and "goldsmiths' or silversmiths' wares ... incorporating diamonds", the newspaper reported.

"It even stretches to "wristwatches, pocket-watches and other watches, including stopwatches, incorporating diamonds," the report read.

The ban covers any diamonds of Russian provenance, including those processed in third countries, and diamonds with transit in Russia.

The European Commission proposed late on Tuesday to ban imports of diamonds and liquid petroleum gas from Russia and to tighten the implementation of a price cap on Russian oil as part of a new sanctions package against Moscow. The sanctions package is to be discussed on Friday.

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