Both the volume and the value of rough diamonds exported from Russia increased in the first quarter of the 2013 calendar year, as compared to the same period a year earlier, Rough and Polished reports.

During the first quarter of 2012, 8.564 million carats of rough diamonds were exported by Russia, but in the first three months of the current year, this number rose to 9.883 million carats, amounting to a 15.4% year-over-year increase. The dollar value of last year's first-quarter rough diamond exports was about $1.033 billion, but this year that figure increased by 13.2% to reach $1.169 billion. The countries topping the list of customers for Russia's rough diamonds were Belgium, India and Israel, according to Rough and Polished.

In terms of rough diamonds imported into Russia, the volume of these plummeted from 2012 to 2013, dropping 59% from 52,136 carats to 21,183 carats. Strangely, the value of those stones actually rose year-over-year, increasing by 29.4% from $26.084 million worth to $33.755 million worth.