Rio Tinto announced it will be holding a jewellery business development symposium and design showcase focused on building better relationships throughout the diamond distribution channel and providing a collaborative forum for understanding key issues facing today’s diamond jewellery businesses.



The symposium will take place Chicago, Illinois on July 16-18, 2010.



"The symposium and design showcase will bring together many of Rio Tinto’s Select Diamantaires, leading North American jewellery retailers and key jewellery buying groups,” Rio Tinto said in a statement.



The symposium will also provide the opportunity for Rio Tinto’s Select Diamantaires to showcase their latest designs to top US retailers and obtain important retail market feedback, it said.



“We are seeing both cyclical and structural changes in the US , the world’s largest retail diamond jewellery market and this will be an important forum to put these changes in context for our customers and our customers’ customers”, said Jean-Marc Lieberherr, general manager of diamonds sales and marketing.