Polished markets quiet, with prices soft due to summer vacations. Trading in India improving amid expectations of strong Mumbai show. Polished buyers very price conscious, while manufacturing profits remain low. Rio Tinto’s 1H diamond unit sales +77% to $326M, net earnings of $34M vs. net loss of $56M. Botswana’s 2Q diamond exports -1% to $650M. Damas FY sales -31% to $899M, net loss of $520M vs. profit of $62M. Blue Nile 2Q sales +10% to $77M with avg. ticket +6% to $1,944 and profit flat at $2.8M. Bulgari's 2Q jewelry sales +18% to $151M. Japan June polished imports +18% to $60M. De Beers offering to sell Finsch and Namaqualand mines in South Africa.