Claim forms for industry members to receive cash from the De Beers class-action lawsuit will be published Dec. 21, according to Jewelers Vigilance Committee.
On Dec. 28, written notice about the claim form will be mailed to 50,000 entities covered under the lawsuit. Those who wish to make a claim will have until May 19, 2008, to submit a claim form. The form must be postmarked on or before May 19, 2008.
“The claim form is not difficult to complete, but it does require attention to detail and figures,” said Cecilia Gardner, JVC’s president, chief executive officer, and general counsel.
The lawsuit and claim form cover only gem-quality diamonds. Both the claim form and guidance on how to fill it out will be available on JVC’s Web site, as well as a new site, debeersclassaction.com. Industry members with questions about completing the form can contact JVC at (212) 997-2002, e-mail: jvcquestions@aol.com.
Advertisements about the settlement will run in newspapers, magazines (both trade and consumer), and on the radio until February 2008.
For more information and background, see “You’ve Got Cash! FAQs About the De Beers Antitrust Settlement,” JCK, November 2007, p. 84.