Chaim Even-Zohar is principal of Tacy Ltd, a Tel Aviv-based consultancy established in 1984 specializing in all aspects of the international diamond business and its clients include mostly governments, mining companies, trade associations, other consultants, and financial institutions. The company has over 30 years of continuous involvement in the industry. He is also principal of CEZ Holdings Ltd., a media company.

Publications and Research

Chaim Even-Zohar is mostly known as a leading diamond trade journalist, editor and industry analyst. The second and revised edition of a major reference book he authored, the 941-page “From Mine to Mistress: Corporate Strategies and Government Policies in the International Diamond Industry” was published by London’s Mining Communications in 2007. Other books include “Diamond Industry Strategies to Combat Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorisms,” published by ABN-AMRO Bank and Israel Diamond Institute. [English and Hebrew editions]. In Hebrew he also authored the 392-page “The World’s Rough Diamond Mining: Policies and Strategies of Rough Diamond Producers”, He co-authored a 75 year history book of the Antwerp Diamond bank “Financing the World’s Most Precious Treasures.” US/AID and DFID (UK Gov’t) supported research include a post-war study “Sierra Leone Diamond Sector Financial Policy Constraints,” (2003). Other relevant studies include “The Ramifications of the Basel II International Regulatory Framework for Banks on the Diamond Industry’s Accessibility to Financing”, Israel Diamond Exchange (2007). Chaim Even-Zohar has authored well over 10,000 articles and analyses about the diamond business over a span of well over 35 years.

Tacy Ltd. specializes in diamond market research and its reports are presented at conferences around the world. In the past few years alone, Even-Zohar presented at the Indaba Mining Conference (Cape Town), at the Botswana Diamond Beneficiation Conference, at the Dubai African Summit, at the Dubai Presidents’ Meetings of diamond manufacturers’ associations and at the meetings of presidents of diamond bourses, at the 2013 Presidents’ Meeting of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses, a the PDAC mining conference in Toronto, at the Zimbabwe Diamond Conference, at the recent India’s Mines to Market Conference in Mumbai, etc.

Even-Zohar’s expert opinions have appeared in IPO prospectuses for companies listing at the stock exchanges. He also provides strategic planning and other expert reports for banks, governments, and companies needing objective industry background before making lending decisions. Mr. Even-Zohar has also served as the industry representative in the Kimberley Process meetings including being the sole industry representative in the 2010 KP Review Mission of Zimbabwe. Mr. Even-Zohar has testified before judiciary bodies such as the South African Commission of Inquiry into the Diamond Industry and is called by courts to appear as Expert Witness.

Mr. Even-Zohar provides support to other consultants, such as McKinsey, Kroll, Bain and co., and others requiring industry research and expertise. Tacy Ltd. also has a strategic partnership with Pharos Beam Consultants in Mumbai (India).

Mr. Even-Zohar is a founder of various diamond-industry publications. These include the authoritative weekly newsletter Diamond Intelligence Briefs (DIB) (founded in 1984) and the monthly magazine Mazal U’Bracha Diamonds (1985), recently renamed IDEX Magazine. In 1989, he co-founded in London “Diamond International”, which later became Basel Jewellery. Other titles include DiaCompliance, occasional papers dealing with legal compliance issues in the diamond industry.

Honors and Awards

Mr. Even-Zohar is an Honorary Life Member of the Israel Diamond Exchange. He is the recipient of the prestigious Israel Diamond Industry’s Dignitary Award “Yakir Hatasiya”, awarded mostly to the industry’s “founding fathers” or equivalents. In 2013 he was awarded an Honorary Life Membership of the Diamond Dealers Club in New York, America’s largest diamond bourse. Moreover, he was also awarded Honorary Life Membership of the Diamond Dealers Club of South Africa and of the Dubai Diamond Exchange.

He is a member of the World Diamond Council, and a past member of the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS). He has also been honored by various other organizations, including the Indian Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council.

Mr. Even-Zohar has been associated with diamonds since the early 1970s, when he arranged the purchase by the Israeli Government of rough diamonds from the US Strategic Stockpile, while attached to the economic mission of the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC. Thereafter he served as deputy director general of the Israeli Government-owned Pituach Diamond Corp, acquiring rough diamonds from Sierra Leone, Liberia, CAR, the UK, US and Belgium. After overseeing the company’s privatization, he left to serve as a manager at the diamond branch of the First International Bank of Israel in the late 1970s. He then returned to journalism and established a consulting company.

Mr. Even-Zohar earned a BA in Journalism and Political Science (California State University), an MA in International Communications (American University, Washington DC) and pursued doctoral studies at the George Washington University. Married to Tamar, they make their home in Caesarea, Israel. Throughout his career he completed various industry-related courses, including gemmology, financing and (anti) money laundering specializations.