Kering launches Water Resilience Lab for Tuscany's Arno Basin. Kering's initiative fosters collaboration among public, private, and scientific sectors to regenerate the Arno Basin and ensure long-term water resilience. November 2, 2026, 1:32pm On Monday, Kering presented a collaborative platform to develop water resilience in Tuscany in collaboration with the nonprofit environmental organization Conservation International, and Etifor, a certified B Corp and University of Padua spin-off providing environmental sustainability consulting. It was presented at Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence as part of the commemorations marking the 60th anniversary of the 1966 Florence flood caused by the Arno River. The initiative called "The Water Resilience Lab - Arno Basin" addresses the basin's vulnerabilities related to water scarcity, droughts, floods and pollution, drawing on a shared, science-based understanding of the challenges and opportunities and ultimately, it aims to regenerate and replenish the basin to achieve long-lasting resilience. During the last 12 months, the Lab has brought together public and private institutions, businesses, academia, the scientific community, and financial stakeholders with the aim of fostering coordinated, long-term action, rather than fragmented efforts, to address the identified challenges within the basin. "No individual company or actor, regardless of its size or influence, can address the challenges posed by climate change, nature loss, and water risk alone. Through the Water Resilience Lab - Arno Basin, we seek to demonstrate that meaningful value creation stems from systemic collaboration and collective action across diverse stakeholders," said Marie-Claire Daveu, chief sustainability and institutional affairs officer at Kering. Among the organizations already actively contributing to and funding the project are LVMH, as the first company to join the Lab at the highest level, alongside Burberry, Assicurazioni Generali and more. "Joining the Water Resilience Lab - Arno Basin illustrates our conviction that preserving ecosystems and building resilience against extreme events requires an anchored, collaborative territorial approach," said Helène Valade, LVMH Group environment development director. "This initiative directly echoes the ambitions of our 'LIFE 360' environmental strategy by uniting collective action, scientific innovation, and ecosystem regeneration." The Lab is built on the understanding that the health of the Arno Basin is linked to the well-being of its local communities, the vitality of its ecosystems, and the economic activities that depend on them. Leveraging public-private cofinancing mechanisms and innovative financial instruments, it aims to establish itself as an international benchmark for investors, businesses and public institutions, a replicable and scalable model for other river basins worldwide under water stress. "Joining forces with public institutions, the scientific community and industry partners throughout the Arno Basin is not only a responsibility towards the region and its communities, but also a strategic investment to help ensure the continuity and resilience of our value chain. Our ambition is to make the Arno a leading example that can be replicated globally," continued Daveu. During the event, the Lab presented a collaborative roadmap aligned with the initiative's multisector advisory board and built on a Nexus approach, which recognizes the interconnections between water, nature, climate and society. The roadmap was developed using a science-based analysis conducted by Etifor, together with the Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Forestry Sciences and Technologies (DAGRI) and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DICEA) departments of the University of Florence in 2025, which established a hydrological, ecosystem and socio-economic assessment of the basin. It highlighted the key areas where interventions can generate the greatest impact, with six hot spots selected as the Lab's first unit of nature-based restoration projects, which have already started on the ground. All of them are home to some of Italy's most prominent manufacturing districts, culture, craftsmanship and tourism such as Villa Petriolo, Ombrone - Bisenzio; Altopascio - Lake Sibolla; Pisa - Era Basin; Usciana - Pescia River, and Arezzo - Chiana Valley areas. By 2030, the Tuscany region is expected to experience more than 50 days of heat stress per year, while all stakeholders across the basin will be exposed to water-related risks. According to the data collected by the Regional Institute for Economic Planning of Tuscany (IRPET), the floods affecting the region in 2023 caused an estimated 1.89 billion euros in damages. Newsletters

Kering launches Water Resilience Lab in Italy's Arno Basin. By Grace Robinson November 2, 2026 Kering has launched its first Water Resilience Lab in Italy's Arno Basin, marking a significant step in the fashion industry's approach to water management. The lab aims to address the critical issue of water resilience, a growing concern for fashion brands and their supply chains. This initiative is part of a broader series exploring fashion's impact on nature and vice versa, highlighting the industry's need to adapt to environmental challenges. A response to severe flooding. The initiative was sparked by the severe floods that hit the region in 2023, causing an estimated €1.89 billion in damages. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni declared a state of emergency for the worst-affected areas during Storm Ciarán. One of the affected suppliers, Prato-based Beste Group, suffered a significant loss when a newly purchased €7 million machine was destroyed, with insurance covering only 60% of its value. Additionally, waist-high water halted production for three weeks, exacerbating the financial impact. Rachel Kolbe Semhoun, Kering's head of sustainable sourcing, emphasized the need for collective action: "Nobody can make resilience happen by themselves." This realization led to the development of Kering's water strategy, with a goal to become net water-positive by 2050, and measured net-positive water impacts in 10 priority water basins by 2035. The strategy was set 18 months ago, aiming to address water resilience through collective investment in better nature infrastructure upriver. A full water strategy. Kering's strategy focuses on 10 priority water basins across the globe, with the Arno Basin serving as the pilot project. The choice of location was strategic, given the region's "irreplaceable know-how" and the presence of key suppliers for Kering's luxury brands. The Arno Basin's historical significance, including the devastating 1966 flood that claimed dozens of lives, displaced thousands, and destroyed millions of rare books and artworks, shows the urgency of this initiative. Marie-Claire Daveu, Kering's chief sustainability officer, highlights the importance of water in fashion production: "Most of fashion's strategic raw materials rely on water." This includes not only the growing phase for natural fibers but also production processes like washing, dyeing, and tanning. The lab's approach involves a unique collaboration between various stakeholders, including public institutions, businesses, academia, and financial actors. The Arno Basin lab brings together organizations like Conservation International, Etifor, and the University of Florence, along with local government bodies such as the Northern Apennines River Basin Authority and ANBI Toscana. This collaboration aims to create a model that can be replicated in other priority basins, amplifying existing efforts while filling gaps and creating new models. The lab's roadmap has three main pillars: governance, financial modeling, and nature-based projects. By 2030, Tuscany is projected to experience 50 days of heat stress annually, heightening the need for effective water resilience measures. Kering estimates that retaining 48 million cubic meters of water in the Arno Basin could significantly reduce flood damage, saving approximately €157 per cubic meter. The lab has identified six key intervention points in the Arno Basin, where investments can have the greatest impact: Villa Petriolo, Ombrone/Bisenzio, Altopascio/Lake Sibolla, Pisa/Era Basin, Usciana/Pescia River, and Arezzo/Chiana Valley. Each location will benefit from a combination of nature-based and industrial projects, supported by multi-sectorial and public-private consensus. Kering's approach is grounded in established methodologies, such as volumetric water benefit accounting and Science-based Targets for Nature. The University of Florence has contributed a basin-specific methodology to quantify risks and outcomes, providing a scientific basis for the lab's work. Historical context and future challenges. The Arno Basin has a history of devastating floods, with the 1966 flood being the most destructive. It caused significant loss of life, displacement, and damage to cultural heritage, including rare books and artworks. Climate projections indicate that by 2030, Tuscany will face over 50 days of heat stress annually, increasing the vulnerability of local communities to water scarcity and associated risks. This highlights the urgent need for water resilience initiatives. Expanding the model and long-term goals. Kering's Water Resilience Lab aims to create a replicable model for its other nine priority water basins, located in countries like France, Spain, Türkiye, Mongolia, India, Peru, Argentina, South Africa, and Australia. The success of the Arno Basin project will serve as a template for addressing unique water challenges in these regions, ensuring business continuity and long-term value creation for the fashion industry.

Small gains, big moves: October's market and industry highlights. Share: October brought a mixed but resilient diamond market. Small, high-quality stones extended their price recovery, with the Rapaport Trade Diamond Index for 0.30-carat rounds up 3.2% and 0.50-carat rounds up 2.5% for the month, driven mainly by tight supply rather than a surge in demand. The 1-carat index posted a second straight monthly gain of 0.3%. Sentiment softened by month's end, though, as Indian inventories built up and prices for 0.30 to 0.69-carat rounds began easing, even as 1 to 1.49-carat goods held steady. De Beers reported that its third-quarter sales volume jumped 71% year on year to 9.8 million carats following a July price cut that aligned prices with the market, though revenue rose just 4% to $731 million as the average selling price fell 45% to $84 per carat. Retail results were uneven: Kering's third-quarter jewelry revenue rose 12% to $268 million, outperforming the broader diamond trade, Luk Fook's retail sales value climbed 8%, and Chow Tai Fook's Hong Kong and Macau same-store sales rose 33% even as its group revenue slipped 0.5%. At auction, Sotheby's Milan sale brought in $7.7 million across more than 280 lots, topped by a 9.09-carat diamond ring that sold for $341,910, more than double its high estimate. On the organizational side, the Jewelers Board of Trade reported that US jewelry trade downsizing slowed in the third quarter: 116 businesses closed, down from 126 a year earlier, while the pool of active companies fell 1.4% to 21,831. The American Gem Trade Association crowned its 2026 Spectrum and Cutting Edge Award winners at a Texas competition where entries rose 21% year over year to roughly 400, including a 33% jump in submissions from female designers. In Dubai, the DMCC unveiled the 888.88-carat Infinity black diamond at its Dubai Diamond Conference, outlined a vision for investment-led growth in the natural diamond sector, and announced an educational partnership between the Dubai Design Academy and HRD Antwerp. Rapaport strengthened its leadership team, appointing Yosi Botzer, the former CTO of Nasdaq-listed Perion Network, as its new Chief Technology Officer to lead a company-wide AI transformation spanning the Rapaport Price List and Rapaport Trade's tools, including its AI-powered Ring Builder. Rapaport also published its Rapaport Intelligence Report, "The Brand Divide," examining why strong luxury jewelry sales at houses such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels have not translated into stronger demand for polished diamonds, and released a new episode of its Heard on the Street video series focused on sales strategy and customer relationships. Here's your diamond market analysis from Rapaport Trade for November 2026. Prices for 1.00 to 1.49 carat diamonds softened in October. D-F led the decline: IF-VVS fell 1.5%, up from a 0.4% gain last month, VS fell 0.6% versus -0.3%, and SI fell 1.4% versus -0.9%. G-J was flat, with IF-VVS at 0.0% versus 0.6% and VS at -0.1% versus 0.7%. G-J SI rose 0.3%, versus -0.6% in September. K-M IF-VVS and VS averaged 1.1%, down from 1.9%. The largest swing was K-M VS, which fell 0.6% after rising 3.9% in September. K-M IF-VVS moved the other way, gaining 2.8% versus -0.2%. K-M SI slipped 0.1%, versus -0.2%. Please note: the searches breakdown are a breakdown of buyers searches on Rapaport Trade <<Click here>> to join the industry's largest and most trusted diamond, gem and jewelry trading network. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Rapaport or any other Rapaport Group entity or service, its officers, directors or employees. Rapaport does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy or validity of any information presented by Rapaport or the views expressed therein.