The Christian Science Monitor quotes an appearance on CNBC in the UK by asset manager George Godber where the fund manager cites the Arab spring as a spur to diamond prices (picture above links to video where Godber’s comments begin at 4:30):

“There’s no other way that you can shift millions of dollars around the world in the palm of your hand and I have no doubt that the trouble in the Middle East was causing people to repatriate wealth out of that area,” said George Godber, fund manager at Matterley Asset Management.

The comments came as an aside to a conversation about the UK property market and the strength of high-end prices:

High-end London property prices, which have been much more resilient than elsewhere in the country during the recession, were also boosted by Middle Eastern investors looking for “real assets” and “transportable wealth”, according to Godber.

Arab Spring Made Diamond Prices Sparkle: Fund Manager (Christian Science Monitor)