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Diamond prices are up because demand is growing — despite the country's recent emergence from various forms of lockdown.

Why it matters: Diamonds were a big pandemic-era winner, when U.S. spending flowed out of service, travel and experiences into goods and high-end products.

  • The trend hasn't reversed, with increases in online sales, younger men who are less anxious about going into stores, and purchases of larger stones. 

By the numbers: De Beers, one of the biggest diamond miners in the world, has already reached 73% of its 2020 rough diamond sales so far this year.

  • E-commerce sales for Signet, the parent company of Kay Jewelers and Zales, grew 125% over 2019 in the latest quarter, thanks to its virtual consultants and try-on features, the company says.
  • And even though store foot traffic may still be down compared with two years ago, the company reported a higher average transaction value.

What hasn't changed: Celebs are still coveting the precious stones, and there's still tremendous value in rarity.

  • Check out rapper Post Malone’s new 12-carat, $1.6 million fangs and the new 470-carat diamond that was just discovered in Botswana.

The big picture: Jewelry and accessories have been one of the biggest drivers of retail growth, especially online, over the past year.

  • Jewelry sales saw the biggest jump of any retail category — up 45% last month versus 2019 — according to Mastercard.

What to watch: New strains of the coronavirus may impact supply chains for diamonds down the line.

Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times

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Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.

Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.

The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.

  • The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.

What the transcripts say:

  • Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
  • The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
  • Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."

Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.