At least one dot-com retailer gets more money--Diamond.com

Diamond.com, seller of certified diamonds, fine jewelry and brand-name watches on the Internet, announced today that it has closed a new round of financing with global expansion partner SOFTBANK Capital Partners L.P. Diamond.com principal-owner The Steinmetz Group, a leading international diamond trading group, also participated in this round, along with partners STI Ventures, Data Investments L.L.C. and the Lipton Group. The additional financing will be used to solidify the company's market position in the US and Internationally. In addition to financing, these companies provide Diamond.com with a full set of market access services in order to accelerate the company's position worldwide. These services include capital, infrastructure, and market support services, including strategic marketing, technical facilities and personnel resources. "We are pleased to extend our involvement with SOFTBANK, the Steinmetz Group and our other partners, who have all been extremely supportive of our efforts," said Alan Lipton, President and CEO of Diamond.com. "This additional financing confirms the solidity of our business model and the strong commitment of our partners. It will allow us to reinforce Diamond.com's domestic and international market position as the dominant Internet diamond, jewelry and watch resource."