Jewellery sales at Asian Star, a leading diamond and jewellery manufacturing company almost tripled at the end of the quarter closing December 31, 2010, to value $15 million. The Group sales rose 8 percent to $81.8 million and group profits increased 5 percent to $1.6 million. Intersegment sales rose 51 percent to $3.4 million.%% A slight 3 percent drop was noted in the sales of cut and polished diamonds to value $69.9 million. The diamond unit’s earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) dropped 4 percent to $7 million. The EBIT at the jewelry unit reduced 50 percent to $1.2 million (INR 54.8 million). %% The Group enjoyed a 19 percent rise in sales in the nine months ending December 31, 2010, to value $276 million, but an 11 percent drop in profits to $4.8 million.