Three veteran gemologists have launched a new gemstone testing facility, Swiss International Gemlab, introducing a proprietary artificial intelligence system to support grading accuracy and consistency.

Willy Bieri, Lawrence Hahn, and Matthias Alessandri founded the lab, which will operate from Lucerne, Switzerland, and Hong Kong, the company said last week. The three have worked together for more than a decade and said the facility is designed to deliver faster reports, improved transparency, and strong scientific rigor, while remaining free from external influence.

Swiss International Gemlab (SIG) said it will provide the “full spectrum” of services for colored gemstones. These include identification, origin determination, treatment analysis, and detailed color grading.

At the core of its operations is “SIG-AI Assistance,” a proprietary system that cross-references analytical results with structured databases. The platform is designed to flag inconsistencies, support uniform reporting standards and shorten interpretation time, according to the lab.

The lab has set a standard turnaround time of five business days, with expedited options available for urgent submissions. Clients will also have access to real-time tracking to monitor the progress of their reports.

SIG is scheduled to make its first public appearance at this year’s GemGenève in May, where it will provide on-the-spot gemological services for exhibitors, offering a preview of its workflow and capabilities.

AI gains ground in gemstone grading

SIG’s launch comes as artificial intelligence continues to gain traction across the gemology sector, where labs are increasingly integrating data-driven tools into traditional workflows.

Several established laboratories have started using advanced digital systems in their workflows. Switzerland-based Gübelin Gem Lab, for example, introduced its “Gemtelligence” platform, which applies deep learning models trained on decades of gemstone data to assist with origin determination and treatment analysis while improving consistency.

Recent commentary from trade bodies indicates that these technologies are beginning to change how gemstones are identified and graded. The shift is also influencing day-to-day laboratory processes and shaping buyer confidence in certification standards.

At the same time, machine learning tools are being used to analyse spectroscopic data and high-resolution imagery. These systems can detect treatments, classify stones, and support grading decisions with a level of uniformity that remains difficult to achieve through manual assessment alone.

Against this backdrop, SIG’s use of its “SIG-AI Assistance” platform positions it within a growing segment of labs seeking to combine human expertise with algorithmic analysis to improve reliability and turnaround times in gemstone reporting.

TLDR

• Futures for the S&P 500 climbed 0.4% while Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 0.6% during Monday trading
• Diplomatic negotiations between Washington and Tehran, with Pakistan serving as mediator, boosted investor confidence
• President Trump extended his Iran ultimatum to Tuesday at 8:00 PM Eastern, warning of strikes on electrical infrastructure
• The critical Strait of Hormuz shipping channel continues to operate at minimal capacity, impacting approximately 20% of worldwide petroleum transport
• Crude prices retreated following ceasefire news, with Brent declining roughly 1.6% to settle near $107 per barrel

Wall Street futures posted solid gains Monday following emerging reports of potential diplomatic progress between Washington and Tehran. The positive movement arrived after a weekend marked by military escalation and aggressive rhetoric from the White House.

The S&P 500 futures contract advanced approximately 0.4%. Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 0.6%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures showed more modest growth at 0.1%.

Equity markets experienced brief volatility overnight following fresh warnings from President Trump directed at Iran. However, sentiment improved as news of diplomatic channels emerged.

According to Reuters, both Washington and Tehran have been presented with a preliminary ceasefire framework brokered by Pakistani officials. The framework reportedly calls for an immediate cessation of hostile actions. To date, neither government has publicly acknowledged or endorsed the terms.

In parallel negotiations, American officials alongside regional intermediaries are advocating for an extended 45-day truce that could potentially conclude hostilities permanently. Sources close to the discussions caution that prospects for success remain uncertain.

President Trump’s initial 10-day ultimatum to Iran reached its expiration Monday. However, Trump announced a postponement via social media, declaring the revised deadline as “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time.” In comments to the Wall Street Journal, he warned that American forces would target Iran’s entire electrical grid if the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane remains blocked beyond that timeframe.

Crude Markets Retreat on Diplomatic Progress

The strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that typically facilitates approximately 20% of global petroleum shipments, remains severely restricted to commercial tanker traffic. This ongoing blockade has sustained upward pressure on oil prices throughout recent trading sessions.

Crude futures had surged nearly 3% at Sunday evening’s market opening. However, prices reversed course following the ceasefire developments. Brent crude retreated approximately 1.6% to trade around $107 per barrel. West Texas Intermediate declined roughly 2% to approximately $109.

A noteworthy market anomaly emerged: WTI pricing exceeded Brent levels, an uncommon occurrence. Market analysts attribute this inversion to contract timing discrepancies, with WTI still trading May delivery contracts while Brent has transitioned to June settlements.

Researchers at Gavekal Research suggest Iran may be leveraging its control over the strait to extract substantial passage fees from vessels. They characterize this as an emerging revenue strategy for Tehran.

Other Markets

Gold appreciated 0.9% to approximately $4,720 per ounce during Monday’s session. The benchmark 10-year US Treasury yield edged higher to 4.362%.

American military forces successfully extracted a US aviator who had been detained inside Iranian territory over the weekend. Iranian forces continued launching missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles toward Gulf nations and Israel through Monday morning.

The geopolitical landscape remains uncertain, with Tuesday evening’s deadline representing the next critical juncture for both financial markets and international diplomacy.

Bitcoin (BTC) faces a fresh showdown this week as macro tensions contrast with a bullish BTC price trend reversal.

• A classic BTC price metric is above to flip bullish for the first time in nearly a year — last time, price gained $25,000 in two months.

• Short time frames see liquidations as “aggressive” traders pile in at $70,000.

• Iran war tensions are at breaking point as US President Donald Trump’s “Bridge Day” deadline nears.

• US inflation data will come thick and fast as the war begins to reflect in the numbers.

• The Bitcoin bear flag stays in play, with analysis warning that new lows are “likely just a matter of time.”

MACD indicator teases key bullish cross

On longer time frames, the weekly chart has become a source of hope for Bitcoin bulls this week.

The weekly close reclaimed the 200-week exponential moving average (EMA) trend line, but more than that, a classic BTC price metric is about to produce a key bull signal.

On a weekly basis, the moving average convergence/divergence (MACD) hinted that Bitcoin’s latest downtrend is in the process of reversing.

“​​Holding this level is crucial for the entire Crypto industry,” X commentator Crypto Seth argued on Monday, noting that Ether (ETH) was also due an MACD cross.

Bitcoin’s last bullish weekly MACD flip occurred in May 2025, around one month after BTC/USD put in its 2025 low near $74,500. Over the following two months, price went from $94,000 to $119,000, setting new all-time highs.

Continuing on the phenomenon, X trading resource GalaxyTrading flagged key MACD comparisons across Bitcoin’s past two bear markets.

“In the 2018 bear market, it took around 245 days for the weekly MACD to turn positive,” it noted. 

“In 2022, it also took 245 days to turn bullish. In 2026, we will reach 245 days by the end of April.”

Liquidations spike as Bitcoin tags $70,000

Bitcoin managed a trip beyond $70,000 after the weekly close, data from TradingView confirms, reaching new April highs.

While some traders remained skeptical over pre-market price action, the close itself was notable, bringing back both the 200-week EMA and old 2021 all-time high as potential support.

As Cointelegraph reported, both levels have courted suspicion over their reliability.

$BTC pumping on a Sunday and everyone celebrating…

You guys will never learn.

— Roman (@Roman_Trading) April 6, 2026

The move to the local highs caught short positions off guard, with total crypto liquidations passing $250 million over the 24 hours to the time of writing, per data from CoinGlass.

In his latest analysis, trader CrypNuevo continued to eye longs closer to $64,000 for a potential liquidity hunt to the downside.

“There are some HTF liquidations between $64k-$64.5k. This adds fuel a move lower. I don’t see conclusive data on LTF liquidations,” he commented in an X thread on Sunday.

In one of its “QuickTake” blog posts, onchain analytics platform CryptoQuant flagged the return of “aggressive short-term positioning” — spikes in both cumulative net taker volume and open interest on Binance.

This matters because Bitcoin’s move is being driven not only by price strength, “but also by renewed speculative participation in derivatives,” contributor Amr Taha commented. 

“In simple terms, traders are becoming more willing to add fresh exposure as BTC pushes higher. If this trend continues, it could reinforce short-term momentum.”

Trump’s Iran “Bridge Day” puts markets on edge

A combination of geopolitics and key US inflation data makes for a week of “extreme volatility,” analysis predicts.

The US-Israel and Iran war continues to guide market sentiment, and oil prices reflect the uncertainty over the fate of key issues such as the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz. WTI crude oil started the week with a trip above $115 per barrel.

Traders are now eyeing one deadline in particular when it comes to how the conflict might play out: Tuesday, 8pm Eastern time. This is when US President Donald Trump promises major infrastructure strikes if no deal with Iran is reached.

In a post on Truth Social at the weekend, Trump appeared particularly impatient, calling the day of the deadline “Power Plant Day” and “Bridge Day” while demanding that Hormuz reopen.

Headlines remain mixed, however, with talk of a 45-day ceasefire now a focus.

“This is being described as a ‘last-ditch effort’ to prevent ‘massive strikes on Iranian civilian infrastructure,’” trading resource The Kobeissi Letter reported on X.

Kobeissi noted that S&P 500 futures “erased all losses” on the news, underscoring risk-asset vulnerability to war-related triggers. As Cointelegraph reported, Bitcoin remains no exception.

Last week, macro investor and former hedge fund manager James Lavish nonetheless said that markets were pricing in odds of the war ending sooner rather than later.

A potential drawdown for BTC price action should markets experience a “black swan” event, he told Cointelegraph, could be up to 20%.  

Risk assets face two major US inflation prints

Markets will thus be juggling war shocks and inflation data concurrently this week, with multiple US prints due.

Among them is the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Index, known as the Federal Reserve’s “preferred” inflation gauge.

February’s PCE release matched market expectations, but did not reflect inflation trends after the war had started.

“Following the jump in oil prices and potential spillover impact from fertilizer shortages on food prices, challenges around the inflation outlook still poses a major risk,” trading resource Mosaic Asset Company summarized in the latest edition of its regular newsletter, “The Market Mosaic.”

That risk also applies to the week’s last and arguably most important inflation number: the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Here, the oil-price jump is especially pertinent, thanks to its direct impact on CPI inflation trends.

“Oil prices are now crossing above $115/barrel in the US. As a result, our models indicate that if current levels are sustained another ~7 weeks, US CPI inflation will rise to ~3.7%,” Kobeissi commented.

Kobeissi said that its “base case” for CPI inflation was now 3% — considerably higher than the Fed’s target.

Like PCE, the most recent CPI print was flat, helping temper the impact of previous overshoots.

The latest data from CME Group’s FedWatch Tool meanwhile shows practically no chance of the Fed either raising or lowering interest-rates at its next meeting at the end of April.

New lows “just a matter of time?”

As macro events play out, Bitcoin still has a specific cloud hanging over it that traders fear will only lead price downward.

Related: Bitcoin ‘done’ with 85% crashes, says Cathie Wood amid new $34K target

BTC/USD continues to battle for support at the bottom of its second bear flag of 2026. The first, which appeared in January, resulted in a drop of roughly $25,000.

“Structurally, $BTC price action is still nearly identical to the prior bear flag structure,” Keith Alan, cofounder of trading resource Material Indicators, warned last week. 

“Nothing says that it has to continue to mimic that price behavior, but I’m following it like roadmap until price deviates from that path.”

When it comes to new lows, Cointelegraph reported on broad consensus that February’s downside wick below $60,000 will be revisited. 

“When that breakdown eventually happens, watch the behavior closely. If price starts repeatedly sweeping the lows, making it psychologically difficult to enter longs, that’s when a true bottom is more likely forming,” pseudonymous trader LP told X followers this weekend.

LP said that new lows were “likely just a matter of time.”

Alan, meanwhile, eyed a trip to the mid-$40,000 range as part of a “measured move” below bear-flag support.

“Expecting to test resistance in the $67k – $69k range before the next leg down,” he wrote while discussing the topic on X. 

“End to the war or a really strong Q2 Open could invalidate the bear flag and challenge resistance at the MACRO structure.”