Exclusive
Diamond market crash is Africa’s opportunity, not its crisis – M'zée Fula Ngenge
Global natural diamond supply is forecast to fall below 95 million carats this year, the lowest since 1987. For Dr. M'zée Fula Ngenge, chairperson of the African Diamond Council (ADC), this is not a death knell but a clarion call. In an exclusive...
Today
Tracr passes 5 million rough diamonds milestone as De Beers expands provenance push
De Beers Group's blockchain-enabled traceability platform Tracr reached a significant milestone in 2025, with more than 5 million rough diamonds individually scanned and registered, up from 2.8 million cumulative registrations reported in 2024. The...
28 september 2026
South African diamonds head to Hong Kong: SDT partners with BRINKS for JGW 2026
South Africa’s State Diamond Trader (SDT) has confirmed the country's participation in Jewellery & Gem World Hong Kong (JGW) 2026 through a partnership with BRINKS. SDT marketing and communication manager Tsholofelo Gopolang Tselapedi...
14 september 2026
David Benderly: PermaScribe seeks to put trust mark on diamond table, not just girdle
In this interview with Rough & Polished’s Mathew Nyaungwa, PhotoScribe Technologies president and chief executive David Benderly explains how PermaScribe differs technically from conventional laser inscription, its potential to strengthen security, and...
31 august 2026
The great reset: Paul Zimnisky on supply catharsis, De Beers' bargain and the case for natural diamonds
The natural diamond industry is in the throes of its most profound reset in a generation. Supply is plunging to its lowest level since 1987 and De Beers—once valued at over $9 billion—is reportedly being sold for as little as $1 billion.
Lab-grown...
10 august 2026
The UK Diamond and Jewelry Market: Facing a New Diamond Reality
28 september 2026
The United Kingdom remains one of Europe's most important jewelry and diamond markets, but the structure of the business is changing rapidly. Britain combines a sizeable domestic jewelry market with London's position as an international center for luxury, diamond trading and high-value jewelry. At the same time, British consumers are becoming increasingly exposed to laboratory-grown diamonds, while inflation, the cost of living and changing attitudes towards luxury are altering what they buy.
China’s Diamond Market at a Crossroads as Growth Engine and Consumer Landscape Changes
22 september 2026
For much of the past 15 years, China was one of the great growth stories of the international diamond and jewelry industry. A rapidly expanding middle class, rising disposable incomes, increasing urbanization and a growing culture of diamond engagement and wedding jewelry transformed China from a relatively small diamond market into the industry's second-largest consumer market.
Copper supply challenges begin to concentrate
07 september 2026
The availability of copper concentrate (a feedstock for copper smelters) is among the key factors influencing the global copper market, along with expectations related to the U.S. monetary policy and the Gulf War. Available exchange warehouse copper stocks are growing, but a shortage in the copper concentrate market, coupled with tariff uncertainty, has contributed to copper prices reaching record highs by the end of August 2026.
Qatar Diamond Exchange: A New Challenger in the Gulf Diamond Trade
31 august 2026
The launch of the Qatar Diamond Exchange (QDE) marks an interesting new development in the Middle East – and global diamond industry. The Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZ) made the announcement on July 26 and made it clear that the bourse is an attempt to establish Doha as a new international gateway for the trade of rough and polished diamonds and precious stones.
Israel Diamond Exchange President Resigns as Trade Hits Historic Lows
17 august 2026
Just a matter of a few years ago, a visit to the Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) in Ramat Gan on the edge of Tel Aviv guaranteed visitors a view of a bourse heaving with hectic activity. For visitors, simply entering one of the exchange’s four buildings could be a somewhat lengthy process due to the sheer number of visitors from across the globe aiming to buy goods from one of the bourse’s many hundreds of member companies.
Polished diamond market recovery through the prism of the Veblen effect
04 august 2026
The protracted decline of the diamond market is due to a host of factors. Most of these factors were outlined in press releases by De Beers and other diamond miners, dating back to the second half of 2023 and early 2024, and had been repeated regularly ever since with an addition of current events such as the war in the Middle East. But another fundamental factor that remained unaddressed has also brought the market to its current state.
Rapaport: Small diamond prices accelerate recovery in June as inventory reductions support the market
27 july 2026
The recovery in prices for small diamonds gained momentum in June, with the 0.30- and 0.50-carat categories seeing sharper increases, according to Rapaport. The Rapaport Trade Diamond Index (RAPI) rose 4.2% for 0.30-carat diamonds, up from a 2.1% gain in May.
Three Candidates, Three Countries, One Unanswered Question: What Is the Future of the WFDB?
20 july 2026
When delegates from the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) gathered in Singapore in July for the World Diamond Congress, they were faced with the election of a new president with a real contest for the first time in many years. New WFDB presidents are normally a shoo-in with the candidate approached quietly during internal meetings to sound out his willingness to take on the position.
Nickel market: After a recent turnaround, Indonesia is again poised to limit price growth potential
13 july 2026
Nickel prices rebounded late last year, going beyond the range of $14,000-$16,000 per tonne and rising up to $19,600 per tonne by May 2026 as Indonesian authorities moved to curb the surplus supply. Having previously flooded global markets with nickel, Indonesia has reduced its mining quotas this year and tightened the ore pricing. These market-improving measures were supported by a sulfur shortage that affected battery-grade nickel producers in the country. Market participants estimate that Indonesia’s new policy and rising production costs have reinforced the nickel price floor at $18,000 per tonne. However, as the nickel price approaches $20,000 per tonne, it will be more difficult to sustain growth, as Indonesia retains the rights to allocate additional quotas in the second half of the year. China is actively pushing Indonesia toward this, warning of a loss of $50 bn in mining investment (of which $20 bn is planned) and 400,000 jobs if production restrictions are maintained.
As LGDs dominate smaller diamond sales, can industry survive on larger diamonds?
06 july 2026
As if the diamond industry wasn't facing enough problems from the lab grown diamond (LGD) sector in a highly competitive market, a new phenomenon appears to have come to the forefront. Natural diamonds weighing less than two carats are facing extreme pressure from LGDs, leaving the mined diamond market mostly dealing in larger stones which appears to be particularly the case in the critical American market diamond jewelry market.
