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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
Norilsk Nickel’s financial results for the second half of 2023: Steady profitability despite a decreased revenue
01 april 2024
On February 9, Norilsk Nickel presented the company’s financial statements for the second half of 2023 in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The main financial indicators were close to market expectations. Taking into account a strong decline in prices for base metals, an important result was that the profitability remained almost unchanged.
Many a mickle make a muckle: can new diamond mines support the current production volumes?
25 march 2024
Currently, diamond deposits discovered in the middle of last century make up the overwhelming majority of the global production. The depletion of their reserves for open-pit mining explains the transition to underground mining, which significantly increases the cost of rough diamonds and can lead to suspending or even shutting down a mining enterprise when the diamond market’s activity is low.
Belgium’s diamond hub
18 march 2024
The industry organizations argue that the sanctions by the G7 countries may seriously damage the diamond industry as a whole and, moreover, will give additional competitive advantages to Russian rough diamonds. Particular objections were triggered by the G7’s requirement imposed on diamond producers (except Canada) to send their rough diamonds on a mandatory basis to Belgium where the gemstones should undergo certification.
Russia, Zimbabwe: unified under the wrath of US sanctions
11 march 2024
Russia and Zimbabwe have had a close relationship for the long time, and one of the issues that they share in common of late is the US sanctions.
The platinum shortage does not influence the price yet
04 march 2024
Although the price of platinum in 2023 looked significantly stronger than the price of palladium, this is clearly not the result platinum producers, investors and experts expected a year ago. Exaggerated optimism about platinum can be seen when looking at the results of the last year’s LBMA Annual Precious Metals Forecast Survey. The most bearish forecast turned out to be very close to the true price, and the average price forecast made by the analysts surveyed was 11% higher than the actual average price in 2023.
Indian Jewellery sector set to soar in the coming years
26 february 2024
Historically, India is known for its fascination for jewelry, which goes back many thousands of years ago. It is said that India was the biggest exporter and manufacturer of jewelry, especially of pearls which was held in high regard by overseas connoisseurs. In addition, for the last 2000 years, India has been home to diamonds, semi-precious stones and gold in abundance. Export trade flourished and over the years, India graduated to become the sole supplier of gemstones across the world.
On the probability-based approach to identifying the origin of polished diamonds
20 february 2024
The sanctions imposed by the G7 countries on the Russian-origin diamonds should inevitably have led to efforts aimed at developing hardware and software systems allowing the identification of the origin of polished diamonds to create appropriate customs barriers.
Scarcity of fresh diamond deposits compels miners to go underground
12 february 2024
The Luele kimberlite mine (previously Luaxe), which Angola inaugurated in November, will, upon expansion of its plant, become the largest diamond mine in the country. The Luele resource is estimated to have 628 million carats and a lifetime of 60 years.
A reverse in platinum-for-palladium substitution and new applications of palladium: factors in favor of the palladium market growth
05 february 2024
The substitution of palladium with platinum in gasoline vehicles is a tailwind for platinum producers and a nightmare for palladium producers such as Norilsk Nickel and Sibanye-Stillwater. It is doubly disappointing that this is happening amid the growing vehicle electrification, which is reducing the interest in internal combustion engines (ICE) vehicles that use over 80% of palladium supply. Now that the difference in the price for an ounce of palladium and platinum has dropped to a minimum, a reverse substitution is quite possible, Norilsk Nickel believes.
Mining majors' expertise and resources to help ASMs increase productivity and reduce accidents
29 january 2024
Research papers worldwide indicate that there are 45 million artisanal miners, including their families, which means there are more than 200 million people who are fully supported by artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), operating in more than 80 largely underdeveloped countries around the world. This figure is not solely from diamond and gold ASM but from various other metals and minerals as well.
