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...
Yesterday
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
Lab-Grown Diamond Continue to Appeal – Despite Falling Prices
21 august 2023
Although diamond mining giant De Beers’ launch of a range of lab-grown diamond (LGD) engagement rings on its Lightbox website in June was low key, it nonetheless showed many in the industry where the company is heading.
Global gold consumption behaviours are driven by economic expansion and price
14 august 2023
Gold, the oldest known precious metal to man, can sway the world's economy today. As a financial asset, gold is widely circulated in the market; it is still one of the main international reserve assets. Gold has always been a trusted investment tool, and worldwide investment demand for gold has increased by about 15% each year.
De Beers’ headache: the knock-on effect of its new sales agreement with Botswana
07 august 2023
Negotiations between Botswana and De Beers resulted in the recent signing of a new sales agreement covering the purchase of Debswana's rough diamond production through the year 2033. As a result of the deal, Botswana's diamond value chain will be expanded, and the proportion of Debswana's supply that will be sold by Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) will rise from its present level of 25% to 50% by the final year.
Copper market: What's the secret behind mismatched bullish “green” future and bearish present?
01 august 2023
For a long time, the constrained world copper reserves in development and the crucial role of this metal in the “green” economy have been key narratives of copper's investment case. Not only analysts but also producers believe this: last year, three out of four largest mergers and acquisitions were related to copper. Nevertheless, the copper price has been undergoing a correction for almost the entire first half of the year despite strong fundamental conditions for growth.
What does Eveledger collapse mean for the diamond industry?
24 july 2023
Our readers may be familiar with a few blockchain initiatives that emerged in the diamond industry over the past few years, when cryptocurrencies and NFTs were the buzz word of the day. Among them was Everledger, an ambitious blockchain project that was born in 2015 and came into spotlight somewhere in 2019, aimed at proving the provenance of every commodity - from diamonds and fine artworks to lithium and EV batteries.
Cynicism and profit: A word about the “Rough Diamonds” TV series
17 july 2023
The cannibalization of the natural rough diamond market by lab-grown diamond (LGD) producers continues to rapidly gain momentum. Coincidentally or not, but 2023 was marked not only by aggressive expansion of LGDs, but also by the release of the “Rough Diamonds” TV series.
The nickel market seeks a cure for resource nationalism
10 july 2023
The nickel price in H1 2023 showed the worst dynamics among any non-ferrous metals on the London Metal Exchange (LME), despite record low exchange warehouse stocks of the metal (equal to 5 days of global consumption) and strong growing demand for Class 1 nickel used in batteries. From the beginning of the year to the end of June, nickel prices fell by 26.5%.
Understanding synthetic diamonds prospects through grown gemstones history
03 july 2023
It's no secret that synthetic diamonds are getting traction and there are reasons for this development. However, the diamond market is not the first one to be shaken by synthetic gemstones but almost certainly the most recent, with a significant impact being observed in the last five to ten years give or take.Can we prognosticate the prospects of natural and synthetic diamond markets through history of similar industries? Let us find out.
The application of the General Taxation System to gold will continue
26 june 2023
At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the representatives of public organizations of small-scale jewelry businesses discussed the tax legislation with federal officials, including the Head of the Federal Tax Service Daniil Egorov and Deputy Finance Minister Alexey Sazanov.
Platinum to become most demanded among precious metals
19 june 2023
Platinum outperformed the precious metals in 2022, gaining 12% compared to a nearly 2% drop in palladium and moderate growth in gold and silver (up 1.3% and 4.8%, respectively). This result is remarkable in that it was achieved against the backdrop of a declining, but still oversupplied market. This year, most market players estimate that platinum deficit will finally come due to unsolvable power supply problems for South African manufacturers and a significant increase in demand from the auto sector where platinum is actively replacing palladium in gasoline car catalytic converters.
