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 grand betrayal: How the Kimberley Process systematically devalues Africa's diamonds
24 november 2025
The address delivered during the Kimberley Process (KP) Plenary by the custodian, while elegantly framed, presents a profound misdiagnosis of the crisis facing the natural diamond industry. To attribute the precipitous decline in value and consumer confidence primarily to lab-grown competitors or urban security concerns in Western capitals is to ignore the foundational cancer at the core of the global diamond trade.
Silver prices soar on the wave of evolution of silver industrial consumption
20 november 2025
The price of silver has shown a 57-percent growth since early 2025, approaching its 1980 high of $52 per ounce in October and significantly outpacing the analysts’ forecasts. The LBMA’s consensus forecast for silver price of $32.86 per ounce was only 16% higher than the actual average price of $28.27 in 2024, despite the fact that silver was the leader among the four precious metals (gold, silver, platinum, and palladium).
How critical is the dependence on strategic minerals
17 november 2025
The use of critically important minerals (copper, nickel, lithium, cobalt, graphite, and rare earth metals) marks a new era in human development. The so-called strategic minerals are becoming the new "black" gold. According to experts, by 2030, the demand for minerals that are crucial for the energy transition and the digital economy will almost triple.
Report Shows UK Jewelry Market Driven by Craftsmanship, Ethical Sourcing, and Investment Value
10 november 2025
The UK jewelry market is experiencing impressive growth, with a projected rise from $5.76 billion in 2024 to $9.41 billion by 2033, according to a report by Grand View Research. This growth is fueled by shifting consumer preferences towards long-term value, ethical sourcing practices, and exceptional craftsmanship. Over the period from 2025 to 2033, the market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.7%.
Nickel prices are stable despite the unfavorable conditions, but not yet poised for growth
03 november 2025
Over the past three years, the nickel market has suffered from oversupply driven by rapidly growing supplies from Indonesia. Experts do not expect the nickel market to return to balance before 2030. The outlook for nickel consumption in the battery manufacturing industry is less optimistic than it was recently, as demand for this metal for electric vehicles has declined due to the reduced cost, improved performance, and longer life of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. Despite a host of negative factors, nickel prices remain relatively stable, fluctuating around $15,000 per tonne, the breakeven point for some non-integrated market players. This price stability has prompted investment funds to make record high growth bets since March 2022. The growing popularity of extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs), primarily using NMC batteries with the highest energy density, may also encourage optimism. However, any significant price recovery will depend on whether Indonesia is going to curb its uncontrollable nickel sector, as this is the only factor that can change the current oversupply dynamics.
Botswana targets control of De Beers by end of October: Mission impossible?
27 october 2025
Botswana has openly expressed its desire to snap up a controlling stake in the diamond company, De Beers, which is up for sale by its parent company, Anglo American, as part of a major restructuring. The southern African country currently owns a 15% stake in the diamond giant while Anglo controls the remaining 85% shareholding. Botswana President Duma Boko said last month that his country is pushing to finalise a deal to acquire a majority stake in De Beers by the end of October. "We are more than ready for the transaction, and we've said the transaction must be concluded by the end of October," Boko said in an interview with Bloomberg in New York. "It's a matter of economic sovereignty for Botswana." The end of October is nigh, and there are no signs of Botswana clinching the deal.
Natural diamond industry investing in joint future
20 october 2025
The global natural diamond industry has launched its most aggressive, coordinated, and well-funded marketing push in decades. Emerging from a "tumultuous, challenging period" marked by economic slowdowns, shifting consumer priorities, and the escalating threat of lab-grown alternatives, the trade has realized that collective action is no longer optional, but essential for survival.
Botswana's quest for economic sovereignty and the reversal of De Beers' dominance
06 october 2025
For industry veterans watching the unfolding drama between De Beers and the government of Botswana, the current situation can surely be regarded as little short of astonishing. For more than half a century the global diamond trade has seen the all-powerful multinational diamond giant paired with the diamond-rich southern African country largely to the benefit of De Beers. But that story is about to be rewritten.
Gold price rises beyond its 1980 peak and finds new sources of growth
29 september 2025
By the end of September, the gold price had posted a more than 43% growth year on year, driven by strong demand for safe-haven assets, inflows to exchange-traded funds (ETFs), a weaker dollar, and the diversification of gold reserves by central banks - after a new incentive in 2022 - to reduce their dollar dependence. Although central banks and jewelers slowed down their purchases of the precious metal in the second quarter of this year, as its price climbed from one all-time high to another, this didn’t slow down a steady bull run of gold prices to new highs.
M&A in the copper industry: What are the market signals?
15 september 2025
The main advantage of copper is its versatility: it has properties such as high electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance which make it useful in almost all key industrial sectors. This allows the demand for copper to remain high, provided that the whole industry keeps on growing, - regardless of whether the demand is due to the development of ‘green’ technologies that have been a recognized driver of the growing copper consumption in recent years, or due to the developing defense sector. This is also confirmed by the recent US policy: in August 2025, the country initiated the registration of copper in the list of critical minerals for the first time, recognizing its strategic importance for the economy and national security, regardless of the current environmental agenda.
