News
Indian jewellers promote natural diamonds amid competition from lab-grown stones
Falling prices for lab-grown diamonds and their resulting rise in market share are transforming India’s diamond jewellery market and prompting jewellers to take proactive measures.
Yesterday
Ethiopia opens first gold refinery to serve region
Ethiopia has inaugurated its first gold refinery, a $50 million joint venture that the government hopes will establish the country as a regional hub for precious metals processing, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced over the weekend, according to Reuters...
Yesterday
Anglo American bets R11.2B on South African mining's future
Anglo American has reaffirmed South Africa's potential as a premier mining investment destination, even as the company commits R11.2 billion ($677 million) to an ultra-high dense media separation iron-ore project at Sishen in the Northern...
Yesterday
Nornickel forecasts $4 billion in precious metals revenue for 2026 - report
A senior Nornickel representative noted that the company expects to generate $4 billion in revenue from precious metals sales this year.
Yesterday
Russia to build first permanent REM magnet plant
In 2028, Russia is set to start the construction of its first plant for manufacturing permanent magnets from rare-earth metals (REM) in the city of Glazov, to be commissioned in 2029 with an initial capacity of 500 tonnes per year, said Andrey...
Yesterday
“We help our clients take on a future that is full of unknown challenges, yet brimming with opportunities,” says Rajesh Shah, Partner, Venus Jewel
08 august 2022
Rajesh Shah has been a partner of Venus Jewel since joining the firm in 1985 with a deep focus on business development and sales. Working with his elder cousin Anil and his younger brother Hitesh, he has made the ongoing development of Venus Grading System, and the transparent detail it offers our customers, his ardent focus. Rajesh followed this with deep involvement in the creation of Venus Jewel’s rational pricing mechanisms, which are driven by the outputs of the Venus Grading System. Together, these systems reflect Rajesh’s commitment to delivering value to Venus Jewel’s clients, as well as the company’s commitment to innovation. He can foresee that tomorrow’s clients will take on a future that is different from today’s, so relentlessly seeks opportunities to innovate and remain relevant for the company’s clients and their customers. Here in an exclusive interview, Rajesh Shah speaks about the company he continues to upgrade and make it future-ready for his clients to effectively compete, not just today but for the years ahead.
“Soaring inflation, reduced disposable income, consumers’ ability to purchase will be the scenario,” warns Antonio Cecere, President, Geneva Diamond Exchange
01 august 2022
Antonio Cecere is the Managing Director of Cecere Group which operates in the diamonds and luxury goods sector, and it includes Cecere Monaco, an alternative investment boutique firm specializing in diamonds, Regina Monte Carlo, a fashion jewellery brand, Cecere Laboratories, an FMCG brand specialized in Cosmeceuticals, Helix Pharma, a biopharma producer. Besides business, Antonio Cecere is involved in many other sectors including being a lecturer and a public speaker and Founder - Vice President of Monaco Diamond Exchange - a non-profit association incorporated in the Principality of Monaco to ensure compliance with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme; as the President of Geneva Diamond Exchange, a non-profit association incorporated in the Swiss Confederation that ensures compliance with the international trade regulations; and Chairman of Diamonds Standards Organization, a Swiss NGO that protects professionals and reassures customers on the ethical sourcing of polished diamonds. As a public speaker, Cecere regularly speaks at universities, like the Bicocca University of Milan and economic forums like The Wealth Forums and WealthPro Russia. Cecere served as Professor at the International University of Monaco (INSEEC). In 2016 Antonio Cecere received the Honorary Diploma from the International Police Association in the Principality of Monaco for his merits in the ethical diamond trade. In the past, Antonio Cecere held senior positions at Swarovski, Montblanc, Burberry, Bally, and Babette Wasserman. Cecere specialized in turnarounds, and is experienced in Diamonds, Luxury Goods, Jewellery and Watches with a proven track record in creating commercial success in international markets including North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, China and Japan. At Swarovski in 2013, Cecere created the strategy and led the team responsible for the fastest turnaround of an acquired company ever recorded at Swarovski Group since 1895; at Montblanc in 2008 Cecere worked on the repositioning of the brand and was rewarded by Montblanc, the second largest company of the Richemont Group, with the Award for Contribution to the Business. In 2006 Antonio Cecere was awarded in the United Kingdom by Her Royal Highness Princess Royal the UK Export Award after receiving nominations for four consecutive years with the brand Babette Wasserman Jewellery for services rendered to the industry and in particular for the export of jewellery. In 2000 Antonio Cecere worked on the retail image of Bally to reposition the brand in the luxury goods market after the acquisition by Texas Pacific Group…
Botswana leads in providing financial incentives for diamond exploration – Campbell
25 july 2022
Botswana, which is one of the top diamond producers in the world, continues to provide legal certainty and financial incentives for diamond exploration and mine development, according to James Campbell, the managing director of Botswana Diamonds. He said no other African government provided sufficient financial incentives for diamond exploration companies. The diamond exploration junior predominantly has operations in Botswana and South Africa. It is also interested in exploring diamonds in Zimbabwe. Botswana Diamonds’ managing director also said the company has plans to transition to a diamond producer from exploration. Campbell said they will establish a commercially viable operation in South Africa and Botswana if they conclude funding to acquire the Ghaghoo diamond mine from Gem Diamonds.
“The future of real diamonds is greater than ever” asserts Leibish Polnauer, Founder- President, Leibish & Co
04 july 2022
Way back in the year 1979, young Leibish Polnauer, then a diamond polisher, travelled to London only to find the factory at which he worked had been shut down. But, luckily he found an advertisement from the royal crown jeweler Garrard‘s seeking a 6-carat pear-shaped diamond… and he made the phone call that would change his life forever. Garrard’s needed 80 pear-shaped diamonds in two weeks, and Leibish said that he would provide them though he did not have any stock of his own. Leibish Polnauer kept his promise to Garrad’s … so much for Leibish Polnauer’s entrepreneurship! And the rest, as they say, is history. Now, about four decades later, Leibish Polnauer- Founder- President still steers Leibish & Co, which strives to be a premier supplier of natural Fancy Color diamonds in all colors, sizes, and price ranges. Here, in an interview with Rough&Polished, Leibish Polnauer puts forth his candid views on the natural diamond industry as well as the lab-grown diamond sector.
Diamond prices remain steady despite sanctions imposed against ALROSA -Zimnisky
27 june 2022
Sanctions imposed against ALROSA only resulted in the smaller gem and near-gem quality goods outperforming other categories in recent months, according to an independent diamond analyst Paul Zimnisky. He told Rough&Polished’s Mathew Nyaungwa in an exclusive interview that diamond prices generally remained steady as the industry was fully stocked going into February, coupled with the seasonally slow time of the year for the industry. Zimnisky also said that the trade of Russian goods had declined since the end of May, partly due to the difficulties transacting in U.S. dollars and also because manufacturers are hesitant to buy if their clients are specifically requesting non-Russian goods.
Most people see great potential in the growth of LGD jewelry market
20 june 2022
Currently Wayne Wang-Wang Yichun is the General Manager, LUSANT - Incubation Project Management Department of Yuyuan Jewelry Co., Ltd. He was the General Manager of Shanghai Yuyuan Jewelry Co., Ltd - A Fosun Group Company; and General Manager of international trade company Yuyuan Jewelry Diamond Purchasing Department till recently. Widely experienced in the diamond industry, Wayne also held the position of Managing director of HRD Antwerp Certification Lab in the Greater China Region from May 2014-May to 2019. Before this, he was the Purchasing Director of Zbird of VIP sales department for 2 years at Zbird Diamond Co., Ltd. Here, in an exclusive interview with Rough&Polished, Wayne Wang talks about LGDs/Jewelry exhaustively, spelling out his aim in growing LUSANT in the opportunity that the sector offers…
De Beers sees good potential for exploration activities in Angola
13 june 2022
De Beers recently signed two mining investment contracts (MICs) with the Angolan government for licence areas in the provinces of Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul. The MICs for the two licence areas are for the award and exercise of mineral rights covering all stages of diamond resource development, from exploration to mining, and span 35 years. Each concession area will be held by a separate new joint venture company formed by De Beers Group and Endiama, Angola’s state-owned diamond company. De Beers will hold a substantial majority in the new companies, with Endiama having the ability to incrementally increase its equity share over time. De Beers spokesperson David Johnson told Rough&Polished’s Mathew Nyaungwa in an exclusive interview that they are returning to the southern African country where they maintained a residual presence since 2014 because they see good potential for exploration activities coupled with substantive reforms introduced in the local diamond sector. He also commented on the recently rolled out Tracr platform saying provenance had been an area of growing importance in the diamond industry in recent years.
This, he said, has been amplified and accelerated by the geopolitical events of 2022.
Ali Pastorini: The jewelry consumer does not evaluate the brand only by price
06 june 2022
Ali Pastorini is the co-owner of Del Lima Jewelry and President of Mujeres Brillantes, an association that brings together more than 1,000 women working in the gold and diamond trading sector, mainly from Latin America, as well as from Turkey, Spain, Italy, and Germany. The mission of Mujeres Brillantes is to help women in the jewelry and watchmaking sectors consolidate their business in order to exchange professional skills and experience. In the immediate past, Ali Pastorini was also Senior Vice President of the World Jewelry Hub in Panama. In this interview with Rough&Polished she talks about the situation in the diamond industry.
“We aim to bring in a different kind of a jewellery experience for the consumers,” says Vaishali Banerjee, Managing Director, PGI-India
30 may 2022
Vaishali Banerjee made a shift from the advertising and marketing industry to the jewellery industry to create category awareness for a metal that was lesser-known in the subcontinent. Initially, it was all about category creation in a vibrant, mature and well entrenched industry filled with opportunities and challenges. Since then, Vaishali Banerjee has been at the helm of a collaborative engagement with the industry. Vaishali Banerjee has been instrumental in building India’s successful relationship with the highest valued and rare metal – Platinum. She led the charge for Platinum Guild International, to enter a traditional jewellery market and create a new aspirational category of platinum-based jewellery. A firm believer in the merits of arduous research and data-driven insights, Vaishali also has a keen eye for evolving consumer needs and new business opportunities, which has led to the establishment of a thriving high-end platinum jewellery market in India. A marketing professional with extensive experience in category creation and market development across lifestyle and luxury brands, Vaishali, understands the importance of building a network of strong relationships. PGI’s long-standing relationships with retailers and consumers are a testament to her admirable interpersonal skills and leadership abilities. Here, in an Interview with Rough&Polished, Vaishali Banerjee tells her story of the association between PGI’s programmes and the Indian jewellery sector …
Demand for large lab-grown polished diamonds will grow in high-income countries
23 may 2022
Anastasia Shramko is an expert in precious stones, rough and polished diamond market, and an analyst. She is an author of the course “Lab-Grown Diamonds: Gemology and the Market” conducted on the site and in collaboration with the GemAcademia (International Center for Business and Gemology) and the Gemological Center of Moscow State University. Anastasia Shramko told Rough&Polished about the impact of the recent circumstances on the lab-grown diamond market, about lab-grown diamond marketing and the market prospects, about the basics of pricing and the principles of the lab-grown diamond pipeline.
