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.
Today
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...
Today
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...
Today
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.
Today
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...
Today
Natural diamonds most desired luxury jewellery, Gen Z spending double baby boomers, reveals De Beers report
15 june 2026
Natural diamonds remain the most desired jewellery item among US consumers, with Millennials and Gen Z driving demand value and spending, according to De Beers Group’s The Diamond Report, which draws on the biannual Diamond Acquisition Study of 18,500 women. The report reveals that 11% of women rank natural diamond jewellery as their most desired luxury gift, ahead of synthetic lab‑grown diamonds, other gemstones and pure gold.
Edahn Golan: India’s lab-grown diamond exports surpass natural diamonds by volume, yet value gap widens
01 june 2026
India’s diamond industry has reached a historic turning point. In March and April 2026, the volume of lab‑grown diamond exports overtook that of natural diamonds, with lab‑grown stones accounting for 51% and 50.4% of total export volume respectively. According to GJEPC figures cited by diamond industry analyst Edahn Golan, loose lab‑grown exports hit 1.3 million carats in March and 1.4 million in April, compared to 1.2 million and 1.3 million carats of natural diamonds.
Dr M’zée Fula-Ngenge: Kimberley Process failing Africa
18 may 2026
The Kimberley Process (KP) is failing Africa, and the world's definition of a “conflict diamond” is a moral and legal absurdity, according to the African Diamond Council (ADC) chairperson M’zée Fula-Ngenge. The following exclusive interview with Rough & Polished’s Mathew Nyaungwa captures Dr Fula-Ngenge's unfiltered diagnosis and roadmap for change.
How much CO2 is in a Pandora lab-grown diamond? 12.58 kg per carat
11 may 2026
Pandora’s cradle-to‑gate carbon footprint study of its lab‑grown diamonds, verified by EY (formely Ernst & Young) under limited assurance, finds that one polished carat carries a footprint of 12.58 kg CO2 equivalent (e). The growing stage (chemical vapour deposition) contributes 85% of total emissions, with electricity use accounting for 72% of the overall footprint.
Antwerp diamond trade volumes jump 20% in Q1 2026 as structural measures take hold
27 april 2026
The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) reported a nearly 20% increase in total diamond trading volume for the first quarter of 2026, driven by a 35.7% surge in rough diamond imports.
‘AI is the engine, diamonds are preserved upside down, copper currently the path to value’ – Botswana Minerals’ Campbell on strategy shift
13 april 2026
Botswana Minerals has positioned itself as a data-led, multi-commodity explorer, placing copper at the centre of its growth strategy while retaining diamond assets for future upside, Managing Director James Campbell has told Rough & Polished. In an exclusive interview following the company's rebrand from Botswana Diamonds, Campbell outlined a strategic shift driven by AI analysis of the company's 95,000 square kilometre Botswana database, which identified 11 copper targets and led to the grant of eight prospecting licences.
Emanuel Vieira Lopes: Angola's new digital mining cadastre to reduce permit times by a third
06 april 2026
Angola's new Digital Mining Cadastre (CMA) is on track to reduce average permitting timelines by one-third once fully deployed, according to Emanuel Vieira Lopes, Advisor to the Secretary of State for Mineral Resources. In an interview with Rough & Polished, Lopes outlined how the platform - launched in October 2025 - addresses long-standing investor concerns over bureaucratic friction and regulatory opacity by consolidating licensing, geological data, and spatial mapping into a single auditable system.
Paul Zimnisky warns diamond trade at "crossroads" as geopolitical tensions, pending De Beers sale, and LGDs reshape market
30 march 2026
As geopolitical tensions escalate in the Middle East, diamond industry analyst Paul Zimnisky warns that the impact is most acute at trading hubs like Dubai, where flight cancellations and travel fears are keeping buyers away. In a wide-ranging interview with Rough&Polished, Zimnisky, an independent diamond and jewellery analyst and consultant based in the New York City metro area, stressed that natural diamond supply has dropped dramatically—down over 50 million carats annually in the past decade—and shortages of larger stones are already driving price momentum.
From Harry Oppenheimer’s Kimberley House to Hong Kong: SDT's Conrad Van Der Ross on 35 years in diamonds
23 march 2026
South Africa's State Diamond Trader (SDT) operations manager Conrad Van Der Ross has witnessed the diamond industry transform over three and a half decades—from his nervous start as a De Beers trainee sorter in pre-democracy South Africa to helping shape the country's beneficiation strategy and reclaim the South African diamond brand on international stages like Hong Kong.
Rough diamond shortage squeezes emerging South African beneficiators, Macs Diamonds founder warns
16 march 2026
South Africa’s Macs Diamonds founder Macdonald Mogale has identified a shortage of rough diamonds as the most pressing challenge facing emerging beneficiators amid prolonged subdued market conditions. Speaking to Rough & Polished, Mogale noted that the supply constraint affects the entire industry but is particularly acute for smaller businesses competing for limited resources. Mogale credited the State Diamond Trader (SDT) with playing a crucial role in supporting emerging entrepreneurs by supplying rough diamonds, which he described as essential for companies involved in beneficiation.
