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
Lucapa narrows kimberlites search
29 march 2021
Lucapa Diamond and its Lulo partners have been for close to a decade searching for the kimberlite source or sources of alluvial diamonds being recovered from within the Lulo diamond concession, in Angola. The company believes that the frequent recovery of large and irregular-shaped alluvial Lulo diamonds point to a nearby primary source.
Lucapa chief executive Stephen Wetherall told Rough & Polished’s Mathew Nyaungwa in an exclusive interview that the work programmes done over the years had been reduced from 350 anomalies and over 100 discovered kimberlites in the Cacuilo Valley to below 20 priority targets. He said they are planning to bulk sample the priority kimberlites.
Funding for the exploration programme had been coming from Lucapa's internally generated cash flows.
Shashikant D Shah: “Mined diamonds and LGDs are separate categories”
22 march 2021
Armed with a commerce degree, Shashikant D Shah entered the diamond trade by opening a diamond Jewellery Showroom exclusively for Nakshatra and Asmi brands in 2003 and has not looked back since. DM Gems came into being in 2003 with Shashikant as Founder/Owner, and the very next year the company was appointed as Distributor for Gemesis Cultured Diamonds (Gemesis Corp.) and entered the world of lab-grown diamonds (LGD). Today, as the Chairman of Lab Grown Diamond & Jewelry Promotion Council (LGDJPC), Shashikant Shah has been spreading awareness of lab-grown diamonds and helping and educating traders in the sector. In an exclusive Interview with Rough&Polished, Shashikant Shah gives a clear picture of the LGD sector in India, their operations, processing methods and so on.
Andre Messika: “The natural diamond industry today is one of the most transparent, regulated, and ethical industries in the world”
15 march 2021
Andre Messika, a Paris-based topnotch distributor of polished diamonds migrated to Israel in 2003, to establish Andre Messika Diamonds in the Israel Diamond Exchange in Ramat Gan …and has not looked back since. In 2012, in recognition of the continuous rise in turnover and a robust cashflow, Andre Messika Diamonds was honoured as Outstanding Exporter. A member of the Responsible Jewellery Council since 2012, the company adheres to its principles and code of practice. The company manufactures diamonds into exquisite gems, not just white diamonds, but all fancy colours, be it yellow, blue, red, pink and many of the other stunning hues. Today, as the Founder/Chairman of Andre Messika Ltd., he steers the company that has grown into one of the largest manufacturer and distributor of rough and polished diamonds. Here, in an exclusive Interview with Rough&Polished, Andre Messika talks about his company with immense passion, having nurtured it for many decades…
Striving for excellence
08 march 2021
Despite the pandemic, the exhibition "Carl Fabergé & Feodor Rückert. Masterpieces of Russian Enamel” was successfully held at the Moscow Kremlin Museums where about 400 pieces of precious metal with enamel were displayed made by the Russian jewelry firms at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries as well as the works by the Russian painters and the masterpieces of the Russian national treasury (Usolye enamels, Chinese porcelain, gold utensils of the 17th century). Art expert Tatiana Muntian, the curator of this exhibition, told Rough&Polished about the efflorescence in the Russian jewelry art and about its representatives as well as about the current state of the jewelry industry.
Botswana Diamonds deal with Diamexstrat, Burgundy more extensive than that with Alrosa – Campbell
01 march 2021
Botswana Diamonds recently entered into a cooperation agreement with Diamexstrat Botswana and its partner, Burgundy to fund exploration of its prospecting licence assets in the southern African country. Company managing director James Campbell told Rough&Polished's Mathew Nyaungwa in an exclusive interview that the agreement with Diamexstrat and its partner is broader compared to the one they had with the Russian diamond giant, Alrosa. Under the deal that Diamexstrat and its partner, Burgundy can earn up to a 70% interest in Sunland Minerals and Sekaka's prospecting licences. Botswana Diamonds can also earn a 15% interest in prospecting licences held by Diamexstrat and its partner on the first $1.5 million spent on exploration by the later where the former's database assists in the discovery of a primary kimberlite.
‘By democratizing luxury, lab-grown diamonds are heading towards opening the widest consumer base globally the diamond industry has ever experienced’, asserts Amish Shah, President, ALTR Created Diamonds
22 february 2021
A third-generation diamantaire, Amish Shah, President of ALTR Created Diamonds and pioneer of the lab-grown diamond market has never been afraid to challenge the status quo. After gaining experience, through his family business in the diamond industry and fine jewelry at an early age, Amish joined R & R Grosbard Inc. in New York in 2001 and helped transform it into an international powerhouse. Ten years later, Amish took over its operations and led a merger with his family business, conceiving R A Riam Group Inc. in New York, which includes ALTR Created Diamonds. As the only vertically-integrated diamond enterprise that provides a true end-to-end product, ALTR creates the purest form of diamonds --- type-IIa diamonds --- known to man. Here, in an exclusive Interview with Rough&Polished, Amish Shah tells the Lab-Grown Diamond story with elan…
Debbie Azar: “I believe that natural and laboratory-grown diamonds are two separate products that can complement each other through their unique features and benefits”
15 february 2021
GSI is one of the largest gemological organizations in the world with 13 laboratories globally. GSI’s four pillars – integrity, innovation, professional service, and research & education – serve as the backbone of its business and provide a layer of protection for their customers. Because GSI utilizes leading-edge technologies and automated processes and software - it’s able to offer uncompromising accuracy, reliability and consistency. GSI offers a variety of products and services including natural diamond grading reports, laboratory-grown diamond reports, gemstone identification and origin reports, educational courses and much more. In this interview given to Rough&Polished, Debbie Azar shares her insights on diamond grading and the industry.
Consumer spending on diamonds exceeds expectations as rough demand outstrips supply – Zimnisky
08 february 2021
Consumer spending on diamonds exceeded expectations in the fourth quarter of 2020 and has continued through early 2021, according to a top industry expert. Diamond industry analyst Paul Zimnisky told Rough&Polished’s Mathew Nyaungwa that a multi-year trend of cleaning up oversupply in the market was brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic due to supply-chain disruptions and mine suspensions. He projected volatility in the market in the near-term, although he is of the opinion that the industry is best positioned from a supply standpoint as it has been in the past.
Every crisis creates new opportunities
01 february 2021
Pravin Shah has been in the business of diamonds for four decades; his technical expertise and thorough knowledge of the whole diamond manufacturing process sets him apart.
As a director, Pravin Shah is in charge of all the operations at two manufacturing factories – one in Surat and the other in Namibia. He is known for his leadership abilities, ethical values and guiding principles. He serves as a committee member in Gujarat Hira Bourse, a Vice-Chairman of Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO) Gujarat Zone, and also serves as a Trustee in various social and religious trusts. Pravin Shah is a visionary, an avid reader and a passionate diamantaire. Here, in an interview with Rough&Polished, Pravin Shah comes across as an astute businessman, passionate about expanding the company’s business … going forward.
“With technology all information is immutable and Blockchain cannot be compromised,” reassures Erik Jens, CEO, LuxuryFintech
25 january 2021
When Erik A Jens quit ABN AMRO as global CEO of its diamond and jewellery client division, he started his movement called LuxuryFintech, which provides services such as commercial and corporate banking solutions for the art and jewelry sector, and asset-backed finance solutions for art and jewelry sector with blockchain solutions and many more. As Founder/CEO of LuxuryFintech, Erik Jens is involved in various projects and initiatives related to finance and provenance matters in the jewellery sector as well as the art sector. He comes armed with professional experience in banking, financing and investments; and specialized in private wealth management solutions, investments in hedge funds, private equity and real estate industry. Here, in an interview with Rough&Polished, besides spelling out the nuances of fintech business, Erik provides some very crucial updates on some of the most recent developments in the luxury fintech sector.
