News
Tharisa meets FY2026 guidance, Karo Platinum fully funded as net debt swings to $51m
Tharisa has reported full-year production in line with guidance for both platinum group metals (PGMs) and chrome concentrates, while confirming its Karo Platinum project in Zimbabwe is now fully funded following a $300 million bond issue.
Yesterday
Israel’s diamond sector poised for revival following tax reforms and De Beers comeback
De Beers, one of the world's major diamond market players, has announced the resumption of its operations in Israel after a nine-year absence, which became the latest sign of revival of the diamond industry in the country.
Yesterday
Kefi Gold and Copper restarts Tulu Kapi development after safety review
Kefi Gold and Copper has resumed development at its Tulu Kapi gold project in Ethiopia following a suspension that began on September 7 after a serious safety incident three days earlier.
Yesterday
Nornickel implements smart melt monitoring system
Norilsk Nickel has installed a smart melt monitoring system at its metallurgical plant in Norilsk in collaboration with Reksoft. The system uses computer vision to assist the converter operator in identifying phases during the tapping process.
Yesterday
ALROSA to help amplify Arctic agenda at UN
In preparation for the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), ALROSA experts and other stakeholders from Russia discussed a unified approach to strengthening the country’s position and the Arctic agenda at UN climate conferences.
Yesterday
AGTA CEO Doug Hucker: “We want people to become excited and to buy more and own more colored gem stones”
09 january 2013
The Dallas-based American Gem Trade Association is a 31-year-old nonprofit organization, dedicated to serving the natural colored gemstone industry. AGTA hosts a major trade show known as the AGTA GemFair in Tucson in February and also is a significant part of the JCK show in Las Vegas. AGTA President Doug Hucker speaks about what's happening in the association and in the industry on the colored gem stone front, explains why we can’t have a Kimberley Process with colored gem stones and shares his observations for the 2012 holiday shopping season in his exclusive interview to Rough&Polished.
Forevermark India is picking up speed
05 january 2013
De Beers seriously set sights on the Indian market, originally predicting success and sustainable growth. It is expected that by 2016 demand for Forevermark diamonds will increase reaching 11 percent of the global consumer demand for diamonds. Today, Forevermark in India cooperates with pace-setting jewelry houses and periodically carries out presentations and award ceremonies for discerning Indian consumers. We asked Sachin Jain, Managing Director of Forevermark India, to tell how they managed to make Forevermark diamonds so popular among Indian consumers in such a brief period of time.
Jonathan Kendall: The inscription on each Forevermark diamond is proof of the promise that it is beautiful, rare and responsibly sourced
24 december 2012
On the threshold of Christmas Rough&Polished asked Jonathan Kendall, Global Operations Director for De Beers’ Forevermark, who heads up the Forevermark Diamond Institute in Antwerp and all other related projects, to tell our readers more about how Forevermark diamonds are screened to be certified as the world’s utterly unblemished gems.
Chaim Even-Zohar: Rough diamond prices to stabilise by 2016
17 december 2012
The rough and polished diamond market had been limping throughout the year as the Euro-debt crisis, sluggish economic recovery in the U.S and tight liquidity continues. Tacy president Chaim Even-Zohar said demand for diamonds was also going down as the industry competes with consumables such as iPads and iPhones. Even-Zohar, who spoke to Rough&Polished African Bureau Editor-In-Chief Mathew Nyaungwa on the sidelines of the inaugural Zimbabwe diamond conference, which was held recently in the resort town of Victoria Falls, said prices for rough were expected to drop by 13 to 15 percent in the years to come before stabilising in 2016.
Rosy Blue: Simply explained, the rough prices should reflect the polished prices
10 december 2012
Dilip Mehta, CEO of Rosy Blue, a long-time DTC sightholder and one of the world’s largest diamond manufacturers having close relationships with all the major mining houses, including De Beers and ALROSA, spoke about his company’s business in the interview he gave to our correspondent in Brussels.
Stephen Lussier: “I feel that campaigns that harness the emotional power of diamonds, and link them to the profound moments in life are the ones that endure”
03 december 2012
Forevermark, a De Beers Group subsidiary producing top-end polished diamonds, is spreading its network services around the world. Its branding program was created to offer customers and the jewelry industry a safe and inexpensive way to identify certified natural diamonds. The brand’s diamonds are awarded their "Seal of Excellence" by the Forevermark Diamond Institute in Antwerp, Belgium. Our correspondent in Brussels asked Stephen Lussier, CEO of Forevermark, to share his view on how the brand is progressing.
Ambassador Milovanovic speaks out as U.S’ KP chairmanship comes to an end
26 november 2012
She made history as the first ever female to chair the Kimberley Process on behalf of the United States. Ambassador Gillian Milovanovic, who had been at the helm of an organisation established in 2003 to promote the trading of conflict free diamonds, will soon be bequeathing her position to another female leader, South Africa’s mineral resources minister Susan Shabangu. Rough & Polished’s African Bureau Editor-In-Chief Mathew Nyaungwa had a one-on-one interview with the outgoing KP chairperson to take stock of her tenure.
Lisa Bridge - Ben Bridge has been successful for 100 years because we have stayed true to our core values but have been flexible to change
19 november 2012
This year marks a centenary since Ben Bridge was established starting with a single jewelry store in downtown Seattle. Today, Ben Bridge operates 75 stores across the country and flaunts a well recognized brand, as well as a reputation of one of the best companies for employment. Moreover, Ben Bridge has been a family business in the course of five generations. Lisa Bridge talking to the editor of the American Bureau of Rough&Polished disclosed some secrets of success won by this company and told about the importance of relationships in business, the jeweler’s participation in the Forevermark program and why she believes the jewelry business is the happiest. By the way, Ben Bridge is the first company in the United States, which started to work with Forevermark diamonds.
Maxim Shkadov: Mining companies need to create a “diamond OPEC”
12 november 2012
Kristall is the largest diamond manufacturer in Russia and one of the largest in Europe. Based in Smolensk, the company is producing top-quality polished diamonds and occupies a prominent place in the global diamond community successfully competing with many world-renowned firms. Maxim Shkadov, CEO of OAO Kristall, recently elected President of the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA), gave this interview to Rough&Polished.
Viable diamond manufacturing still out of reach – Seber
06 november 2012
De Beers’ Diamond Trading Company (DTC) sold an estimated $750 million worth of rough diamonds at its October sight recently, while maintaining prices relatively stable. Although there were relatively low levels of refusal of goods during the October sight, reports say some Sightholders were still not happy as it remained difficult to make money on DTC boxes. Rough & Polished caught up with Hard Stone Processing managing director Burhan Seber who concurred that viable manufacturing is still out of reach. He said the consequences were even dire on producer country sightholders who are not at liberty to do as they wish with their purchased rough.
