News
Diamond jewellery sales in India set to increase 15% - 20% on sharp rise in gold prices
Indian diamond jewellery retailers anticipate a 15% - 20% increase in sales during the 2026 festive season, driven primarily by the sharp rise in gold prices which prompts consumers to consider diamond jewellery in more affordable price range...
Yesterday
South Africa mining output falls 12.7% in August on weak PGMs, coal and iron ore
South Africa's mining output declined 12.7% year-on-year in August, according to Statistics South Africa, with platinum group metals, coal, and iron ore accounting for the largest negative contributions.
Yesterday
Aterian expands copper footprint at Azrar project in Morocco
Aterian has identified multiple copper showings and substantially expanded the known mineralisation footprint at the Amane Target of its 85%-owned Azrar Copper-Silver project in Morocco, following initial exploration fieldwork.
Yesterday
Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources identifies region with largest platinum and palladium deposits
Russia retains second place globally in terms of platinum and palladium reserves, while the largest deposits of these metals are concentrated in Krasnoyarsk Territory, according to the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources.
Yesterday
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.
13 october 2026
Lightbox and Lab-Grown Diamonds: Tracing the Price Trajectory
09 august 2021
(nationaljeweler.com) - In 2018, De Beers sent shockwaves through the industry by announcing it would begin selling lab-grown diamonds. The diamond miner and marketer made the announcement just ahead of Las Vegas market week. But it did so with the caveat that its man-made diamonds would be used in fashion jewelry only under a new brand called Lightbox. The brand has a clearly defined pricing structure: $200 for a piece set with a 0.25-carat diamond; $400 for a half-carat diamond; $600 for 0.75 carats; and $800 for 1 carat. The news sparked conversations about what would happen to lab-grown diamond prices now that an industry giant had lumbered into the ring and sent an unmistakable message about what it believes the stones are worth. Three years in, National Jeweler is checking in with diamond market experts to see what actually happened since Lightbox hit the market.
Switching to synthetic gems may have environmental upsides but it could harm the very communities consumers worry about
06 august 2021
(theguardian.com) - Diamonds have long been in the debt of marketing genius. Until the 1940s they were not a popular choice for engagement rings. Then, in 1947, a stroke of brilliance: De Beers’ “A Diamond is Forever” campaign. The slogan was a hit. The market transformed. Today diamond engagement rings are ubiquitous, winking from the windows of upmarket jewellers. Earlier this year came another glittering moment in diamond PR. Pandora, the world’s largest jewellery retailer, announced it would be switching entirely to lab-made diamonds. It generated positive headlines around the world, dubbed an “ethical stand against mined diamonds”. Pandora is not alone. In 2020 De Beers invested in a lab-grown line, launching a facility to churn out up to 400,000 diamonds a year. Other retailers tout their laboratory stones as “100% ethical and conflict free” or “an ethical choice”. It is a neat resolution for an industry shadowed by reports of exploitation, deftly crafted for millennial consumers concerned with the ethics of consumption. But the reality, experts and workers say, is more complicated. Switching en masse to lab-made gems may have environmental upsides, and relieve companies of reputational risks. But it could disfranchise the same communities that consumers are concerned for – and it comes at a moment when traceable, ethically mined gems are more accessible than ever.
A Call for Synthetics Transparency
05 august 2021
(diamonds.net) - Among the challenges of assessing the lab-grown diamond market is the lack of published data on the sector. That’s largely because none of the companies operating in the space are publicly traded, which would require them to disclose metrics such as sales, profit and production. It’s largely through public reports by miners such as Alrosa, De Beers (via Anglo American), Petra Diamonds and others that one can gauge the size of the natural-diamond market. Their reports also provide important anecdotal information about trends and the state of the market. Very little of that exists in the synthetics market.
In Marange, illegal diamond trade thrives – for the politically-connected
04 august 2021
(zimlive.com) - According to Zimbabwe’s Precious Stones Trade Act, unlawful dealing in or possession of precious stones attracts a jail sentence of at least five years. In addition, you may be liable to a fine of up to ZW$1.6 million (US$19,000). There is little law enforcement in the city of Mutare, dubbed the diamond city. Foreign nationals here form a syndicate with locals and corrupt members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police: a criminal, politically connected enterprise operating almost publicly. Ironically, this is the end result after a host of local and international measures promised to achieve an honest use of the rich resource. Diamonds to the people, the slogan used to go, once upon a time. But it was never the case.
Antwerp loses its sparkle as Dubai lures diamond trade
03 august 2021
(thetimes.co.uk) - Huddled around a small table, speaking a mix of Yiddish and Hebrew, the Orthodox Jewish traders debated the colour, purity and shape of a £325,000 diamond. Dressed in black and white, curly side-locks dangling beneath wide-brimmed black hats, they and many others like them are among the newest, most conspicuous and best-received visitors to Dubai’s booming Diamond Exchange. For most of the past five centuries, Antwerp in Belgium has been the global capital of the diamond trade, but the combined effects of the coronavirus and a historic diplomatic agreement last year have turned Dubai into a serious rival.
