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
The Superiority of Platinum Over White Gold Jewelry Alloys Proven In Wear Resistance Stud
20 may 2021
(instoremag.com) - Platinum Guild International (PGI) has released the findings of a formal independent study which proves the long-supported anecdotal evidence of platinum’s superiority in wear resistance and gem setting security versus that of gold jewelry. The most recent phase of research represented the third in a series of platinum wear testing studies, spanning 2016 to 2020. Conducted by fem Research Institute Precious Metals + Metal Chemistry, in association with TechForm Advanced Casting Technology and PGI, the study aimed to characterise the underlying reasons for platinum’s reported wear superiority.
Man-Made Diamonds Grow, but Not on Watch Brands
19 may 2021
(nytimes.com) - Many watch brands are using alternate materials like recycled plastics and cardboard packaging. But only recently have a couple of brands turned to decorative gem-quality diamonds produced in a laboratory, a change that has been a long time coming. In February, the French brand Barillet used lab-grown diamonds to bring a touch of pizazz to its Superpunk Diamants Lab Experience collection. And last September, the Japanese brand Citizen included them in its L Ambiluna women’s watches.
Russian gold giant Polyus becomes global leader by reserves
18 may 2021
(kitco.com) - (kitco.com) - Russian gold mining company Polyus (LSE, MOEX - PLZL) announced today that the company's total Proved and Probable ore reserves have increased 71% to 104 million ounces of gold as at 31 December 2020, compared to 61 million ounces of gold as at 31 December 2019. This makes Polyus the largest gold mining company globally ranked by reserves. The second largest gold reserves holder, Newmont, reported 94.2 million ounces in reserves for 2020. The company said that the updated estimate primarily reflects the inclusion of ore reserves for Sukhoi Log as well as additions at several operating mines, derived from a comprehensive drilling program across the company's asset portfolio launched in 2018.
Pandora's PR Master Stroke
17 may 2021
(idexonline.com) - Last week I wrote about Diamond Foundry ramping up its production of lab-grown diamonds. And I mentioned new research highlighting increased consumer awareness of lab-growns. I thought that was enough on lab-growns for the time being and set my sights elsewhere for this week's Memo. And then came the Pandora announcement. One of the world's biggest jewelers (26,000 employees, 7,000 outlets, Q1 2021 revenue $726m) said it was ditching mined diamonds and would only use lab-growns. This was big news, far beyond the diamond community. It was the second item on the BBC radio news, with CEO Alexander Lacik making low-carbon promises. It was headlines in every newspaper. It was as though McDonald's had announced it would no longer sell burgers, Apple had decided there was no longer sufficient demand for iPhones, and Coca-Cola had called time on the soft drinks market.
Is sustainable mining not a contradiction in itself?
14 may 2021
(miningreview.com) - “Anglo American to demerge South Africa thermal coal operations”. This was one of our leading headline stories in early April. It has really made me think about the role of mining in driving a greener economy. If you are familiar with South Africa, Anglo American is one of the dominating coal production companies amongst players like Exxaro Resources, Sasol Mining and South32 (whose assets will soon by fully acquired by Seriti Resources). The “Big Five” account for over 80% of the country coal production. The transition of Anglo American aligns with a bigger ESG commitment in contributing as the remaining business to a low carbon economy that is currently driving investment and key development of existing operations. The word “decarbonisation” has been hanging like a Damocles sword for quite a while now, and the mining industry seems to be catching up and coveting the “best-in-class” performance, after a few hitches that seriously put at stake the reputation of the mining sector and its impact on the future of our environment.
