News
Richemont, Signet in talks to join De Beers consortium – report
Luxury group Richemont and US retailer Signet Jewelers are in advanced talks to join the Global Diamond Consortium (GDC) bidding for De Beers, according to five people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reports.
Yesterday
Rio Tinto begins Q4 of 2026 with strong operational performance
The Anglo-Australian mining group Rio Tinto has reported its third-quarter 2026 results, highlighting strong operational performance.
Yesterday
Silver market deficit to widen in 2026 - report
In the latest World Silver Survey prepared by the Silver Institute and Metals Focus, the global silver market deficit is forecast to widen for the sixth consecutive year to 46.3 million ounces.
Yesterday
Tharisa signs PGM offtake deal with Valterra Platinum, expands chrome collaboration
South Africa’s Tharisa has entered a binding arrangement for the sale of PGM concentrate to Rustenburg Platinum Mines, a subsidiary of Valterra Platinum, effective 1 January 2027.
Yesterday
Norilsk hosts Nornickel’s 3rd Geology and Mine Surveying Forum
The 3rd Geology and Mine Surveying Forum, organized by Nornickel, has kicked off in Norilsk. The event continues to grow in scope, this year bringing together representatives from universities, equipment suppliers, design teams, mining companies, and...
Yesterday
What Happens in Antwerp Doesn’t Stay in Antwerp
28 november 2018
(ehudlaniado.com) - If you want to understand the problems of the diamond industry, look no further than the rough diamond trade in Belgium’s diamond center in Antwerp. It is a microcosm that paints a painfully accurate picture. Antwerp is the world’s leading rough diamond trading center. Goods of all kinds come through it, the lowest cost and quality to the very top rough diamonds imaginable. The 1,109-carat Lesedi La Rona, found in Botswana and mined by a Canadian mining company was offered here. Most of the rough diamonds sold by tender are tendered in Antwerp. This is to say that Antwerp is an excellent bellwether of the global rough diamond market and the multitude of issues it faces.
Miner Miscommunication: A Lack of Clarity
27 november 2018
(diamonds.net) - A bizarre press release from Alrosa landed in the Rapaport News inbox in early October, purporting to relay positive results from the “washing season of 2018” at one of its subsidiaries. What exactly occurs during the Almazy Anabara washing season, which “lasted from the twenties of May to the 24th of September”? That much was a mystery. Since the text seemed to be about mining and production, we presumed Alrosa was describing something more critical to its business than how well its cleaners had mopped the floors, or whether the Russian executives’ shirts had dried efficiently in the summer sun. So we carried on reading. “Such results were achieved due to, without limitation, the advanced diamond-bearing sand processing technology,” clarified Pavel Marinychev, CEO of Almazy Anabara, in the next sentence. “In particular, we have upgraded the X-ray luminescent separation line to decrease workload of dense-media separation units at the Bolshaya Kuonamka deposit and to increase capacity of grading units.” At this point, the only thing clear to us was that we didn’t understand what this news item was trying to say, and neither would our readers. So we decided not to cover it. Alrosa’s subsequent mention of expansions to “tank parks of fuel and lubricant materials” only left us more baffled, and even less likely to run the story. This is a common problem in the diamond industry, especially among miners — and not just those like Alrosa, where English is a second language. When journalists receive an unclear press release, they either republish it without a thought — which is bad practice and unhelpful for the reader — or disregard it altogether.
De Beers Is Offering Big Discounts on Low-Quality Diamonds
26 november 2018
(bloomberg.com) - De Beers made steep cuts in the prices of low-quality stones at its sale this week, according to people familiar with the situation. The world’s biggest producer reduced prices as much as 10 percent for low-quality stones, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the sales are private. It’s the latest sign that the bottom end of the market is in turmoil.
Antwerp Jewelry Manufacturer Unveils World’s First Automated Diamond-Setting Tech
23 november 2018
(thediamondloupe.com) - A diamond jewelry manufacturer from Antwerp, Giovanni Daems, is the first to develop a new, patented technology for a fully-automated diamond setting machine, which it unveiled this week at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai. In doing so, it has provided the Antwerp diamond industry with another world premiere just a few months after it unveiled the Fenix – a technology that fully automates the diamond polishing process - engineered by the Antwerp diamond industry's Scientific and Technological Research Center for Diamonds (WTOCD).
De Beers Price Cuts Show It's Hard Times for Ugliest Diamonds
22 november 2018
(bloomberg.com) - De Beers has been forced to make big cuts in what it asks customers to pay for the worst diamonds it sells. It’s the latest sign the industry’s cheapest goods are increasingly unloved. The industry produces about 15,000 different categories of diamonds, ranging from giant flawless gems that sell for millions of dollars to fragments worth just a handful. In the past few years, those at the bottom end have been having a tough time. The biggest headache is there’s just too many lower quality stones.
