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
The Price of Lab-created Diamonds Continue to Fall
28 march 2018
(paulzimnisky.com) - The discount of gem-quality lab-created diamonds, manufactured for use in jewelry, relative to natural diamonds has doubled from 11-20% a year ago to 28-40% today, according to a survey of prices. For example, a white, 1-carat round diamond that is VS (very-slightly included) in clarity, F-H (near-colorless to colorless) in color, VG-ideal cut, with no-to-low florescence was selling for approximately $4,850 in March 2017 but is now $4,350 in March 2018, a 10% decline. However, over the same period of time the price of an equivalent natural diamond went from $5,850 to $6,150, representing about a 5% increase. Thus, the discount of the lab-created diamond relative to the natural equivalent was approximately a 17% in March 2017, but is now about 29%, a 71% year-over-year increase.
The situation calls for decisive measures to separate natural diamonds from synthetics
27 march 2018
The Assay Chamber of Russia held a regular meeting of the Public Expert Council on the topic: "Vital issues regarding the turnover of synthetic analogues of precious stones in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)". The event was held on March 20, 2018 in the conference hall of ALROSA.
ALROSA CFO: The best way to improve the company’s sustainability is to be more efficient than competitors and decrease costs
26 march 2018
(interfax.ru) - During the first two months of 2018, demand in the rough diamond market improved, which enabled ALROSA to significantly increase rough sales – to over $1 billion. In the first quarter, diamond manufacturers and jewelers traditionally replenish their inventories, but this year, ALROSA sees the signs of qualitative changes in the situation. If demand remains strong in the mid-year, a conclusion can be made – in spite of the growing presence of synthetics – that the circle of consumers increased against the background of higher household income in the key markets, according to Alexey Filippovskiy, Deputy CEO – Chief Financial Officer of ALROSA.
De Beers Is the New Kid on the Blockchain
23 march 2018
(diamonds.net) - Last month, dozens gathered in midtown Manhattan to learn more about De Beers’ Diamond Blockchain Initiative — a project that aims to underpin confidence in diamonds by creating permanent records for them. While most know blockchain as the technology that underlies Bitcoin, De Beers is testing a system that will safeguard stones’ identity, ownership, contracts and financing history. In fact, the new program has no relation to cryptocurrency. Instead, it lets users securely track assets and digital record transfers through a tamper-proof and decentralized register that shows the journey from rough to polished. Along the way, it validates the identities of stones and their attributes, updating constantly as the diamonds move through the pipeline.
China's diamond demand shifts to smaller stones
22 march 2018
(asia.nikkei.com) - Low interest rates and changing preferences in China are shifting the landscape of the global diamond market. Chinese buyers are tapping into the market for smaller diamonds. This is because the high-end market has seen an influx of investment money chasing higher returns - any returns - amid a global trend of ultralow interest rates. As a result, average Chinese have been pushed out of the higher-end market and are turning to more affordable gems en masse. Prices of low-grade stones have gone up, adding pressure on engagement-ring seekers in other countries such as Japan.
