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.
16 october 2026
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.
16 october 2026
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.
16 october 2026
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.
16 october 2026
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...
16 october 2026
De Beers closes its Canadian mine
26 december 2017
(businesslive.co.za) - Another De Beers mine is coming to the end of its life, bringing to seven the operations closed or to close after the largest rough diamond miner by value told the market it would shut the Victor mine in Canada early in 2019. The closure of this opencast mine follows the shutting and subsequent flooding of the unprofitable Snap Lake underground mine in Canada in 2015. De Beers is close to deciding whether to close or sell its open-pit Voorspoed mine in SA, and a union leader told The Namibian Sun it would close four mines in Namibia in coming years. De Beers has not confirmed the comments from Mineworkers Union of Namibia Oranjemund branch chairman Mbidhi Shavuka, who was quoted as saying the four mines would close by 2022.
Diamond Billionaire Dan Gertler Now Subject to OFAC Sanctions
25 december 2017
(jckonline.com) - On Dec. 20, an executive order from President Donald Trump placed Israeli diamond billionaire Dan Gertler on the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned individuals list, because of his business ties with the increasingly controversial president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila.
Pop-Up Shops May Be This Holiday Season’s Big Retail Trend
25 december 2017
(jckonline.com) - Pop-up shops—temporary retail stores designed to drum up consumer excitement and brand awareness—may be the biggest trend in retail this holiday season. Established and startup brands are turning to the fun, ephemeral retail concept, launching vibrant pop-ups in locations cherry-picked in large part through the unshakable arithmetic of their online sales data.
Alrosa Makes Rare Foray into Generic Marketing
22 december 2017
(diamonds.net) - Alrosa is attempting to engineer a Russian culture of buying engagement rings, after launching an advertising campaign promoting diamonds as an emotional symbol. The miner, which has traditionally focused on its core business of extracting rough diamonds, is trying to capture the public imagination through a video campaign and competition that encourages consumers to pitch innovative ways to propose. The participant with the best idea will win a diamond ring.
Is Bitcoin Good for Diamonds?
22 december 2017
(diamonds.net) - Picture this: You’re helping a customer who is very close to making a purchase on a good-quality, high-value diamond. The topic of payment comes up, and instead of using Apple Pay or pulling out a recognizable credit card, this client asks if you’re willing to accept Bitcoin. You pause — you’re not sure how to answer. Nearly a decade after the cryptocurrency first appeared from the depths of the internet, the very idea of it still feels risky and abstract, like an underground point system used only by criminals and hackers. But while Bitcoin has certainly earned its dubious reputation — a Russian crime boss was recently discovered to have laundered over $4 billion using Bitcoin accounts — it’s also becoming increasingly mainstream. Major companies like PayPal, Microsoft and Overstock now accept it. IBM has wholeheartedly embraced blockchain, the sophisticated ledger technology that tracks each bitcoin’s movements. And slowly but surely, retailers are coming to regard Bitcoin as a legitimate form of payment. This leaves jewelers and other diamond sellers in a position to answer an almost unprecedented question: Is it time to embrace a new form of money?
