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
Test phase of new diamond-in-rock detection technology successfully completed
01 december 2017
(miningweekly.com) - The University of Johannesburg (UJ) School of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering’s MinPET three-dimensional (3D) diamond-in-rock detection system is now nearly ready for scaling up to commercial scale. The system detects diamonds enclosed in kimberlite ores, after mining and during processing. “We have essentially completed the technology development,” explains Professor Simon Connell, the project physicist and a member of the school’s staff. “It has been proven at the laboratory test scale. We’ve done computer simulations of the scale-up and these are delivering very encouraging results. The simulations indicate that scaling up will pose no problems. Indeed, some aspects of the process could become easier with the scale-up.” The simulations were done assuming a throughput of 500 t/hour of ore, which is generally the throughput used with existing processes. Now we need to build a fully operational system at a mine,” he states. “It would be both the pilot plant and the first full-scale commercial plant – a commercial pilot plant, so to speak.” The project team is close to signing a partnership agreement with a venture capitalist, which would see the latter become a co-developer. The intellectual property developed by the school through this project will be vested in the UJ.
Spot the difference: why DIY diamonds pose a threat to big miners
30 november 2017
(ft.com) - Amish Shah is the third generation of his family to work in the diamond business. But the first to sell stones grown in a laboratory rather than dug out of mines in far-flung corners of the world — a process that threatens to shake up the $80bn diamond jewellery market built on notions of love and marriage.
Namibia: Tax Evasion Rife Among Business – Schlettwein
29 november 2017
(allafrica.com) - Finance Minister Calle Schlettwein is distressed about the practice of deliberate tax evasion among various businesses, a situation that has become endemic, and Schlettwein belaboured the fact that this practice erodes optimal tax collection. He exhorted all companies and businesses to comply with their tax obligations or face the prospect of prosecution for tax dodging, which is punishable by law.
Market Report November 2017
28 november 2017
(ehudlaniado.com) - On the brink of Thanksgiving, the event that signals the start of the important holiday shopping season, everyone is busy making it happen. However, at the close of November, it seemed that while the industry is optimistic, prices only inched up slightly, demands improved in a very narrow band of goods, and storeowners are not yet reporting any breakthrough in consumer demand.
Was China's Anger Over Zimbabwe's Diamonds Behind Mugabe's Sudden Downfall?
28 november 2017
(idexonline.com) - Could diamonds have played a part in the downfall of Zimbabwe's, thankfully, ex-President Robert Mugabe? Responsible for untold misery in the poor southern African state, unfortunately Mugabe stayed in control for far longer than should have been the case. Perhaps a debt of gratitude is owed by everyone who wants to see the country rehabilitate itself and enable its wealth to be more fairly shared to Mugabe's extraordinarily greedy and callous wife, Grace. Thanks to her constant pushing and behind-the-scenes scheming, the president made the mistake of firing his long-time vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa in order to make way for his wife to eventually take over from him.
