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
Holiday Sales Forecasts Are Not Worth The Paper They Are Printed On
27 november 2017
(unitymarketingonline.com) - As retailers ramp up to Black Friday, the consulting firms and industry advisers are piling on with holiday retail forecasts. There are a dizzying array of forecasts to choose from. Take your pick, from good (4% from National Retail Federation) to better (4.5% by Deloitte) to best (6% by JLL Retail). Even more astounding is Deloitte’s prediction that shoppers will spend 51% of their budgets online, and only 42% in stores, with the higher-income shoppers ($100k+) expecting nearly 60% of their purchases will be made online. While I know a lot of effort goes into the making of these forecasts, I don’t think they are worth the cost of paper to print them on, and worse, I think they are a distraction from what retailers really need to focus on: their own performance during the holiday season. While such forecasts may make retailers feel good, they can distract retailers from what’s really important over the next two months, which is to attract shoppers and get them to buy.
Gem Diamonds Enjoying Large-Stone Boom
24 november 2017
(diamonds.net) - As a producer of large rough stones, Gem Diamonds relies on high-end consumer demand more than many companies in the industry do. Fortunately for the London-based miner, the recovery of the Asian market this year has ensured strong appetite for its high-value diamonds. The Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair in September “surprised everybody” in how positive it was for the big-stone market, company CEO Clifford Elphick (pictured) tells Rapaport News. “It’s spilled into people replenishing their stocks. At the top end of the market, it looks good,” says the executive, who was in Israel last month for the inaugural viewing of the miner’s large rough at the Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE). Demand for large polished goods has increased: the RapNet Diamond Index (RAPI™) for 3-carat polished diamonds rose 4.5% in the first 10 months of the year. Elphick hinted that this was partly due to a recovery in the Far East, which contains some of the most important consumer markets for higher-end diamonds.
Diamond Portraits - Ernest Oppenheimer
23 november 2017
(ehudlaniado.com) - Ernest Oppenheimer was the first of the Oppenheimer family to prosper in the diamond industry. He and his descendants would continue to play an integral role in shaping the industry for more than a century. He was born in 1880 in Freidburg, Germany, the son of a cigar merchant. At the age of 17, he began his working career as a diamond broker in London as diamonds were just becoming widely available with the early South African diamond rush. By 1902, he had impressed his employers so much that they sent him to South Africa to represent them as a diamond buyer in Kimberley.
Conservative CEO Davis eyes stunning mining return at Rio Tinto
22 november 2017
(news.sky.com) - Sir Mick Davis, the Conservative Party chief executive, is plotting a stunning return to the helm of one of the world’s biggest miners as the next chairman of Rio Tinto, the FTSE-100 natural resources group. Sky News has learnt that Sir Mick, who spearheaded the growth and eventual £20bn sale of Xstrata nearly five years ago, is in talks with the Rio board about the move.
Holiday Season Outlook Upbeat As Shoppers Say They Will Increase Spending
21 november 2017
(idexonline.com) - Following the annual Bain & Company report last week on global luxury sales which indicated that sales have increased and are due to reach a new high of €262 billion in 2017 following a year of stagnation, the National Retail Federation has also released an optimistic report showing that American shoppers will be spending more during this year's holiday season. Consumers say they will spend an average $967.13 this year, according to the annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics for the NRF – an increase of 3.4 percent from the $935.58 consumers said they would spend when surveyed at the same time last year.
