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
Millennial Women and Luxury, What do They Really Want?
21 september 2017
(globenewswire.com) - Despite living in a world of fast-fashion and unlimited choices, millennial women crave the opposite. This sentiment is apparent in the “buy less, buy better” mentality prevalent today and validated in a new study by “Real is a Diamond,” commissioned to understand the relationship between women and luxury goods. After polling nearly 1,000 millennial women, the survey uncovered findings that speak to a preference for ‘the real deal,’ with nearly 9 in 10 (89 percent) looking for authenticity when buying luxury items such as diamonds. Not only are millennials expressing a preference for authenticity in luxury goods, the survey also found they prefer fewer and finer items – with 94 percent of the highest earning millennials expressing a preference for one more expensive item that is genuine, over lots of cheaper ones.
Chinese Consumers Are Driving the High-End Athleisure Market, Which Is Poised to Overtake Luxury by 2020
20 september 2017
(jingdaily.com) - China’s health and wellness boom has driven sportswear growth to a point where it threatens to overtake luxury goods by 2020, according to a Euromonitor International report. In many cases luxury brands like Chanel and BMW are even beginning to embrace it. In response, the activewear market is rapidly starting to diversify, making room for smaller brands hoping to capture an increasingly discerning group of Chinese consumers. For these activewear shoppers, working out is less of an event and more of a lifestyle.
How ‘seeds’ and super-hot gas could take down the $80 billion diamond industry
19 september 2017
(washingtonpost.com) - Jerry Singh started his search for a diamond ring with $5,000 and a link to his girlfriend’s Pinterest page. “Honestly, I had no idea what to look for,” he said. “I was clueless.” But the 30-year-old software developer quickly narrowed his search to lab-made diamonds. His girlfriend had voiced concerns about “blood diamonds,” he said, and it was clear that his money would go a lot further if he opted for a gemstone that had been shaped over a few weeks in a lab instead of a billion years underground.
August 2017 Market Report
18 september 2017
(ehudlaniado.com) - During this past July, polished diamond prices declined on average by 0.8% compared to July 2016, making it the 32nd consecutive month that the Mercury Diamond Global Tracker™ (MDGT™) has declined year-over-year. After two years and eight months, polished diamond price declines have yet to end. A further decline in polished diamond prices took place in August. Although some specific items have had a better fate than others, and at some point many polished diamonds posted some sort of price increase, when averaged, the last time the index showed an upward year-over-year movement was during November 2014. Since that time, the index declined by more than 12% (11.9% until July and some more during August). When we published these figures, we said that the ongoing price decline underscores the continued softness of the polished diamond market. I continue to stand behind that statement.
Signet Jewelers Ltd.: A Rough Diamond That Could Shine Again
15 september 2017
(seekingalpha.com) - It has been easy to put down Signet Jewelers (SIG) recently between the stories circling the company of employee harassment scandals and analysts framing it as a pay-day loan company that just happens to sell jewelry. However, in my opinion, these stories have overshadowed a company that has only had one year in the past ten where they had an earnings deficit (during the financial crisis in 2008) while also earning an average ROE of 11.2% over the same period (Morningstar). The pessimism surrounding the company compounded with the pessimism of retail in general these days has opened up the door to a potential value opportunity.
