News
Namdeb seeks State recapitalisation as diamond prices erode revenue
Namdeb Holdings, comprising Namdeb and Debmarine Namibia, has approached the Namibian government for financial assistance as falling global diamond prices cut into revenue, The Namibian reports.
Today
Nornickel and Reksoft Implement "smart vision" to protect production
Nornickel has deployed a neural network-based video analytics system across its facilities, designed to prevent equipment breakdowns and production stoppages, the company’s press service reported.
Today
Lundin achieves record quarterly gold output at its flagship Ecuador mine
Vancouver-based Lundin Gold has reported that in the third quarter of 2026, gold production at its Fruta del Norte mine in southeast Ecuador hit a new quarterly record.
Today
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
Living Up to the Diamond Promise
10 may 2016
(ehudlaniado.com) - Diamond prices are not living up to their promise. As compared with other luxury items, human appreciation for diamonds has been decreasing over the last few years. Over the years we have promoted diamonds as an enduring symbol of love as well as an indication of wealth. But the times are changing, and so are consumer tastes. If humans have created a reality in which some objects have more value than other objects, then we need to maintain this reality (which is in fact perception), and reinforce it. In my many travels, I meet people with financial means. The older generation has started to lose their faith in diamonds because of their opaqueness. The attitude I've met with among younger generations has been “Diamonds? What for? Why would I wear diamonds as jewelry?” However, everyone's interest is piqued when I suggest to them that diamonds could serve as an asset that can retain its value. This leads me to the conclusion that we can reposition diamonds on the market if we reframe the conversation and educate future consumers about the possibilities that rare natural diamonds hold.
China gets tough with cross-border e-commerce and customs control
06 may 2016
(jingdaily.com) - As the massive price gap between imported luxury goods in China and those abroad has hurt luxury sales in China, the shift toward spending abroad and daigou has caused the Chinese government to miss out on an especially large chunk of tax revenue. As the government gets serious about earning some of that revenue back, its policies appear to be creating major confusion in the short-term among brands and consumers. As cross-border e-commerce becomes increasingly popular, a new tax policy abruptly introduced by China’s government is intended to “level the playing field” for domestic and foreign sellers. On April 8, the new change that went into effect removed the “parcel tax” system from goods ordered from abroad, replacing it with import value-added tax (VAT) and consumption tax. For most luxury brands, this means a tax hike on cross-border e-commerce sales.
The Lab-Grown Consumer Numbers You Need to Know
05 may 2016
(edahngolan.com) - For several years, the diamond industry has been grappling with the introduction of gem-quality lab-grown goods to the consumer market. However, even with all the talk, one essential component seems to be missing – hard numbers. Just how many such items were bought by consumers, in what sizes and shapes, in what sales patterns, and most importantly, what do they represent in terms of share of market? These are essential questions that need to be answered because otherwise how would the natural diamond industry know what it’s facing? If we are to accept it as a given that lab-grown gems are here to stay (and that is indeed the case), then diamond miners, manufacturers, jewelry makers and retailers need to have some basic numbers on hand to understand and plan ahead for this new consumer product.
Diamond Pipeline 2015: Producers Lost Leverage over Clients – Forever
04 may 2016
(IDEX Online) - The midstream sector of the diamond value chain – those who convert rough into polished – “rebelled” in 2015. They did so after suffering protracted multi-year profitability erosion. For far too long, the rough suppliers had used their combined “rough placing power” by oversupplying the market at unrealistically high prices. The producers displayed unprecedented greediness toward their own clients and dismissed complaints with brusque statements such as “you look after your business and we look after our own interests. Nobody forces you to buy rough.” That is exactly what happened in the second half of 2015. Clients of the main producers refused to buy unrealistically high-priced rough. In an unequal battle, the producers blinked first.
Big boost for world's top diamond miner
30 april 2016
(mining.com) - Alrosa (MCX:ALRS), the world's top diamond producer by output, received a shot in the arm on Wednesday after ratings agency Moody's upgraded the miner's credit rating by two notches. Moody's upgrade brings the debt rating of Alrosa which is 77%-owned by Russia and the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), to just below investment grade. Moody's said its decision reflects the fact that Alrosa's financial metrics "have remained strong versus global peers" and will remain robust, "owing to the company's status as a major producer and exporter of diamonds and weak rouble, the company's 29% share in the global diamond output, its low-cost reserve base, technical mining expertise, solid liquidity and conservative financial policy."
