Helga Pombal: Angola's Stardiam finds solution to the threat posed by lab-grown diamonds

Stardiam manager of production Helga Pombal told Rough&Polished's Mathew Nyaungwa on the sidelines of the Angola International Diamond Conference that lab-grown diamonds are creating a parallel market for more accessible stones, combined with lower...

11 november 2024

Ellah Muchemwa: ADPA to launch Africa's first diamond mining standard next year

The African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA), which is based in Luanda, Angola, and represents the interests of mainly African diamond producers and those with the potential to produce diamonds, will next year launch the Sustainable Development...

04 november 2024

Dmitry Fedorov: I want our jewelry to be displayed at a museum in the future

Dmitry Fedorov is the founder of the eponymous jewelry house. His main focus is the creation of Orthodox-inspired premium luxury jewelry of high artistic merit. He told Rough&Polished about his journey in the jewelry industry, about choosing the ‘Orthodox...

28 october 2024

Responsible business practices ‘no longer optional’, says WDC President Feriel Zerouki

The president of the World Diamond Council takes time out of her busy schedule to tell Rough&Polished readers about the critical work of the WDC. Zerouki, the first female present of the body, which includes all the important industry organizations among...

14 october 2024

James Campbell: Botswana Diamonds optimistic as it enters uncharted territory of using AI for mineral exploration

London-listed Botswana Diamonds has expressed optimism about the company’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) to scan the exploration database in Botswana to look for new mineralised deposits. Company managing director James Campbell told Rough...

07 october 2024

Diamond prices rise in January after holiday season - Rapaport

08 february 2018
Diamond market sentiment improved in January boosting diamond prices as retailers reported a better-than-expected holiday season, as per Rapaport monthly diamond market report.
Meanwhile, suppliers are gaining confidence about first-quarter orders as jewelers start to replenish stock after holiday sales.
The RapNet Diamond Index (RAPI) for 1-carat diamonds rose 2.2% during January. RAPI for 0.30-carat diamonds increased 2.3%, while 0.50-carat stones gained 2.4%. RAPI for 3-carat diamonds edged up 0.5%.
Diamond trading was steady throughout the month, with suppliers filling specific requests as they waited for post-holiday inventory orders from retailers. Chinese dealer demand slowed as store owners completed their buying and focused on selling stock to consumers for the Chinese New Year, which begins on February 16.
Indian manufacturers are raising their polished production after operating at reduced levels since the November Diwali break. Dealer inventory is relatively low, with the number of unique diamonds listed on RapNet having risen by just 1% during the month to 1.19 million as of February 1, which is 6% below the number of listings a year earlier.
Rough trading remains robust as manufacturers ramp up production. De Beers sold $665 million worth of goods in January, with boxes going for an estimated 6% average premium on the secondary market.
Profit margins are expanding. However, rough prices are expected to rise in the coming months as miners seek to resume growth in an improving polished market, particularly after last year’s sales declines. Positive consumer spending in the US and China is likely to support polished prices, and continues to fuel optimism for 2018.