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Mmetla Masire: Okavango to resume diamond sales in January
Botswana’s state-owned Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) is set to resume diamond sales in January 2025, whether the market remains depressed or not. ODC managing director Mmetla Masire told Rough & Polished’s Mathew Nyaungwa on the side-lines of...
Today
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
Gemfields report: The future is bright for coloured gemstones in China
The report, entitled ‘Sustainability-The Future of Coloured Gemstones in China’, reveals that there is strong demand for both rubies and emeralds amongst Chinese jewellery owners, with 35% planning to purchase the former, and 25% the latter. The company undertook extensive research, delving into the tastes and habits of Chinese consumers across various demographics, regions, cities and wealth levels, to reveal their preferences.
Gemfields also discovered that 97% of jewellery owners surveyed say they are willing to pay a premium for gemstones that have been responsibly mined. All of those surveyed, particularly the younger shoppers said it was important that the brand acts in environmentally and socially responsible ways.
The study also discovered that Chinese jewellery owners rank clarity, carat, colour and cut in this order when it comes to selecting a gemstone, and that Chinese consumers care, overwhelmingly, more about the gemstone itself than they do about its price.
The company said that a large number of respondents also indicated that they are interested in coloured gemstones set in modern, contemporary jewellery designs. The current vogue for coloured gemstones and rising interest in corporate responsibility make now a perfect time for Gemfields to seize the day in China.
Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished