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

Petra delays release of report into alleged human rights abuses at Tanzania mine

01 april 2021
Petra Diamonds has decided to defer the publication of its feedback on the independent investigation into the alleged human rights abuses at its Williamson mine, in Tanzania.
The company said it recently obtained further additional information relating to the allegations which will help with the preparation of its report. 
The diamond miner now expects its report on the investigation to be published by end of April.
UK-based corporate watchdog RAID said last week that it has gathered fresh evidence that guards employed by Petra at Williamson mine are still committing human rights abuses.
The report contained eyewitness accounts claiming that Zenith Security guards employed at the Williamson diamond mine deliberately swapped rubber bullets with a metal shot in their weapons to intimidate residents who entered the company's concession.

Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished