Exclusive
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
Artur Salyakayev: For me, happiness is freedom to make my ideas happen and create valuable products
Artur Salyakayev is an art entrepreneur, founder of the International Jewelry Academy (IJA) and the INCRUA jewelry company. He has initiated and developed successful projects in jewelry industry and services sector. He is also a leading expert...
30 september 2024
Paul Zimnisky: China key for sustained recovery in demand for natural diamonds, prices
The curtailing of upstream and midstream natural diamond production in the past months is starting to have an effect on prices, according to the New-York-based independent diamond and jewellery analyst and consultant, Paul Zimnisky. He told Rough & Polished’s...
23 september 2024
Vladimir Pilyushin: The jewelry market is not stand-alone and moves by the same laws as other markets
Vladimir Pilyushin is editor-in-chief of Russian Jeweler, a leading magazine about the jewelry industry in Russia. He told Rough&Polished about his view on the evolution of the jewelry industry in Russia and touched upon some of its problems.
16 september 2024
Zimplats first quarter production, grade drop
It said its platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and gold (6E) PGM output in Zimbabwe was 148 254 ounces (oz), 8% lower than the December quarter.
It was also marginally lower than the 148 541 oz produced in the March quarter of last year.
Zimplats said silver output eased 7% year on year and 12% quarter on quarter to 11 365 oz.
Nickel production fell 8% quarter on quarter and 3% year on year, at 1 420 tonnes (t).
Copper output was 1 051 t, 9% and 1% lower than the previous quarter and the prior comparable period in 2022, respectively.
Cobalt output was 21% lower quarter on quarter and 12% lower year on year, at 15 t.
Zimplats said its mined tonnage also decreased by 4% quarter on quarter, while its ore milled was 3% lower than the previous quarter at 1.88 million t.
However, milled volumes rose by 10% year on year due to the inclusion of tonnes milled at the Ngezi project's third concentrator plant, which was commissioned last September.
Zimplats also said that the 6E head grade fell 3% quarter on quarter and 4% year on year, mainly due to increased mining of lower-grade stockpiles, dilution from mining across geological structures, and mining of larger construction digs.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished