Nosiphiwo Mzamo: South Africa’s State Diamond Trader to buy diamonds from other African countries

South Africa’s State Diamond Trader (SDT) is set to buy diamonds from other African countries starting with Botswana. SDT’s chief executive Nosiphiwo Mzamo told Rough & Polished’s Mathew Nyaungwa at the country’s inaugural diamond show, which...

10 february 2025

Edahn Golan: Halo effect from lab-grown diamonds driving high demand for large, 2-carat natural stones in the U.S.

Edahn Golan, owner of the eponymous Edahn Golan Diamond Research and Data, told Rough & Polished's Mathew Nyaungwa in an exclusive interview that their research found a halo effect from lab-grown diamonds. He said the trend among lab-grown diamond...

27 january 2025

Paul Zimnisky: We will see a modest recovery in natural diamond demand and prices in 2025

According to Paul Zimnisky, an independent diamond and jewellery analyst and consultant based in the New York metro area, the natural diamond industry will see a modest recovery in demand and prices this year. Zimnisky said a moderate recovery would...

13 january 2025

African Diamond Council makes traceability its top priority, wants KP to embrace Authentia.io

The African Diamond Council (ADC) has made traceability its foremost priority and has been contributing to a traceability solution called Authentia.io for the last three and a half years, which is now ready to globally satisfy the traceability...

16 december 2024

Gaetano Cavalieri: CIBJO leading the jewelry industry on critical issues

One of the gem and jewellery industry’s most well-known and respected personalities, Dr. Gaetano Cavalieri, has been the president of the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO), for the past 23 years. CIBJO is the oldest international organisation...

09 december 2024

Marula completes Blesberg lithium, tantalum drilling ahead of schedule

08 december 2023

Marula Mining has completed the Phase 1 and 2 diamond drilling at its Blesberg lithium and tantalum mine in South Africa ahead of schedule.

Phase 2 included 21 diamond drill holes and 1,250 m of drilling.

About 400 samples from the Phase 2 drilling programme were sent to ALS Laboratories for assay and analysis.

The company’s geology team and experts are reviewing Phase 1 drilling sample assay results received from ALS.

Multiple high- and low-grade mineralisation zones were found in Phase 1 drill holes, it said.

Phase 1 drilling assay data are being used to generate a JORC-compliant mineral resource estimate (MRE) to support an early 2024 Blesberg hard rock open pit mining plan.

Phase 1 drilling programme test findings and MRE are expected in January 2024.

It said Phase 2 drilling findings that are expected in the first quarter of 2024 will boost MRE confidence and confirm lithium mineralisation.

The approved economic cut-off grade is being incorporated into the final pit shell designs for open-pit mine design, thorough mine planning, financial forecasts, and economic analysis of the Blesberg hard rock open-pit mining plan.

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