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

Andrada sees lithium potential in Namibia

14 march 2024

Andrada Mining, an African technology metals mining company with a portfolio of mining and exploration assets in Namibia, says preliminary modelling indicates an initial production of 30,000 tpa from 1.7 million tonnes per annum run-of-mine of technical grade petalite concentrate.

Company chief executive Anthony Viljoen said there is potential offered by the lithium production opportunities.

“In the short-term, we are targeting initial sales of our pilot plant production into the spot glass-ceramics market whilst progressing discussions with potential long-term off-takers across the lithium value chain to access other markets, particularly the battery market,” he said.

“The integration of petalite production will create further value for our shareholders and solidify our position as a key producer in the technology metals industry.”

Viljoen said exploration drilling programmes are ongoing across all assets to expand the size and scope of the mineral resources.

He said the collaboration between their exploration and metallurgy teams expedites test work to facilitate the transition of projects from exploration to development and, ultimately, production.

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