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

URA selects Bonas Group as its sales partner, now a DelGatto client

17 june 2024

URA Holdings has selected Bonas Group, an independent diamond and gemstone tender house, as its sales partner to assist in the marketing and sale of rough emeralds recovered from the company's Gravelotte emerald mine (GEM) in South Africa.

It said this strategic cooperation will capitalise on Bonas's significant knowledge in the diamond and gemstone business to guarantee the highest standards of security, transparency, and compliance throughout the sales process.

Using its existing tender platform, Bonas will oversee the entire sales process, which encompasses the planning, sorting, valuation, and marketing of the emeralds.

URA’s emeralds will be on display at the Bonas Group's premises in Bangkok, Thailand.

Meanwhile, URA said that it has successfully qualified as a client of the worldwide finance corporation DelGatto Diamond Finance Fund (DDFF).

It said that this partnership offers financial flexibility for the sales process and opens up potential future funding opportunities from DDFF to assist in pursuing URA's strategic objectives.

“This collaboration enhances our capability to bring our ethically mined emeralds to market while ensuring transparency and maximising value for our stakeholders,” said URA chief executive Bernard Olivier.

“After a long period of hard groundwork, we are now entering an exciting period for URA and our shareholders.”

He claimed that this partnership, which also ensures transparency and maximizes value for stakeholders, significantly improves their ability to market ethically mined emeralds.

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