African Diamond Council threatens alternative certification system

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26 january 2026

Paul Zimnisky warns diamond industry is "killing the proverbial golden goose," urges radical split from LGDs

Diamond industry analyst Paul Zimnisky delivered a sobering assessment of the sector's 2025 performance, placing blame squarely on the trade's own practices. He argued that by marketing natural and lab-grown diamonds (LGDs) as interchangeable...

29 december 2025

Goldplat reports challenging year with strategic shifts amid lower profits

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David Johnson: De Beers charts cautious Angola return amid industry transformation

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24 november 2025

Maria Krasnova: Colored gemstones are a serious investment

Maria Krasnova, Executive Director of the renowned company “Samotsvety ot Sokolov” (Gems by Sokolov), spoke to Rough&Polished about the Gemstone project aimed at selling precious stones, as well as about current market trends, new challenges...

17 november 2025

DGCX trade volumes top $46bn in 2025 amid strong operational performance

19 january 2026

The Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX) has announced that in 2025, its total traded volumes increased by 30% year on year to $46.96 billion, and surpassed 2 million lots.

The exchange noted that gold futures activity increasing sharply over the past year, while strong operational and market performance reinforced its role in regional and international derivatives markets. DGCX recorded the average daily trading volume of 7,940 lots.

"This momentum, reinforced by a sharp increase in gold futures activity, signals the deepening of our markets and the central role we continue to play in effective risk management and price discovery," said DGCX chairman and CEO Ahmed Bin Sulayem.

Meanwhile, the Dubai Commodities Clearing Corporation (DCCC), the clearing house of DGCX, was re-recognised as a third-country central counterparty (CCP) by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), following a regulatory assessment. According to DGCX’s press service, the move reflects both increased international confidence in Dubai’s infrastructure and the UAE’s continued progress in strengthening its financial market frameworks.

In November 2025, DGCX was recognised as MENA Exchange of the Year at the 2025 Future and Options (FOW) International Awards, which reflected its continued investment in market infrastructure, product development and risk management standards aligned with global best practices.

Theodor Lisovoy, Managing Editor, Rough&Polished