Exclusive
Helga Pombal: Angola's Stardiam finds solution to the threat posed by lab-grown diamonds
Stardiam manager of production Helga Pombal told Rough&Polished's Mathew Nyaungwa on the sidelines of the Angola International Diamond Conference that lab-grown diamonds are creating a parallel market for more accessible stones, combined with lower...
11 november 2024
Ellah Muchemwa: ADPA to launch Africa's first diamond mining standard next year
The African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA), which is based in Luanda, Angola, and represents the interests of mainly African diamond producers and those with the potential to produce diamonds, will next year launch the Sustainable Development...
04 november 2024
Dmitry Fedorov: I want our jewelry to be displayed at a museum in the future
Dmitry Fedorov is the founder of the eponymous jewelry house. His main focus is the creation of Orthodox-inspired premium luxury jewelry of high artistic merit. He told Rough&Polished about his journey in the jewelry industry, about choosing the ‘Orthodox...
28 october 2024
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
Gem Diamonds 2020 output down as revenue improves
03 february 2021
Gem Diamonds' rough diamond output at its 70%-owned Letšeng mine in Lesotho dropped by 12% to 100,780 carats in the fiscal year 2020 compared to 113, 974 carats, a year earlier.
Big brands love big diamonds
03 february 2021
The luxury brands which are not typically identified with the high jewelry category are drawn to big and exclusive diamonds, as a path to be part of what is considered a growth segment.
India trims import duty on gold and silver to 7.5% from 12.5%
02 february 2021
India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced a slew of measures to boost Gem & Jewellery exports by cutting import duty on precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum within the new country’s budget for 2021-2022, GJEPC said in a press release distributed on Monday.
Fears of clandestine return of Zim empowerment law
02 february 2021
There are fears that the Zimbabwean government has clandestinely returned an empowerment law that it dropped following the ouster of the late President Robert Mugabe late 2017.
Debswana diamond exports eased 30% in 2020
02 february 2021
Debswana, a joint venture between De Beers and the Botswana government, registered a 30% drop in rough diamond exports in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Reuters citing statistics released by the Bank of Botswana.
Conor McGregor bought a diamond watch for $1 million
02 february 2021
Irish mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor purchased a diamond watch worth $1 million.
Major executive reshuffle at Rio Tinto
01 february 2021
Jakob Stausholm, the new Chief Executive of Rio Tinto reshuffled the company’s executive team, which now includes 13 officers. Rio Tinto’s statement to this effect said that the mining conglomerate will retain four product groups – Aluminium, Copper, Iron Ore, and Minerals, which will now also include the Diamonds business headed by Sinead Kaufman as Minerals Chief Executive.
Lucapa resumes mining operations at Mothae
01 february 2021
ASX-listed Lucapa Diamond has recommenced mining operations at its 70%-owned Mothae kimberlite mine, in Lesotho. Mining operations at Mothae were suspended as a result of a two-week nationwide lockdown initiated by the government of Lesotho to curb the surge in COVID-19 cases.
Botswana Diamonds director steps down
01 february 2021
Botswana Diamonds says its non-executive director Anne McFarland has opted not to stand for re-election at its recent annual general meeting.
Armenian company wants to cut diamonds in Angola
01 february 2021
Angola may win another diamond-cutting factory, taking into consideration the intention expressed by Arsini, an Armenian company. This is an objective contained in the memorandum of understanding signed between Edgar Hovhannisyan President of Arsini and José Manuel Ganga Júnior, President of Endiama, Angola’s state diamond miner.
