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

De Beers is rebuilding its presence in Angola through government partnerships and community engagement, marking a strategic comeback following its difficult exit years ago from the diamond-rich nation. However, De Beers spokesperson David Johnson cautioned...

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

Forging a new legacy: Tshenolo Ntshekang on building a black-owned diamond beneficiation business in South Africa

In an industry historically defined by limited access and foreign dominance, Tshenolo Ntshekang is carving a new path. The founder of Banzi and Karolo Projects, a black-owned diamond beneficiation business, Ntshekang, represents a growing wave of...

03 november 2025

Mahiar Borhanjoo returns to ‘The Heart Of The Diamond Business’

Having started his career in the diamond trade at De Beers in London, Mahiar Borhanjoo returned to the diamond giant last year as Chief Commercial Officer after working for a decade for other diamond companies. Mahiar explains why he returned to De Beers...

27 october 2025

Mubri president Ali Pastorini: You just need to play a transparent game and do everything possible to attract clients

Ali Pastorini, co-owner of the DEL LIMA JEWERLY and president of the Mubri International Association, which unites more than 2,500 wholesalers, retailers, and designers from 18 countries. In this interview with Rough&Polished Ali Pastorini talks about...

20 october 2025

Russian Arctic among the most environmentally friendly regions of the country

01 april 2024

The Murmansk Region took the third place in the National Environmental Rating of Russian regions, which incorporates the events in the field of ecology held in the region from December 1, 2023 to February 29, 2024.

Moscow has overtaken the Arctic, becoming the leader of the rating. The Tambov region has become the second, severpost.ru reports.

The level of environmental safety in the Russian Arctic is increasing every year, as confirmed by the positioning of a number of Arctic regions in the National Environmental Rating.

"Since 2017, large-scale environmental protection measures have been held in the Murmansk Region, which objectively took third place in the rating: from environmental awareness campaigns, clean-up days and expeditions of the Clean Arctic project to the reclamation of unauthorized landfills and the construction of the world's largest wind farm beyond the Arctic Circle - the Kola wind farm," said Anastasia Faterina, the head regional Department of environmental initiatives.

Alex Shishlo for Rough&Polished