(IDEX Online) - The Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB) finally opened on Tuesday (21 November) almost three years late.The $355m bourse (pictured) was originally supposed to open in January 2020, according to the SDB website. That was put back by September 2021, to 2022 and then to April of this yearIt has officially been recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest office building in existence (7....Read More
(IDEX Online) - European Union diplomats have slammed the Kimberley Process over its failure to act against Russia.They said its inability to reach agreement on the issue "casts a shadow on its ability to stay fit for purpose and address challenges affecting its core mandate".The KP plenary at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, ended earlier this month without a final communique, and with a walkout b...Read More
Today, U.S. equity markets are closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. Tomorrow U.S. equity markets close at 1:00 PM EST. Volume on U.S. and Canadian equity markets tomorrow are expected to be well below average. Technical NotesMarriott International $MAR a NASDAQ 100 stock moved above $209.92 to an all-time high extending an intermediate uptrend. Lam Research $LRCX a NASDAQ 100 stock moved abov...Read More
(IDEX Online) - A buyer is being sought for Canadian diamond miner Stornoway, after it filed for bankruptcy protection last month. The company has suspended operations at Renard, the first and only diamond mine in Quebec province, and laid off most of its 500-strong workforce.Deloitte Corporate Finance Inc. announced today (22 November) that it was conducting the sale and investment solicitat...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Jewelers have donated 210 pieces, from elegant vintage diamond rings to striking contemporary necklaces, to be auctioned for charities helping Israeli victims of the war with Hamas.The lots include iconic names such as Tiffany & Co., Bulgari and Cartier, together with David Morris, Rainbow K, David Yurman, Marie Lichtenberg and other contemporary brands.The Precious Israel...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 12 points at 8:35 AM EST.Index futures were unchanged following release of October Durable Goods Orders at 8:30 AM EST. Consensus was -3.0% versus +4.7% in September. Actual was -5.4%.The Canadian Dollar slipped 0.12 to US 72.87 cents following release of the Federal Government's economic update.Autodesk gained $5.44 t...Read More
(IDEX Online) - The global market for lab grown diamonds will almost double in the coming decade, according to new research published today (21 November), as they incorporated into a range of products beyond traditional jewelry.Sales of $10.8bn in 2022 will increase to $20.6bn by 2032, driven by increasing disposable income and women's changing lifestyles, says Indian market research company...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Vladimir Putin's press secretary yesterday (20 November) warned that EU sanctions on Russian diamonds would have a "boomerang effect".He insisted countries that boycotted Russian gems would suffer more than Russia itself. Dmitry Peskov (pictured) told reporters: "As a rule, it turns out that a boomerang effect is partially triggered: the interests of the Europeans themsel...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Lightbox, the De Beers lab grown company, has signed exclusive supply deals with two jewelry brands.It is collaborating with US-based Roseate, which specializes in South Seas and Tahitian pearls, and Hong Kong-based The Future Rocks, a "future-forward" brand that explores the use of new materials."Roseate and The Future Rocks are incredible creative and commercial partners who offe...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 5 points at 8:35 AM EST.The Canadian Dollar was unchanged at US72.95 cents following release of Canada's October Consumer Price Index at 8:30 AM EST. Consensus was an increase of 0.1%. Actual was an increase of 0.1%. On a year-over year basis October CPI consensus was an increase 3.1% versus a gain of 3.8% in July. Ac...Read More
(New throughout, adds further details from union leader) By Marco Aquino LIMA, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Workers at the Chinese-ownedLas Bambas copper mine in Peru will kick off an "indefinite"strike beginning next week after the miner failed to deliverinformation on profit-sharing protocols, the union's leader saidon Monday. Erick Ramos, general secretary of the Las Bambas workersunion, told...Read More
(IDEX Online) - The pearl necklace worn by Audrey Hepburn in the 1953 movie Roman Holiday has been pulled from auction, without explanation, by Christie's Geneva.It follows another unexplained withdrawal, that of the Blue Lagoon tourmaline (estimate $1.44m to $2.44m) from a Sotheby's Geneva auction earlier this month.The Hepburn choker-style pearl necklace, set with cabochon sapphires, w...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Debswana, the joint venture between De Beers and the Botswana government, has started using solar power at its diamond mines as part of a pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.President Mokgweetsi Masisi said solar energy and biodiesel were now being used at the Jwaneng, Orapa, Letlhakane and Damtshaa mines.A grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) plant has already been providing...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Lucapa today (20 November) said it was pausing plans to revive the Merlin mine in Australia, amid the ongoing decline in diamond prices.The Perth-based miner bought the mothballed deposit (pictured), in a remote part of Northern Territory, Australia, for $6m in December 2021.At the time it estimated annual production at 153,000 carats, generating a total projected revenue of $1.14b...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Sanctions on Russian diamonds will lead to a supply shortage, and a price collapse, according to the country's deputy finance minister Alexei Moiseev.That in turn will accelerate the rise of lab growns, he said.The G7 nations, representing 70 per cent of world diamond sales, are poised to implement a boycott on Russian diamonds, which still account for around $4bn of rough sal...Read More
(IDEX Online) - De Beers and the Botswana government will work together to find more diamond deposits, after both sides agreed a 10-year deal in June."Most of our mines are ageing, and therefore, we need to look beyond Botswana if we want to continue generating wealth for this country," said Lefoko Maxwell Moagi, Botswana's minister of minerals and energy.He was speaking at the annual Natural...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 3 points at 8:30 AM EST.Microsoft added $6.25 to $376.10 after hiring Sam Altman, former OpenAI chief executive officer. Boeing advanced $2.79 to $210.80 after Deutsche Bank upgraded the stock from Hold to Buy and raised its target price from $204 to $270.Franco-Nevada (FNV.TO Cdn$165.16) is expected to open lower aft...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Jewelry salespeople in the US are being warned of a surge in out-of-store attacks, on the road, at gas stations and in parking lots.Four gang members armed with a crowbar and a hammer, deliberately crashed into a car on the I 10 freeway in Los Angeles and stole merchandise while the victim, a dealer from Hong Kong, kneeled with his hands in the air.The Jewelers' Security Allia...Read More
(IDEX Online) - India's voluntary ban on rough imports has yet to have an impact, with month-on-month purchases for October dropping by less than 1.4 per cent.The two-month moratorium, aimed at stabilizing prices, was brought in by the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) and other industry bodies.Imports for October were $1.019bn, GJEPC said in response to an IDEX Online inqui...Read More
(Updates prices, adds China support for property sector) By Eric Onstad LONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Copper prices edged up onFriday, boosted by a weak dollar, fresh support by China for itstroubled property sector and worries about a potentialtightening of supply from mines. Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange(LME) was up 0.7% at $8,274 a metric ton at 1700 GMT afterretreating from a s...Read More