(IDEX Online) - Credit ratings on 70,000 jewelry firms will take account of the impact of coronavirus, says the Jewelers' Board of Trade.The non-profit organization says its reports will now include a business's rating as it stood before the Covid-19 crisis, for the sake of transparency."If a firm was highly rated prior to the crisis, that will be visible to the JBT member," said the boa...Read More
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Shareholders will not be permitted to attend this year’s annual general meeting (AGM) of Anglo American because of Covid-19 restrictions – but they have been invited to submit questions in advance for answering at the AGM.The London- and Johannesburg-listed diversified mining company said in a stock exchange news service announcement on Tues...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Tiffany is donating $1m to fight coronavirus and pledging to match dollar for dollar any contributions by its 13,000 employees.The New York-based jeweler's philanthropic foundation is allocating $750,000 to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization, and $250,000 to the NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund."During this global health crisis, we m...Read More
RAPAPORT PRESS RELEASE, April 7, 2020, Las Vegas...Diamond prices fell in March as the spreading coronavirus led to a dramatic decline in the global economy. Diamond markets are under pressure and facing a severe liquidity crisis as jewelry retail, diamond manufacturing and trading shut down.The RapNet Diamond Index (RAPI?,,?) for 1-carat diamonds dropped 6.8% during the month and 8.7% in the firs...Read More
@import url(https://ofc.rapaport.com:449CuteSoft_Client/CuteEditor/Load.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(styles/editnewscuteeditor.css);RAPAPORT PRESS RELEASE, April 7, 2020, Las Vegas...Diamond prices fell in March as the spreading coronavirus led to a dramatic decline in the global economy. Diamond markets are under pressure and facing a severe liquidity crisis as jewelry...Read More
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Diamond mining and marketing corporation, the De Beers Group, on Tuesday announced that it would contribute $2 500 000 across Botswana and Namibia to aid the response to the Covid-19 crisis.De Beers Group is a 50:50 joint venture partner with both Botswana and Namibia in the recovery and sorting of rough diamonds.AdvertisementIts contribution in both co...Read More
RAPAPORT... De Beers is using its mining sites in Botswana and its technology production center in the UK to help the fight against COVID-19.Debswana, the company's joint venture with Botswana, is making facilities available for the government to use as treatment or isolation centers, parent company Anglo American said Monday. It's offering two of its ambulances, and compiling databases of re...Read More
RAPAPORT... Mining at Rio Tinto's Argyle deposit in Australia is proceeding as usual, despite a lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic.The company has received full approval from the Western Australian state government to continue its production operations prior to the mine's expected end of life later this year, it told Rapaport News Monday. Operations are also in full swing at Diavik, the C...Read More
RAPAPORT... The World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) has adopted Get Diamonds as its official trading platform, the organization's president Ernie Blom told Rapaport News. The WFDB's executive committee agreed in a Zoom meeting on Sunday night to support the platform, which until now has been run by the Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE). That includes funding its development and preparing a...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Billionaire British jeweler Laurence Graff has launched a perfume range inspired by his 302.37-carat emerald-cut Lesedi La Rona diamond.A collection of six fragrances are being sold in bottles shaped like the iconic stone at $340 for 100ml.Mr Graff, 81, paid $53m in 2017 for a rough 1,109-carat stone discovered by Lucara at their Karowe Mine, in Botswana. It was the world'...Read More
RAPAPORT... Gem Diamonds' average selling price fell 6% to $1,615 per carat in the first quarter compared with the previous three months, the company said Monday.The miner brought in $6.7 million from its second flexible tender of large, high-quality rough from the Let??eng mine in Lesotho. The first flexible tender yielded $12 million. The company also sold $7.8 million during the quarter at...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Anglo American, parent company of De Beers, has detailed a wide-ranging package of health and social care measures for its 90,000 employees worldwide during the coronavirus crisis. It includes paying all its 47,000 employees in South Africa, during the current 21-day lockdown, and making its hospital and other healthcare facilities available to Covid-19 patients. The company is als...Read More
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Diversified mining company Anglo American is going to remarkable lengths to support South Africa through the devastating Covid-19 crisis.The London- and Johannesburg-listed company, headed by Australian Mark Cutifani, is showing far-reaching corporate humanitarianism by taking firm steps to support employees, host communities, contractors, suppliers, hospita...Read More
RAPAPORT... Phillips has pushed back the date of its Hong Kong Jewels and Jadeite sale due to restrictions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.The auction was slated for the week of May 31 to June 2 along with a number of other spring sales, including its Hong Kong watch auction, Phillips said Monday. Those events are now scheduled to take place the week of July 5."As we navigate through these...Read More
(IDEX Online) - A US jeweler who was shot in one of several robberies at his store has died of coronavirus-related complications.Randy Flatau, 70, had run Randy's Fine Jewelers, in Beaumont, south-east Texas, selling jewelry and watches for several decades.He hadn't traveled recently, but reportedly had underlying health issues.Relatives told the local KFDM TV channel he was a great man...Read More
RAPAPORT... De Beers is using its mining sites in Botswana and its technology production center in the UK to help the fight against COVID-19.Debswana, the company's joint venture with Botswana, is making facilities available for the government to use as treatment or isolation centers, parent company Anglo American said Monday. It's offering two of its ambulances, and compiling databases of re...Read More
LSE-listed Gem Diamonds’ second round of the flexible tender sales process has been concluded and raised a further $6.7-million for a selection of large, high-quality diamonds recovered at its Letšeng mine, in Lesotho.The company achieved an average value of $1 615 /ct for the first quarter of 2020.AdvertisementThe flexible tender sales process was put in place as a result of th...Read More
RAPAPORT... The recent declines in diamond trading and pricing follow a rise in supply and a severe drop in demand, Rapaport Senior Analyst Avi Krawitz explained in a webinar last week. The presentation, titled "Understanding the Impact of the Coronavirus on the Diamond Market," highlights some of the ways the pandemic is changing the trade, along with an opportunity to ensure a return to growth w...Read More
RAPAPORT... The Kimberley Process (KP) is trialing the use of digital certificates for rough-diamond shipments, claiming the method will increase efficiency and reduce fraud.Russia, which is chairing the global certification scheme this year, will test the idea with exports to select countries, a spokesperson for the country's KP operation told Rapaport News. Participating nations will identify of...Read More
RAPAPORT... Alrosa CEO Sergey Ivanov has sold a portion of his stake in the company to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.Ivanov offloaded half of his shares in the Russian mining company for RUB 18.5 million ($241,670), Alrosa said last week. The proceeds of the sale will be donated to help stem the spread of the coronavirus in the Mirny district of Yakutia, where Alrosa operates."All proceeds...Read More