(IDEX Online) - The High Court of Singapore has ruled that IIa Technologies has infringed on an Element Six patent for proprietary synthetic diamond products and their method of manufacture (Singapore patent number 115872).The patent relates to the production of material that can be used in lab-grown diamond jewelry and in optical applications such as infrared spectroscopy and high-power laser opt...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Reports in the Indian press highlight the worry that many diamond traders are feeling about the effects of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. While there have been isolated incidents of the disease in India, most people are more worried about the effects on the country's diamond trade - especially in Surat.According to the media, the Surat industry could face losses of around R...Read More
RAPAPORT... Botswana's diamond trade took center stage in the newest episode of a documentary highlighting sustainability in the fashion industry.The Fashionscapes films were created by Livia Firth, wife of actor Colin Firth, and cofounder and creative director of sustainability and communications consultancy Eco-Age. A screening of the film, which Firth created together with director Andrew...Read More
RAPAPORT... Botswana's diamond trade took center stage in the newest episode of a documentary highlighting sustainability in the fashion industry.The Fashionscapes films were created by Livia Firth, wife of actor Colin Firth, and cofounder and creative director of sustainability and communications consultancy Eco-Age. A screening of the film, which Firth created together with director Andrew...Read More
RAPAPORT... A court has awarded a limited victory to De Beers' synthetic-diamond production unit in a patent dispute with Singapore-based grower IIa Technologies.IIa infringed an Element Six patent related to diamond material that's usable for lab-grown diamond jewelry and industrial applications, according to a High Court of Singapore judgment Friday. However, another Element Six patent for...Read More
RAPAPORT... Polished-diamond imports to Hong Kong declined 13% in 2019 according to data from the Diamond Federation of Hong Kong, China. Polished imports fell 17% in the fourth quarter, the official figures showed. The decline reflected a slowdown in the diamond market amid weak consumer sentiment and social unrest in the municipality. Hong Kong Trade Data for 2019Read More
RAPAPORT... Grib Diamonds has started buying rough in Angola, as a new company structure has enabled it to diversify beyond its one mine in Russia.The Antwerp-based company, which markets most of the Grib deposit's diamonds, is looking to source goods from a broader range of locations.Grib Diamonds is now a subsidiary of AGD Diamonds, which operates the site in the Arkhangelsk region, whereas...Read More
RAPAPORT... Grib Diamonds has started buying rough in Angola, as a new company structure has enabled it to diversify beyond its one mine in Russia.The Antwerp-based company, which markets most of the Grib deposit's diamonds, is looking to source goods from a broader range of locations.Grib Diamonds is now a subsidiary of AGD Diamonds, which operates the site in the Arkhangelsk region, whereas...Read More
Airships may replace winter roads at Chidliak70% of rough diamonds sold to local beneficiatorsAdvertisementCAPE TOWN (miningweekly.com) – De Beers Group Managed Operations MD responsible for South Africa and Canada, Nompumelelo (Mpumi) Zikalala, spoke to Mining Weekly this week about the highlights and one lowlight of her first nine months in office.Zikalala, who has replaced two long-servin...Read More
Russian miner Alrosa will hold four auctions in New York this year for rough diamonds weighing more than 10.8 ct.“In general, each auction attracts up to 100 companies from different countries. Auction sales currently account for about 10% of our overall sales,” Alrosa deputy CEO Evgeny Agureev commented in a statement on Friday.AdvertisementThe first auction in New York will be held f...Read More
Mining companies and host governments have been urged to take a long-term view when investing in the natural resources sector in Africa.During a panel discussion at the 2020 Investing in African Mining Indaba on why investors should consider investing in Africa, Vedanta Resources CEO Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan (Venkat) highlighted the continent's "phenomenal potential" given its natu...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Lucara Diamond Corp. has recovered an unbroken 549-carat white diamond that it says is of "exceptional purity." The stone was recovered from the Karowe diamond mine in Botswana.The huge find follows the recent recovery of a gem-quality 176-carat stone from the same ore block - the EM/PK(S) unit of the South Lobe. It also delivered other high-value diamonds including the 1,758-carat...Read More
(IDEX Online) - According to media reports, Endiama EP, Angola's state-owned diamond mining company plans to sell up to 30 percent of its shares in an initial public offering (IPO) in 2022.Bloomber said the sale is part of the government's plan to increase transparency in the diamond sector and increase production.Jose Manuel Ganga Junior, Endiama chairman, told Bloomberg the government...Read More
The Minerals Council South Africa is no longer just the voice of the mining majors, Grant Mitchell, who heads up the council's Junior and Emerging Miners Desk, pointed out in a briefing at the 2020 Investing in African Mining Indaba, this week.He highlighted that 40% of the Minerals Council's members were junior miners.AdvertisementHe also noted that South Africa's junior mining sector...Read More
(IDEX Online) - The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) has announced plans to hold its second African Diamond Conference (ADC). The conference will take place in Durban, South Africa on May 5-6.The last ADC took place in Brussels in 2017.The AWDC website describes the event as a high-level gathering for African mining ministers, the diplomatic corps, global diamond industry, civil society and aca...Read More
RAPAPORT... Lucara Diamond Corp. has unearthed a 549-carat white diamond at its Karowe mine, the fourth-largest stone in the history of the Botswana deposit.The unbroken stone, which is of "exceptional purity," is the first large diamond Lucara has recovered using its Mega Diamond Recovery (MDR) equipment, the miner said Wednesday. The unit, which the miner commissioned in 2017, is specifical...Read More
RAPAPORT... Alrosa has named 58 companies that qualify for its long-term rough supply in 2020.The annual reshuffle saw the mining company remove Belgium-based Blue Gems and Russia's EPL Diamond from the roster, while it added Antwerp-headquartered IGC Group. The program, known as the Alrosa Alliance, enables customers to obtain guaranteed monthly volumes of rough, granting stability both to t...Read More
RAPAPORT... Andr?(C) Messika, a supplier of polished diamonds to the luxury jewelry market, has invested in a factory in Namibia, giving his company direct access to De Beers' rough supply for the first time.The diamantaire has partnered with Schachter & Namdar Asia (SN Asia), which has held the license for the factory since 2006, and has since become the largest employer of disabled and...Read More
Cautious sentiment amid tight liquidity and concerns about oversupply. Manufacturers maintaining low production to avoid flooding the market with goods. Steady demand for 0.30 to 0.50 ct. diamonds. Few overseas buyers in Mumbai after India canceled visas for Chinese visitors. Trade disappointed by 2020 government budget, which kept import duty on gold at 12.5% and polished diamonds at 7.5%. Roun...Read More
Diamond miner Lucara Diamond Corporation has recovered an unbroken 549 ct white diamond "of exceptional purity" from its Karowe mine, in Botswana.The diamond was recovered from direct milling of ore sourced from the EM/PK(S) unit of the South Lobe. This follows the recent recovery of a gem-quality 176 ct diamond from the same ore block.AdvertisementThe EM/PK(S) continues to produce large...Read More