Russian diamond mining company Severalmaz, a subsidiary of State-owned Alrosa, is testing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for mine surveying of land objects at Europe’s largest primary diamond deposit at Lomonosov.Preliminary results from the UAV testing, which involved a quadcopter and an aeroplane, indicate that mine surveying could be done faster, safer and at a high survey accuracy.Adver...Read More
RAPAPORT... Forevermark, in collaboration with retailer Indian Gem &Jewellery Creation, has opened a boutique in India that will exclusively featurestones from the De Beers-owned brand. "This is the first exclusive store that Forevermark hasopened in east India, and we could not be happier to have done that with IndianGem & Jewellery Creation, which shares similar values and provides fashi...Read More
(IDEX News) - Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. has entered into an understanding with Dominion Diamond Mines ULC which allows Mountain Province's customers to certify their qualifying polished diamonds under the Canadamark?,,? certification program. The Canadamark program is a strategic initiative of Dominion. Through its participation, Mountain Province joins Dominion in its efforts to assu...Read More
RAPAPORT... Resurgent Hong Kongdemand drove a sharp rise in global Swiss-watch exports in April, according todata from the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry. Worldwide shipmentsof Swiss timepieces climbed 14% year on year to $1.8 billion (CHF 1.81 billion)last month, the trade organization reported Tuesday. Exports to Hong Kongjumped 43% to $261.3 million (CHF 259.5 million) - a rate that was...Read More
NEW DELHI – India is seeking rights to mine for gold and diamonds in Russia's resource-rich Far East, Trade Minister Suresh Prabhu told Reuters on Tuesday.Prabhu last week led an Indian delegation to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.AdvertisementIndia seeks to import gold and diamonds for value-addition before exporting them, the Minister said.To watch Creamer Media...Read More
RAPAPORT... De Beers will begin selling laboratory-grown diamonds undera new fashion-jewelry brand, promising to transform the synthetics sector byoffering pieces at low cost.The company has launched Lightbox Jewelry, which will beginmarketing a new brand of lab-grown diamond jewelry in September, it saidTuesday. Diamonds from Lightbox will retail from $200 for a 0.25-carat stone to$800 for 1 cara...Read More
Diamond miner De Beers has launched a new company called Lightbox Jewellery that will begin marketing a new brand of laboratory-grown diamond jewellery designs at lower prices than existing lab-grown diamond offerings.Lightbox’s lab-grown diamonds will retail from $200 for a 0.25 ct stone to $800 for a 1 ct stone. The line will bring something new and innovative to the jewellery sector, feat...Read More
(IDEX News) - Signet Jewelers Limited has submitted its fifth consecutive Conflict Minerals Report to the SEC in accordance with Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act. Signet said it was one of only four companies to have its gold conflict-free filing with the SEC independently audited in line with the Section 1502 requirements in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Now Signet has extended its conflict...Read More
RAPAPORT... A 10.03-carat diamond ring was the top seller at Bonhams'sHong Kong auction, which saw a total of 163 lots sold for a combined $6.7million. The oval-cut, fancy brown-pink stone - flanked by a white diamond oneach side -went for $606,200 at the Rare Jewels and Jadeite sale, Bonhams said Tuesday.That was at the upper end of its pre-sale estimate of $395,000 to $636,000. "This piece was o...Read More
RAPAPORT... Forevermark, in collaboration with retailer Indian Gem &Jewellery Creation, has opened a boutique in India that will exclusively featurestones from the De Beers-owned brand. "This is the first exclusive store that Forevermark hasopened in east India, and we could not be happier to have done that with IndianGem & Jewellery Creation, which shares similar values and provides fashi...Read More
RAPAPORT... Christie's has procured the Belle ??poque diamond tiara thatbelonged to the crown princess of Yugoslavia to sell at its London summer auction on June13. The platinum headpiece, which dates back to 1905, is fromthe collection of the princes of Orl?(C)ans Braganza and features old pear-shapedand rose-cut diamonds, the auction house said. It carries an estimate of$186,900 to $280,350. Oth...Read More
(IDEX News) - Platinum Guild International (PGI) has published the findings of its 2017 Platinum Jewellery Business Review revealing that wedding markets around the world have become strongholds for platinum jewelry across China, Japan, the U.S. and newly emerging in India. Compiled by independent platinum market experts and industry analysts, the survey reports strong consumer retail sale...Read More
RAPAPORT... Singapore-based D1 Mint has agreed to buy $20 million worthof diamonds to back its new cryptocurrency coin, the company said last week. The 1,500 investment-grade diamonds were manufactured byHong Kong-headquartered KGK Diamonds, and sourced from Russian miner Alrosa. Thestones will go to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in New York forgrading, laser-etching and packaging, be...Read More
(IDEX News) - CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri has had a private audience with Pope Francis I, the head of Catholic Church during a conference in the Vatican City on "New Policies and Lifestyles in the Digital Age." During their discussion, Cavalieri stressed the responsibility of the business community to develop both professional skills and socially ethical awareness among young people...Read More
RAPAPORT... Camilla Dietz Bergeron, a connoisseur of jewelry and cofounderof the estate jeweler that bears her name, has died at the age of 76, TheTennessean reported. Bergeron (pictured) died last Sunday surrounded by her family and lovedones, according to the report. Born in Covington, Georgia, Bergeron graduated with honorsin Economics from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Af...Read More
(IDEX News) - Two villages near the Leo Schachter factory in Botswana now have a direct, consistent, and sustainable water system, funded by Leo Schachter Diamonds and Borsheims' Kalahari Dream sales. Kalahari Dream diamonds are sourced by Leo Schachter Diamonds and are being sold by two leading jewelry retailers, Borsheims in Omaha, NE, and Boston, MA-based Long's Jewelers. "Mille...Read More
(IDEX News) - A Singapore-based company called D1 Mint will buy $20 million worth of diamonds to support its new cryptocurrency coin. D1 Mint is acquiring 1,500 investment-grade diamonds that were cut and polished KGK Diamonds. The rough goods were supplied by Russian mining Alrosa. The diamonds will be certified, laser-inscribed and packaged by the GIA in New York, and then deposi...Read More
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Auctioneer GoIndustry DoveBid South Africa will be facilitating the sale of the Lerala diamond mine, in the Palapye region of Botswana, through an online auction, with final bids to close on Wednesday.GoIndustry Dovebid SA associate director John Taylor told Mining Weekly Online on Monday that, with mine auctions, the action always happens right at the end,...Read More
(IDEX News) - ALROSA Unit PJSC Severalmaz tested unmanned aerial vehicles - a quadcopter and an airplane - for mine surveying at the Lomonosov Mining and Processing Division. Preliminary estimates show that the use of unmanned technologies provides high survey accuracy and increases the speed and safety of work, the miner said. The Geoscan 401 Geodesy quadcopter and 101 Geodesy aircr...Read More
RAPAPORT... Singapore-based D1 Mint has agreed to buy $20 million worthof diamonds to back its new cryptocurrency coin, the company said last week. The 1,500 investment-grade diamonds were manufactured byHong Kong-headquartered KGK Diamonds, and sourced from Russian miner Alrosa. Thestones will go to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in New York forgrading, laser-etching and packaging, be...Read More