Polished trading improving, with US holidayorders driving sales. Buyers looking for bargains in Mumbai as weak currencyand tighter bank lending put pressure on Indian dealers. Surat factoriesclosing early for Diwali, with large inventories of melee and 30-pointers.Innovative jewelers gaining market share as JBT reports 226 businesses closed and51 opened in 3Q. China/Hong Kong jewelry retail better...Read More
RAPAPORT... US households are planning to spend 4% more this holiday season, as consumer confidence has improved in the current economic climate,the National Retail Federation (NRF) said Wednesday. "The holidays are just around the corner, and consumers areready to shop," said Matthew Shay, CEO of the NRF. "Confidence is near anall-time high, unemployment is the lowest we've seen in decades, and t...Read More
Australia's Lucapa Diamond (ASX:LOM) said Thursday it had received ZAR100 million (about $7 million) from South Africa's IDC - of the largest development financiers in southern Africa - to boost development at its 70%-owned Mothae mine in Lesotho.The company, which commissioned a 1.1 million tonne a year treatment plant at the mine, said the loan will considerably strengthen Mothae's cash posi...Read More
RAPAPORT... Continued violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) ismaking it impossible for the nation to develop its diamond sector, according to the World DiamondCouncil (WDC). A massacre in Bria left 30 people dead last week - thelatest in a string of fatal incidents in the eastern region, which is currentlyprohibited from exporting rough under the Kimberley Process (KP). While i...Read More
Imported steel billet prices in Egypt widened upward in the week ended Thursday October 25, although demand in the country remained weak.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel billet imported into Egypt was $480-490 per tonne cfr on Thursday, compared with $480-485 per tonne cfr last week.The assessment nudged upward because offers at the higher...Read More
Toronto, Ontario: 23 October 2018 - Fura Gems Inc. (TSXV: FURA, OTC: FUGMF and FRA: BJ43) ("Fura Gems" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the launch of an all-female wash plant team at the Coscuez emerald project in Boyac??, Colombia (the "Coscuez Emerald Mine").Key HighlightsAt the second World Emerald Symposium held in Bogota, October 2018, Fura Gems launched its All-Female Wash Plant pr...Read More
RAPAPORT... Kering noted solid sales in its jewelry-and-watch division inthe third quarter amid a sharp increase in the luxury retailer's group sales. "Watches and jewelry posted solid revenue growth," thecompany said Wednesday. "New collections and extended iconic lines fromBoucheron, Pomellato and Qeelin were very well received. Watches achieved arobust performance, driven by innovation and...Read More
(IDEX Online) - World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) President Ernie Blom called on exchange presidents and members to join hands to boost the global presence of the trade organization at the conclusion, on Thursday, of the 38th World Diamond Congress at the Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB). The WFDB is clearly the most important representative body in the global diamond trade, but needs to think...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Jewelers of America (JA), the national trade association for businesses serving the fine jewelry marketplace, will host the first annual Jewelers of America National Convention, an education-focused executive forum open to jewelry professionals. The Convention will take place July 28-29, 2019, in New York City. "Engaging Jewelers of America's network of more than 8,000 jewe...Read More
RAPAPORT... Lucapa Diamond Company will begin producing diamonds at itsMothae mine on a commercial scale, paving the way for its first scheduled salelater this year. The miner has commissioned the Lesotho asset's treatmentplant, and expects to see its first commercial recoveries in early November, itsaid Monday. It plans to increase production to its intended levels during thefourth quarter....Read More
Comex copper prices were little changed Thursday morning in the US with a stronger dollar capping any positive momentum. The copper price for December settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange inched up 0.10 cents to $2.7585 lb. "While we forecast a stronger copper price by the end of the year, the fragile macro backdrop poses downside risks to our outlook," Fastmar...Read More
(IDEX Online) - The wide range of challenges facing the global diamond industry were outlined by World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) President Ernie Blom in his keynote speech on the second day of the 38th World Diamond Congress on Wednesday. From financing to generic marketing and the need to attract Millennial buyers to the impact of De Beers' Lightbox jewelry, maintaining co...Read More
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Diamond miner Lucapa Diamond Company has secured a R100-million development facility from the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDC) for its Mothae kimberlite diamond mine, in Lesotho.The facility will span a four-year period, and will include a 12-month moratorium on capital repayments. Interest on the facility will be calculated at the Johannesb...Read More
(IDEX Online) - At the invitation of the Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE), Continental Buying Group (CBG) has brought its first buying mission to the Israeli bourse. CBG is the largest independent jewelry organization in the United States, representing over 100 of the most successful independent jewelers in the country, the IDE said. The eight-member delegation consisting of leading je...Read More
De Beers Group on Tuesday reported that its rough diamond production had decreased by 5% to 8.7-million carats in the third quarter ended September 30, owing to planned volume reductions in Botswana and South Africa.In Botswana, production declined by 6% to 5.7-million carats owing to the planned processing of lower-grade material at Jwaneng. Production at Orapa remained in line with that of the t...Read More
(IDEX Online) - The Responsible Artisanal Gold Solutions Forum, with USAID and local partners, has announced the first conflict-free artisanal gold from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) exported to U.S. jewelers. Forum member Sasha Lezhnev, Deputy Director of Policy at the Enough Project, said, "This gold proves that it is possible to source conflict-free, responsible gold from Co...Read More
The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Friday October 26.Base metal prices on the London Metal Exchange were mostly lower at the close of trading on Thursday October 25 amid continued strength in the US dollar index, while stronger earnings reports and a broadly positive European Central Bank outlook safeguarded commodity investments. Read more in our live futures repo...Read More
RAPAPORT... Petra Diamonds' revenue jumped in the first fiscal quarter dueto demand for higher-quality goods. Revenue surged 22% year on year to $80.2 million for thethree months ending September 30, the miner reported Monday. Sales volumeincreased 7% to 626,541 carats, with the average selling price up 15% to $128per carat, even as overall rough prices weakened. Prices for the quarter fell...Read More
Vale's average selling price for nickel during the third quarter of 2018 showed the highest percentage difference over the benchmark price on the London Metal Exchange for the past 10 years, according to the Brazilian miner's latest earnings report, released on Wednesday October 24.The company's average nickel price was around $14,092 per tonne in the July-September quarter.This was 6.23% above th...Read More
Zinc and lead concentrates trader Edouard Penot has left Transamine after four years at the firm, Fastmarkets understands.Penot was working with Eduardo Grau in handling zinc...Read More