News: Polished trading seasonally slow due to US summer vacations. Economic uncertainty fueling caution. Shift in sentiment with buyers setting market terms and polished inventories rising despite sanctions on Russian rough. 1 ct. RAPI -1.8% in June. Rough shortages expected to support prices in 2H. Expectations for strong De Beers sight next week. Kimberley Process reports 2021 global rough prod...Read More
RAPAPORT... Mainland China's diamond trade tumbled in the first half of this year as the country's response to a fresh coronavirus wave hit consumer spending, according to the Shanghai Diamond Exchange (SDE).Total rough and polished transactions through the SDE slid 46% year on year to $2.06 billion for the six months, the SDE reported Wednesday. Polished imports dropped 36% to $1.01 billion...Read More
RAPAPORT... Sarine Technologies will introduce its Light Performance grading reports to mainland China through a co-branded partnership with the National Gemstone Testing Center (NGTC).The reports will establish a new industry standard in the China market, Sarine said Thursday. For the past two-and-a-half years, the NGTC has been carrying out extensive tests on diamonds of various cut qualities us...Read More
RAPAPORT... The European Union should ban Russian diamonds in its next sanctions package, German nonprofit Transparency International said this week in an open letter to officials."No profits from precious stones should directly or indirectly finance the Russian government and its aggression against sovereign states, and no Russian kleptocrat should be able to enjoy luxury goods while innocen...Read More
RAPAPORT... Retail has shifted since the start of Covid-19, and the drive toward digital has become more pronounced. Some 90% of jewelry retailers now have online platforms, according to Bain & Company's Global Diamond Industry 2021-22 report. "The pandemic rapidly accelerated e-commerce, even for independent US retailers," it states.The move is a direct result of retailers looking to mee...Read More
RAPAPORT... Diamond production recovered to pre-pandemic levels in 2021 as the market bounced back and mining nations in Africa expanded their operations.Global rough output rose 51% year on year to $13.99 billion, exceeding 2019's total of $13.57 billion, according to statistics the Kimberley Process (KP) released this week. By volume, production increased 12% to 120 million carats but trail...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Fancy yellow diamonds have been discovered at the Ellendale mine, in Australia.Production ceased in 2015 when previous owner Kimberley Diamond Company went into liquidation, but India Bore Diamond Holdings (IBDH) and Burgundy Diamond Mines, both based in Australia, now have tenements there.IDBH said gravel from two separate layers of diamondiferous deposits had yielded a range of g...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Petra Diamonds saw its fortunes reversed at its June tender as rough prices rose by 7.7 per cent.In May the UK-based miner reported like-for-like rough diamond prices down by 23.7 per cent. It blamed "ongoing uncertainty around the impact of the conflict in Ukraine".The company sold 569,496 carats at its June tender, raising a total of $93m. At the May tender it sold more - 635,806...Read More
Orexplore leads the pack in core analysisSPONSOREDorexploreAlmonty plans top tungsten production outside ChinaSPONSOREDalmonty industriesStars align for Tinka at AyawilcaSPONSOREDtinka resourcesAsian Battery Metals AllianceSPONSOREDaranjin resourcesRamp-up activities are currently focused on steadily increasing the plant throughput rate with commercial production expected to start by the fourth qu...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 12 points in pre-opening trade. U.S. equity index futures were virtually unchanged following release of the U.S. May Trade Deficit report at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus was a deficit of $84.7 billion versus a deficit of $87.10 billion in April. Actual was a deficit of $85.5 billion.The Canadian Dollar was virtually unchange...Read More
America's most powerful weapon of war does not shoot, fly or explode. It's not a submarine, plane, tank or laser. America's most powerful strategic weapon today is the dollar. The U.S. uses the dollar strategically to reward friends and punish enemies.The use of the dollar as a weapon is not limited to trade wars and currency wars, although the dollar is used tactically in those disputes. The doll...Read More
"The writing is on the wall."This is the studied conclusion of a certain Frank Giustra, co-chairman of the International Crisis Group.What writing - precisely - adorns the wall?The writing is on the wall that some form of change is imminent, and a global monetary system reset may already be underway... the U.S. dollar feels like a lame-duck currency. It still rules, but the world is clearly jockey...Read More
The Toronto-quoted equity of Labrador Gold (TSXV: LAB; US-OTCQX: NKOSF) closed 4% higher on Thursday after reporting the highest-grade intercepts to date from the flagship Kingsway project in Newfoundland.The company reports that hole K-22-174 intersected 284.1 grams per tonne of gold over 0.58 metres from 309.47 metres depth, and 15.05 grams per tonne over 1.11 metres from 310.71 metres depth.The...Read More
The following companies are the Top Ten Canadian-headquartered precious metal juniors that are developing projects but are not yet in production, ranked according to market capitalization as of June 7 and compiled by Mining Intelligence. Royalty and streaming companies are not included in this list.1 NovaGold ResourcesMarket Cap: $2.1 billionEmployees at Novagold Resources and Barrick Gold's Donli...Read More
Asante Gold (TSXV: ASE) has poured first gold at its Bibiani gold mine in Ghana.The mine is expected to produce 175,000 ounces of the precious metal over the next 12 months.The news follows the commissioning of the processing plant and associated equipment at the mine in early June.The Vancouver-based company said this was the final operating area of the process plant to be commissioned, adding...Read More
Moneta Gold (TSX: ME; US-OTC: MEAUF) has delivered new assay results from 12 drill holes totalling 6,266 metres. These were completed during exploration drilling on new targets at its Tower gold project, located 100 km east of Timmins, Ont.Highlight of the batch was drill hole MGA21-012, which intersected 5.1 metres at a bonanza grade of 50.09 grams gold per tonne, including 1.0 metre at 251.0 gra...Read More
Shenzhen-listed Tianqi Lithium has raised about HK$13.5 billion (US$1.71) billion in a secondary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, according to the Financial Times.The British daily newspaper reported that South Korea's LG Chem, a diversified chemical company, was a "cornerstone" investor in the IPO, which saw Tianqi sell about 164 million shares at about HK$82 ($10.45) apiece.The share sal...Read More
Shares of Solaris Resources (TSX: SLS; US-OTC: SLSSF) rose 10% in Thursday morning trading after the company reported identifying three new copper-molybdenum porphyry targets, five skarn targets s and a high-sulphidation epithermal gold target near its Warintza project in southeastern Ecuador.Solaris is exploring the project with seven drill rigs in a bid to expand Warintza's mineral resource es...Read More
Centamin (TSX: CEE; LSE: CEY) said on Thursday that exploration around its flagship Sukari gold mine in Egypt has allowed it to identify the potential for a satellite open pit within the concession as well as extensions of the underground orebody.The West Africa-focused gold miner also said it had completed the first airborne geophysical survey in Egypt, which it described as a milestone for the c...Read More
A rising demand to participate in the revenues from natural resources, tougher environmental protection rules and changes to laws are increasing risks for mining and energy companies across Latin America, even in countries once considered safe investment destinations, a new study shows.According to the 2022 Latin America Mining Risk Index, published by consultancy Americas Market Intelligence (AMI...Read More