RAPAPORT... Revenue from the retail division of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway rose 2.5% to $16 billion in 2019, the company reported Saturday.The increase for the segment, which includes jewelry chains Borsheims, Helzberg Diamonds and Ben Bridge Jeweler, was boosted primarily by the company's car business. Pretax earnings for the entire retail unit grew 1.6% to $874 million for the year...Read More
RAPAPORT... US couples spent 4% more on engagement rings in 2019, according to a survey by wedding resource The Knot.Consumers that took part in the study paid approximately $5,900 on average for their engagement ring in 2019, versus $5,680 the previous year, The Knot said last week. That came despite the average amount the 25,000 respondents paid for a wedding remaining steady at $33,900, co...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Authorities in Angola have seized 6,579 carats of rough diamonds in a crackdown on illegal mining and immigration. Nineteen cars and $275,000 in cash were also confiscated, according to the government-run Angop news agency. Operation Transparency was aimed at more than 700 small diamond prospectors in the country. Two thirds were found not to meet the interior ministry's requ...Read More
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Diamond miner Lucapa has generated A$2.84-mllion in revenue from the sale of 1 223 ct of diamonds from its Lulo mine, in Angola.The ASX-listed company noted that its latest Lulo parcel had achieved an average price of A$2 324/ct.AdvertisementThe latest sale brought the total diamond sales for 2020 to A$7.9-million, averaging A$2 842/ct of diamonds sold.To watch Cre...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Another Hong Kong event has been forced to re-schedule because of the coronavirus outbreak. The 9th AEC Gems & Jewelry Presidents' Summit, originally scheduled for 3 March, will now take place on 19 May. It will form a part of two other Hong Kong shows, which have both been postponed amid health fears. The Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show 2020 (...Read More
(IDEX Online) - A parcel of 1,223 carats of alluvial diamonds from the Lulo mine, in Angola, has sold for $1.9 million. The Lucapa Diamond Company is exploring hard-rock kimberlite sources in the Canguige tributary catchment area, which hosts some of the world's most valuable alluvial diamonds. The sale, the second this year, achieved an average price of $1,535 per carat and brings the total...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Sales of fine jewelry and fine watches continued to rise in December 2019, increasing 4.7 percent compared to December 2018, as seen in the graph below. This marks the sixth successive month of positive sales and was also one of the strongest months of the year, with only September showing better performance. Outlook While December's figures were a big improv...Read More
Dual-listed Botswana Diamonds on Monday announced that kimberlite, identified by visual inspection, had been intersected at shallow depth in two out of three holes drilled at the Marsfontein project in Limpopo, South Africa.The company has been undertaking a percussion drilling campaign on Thorny River and the contiguous Marsfontein project.AdvertisementThis kimberlite is believed to be associated...Read More
Turkish steel producers maintained their silence in the deep-sea scrap import market, leaving prices unchanged, sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday February 25.Steel producers in the country booked eight deep-sea cargoes at rising prices last week, totaling some 250,000 tonnes.With last week's bookings, Turkish imports of scrap so far this month have included 21 deep-sea cargoes adding up to&...Read More
Seaborne coking coal prices were largely unchanged on Tuesday February 25 due to a lack of trading activity in the market.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $159.20 per tonne, unchangedPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $167.13 per tonne, unchangedHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $142 per tonne, up by $0.37 per tonne ...Read More
Seaborne iron ore prices were down on Tuesday February 25 amid heightened concerns about the novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) outbreak outside China and the resulting risk averse attitude of traders. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $90.83 per tonne, down $1.05 per tonne. 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $91.84 per tonne, down $0.98 per tonne. 58% Fe fines high-premium, c...Read More
A Pakistani mill that recently made a rare purchase of a bulk cargo of ferrous scrap from the United States West Coast will now likely buy such shipments with greater frequency, according to sources Fastmarkets spoke to.The trade - involving 30,000 tonnes of shredded scrap priced at $306 per tonne cfr Port Qasim - only came to light on Monday February 24, against the background of global economic...Read More
High inventory levels weighted on China's domestic rebar market on Tuesday February 25 while concerns over overseas demand also led to a drop in export prices.Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,450-3,480 yuan ($491-495) per tonne, down 10 yuan per tonne Northern China (Beijing): 3,380-3,420 yuan per tonne, widened downward by 10 yuan per tonne A pile-up of finished steel due to weak demand and transporta...Read More
Cardinal heading down familiar gold roadSPONSOREDcardinal resourcesThe company acquired 70% of the Red Chris mine in British Columbia last year and is working on applying its Edge transformation approach to improve the performance of the high-cost, loss-making asset.Read More
China's hot-rolled coil prices fell in the northern region on Wednesday February 25 despite relative stability in the east, though trading activity across the country fell amid complaints over a lack of cash.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,560-3,570 yuan ($506-508) per tonne, narrowing upward by 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,330-3,350 yuan per tonne, down 10-20 yuan per tonnePr...Read More
Q1...ACCESS RESTRICTEDTo read the rest of this analysis please take a free sample or subscribeFREE SampleReceive a free sample of market analysis and price forecasts.Free SampleSUBSCRIBEReceive unlimited access to all current and archive content going back to 2008 including downloadable pricing data and forecasts.Plus download the latest issue as soon as it’s published.Subscri...Read More
LME aluminium struggling to attract dip-buying...ACCESS RESTRICTEDTo read the rest of this analysis please take a free sample or subscribeFREE SampleReceive a free sample of market analysis and price forecasts.Free SampleSUBSCRIBEReceive unlimited access to all current and archive content going back to 2008 including downloadable pricing data and forecasts.Plus download the latest...Read More
Aluminium Follow-through selling pushed the LME aluminium three-month...ACCESS RESTRICTEDTo read the rest of this analysis please take a free sample or subscribeFREE SampleReceive a free sample of market analysis and price forecasts.Free SampleSUBSCRIBEReceive unlimited access to all current and archive content going back to 2008 including downloadable pricing data and forecas...Read More
Diverging trends between LME and SHFE ACCESS RESTRICTEDTo read the rest of this analysis please take a free sample or subscribeFREE SampleReceive a free sample of market analysis and price forecasts.Free SampleSUBSCRIBEReceive unlimited access to all current and archive content going back to 2008 including downloadable pricing data and forecasts.Plus download the latest issue as so...Read More
Price drift continues Lead prices...ACCESS RESTRICTEDTo read the rest of this analysis please take a free sample or subscribeFREE SampleReceive a free sample of market analysis and price forecasts.Free SampleSUBSCRIBEReceive unlimited access to all current and archive content going back to 2008 including downloadable pricing data and forecasts.Plus download the latest issue as soon...Read More