Fewer goods and buyersin the local market during the Hong Kong show. Dealers looking to fill specificorders, with very little inventory-buying. Volatile melee market seeing slight improvementin lower price ranges. Polished production still at reduced levels, with somesmall-scale manufacturers closing early for Diwali. Larger exporters preparinginventory as they anticipate US holiday orders. Roun...Read More

RAPAPORT... Lucara Diamond Corp. has recovered a 123-carat, type IIrough and a 375-carat, gem-quality stone from the high-value portion of its Karowemine in Botswana, it said Wednesday. Including the two diamonds, the company has unearthed 29diamonds over 100 carats, including eight weighing more than 200 carats. The123-carat diamond was from the run of mine ore at the EM/PK(S) portion of the...Read More

RAPAPORT... Jewelers of America (JA) has named Ed Bridge, chairman of Ben Bridge Jeweler, as the recipient of its 2020 GEM Award for LifetimeAchievement. The GEM Awards honor the outstanding achievements ofindividuals or companies whose work raises the visibility and status of finejewelry and watches. "Ed has undoubtedly increased the professionalism for thejewelry industry," JA president Da...Read More

RAPAPORT... Swiss watch exports rose 1.5% year on year to CHF 1.52 billion ($1.53billion) in August amid increased growth in US demand ahead of the September 1tariff hikes. "In the US, growth continued to increase regularly, makingit the top export market," the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry reportedlast week.  Shipments to the US climbed 15% to CHF 177.3 million ($178.4million),...Read More

RAPAPORT... A historic emerald given to Lady Mary Hood Mackenzie byMughal Emperor Akbar II in 1813 will go under the hammer at Bonhams, the auctionhouse said Tuesday. The Art Deco, Persian-engraved, octagonal-cut Colombianemerald brooch is set in a frame of black enamel and brilliant and single-cutdiamonds, mounted in platinum. The piece, believed to have been created around1925 by British je...Read More

Turkish long steel export prices have continued to weaken over the past week in line with the falling imported scrap values and limited demand for the material, sources said on Thursday September 19.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar) export, fob main port Turkey, was $400-410 per tonne on an actual-weight basis on Thursday, down from last week's $410-415 per ton...Read More

RAPAPORT... Sarine Technologies is collaborating with China'sNational Gemstone Testing Center (NGTC) to advance diamond-gradingstandards in China. Sarine CEO DavidBlock and NGTC president ZhiBin Ye signed the agreement in Beijing Monday, with the intention of combining NGTC's extensive gemological research and diamond-testing expertisewith Sarine's artificial intelligence (AI) technology to i...Read More

Ed Bridge, Chairman Emeritus of Ben Bridge Jeweler, Inc, is the 2020 recipient of the GEM Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award has been made in honor of his dedication to Ben Bridge and the jewelry industry throughout his career. The award ceremony will take place at the annual Gem Awards. The Gem Awards honor the outstanding achievements of individuals or companies whose work raises the...Read More

Fastmarkets MB has corrected its weekly price assessment for steel billet exported from Turkey, which was published incorrectly on September 19 due to an error. Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel billet export, fob main port Turkey was originally published at $370-390 per tonne. This has now been corrected to $370-380 per tonne. Fastmarkets MB's price book and database have been u...Read More

GemFind has announced the launch of an e-commerce version of DiamondLink. DiamondLink allows retailers to curate a list of diamonds suppliers on their website. The new iteration enables jewelers to sell diamonds from their vendors directly on their website.GemFind says that with this new version of DiamondLink, retailers can select the diamond qualities they want to offer. It also offers reports t...Read More

(IDEX Online) - CIBJO has released an overview of its Responsible Sourcing Blue Book. The Book defines a universally agreed-to set of recommended responsible sourcing principles that can be applied by all members of the jewelry industry. The report was prepared by the CIBJO Responsible Sourcing Commission, headed by Philip Olden.The report outlines a program initiated by the CIBJO' Respo...Read More

The Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises says State-owned diamond miner Alexkor is in trouble.The committee was on Wednesday briefed by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) and Alexkor on progress made in addressing the miner’s governance challenges and financial performance.AdvertisementIn its questions, the committee expressed concern about the state in which the company finds i...Read More

RAPAPORT... Shares in Petra Diamonds slipped 7% in early trading Mondayafter the miner reported its loss had broadened due to a devaluation of itsfour deposits. The company reported a net loss of $258.1 million for theperiod ending June 30, as opposed to a loss of $203.1 million the year before.This was due to the combination of impairment charges - a reduction in the value of an asset- on it...Read More

RAPAPORT... US retail sales rose in August, even as consumer confidence slipped slightly from the previous month amid the escalating trade war. Total sales - excluding automobiles, gasoline andrestaurants - rose 0.4% compared with July and 4.6% year on year, according todata the National Retail Federation (NRF) reported, citing the US CensusBureau. Online and other non-store sales climbed 14%...Read More

Embattled diamond miner Stornoway Diamond Corp has been informed that it will be delisted from the TSX at the close of market on October 18.The company, which operates the Renard mine, in Quebec, was granted credit protection earlier this month to restructure its business and financial affairs.AdvertisementStornoway said on Wednesday that it would not appeal the delisting decision and that it no l...Read More

Canada-based miner Lucara Diamond Corp has recovered a 123 ct gem-quality top white Type II diamond at its Karowe mine, in Botswana.The diamond was recovered from direct milling ore sourced from the eastern magmatic/pyroclastic kimberlite (EM/PK(S)) unit of the South Lobe. AdvertisementThe EM/PK(S) has also delivered several other high-value diamonds, including the 1 109 ct Lesedi La Rona, th...Read More

Seaborne iron ore prices continued to fall on Thursday September 19 amid retreats in the futures and steel markets.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $93.23 per tonne, down $3.19 per tonne.62% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, cfr Qingdao: $93.62 per tonne, down $3.19 per tonne.62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $91.47 per tonne, down $2.96 per tonne.58% Fe fines high-...Read More

The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for iron ore, pig iron, direct-reduced iron and other steelmaking raw materials.Latest transactions: iron oreIron oreBHP, Global Ore, 100,000 tonnes of 58% Fe Yandi fines, sold at the October average of two 62% Fe indices, adjusted...Read More

The availability of ample cargoes of seaborne premium mid-vol hard coking coal has raised the possibility of traders engaging in panic selling.Premium hard coking coal, fob DBCT: $140.66 per tonne, down $3.42 per tonnePremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $161.43 per tonne, down $2.38 per tonneHard coking coal, fob DBCT: $122.50 per tonne, down $9.25 per tonneHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $140...Read More

Stellar result for PolarXSPONSOREDpolarx"Mining has overcome a series of challenges to transform itself throughout its history. The challenges were technical, financial and sustainability. Today, the challenge consists of how to achieve that this important economic activity develops in harmony with the social environment," he said.To this end, the government proposed the creation of a territorial...Read More