(IDEX Online) - A shopper splashed out more than $600,000 on a diamond engagement ring at Costco.The company said it was a cushion-cut 10-carat solitaire, according to New York Daily News, but didn't give further details. Costco, the world's second largest retailer after Walmart, is better known for selling groceries and household items in bulk, rather than high-value jewelry.But it...Read More

RAPAPORT... Botswana's economic growth slowed last year due to lower rough production, further aggravated by weakness in its diamond-manufacturing sector, the nation's central bank said last week.Gross domestic product (GDP) increased 3.7% in the 12 months to September 2019, compared with a 5% rise in the previous year. The main factor was sluggish diamond-mining output, which increased 2.1%,...Read More

China's domestic rebar prices dropped on Monday March 9 due to selling pressure and early losses in the futures market, though sentiment remained positive with more construction projects restarting work after an extended break after the Chinese New Year.Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,370-3,400 yuan ($486-490) per tonne, down 40 yuan per tonne Northern China (Beijing): 3,260-3,300 yuan per tonne, down...Read More

China's domestic hot-rolled coil prices dropped on Monday March 9, with sellers making attempts to destock.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,490-3,500 yuan ($503-505) per tonne, down 20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tangshan): 3,280-3,300 yuan per tonne, narrowed downward by 10 yuan per tonneWith inventories at high levels, sellers lowered their prices to generate buying interest to draw down on...Read More

Key data from the March 9 pricing session in LondonKey driversThe price for standard-grade cobalt increases on the top end of the range; sellers hold firm with offers and are in little rush to drop them for low-volume inquiries. The alloy-grade price holds firm, with several sellers citing market tightness on good demand being reported in the aerospace, medical implant and other downstream ma...Read More

Key data from the Friday March 6 pricing session in Shanghai.Key drivers Export price for China-origin electrolytic manganese flake plunges after exporters lower their offer prices in a quiet market. Overseas...Read More

German chemical conglomerate BASF, Russian miner Nornickel and Finnish state-owned energy company Fortum have signed a letter of intent for a battery recycling cluster in Harjavalta, Finland, serving the electric vehicles (EV) market. The joint venture aims to foster the production and use of responsibly produced recycled raw materials in the battery market, using closed-loop recycling to re-use t...Read More

Key data from the pricing sessions in Asia, Europe and the United States for the week ending Friday March 6. China  The UG2 chrome ore price hit its lowest level since April 2016 in its third consecutive week of decline.  Spot Chinese ferro-chrome prices steady due to the market awaiting March tender prices from...Read More

U.S. equity index futures were sharply lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 145 points to its daily limit in pre-opening trade before trading was halted. Index futures responded to increasing coronavirus concerns and failure by OPEC and Russia to reach an oil production quota agreement. Saudi Arabia slashed prices for its crude oil and announced intentions to increase production. WTI...Read More

Cardinal heading down familiar gold roadSPONSOREDcardinal resourcesSarama right in the middle of big exploration, corporate build-upSPONSOREDsarama resources Exore excels in Cote d'IvoireSPONSOREDexore resourcesMICROMINE STRENGTHENS DATA MANAGEMENT SOLUTION WITH Geobank 2020SPONSOREDmicromineThe measures include amendments to the environmental protection regulations related to mineral explorat...Read More

Artemis all set thanks to unique approachSPONSOREDartemis resourcesIf the bill is passed, the royalty would apply to mines that produce more than 12,000 tonnes per year of copper and more than 50,000t of metallic lithium.Read More

Cardinal heading down familiar gold roadSPONSOREDcardinal resourcesSarama right in the middle of big exploration, corporate build-upSPONSOREDsarama resources Exore excels in Cote d'IvoireSPONSOREDexore resourcesMICROMINE STRENGTHENS DATA MANAGEMENT SOLUTION WITH Geobank 2020SPONSOREDmicromineNew York-based Jefferies, which also highlighted MMG's operational risks in a weekend note on the 75%-C...Read More

US non-ferrous scrap export volumes in January increased by only 1% compared with a year previous, according to data from the US Department of Commerce. Volumes totaled 233,878 tons in January, up from 231,593 tons in January 2019.Of the six scrap metal categories tracked by Fastmarkets - aluminium, used beverage cans (UBCs), copper, lead (other than lead-acid batteries), nickel and zinc - UB...Read More

Cardinal heading down familiar gold roadSPONSOREDcardinal resourcesSarama right in the middle of big exploration, corporate build-upSPONSOREDsarama resources Exore excels in Cote d'IvoireSPONSOREDexore resourcesMICROMINE STRENGTHENS DATA MANAGEMENT SOLUTION WITH Geobank 2020SPONSOREDmicromineProduction for 2019 was 72 million pounds of copper, which met the company's production guidance.Read More

The Chinese government has announced a fourth quota for copper scrap imports, which importers must apply for to bring scrap material into China.A total of 3,520 tonnes of copper scrap will be allowed to enter into China under the latest quota, according to a release on Saturday March 7 from the China Solid Waste & Chemicals Management Bureau, which is part of the Ministry of Ecology and Environmen...Read More

Colombia, Ecuador and Peru all host prospective geological settings for mineral exploration. While they remain under-explored by modern-day standards, South America's reputation as an established mining destination gives a head start to companies looking to develop projects in these countries. Auryn ResourcesA geologist collects a sample at the Totora target on Auryn Resources' Sombrero copper pro...Read More

Ivanhoe Mines (TSX:IVN; US-OTC: IVPAF) said that progress at its Kakula project, the first of multiple planned mining areas at Kamoa-Kakula in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, continues to move forward, with production slated for the third quarter of 2021.Delivering full year results and an update on activities, the Canadian miner said once the ongoing definitive feasibility study for its Kak...Read More

Max Resources (TSXV: MXR; US-OTC:MXROF) has discovered a high-grade outcrop at its wholly owned Cesar copper-silver project in northeastern Colombia, about 140 km north of the capital, Bogota.The Cesar project comprises two mineralized zones, AM North and AM South. Assays from the AM North-2 mineralized area within the AM North zone of the project, recently returned 24.8% copper and 230 grams silv...Read More

Cardinal heading down familiar gold roadSPONSOREDcardinal resourcesSarama right in the middle of big exploration, corporate build-upSPONSOREDsarama resources Exore excels in Cote d'IvoireSPONSOREDexore resourcesMICROMINE STRENGTHENS DATA MANAGEMENT SOLUTION WITH Geobank 2020SPONSOREDmicromineIf, however, you have a more practical view of the world, you will adopt a position known as ‘bel...Read More

U.S. shale producers on Monday rushed to deepen spending cuts and could reduce f...Read full newsRead More