(IDEX Online) - A new direct flight between Israel and India will give a boost to the first-ever edition of the Bharat Diamond Week at the Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB) in Mumbai, India. The BDB is expecting thousands of visitors from India and abroad to take part in the April 23-25 international diamond week. Some 150 Indian companies will be exhibiting polished diamonds to buyers from across the w...Read More

RAPAPORT...Attempts to upgrade the size and color ofgemstones using a layer of synthetic material have been around for decades, butsigns indicate the techniques are changing.The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) recently received two loose, oval-shaped,mixed-cut, red stones at its New York laboratory. On further inspection, theyturned out to be natural sapphires with a synthetic ruby "overgro...Read More

Imported charge chrome prices outperformed Chinese ferro-chrome on Friday March 16, after the domestic market took a poor view of demand from the stainless sector. Charge chrome holds firm in ChinaChinese domestic ferro-chrome prices weakenAlloy prices holding in Japan, South KoreaUS alloy prices steadyEuropean spot prices weaken Charge chrome prices strengthened in China on Friday, supported by...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 19 (SMM) – This is a roundup of global macroeconomic news last weekend and what is expected today.Last Friday nightBase metals edged down as the US dollar climbed up from lows and hovered around 90.1. SHFE copper and nickel dipped, while other SHFE metals registered small gains. LME zinc and aluminium closed higher, while LME lead fell close to 1%. LME copper tumbled to a low t...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Registration has opened for a three-day Analytical Methods in Gemology course to be held by AIGS (Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences) in Bangkok from April 25-27.   The course will cover FTIR (Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy), ED-XRF (Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry) and UV-Vis-NIR (Ultra Violet-Visible-Near Infrared Spectroscopy), both theory...Read More

RAPAPORT...The Diamond Dealers Club (DDC) has signed a memorandum of understanding(MoU) with the Shanghai Diamond Exchange (SDE) in an ongoing effort to facilitatebusiness opportunities. The SDE delegation's visit to the New York-based DDC is the Chinese bourse's first in more than 10 years, and will be the start of a series ofcollaborations between the groups. "As a member of a bourse or an excha...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Tiffany & Co. (NYSE:TIF) reported worldwide net sales increased 4% to $4.2 billion in its financial year ended January 31, 2018.   The results reflected sales growth in most regions and across most jewelry categories; comparable store sales were equal to the prior year and were consistent with guidance previously issued.   Net earnings of $370 million were 17% below...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 19 (SMM) –Copper: LME copper lost the support from the five- and 10-day moving averages as the US dollar strengthened, while its SHFE counterpart performed no better. We expect LME copper to trade at $6,830-6,900/mt today, with SHFE copper at 51,400-51,900 yuan/mt. Spot discounts are seen smaller at 250-200 yuan/mt.Aluminium: LME aluminium gradually fell with resistance at the...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. said its second diamond sale of 2018 of approximately 177,000 carats raised $25.1 million, with a price per carat of $142 which is the highest achieved by Mountain Province in any tender sale to date.   The price per carat of $142 "reflects in part the deferral into this sale of half of the fancies and specials from the last production split of...Read More

(IDEX Online) - ALROSA's United Selling Organization (USO) sold 112 special size rough diamonds (over 10.8 carats) weighing a total of 1,787 carats for $13.5 million at the recent Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show.   "The Hong Kong auction with 50 participating companies demonstrated that demand for rough diamonds of this size category remains stable," said ALROSA Dep...Read More

(IDEX Online) - The De Beers Group has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with its partner in the Gahcho Ku?(C) mine, Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. (Mountain Province) over incorporating properties owned by Kennady Diamonds Inc. into the Gahcho Ku?(C) joint venture.   The agreement sees the deal going ahead in the event that Mountain Province's proposed acquisition of Ke...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 19 (SMM) – Nonferrous metals remained weak today but inched up as the market closed. SHFE copper fell 1%, lead and nickel dipped nearly 1%, and zinc edged down. Aluminium remained flat while tin inched up.The ferrous complex fell across the board as iron ore led the slump and closed 4.5% lower. Coke and rebar lost over 2%, hot-rolled coil fell 1.5%, and coking coal ed...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 19 (SMM) – Nonferrous metals remained weak today but inched up as the market closed. SHFE copper fell 1%, lead and nickel dipped nearly 1%, and zinc edged down. Aluminium remained flat while tin inched up.The ferrous complex fell across the board as iron ore led the slump and closed 4.5% lower. Coke and rebar lost over 2%, hot-rolled coil fell 1.5%, and coking coal ed...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 19 (SMM) – Nonferrous metals remained weak today but inched up as the market closed. SHFE copper fell 1%, lead and nickel dipped nearly 1%, and zinc edged down. Aluminium remained flat while tin inched up.The ferrous complex fell across the board as iron ore led the slump and closed 4.5% lower. Coke and rebar lost over 2%, hot-rolled coil fell 1.5%, and coking coal ed...Read More

U.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 13 points in pre-opening trade. Facebook dropped $6.49 to $178.60 on concerns about access to shared user data. Dana (DAN $26.41) is expected to open higher after the company raised its revenue guidance. Dr. Pepper Snapple (DPS $117.60) is expected to open higher after RBC Capital upgraded the stock to Outperform from...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 19 (SMM) – Prices of residential property in most Chinese cities continued to decline in February 2018, SMM learned.Data from the National Statistics Bureau covered 70 large and middle-sized cities and showed that prices of newly-built housing in 15 cities remained firm in February while prices in 12 cities dropped 0.1-0.6% month on month. On a yearly b...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 19 (SMM) – Prices of residential property in most Chinese cities continued to decline in February 2018, SMM learned.Data from the National Statistics Bureau covered 70 large and middle-sized cities and showed that prices of newly-built housing in 15 cities remained firm in February while prices in 12 cities dropped 0.1-0.6% month on month. On a yearly b...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 19 (SMM) – Prices of residential property in most Chinese cities continued to decline in February 2018, SMM learned.Data from the National Statistics Bureau covered 70 large and middle-sized cities and showed that prices of newly-built housing in 15 cities remained firm in February while prices in 12 cities dropped 0.1-0.6% month on month. On a yearly b...Read More

The European Commission has warned that it is prepared to impose temporary safeguard duties on imports into the European Union of US-made steel and aluminium in response to new US import duties on aluminium and steel imports. The EC has released a draft list of products which may in future attract retaliatory duties, including a wide range of aluminium and steel products, such as bars, rods, angle...Read More

SHANGHAI, Mar 19 (SMM)? 1/4 ?China's refined copper output stood at 1.48 million mt in the first two months of this year, according to data from the Chinese customs. Iron ore production during the two-month period amounted to 123.46 million mt, down 2.5% year on year; lead production stood at 845,000 mt, up 16.1% year on year; and zinc output was 957,000 mt, up 2.5% fr...Read More