By Stefan GleasonThe Wuhan virus outbreak, and the economic lockdowns that spread globally because of it, have accelerated the trend toward a digital economy.Suddenly millions more people are working from home, through their internet connections. Millions more are also relying on Amazon for their shopping needs.Jeff Bezos' empire had already put most brick-and-mortar bookstores out of business....Read More

By RambusThere are as many ways to play the PM sector as there are investors. Some will only buy the big cap PM stocks for safety. Others will only buy the mid cap producers. Some will only buy a mix of big caps and mid cap producers. And then there are the PM stock investors that will only play the juniors. Each has its own advantage depending on your risk tolerance. Some of you are wondering...Read More

Let's talk about what conditions will be like and about how you can get through the Greater Depression confidently, comfortably, and profitably. It's not going to be easy or fun, but it's possible.I am of the opinion that what's happening now isn't just another cyclical downturn that can be papered over by printing up some more money although that's exactly what the U.S. and other governments ar...Read More

The world watches as a number of economies begin, or plan, to lift certain lockdown measures that were earlier put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus.China may have been the first to do so when it reopened Wuhan, the industrial city of 11 million that was ground zero for the novel virus, though life there is still far from normal.Last week, Italy began allowing small shops such as cl...Read More

Sentiment weak due to slump in demand since early March. Some orders from China and Hong Kong, but US and European markets remain in lockdown. Dealers frustrated by inability to resume trading. Indian industry groups call for one-month suspension of rough imports beginning May 15 in effort to ease liquidity and deplete existing polished inventory. Mid-tier miners under pressure with weak prospects...Read More

RAPAPORT... Dominion Diamond Mines has filed for and received insolvency protection, a month after suspending operations at its Ekati deposit in Canada due to the coronavirus pandemic.The company was granted protection from its creditors under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) while it restructures, it said Wednesday. It now intends to use the order - which was issued by the Alb...Read More

RAPAPORT... A number of diamond-mining companies that have halted production during the COVID-19 crisis will find it difficult to resume operations amid their struggles with debt, analysts have predicted.The warning comes after several miners announced their assets would remain on care and maintenance until rough-diamond prices returned to a level at which their operations are viable to resta...Read More

RAPAPORT... India's leading diamond-trade organizations have called on members to stop importing rough for at least a month to prevent an oversupply and ensure banks maintain their credit to the sector.Companies should consider pausing rough imports from May 15 for a minimum of 30 days, according to a letter from the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) and four other industry...Read More

RAPAPORT... Technology company Everledger has partnered with De Beers sightholder Shairu Gems Diamonds and its subsidiary Atit Diamond Corporation to offer more transparent data on the goods they supply, as well as a mechanism to offset their carbon footprint.The London-based business, which provides blockchain services to the diamond industry, has teamed up with the suppliers to collect, tra...Read More

(IDEX Online) - The overall growth in sales of watches and jewelry slowed in the USA in February, as the coronavirus crisis escalated and the nation's first cases were confirmed.The year-on-year increase was 3.4 per cent, down from 4.7 per cent last December and 4.1 per cent in January.Meanwhile, overall jewelry and watch sales figures for recent months have been revi...Read More

(IDEX Online) Canada's troubled Dominion Diamond Mines has been granted insolvency protection, a month after closing its Ekati mine to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The Calgary-based company is speaking to lenders, creditors, equity owner and other stakeholders to "solicit and evaluate strategic alternatives to restructure the company financially and operationally." It filed for ins...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Insurance firm Jewelers Mutual Group is making its online safety and security learning platform freely available to non-policy holders during the coronavirus crisis. More than 1,000 client businesses already use its JM University for annual training and new hire orientation.  It is now being made available to the entire industry. JM University comprises 10 structured courses,...Read More

RAPAPORT... Kering's jewelry and watch divisions have been "hard hit" by COVID-19, dragging revenues down for the first quarter, the French luxury group reported Monday.The company, which owns Boucheron, Pomellato and Qeelin, said income for its "other houses" segment - including jewelry and watches - fell 4.1% to EUR 553.3 million ($597.1 million) in the three months ending March 31.It noted...Read More

RAPAPORT... De Beers has reduced its full-year production guidance by 7 million carats, putting the miner on course for its lowest output since 2009. The miner expects to produce between 25 million and 27 million carats in 2020, compared to the 32 million to 34 million in its original projection, it said Thursday. The revised forecast for 2020 was due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandem...Read More

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) –  Most of Anglo American’s mining sites around the world are continuing to operate, with appropriate health, hygiene and distancing measures.The diversified mining company said on Thursday that it was taking all necessary steps to ensure the security and integrity of its assets for the long term and preserving its ability to return affected op...Read More

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Diamond production in South Africa increased by 97% to 0.8-million carats as the final ore from the opencast Venetia mine in Limpopo is mined prior to transitioning to underground mining, Anglo American reported on Thursday.Venetia’s underground mine will extend operational life to 2045.AdvertisementIn its first quarter production report for the three...Read More

Editor's Note: Mining Journal is making some of its most important coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic freely available to readers. For more coverage, please see our COVID-19 hub. To subscribe to Mining Journal, click here.Production losses are probably far larger than the figures for known interruptions indicate due to nvisible losses from mines which continue to operate with a reduced wo...Read More

Artemis all set thanks to unique approachSPONSOREDartemis resourcesAdriatic said Thursday it had received a "positive record of decision" from BiH's ministry of environment and tourism for an environmental permit for Veovaca, following an environmental impactRead More

Artemis all set thanks to unique approachSPONSOREDartemis resourcesAmong the highlights were 40.8m at 2.66% copper from 144.7m, including 16.7m at 4.7%; and 70.3m at 1.66% copper from 83.7m."The intercepts are high grade, close to surface and appear to be very low in contaminates," Alacer said, adding the low levels of other metals or arsenic was unusual for skarn-type deposits.Artemis all set tha...Read More

Base metals prices on both the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange are firmer this morning, Thursday April 23, but the price pullbacks in recent days have questioned the robustness of the earlier rebounds. Oil futures’ dip into negative territory raised concerns, especially in financial markets, because it meant there was no longer a finite amount of risk in holding the commod...Read More