RAPAPORT... With the holiday season well under way, the Rapaport Diamond Podcast debates different trends taking shape in the retail space. The discussion spans personalization, omnichannel, effective storytelling, being more open-minded, and the need to move away from our reliance on Christmas.In addition, news editor and host Avi Krawitz, senior reporter Joshua Freedman, editor-in-chief Sonia Es...Read More

RAPAPORT... Operations at Petra Diamonds' South African mines haveresumed after the local electricity provider lifted restrictions on power usage. "The company's mining operations in South Africa are...nowoperating at normal load levels," the miner said Thursday. On Tuesday, Petra halted all production, hoistingand processing at its Cullinan, Finsch and Koffiefontein deposits after Eskom enf...Read More

RAPAPORT... Royal Asscher has appointed Kenji Saikachi as CEO of RoyalAsscher Japan, where he will be responsible for leading the jeweler's growth inthe country. "We are confident that [Saikachi] will successfully leadRoyal Asscher to become an even more important player in the Japanese diamondjewelry market," Royal Asscher managing director and vice president MikeAsscher said last week. "Wit...Read More

RAPAPORT... Diamond manufacturers will consolidate in the coming years to avoid being further squeezed by miners and retailers, Bain & Company predicted in its annual report on the industry.The forecast stems from the midstream becoming anincreasingly weak part of the supply chain while retailers and rough producers haveimproved efficiency. This has resulted in manufacturers becoming "pri...Read More

RAPAPORT... Sotheby's garnered $43.1 million from its two New Yorkjewels auctions, led by a blue diamond ring which sold for $6.6 million. The cushion-cut, 7.55-carat, fancy-deep-grayish-blue, typeIIb, SI2-clarity Indian Blue had been estimated to fetch $6 million to$8 million at the Magnificent Jewels auction Tuesday. That sale followed theNew York Fine Jewels auction, which took place Monda...Read More

RAPAPORT... A ruby brooch sold for nearly $9 million at Christie's NewYork sale Wednesday, far surpassing its $5.5 million high valuation. The piece, which comprises a total of 11.20 carats ofBurmese rubies, emeralds, diamonds and natural pearls, is from the collectionof noted philanthropist Jessie Ball duPont, who was the wife ofmultimillionaire businessman and duPont gunpowder heir Alfred d...Read More

(IDEX Online) - An Alrosa delegation, led by CEO Sergey Ivanov, recently met with diamond banks and funds to discuss developments in the industry. Among the attendees at the December 6 Moscow event were delegates from the State Bank of India, NBF, ABN AMRO and representatives of the DelGatto and Channel finance funds.During the meeting, the group discussed the factors leading to the weaker diamond...Read More

RAPAPORT... ABN Amro will implement changes to its guidelines for lending to the diamond industry in 2020, reasoning that the trade has become more efficient and now requires less credit.The midstream's reliance on working capital funding should have diminished given it has streamlined its production and sales processes, a spokesperson said in an email to Rapaport News. That new-found efficie...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Bain & Company and the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) have released their ninth annual global diamond study. Among the key expectations of the study is a fall in rough diamond sales by up to 25 percent in 2019. With continued geopolitical instability, strong signs of an impending recession and limited marketing support, especially for non-branded and lower-end jewelry...Read More

ABUJA – Swiss prosecutors are investigating a trader of one of the world’s most sought-after-minerals over allegations he illegally dealt in metals during the Democratic Republic of Congo’s civil war.It’s the first time the Swiss authorities have confirmed the probe that began in March 2018.AdvertisementThe Swiss are scrutinising earlier allegations that the trader, Christo...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Technology company Everledger and Alrosa have launched a WeChat e-commerce pilot that will give Chinese consumers a more transparent and secure mobile diamond buying experience.Consumers will now be able to check a diamond's full provenance -  including full transparency of origin, characteristics and ownership history - and unique certificate information. They will also...Read More

London-listed Petra Diamonds said on Thursday that its electricity use restrictions have been lifted by South Africa's State utility Eskom and its mines are operating at normal load levels.The company restarted its Cullinan, Finsch and Koffiefontein mines in South Africa on Tuesday, but added that it was restricting power use in line with requirements by Eskom.AdvertisementRolling blackouts in...Read More

JOHANNESBURG – When South Africa’s State-owned utility announced record power cuts on Monday afternoon, Impala Platinum Holdings had two hours to hoist thousands of workers from 1 km deep shafts.The deepening crisis at debt-ridden Eskom Holdings shut down South Africa’s key mining industry for 24 hours, hitting gold and platinum producers that had been enjoying a renaissance on t...Read More

Galena provides a leading lightSPONSOREDgalena miningThe red metal may finally have woken from its slumber as China's imports increased in November and a November US jobs report indicated the economic situation may not be as bad as some had thought.Read More

Galena provides a leading lightSPONSOREDgalena miningThe resolution instructs the government to look for ways to improvement the implementation of the 2009 agreement, the 2011 amended and restated shareholder agreement, and to improve the 2015Read More

Dear Rich Lifer,With two of the biggest shopping days of the year behind us, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it might seem like there are no more deals to be had.However, malls and retailers know this is just the beginning of the holiday shopping season.According to Sensormatic Solutions, 8 out of the 10 busiest days for in-store foot traffic this year will take place in December:Black Friday, Nove...Read More

Before it started creating 3D visualizations of mine sites, Victoria-based LlamaZoo Interactive was helping veterinarian students virtually dissect dogs. Using technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), video game industry veterans Charles Lavigne and Kevin Oke created EasyAnatomy, the world's first virtual reality canine dissection experience, which can also help vets b...Read More

The governments of Ontario, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) committing their provinces to the development and deployment of a new type of nuclear technology, known as small modular reactors (SMRs).The decision by premiers Doug Ford, Scott Moe and Blaine Higgs is meant to help the provinces reduce their carbon emissions while moving away from the use o...Read More

Rory Johnston is a commodity economist covering energy and metal markets in Scotiabank's economics department. His research includes the Scotiabank Commodity Price Index (a monthly assessment of developments affecting the prices of major Canadian export commodities), contributions to Scotiabank's Global Outlook (the department's flagship quarterly forecast), as well as notes on various topics of i...Read More

Exore excels in Cote d'IvoireSPONSOREDexore resourcesArtemis all set thanks to unique approachSPONSOREDartemis resourcesDark Horse could be 2020 bolterSPONSOREDdark horse resourcesUniversity of Delaware launches Minerals, Materials and Society programSPONSOREDuniversity of delawareAlthough strictly speaking a few days before advent (but well after the Regent Street Christmas lights were switch...Read More