RAPAPORT... Mountain Province has reduced its production outlook for the year amid the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on operations.The miner now expects to produce between 6.3 million and 6.4 million carats in 2020 from the Gahcho Ku?(C) mine in Canada, compared to its earlier outlook of 6.75 million to 6.95 million carats, it said last week. That figure represents to...Read More
RAPAPORT... The coronavirus pandemic has impacted every part of the diamond supply chain. As markets reopen with the virus still lingering, there is a consensus that a new normal has been established, even as it continues to evolve. The world is a different place than it was pre-pandemic, and the changes are likely to remain after things return to some version of normalcy, however long that takes....Read More
RAPAPORT... The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) has called off this year's jewelry fairs, scheduled for August, after quarantine rules made the events inaccessible to overseas participants.The HKTDC initially postponed the Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show and the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show from March to August because of the coronavirus. On June 2,...Read More
(IDEX Online) - India's overall exports of gems and jewelry slumped by over 82 per cent in April and May as trade was devastated by COVID-19.Overseas sales amounted to just $568m, said the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), compared with $3.2bn for the same period in 2019.Exports of polished diamonds, mostly destined for the USA, were also well down, from $1.8bn to $389m."Exp...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Consumers have been making more "meaningful" jewelry purchases during lockdown, according to research by De Beers.Spending more time with family, and less time commuting, has shifted the focus from towards pieces that represent feelings of love and connection, rather than fun or practicality.Almost half (45%) of those surveyed in the company's monthly "deep dive into diamond-s...Read More
RAPAPORT... Gem Diamonds reported a rise in the average selling price for the first half of 2020, noting that appetite for its goods had improved at a recent tender in Antwerp."The results of the latest tender for Let??eng's large diamonds are positive," Gem Diamonds CEO Clifford Elphick said Thursday. "With certain stones selling above their anticipated post-Covid-19 valuations, it is clear...Read More
RAPAPORT... Grib Diamonds noted a modest increase in rough prices versus pre-lockdown levels as demand returned following a two-month pause in sales.The Belgian company, which sells production from AGD Diamonds' Grib mine in Russia, brought in just over $20 million from Tuesday's sale of around 350,000 carats. In total, 90% of goods sold by value, Antony Dear, Grib's head of sales, reported W...Read More
RAPAPORT... Dear fellow human beings,A lot of you feel strongly about the recent events in the US, as the protests following George Floyd's death have raised much deeper issues of inherent racism, and people of all races have started to speak out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. As a Black woman, it was a particularly tough week for me. I am an ethical fine jeweler, using Fairtr...Read More
(IDEX Online) - The statue of De Beers founder Cecil Rhodes should be removed, says the Oxford college he attended.The governing body of Oriel College yesterday voted to launch an independent Commission of Inquiry, bowing to five years of pressure from students, which escalated in recent weeks in response the Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd in Minnesota, USA. T...Read More
RAPAPORT... The Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) has published a book containing advice on how to interpret the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) jewelry guidelines.Understanding the FTC Guidelines deciphers the complex rules governing the manufacture, sale, and advertising of jewelry, explaining clearly how to word online and print promotions, the JVC said Wednesday. The book is the result...Read More
Sentiment improving as US retail shows signs of recovery with May sales +18% from previous month. Dealers and jewelers anticipating rise in bridal demand. Geopolitical tensions and Covid-19 outbreak in Beijing fueling caution about China. Rough producers see interest in large, investment-grade diamonds; D-IF prices firming in smaller-size polished (0.50 to 2 ct.). Surat factories operating at very...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Troubled Dominion Diamond Mines is suing DDMI, the majority joint venture partner at Canada's Diavik mine, alleging breach of contract.In a notice of a civil claim lodged at the Supreme Court of British Columbia yesterday, it claims DDMI, a subsidiary of the global mining giant, had failed to act in the best interests of the partnership.Dominion, the world's third largest...Read More
(IDEX Online) - The Jewelers Vigilance Committee has released a free guide to help those in the US trade navigate their way through complex new rules on the manufacture, sale and advertising of jewelry.Understanding the FTC Guidelines is is an expert-level, all-in-one resource that explains July 2018 revisions tof the Federal Trade Commission jewelry guides and other important laws and regulations...Read More
RAPAPORT... De Beers has been holding sight viewings in Antwerp this week as part of its move to offer goods in locations other than Botswana due to the coronavirus.The company might also enable customers to view rough in Hong Kong and Dubai at its July sale or in the period between the two sight weeks, a De Beers spokesperson added.The current sight, which started on Monday and runs until Fr...Read More
RAPAPORT... The coronavirus has affected every stage of the diamond supply chain, from mining to retail. However, as infection rates fall in important trading centers, and governments begin to ease restrictions, opportunities arise for companies throughout the industry to start selling again. This is a summary of the current situation in the major diamond hubs.New York: Infection rate: The ci...Read More
RAPAPORT... US retail sales began a strong recovery in May as businesses started to reopen and consumers returned to spending, according to government data.While revenues slipped 6% year on year, they rose 18% compared to April, which had posted a record-setting 15% month-on-month drop, figures from the US Census Bureau showed.The National Retail Federation (NRF) warned May's figures could be impr...Read More
Amazon is selling copies of Meghan Markle's diamond engagement ring at the rock-bottom price of just $25.The real thing features a cushion-cut diamond sourced by Prince Harry from Botswana, with two smaller stones that belonged to his late mother, Princess Diana, set in yellow gold band by royal jewelers Cleave and Company.The copy is made of gold-plated silver, with a 3.5-carat full cushion...Read More
RAPAPORT... Christie's will offer a twin-stone diamond ring by designer Reza with a high estimate of CHF 12 million ($12.6 million) at its Geneva Magnificent Jewels auction.The piece features a 5.34-carat, fancy-vivid-blue, internally flawless diamond and a 5.37-carat, D-color, internally flawless stone. It will head up the July 22 sale, Christie's said Tuesday.The Geneva auction was originally du...Read More
RAPAPORT... Dominion Diamond Mines has sued joint-venture partner Rio Tinto, alleging that the mining giant breached the agreement by failing to control costs at the Diavik deposit in Canada.Rio Tinto operated the mine significantly over budget despite missing production targets, contributing to Dominion's financial difficulties, according to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in the Supreme Court of Briti...Read More
RAPAPORT... Around eight diamond-cutting businesses in Surat have closed parts of their factories after a coronavirus outbreak.Authorities ordered the shutdowns after 20 to 23 workers tested positive for the virus, Colin Shah, chairman of the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), told Rapaport News Monday. Several staff members have entered a 14-day quarantine as a result.The...Read More