(IDEX Online) - Investors will be able to buy a tiny share of a high-value fancy colored diamond, with the launch on Wednesday of Luxus.The US-based fractional ownership business will allow clients, who would otherwise be priced out of the market to buy 0.1 per cent or less, of a gem.The first diamond on offer is a 0.54-ct fancy pink diamond from the iconic Argyle mine, in Australia, valued at $40...Read More
RAPAPORT... Authorities in Canada have green-lighted plans for the new Point Lake pit at the Ekati mine.The Wek'??ezh??i Land and Water Board, which regulates the area, approved a land-use permit lasting five years and a water license valid through October 2023, it said Friday in letters to Arctic Canadian Diamond Company (ACDC), which owns Ekati. Last week, the government of the Northwest Te...Read More
RAPAPORT... Brilliant Earth lowered its revenue guidance as geopolitical and economic concerns began to weigh on retail demand, even after strong first-quarter figures."As the second quarter progresses, we are seeing impact from the uncertain geopolitical and macroeconomic environment, reflected in moderating sales trends and in our updated outlook," cofounder and CEO Beth Gerstein said Thurs...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Artisanal diamond miners in Liberia have received basic training in grading and valuing gems.The move, by the Japanese NGO Diamonds for Peace, is designed to help them avoid exploitation, and to negotiate a fair price for their stones.A trainer from the UK spent two days teaching a group of 25 miners from communities in the northern counties of Bomi and Gbarpolu. Many particip...Read More
RAPAPORT... Pandora plans to build a new jewelry-crafting facility in Vietnam that will enable it to expand the business and meet increasing consumer demand.The new site, which will create 6,000 jobs and have an annual capacity of 60 million pieces of jewelry, is set to open at the end of 2024, Pandora said last week. The Danish jeweler will design the factory according to the Leadership in Energy...Read More
RAPAPORT... Indian jeweler Titan Company plans to add 600 new stores across 300 cities in the next three years as it pushes ahead with an expansion strategy.The company, which operates brands including Tanishq, Mia, CaratLane and Zoya, is aiming to grow its jewelry business by a factor of 2.5 over the next five years, it said in an investor presentation last week. Titan currently boasts a 6%...Read More
RAPAPORT... The Diamond Club West Coast (DCWC) has chosen its 2022 board of directors, with Moshe Salem set to serve another term as president.Salem, the president of MS Diamonds and Jewelry, has been part of the organization since 1988. He will be joined by Kalpesh Jhaveri and Antranig (Tony) Ayvazian, who were reelected as co-vice presidents of the Los Angeles-based trade group, the DCWC said la...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Brilliant Earth, the US-based "ethical jeweler", has reported $100m of sales in the first three months of 2022, a year-on-year increase of 41.5 per cent.It predicts another strong performance in Q2, despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainties.Net income for the quarter was $3.4m and adjusted EBITDA was $8.4m. The company is forecasting net sales of $450m to $470m for the full year,...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Russia stands accused of selling party of its huge $140bn stockpile of gold on the black market, as it seeks to evade sanctions imposed by the US, EU and UK (the world's biggest gold-importing nation).The Switzerland-based Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime says in a report that illicit gold markets and gold laundering are compelling options for Moscow, as...Read More
RAPAPORT... US e-commerce spending fell in April to its lowest this year amid rising interest rates and continued inflation, according to Adobe Analytics."As the cost of borrowing and economic uncertainty rises for consumers, we are beginning to see the early impact on both online inflation and spend," said Patrick Brown, vice president of growth marketing and insights for Adobe.Shoppers shelled o...Read More
RAPAPORT... A 228-carat stone made history as the largest white diamond ever to sell at auction, raking in nearly $22 million at Christie's Magnificent Jewels in Geneva.The pear-shaped, 228.31-carat, G-color, VS1-clarity diamond, called The Rock, fetched $21.9 million at the May 11 auction, within its presale estimate of $20 million to $30 million, Christie's said Wednesday. It beat the previous r...Read More
(IDEX Online) - The largest white diamond ever auctioned sold yesterday for $21.9m at Christie's Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva.The 228.31-ct G/VS1 pear-shaped gem, called The Rock, beat its low estimate of $20m, but fell short of the $30m high estimate.The record auction price for a white diamond remains with a 163.41-ct D/IF Type IIa rectangular cut-cornered diamond, which sold at Christ...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Pandora today announced plans to build a $100m factory in Vietnam, as part of a plan to boost its total production capacity by 60 per cent.It will create 6,000 jobs, producing up to 60m jewelry items a year.The Danish jeweler, best known for its charm bracelets, aims to double revenue in the US and treble it in China (both from 2019 levels). The new factory in Vietnam will su...Read More
News: Market sentiment mixed as summer wedding season begins. US 8.3% April inflation fuels caution but positive retail momentum continues with jewelry sales +33%, Mastercard reports. Alrosa cancels rough sales, continues supplying Russia's Gokhran. Shortages anticipated. De Beers scales up Tracr blockchain as crisis accelerates traceability efforts. Savvy dealers seeking ethically sourced goods....Read More
(IDEX Online) - A pure platinum coin weighing 1kg, and set with 462 fancy vivid pink diamonds (6.5 tcw) from the Argyle mine is to be auctioned.The one-off creation is the highlight of the Royal Canadian Mint's Opulence Collection, featuring gems from the iconic Australian mine that closed in November 2020.There are 436 coins altogether, using a total of 46.7 carats of Argyle pinks.The Ultima...Read More
RAPAPORT... Gem Diamonds' sale of its Ghaghoo mine in Botswana has broken down for the third time in five years.Okwa Diamonds, owned by Vast Resources and Botswana Diamonds, struck a deal with Gem Diamonds last year to purchase the deposit for $4 million. That sale was dependent on Botswana Diamonds securing a funding partner after Vast dropped out, which it failed to do by the May 10 deadline, Ge...Read More
(IDEX Online) - The average spend on a diamond engagement ring in the US last year was $7,011, up 6.1 per cent on 2020, as couples opted for bigger stones, and more lab growns.The size of the center stone diamond size rose, on average, from 1.20 carats to 1.32 carats.And almost a quarter of couple are choosing a lab grown stone, according to research for BriteCo, an insurance technology company. T...Read More
RAPAPORT... The word "metaverse" is suddenly on everyone's lips, but what does it mean and why is it important for the diamond industry? That was the topic for the second episode of "Fast-Tracking the Future," a webinar series sponsored by Sarine Technologies.Titled "Diamonds in the Metaverse," the session explored non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and their potential benefits for the market. The pa...Read More
RAPAPORT... The recent geopolitical storm pushed De Beers to accelerate the expansion of its blockchain platform, chief brand officer David Prager told Rapaport News.The miner recently launched a scaled-up version of Tracr, enabling the industry to trace all De Beers diamonds through to the jewelry store. The business-to-business (B2B) tool lets retailers see a stone's entire path through the supp...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Overall prices of fancy color diamonds rose by 1.0 per cent in the last three months, double the increase of the previous quarter.Pinks led the price gains, up by 1.3 per cent, during Q1 2022, according to the Fancy Color Diamond Index (FCDI). Yellows were up 0.7 per cent and blues by 0.1 per cent.The New York-based Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF) tracks pricing data for fan...Read More