Scientists with London's Brunel University and Tomsk State University ran a successful experiment that allowed them to introduce nanoscale diamond into an aluminum melt using ultrasonic treatment.In a media statement, the researchers said the result of their trial will be used to create new materials, mainly for maritime transport. Prior to their lab test, no one had synthesized alloys with nanodi...Read More
RAPAPORT... In a rare case, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA)has discovered a color-treated lab-grown diamond in a batch of natural melee aclient had submitted for testing. The GIA's Tokyo laboratory found the 0.007-carat, irradiatedgreen-blue chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond in a parcel of 300 similarlycolored irradiated stones, it said in a recent journal article. The other 299di...Read More
RAPAPORT... HRD Antwerp has graded the first wearable ringmade completely of lab-grown diamond, it claims. Synthetics producer Dutch Diamond Technologies (DD) created the 3.87-carat, E-color, VVS2-clarity piece from a 155-carat rough chemical vapor deposition (CVD) lab-grown-diamond plate. The company made the ring, called "Project D," to mark its 10th anniversary. It took a year to manufactu...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Diamcor Mining Inc. held its first tender of the year, selling 1,407.66 carats of rough diamonds recovered from Krone-Endora section at Venetia Project. The sale grossed $385,000, with an average price of $273.45/ct. The tender included the sale of one gem quality rough diamond in the "specials" category, weighing 11.57 ct. An additional ~1,858.92 carats of rough di...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Famous jeweler and industry entrepreneur Fred Mouawad has introduced the world's largest round brilliant cut, fancy vivid yellow diamond to be graded by GIA. The 54.21 carat round fancy vivid yellow - named the Mouawad Dragon - was reportedly mined in South Africa. The cutting and polishing of the resulting gem by Mouawad's team of expert cutters took about six month...Read More
(IDEX Online) - De Beers' Phillip Barton announced the company will begin an extensive exploration program in South Africa, expecting to spend more than US$2 million. Phillip Barton, head of South Africa's De Beers Consolidated Mines (DBCM), said the company has been granted dozens of prospecting licenses across a number of provinces. Already, DBCM has received approval for 19 explo...Read More
(IDEX Online) - India is seeking the extradition of Indian diamantaire and jeweler Mehul Choksi from Antigua. Choksi is a main defendant in one of India's largest bank fraud cases who fled India before the accusations surfaced last year and since acquired an Antigua and Barbuda passport. Choksi, however, an Indian official told Reuters, is still an Indian citizen and therefore the...Read More
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), lying pretty much in the centre of Africa, is geographically the eleventh-biggest country in the world and is well known for its mineral riches.In its most recent report, published in 2014 and titled ‘The Mineral Industry of Congo (Kinshasa)’, the US Geological Survey (USGS) notes that the country “played a globally significant role in the...Read More
The 25th Investing in African Mining Indaba took place this week. Mining Weekly editor Martin Creamer attended the indaba and unpacks the highlights.AdvertisementRead More
Last year was a momentous one for Africa-focused Gem Diamonds (LON:GEMD), as it recovered a record number of huge precious stones from its flagship Let??eng mine in Lesotho, the world's highest-dollar-per-carat diamond mine.In Q4 2018, the company recovered three of the 15 diamonds over 100 carats - a new record for the London-based miner.The most important one, the 910-carat "Lesotho Legend",...Read More
Far East trading quiet during Chinese New Year.Market cautious due to weak demand, tight profitability and reduced bankcredit. Selective buyers creating shortages of excellent-cut (3X, none)diamonds, but prices of lower-quality goods softening due to excess supply. 1ct. RAPI -0.4% in Jan. Manufacturers maintaining low production as profitmargins are squeezed by high rough prices. Let??eng 4Q sales...Read More
Polished trading quiet. Foreign dealers in Mumbailooking for bargains. Relatively low amount of new merchandise available, asmanufacturers keep production down due to tight profits and sluggish demand.High gold prices weighing on jewelry retail sales. Jewelry wholesalers anddiamond dealers hoping for boost at next week's IIJS Signature show (Feb. 10 to13). RoundRead More
RAPAPORT... Two white lab-grown diamonds from De Beers' Lightbox brandhave G color and VS clarity, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) saidafter examining the stones. Lightbox doesn't offer grading reports for its products, andhadn't previously publicized their specific quality characteristics. The GIAobtained the 0.24-carat and 0.26-carat polished stones from a "third-partyvendor," accordi...Read More
RAPAPORT... Gem Diamonds' sales slumped in the fourth quarter as theminer produced fewer valuable stones at its Let??eng mine. Proceeds fell 40% year on year to $41.7 million in the threemonths ending December 31, the miner said Thursday. While sales volume rose 5%to 33,140 carats, the average price dropped 43% to $1,259 per carat, reflecting"lower-quality recoveries" at the lucrative mine in...Read More
RAPAPORT... February is a crucial time for Canada's diamond mines.Located in the most remote region of the country's frozen Northwest Territories(NWT), Rio Tinto, Dominion Diamond Mines and De Beers have a two-month windowto connect their mining operations to the outside world. The winter ice road, officially known as the Tibbitt toContwoyto Winter Road (TCWR), opened on February 1, marking t...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Eli Avidar, CIBJO Vice President, has resigned his position at the World Jewellery Confederation, announcing that he plans to run for national political office during the parliamentary elections for the Israeli Knesset which will take place on April 9. "Five years ago I had the honor and the privilege to be invited to join the CIBJO Board of Directors by the President, Dr. G...Read More
(IDEX Online) - HRD Antwerp has graded what it says is the world's first ring that is entirely made from a lab-grown diamond made by Dutch Diamond Technologies (DD). 'Project D', DD's name for the ring, took a year to manufacture and was created in honor of the company's 10th anniversary, HRD said. "The ring was made from a large piece of a 155-carat rough CVD lab-grown diamond whic...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Gem Diamonds reported an average price of US$2,131 per carat for 2018, up 10% from US$1,930 per carat in 2017. The company said that demand and prices for its large, high-quality white rough diamonds from its Let??eng mine in Lesotho have remained firm. Following the end of the end of its fourth quarter on December 31, strong pricing was achieved at its first tender o...Read More
Relatively stable carat recovery and sales contributed to a strong performance for LSE-listed Gem Diamonds in the fourth quarter ended December 31.Gem on Thursday reported that it had recovered three diamonds larger than 100 ct at its Letšeng mine, in Lesotho, during the quarter, taking the number of diamonds larger than 100 ct recovered during 2018 to 15 – a record for the company.A...Read More
(IDEX Online) - ALROSA held its first auction this year for special size (over 10.8 carats) rough diamonds in Israel. The company sold 92 large rough diamonds with a total weight of 1,570 carats. The overall revenue from sales amounted to $9.6 million. Firms from Israel, Russia, Hong Kong, Belgium, India, the United Arab Emirates and the United States participated in the auction, the miner...Read More