(IDEX News) - The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA) said its 50th Annual Mid Year ACE It Education Conference is to be held in Baltimore on August 11. The appraisal organization, dedicated exclusively to gems and jewelry, presents an outstanding program to assist the professional appraiser's continuing education and an unparalleled networking experience. The daily p...Read More
RAPAPORT... WD Lab Grown Diamonds has created what it claims to be theworld's largest known synthetic diamond made using chemical vapor deposition(CVD). The ideal-cut, round brilliant, 9.04-carat, VS2-clarity stonebroke the synthetic-diamond producer's own previous world record of 6 carats, thecompany said last week. "No other CVD-diamond manufacturer has come close to thissize and quality," Clive...Read More
RAPAPORT... Platinum demand grew 11% in the US last year amid strongbridal-jewelry sales, Platinum Guild International (PGI) reported. "The [US] economic recovery and bullish consumer sentimenthas benefited the [whole] jewelry industry, leading to the fifth consecutiveyear of growth for platinum-jewelry consumption," the trade organization saidlast week. "The growth mainly comes from strong sales...Read More
RAPAPORT...Proceeds slumped at Gemfields' May auction ofhigher-quality rough emeralds as the Nirav Modi fraud case hurt Indian demand,the miner reported last week. Most of the company's emerald clients are based in India,where the gemstone and jewelry sector is suffering from the repercussions of the Modiscandal, Gemfields CEO Sean Gilbertson explained in a statement last week. "Given the ensuing...Read More
RAPAPORT...Are grading labs fueling consumer confidence, or creatingcause for concern? That's the question the Rapaport editorial teamexplores in this month's Rapaport Diamond Podcast.We also interview Martin Rapaport, chairman ofthe Rapaport Group, who gives a taste of what to expect at the upcoming RapaportBreakfast at JCK Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Rapaport Editor in Chief Sonia EstherSoltani and Se...Read More
RAPAPORT... Phillips has named Eva Violante as senior specialist andvice president of its jewelry division in the Americas.Violante (pictured) was previously the director of finejewelry in New York for Heritage Auctions. She will work with new and existingclients of Phillips on consignments, creating cross-marketing opportunitieswithin the company, and networking with collectors, dealers and influ...Read More
RAPAPORT... Sylvie Ritter has stepped down as managing director ofBaselworld, with Michel Loris-Melikoff set to succeed her, the event's organizersaid. Ritter (pictured, second from left), who has been with show owner MCH Group for 26 years, has headedthe annual watch and jewelry fair for the last 15 years. "She has shaped and directed Baselworld with great passionand professionalism," said Ren?(...Read More
RAPAPORT... Signet Jewelers will become the first retailer to participate in De Beers'blockchain project for tracking diamonds. The platform, Tracr, which is still in its trial phase, providesa digital link from diamond production to retail. Every diamond on the blockchainwill carry a digital certificate storing its key attributes and transactions,enabling consumers to know that a stone is natural...Read More
(IDEX News) - Petra Diamonds Limited said it is aiming to raise approximately $178 million with a fully underwritten rights issue aimed at reducing its interest payments "to a more sustainable level, strengthen the balance sheet and increase the financial flexibility of the Group." "Petra has managed to execute its strategy within the constraints of its existing resources and has...Read More
(IDEX News) - ALROSA is holding an auction of special size rough diamonds weighing over 10.8 carats in Dubai from May 27 to June 14. The company will auction 115 gem quality lots of standard color with a total weight of 1,725 carats. All the diamonds are the property of ALROSA and its subsidiaries, JSC Almazy Anabara and PJSC Alrosa-Nyurba. The largest stone, weighing 49.17 carats, was reco...Read More
RAPAPORT... WD Lab Grown Diamonds has created what it claims to be theworld's largest known synthetic diamond made using chemical vapor deposition(CVD). The ideal-cut, round brilliant, 9.04-carat, VS2-clarity stonebroke the synthetic-diamond producer's own previous world record of 6 carats, thecompany said last week. "No other CVD-diamond manufacturer has come close to thissize and quality," Clive...Read More
ST PETERSBURG – Russia's Alrosa, the world's largest producer of rough diamonds in carat terms, said on Thursday first-half sales would be significantly higher than it originally planned due to market strength.Speaking on the sidelines of the St Petersburg economic forum, Alrosa chief executive Sergey Ivanov told Reuters the first four months of the year showed very good sales result...Read More
Some 101 diamonds (18.57 cts), the largest of which was 1.38 ct, were recovered last month from the treatment of the first evaluation samples taken from the BK16 kimberlite pipe, which forms part of the Orapa kimberlite field, in Botswana. Diamond explorer Tsodilo Resources’ (Tsodilo) sampling programme involves large diameter drilling (LDD); the processing and concentrating of the LDD sampl...Read More
Lucara Diamond Corporation is pleased with the progress and developments it has made during the year to date, with the company doing significant work in Botswana and remaining consistent in quality- diamond production. “We are on track to produce the 2018 production estimate, which is 270 000 ct to 290 000 ct a year,” says Lucara CEO and director Eira Thomas. Following the recovery of...Read More
Mining and engineering company Pan African Minerals says it attended the 2018 Mining Investment Botswana Conference, which was held in Gaborone from April 10 to 11, to create partnerships, networks and take advantage of the business matching prospects.The company’s attendance has already yielded some significant opportunities, says Pan African Minerals CEO Nkululeko Mhlaba. “As a resul...Read More
VANCOUVER (miningweekly.com) – The emergence of blockchain technology is helping to turn diamonds into a new investment asset class that, in turn, could drive future demand for natural diamonds, the creator of a new diamond-backed crypto coin said on Friday.Singapore-based D1 Mint, the creator of the diamond-backed D1 Coin, announced on Friday that it has signed a purchase order with diamond...Read More
LONDON, May 24 (Reuters) - Mining firm Petra Diamonds said it aims to raise $178 million to help cut its debt burden, and warned it could run low on working capital and breach its debt covenants if shareholders do not back the proposed rights issue.Petra, which last month finalised an agreement with its lenders for a waiver of its December 2017 debt covenant and a resetting of debt agreements for...Read More
ST PETERSBURG, May 24 (Reuters) - Russia's Alrosa, the world's largest producer of rough diamonds in carat terms, said on Thursday first-half sales would be significantly higher than it originally planned due to market strength.Speaking on the sidelines of the St Petersburg economic forum, Alrosa chief executive Sergey Ivanov told Reuters the first four months of the year showed very good sales re...Read More
The world's largest diamond jewellery retailer, Signet, has become the first chain to join De Beers' pilot of its end-to-end diamond blockchain program called Tracr, aimed at clearing the supply chain of imposters and conflict minerals.Signet will work alongside the Tracr team to ensure the platform meets the needs of the jewellery manufacture and retail sectors, with the partnership initially foc...Read More
Positive sentiment ahead of Las Vegas shows. Suppliersmaintaining firm polished prices and buyers acclimating to new levels. StrongUS market fuels 2017 global diamond jewelry demand +2% to $82B, according to DeBeers. Momentum continues in 1Q as Macy's, J.C. Penney note standout jewelrycategory. Tiffany & Co. 1Q sales +9% to $1B, profit +53% to $142M.Richemont FY jewelry sales at Cartier, Van C...Read More