(IDEX Online) - An historic pair of diamond bracelets that originally belonged to Queen Marie-Antoinette of France could fetch up to $4m at auction.The bracelets (pictured), comprising 112 diamonds will headline Christie Geneva's Magnificent Jewels Auction on 9 November.The Queen, famous for her love of jewelry bought the bracelets in 1776 for for 250,000 livres, a huge sum at the time. ...Read More

(IDEX Online) - De Beers reported provisional rough sales of $515m at its seventh sight of 2021, virtually unchanged from $514m at sixth sight. It said demand in the US and China remained "robust".Sales for Sight 7 last year, in the midst of Covid lockdowns, were $334m. In 2019 the figure was $287m.De Beers said it was still offering extra flexibility to sight holders, and extended the sale in Gab...Read More

International Diamond Exchange Online (IDEX) and One Creation Corporation are announcing a strategic partnership jointly developing the online market data portal directly to the participants in the diamond industry.  The diamond trading platform IDEX Online is making its unique database of diamond prices available for the first time. It will be made accessible via a portal to banks, financia...Read More

Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Europe were fairly stable on Thursday September 9, with buyers and steelmakers employing a "wait-and-see" strategy, sources told Fastmarkets.Negative sentiment prevailed among buyers due to the effects of competitive import offers, lower demand from distributors due to sufficient stocks and anticipated lower volumes purchased by the automotive sector. Additio...Read More

CIS steel billet export prices remained firm on Thursday September 9, supported by surging demand in China, sources told Fastmarkets.Chinese interest in imported billet increased over the past week, along with indications of workable prices from customers, on the expectation that further domestic production cuts will be imposed in China at the start of next year.And CIS billet producers were looki...Read More

Turkish steelmakers remained silent in the deep-sea scrap import market, due to only achieving limited finished long steel sales, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday September 9.The most recent trades were heard on Tuesday, when three steel producers booked four deep-sea cargoes from various locations at between $435 and $445 per tonne cfr on HMS 1&2 (80:20) basis.However, the mills went quiet on...Read More

Traditional relationships between prime steel scrap and lower-grade material in key Asian markets have shattered over recent months, market sources told Fastmarkets in early September 2021.Busheling scrap - which is known as Shindachi in Japan - is a prime scrap grade generated from offcuts from the making of steel sheet-intensive products such as vehicles and white goods. Reduced output at leadin...Read More

Base metals prices were higher on the London Metal Exchange but mixed on the Shanghai Futures Exchange this morning, Thursday September 9, but equity markets in Asia-Pacific were weaker with participants once again nervous about possible central bank tapering.* Market participants focused on whether the European Central Bank (ECB) will signal it is ready to start tapering – the ECB meets toda...Read More

Sellers of Japanese scrap have closed deals to both Bangladesh and Vietnam at lower prices, market participants told Fastmarkets on Thursday September 9.Japan sells cargoes to Vietnam, BangladeshTaiwan containerized scrap prices steadyChina's bids edge upward amid futures gainsJapanThe September Kanto Tetsugen auction was concluded for Japanese H2 scrap on Thursday morning at an average of ?46,26...Read More

The import market for China's pig iron weakened during August 26 to September 9 in transactions for Brazilian cargoes, according to sources.Around 100,000 tonnes of basic pig iron were sold from Brazil to China on Thursday September 2 at $535-540 per tonne cfr China, sources said.Fastmarkets' fortnightly assessment for the price of pig iron, import, cfr China was at $535-540 per tonne on Thur...Read More

Seaborne iron ore prices fell on Thursday September 9 amid inspections by authorities in Jiangsu province, which may have prompted weakness in iron ore demand, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $130.26 per tonne, down $1.93 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $130.92 per tonne, down $2.37 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $104.92 p...Read More

The coking coal market increased across the board on Thursday September 9, with prices in the cfr market jumping due to the latest trade heard. China's National Mine Safety Administration, meanwhile, will start inspections between September and December.Fastmarkets indicesPremium hard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $476.48 per tonne, up by $15.85 per tonneHard coking coal, cfr Jingtang: $442...Read More

U.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 11 points in pre-opening trade. The European Central Bank released its interest rate decision and monetary policy statement at 7:45 AM EDT. Consensus was that its overnight lending rate to major banks would remain unchanged. Lululemon jumped $42.65 to an all-time high at $423.50 after reporting higher than consensus s...Read More

China's domestic rebar prices increased sharply on Thursday September 9 after the news that Jiangsu will restrict steel production in the remaining months of this year.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,410-5,440 yuan ($837-842) per tonne, up by 90-110 yuan per tonne.Jiangsu province will be conducting decarbonization compliance inspections of local enterprises with high energy consumption and em...Read More

Spot prices for hot-rolled coil (HRC) in China's domestic market crept higher on Thursday September 9, as expectations of tougher production curbs in the country's second-biggest steelmaking province drove futures to the highest in about one month.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,800-5,890 yuan ($897-911) per tonne, up by 50-70 yuan per tonne.The most-traded HRC contract on the Shanghai Futures...Read More

The Cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets assessed Cobalt standard grade, in-whs...Read More

The Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lbtrade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets assessed Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb at 23.85-24.60 on Thursday September 09, 2021....Read More

Chinese cobalt tetroxide prices moved up on improved demand from downstream consumers in the first half of this week, with most producers raising their offers, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday September 8.Fastmarkets' price assessment for cobalt tetroxide 72.6% Co min, delivered China narrowed up to 275,000-285,000 yuan ($42,568-44,116) per tonne on September 8, from 270,000-285,000 yuan per...Read More

Chinese stainless steel prices in both the domestic and export markets increased sharply in the week ended Wednesday September 8 from the prior week, with tighter supply due to production cuts at domestic mills providing support.DomesticStainless steel cold-rolled coil 2mm grade 304 domestic (Wuxi): 19,500-20,000 ($3,017-3,094) per tonne, up by 1,000-1,200 yuan per tonne from a week earlierA major...Read More

Canada-based Li-Cycle Holdings will build its fourth lithium-ion recycling facility, Spoke 4, in Tuscaloosa in the US state of Alabama, it announced on Wednesday September 8."The southeastern United States is emerging as a critical region for the lithium-ion battery supply chain, with battery manufacturers and automotive [original equipment manufacturers] establishing operations in the region," th...Read More