Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi on Wednesday labeled synthetic gems a significant threat to the country’s economic foundation, as the government prepares to launch a $6-billion project to extend the life of its flagship Jwaneng diamond mine. The natural diamond market has faced challenges over the past two years due to rising consumer demand for cheaper lab-grown diamonds and global macroeconomic volatility. Masisi will attend the JCK Show in Las Vegas this week, the world’s largest
Lucapa, an Australia-based diamond miner, under the helm of its newly appointed chairperson, Stuart Brown, sees Angola as the primary target for diamond exploration globally. Brown, a former De Beers CFO and interim CEO, emphasized Angola’s potential in Lucapa’s strategic direction, citing its largely unexplored diamond-rich provinces as key exploration targets. The company’s 15-year presence in Angola, particularly through its Lulo operation, has been marked by significant success in alluvial diamond production. Brown highlighted Lulo’s
Lucapa Diamond Company has recovered a 195-carat, type IIa rough diamond from its Lulo alluvial mine in Angola, marking a significant addition to its collection of large diamonds. This find, announced on Tuesday, is the sixth-largest diamond discovered at Lulo since operations began in 2015 and the fourth diamond over 100 carats recovered this year. This discovery follows the unearthing of a 203-carat, type IIa rough diamond in March, processed from stockpiled ore at the
The United States is reconsidering the strictest aspects of a G7-imposed ban on Russian diamonds, following resistance from African countries, Indian gem polishers, and New York jewelers, according to seven sources cited by Reuters. The sanctions package, agreed upon in December and including an EU-wide ban, represents a major shift in the diamond industry. Two sources familiar with the negotiations stated that the U.S. has largely disengaged from G7 working groups on stringent controls, with
The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) is advocating for rough-verification nodes outside the Group of Seven (G7) bloc as a way of enforcing sanctions on Russian goods, the organization said. “We believe this is a necessary step in the further development towards a control system that meets the interest of all stakeholders involved, in particular those of African producing countries,” according to a statement the AWDC released on Friday. “The conversations are progressing constructively, and
Proceeds at De Beers’ fourth rough-sales cycle of the year saw a downturn from the recent improvement noted in the last few sights as it entered a traditionally slow period for the industry. The miner brought in $380 million in May, down 21% versus the equivalent period in 2023, it said Thursday. That figure is also 15% lower than the $446 million the company reported at its April cycle, and 12% lower than February’s total.
Petra Diamonds has entered into long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with licensed South African energy trader Etana Energy to procure wheeled renewable energy for its Cullinan and Finsch diamond mines. Etana Energy provides cost-competitive, clean energy from new large-scale renewable projects, primarily wind-based, through wheeling over the existing South African grid. The company’s portfolio includes multiple ready-to-build and grid-secured wind and solar projects expected to come online in 2025 and 2026. Under the PPAs, Etana
Diamond exploration company Botswana Diamonds has been granted four new prospecting licenses, covering nearly 2,332 km² in the Kalahari region of Botswana. These licenses are located in the same general area as Gem Diamonds’ Ghaghoo mine and Botswana Diamonds’ own KX36 project. “I am pleased that we have been awarded these prospecting licenses in the Kalahari of Botswana, which we believe will be the next major diamond-producing area in the country,” said John Teeling, Chairperson
Revenue from the Ekati mine’s rough diamond output soared by 70% in the first fiscal quarter, according to Burgundy Diamond Mines, the mine’s owner. The company reported sales of 1.3 million carats from the Canadian deposit, totaling $117 million for the period ending March 31. This is a significant increase compared to the sale of 798,199 carats for $69 million during the same period last year. The average price per carat rose by 3.5% to
Petra Diamonds’ rough prices decreased at its latest tender as it noted seasonal weakness across all size categories. The sixth trading session, which took place in May, brought in $44 million from the sale of 371,104 carats, while like-for-like prices slipped 2.6% versus April, the miner reported last week. The sales value was down 11% from April’s $49 million but up 4.8% from the equivalent tender in May 2023. Sales volume increased 2% from April
