The National Diamond Trading Company of Angola (SODIAM) raised, this Friday 19th April, 17 million dollars with the sale of 636.28 carats (auction of 20 special stones). According to a press release, these are rough diamond productions from the Mining Companies of LULO SOMILUANA, CHITOTOLO, UARI and KAIXEPA. The evaluation sessions took place from the 11th to the 18th of this month, at SODIAM’s facilities in Luanda, with bids being submitted electronically on the online
Proceeds at De Beers’ third rough-sales cycle of the year remained sluggish compared to a year earlier but continued to see improvement despite entering a traditionally slow period for the industry. The miner brought in $445 million in April, down 18% versus the equivalent period in 2023, it said Wednesday. However, that figure is 3% higher than the $431 million the company reported at its second sight of the year, which ran from February 26 to March
Petra Diamonds’ rough prices decreased at its latest tender, as smaller goods experienced seasonal weakness. The fifth trading session, which took place in April, brought in $49 million from the sale of 362,132 carats, while like-for-like prices slipped 1% versus February, the miner reported Tuesday. Of the total, $8.2 million came from the sale of a 14.76-carat, blue diamond from the Cullinan mine in South Africa. The sales value was up 3% from February’s $48 million and
Production at Rio Tinto’s Diavik mine in Canada slid in the first quarter after the miner halted production to allow workers to grieve for colleagues who died in a plane crash. Output fell 22% year on year to 740,000 carats for the three months that ended March 31, Rio Tinto said Tuesday. However, production was 12% higher than the previous quarter, during which the miner closed two kimberlite pipes and produced lower-grade ore. The company
Debswana,the leading rough diamonds producer continues to set the trend in diversity and progressive leadership appointments. The 50/50 De Beers – Botswana joint venture has appointed top Engineer Ms. Keene Nkoane as the first female Senior Engineering Manager inthe history of the company. She is based at Orapa Letlhakane and Damtshaa Mines (OLDM). Nkoane joined Debswana in 2003 based in Jwaneng Mine following her completion of BEng (Hons) in Electrical & Electronic from Nottingham University,
In a significant announcement, José Manuel Augusto Ganga Júnior, President of the Board of Directors of the National Diamond Company (ENDIAMA), unveiled plans for a groundbreaking feasibility study aimed at tapping into Angola’s untapped oceanic resources, including diamonds and other valuable minerals. The revelation came during a high-profile event in Luanda, underscoring Angola’s commitment to diversifying its mining sector and harnessing its rich natural resources. Addressing reporters at the “Albina Assis” auditorium of the Ministry
Benedito Manuel, the General Director of Sociedade Mineira de Catoca, recently highlighted the significance of the Luele mine project in the province of Lunda Sul. He emphasized that it’s an ENDIAMA initiative, with Angolan managers from Catoca leading the entire process, from discovery to mine layout. In an interview with EXPANSÃO newspaper, Manuel underscored Catoca’s pivotal role as a “special technical arm” of the Angolan National Diamond Company, particularly in advancing the nation’s diamond sub-sector.
The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) announced the unexpected resignation of CEO Ari Epstein on Thursday, as reported by the AWDC’s board of directors. While Epstein, who served as CEO for 13 years, declined to comment on the reason for his departure, Belgian financial newspaper De Tijd cited conflicts between the diamond sector and the Belgian government over Russian diamond sanctions as a possible cause. The AWDC, Belgium’s primary diamond industry group, has not yet
Botswana Diamonds, listed in London and Botswana, has announced plans to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to analyze its extensive database of diamond exploration data in Botswana. The company aims to enhance its search for new diamond deposits and potentially other minerals using this innovative approach. The database, comprising 380 GB of data and 260,000 files, represents one of the largest diamond exploration datasets in the country. Botswana Diamonds sees this as a solid foundation
Petra Diamonds, a London-listed company, is poised to achieve substantial cash savings of $75 million in the 2024 financial year following the initiation of a sales process for the Koffiefontein diamond mine in South Africa’s Free State province. The company has raised its cash savings goal for the 2025 fiscal year to over $30 million through various cost-saving measures, including potential retrenchments. Having entered a sales agreement with rough diamond trader Stargems earlier this year,
