RAPAPORT... Gemfields has sold its 50% stake in a Zambian amethyst mine to enable it to focus on its core assets, it said Wednesday. The sale of the Kariba Minerals deposit to ZCCM InvestmentsHoldings for $2.5 million will allow Gemfields to concentrate on its emerald,ruby and sapphire operations, it explained. Meanwhile, the miner has also established a joint venturewith Mwiriti, its partne...Read More

VicenzaOro, the Italian trade show for gold and jewelry, will again present  T.Evolution, its hub for technological innovation at the show that will take place in Vicenza from September 7-11, 2019. Vicenzaoro is organized by IEG - the Italian Exhibition Group. T.Evolution focuses on the technologies and digital methodologies that are play an increasingly central role in jewelry creation proce...Read More

The shareholders elected the following members to the Supervisory Board of Alrosa: Maria Vladimirovna Gordon (Independent Director) - Member of the Supervisory Board of the Moscow Exchange, Member of the Supervisory Board of Polyus; Evgenia Vasilievna Grigorieva - Minister of Property and Land Affairs of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia); Kirill Alexandrovich Dmitriev - CEO, JSC Russian Direct Inves...Read More

RAPAPORT... The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) is planning a strategy to help retailers assure consumers their jewelry has been ethically sourced and that they follow the required sustainability standards. The group, whose mandate is to set standards for the jewelry trade, will mark its 15th anniversary in 2020 and is mulling its next stage of development, newly appointed executive director I...Read More

Turkish steel mills stayed away from the deep-sea markets on Thursday June 27, with few signs of demand for further July scrap cargoes, sources told Fastmarkets.Producers booked a number of deep-sea cargoes for July last week before stepping away from the market.And while a few more cargoes were expected to be booked for July shipment, firm...Read More

The Executive Committee of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses gathered at the Israel Diamond Exchange in Ramat Gan, Israel, on June 24, with one of the major issues discussed being the impact of synthetic diamonds on the global diamond industry. WFDB President Ernie Blom said: "The WFDB is not opposed to synthetic diamonds as such on the market. They should, however, always be disclosed so t...Read More

RAPAPORT... The discovery of a new source-rock indicator for diamondformation has the potential to help geologists locate and identify valuablediamond deposits around the world, a study by the University of Alberta and DeBeers shows. "The outcome of the project fundamentally changes ourunderstanding of where diamonds come from," Thomas Stachel, a University ofAlberta geologist and the Canadia...Read More

Seaborne iron ore prices strengthened further on Thursday June 27, with trading activity on the Singapore Exchange's (SGX) 65% Fe iron ore derivative contract also picking up. By 5.45pm Singapore time, 125,000 tonnes of the contract had been traded and cleared, according to SGX data. This compares with 175,000 tonnes traded in the whole of last week. MB 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $118.02 per tonne cfr...Read More

RAPAPORT... IWC Schaffhausen has named New England Patriots quarterbackTom Brady as its brand ambassador, it said Tuesday. His appointment will helpthe watch brand broaden its appeal to consumers, the company said. "Tom Brady is a world-class athlete with a sense of styleand an appreciation for fine watchmaking," said IWC Schaffhausen CEO ChristophGrainger-Herr. "Working with him will enable...Read More

Fastmarkets will two months from the publication of this notice delist and cease to publish 40 steel scrap, non-ferrous scrap and foundry ingot prices that it currently carries from third parties.The delistings are of are steel scrap prices from BDSV; aluminium alloy prices from Affimet; zinc alloy prices from Brock Metals; and non-ferrous scrap and foundry alloy prices from Lettre D'Information M...Read More

LONDON – Ever wondered where that sparkly stone on your finger was dug up? Who polished it and where? The world’s top diamond producer wants to answer all your questions.Russia’s Alrosa PJSC is rolling out a program that will allow jewelry buyers to track their diamond’s history in detail, using an identity number and electronic and video passports, as part of efforts...Read More

Weakness persisted in the seaborne coking coal market on Thursday June 27 despite news of a suspension of mining activity at a mine in Queensland, Australia.An August-loading cargo of a top Australian brand was sold to an end user in southern China at $200 per tonne cfr China, according to various sources.A shipment of premium low-vol hard coking coal was heard offered at $198 per tonne cfr China,...Read More

Carpentaria Resources expects its planned high-grade iron ore product to find interest among buyers in the Middle East while the latter looks to diversify supply options for pellet feed, managing director Quentin Hill said during an investor briefing this week."There is a supply gap in terms of both quality and quantity in the Middle East and with only three companies accounting for bulk of the su...Read More

A "more challenging" environment in China and higher than normal diamond inventories in the midstream contributed to more cautious diamond buying in De Beers' fifth sales cycle of the year, CEO Bruce Cleaver said on Tuesday.The value of De Beers' rough diamond sales decreased to $390-million in the fifth sales cycle of this year, compared with $581-million in the fifth sales cycl...Read More

The latest bids, offers and deals in the global markets for iron ore, pig iron, direct-reduced iron and other steelmaking raw materials.Latest transaction: iron oreIron ore Rio Tinto, Beijing Iron Ore Trading Center (Corex), 170,000 tonnes of 61% Fe Pilbara Blend fines, traded at $113.80 per tonne cfr China, laycan July 13-22.Vale, Corex, 190,000...Read More

RAPAPORT... India's polished-diamond exports slid 15% year on year in May, reflecting a slowdown in the trade that's been evident for the past seven months. The last monthly increase was recorded in November, according to Rapaport records. The decline in May was the result of lower volumes, which outweighed an increase in the average price of goods, data from the Gems & Jewellery Export P...Read More

Eastern China's hot-rolled coil prices widened upward on Thursday June 27 amid fluctuations caused by movements in the futures market.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,900-3,950 yuan ($567-574) per tonne, widening upward 30 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,840-3,850 yuan per tonne, unchangedMarket participants in Shanghai rushed to buy at 3,830-3,850 yuan per tonne in the morning after...Read More

China's rebar prices regained some upward momentum on Thursday June 27 on early gains in the futures market.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,940-3,980 yuan ($573-579) per tonne, up 30-40 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,800-3,840 yuan per tonne, up 30-40 yuan per tonneRebar futures rose to a high of 4,095 yuan per tonne in the morning, which led traders in the spot market to take thei...Read More

Import prices for stainless steel in East Asia experienced an uptick over the past week amid a recovery in the nickel market, though downstream demand remained soft.The three-month nickel contract on the London Metal Exchange ended Wednesday June 26's official trading session at $12,430-12,440 per tonne, up $480-485 per tonne from a week earlier.The increase came amid supply disruptions arising fr...Read More

The Chinese domestic cobalt metal price fell by 3.1% in the midweek pricing session due to sluggish demand during the traditionally weak consumption season causing suppliers to compete fiercely for limited inquiries in the spot market. Fastmarkets assessed the Chinese domestic cobalt metal price at 220,000-250,000 yuan per tonne ($12.85-14.61 per lb, less China-VAT) on Wednesday June 26, down...Read More