Dealers and jewelers optimistic for last-minute holiday sales. Multi-channeldigital and experiential retail are key themes this season, with rising numberof pop-up stores and webrooms. Trade shifting east, with improving Chinese NewYear demand. Some caution for 2019 as US-China trade war, volatile stock marketand higher interest rates could impact consumer sentiment. Prices of 0.30 ct.diamonds pre...Read More
RAPAPORT... De Beers is planning to loosen its source-disclosure restrictions for sightholders following requests for increased transparency, Rapaport News has learned.The company consulted with clients during this week's sightin Botswana, proposing to let them refer to its supply as "DTC diamonds" whenthey sell the goods further along the pipeline, a company spokespersonconfirmed. De Beers w...Read More
Cautious sentiment as trading slows ahead of theChristmas break. Fewer foreign buyers in the market. Demand concentrated onSI-I1 goods. Rough market restrained as manufacturers are holding largepolished inventory, particularly lower-value goods. Small diamond and jewelry businesses under stress due toweaker rupee, tight credit and low profit margins. POLISHED:Read More
RAPAPORT... Jewelry sales at Christie's garnered a combined $492.3million this year, driven by expensive blue and pink diamonds. The company's top-selling piece was the Winston Pink Legacy,a rectangular-cut, 18.96-carat, fancy-vivid-pink diamond, which sold in Genevalast month for $50.4 million. Other top lots for the year included apear-shaped, 8.01-carat, fancy-vivid-blue, internally flawless di...Read More
(IDEX Online) - Trans Atlantic Gem Sales (TAGS) held a rough diamond tender from the November 26 to December 4 at the Dubai Diamond Exchange in the Almas Tower, Dubai., selling 97,841 carats for $46.4 million. The company reported that two regular productions of high quality and high color material from South Africa and Angola were offered for sale, as well as several significant special s...Read More
RAPAPORT... Fortuna recorded its largest auction to date as a blue diamond ring fetched $1.4 million in New York earlier this month. The pear-shaped, 3.05-carat, fancy-intense-blue, SI2-claritydiamond ring surrounded by pink diamonds had a presale estimate of $1.2 millionto $1.8 million. That piece led Fortuna's Magnificent Jewels sale, which garnereda total of $4 million, with 83% of lots s...Read More
RAPAPORT... Trans Atlantic Gem Sales (TAGS) sold $46.4 million worth ofrough diamonds during a tender in Dubai in late November and early December, itsaid Wednesday. The company sold 97,841 carats of high-quality stones frommines in South Africa and Angola for an average price of $474 per carat. Thecompany extended its final bidding deadline due to strong interest, it said. "Through 2019 we...Read More
HARARE/LONDON – De Beers and Vast Resources will be allowed to explore for diamonds in Zimbabwe, which would make them the first listed companies to mine there in that sector for two years, Mining Minister Winston Chitando said.A spokesman for De Beers, an Anglo American unit, said in an email it was not mining in Zimbabwe and did not intend to. Vast Resources said it could not comment.Adver...Read More
JSE-listed diamond miner Trans Hex reported a group net profit of R52-million for the six months ended September 30, compared with the R199-million loss reported for the six months to September 30, 2017.The company managed to raise its earnings a share to 37.6c apiece, compared with a loss of 89.7c apiece in the prior comparable period.AdvertisementSales revenue from the South African operations i...Read More
RAPAPORT... Jewelry sales at Christie's garnered a combined $492.3million this year, driven by expensive blue and pink diamonds. The company's top-selling piece was the Winston Pink Legacy,a rectangular-cut, 18.96-carat, fancy-vivid-pink diamond, which sold in Genevalast month for $50.4 million. Other top lots for the year included apear-shaped, 8.01-carat, fancy-vivid-blue, internally flawless di...Read More
A historic backwardation in zinc forward prices has its first major casualty, with Thailand's foremost zinc distributor set to close that part of its business as a result.Padaeng Industry, formerly a primary zinc smelter which pivoted into the renewable energy industry, will close its 50,000 tonne per year zinc metal distribution business at the end of 2018, the company said in a Stock Exchange of...Read More
The tin premium in Europe continued its ascent on Tuesday December 11 on mounting concern for the availability of supply from Indonesia, while weak demand is keeping premiums in the United States and China flat. European premium boosted by Indonesian export freezeUS premiums flat in quiet marketChinese premiums stable on seasonality, closed import window European tin premium up before a tight Janu...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange had mostly drifted lower by the close on Wednesday December 12 but were confined to tight ranges throughout what was an unexceptional trading day.Volumes were thin while market participants slowed their trading ahead of the looming end of the year. In copper, around 10,000 lots traded by the 5pm close compared with more than 22,000 lots on Friday. Th...Read More
The European ferro-molybdenum market, which climbed almost 2.5% in trading a week ago, has pared gains since Friday in line with a drop in demand.Suppliers said there is plenty of alloy available if needed amid negligible levels of consumer demand and they have cut their offer prices as a result.The ferro-molybdenum, basis 65%, in-warehouse Rotterdam price has dropped 20 cents to $29.20-29.40 per...Read More
Key data from the Wednesday December 12 pricing session in Europe. Key drivers European suppliers booked several sales in the past week, narrowing the price range to 50 cents.European market sources said there was downward market pressure from Russian suppliers, but those suppliers have reported doing deals around the middle of the current European price range.European market expected to be stabl...Read More
The European ferro-molybdenum market, which climbed almost 2.5% in trading a week ago, has pared gains since Friday in line with a drop in demand.Suppliers said there is plenty of alloy available if needed amid negligible levels of consumer demand and they have cut their offer prices as a result.The ferro-molybdenum, basis 65%, in-warehouse Rotterdam price has dropped 20 cents to $29.20-29.40 per...Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for any price moves.Read More
Key data from the Wednesday December 12 pricing session in Europe. Key drivers European suppliers booked several sales in the past week, narrowing the price range to 50 cents.European market sources said there was downward market pressure from Russian suppliers, but those suppliers have reported doing deals around the middle of the current European price range.European market expected to be stabl...Read More
Turkish steel producers extended their absence in the deep-sea scrap markets into Wednesday December 12 because of limited demand for finished steel products, sources told Fastmarkets MB.Mills in the country have been refraining from scrap purchases for more than two weeks now - only a single cargo has been booked since November 23.Demand for steel products, especially rebar, has been and remains...Read More
Key data from the Wednesday December 12 pricing session in Europe. Key drivers European suppliers booked several sales in the past week, narrowing the price range to 50 cents.European market sources said there was downward market pressure from Russian suppliers, but those suppliers have reported doing deals around the middle of the current European price range.European market expected to be stabl...Read More