Sunday, 29 January 2023

Botswana Has the World’s Two Richest Diamond Mines

 

Diamond mine, in Botswana
                 Diamond mine, in Botswana

A new list names the Jwaneng diamond mine, in Botswana, as the world’s richest diamond mine.

A new list by miningintelligence.com, quoted by IDEX Online, names the Jwaneng diamond mine, in Botswana, as the world’s richest diamond mine for the first three quarters of 2022. Jwaneng produced 10.3 million carats in 2022.

Orapa, also in Botswana, came second with 8 million carats. Both Jwaneng and Orapa are operated by Debswana, a partnership between De Beers and the government of Botswana. Jwaneng and Orapa were also listed as the two highest value diamond mines in the world, estimated at $1.25 billion and $976 million respectively, “based on average historic annualized prices of $121.5 per carat,” according to the report.

Diamond mine

Alrrosa’s Udachny mine came third. Although Alrosa has not published production figures since the war with Ukraine, miningintelligence.com bases its conclusion on the mine’s 2021 production of 4.6 million carats. Fourth comes the Venetia mine in South Africa 4.6m carats, operated by De Beers. In fifth is Nyurba, in Russia, with 3.6 million carats, based on 2021 numbers.

Source: israelidiamond

Tuesday, 24 January 2023

Glistening watch breaks record with 17,524 diamonds

 Watch breaks record with 17,524 diamonds
          Watch breaks record with 17,524 diamonds

Renani Jewels (India) has broken the dazzling Guinness World Records title for the most diamonds set on a watch in Meerut, India as verified on 29 December 2022.

The construction of this sparkly piece of jewellery started with hand drawn sketches to work out the design of the watch.

After the initial design was finalized, it was recreated in 3D as a computer-aided-design (CAD) and then printed.

All the diamonds were then meticulously placed onto the watch and it took five different forms of polishing to give it the desired look.

The watch is named Srinkia – the watch of good fortunes. Inspired by ancient Indian mythology, Srinkia means flower.

According to founder and CEO Harshit Bansal, it also signifies the Indian goddess of wealth and good fortunes – Lakshmi.

The end watch has 17,512 white diamonds and 12 black diamonds.

This beat the previous record set by Aaron Shum Jewelry Ltd. (Hong Kong) with 15,858 diamonds back in December 2018.

These diamonds were authenticated by an International Gemological Institute Lab (IGI) certificate to determine that actual diamonds were used.

The main challenge faced by Renani Jewels was the procurement of a huge quantity of diamonds with the same colour, size, shape and clarity.

To verify the record, each individual diamond had to be counted in the presence of a jewellery and diamond expert.

In accordance with GWR’s guidelines, the diamond had to be sourced from producers that are certified by the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), which prevents “conflict” diamonds from entering the mainstream market.

The end watch weighs 373.30 grams and is completely wearable.

Diamond records have proved popular in India, with the most diamonds set on a ring being broken by SWA Diamonds last May.

Source: guinnessworldrecords

Sunday, 22 January 2023

Tanzania Reports Record $63 Million in Diamond Exports Despite Williamson Mines Closure

 

Tanzania Diamond mines
                  Tanzania Diamond mines

The Bank of Tanzania announced that the country’s diamond exports increased significantly to $63.1 million (USD) in value by November 2022. This is more than seven times of the $8.4 million export value that was recorded in the year-over year analysis since November 2021.

The good performance of the company has been attributed to the country’s diamond producer Williamson Mines which has temporarily shut down operations due to a recent tailings breach on November 7, 2022. The mine is an open pit operation located on the 146-hectare Mwadui kimberlite pipe, which is one of the world’s largest economic kimberlites.

The company belongs to the parent company Petra Diamonds, which owns 75 percent of the company, and the Tanzanian government owns the remainder. According to Petra’s official statement, production at the Williamson mine will resume in the 2024 fiscal year.

Source: DCLA

Tiffany Buys Some of a Legendary Diamond Mine’s Last Finds


 Argyle Diamonds
               Argyle Diamond Mine in Australia.

The new Tiffany Collection comprises 35 gems, including an unusual red stone, from the Argyle Diamond Mine in Australia.

About a year ago, a representative of the Argyle Diamond Mine — a site in Western Australia that was the pre-eminent source of pink diamonds until it closed in 2020 — approached Tiffany & Company’s chief gemologist with an unusual offer: the chance to purchase a collection of diamonds that were among the last stones taken from the mine.

The decision, Tiffany executives said, didn’t require much consideration.

“We had to do it,” Anthony Ledru, the brand’s president and chief executive, said in his bright office in New York’s Flatiron district. “It’s perfect with what we stand for.”

The purchase, which was finalized several months ago, involved 35 diamonds of various shades: pink, almost purple and even one red gem, an especially unusual color for a diamond. The gems, which had already been cut in various styles, “checked off all of those boxes: rarity, scarcity and beauty,” said Victoria Reynolds, Tiffany’s chief gemologist.

But the stones are small, ranging from 0.35 carats to 1.52 carats, considerably more petite than the statement-size gemstones frequently used in engagement rings and solitaire necklaces.

“These are small, there’s no doubt,” Ms. Reynolds said, “but for connoisseurs, collectors who understand how rare these are, it’s incredibly appealing.”

How much did the jeweler pay for what it now calls the Tiffany Collection? Mr. Ledru wouldn’t disclose the sum, but said it was “probably not enough compared to what it’s going to become in the next five, 10 years.” (He did note that it was Tiffany’s largest single purchase of 2022.)

Exactly how the diamonds will be used in jewelry hasn’t been decided, although Mr. Ledru said it was likely that they all would be used in one-of-a-kind designs. In the meantime, the diamonds are being shown to select clients in New York City and, next month, in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

The eventual prices are sure to be high. “You pay a premium for anything that says ‘Argyle pink diamond,’” said RenĂ©e Newman, an independent gemologist and author based in Los Angeles.

Source: DCLA

Thursday, 19 January 2023

Fancy diamonds aid North Arrow mining

 

Fancy diamonds aid North Arrow mining

With diamond markets rebounding from the COVID-19 downturn, North Arrow Minerals Inc. and partner Burgundy Diamond Mines Ltd. have continued to demonstrate the value of the fancy yellow diamonds in the Q1-4 kimberlite at the Naujaat project in Nunavut.

Lying about nine kilometers (5.6 miles) northeast of the hamlet of Naujaat (formerly Repulse Bay) on Nunavut’s Melville Peninsula, Naujaat covers 10,742 hectares (26,54 acres) of contiguous mineral leases and claims held by North Arrow.

To date, fifteen kimberlites and eight kimberlite pipes have been identified on the property, as well as a number of associated kimberlite dykes. Of its numerous targets, the Q1-4 kimberlite is the largest and most diamondiferous of these bodies.

Though North Arrow has drilled to depths of 400 meters in Q1-4, the current resource estimate for the project lies around roughly 48 million metric tons of material down to 205 meters, containing more than 26 million carats of diamonds.

North Arrow has since undertaken extensive exploration and evaluation focused on the potential value of its uniquely colored fancy vivid orange-yellow diamonds found in the Q1-4 kimberlite at Naujaat, which is considered one of the largest undeveloped diamond properties in Canada not controlled by a major mining company.

Naujaat’s rare yellow diamonds have been certified by the Gemological Institute of America and are expected to sell at high premiums to white diamond prices, upon which the historical project’s economics were mostly based.

Spending the better part of 2022 filtering through its 2021 bulk sample program funded by Burgundy, North Arrow reported recoveries from the first 70% (1,316 dry metric tons) and revealed at least 268 diamonds of greater than 9 DTC (Diamond Trading Company) weighing roughly 117.98 carats.

Three of the largest recovered diamonds were 3.31, 3.07, and 2.76 carats. 48 of the 268 diamonds classified as fancy color, with more than half of that classifying as orange in color – with orange being considered amongst the rarest of colors for natural diamonds.

Later in the season, the company announced the remaining results of its 2,500 bulk sample program. The results, representing the final 30% (498 dmt), were from the same source, the A88 unit of the Q1-4 deposit.

Despite the smaller amount, North Arrow reported 99 diamonds greater than 9 DTC weighing 55.8 carats. The three largest stones were seven, 2.17, and 2.02 carats.

“The 2021 bulk sample has confirmed the presence of an important, potentially high value population of fancy orange and yellow diamonds in both the A28 and A88 units of the Q1-4 diamond deposit,” said North Arrow President and CEO Ken Armstrong. “This is highly encouraging, as is the recovery of a seven carat diamond – the largest stone recovered to date from the Q1-4 deposit and, although it classifies as boart – an indication of the potential of Q1-4 to produce larger diamonds.”

North Arrow Minerals Inc.

After spending the year filtering through 2,500 bags of its 2021 bulk sample program, results returned 367 diamonds of greater than 9 DTC, weighing in at roughly 173.78 carats.

Of the 99, 10 were classified as fancy color diamonds, with three being labeled as “intense” or “vivid” – the two highest color saturation classes and an important indicator of the potential value in fancy color diamonds. Aside from that evaluation, nine of the fancy diamonds were also categorized as orange.

“The completion of sample processing and diamond recovery from the 2021 bulk sample has further confirmed the presence of a potentially high value, fancy orange and yellow diamond population in the Q1-4 kimberlite,” said Burgundy Diamond Mines Managing Director and CEO Peter Ravenscroft.

In addition to the successful bulk sampling at Naujaat, North Arrow is advancing seven other properties in Canada in the discovery and target development stages, including six additional diamond projects – three in Nunavut, including the Mel, Luxx, and grassroots CSI projects; two in neighboring Northwest Territories, including a 21 percent interest in the LDG joint venture project; and one in Saskatchewan.

Source: miningnewsnorth

Tuesday, 17 January 2023

Alrosa Finds 2 Huge Diamonds at Udachnaya on the Same Day

Alrosa Finds 2 Huge Diamonds at Udachnaya on the Same Day  Two large high-quality diamonds – each larger than 50 carats – were unearthed in Yakutia on December 2, 2022, Bankers Day, “when Russian bankers celebrated their professional holiday,” according to Rough & Polished.  The two stones were extracted at Processing Plant No. 12 from the ore mined at the Udachnaya diamond pipe. One weighs over 67 carats, while the second diamond, a type IIa, weighs more than 52 carats,  Dmitry Amelkin, Alrosa’s Strategy Director, commented: “Finding two of these rare gem-quality diamonds on one and the same day is a unique coincidence. It is symbolic that this happened precisely on the Udachnaya diamond pipe, which has been accompanied by good luck since its discovery […]”.  diamond mining trucks Russia Credit: Alrosa

Two large high-quality diamonds – each larger than 50 carats – were unearthed in Yakutia on December 2, 2022, Bankers Day, “when Russian bankers celebrated their professional holiday,” according to Rough & Polished.

The two stones were extracted at Processing Plant No. 12 from the ore mined at the Udachnaya diamond pipe. One weighs over 67 carats, while the second diamond, a type IIa, weighs more than 52 carats,

Dmitry Amelkin, Alrosa’s Strategy Director, commented: “Finding two of these rare gem-quality diamonds on one and the same day is a unique coincidence. It is symbolic that this happened precisely on the Udachnaya diamond pipe, which has been accompanied by good luck since its discovery 

Credit: Alrosa

Monday, 16 January 2023

De Beers Slashes Prices of Larger Rough Diamonds

 

Rough diamonds on display at De Beers
        Rough diamonds on display at De Beers

De Beers has made sharp price changes at this week’s sight, implementing deep reductions in larger goods and increases for smaller stones.

Prices fell by as much as 10% in 2-carat rough and above, with lower-quality items seeing the most significant drops, sources told Rapaport News Monday on condition of anonymity. Prices of diamonds under 0.75 carats rose by similar percentages, reflecting a market split that has persisted since late last year, insiders said. Sizes in between saw more modest declines.

“There have been quite wild increases and decreases,” one source said. “Not to say that they’re not justified, but it’s interesting that they’ve done that.”

De Beers declined to comment.

The adjustments follow months of sluggishness in larger, lower-quality rough as Chinese demand slumped during the country’s Covid-19 outbreaks and inflation dented mid-market US spending. Stones in the 3-grainer category and below have remained relatively strong due to steady sales of polished melee and Indian manufacturers’ efforts to fill factories with cheaper material.

De Beers kept its prices firm throughout 2022 despite the weakness in the larger categories, which constitute a significant proportion of its sales. This impacted profit margins at cutting firms, many of which perceived the miner’s rough to be expensive, insiders explained.

“These are the prices [at] which they should have been selling since October,” a sightholder commented. “It’s aligning with reality [rather than] reflecting a relatively poor end of year.”

De Beers is known for its reluctance to reduce prices during downturns, as was the case during the Covid-19 crisis. Now, as then, it has waited for a slight improvement in trading before taking action. China’s reopening has boosted sentiment, while the recent US holiday period was satisfactory, albeit slower than 2021’s record season.

The first sight of 2023, which runs Monday to Friday, comes amid uncertainty about the global economic situation, the Russia-Ukraine crisis, and the prospects for the Chinese New Year, which occurs on January 22.

It’s also a time of transition at De Beers, which is welcoming a new CEO, Al Cook, to succeed Bruce Cleaver on February 20 and is in the middle of negotiations with the Botswana government over an updated sales deal.

“Generally, things are a bit better than they were four or five months back, but that is because of low [polished] production, not because of an improvement of the market,” a manufacturing executive commented. “So the challenges remain.”

Source: DCLA

Thursday, 12 January 2023

Sarine to Buy Majority Stake in Grading Lab GCAL

 Sarine to Buy Majority Stake in Grading Lab GCAL

A grader at GCAL
A grader at GCAL

Sarine Technologies has agreed to acquire a majority share in New York-based Gem Certification and Assurance Lab (GCAL) amid a push to expand in the American market.

“At the beginning of last year, we started ramping up our activities in the US,” Sarine CEO David Block told Rapaport News on Thursday. “Due to that, the discussions with regard to this [deal] ramped up along with our involvement in the US market. This [deal] should be quite a significant jump in the scope of our business in the US.”

Israel-based Sarine has signed a nonbinding memorandum of understanding (MoU) to purchase the stake for an all-cash consideration, it announced in a statement on Wednesday. The parties plan to reach a final agreement in a few months once due diligence is complete, Block said. The companies have not disclosed the sale price or the size of the share.

GCAL will continue to offer its customers the same products and services as before the deal, and its executives will remain in charge, Sarine said.

However, while currently operating out of a single location in New York, GCAL will be able to implement Sarine’s e-Grading — an automated grading service using artificial intelligence (AI) — to develop the lab’s capabilities across the US and globally. The companies will begin integrating their technology and services even before the deal closes, Block explained. Sarine will continue to offer its services independently outside the US.

Founded in 2001 by Don Palmieri, family-owned GCAL is known for providing diamond certificates carrying a guarantee, rather than just reports that act as a description of grades. In 2021, it launched 8X, a cut-grading standard that it claims is more exacting than the industry’s triple Ex score.

“Sarine’s technologies will allow us to continue to abide by [our] key code of ethics while still expanding our services to meet the growing demand by consumers seeking confidence that their acquired products and services meet all norms of quality and sustainability,” said GCAL chief operating officer Angelo Palmieri.

Source: DCLA

Fosun weighs sale of Belgian diamond-grading firm IGI

International Gemological Institute IGI

Fosun International Ltd. is weighing a sale of International Gemological Institute in a deal that could value the diamond-grading firm at about €200 million ($215 million), according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Considerations are preliminary and Fosun may decide to keep the asset, the people said. A spokesperson for Deutsche Bank declined to comment, while representatives for Fosun and Shanghai Yuyuan Tourist Mart Co., the Fosun unit that owns an 80% stake in IGI, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Backed by billionaire Guo Guangchang, Fosun is one of China’s largest non-state conglomerates with businesses including consumer, health care, property, financial services and mining. The firm is in the midst of trying to bolster its balance sheet and investor confidence. It told analysts in October that it’s targeting to sell as much as $11 billion of assets within 12 months.

Fosun’s bonds have rebounded recently after it unveiled a slew of planned asset sales and began weighing billions of dollars in other potential deals, including for resort chain Club Med as Bloomberg News reported in November. Last week, the company announced it would sell stakes in four units to raise about $975 million.

Founded in 1975, IGI is one of the two main institutions that certify diamonds and other gems for their color, cut, clarity and weight. IGI operates 20 laboratories globally, grading finished jewelry, natural diamonds, lab-grown diamonds and gemstones, its website shows. It also runs 14 schools of gemology that train professionals in the diamond industry.

Shanghai Yuyuan bought an 80% stake in IGI in 2018 for $108.8 million from shareholders Roland Lorie and Marc Brauner. The founding Lorie family kept the remaining 20%.

Source: DCLA

Wednesday, 11 January 2023

Mouawad Unveils $5.75M Miss Universe Crown Featuring Sapphires and Diamonds

 

Mouawad Unveils $5.75M Miss Universe Crown Featuring Sapphires and Diamonds

The Miss Universe Organization unveiled “The Crown Number 12: Force for Good,” crafted by luxury jeweler Mouawad.

The crown will honor the winner of the 71st Miss Universe competition on Jan. 14 in New Orleans. It features pear-shaped blue sapphires surrounded by diamonds and is valued at approximately $5.75 million, according to a press release.

The design “evokes the Miss Universe Organization’s belief in a future forged by women who push the limits of what’s possible and the incredible women from around the world who advocate for positive change,” said Mouawad co-guardian Fred Mouawad.

A unique, bespoke work of art and craft, the Force For Good Crown emanates Mouawad’s passion for crafting the extraordinary, featuring the meticulous setting of sapphires and diamonds, whose design is replete with symbolism. Reflecting the point that significant change does not happen in an instant, the base of the crown is set with diamonds symbolizing the status quo. From the base upwards, rippling wave motifs reflect the momentum of change, with their varying sizes portraying that this momentum gains ground gradually through advocacy at different moments and places, to audiences large and small, over time.

“It has been an honor to craft a new crown for The Miss Universe Organization, and to create a new sparkling chapter in the story of Mouawad Miss Universe crowns, said Mouawad co-guardian Fred Mouawad. “The Mouawad Miss Universe Force for Good Crown is a work of extraordinary craftsmanship, completely crafted and set and by hand, featuring 108.44 carat of blue sapphire and 48.12 carat of white diamond in a design that evokes the Miss Universe Organization’s belief in a future forged by women who push the limits of what’s possible and the incredible women from around the world who advocate for positive change.”

Upon closer inspection, the culmination of these wave-like curls at the base emulates a serpent’s head, symbolizing the challenges involved in swaying opponents and those with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. As the eye moves upward from the base of the crown, the color gradient changes from the glistening white of diamonds to the warm blue of sapphires, deepening in intensity toward the pinnacle of the crown. At the top, a stunning pear-shape 45.14 carat sapphire displays a depth of color emblematic of the goodness that can be achieved through persistent action and of the hope for a brighter future. The wave motifs also mimic the theme of stage design for the 71st MISS UNIVERSE® competition that accentuates water as key element. While symbolizing the flow of life which can encompass strength and resistance, water inspires activation of energy that turns pain into power, as well as serves as teaser for the upcoming launch of MISS UNIVERSE Mineral Water, the first Miss Universe-branded product, in the first quarter of 2023.

Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip, Chief Executive Officer of JKN Global Group Public Company Limited, as the new owner of The Miss Universe Organization, said: The Miss Universe 2022 Force for Good Crown stands for a graceful reincarnation of The Miss Universe Organization’s long-standing values and heritage as a guiding light, shining bright to the future glory. The new crown is also the dazzling illustration of both the challenges and rewards that come when young women advocate for causes close to their heart and strive makes an impact on the world.”

“As we are stepping into the new era of women’s empowerment, The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) will continue to be a global organization run by women for women with promise to serve as an inspirational platform that celebrates diverse women, supporting them to realize their ambition and build self-confidence, while evolving the brand over time to be more relevant and appealing to the next generation. Our new ambition is to instill the sense of passion for ‘transformational leadership among us all with firm belief that everyone can lead, to be successful and achieve their life goals. With this future-oriented approach, the Miss Universe brand is keen to take on a pivotal role in involving and engaging people on a journey toward social inclusion, gender equality and environmental sustainability,” added Anne Jakapong.

The “MISS UNIVERSE x MOUAWAD: Unveiling the new crown “Force for Good”, the New Emblem of Beautifully Confident press conference to reveal the new crown held in True Icon Hall, 7th floor, Iconsiam, Bangkok, Thailand.

The event was also live streamed on Miss Universe Youtube and JKN18 Facebook page, attended by thousands of international media.

The partnership between The Miss Universe Organization and Mouawad has formed in 2019, which saw winners of a prestigious competition, MISS UNIVERSE® honored with crowns crafted by Mouawad.

Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip said she was excited to bring the new crown to the stage of the 71st MISS UNIVERSE® competition herself. The event will take place on Saturday, January 14, 2023 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Last year’s winner Miss India Harnaaz Sandhu will crown her successor at the end of the event.

Source: DCLA

Thursday, 5 January 2023

20,000 jobs lost in Surat as diamond demand fades


                        Diamond Workers

Plummeting demand for cut and polished diamonds in the West and China has pushed some 20,000 workers out of work in the last one month in Surat, where 80% of the diamonds sold globally are polished.

Surat, the main centre of India’s diamond industry, offers employment to some 800,000 workers in its 4,000-odd cutting and polishing units. But work has been drying up, forcing the units to work at 60-70% capacity, said Damji Mavani, secretary of Surat Diamond Association (SDA). It also means fewer workers are needed.

“Fear is looming large in the diamond city of Surat whether the recession of 2008 will be repeated this year too,” said Bhavesh Tank, vice president of Diamond Workers Union, Gujarat. “Orders are fewer and so the workload is less. Therefore, the units are reducing workforce. Some units are cutting down work days so that they do not have to pay the workers on days when they are not working.”

According to Tank, nearly 20,000 diamond workers in Surat have lost jobs in the last one month.

The US is the biggest market for cut and polished diamonds, followed by China.

India’s diamond exports began slowing in November last year. According to data from the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), overall gross exports of cut and polished diamonds in the April to November period of FY23 declined by 5.43% from the year-ago period.

Another reason is the dropping price of the polished pieces. While the price of rough diamonds continues to be high, that of the polished ones have softened due to low demand, which is impacting the margins of diamantaires and forcing them to reduce workforce.

Mavani of SDA said the workers who have lost their jobs will find work in other areas. “There is a 30% vacancy in most of the factories,” he said.

However, there’s an air of uncertainty in Surat due to the fear of recession in the US, Europe and China. “We do not know when the situation will improve. It may take one year for a robust uptick in demand from overseas markets,” the SDA secretary said.

“With the pandemic in China making a comeback and there are no signs of respite from the war between Russia and Ukraine, inflation soaring in some parts of the world, we are out there for some tough times,” said Vipul Shah, chairman, GJE ..

Shah said the drop in price of polished diamond is eating into the margins of traders.

Traders said business in polished diamonds is also sluggish because of the seasonal lull, lingering economic uncertainty, and the slowdown in China. Although China eased its Covid-19 lockdowns last month, another outbreak stifled the recovery ahead of their Lunar New Year.

Source: economictimes.indiatimes

Wednesday, 4 January 2023

GIA Launches The Digital Diamond Dossier


Digital GIA Diamond Dossier
                 Digital GIA Diamond Dossier

The start of 2023 marks a significant milestone in the digital transformation of the global diamond industry – the launch of the fully digital GIA Diamond Dossier, the most widely available diamond grading report in the world. The GIA Diamond Dossier is available for D-to-Z diamonds from 0.15 to 1.99 carats without colour treatments. Printed GIA Diamond Dossier reports issued before January 2023 remain valid.

Tom Moses, GIA Executive Vice President and Chief Laboratory and Research Officer, said, “The launch of the digital GIA Diamond Dossier report starts the conversion of all GIA’s laboratory reports to a modern digital format. This important change improves data security, offers efficiencies across the supply chain and reduces our reliance on paper.”

The first digital GIA Diamond Dossier report was issued at the GIA laboratory in Ramat Gan, Israel, on Monday, 2nd January 2023. More than 33 million printed GIA Diamond Dossier reports were issued since the introduction of the service in 1998.

Pritesh Patel, GIA’s Chief Operating Officer, added, “In 2025, when all GIA reports are digital, retailers and consumers will find greater convenience and a more immersive experience. Eliminating printed reports is an important advancement, reducing the impact of using, shipping and storing the nearly 40 tons of paper and plastic that go into printed GIA reports each year.”

The secure digital GIA Diamond Dossier is available in the reimagined GIA App or on computers, tablets and phones through the robust and secure online GIA Report Check Service and the GIA advanced application programming interface (API) for commercial users. The digital report service includes a Report Access Card with the report number, a QR code linking to the digital report and 4Cs information to embed into receipts, invoices and e-commerce sites.

The new GIA App is widely available for Apple and Android devices. The Android app for China is in development and will be available at a later date. The GIA Match iDTM inscription matching service is expected to be available in the first half of 2023, accessible exclusively through the reimagined GIA App.

Printed GIA Diamond Dossier reports issued before January 2023 remain valid.

Source: DCLA

Tuesday, 3 January 2023

Jwaneng is World's Richest Diamond Mine

Diamond mine Botswana
                    Diamond mine Botswana

The world’s richest diamond mine for the first three quarters of 2022 was Jwaneng, in Botswana, with 10.3m carats.

Orapa, also in Botswana, was second-placed with 8.0m carats, according to newly-published figures from miningintelligence.com.

Both mines are operated by Debswana, a partnership between De Beers and the government of Botswana.

Third on the list is Udachny mine, operated by Alrosa, the sanctioned Russian miner. The 4.6m-carat figure is based on its 2021 production, assuming trends since 2019 continued.

Fourth is the Venetia mine, in South Africa (4.6m carats), operated by De Beers and fifth is Nyurba, in Russia, with 3.6m carats (with same caveat as for Udachny).

Jwaneng and Orapa are also listed as the two highest value diamond mines, estimated at $1.25bn and $976m, both based on average historic annualized prices of $121.5 per carat.

Source: DCLA

Tiffany Buys Back Titanic Watch for Record $1.97m

Tiffany & Co paid a record $1.97m for a gold pocket watch it made in 1912, and which was gifted to the captain of a ship that rescued mo...