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Scientists achieve teleportation breakthrough

Japanese researchers carry out quantum teleportation within a diamond.

Scientists figure out how to teleport information within a diamond.
The study took advantage of defects in the diamond’s structure.
The achievement has implications for quantum computing.

Scientists from the Yokohama National University in Japan achieved the feat of teleporting quantum information within a diamond. Their study is an important step in the field of quantum information technology.

Hideo Kosaka, a professor of engineering at Yokohama National University, led the study. He explained that the goal was to get data where it doesn’t normally go

“Quantum teleportation permits the transfer of quantum information into an otherwise inaccessible space,” shared Kosaka. “It also permits the transfer of information into a quantum memory without revealing or destroying the stored quantum information.”

The “inaccessible space” explored in the study was the lattice of carbon atoms in a diamond. The strength of the structure stems from the diamond’s organization that has six protons and six neutrons in the nucleus, with six spinning electrons around it. As they bond to the diamond, the atoms form a super-strong lattice.

For their experiments, Kosaka and his team focused on defects that sometimes arise in diamonds, when a nitrogen atom appears in vacancies that would ordinarily house carbon atoms.

Kosaka’s team manipulated an electron and a carbon isotope in such a vacancy by running a microwave and a radio wave into the diamond via a very thin wire – one fourth the width of a human hair. The wire was attached to the diamond, creating an oscillating magnetic field.

The scientists controlled the microwaves sent to the diamond to transfer information within it. In particular, they employed a nitrogen nano magnet to transfer the polarization state of a photon to a carbon atom, effectively achieving teleportation.

The diamond’s lattice structure features a nitrogen-vacancy center with surrounding carbons. In this image, the carbon isotope (green) is initially entangled with an electron (blue) in the vacancy. It then waits for a photon (red) to be absorbed. This results in quantum teleportation-based state transfer of the photon into the carbon memory.

“The success of the photon storage in the other node establishes the entanglement between two adjacent nodes,” Kosaka said, adding that their “ultimate goal” was to figure out how to make use of such processes “for large-scale quantum computation and metrology.”

The accomplishment could prove vital in the quest for new ways to store and share sensitive information, with previous studies showing diamonds could house giant amounts of encrypted data.

Kosaka’s team also included Kazuya Tsurumoto, Ryota Kuroiwa, Hiroki Kano, and Yuhei Sekiguchi.

You can find their study published in Communications Physics.

Frenchman jailed for five years in Brussels diamond heist

A Frenchman was sentenced Thursday in Belgium to five years in prison for his role in a spectacular $50 million diamond heist at Brussels airport in 2013.

Smiling, Marc Bertoldi, 48, replied “thanks, goodbye” after the presiding judge told him he had one month to appeal his jail sentence and a 6,000 euros ($6,800) fine.

The February 18, 2013 robbery, one of the world’s biggest diamond thefts, saw a gang of armed men posing as police seize the gems from a passenger plane in an operation that lasted barely six minutes without a shot being fired.

The hooded men, armed with machine guns, pulled up in a car on the runway at Brussels’ main Zaventem airport where an armoured vehicle had just unloaded diamonds onto a plane about to take off for Zurich.

The men forced open the hold and removed about 120 boxes of diamonds before making off with the haul of about $50 million dollars (worth 37 million euros at the time) in gems, most of which were never recovered.

Some gold and precious metal in powder form were also stolen.

More than 30 people were detained in Belgium, France and Switzerland in massive coordinated police operations.

Last month, Bertoldi denied he had taken part in what the Belgian media called “the heist of the century,” telling the court he had only received some of the stolen diamonds.

But the presiding judge, reading the sentence on Thursday, said Bertoldi, an athletic man who wore jeans and a dark shirt, had in fact been “an indispensable cog” in the theft.

The judge said Bertoldi nonetheless “did not personally participate in all the offences committed,” particularly the theft of cars that were later set on fire.

– ‘Not the mastermind’ –

Bertoldi’s lawyer Dimitri de Beco told AFP: “It’s clear. He is not the mastermind of the robbery. That gives us some satisfaction.”

In addition to European cities, the investigation was also carried out in Casablanca, Morocco, where Bertoldi lived in 2012 and 2013.

The probe showed the many telephone contacts Bertoldi, who was arrested in France in May 2013, had before the heist with the presumed mastermind, Houssein Bajjadi of Brussels.

Bajjadi and the 17 other accused identified by Belgian authorities are due to be retried at the end of 2019 or early 2020 after the prosecution appealed their acquittal last year.

Before the airport heist, Belgium had experienced several spectacular robberies involving diamonds and precious gems.

In February 2003, jewellery and diamonds valued at about 100 million euros were stolen from an Antwerp diamond exchange.

More than 120 safes in the port city’s Diamond Center, a heavily protected building in the heart of the diamond district, were emptied unnoticed.

In 2013, a gang of hooded men pulled off one of the world’s biggest diamond thefts at Brussels’ main Zaventem airport.

Source: Agence-France Presse

Tara Jewels Files for Chapter 11

Tara Jewels LLC and parent company Tara Jewels Holdings have filed for bankruptcy, each listing between $10 million and $50 million in outstanding liabilities.

Wholesaler Tara Jewels LLC currently claims to have between $500,000 and $1 million in assets, according to the June 21 Chapter 11 filing in the Southern District of New York. The parent company reported up to $50,000 in assets. Both firms are owned by the India-headquartered Tara Jewels Ltd, which has a chain of retail stores in its home country.

The supplier, which focuses on loose diamonds, gemstones and branded jewelry, began its wholesale operation in 2006, when it partnered with M. Fabrikant & Sons. Shortly thereafter, the company, renamed as Fabrikant-Tara, filed for protection in a US bankruptcy court. It also sought protection in 2008, according to the filings.

In November 2018, a Mumbai court initiated insolvency proceedings against Tara Jewels Ltd on behalf of creditors.

Tara’s customers include Zale Corp, Walmart, J.C. Penney, Sterling Jewelers and Signet, its website notes. It has also co-branded a bridal and fashion jewelry line with fashion designer Zac Posen. In 2012, the company received an investment from Swarovski subsidiary Crystalon Finanz.

Tara Jewels is the second notable jewelry company to enter bankruptcy proceedings in New York this week. Enchanted Diamonds filed for Chapter 7 liquidation in the same court on June 20, claiming liabilities of $1.7 million.

Source: diamonds.net

Gem Diamonds Unearths 135ct. Yellow

Gem Diamonds has recovered a 135 carat yellow at its Letšeng mine in Lesotho, the third significant colored-diamond discovery at the deposit this year.

The company retrieved the high quality, type I stone on June 21, three months after the mine yielded a similar quality yellow diamond weighing 134 carats. Those discoveries follow a two year gap in the recovery of yellow diamonds weighing more than 100 carats from Letšeng. In June 2017, the miner found a 151.52 carat yellow.

De Beers Cuts Prices as Rough Sales Slide

De Beers’ rough-diamond sales slumped to a 20-month low of $390 million in June amid weak sentiment in the manufacturing sector. Sightholders noted the price cuts De Beers implemented on certain categories were not enough to stimulate demand.

“The reaction to the price adjustments was lukewarm,” observed one Antwerp-based manufacturer who attended last week’s sale in Gaborone. “It’s a case of too little, too late, as polished prices have declined and we’re not seeing the same movement in the rough market.”

De Beers reduced prices by an estimated 4% to 8% on low-quality and smaller stones, sight participants reported. Sightholders who spoke with Rapaport News expected the company would need to make further cuts later this year, but recognized it was unlikely to do so at the next sight.

“We don’t expect a correction in July because that will start a downward spiral,” said one India-based sightholder. “But people will refuse goods. The mood is not good, even after this month’s reduction, as manufacturers are under pressure.”

High inventory

De Beers CEO Bruce Cleaver noted that rough buyers were cautious in June due to higher-than-normal polished-diamond inventories in the midstream. The sight was the lowest on record by De Beers since October 2017, and sales were down 33% compared to last June.

Manufacturers have cut production by an estimated 20% to 30% this year to reduce those inflated inventory levels, sightholders estimated. They’ve also shifted their production to lower-value goods to keep workers busy at a minimal investment, one India-based sightholder added.

As a result, De Beers’ sales declined 18% to $2.38 billion in the first half of 2019, while Alrosa’s rough sales fell 35% to $1.46 billion in the first five months of the year, according to Rapaport calculations.

Midstream pressure

Meanwhile, Cleaver also noted the challenging environment in China was affecting sentiment in the diamond market, while the US retail environment remained solid. Polished trading at the Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair, which ended Sunday, was quiet, dealers noted. Attendance was down amid the mass protests that have taken place in the city during June, but also because Chinese buyers are not looking to make large purchases.

“People are hesitant to buy in a downward-trending market because they don’t yet see a bottom,” explained one Hong Kong-based polished dealer. “The mood is not good.”

US orders are more consistent, observed a Mumbai-based sightholder. US retailers are not making major orders, but he expects that will start to happen in the next month or two. Diamond trading generally remains quiet in July, when most US wholesalers close for the summer vacation.

“We expect the market will stabilize in late July,” he said. “But the problem isn’t from the retail side. It’s the business-to-business (B2B) trading that is low and the manufacturing sector that is under pressure. People don’t want to do business in the rough market.”

Source: Diamonds.net

Gem Diamonds finally sells its failed Botswana mine

The miner has sold Ghaghoo for a fraction of what it cost to build as it fails yet again to diversify away from its Letšeng mine in Lesotho

Gem Diamonds has sold its Ghaghoo operation for a fraction of what it cost to build what was Botswana’s first underground diamond mine, as it failed yet again to diversify away from its Letšeng mine in Lesotho.

Gem Diamonds agreed to sell its failed Ghaghoo mine in Botswana to Pro Civil, a local company, for $5.4m USD.

London-listed Gem, which has had a string of setbacks in attempting to diversify its portfolio away from being a single-asset company with its Letšeng mine in Lesotho, invested about $90m in building the first phase of Ghaghoo.

In March 2017, Gem reported a $170m impairment against Ghaghoo after mothballing the mine in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in February, as low prices for smaller rough diamonds pushed the operation into a loss.

There was no information about the Pro Civil business in the Gem statement on Thursday, and internet searches proved fruitless. No indication was given about what Pro Civil intended doing with Ghaghoo once the deal closes in the third quarter of 2019.

Gem said it had reached a binding agreement with Pro Civil for the sale of the London-listed company’s wholly owned subsidiary Gem Diamonds Botswana for an upfront payment of $5.4m.

“On behalf of Gem, we wish the Pro Civil team well for the future, and I would also like to thank the government of Botswana for its assistance during the sale process,” said Gem CEO Clifford Elphick.

The Botswana subsidiary reported a pretax loss of $4.9m in the year to end-December 2018 and gross assets of $3.9m.

Ghaghoo, when it was officially opened in September 2014, had expected to sell its diamonds for about $260/carat, but by 2017 it was realising prices of nearly half that number.

Ghaghoo, the first underground diamond mine in Botswana, was a difficult mine to build. A decline shaft was sunk through an 80m-thick layer of loose Kalahari Desert sand in a remote location in the north of the country.

Part of the reason to go underground, instead of building an opencast mine, was to reduce the size of the mining footprint in the game reserve to 20km² instead of 100km².

The mining project started in October 2011 and did not come close to reaching commercial production of 150,000 carats a year.

Gem’s attempts to extend operations beyond its Letšeng mine in Lesotho have been unsuccessful — the Ellendale mine in Australia was sold for $15m in 2012 and the Cempaka alluvial mine in Indonesia was closed in 2008.

Exploration efforts in Angola and elsewhere in Africa came to naught.

Gem would now focus on improving Letšeng, said Elphick, adding the $5.4m would be put towards “general corporate purposes”.

“Every little bit will help,” said Shore Capital analyst Yuen Low, pointing out that large-diamond recoveries at Letšeng had been poor recently.

“In the first half of 2019, Gem recovered only two stone greater than 100 carats (versus 10 in first half 2018), continuing the falling trend that became evident in the second half of 2018,” he said.

Letšeng is the world’s richest diamond mine when measured by dollars achieved per carat, consistently delivering large, high-quality diamonds.

Source: bdfm.co.za

Rio trenches bulk sample for Star at Star-Orion South

For the first time a trench cutter sampling system is being used to take a bulk sample of a Canadian kimberlite. Such equipment is normally used in specialist foundation engineering, rather than mineral exploration.

The rig cut a hole to a depth of 228.4 metres at the Star-Orion diamond project which is wholly owned by Saskatoon-based Star Diamond. The hole produced 704 bags of kimberlite. The operator of the project is Rio Tinto Exploration Canada.

The trenching rig consists of a Bauer BC 50 cutter mounted on a Bauer MC 128 duty cyclone crane. There is also a kimberlite separation unit and a desanding unit. The kimberlite will be stored in a secure area at the site until a bulk sample plant can be build and commissioned at the project. Rio will undertake final diamond recovery.

Star’s senior VP of exploration and development George Read said, “The successful use of this new trench cutter sampling rig technology for the recovery of kimberlite bulk samples has the ability to revolutionize future bulk sampling and mining of kimberlites, particularly for kimberlites characteristic of the Fort à la Corne diamond district.”

Diamond Store’s Shutdown Leaves Customers Seeking Gems, Money And Answers

A popular diamond business appears to have abruptly shut down, leaving paying customers without their jewelry.

The company website says it is not accepting orders and a growing number of disgruntled Enchanted Diamonds customers like Rebecca Zuzula say they never received the precious stones they paid for.

“Many of us wired the money,” said Zuzula. “Several used a credit card but as of maybe the first week of June or so, we quit hearing back from the owner.”

The Better Business Bureau in New York City says it has recently received 24 complaints from consumers in 11 states about transactions with Enchanted Diamonds.

Zuzula says her jewelry was supposed to be an anniversary gift from her husband.

She claims Enchanted Diamonds president Joshua Niamehr took their money and disappeared.

“I think he stole more than money from people,” said Zuzula. “I think he stole their memories.”

Several customers originally discovered Enchanted Diamonds on the website RareCarat, a search engine for diamonds and diamond dealers.

Ajay Anand, the CEO of Rare Carat, tells CBS2 it will file a lawsuits and pay legal fees for those claiming to be victims of Enchanted Diamonds whether they used his site to find the company or not.

He says he’s heard from more than 60 alleged victims.

“We did everything we could to vet this company,” said Anand. “This was unforeseeable. I think all the evidence will point to that.”

CBS2’s attempts to contact the president of Enchanted Diamonds were unsuccessful.

Some frustrated customers say they plan to sue.

The Better Business Bureau says anyone who thinks they’re a victim should file a complaint with them or a report with the New York state attorney general.

Source: cbslocal

Christie’s Breaks Records with $109M Auction

The Belle Époque Devan-de-corsage brooch

Christie’s Maharajas & Mughal Magnificence sale brought in more than $109 million, the highest total for any auction featuring Indian art.

The top lot was a Belle Époque brooch, created by Cartier in 1912, which fetched $10.6 million at the New York auction on Wednesday. The piece features a number of diamonds, including a pear brilliant-cut, 34.08-carat, E-color, VS1-clarity, and an oval brilliant-cut, 23.55-carat, D-color, VVS2-clarity stone. The brooch had a pre-sale estimate of $10 million to $15 million.

Other notable items included The Mirror of Paradise, a rectangular-cut, 52.58-carat, D-color, type IIa, internally flawless diamond ring, which sold for $6.5 million, below its low-end estimate of $7 million. The Shah Jahan dagger, named for India’s fifth Mughal emperor, sold for $3.4 million, and set a record price for an Indian jade object and a record price for a piece with Shah Jahan provenance.

Christie’s also sold The Arcot II, a pear-shaped, brilliant-cut, 17.21-carat diamond, found in India’s Golconda region in the late 18th century. The stone — given to Queen Charlotte of Great Britain by the regional ruler of India, the Nawab of Arcot — garnered $3.4 million, within its presale value of $2 million to $4 million.

Signed pieces by Cartier and contemporary jewels by JAR and Bhagat also did well, greatly exceeding their estimates, Christie’s noted, with all items on offer selling.

“The strong results today, after 12 hours of non-stop bidding, in front of a packed room and with phone and online bidders from all over the world, reflect the exceptional quality of this special collection and position it among the most storied private collections ever featured at auction,” said Christie’s CEO Guillaume Cerutti.

The sale also ranks as the second-highest auction total for a private jewelry collection, coming from the Al-Thani dynasty, the ruling family of Qatar. The highest total for a private collection is held by The Legendary Jewels — the Elizabeth Taylor’s collection — which garnered $115.9 million.

Overall, Christie’s sold 93% of the lots on offer at this week’s sale.

Source: Diamonds.net

De Beers Can Do More, Botswana Group Says

A Botswana employers’ advocacy group has called out De Beers for failing to provide substantial opportunities for the country’s businesspeople.

“The benefits deriving from the diamond industry have unfortunately not been enjoyed by Batswana entrepreneurs,” Gobusamang Keebine, president of Business Botswana, said in a speech during the fifth regional High Level Consultative Conference (HLCC) in Francistown on Saturday. A transcript was posted on the Botswana government’s Facebook page.

“[De Beers] has done very little to add to economic activity in Botswana and improve Batswana business participation in the industry,” he stressed.

De Beers is about to start negotiations on a new supply and marketing agreement with the Botswana government, as the current contract expires in 2020. While the sales partnership between the two has created more than 3,600 jobs for local citizens, the bulk of those were lower-level positions, and there has been little change over the years, Keebine noted.

The current 10-year agreement from 2011 led De Beers to relocate its sorting and sales operations from London to Gaborone – a move that failed to offer prospects for local entrepreneurs, Keebine claimed. The miner should learn from Chinese businesses operating in Botswana’s construction center, who have been transferring their skills to locals, he urged.

Keebine also took aim at Okavango Diamond Company, which was created in 2012 to sell 15% of local mining company Debswana’s production on behalf of the government. While Okavango is operating as a commercial entity, it doesn’t promote beneficiation and citizen empowerment, he said.

Business Botswana has asked the government to allow it to participate in negotiations with De Beers, as the company’s supply agreement is up for renewal in 2020. “It is imperative that a greater sense of urgency is given to reforms that will ensure that Batswana entrepreneurs are able to benefit,” Keebine added.

A De Beers spokesperson dismissed the critique, arguing that the company leads the industry in terms of developing prospects for local entrepreneurs.

“De Beers Group has a long and proud history of creating value and opportunities for Batswana and we will continue to do so,” David Johnson, head of strategic communications for De Beers, told Rapaport News Monday. “Our beneficiation approach is underpinned by a system…that creates the most value in [the] country by skills transfer and local rough-diamond utilization.”

The relocation of the company’s sightholder sales to Gaborone has had a significant positive impact on the country as well, Johnson points out. “[It] has been instrumental in developing Batswana professionals in key business management roles.”

The miner supports a number of initiatives which benefit the country’s professionals as well, including a leadership program with the Stanford Graduate School of Business; the Tokafala enterprise development program, which offers small, micro and medium-sized businesses mentoring and access to market; and a partnership with UN Women to support female entrepreneurs, Johnson added.

Source: Diamonds.net