De Beers taps into polished diamonds market with first-time auction

DTC De Beers

Anglo American’s De Beers, the world’s largest rough diamond producer by value, has decided to begin selling its own polished diamonds in auctions for the first time in its history.

The pilot auction, scheduled for June, will include a wide range of polished stones manufactured directly from the company’s own rough diamonds.

"The pilot auction, scheduled for June 29, will include a wide range of polished stones manufactured directly from De Beer’s own rough diamonds." All the polished rocks will carry grading reports from both the International Institute of Diamond Grading & Research (IIDGR) — De Beers’ in-house grading unit — and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).

“We are interested in testing the level of demand from polished buyers for diamonds that have a clear and attractive source of origin, and that offer the assurance of product integrity that dual certification provides,” Neil Ventura, the miner’s executive vice president of auction sales, said in the statement.

If successful, the process would provide De Beers with more insight into the polished market, while also helping consumers fill gaps in supply or inventory if they were unable to find goods at the company’s rough auctions, he added.

All registered De Beers auction buyers will be eligible to bid in the first sale, which takes place on June 29.

Source: Mining.com

US Wobble Takes Shine off Pandora Sales

Pandora reported strong growth in the first quarter, but US store closures and sluggish mall traffic dented its performance stateside.

Global sales jumped 9% year on year to $756.9 million (DKK 5.16 billion), while net profit increased 4% to $199.7 million, the Denmark-based volume jeweler reported Tuesday.

The rise was mainly due to a 46% surge in revenue at Pandora-owned concept stores, which came to $270.4 million, driven by an increase in the number of stores. In the US, revenue fell 7%, or 10% in local currency.

While the company added a net 21 concept stores in the US in the past year, it closed about 600 other points of sale in the fourth quarter of 2016 and suffered from a decline in mall traffic, the retailer explained.

A one-off shipment to Signet Jewelers-owned brand Jared a year earlier also had an impact on the sales decline. “The retail climate in the US remains difficult, which was reflected in our performance in the US for the quarter,” said Pandora CEO Anders Colding Friis.

Source:diamonds.net

Important Advice on How to Sell Your Diamonds

If you are you considering selling your diamond, but feel as though you have no idea how or where to begin with the process?

This article will give you a few tips to help you along the way.

TIP #1 Diamonds are usually given to display love, making the sentimental value higher to the seller than the actual value to a buyer. Should you be in the market to sell your diamond, make sure you are ready to part with the diamond before begining the process.

TIP #2 Be sure of the quality and authenticity of what you are trying to sell. Make sure of the quality and the grade of the stone. This is most important for the ultimate value of the diamond. There have been many instances where a seller is committed to selling their diamond only to find out the quality isn’t as described when originally purchased.

There are Jewellers or services available, who will give an unbiased assessment of your stone. But it is far more valuable in the long run to get a report from a recognised Laboratory.

It is also recommended to verify the report matches the Laser inscription before placing your diamond on the market, to assure your diamond is the same stone should it not sell.

TIP #3 Now that you have an accurate report of the quality, make sure you get a realistic selling value. Believing the diamond holds a higher value than it truly possesses will lead to a challenging, frustrating experience which can be dragged out.

An appraiser can assist you with determining a fair selling, price so you can avoid this pitfall. Diamonds are priced in US dollars, so your diamonds price will be affected when converted to your local currency.

A good way to see current retail values is to visit online stores like dcladiamondexchange.com.au or bluenile.com.

TIP #4 There are many ways to sell a preloved diamond or diamond jewellery. Research your selling options to make an educated decision that works best for you. Be it an online market or exploring options through a local jeweller or dealer, be sure you are using the best option for your needs.

Example, if time is not of the essence, an online market or an auction house could be the best way forward. If you want a quick sale, visiting your local dealer may be the best option.

DCLA Diamond Laboratory provides an internationally recognised and respected report to any seller or prospective buyer.

DCLA will provide you with an experience expert to advise you and give you the accurate value protecting you when selling. Our goal is to provide you with as much knowledge as possible.

Visit www.dcla.com.au for information advice or to make an appointment.

Or call us on 1300 413 425 or Sydney 02 92612104

Gem Diamonds recovers 80 carat rough diamond

Another D colour Type II diamond weighing 80 carats has been recovered.

Shares in Gem Diamonds spiked on Thursday after the miner announced it had recovered one of the highest quality stones to come out of its Letseng mine in Lesotho.

The discovery of this 80 carat diamond comes less than a month after the miner announced the recovery of a 114 carat rough diamond. And two years after Gem Diamonds found a 357 carat rough diamond, which sold for $19.3 million.

Gem Diamonds has recovered four of the 20 largest white gem quality diamonds ever recovered, which makes of the Lesotho mine the world’s highest dollar per carat kimberlite diamond operation.

Christie’s to Offer 92ct. Pendant

A 92.15 carat diamond pendant worth up to $20 million will lead Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction in Geneva next month.

The heart shaped, D colour, flawless diamond is the centerpiece of La Légende, a diamond and pearl necklace by designer Boehmer et Bassange.

The stone is the largest of its shape, color and clarity ever to be put up for auction, according to Christie’s.

Another Boehmer et Bassange piece, a pair of chandelier ear pendants titled La Vie Bohème, will also be on offer, with an estimated value of $2 million to $3 million.

Each earring consists of an asymmetrical pink diamond bow, a pear shaped diamond connecting link, and a marquise cut, D colour, flawless diamond weighing just over 10 carats, Christie’s said. Source: Diamonds.net

Graff Unveils 105-Carat D-Flawless Diamond

Graff Diamonds has unveiled the 105.07 carat D flawless pear shaped diamond, it has named the Graff Vendôme after its new retail outlet at Place Vendôme in Paris.

The diamond was cut from a 314 carat rough that was recovered in May 2015 at Gem Diamonds’ Letšeng mine, that was named “The Destiny” and sold into a partnership in June of that year according to a statement by the miner.

The stone was cut and polished by Graff’s own master cutters, who first used a 3D computerised mapping system to plan the cut and then laser cut and hand polished the stone over “many months”.

The rough yielded 12 other diamonds, the largest of which was 17.1 carats. Nine of them were of D flawless quality.

Letseng Mine Yields 114ct. Diamond

Gem Diamonds has found a 114-carat rough diamond at its Letšeng mine in Lesotho, the miner reported Friday.

The discovery of the D-color, type-II stone follows a drop in recovery of large diamonds at the mine, which yielded only five stones above 100 carats last year compared with 11 in 2015.

The deposit is one of the highest-value in the world by average price per carat, producing four of the 20 largest gem-quality white diamonds in history since Gem Diamonds acquired it in 2006.

Source:diamonds.net

Sotheby’s Sells 59.6 carat pink for $94.2 million AUD

Steinmetz Diamonds owned by Israeli billionaire Benny Steinmetz, spent two years cutting and polishing the Rough diamond. Which was mined by De Beers in Botswana, Southern Africa.

The stone was then worn by Danish model Helena Christensen around her neck to exhibit it to the public for the first time in Monaco in 2003.

Chow Tai Fook a Hong Kong based jewellery retailer bought the 59.6 carat pink diamond for $US 71.2 million (AUD $94.2 million), setting a world record for any gem.

The world’s largest jeweller Chow Tai Fook, was founded in 1929, operating more than 2,000 stores throughout greater China.

The Pink star is highest colour grade of vivid pink, and the highest purity of IF.

De Beers, Luk Fook to Co-Brand Grading Reports

De Beers’ polished-grading unit has partnered with Hong Kong-based jeweler Luk Fook to produce co-branded diamond reports for the retailer’s customers. 

The arrangement with the International Institute of Diamond Grading & Research (IIDGR) will enable Luk Fook to present customers with a magnified image of a diamond’s “light performance pattern,” giving them more information about the jewelry on offer, De Beers said Thursday. 

The program, which launched Thursday in Hong Kong and Macau, will potentially expand to other parts of Greater China at a later stage, De Beers added. 

“As customers continue to seek ever-greater confidence in diamonds, we are seeing increased demand from major diamond jewelry retailers for the innovative solutions that IIDGR can provide,” said Jonathan Kendall, the institute’s president. “This new initiative with Luk Fook highlights the rapid international growth we are seeing in the business, and we look forward to a long and successful partnership.”

Source: Rapaport