The US Treasury has imposed sanctions against nearly 300 Russian entities in its latest round, including a company specializing in the export of rough and polished diamonds.
The new series of restrictions the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has applied marks the two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and is also in response to the death of opposition politician and anti-corruption activist Aleksei Navalny, the Treasury said last week.
OFAC has targeted Almazyuvelirexport, Russia’s state-owned exporter of rough and polished diamonds and precious metals. The company was designated for “operating, or having operated, in the metals and mining sector of the Russian Federation economy,” it added.
Other companies that were banned included financial institutions, the defense industry, companies “providing backdoor support for Russia’s war machine,” and those connected to Navalny’s imprisonment.
Lucara Diamond Corp. has announced the recovery of a 320-carat, 111-carat, and two +50-carat stones from its 100% owned Karowe Diamond Mine located in Botswana.
These diamonds were recovered from the direct milling of EM/PK(S) kimberlite ore from the South Lobe during a recent production run that saw additional recoveries of numerous, smaller +10.8 carat diamonds of high value.
The 320-carat is a gem-quality, top light brown diamond, while the 111-carat diamond is described as a Type IIa white stone of high quality. The two +50-carat stones add to these recent recoveries and are also Type IIa white diamonds. These recoveries add to the collection of significant diamonds recovered at Karowe and further solidifies Lucara’s reputation as a leader in the recovery of large, high-quality diamonds.
The recoveries from the EM/PK(S) unit highlight the continued success of Lucara’s mining operations at the Karowe Diamond Mine and reinforce the development of the underground mine which will target >95% EM/PK(S) ore during the first three years of underground production. The company’s adoption of advanced diamond recovery technology has enabled the continued identification and retrieval of these extraordinary diamonds and strong resource performance.
William Lamb, President and CEO of Lucara Diamond Corp., commented on the recent discoveries, stating:
“These diamond recoveries from the EM/PK(S) domain of the South Lobe further validate the quality and potential of the Karowe Diamond Mine. We are thrilled with the consistent success we continue to achieve in uncovering large, high-value diamonds, reaffirming Lucara’s position as a leading producer of large high-quality gem diamonds. Our team’s dedication to innovation and operational excellence continues to drive our success, and we look forward to delivering further value to our stakeholders through these extraordinary discoveries.”
Lucara Diamond has revived a gem sales agreement with polishing and trading company HB Antwerp, it said on Monday, five months after severing ties with the Belgian business.
Canadian miner Lucara said it will supply HB Antwerp with rough diamonds of 10.8 carats and above for 10 years from last December.
Lucara had terminated its relationship with HB Antwerp last September because of what it said was “a material breach of financial commitments”.
HB Antwerp declined to comment on the matter at the time and did not respond immediately to a request for comment on Monday.
Botswana, where Lucara mines diamonds at its Karowe project, has been reassessing plans to acquire 24% of HB Antwerp.
The two companies’ first diamond sales agreement was struck in 2020 and extended for 10 years in 2022.
Lucara said the purchase price for rough stones in its revised deal would be based on mutual agreement of the estimated value of polished diamonds, with a further payment based on actual achieved polished sales.
The pricing mechanism is expected to deliver regular cash flow, Lucara said.
“This partnership reflects our commitment to ensuring stability and sustainability in our operations,” said Lucara chief executive William Lamb.
Gem Diamonds Limited (LSE: GEMD) is pleased to announce the recovery of a high quality 113 carat white Type II diamond, recovered at the Letšeng mine in Lesotho on 17 February 2024.
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Together with the 295 carat high quality Type II white diamond recovered on 8 January 2024 and a 139 carat low quality Boart diamond recovered on 17 January 2024, the 113 carat is the third greater than 100 carat diamond recovered to date this year.
The G7’s sanctions on Russian-mined polished diamonds, set to go into effect March 1, will have a six-month “sunrise period” to let the industry adjust to the new rules, according to a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Botswana.
The ban will initially apply to polished diamonds at least one carat in weight, then expand in September to a half-carat and larger.
To verify the diamond’s provenance, the G7 will establish a new certification system based in Belgium. From March through August, G7 certification will be recommended; as of Sept. 1, it will be required.
G7 leaders committed in February, May and December 2023 to work collectively to reduce the revenue Russia uses to finance its illegal war against Ukraine that is derived from its diamond trade. The December G7 statement included the following language: We will introduce import restrictions on non-industrial diamonds, mined, processed, or produced in Russia, by January 1, 2024, followed by further phased restrictions on the import of Russian diamonds processed in third countries targeting March 1, 2024. To further the effectiveness of these measures, those G7 members who are major importers of rough diamonds will establish a robust traceability-based verification and certification mechanism for rough diamonds within the G7 by September 1, 2024, and we will continue to consult with partners, including producing and manufacturing countries on its design and implementation. We will continue consultations among G7 members and with other partners including producing countries as well as manufacturing countries for comprehensive controls for diamonds produced and processed in third countries on measures for traceability. Russia is the world’s largest rough diamond producer by volume and a significant global diamond exporter (> US $3.8 billion in exports in 2022). Its state-owned diamond mining conglomerate, Alrosa, accounts for 95% of Russian diamond production and is the largest diamond producer in the world by volume and second largest by value. Approach
A “direct ban” on Russian imports (direct flows of non-industrial diamond goods exported directly from Russia to a G7 country) is in place by all G7 members as of January 1, 2024. Specific measures and timelines are being developed to prevent indirect flows of non-industrial diamonds mined in or (for certain G7 partners) transited through Russia. This includes diamonds which are exported, processed and/or polished, in a third country and afterwards imported by a G7 member. To avoid unintended negative consequences and undue burden on other diamond industry stakeholders, the G7 is consulting key partners, including producing and manufacturing countries, as well as industry, on proposed controls and traceability measures for diamonds produced and processed in third countries. This consultation will continue with virtual meetings and possible future in-person visits. Through phased-in implementation, the indirect ban of Russian diamonds from G7 markets is expected to begin on March 1, 2024, with the banning of non-industrial natural diamonds mined in Russia sized 1.0 carat and larger. The G7 is targeting September 1, 2024 to extend the indirect ban to all non-industrial natural diamonds mined in Russia sized 0.5 carats and larger. To further the effectiveness of these measures, the December G7 statement indicates that those G7 members who are major importers of rough diamonds will establish a robust traceability-based verification and certification mechanism, detailed further below. This is envisaged to be fully operational by September 1, 2024. From March 1, 2024, it will be encouraged to identify all non-Russian diamonds above one carat entering a G7 country through this traceability mechanism. During a “sunrise period” from March 1, 2024 to August 31, 2024 documentary supply chain evidence will also be accepted by G7 countries, ahead of full operationalization of the traceability mechanism. Further details will be made available ahead of March 1st. From September 1, 2024, use of the traceability mechanism will be required for import into the G7, for diamonds sized 0.5 carats and larger. In this context, traceability will be expected to begin at the point of the first export, rather than the mine-site, though we encourage mine-level traceability where possible.
Options are being considered with respect to how to treat existing stocks of diamonds (grandfathered diamonds) and jewelry. A G7 technical working group, led by the European Commission, has been established to continue consultations and provide recommendations on the way forward. Governments and industry stakeholders are encouraged to engage with the technical group, with the understanding that ultimate decisions concerning the import requirements for G7 countries are taken consistent with respective national systems. Traceability mechanism detail
To ensure the provenance of diamonds entering G7 countries, a certified traceability mechanism known as “G7 Certification” will be recommended as of March 1, 2024, and required as of September 1, 2024. G7 Certification will verify and certify the provenance of rough diamonds from the point of first export through the use of a central import hub in Belgium during the period when the traceability mechanism system is tested. Thereafter, other credible options to the single node can be considered. Diamonds will then carry this verification throughout the supply chain, including through polishing, processing and manufacturing. This will enable stones to be checked at the point of import into the G7, ensuring their non-Russian provenance. G7 Certification will work by using and expanding on existing tracing technologies and controls. Diamond producers and manufacturers, throughout the supply chain, will need to incorporate validated traceability solutions into their operations. The G7 will determine and communicate standards that solution(s) will need to meet to qualify for G7 Certification. These third-party traceability solutions will then communicate key data points, including provenance information, with a secure, independent Distributed Ledger. To ensure the system is viable and credible, this information will be complemented by a physical check on rough diamonds, in Belgium. This check provides the G7 certificate, based on a high level of assurance, which will be carried onwards through the supply chain. This approach is needed to ensure that verification and certification is completed in a node where no Russian diamonds can be present given legal requirements that have been put in place. Belgium is developing the details for the way this system will function. The G7 will coordinate with Belgium during this phase to ensure the system is functional and presents minimal additional costs and delays. As noted, once this system is in place, tested, and perfected, the G7 will consider additional options and approaches beyond the central G7 import hub in Belgium. We expect to implement mitigating measures for beneficiation (polishing in the mining country). Export of the polished, beneficiated goods to the G7 countries may be direct if appropriate measures are put in place to ensure non-contamination of Russian diamonds. This system will provide traders, manufacturers, retailers and ultimately customers with the highest assurances of the non-Russian provenance of their diamonds in accordance with the G7 measures. Greater data intelligence and controls will also significantly enhance the overall levels of traceability in the diamond industry.
Geologists from ETH Zurich and the University of Melbourne have established a link between diamond occurrence and the mineral olivine.
In a paper published in the journal Nature Communications, the scientists explain that their method will simplify the detection of diamond deposits. The process relies on the chemical composition of kimberlites, which occur only on very old continental blocks that have remained geologically unchanged for billions of years, predominantly in Canada, South America, central and southern Africa, Australia and Siberia.
According to the study’s lead author, Andrea Giuliani, olivine is a mineral that makes up around half of kimberlite rock and consists of varying proportions of magnesium and iron. The more iron olivine contains, the less magnesium it has and vice versa.
“In rock samples where the olivine was very rich in iron, there were no diamonds or only very few,” Giuliani, who has been studying the formation and occurrence of the gemstones since 2015, said in a media statement. “We started to collect more samples and data, and we always got the same result.”
His investigations ultimately confirmed that olivine’s iron-to-magnesium ratio is directly related to the diamond content of the kimberlite. Giuliani and his team took these findings back to De Beers, who had provided them with the kimberlite samples. The company was interested and provided the scientific study with financial support and asked the researchers not to publish the results for the time being.
A slow, repetitive process In 2019, Giuliani moved from Melbourne to ETH Zurich and, supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, began to look for explanations for the connection between olivine’s magnesium and iron content and the presence of diamonds.
With his new colleagues, he examined how the process of metasomatism, which takes place in the earth’s interior, affects diamonds. In metasomatism, hot liquids and melts attack the rock. The minerals present in the rock react with the substances dissolved in the fluids to form other minerals.
The geologists analyzed kimberlite samples that contained olivines with a high iron content—and hence no diamonds. They discovered that olivine becomes richer in iron in the places where melt penetrates the lithospheric mantle and changes the composition of mantle rocks significantly. And it is precisely in this layer, at a depth of around 150 kilometres, that diamonds are present.
The infiltration of the melt that makes olivine richer in iron destroys diamonds. If, on the other hand, no or only a small amount of melt from underlying layers penetrates the lithospheric mantle and thus no metasomatism takes place, the olivine contains more magnesium—and the diamonds are preserved.
“Our study shows that diamonds remain intact only when kimberlites entrain mantle fragments on their way up that haven’t extensively interacted with previous melt,” Giuliani said.
A key point is that kimberlites don’t normally reach the earth’s surface in one go. Rather, they begin to rise as a liquid mass, pick up fragments of the mantle on the way, cool down and then get stuck. In the next wave, more melt swells up from the depths, entrains components of the cooled mantle, rises higher, cools, and gets stuck. This process can happen multiple times.
“It’s a real stop-and-go process of melting, ascent and solidification. And that has a destructive effect on diamonds,” Giuliani noted. If, on the other hand, conditions prevail that allow kimberlites to rise directly to the surface, then this is ideal for the preservation of the gemstones.
De Beers is already using olivine analysis Olivine analysis is as reliable as previous prospecting methods, which are mainly based on the minerals clinopyroxene and garnet. However, the new method is easier and faster: it takes only a few analyses to get an idea of whether a given kimberlite field has diamonds or not.
“The great thing about this new method is not only that it’s simpler, but also that it finally allows us to understand why the previous methods worked,” Giuliani said. “De Beers is already using this new method.”
Botswana has designated BWP 890 million ($65 million) from its new fiscal 2024-2025 budget for the purchase of a 24% stake in Belgian manufacturer HB Antwerp.
The deal, which it first announced in March, calls for the African country to supply rough from state-owned Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) to HB Botswana for five years. The partnership would operate in a similar fashion to HB’s previous supply deal with Lucara Diamond Corp, enabling Botswana to retain a share of the polished profits.
Lucara terminated its rough-supply agreement with HB in September, citing a “material breach of financial commitments” by the Belgian manufacturer as the reason for the split. That decision came on the heels of HB’s departure from cofounder and managing partner Oded Mansori, whom it has since reinstated to his original role.
There was media speculation late last year that the Botswana government was pressuring Lucara to reconnect with HB, and that the split could affect Botswana’s interest in the manufacturer. Lucara owns the Karowe mine in Botswana. The miner has since announced that it planned to form new supply deals with other vendors.
De Beers’ prices fell last year as a prolonged oversupply in the midstream and economic challenges weighed on demand.
The company’s rough-price index, which reflects like-for-like values, dropped 6% for the 12-month period, parent company Anglo American reported Thursday.
Sales volume slipped 19% to 27.4 million carats, with the average selling price sliding 25% to $147 per carat. While the company has not published its full-year revenue, rough sales decreased 36% to $3.63 billion, according to data from De Beers’ 10 sight reports for 2023.
Output for the year was down 8% to 31.9 million carats as the company transitioned its Venetia deposit in South Africa to underground mining and processed lower-grade ore from its Canadian and Namibian sites, outweighing an increase in Botswana.
In the fourth quarter, sales volume plunged 63% year on year to 2.7 million carats, while production declined 3% to 7.9 million carats.
“De Beers offered full flexibility for rough-diamond allocations…as sightholders continued to take a cautious approach to their purchasing during the quarter as a result of the prevailing market conditions and extended cutting and polishing factory closures in India,” the company noted. “De Beers was loss-making in the second half of 2023 owing to the subdued sight sale results, reflecting conditions of cyclical lows driven by the prevailing macroeconomic environment. Whilst there has been some improvement coming into 2024, the prospects for economic growth remain uncertain and it may take some time for rough-diamond demand to fully recover.”
The miner expects to produce between 29 million and 32 million carats in 2024. However, it has cautioned that it “will assess options to reduce production in response to prevailing market conditions.”
Gem Diamonds saw revenue and average per carat prices down by around a quarter during 2023 amid ongoing “downward pressure” in the rough market.
The UK-based miner operates Letseng, in Lesotho, the highest dollar per carat kimberlite diamond mine in the world.
It says total sales for the year were $139.4m, down 26 per cent, and the average per carat price was down 24 per cent to $1,334.
The highest price it achieved during the year was $33,745 per carat for a 117.09 carat white diamond which sold for $4m. It also sold six $1m-plus diamonds for a total of $13.8m.
Revenue for Q4 was $36.4m, up 14 per cent on Q3, according to its Q4 2023 Trading Update published on 1 February). Gem says it recovered 32,142 carats in Q4, up 16 per cent on Q3.
Recoveries of large diamonds in 2023 were similar to 2022, but below the mine’s average since 2008. The decrease in prices achieved in 2023 negatively impacted overall revenue achieved during the year.
Letseng is 70 per cent owned by Gem and 30 per cent by the Lesotho government.
Lucapa reported a slight increase in total rough sales for FY2023 in what it described as a solid performance.
The Australian miner announced revenues of $102.2m, up by 1 per cent on the previous year.
Q4 earnings from its two mines – Lulo in Angola and Mothae in Lesotho – slipped by 1 per cent to $40.8m.
During the year Lucapa sold 11 diamonds from Lulo that fetched a total of $32.7m at two Q4 tenders in Q4. It also recovered two Type IIa diamonds from Lulo, a 208-ct and a 235-ct, the second largest recovery since commercial operations started in 2015.
“Both mines delivered a solid performance against processing and production targets in Q4 and we are pleased with the full year results which saw group guidance achieved,” said managing director Nick Selby.
Mothae performed well despite experiencing a lower dollar per carat average in Q4, which impacted its overall diamond price for the year. Lulo had a good run which saw its high-value recoveries attract firm prices at tender.”
Lulo recovered fewer carats than forecast (30,585) but achieved an average $2,700 per carat, well up on the forecast of $2,300. Mothae recovered more carats that forecast but saw average price per carat down from guidance of $1,000 to an actual $775.
Lucapa said in its ASX announcement that the overall diamond price index began to trend upwards towards the end of 2023, because of India’s two-month moratorium and EU sanctions on Russian goods. “Tightening economic conditions imposed by central banks and a surge in inflation continues to impact discretionary spending on items such as diamond jewellery,” it said.
“However according to media reports at the end of 2023, there are signs the US market is recovering, however the Chinese market remains slow.”
Lucapa holds a 40 per cent stake in Lulo. The remainder is owned by Angola’s national diamond company Endiama (32 per cent) and by private Angolan company Rosas & Petalas (28 per cent). Lucapa holds a 70 per cent stake in Mothae. The government of Lesotho holds the remaining 30 per cent.
