Current Affairs
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May- 2016 -17 May
De Beers and Namibia sign long-term sales agreement
The Government of the Republic of Namibia and the De Beers Group of Companies has signed a 10-year sales agreement. The agreement – the longest-ever signed between the two partners – will include the sorting, valuing and sales of Namdeb Holdings’ diamonds. Namibia will see a significant increase in rough…
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9 May
Leicester jewellers creates £225,000 Premier League trophy ring
Leicester-based Lumbers Jewellers has created a one-of-a-kind Premier League trophy ring, following the shock title triumph from underdogs Leicester City. The handcrafted ring – featuring a brilliant-cut diamond in excess of 5.01-carats and certificated as G colour and VS clarity – has been designed to represent the Premier League trophy.…
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9 May
Lucara sells rough diamond for record-breaking £43.5m
Diamond production firm Lucara has announced it has achieved the highest price ever achieved for the sale of a rough diamond. The 812.77-carat type IIa rough diamond, which was recovered from the Karowe mine in Botswana in november last year, has been sold by the company for $63m (£43.5m). As…
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Apr- 2016 -26 April
Petra Diamonds revenue soars 25% in Q3 results
Petra Diamonds has announced its revenue rose 25% to $120.5m (£82.9m) in the third quarter (Q3) of the 2016 financial year, when compared with the same period in 2015. In its latest trading update for the period from 1 January to 31 March, Petra said its revenue was pushed up…
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1 April
Bizarre ‘talking diamond’ alarms miners
A rough diamond with bizarre auditory qualities has been uncovered in a mine in Botswana. The 4.23-carat gemstone, which was found by miners working in Jwaneng diamond mine last night, reportedly began issuing a ‘gargling’ sound shortly after it was dusted off. It is thought the type IIa D-colour stone…
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Mar- 2016 -31 March
GIA predicts more synthetic diamonds to be introduced to the industry
Research published by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has predicted a “significant” rise in the number of high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) synthetic diamonds to enter the market. The announcement follows a visit in early March 2016, where researchers visited a diamond factory in China and obtained 50 crystals ranging from…
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24 March
Petra Diamonds sells ‘exceptional pink’ diamond for £10.7m
Petra Diamonds has announced the sale of an ‘exceptional pink’ diamond for $15m (£10.7m). The diamond, which was recovered from the firm’s Williamson mine in Tanzania and weighs 32.33-carats, was purchased by Golden Yellow Diamonds on behalf of M.A. Anavi Diamond Group, a leading diamond manufacturer and specialist in large…
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10 March
Zero-hours contracts rise to record level
The number of workers on zero-hours contracts has increased by more than 100,000 over the past 12 months. The Office for National Statistics said the figure had breached 801,000 – the highest since records began. The figure represents 2.5% of the UK workforce, up from 2.3% in the same period…
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10 March
MPs reject Sunday trading hour extension
The government’s proposed plan to extend Sunday trading hours has been rejected after MPs voted against the bill. The plans were rejected as MPs voted 317 to 286 to scrap the proposal. The Labour Party and the Scottish National Party (SNP) voted against the plans, along with 27 Conservative rebels.…
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9 March
SNP vote threatens extension to Sunday trading hours
A proposed bill to extend Sunday trading hours is under threat after the Scottish National Party (SNP) said it will vote against the plans. Under the government plans, Sunday trading hours for high street shops would be devolved to local authorities. Local councils would be given the power to extend…
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