Diamond News Archives

(IDEX Online) - Alrosa is set to give shareholders their biggest-ever half-year dividend.

The Russian state-owned miner is proposing a $942m payout for H2 2020, an increase of 47 per cent on the full-year payout for 2019.  It amounts to just under 13 US cents a share.

That's in spite of the global pandemic that saw diamond sales at virtually zero a year ago. No dividend was paid in H1 2020.

"The decision confirms the company's commitment to balancing the interests of shareholders and robust financial stability of the business," said Alrosa's CEO Sergey Ivanov.

Strong demand as travel and other restrictions were eased have allowed Alrosa to move stockpiled inventory. It now holds12.8m carats, down from 20.7m.

Pic courtesy Alrosa...

Gold prices gained on Wednesday, as the dollar and U.S. Treasury yields eased after the U.S. Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged and re-affirmed its accommodative policy to support the economic recovery.

Treasury yields are dramatically unchanged after The Fed's latest statement which recognized economic improvements but shrugged off inflation entirely leaving the outlook as dovish as ever.

(IDEX Online) - Jewelry buyers in western Europe are more likely to embrace lab-grown diamonds than those in the USA, says new research.

Forty-one per cent said they'd bought or been given an LGD, compared with 32 per cent in the USA.

More than 1,500 consumers in France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Great Britain took part in the survey, by market research consultants The MVEye. They had all spent at least $300 on jewelry in the last three years.

The research showed that 77 per cent of the consumers questioned were already aware of lab-growns, compared with 80 per cent in the USA.

One in four agreed with statements that lab-growns were identical to mined stones, more environmentally friendly, and cost about a third less.

Eight per cent said mined diamonds were rarer and would hold their value better.

Marty Hurwitz, CEO of The MVEye, said they'd been surprised by the high level of awareness about lab-growns.

"Younger European consumers who responded to this study, articulated a strong interest in seeing the lab-grown diamond category expand," he said.

"Compared to their American counterparts, of similar age, they are more engaged in social issues, as well as how businesses address environmental, social and governance issues." ...