The U.S. Department of Commerce reported year-on-year January diamond statistics as follows:- Polished diamond imports jumped 11 percent to $1.68 billion. The average price per carat surged 16 percent to $1,647.
- Polished diamond exports surged by 29 percent to $1.51 billion.
- Rough diamond imports increased 3 percent year to $39 million.
- Rough diamond exports plunged 50 percent to $25 million.
The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) released diamond year-on-year data for February as follows:- Polished diamond exports fell 9 percent year on year to $1.25 billion. The price per carat rose 2 percent to $2,127.
- Polished diamond imports plunged 35 percent to $816 million.
- Rough diamond imports jumped 8 percent to $1.16 billion.
- Rough diamond exports fell 3 percent to $1.12 billion.
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- Polished diamond exports rose 28 percent to $1.84 billion. By volume, polished diamond exports fell 7 percent to 2.819 million carats.
- Polished diamond imports declined 11 percent to $474.7 million.
- Rough diamond imports fell 3 percent to $1.31 billion.
- Rough diamond exports rose 59 percent to $170.8 million.
Citing the Finance Ministry, Momozawa reported that Japan’s polished diamond imports:- Increased 3 percent year on year at $74.2 million in January.
- By volume, the imports increased 31 percent year on year to 243,129 carats.
Botswana’s Central Statistics Office (CSO) reported that in December 2012, the country exported $139.5 million worth of rough and polished diamonds, down from $228 million one year ago. Diamond exports accounted for about 68 percent of the nation’s exports. - Diamond imports surged to $154.8 million from only $48.2 million in December 2011, which the CSO attributed in large part due to De Beers relocating its diamond-sorting operations from London to Gaborone.
For the calendar year 2012:- Diamond exports rose 20 percent year on year to $4.43 billion.
- Diamond imports jumped to $2.02 billion from $721.1 million.
Gem Diamonds reported that revenue fell 34 percent year on year to $202.1 million in 2012, despite achieving record production at its flagship Letšeng mine. - The group posted a net loss of $76.5 million for the year compared to a profit of $34.8 million the previous year. Losses incurred from discontinued operations amount to $118.7 million.
- In 2012, the company sold 107,617 carats of diamonds from Letšeng for an average of $1,932 per carat, down from $2,776 per carat the previous year.
- Production at the mine rose 2 percent year on year to 114,350 carats.
- The average price of Ellendale production fell 2 percent to $720 per carat with its Ellendale yellow stones sold to Tiffany & Co. holding basically steady at an average price of $4,393 per carat.
Gemfields plc reported that: - Revenue fell 39 percent year on year to $27.7 million during the six months that ended on December 31, 2012.
- Profits plunged 78 percent to $4.7 million.
The company attributed the decline to the fact that it held only one auction during the period compared with two auctions held in the first half of 2011. The company noted that it produced 14.5 million carats of emerald and beryl, mainly of higher grades from its Kagem mine in Zambia during the period.Article from the Rapaport Magazine - April 2013. To subscribe click here.