MINING.COM MINUTE: Biggest stories of the week

Rough diamonds sales in February increased to $340.6 million, compared to $278.2 million in January 2019.

Retail jewellery sales fell during the last quarter of 2018, while polished prices continued to decline into the beginning of 2019.

Foreign platinum and diamond miners have been restricted to only 49 percent ownership of their Zimbabwe operations by the black economic empowerment law.

Zimbabwe holds the world’s second-largest known reserves of platinum-group metals after South Africa, plus substantial deposits of gold, diamonds, lithium, iron ore, coal, chrome and nickel.

The Government of Canada is investing in projects that will support resource development in an area where the territory's three operating diamond mines are located.

About 27% of the diamonds at the company’s Orion South and Star exploration sites are type IIa, a category that represents less than 2% of all rough stones mined from kimberlites.

Zimbabwe's secretary in the ministry of foreign affairs was quoted as saying Botswana had offered to lend Zimbabwe $500 million to support its diamond industry.

Canada's mining sector is going through dramatic change, but the industry remains bullish on growth, and miners increasingly believe innovation and advances in technology will reshape the industry.

The Kennady North property includes the Faraday and Kelvin kimberlites.