EU toughens up rules on imports of conflict minerals

Augustin Katumba Mwanke, the former governor of copper-rich Katanga province and go-to guy for resource deals, was seen by many as the power behind the throne.

A £50-million diamond and platinum skull by the once notorious Damien Hurst will be featured in a retrospective of the artist this summer in London.

Diamond demand will slow down significantly in 2012 said today De Beers SA, the world’s largest supplier of rough diamonds, due largely to the weak global economy.

DiamondCorp (LON:DCP), the African diamond mine development and exploration company, will not proceed with further exploration in Botswana due to the recovery of low grades in the area, announced the company today.

BHP Billiton may shelve diamond mining for at least two decades to concentrate on larger aspects of its business, CEO Marius Kloppers said today.

Up to 1.5 million carats worth of diamonds are being auctioned this week by companies allowed to mine the controversial Marange diamond fields in Zimbabwe.

South Africa's ruling party, the African National Congress, appears to be moving away from nationalization of the mining industry to reassure foreign investors but is considering new taxes and "targeted interventions" in the sector, particularly platinum mines.

Stornoway Diamond Corp. (TSX:SWY) will make it a priority during 2012 to obtain all the permitting and financing needed to get its northern Quebec Renard Project in construction by mid-2013, according to company officials.

Gem Diamonds on Thursday reported record annual production at its flagship Letšeng mine in Lesotho and continued to polish its reputation as the world’s richest source of exceptionally large diamonds, but prices per carat fell 23% compared to a year ago.