Canadian diamond thieves finally arrested

Vaaldiam Mining net loss more than tripled in the first quarter to $7.6m after suspending operations at the Duas Barras diamond mine in Brazil. By close of trade on Wednesday shares in the company had fallen 21%, close to an all-time low leaving it with a market capitalization of a paltry $12m, a far cry from the $150m-plus valuation it commanded a decade ago. Vaaldiam said it will now focus on the development of the Brauna mine in Brazil after it paid $6.5m to increase its stake in the project to 51% in March. It has two other diamond mines in the country that are on care and maintenance.

Gahcho Kué JV partners De Beers Canada Inc. (51%) and Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. (49%) (TSX: MPV) (NYSE AMEX: MDM) today announced that they have:

• Approved the Gahcho Kué feasibility study with agreed revisions and clarifications;
• Approved the execution of the necessary development work for the Gahcho Kué project; and
• Mandated the Gahcho Kué project operator to prepare a plan and budget for the development of the Gahcho Kué mine.
• The plan and budget, once approved by the JV partners, will serve as the basis for a final investment decision, which is expected to be made once the partners have clarity on the progress of the environmental review currently underway.

Gold rebounded on Tuesday after posting its biggest one-day loss in a month in the previous session on growing worries about another global economic downturn, but a weaker U.S. dollar and bargain hunting by jewellers offered support. While signs of a cooling Chinese economy could weigh on industrial metals, dealers expect no change in China's appetite for bullion. Investors were also awaiting a trail of U.S. data later in the day which could set the tone for commodities.

Stornoway Diamond Corporation (TSX:SWY) is pleased to announce the results of a recent diamond valuation exercise undertaken in support of the ongoing feasibility study at the Renard Diamond Project, Stornoway's 100% owned flagship project located in north central Québec. The diamond valuation was performed under the supervision of WWW International Diamond Consultants Ltd. ("WWW") in Antwerp, Belgium between May 9th-13th, 2011.

Winnipeg Free Press reports: Harry Winston Diamond Corp. (TSX:HW) expects sales of its luxury jewelry and timepieces to reach $1 billion per year in the next decade as the number of wealthy individuals continues to climb. "There is an enormous concentration of wealth around the world," Frederic De Narp, head of Harry Winston's retail segment, said at the company's annual general meeting Thursday.

Bloomberg reports: De Beers, the world’s largest diamond producer, is considering an expansion of its South African Voorspoed mine to extend the life of the operation by as much as eight years as prices for the gems climb. De Beers will complete a study this year on a proposed expansion that would prolong the mine’s life to “2026 or 2028,” rather than 2020 as currently planned, Mine Manager Mpumi Zikalala said today in an interview at the site near Kroonstad. It’s too early to estimate the cost of the project, which may include an underground section, she said.

De Beers chairman Nicky Oppenheimer told a Washington audience Thursday that Africa has a bright future if its leaders embrace globalization and allow the private sector to flourish.

Harry Winston Diamond Corporation (TSX: HW) (NYSE:HWD) (the "Company") today announced its first quarter Fiscal 2012 results for the quarter ending April 30, 2011. Robert Gannicott, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer stated, "This quarter's results reflect improving rough diamond prices combined with increasing sales and profit for the luxury brand segment.

The board of Botswana Diamonds (AIM: BOD) is pleased to announce that its geologists have identified sequences of sedimentary rock layers in several localities in the east of its Cameroon diamond licence. These layers include a distinct conglomerate horizon, which is geologically correlated with the paleo-conglomerate that C&K Mining has identified as being diamondiferous.