The Calagary Herald tracked down Shane McClure, a gemologist, for his opinion of the world's largest emerald that is being auctioned in Kelowna this month, and McClure is wondering if the emerald is actually dyed beryl, a mineral that is relatively worthless.

Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX), which operates the world's largest gold and copper mine in Papua, Indonesia, said that its 4Q net income tumbled to $640 million or 67 cents per share compared with net income of $1.5 billion or $1.63 per share a year ago.

Why don't diamonds burn up in the Earth's crust? Wired Science reports on new research revealing the secret behind the rapid ascent of diamonds as they are pushed up from deep below Earth's surface.

GOP Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has called for the creation of a Gold Commission "to look at the concept of how we get back to hard money."

The Globe & Mail reports Ivanhoe Mines, building Mongolia’s Oyu Tolgoi, will scrap a controversial “poison pill” that clears the way for Rio Tinto, which already owns 49% of the Vancouver-based company, to do a complete takeover. The shareholder provision would have triggered an automatic rights offer estimated at $73 billion.

The Australian interviews investment bank Renaissance Group founder Stephen Jennings about investing in Africa. The New Zealand-born billionaire made his money in emerging markets, specifically Russia, in the 1990s, and tells the paper "sub-Saharan Africa will be one of the few markets globally offering real growth in the next few years."

Platts news service is reporting that Kinder Morgan, a pipeline company, and Ambre Energy will submit proposals to build coal export facilities at Port St. Helens, Oregon.

Zambia Daily Mail is reporting that a mining licence will soon be issued for a lead-zinc mine.

Namibia Rare Earths (TSX: NRE) is pleased to announce that a 6,000 meter diamond drilling program has started with two drill rigs focused on the delineation of a first mineral resource from Area 4 on the Lofdal Rare Earth Project in northwestern Namibia. Concurrent with the drilling program, an induced polarization geophysical survey will be undertaken over prospective extensions of the favourable heavy rare earth-enriched structure emanating from Area 4. The drilling program is scheduled to be completed by the end of April with delivery of the NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource report in the third quarter of 2012.