Rio Tinto released its production update for the quarter ended June 30, 2017, reporting a 2% drop in diamond production compared to the same quarter a year earlier, and a 5% y-o-y drop for the first half of the year.

Exports of cut and polished diamonds from India were US$ 1.98 billion in June 2017, a rise of 7.47% as compared to the US$ 1.84 bn in the same month a year earlier, according to provisional data released by The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC).

The Board of Directors of Signet Jewelers Limited has announced the appointment of Virginia "Gina" C. Drosos as the new Chief Executive Officer of Signet, effective August 1, 2017 in place of Mark Light, who has served as CEO of Signet since 2014, and has decided to retire effective July 31, 2017 due to health reasons. Light has been with Signet for more than 35 years.

Botswana Diamonds plc recently announced the discovery of a new kimberlite pipe in the course of prospecting work on the Ontevreden licence held by Vutomi. The Company said that initial work indicated that the group 2 kimberlite pipe is in a size of 1.5 to 2.5 hectares “in area containing high interest garnets”.

Releasing its update for the quarter ended June 30, 2017 (Q4), Firestone Diamonds plc said that it has competed plant commissioning activities at its 75% owned Liqhobong Diamond Mine and reached full nameplate targets for all three months of the quarter.