SourcingMay 02, 2022
Petra Looking to Sell One of Its Mines in South Africa SourcingMay 09, 2022
First Diamonds from Sierra Leone’s Tongo Mine Coming to Market
Australian company Newfield Resources is developing the mine and will sell its production through Bonas Group in Antwerp.
An entrance to the Tongo Diamond Mine in eastern Sierra Leone. Bonas Group will hold a tender sale of the first rough diamonds from the mine later this month.
Antwerp—The first sale of rough diamonds from Tongo, a new diamond mine in Sierra Leone, will take place later this month at the Bonas Group offices in Antwerp.
Newfield Resources Ltd., the company developing the mine, announced in late April it had inked an exclusive diamond sales and marketing agreement with Bonas for the mine’s production.
Via its partnership with Bonas, Tongo goods will be tracked from mine to market using Sarine Technologies’ traceability program, Newfield said.
The mine, which has been in the works for more than decade, is “well known for its high-quality material,” Bonas said.
Tender viewings of the Tongo material will take place on the first floor of the Bonas Group offices in Antwerp between May 16 and 20.
The sale is scheduled to close May 20 at 1 p.m. CET/7 a.m. EDT and will be an online, highest bid tender on Newfieldbids.com.
Bookings for the tender are invitation-only, but requests can be submitted to Bonas Antwerp. Interested clients are requested to call the office at +32 (0) 3233 7080.
Related stories will be right here …
Newfield Resources Ltd., the company developing the mine, announced in late April it had inked an exclusive diamond sales and marketing agreement with Bonas for the mine’s production.
Via its partnership with Bonas, Tongo goods will be tracked from mine to market using Sarine Technologies’ traceability program, Newfield said.
The mine, which has been in the works for more than decade, is “well known for its high-quality material,” Bonas said.
Tender viewings of the Tongo material will take place on the first floor of the Bonas Group offices in Antwerp between May 16 and 20.
The sale is scheduled to close May 20 at 1 p.m. CET/7 a.m. EDT and will be an online, highest bid tender on Newfieldbids.com.
Bookings for the tender are invitation-only, but requests can be submitted to Bonas Antwerp. Interested clients are requested to call the office at +32 (0) 3233 7080.
Based in Australia, Newfield has been developing the Tongo Diamond Project since 2018, when it acquired the site from Stellar Diamonds.
The project comprises two adjacent mining licenses covering a combined area of 134 square kilometers (about 52 square miles) in eastern Sierra Leone with five primary kimberlite pipes.
The first two pipes Newfield will mine have been dubbed Kundu and Lando.
Newfield said processing from the underground and surface at Kundu continues to yield “encouraging results,” with a high proportion of what’s recovered turning out to be gem-quality diamonds.
It is believed Tongo will produce 8.3 million carats of diamonds over the span of its life, including an indicated and inferred resource of 3.03 million carats at Lando and 2.76 million carats at Kundu.
Newfield employed 200 people at the mine as of March 31, including graduate trainees, contractors, and interns. Of the 200, 166 (83 percent) are local Sierra Leonians and 128 (64 percent) have permanent employment contracts, it said.
Twelve percent (about 20 people) of the local employees are women. Newfield said it intends to increase the number of women working at the mine, in line with its diversity policy.
In addition to Tongo in Sierra Leone, Newfield is conducting diamond exploration in neighboring Liberia via two licenses covering 670 square kilometers (about 259 square miles), known collectively as the Kumgbo Kimberlite Project.
More on Sourcing
The Latest
EditorsNov 22, 2024
Out & About: Inside the CD Peacock MansionStep inside the nearly 21,000-square-foot suburban Chicago jewelry store with Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff.
CollectionsNov 22, 2024
Piece of the Week: Xander Jane’s ‘Spiked’ Pearl StudsThese punk-inspired earrings from the new Canadian brand’s debut collection reveal the alter ego of the classic pearl.
Supplier BulletinNov 21, 2024
Tasha R Releases 2025 Labbelle Lab Diamond Jewelry CatalogSponsored by Tasha R
Brought to you by
Navigating Cybersecurity: Essential Guidance for JewelersFrom protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
AuctionsNov 21, 2024
Gold Watch Gifted to Titanic Rescue Ship Captain Sells for $2MThree Titanic survivors presented him with the personalized Tiffany & Co. timepiece about a year after the tragedy.
Weekly QuizNov 21, 2024
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Harris Jewelry Ordered to Reopen Claims Portal for Refund RequestsA federal court found that the jewelry store chain violated terms of the settlement reached after it was accused of defrauding customers.
CollectionsNov 21, 2024
Channel Elphaba in Muse’s ‘Have a Heart x Cynthia Erivo’ CollectionCynthia Erivo chose Dreams of Hope, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQA+ youth, as the charity for this year’s collection.
Brought to you by
Enhance Your Expertise with IGI’s In-Person Courses in NYCThis fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Rocksbox Opens Pop-Up Store in San FranciscoThe new space was designed to evoke a warm, inviting vibe.
IndependentsNov 21, 2024
Mary Moses Kinney Is Now Part of The Edge’s Team Kinney, who spent nearly 30 years at IJO, has been hired to head Abbott Jewelry Systems’ new virtual marketplace.
CrimeNov 20, 2024
Sotheby’s to Pay $6.25M Settlement to NY State for Alleged Tax FraudThe auction house was accused of helping clients avoid paying taxes on millions of dollars’ worth of art purchased from 2010 to 2020.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
Kering Debuts New Jewelry Award With Sustainability FocusThe four finalists will present their pieces at the 2025 JCK Las Vegas show.
CollectionsNov 20, 2024
Pamela Love Channels Surrealist Artists in New CollectionThe “Camera Oscura” collection showcases earring designs celebrating female Surrealist artists Claude Cahun and Leonor Fini.
Policies & IssuesNov 20, 2024
Columbia Gem House Raises $10K for Reforestation EffortsThe money will fund the planting of 10,000 trees in critical areas across Oregon, Arizona, Montana, and other regions.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
The Jewelry Symposium Opens Registration, Scholarship ApplicationsThe event centered on advancing jewelry manufacturing technology will return to Detroit in May 2025.
CrimeNov 19, 2024
Woman Killed in Armed Robbery of Sacramento Jewelry StoreLocal reports identified the woman as the wife of the jewelry store owner.
AuctionsNov 19, 2024
‘A Tsar’s Treasure’ Fetches $2.9M at Sotheby’s Jewelry SaleA collection of pieces owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family, blew away estimates in Geneva last week.
MajorsNov 19, 2024
Trove Opens First US Flagship in NYCThe Australian jewelry box brand’s new West Village store will showcase new jewelers each month through its Designer in Residence program.
CollectionsNov 19, 2024
Snoop Dogg’s New Jewelry Collection Is All About Love“Lovechild” was created in partnership with Carolyn Rafaelian’s Metal Alchemist brand.
EditorsNov 18, 2024
Q&A: Helzberg CEO Brad Hampton on the Jeweler’s RebrandHampton discussed how Helzberg is improving the customer experience and why it was inspired by the company formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts.
Policies & IssuesNov 18, 2024
Reciprocity Jewels Returns to NYC Jewelry WeekThe group will host several curated events and an exhibition of designer jewelry made with Peruvian gold traceable to the miners’ names.
CollectionsNov 18, 2024
Dolly Parton Shines in Collaboration with Kendra ScottThe collection honors the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s “Love is Like a Butterfly” song, which shares a birth year with Kendra Scott.
Events & AwardsNov 18, 2024
IGI Jewelry Design Competition ReturnsThis year’s theme asks designers to take inspiration from classic fairy tales.
EditorsNov 15, 2024
Why Fine Jewelry Belongs at New York Comic ConSenior Editor Lenore Fedow makes the case for why more jewelers should be appealing to nerds at the annual event.
CollectionsNov 15, 2024
Marie Lichtenberg Battles Counterfeits with New ‘Raiz’in Scapular’ DesignsThe latest “Raiz’in” drop showcases a newly designed “Scapular” necklace and donates a portion of the proceeds to Make-A-Wish France.
WatchesNov 15, 2024
Piece of the Week: Citizen’s Commemorative Pocket WatchNo. 1 out of 100, the timepiece was created to mark Citizen’s 100th anniversary and will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s next month.
Recorded WebinarsNov 15, 2024
Watch: 10 Tips to Keep Your Jewelry Store Secure On the latest episode of “My Next Question,” two experts share best practices for store security during the holidays and year-round.
