ALROSA – SALES – DECREASE
Alrosa is slowly releasing more figures for the first half of 2008, in a trickle of mediocre results. On Friday, the Russian diamond mining giant said revenue in the six month period declined 7 percent to 31.5 billion rubles ($1.3 billion), IDEX Online reported.
The company reported a 17 percent drop in gross profit to 14.8 billion rubles ($609.3 million) during the period.
In late July, Alrosa reported 41 percent decline in net profit to 3.43 billion rubles ($147 million).

DTC – DIAMOND PRICE INCREASE – POSTPONEMENT
Diamond Trading Co. (DTC) has delayed its cumulative diamond price increase announcement until August 19, Israelidiamond.co.il reported.
DTC spokeswoman Louise Prior noted that price increase figures would cover diamond price changes for the entire year. This is the first time the DTC is making an announcement of this kind, and it comes in response to the request of its sightholders, in light of diamond price rises this year.
Originally, the announcement was to be made on Aug. 15, prior to the DTC's August sight.
At the last sight in July, prices for rough diamonds increased an average of 5% across the board. The cost of large diamonds rose as much as 15%.
According to the DTC spokesperson, DTC bases its diamond prices on prevailing market conditions.
The company currently anticipates further rises in rough diamond prices this year. 

BONAPARTE DIAMONDS – DIAMOND MINING LICENSES – NAMIBIA
ASX-listed diamond mining company Bonaparte Diamond Mines (BON.AX) announced that it has been granted four new diamond prospecting licenses over an area of 4,000 square kms off the coast of Namibia, Israelidiamond.co.il reported. It is also awaiting the processing of five more licenses for its Moeb diamond project.
The four diamond mining licenses will expire in July 2011. Two of them are located in the Moeb project marine phosphate concentration area. The other two projects are situated at the Rocky Point project area.
Michael Woodborne, Managing Director of Bonaparte Diamond Mines, stated that the development came at a time when the diamond exploration company will start "systematic marine diamond sampling operations for phosphate resource delineation in the Moeb project area."
Bonaparte Diamond Mines noted that it was expanding its stake on the Namibian marine phosphate resources due to the success of its Moeb diamond prospecting operations earlier this year.
Woodborne noted that he expects the company to steadily expand its diamond mining and prospecting operations off the coast of Namibia the near future.

Rough&Polished