Des O’Sullivan previews a sparkling sale poised to be a real jewel in the crown for Christie’s in New York

A 709-carat diamond found in Sierra Leone has been sold for more than 6.5 million US dollars (€5.4m), officials said.

It is one of the busiest weeks of the year, with auctions and fairs up and down the country.

Irish prospector Karelian Diamonds is eyeing the prospect of developing its first commercial diamond mine in Finland after acquiring a mining permit from local player A&G Mining for €150,000.

Irish mineral prospector Botswana Diamonds has reported a near 7% decline in first-half losses.

The world’s two biggest diamond miners have just sold $1bn worth of gems and it is making smaller rivals nervous.

The main challenge industrial diamonds manufacturer Element Six faced last year was keeping up with customer demand.