Trans Hex Tender Raises $1,000 Per Carat

The fourth Trans Hex tender of the year fetched the company an average of $1,000 per carat. 23,000 carats of ‘run of mine’ alluvial rough diamonds were offered by the company, which sales its goods only by tender.

The miner offered 64 parcels sorted mostly by size and 25 individual stones of 10 carats and larger, sourced from its alluvial mines.

The high prices at this tender surprised several rough buyers who found after the tender results were announced that despite their high bids they still lost out to even higher bids.

The South African Trans Hex is required to first offer its goods to local polishers, in fact to any company with a license from the South African Diamond Board. If reserved prices are not met they are exported to Antwerp for sale.

The tenders, held at the Johannesburg Bourse, are on a first come-first serve basis and open to any qualified buyer under SA regulations. The company holds six large sales a year and four small ones.

The next tender will open August 23.