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Coal has been Anglo’s better friend as diamonds nosedive

Daily Maverick · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · · 1001 words · By Ed Stoddard
Corporate Divestment Climate Change and Coal Market Disruption
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What to know about Corporate Divestment

Coal is supposed to be a toxic asset these days, but Anglo American has had a far easier time ditching its steel-making coal operations than iconic diamond producer De Beers.

Claims checked 14
Techniques found 2
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center75%
Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Coal is supposed to be a toxic asset these days, but Anglo American has had a far easier time ditching its steel-making coal operations than iconic diamond producer De Beers.

Why it matters

This tale of two asset sales underscores two unfolding structural changes in the global mining sector and economy that were not seen on the horizon a few years ago.

Common ground

The first is the remarkable comeback by coal, which continues to defy its obituary writers, with worrying consequences for the climate.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-08-10-coal-has-been-anglo-s-better-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Exaggeration / Hyperbole 80% confidence
Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 4
check_circle Corroborated 3
help Insufficient Evidence 3
info Single Source 2
verified Verified By Reference 2
schedule
Claim 1: “The retail price of lab-grown diamonds has plunged from more than $5,000 per carat in 2020 to less than $1,000, according to diamond research outfit Edhan Golan.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 2: “The first gem-quality diamond was only produced in 1971”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant results regarding Microsoft Corporation and Microsoft accounts.
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web search NEUTRAL — Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Redmond, Washington. The company became influential in the rise of personal computers through software like Windo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft
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web search NEUTRAL — A Microsoft account does not need a Microsoft email The email address used to sign into your Microsoft account can be from Outlook.com, Hotmail.com, Gmail, Yahoo, or other providers.
https://account.microsoft.com/account
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Microsoft products, apps, and devices built to support you Stay on track, express your creativity, get your game on, and more—all while staying safer online. Whatever the day brings, Microsoft apps, p…
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-products-and-apps
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Claim 3: “the amount matched a similar deal that Anglo reached last year with Peabody Energy, which pulled out after an underground fire.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that Peabody Energy previously bid $3.78 billion for the assets and subsequently withdrew. One source explicitly mentions the deal collapsed after a fire at the Moranbah North mine.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Anglo American plc is a British multinational mining company with headquarters in London, England. It is the world's largest producer of platinum, representing approximately 40 percent of global outpu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo_American_plc
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Moranbah North Coal Mine is a coal mine in the Bowen Basin at Moranbah in Central Queensland, Australia. The mine has coal reserves amounting to 261 million tonnes of coking coal, one of the large…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moranbah_North_coal_mine
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Peabody Energy is an American coal mining company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Its primary business consists of the mining, sale, and distribution of coal, which is purchased for use in elect…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peabody_Energy
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 4: “in 1958 the company [De Beers] made its synthetic diamonds in a lab, and then settled a patent dispute with the US company.”
SINGLE SOURCE
Evidence confirms De Beers produces synthetic diamonds through Element Six, but the specific date of 1958 and the details of a patent settlement with a US company are not corroborated by multiple independent sources in the provided text.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — De Beers is getting into the lab-created diamond business with a new line of fashion jewelry and an aggressive pricing strategy. A transparent sheet of polished diamond used in high-powered lasers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/29/business/de-beers-synthet…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — De Beers has produced synthetic diamonds for years through a subsidiary called Element Six, but it has limited their use to industrial applications. The new synthetic diamonds will come in pink, blue …
https://www.wral.com/story/de-beers-admits-defeat-over-man-m…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Source: Howard Tracy Hall, ‘Diamond Synthesis’, US patent US2947608A. Hall describes how when he envisioned this device, his colleagues ‘felt negatively about it’. His proposal to build a prototype, w…
https://worksinprogress.co/issue/lab-grown-diamonds/
schedule
Claim 5: “Anglo closing operations at its Venetia diamond mine in Limpopo – after a recent $2.2-billion expansion to take it underground – for two years”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 6: “Anglo agreed in May to sell its steel-making coal business in Australia to privately held, UK-registered mining group Dhilmar for up to $3.785-billion.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm Anglo American agreed to sell its Australian steelmaking coal business to Dhilmar. While the claim says $3.785 billion, the evidence shows the agreed amount is actually up to $3.875 billion (a slight discrepancy in the digit, but the event and parties are confirmed).
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Anglo American announces that it has agreed to sell its portfolio of steelmaking coal mines in Australia (“Steelmaking Coal Portfolio”) to Dhilmar Limited (“Dhilmar”) for a cash consideration of up to…
https://www.angloamerican.com/media/press-releases/2026/18-0…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Anglo American has sold its Australian steelmaking coal assets to UK-based private group Dhilmar for up to $3.88 billion. But getting here wasn't straightforward. The original $3.78 billion deal with …
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/venture-official_angloamerica…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Anglo American agrees sale of steelmaking coal business to Dhilmar.Anglo American plans to sell its Australian coking coal business for up to $3.875 billion in cash. 2 days ago. Save for later.
https://news.google.com/stories/CAAqNggKIjBDQklTSGpvSmMzUnZj…
verified
Claim 7: “In 1954, US corporate titan General Electric made a stunning breakthrough – it synthesised diamonds in a lab.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence contains general information about General Electric and military ranks, but does not specifically confirm the 1954 diamond synthesis breakthrough. However, evidence for claim 5 mentions a GE patent for diamond synthesis, but the specific 1954 date is not verified in the provided text.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — General Electric Company (GE) was an American multinational conglomerate that was one of the largest and most influential industrial corporations of the 20th century. It played a leading role in the d…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Electric
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The General Electric CF6, US military designations F103 and F138, is a family of high-bypass turbofan engines produced by GE Aviation. The CF6, based on the TF39, the first high-thrust, high-bypass je…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Electric_CF6
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The General Electric GE9X is a high-bypass turbofan developed by GE Aerospace exclusively for the Boeing 777X. It first ran on the ground in April 2016 and first flew on March 13, 2018; it powered the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Electric_GE9X
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 8: “Last year, global coal demand reached a record for the third consecutive year”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results for 'Global Industrial Company' and 'Global Credit Union', and general Wikipedia entries for 'Globalization'. No data regarding coal demand records was provided.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Global may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A global city (also known as a power city, world city, alpha city, or world center) is a city that serves as a primary node in the global economic network. The concept originates from geography and ur…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_city
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Globalization is the process of increasing interdependence and integration among the economies, markets, societies, and cultures of different countries worldwide. It can be attributed to a series of f…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 9: “natural diamonds, which Anglo said in a production report last month had fallen a further 32% in the first six months of this year.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 10: “Anglo completed its takeover to 85% of the company, paying $5.2-billion to the family for a 40% stake that valued the group at $13-billion.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
help
Claim 11: “When the company went private in 2001, the Oppenheimer-led consortium paid $19.7-billion”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this claim.
help
Claim 12: “By 1970, more than half the diamonds produced worldwide were synthetic”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
The claim that synthetic diamonds accounted for more than 50% of global production by 1970 is contradicted by evidence stating that lab-grown diamonds accounted for only 12% of global rough production in 2023. While synthetic diamonds may dominate specific markets (like engagement rings in 2024), the 1970 global production claim is not supported and contradicted by the growth trajectory shown in the evidence.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Before 2010, most synthetic diamonds were smaller than half a carat. Improvements in technology, plus the availability of larger diamond substrates, have led to synthetic diamonds up to 125 carats (25…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_diamond
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Artisanal diamond miners produce most global diamonds but face major ethical and environmental challenges. 15 verified statisticsAI-verifiedEditor-approved.Lab-grown diamonds accounted for 12% of glob…
https://zipdo.co/sustainability-in-the-diamond-industry-stat…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Competition from Synthetics. Synthetic diamonds are the greatest short-term threat to the natural diamond business. In 2024, they are expected to account for over 50% of the diamond engagement ring ma…
https://www.rubel-menasche.com/en/martin-rapaport-on-natural…
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Claim 13: “The Net-Zero Banking Alliance, convened in April 2021 by the UN Environment Programme, has in effect been defanged with the departure of several leading US banks.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources confirm that several leading US and global banks (including Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, and Barclays) have withdrawn from the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), which was convened by the UNEP FI in April 2021.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2023 United States banking crisis was a series of bank failures and bankruptcies that took place in early 2023, with the United States federal government ultimately intervening in several ways. O…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_United_States_banking_cri…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — An ethical bank, also known as a social, alternative, civic, or sustainable bank, is a bank concerned with the social and environmental impacts of its investments and loans. The ethical banking moveme…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethical_banking
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) is a group that formed during the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, and describes itself as "a global coalition of leading financial institutions…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GFANZ
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 14: “the book value of Anglo’s 85% stake is $2.3-billion”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.