With the large-cap miners continuing to struggle and commodity prices slumping, it was left to the small caps this week to provide the good news.
Starting with Stratex International (LON:STI) which welcomed a positive feasibility study on the Öksüt gold project in Turkey that it sold to Centerra Gold.
Stratex still retains an interest in the project by virtue of a 1% net smelter return, capped at US$20mln.
Also in Turkey, gold mine developer Ariana Resources (LON:AAU) brought in £1mln via a share placing and subscription, to further exploration at the Kiziltepe sector of its Red Rabbit project in Turkey.
In other gold mining news, the latest resource and reserve update for Shanta Gold's (LON:SHG) flagship New Luika project in Tanzania lifted the miner's confidence in the mine's long term future.
The total JORC resource (indicated and inferred) for the New Luika mine, including BC, Luika and satellite deposits within four sq km of the processing plant, now contains 12.9 million tonnes (Mt) at 3.2 grams per tonne gold for around 1.3 million ounces.
Meanwhile, Mandalay Resources’ (TSE:MND) has unearthed some high gold grades from recent exploration at Bjorkdal in Sweden.
The Canada-listed miner recorded almost 55 g/t gold over seven metres in one hole just beneath the one of the current open pits, while grades down deeper and 5km away at Ronnberget occasionally rose even higher albeit in smaller widths.
Medusa Mining (ASX:MML) met its production guidance for the year to end June, it said, revealing output was 98,539 ounces of gold.
The firm, which operates the Co-O mine in the Philippines, had guided for between 95,000 and 100,000 ounces.
Elsewhere, Galantas Gold (LON:GAL TSXV:GAL) closed the lid on a placing that raised C$2.4mln (£1.2mln) and saw entrepreneur Ross Beaty snapping up a 15% stake.
The placing saw 20mln units issued, with each comprising one share and one share purchase warrant.
Mariana Resources (LON:MARL) has reported more high gold and copper grades from Hot Maden in Turkey and commissioned a maiden resource estimate to firm up the site’s value.
Intercepts from the latest three holes all returned impressive grades, with two (15 and 17) showing gold at up to 46 grams per tonne (g/t) and 34.5 g/t over significant widths.
Sticking with copper, SolGold (LON:SOLG) has moved a second drill rig on site at Cascabel in Ecuador as its latest drilling showed more signs of copper.
Hole twelve at the Alpala Central target has now reached a depth of around 250 metres (m) with visible copper sulphide mineralisation from 88m to 247m.
To diamonds, and Golden Saint Resources (LON:GSR) has raised £250,000 through a placing of shares at 0.08p.
The company has issued 312.5mln new ordinary shares, plus 125mln warrants that are convertible within the next three years at a penny a pop.
Meanwhile, Diamondcorp (LON:DCP) is about on schedule to get its Lace mine in South Africa into production in the next few months.
In Yorkshire, potash mine developer Sirius (LON:SXX) has reshuffled its board to increase the number of independent directors in the wake of it receiving key approvals recently.
The changes are also part of its preparation on its medium-term goal of moving to a main market listing on the LSE.
Staying in the UK, Wolf Minerals (LON:WLFE) is on track to deliver first production to customers in September 2015, the tungsten miner said, as it updated on progress in the June quarter at its Drakelands open pit mine in Devon.
Last month, the firm smashed through a key milestone - as it said first ore had been put through the processing plant.
Finally, Eurasia Mining (LON:EUA) wants to re-start exploration at its Monchetundra platinum licence in Russia after receiving interest in the project from third parties.
Christian Schaffalitzky, managing director, said it had held discussions with possible partners but it was important to move things forward on the ground while these were underway.