Botswana is taking steps to reduce spending in response to a prolonged downturn in the diamond market, which has led the government to raise its budget deficit forecast to post-Covid levels, according to the country’s Finance Minister and Vice President, Ndaba Gaolathe. In an interview in Washington, Gaolathe emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “Something drastic” needs to be done. He added, “The first thing we need to do is live within our means.
ASX-listed Lucapa Diamond Company, with operations in Angola and Australia, has posted strong operational and financial results for the quarter ended March 31, showing year-on-year increases in carat recoveries, grade, revenue, and diamond prices. Lucapa reported a 6% increase in carat recoveries to 6,027 carats, along with a rise in the number of special diamonds—those weighing over 10.8 carats—from 51 in Q1 2024 to 54 in the current quarter. While diamond sales volume dipped 4%
De Beers Group has joined forces with Stuller, the largest jewelry manufacturer in the United States, to expand the distribution of its DiamondProof verification device throughout the U.S. retail market. Announced on Monday, the partnership names Stuller as the official sales distributor for DiamondProof. This collaboration follows the device’s retail debut in February and is aimed at making diamond-verification technology more accessible to jewelers across the country. DiamondProof is designed to quickly and accurately identify
Several African economies are feeling the strain from a sharp decline in global diamond prices. According to multiple reliable sources, diamond prices have dropped by more than 25% since 2022, impacting major African producers such as Botswana, Namibia, and Angola. The main factor behind the prolonged fall in demand and prices is the growing popularity of synthetic diamonds, which are increasingly preferred for jewelry production. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been less affected,
Aim-listed Vast Resources has announced the release of a historic diamond parcel that had been held in safekeeping at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe by order of the country’s Supreme Court since early 2010. The diamonds are now under the company’s custody and have been sent to its nominated tender house in Dubai for cleaning and re-sorting, ahead of the sales process, which is expected to commence within a month. Upon completion of the sale,
De Beers has reported an 11% year-on-year decline in rough diamond production for the first quarter of 2025, totaling 6.1 million carats. The drop reflects the company’s continued production adjustments in response to prolonged weak market demand, according to its quarterly production report released on April 24. In Botswana, output declined by 8% to 4.6 million carats, in line with planned production cuts. Namibia’s production remained steady, as lower output from Debmarine Namibia was offset
De Beers Group, in collaboration with business incubator Raizcorp, has launched the third intake of its Enterprise Development Project for Diamond Beneficiators, a flagship initiative aimed at empowering entrepreneurs in South Africa’s diamond industry. In a media statement, De Beers reaffirmed its commitment to fostering growth, transformation, and inclusivity within the local diamond beneficiation sector. A Strategic Investment in Local EntrepreneursFirst introduced in 2016, the three-year programme supports entrepreneurs across the diamond value chain—from rough
The launch of production at Angola’s Luele diamond mine in October 2023 played a crucial role in boosting revenues during the fourth quarter of the 2024 financial year. According to a report by the National Diamond Trading Company (Sodiam), the company conducted four production cycles from the Catoca and Luele projects during this period. The findings were presented at the 2025 Diamond Sector Outlook, where Sodiam highlighted that net results were influenced by an average
ASX-listed Lucapa Diamond Company has announced a 9% increase in the Joint Ore Reserve Committee (JORC)-compliant inferred alluvial diamond resource at its Lulo concession in Angola, adding 249,000 carats to the total. This marks the seventh consecutive year of resource growth at the Lulo project, reinforcing its long-term production potential. Additionally, the total diluted gravel volume available for mining has risen by 15% to 5.8 million cubic metres, supporting a production horizon of at least
Alrosa has unveiled the largest polished colored diamond in Russia’s history — a fancy vivid yellow gem weighing over 100 carats, named New Sun. The striking honey-golden diamond was cut from a 236-carat rough stone named Dawn, discovered in 2020 at Alrosa’s Ebelyakh deposit in Yakutia. The transformation from rough to polished was a meticulous process undertaken by a team of 15 master cutters at Alrosa’s manufacturing complex. To achieve the final result, the team
