Botswana’s newly elected President, Duma Boko, announced on Friday his intent to finalize negotiations for a new diamond sales agreement with De Beers as soon as possible. De Beers, a subsidiary of Anglo American, had previously agreed to a deal that would gradually increase Botswana’s share of diamonds from the Debswana joint venture to 50% over the next decade. Currently, Debswana, co-owned by Botswana and De Beers, supplies 75% of its diamond output to the
South Africa’s oldest mining company, De Beers, is advancing inclusivity within the local diamond sector, inviting entrepreneurs to join its local business development program. Sponsored by Anglo American, this three-year initiative provides entrepreneurs with training and mentorship from industry leaders on diamond beneficiation, jewelry design, manufacturing, and retail. Promising entrepreneurs may even qualify as De Beers sightholders—elite buyers eligible to purchase rough diamonds at global auctions. The program, supported by business incubator Raizcorp, highlights De
Al Cook, CEO of De Beers, stated that Angola is the premier destination globally for diamond exploration and a top priority for the South African multinational. During a meeting with President João Lourenço last Wednesday, Cook revealed that De Beers has identified six promising diamond exploration zones in the country. The identification of these zones stems from aerial studies conducted by De Beers in Angola, as noted in a statement from the country’s regulatory agency,
Angola’s Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil, and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo, stated on Wednesday last week that the government is in ongoing discussions with Russian diamond company Alrosa, a 41% shareholder in the Catoca diamond mine. He emphasized Angola’s commitment to protecting national interests during these negotiations. Speaking at the 2nd International Diamond Conference in Saurimo, Azevedo explained, “Our focus is on Angola’s interests, and we have conveyed these priorities to Alrosa.” Alrosa, facing sanctions due
Gem Diamonds reported a revenue increase for Q3, driven by the sale of more large diamonds, which boosted the average price per carat. Revenue from the company’s Letšeng mine in Lesotho surged 36% year-over-year to $42.7 million for the three months ending September 30. Sales volume rose 11% to 26,617 carats, while the average price per carat climbed 22% to $1,603. Revenue also improved by 9% from the previous quarter, with the average price up
De Beers is considering additional production cuts in response to ongoing weak demand and oversupply in the diamond market. This potential move follows the miner’s earlier reduction of its 2024 production target by 3 million carats, as the company anticipates a prolonged market recovery. “We reduced rough-diamond production from De Beers in response to market conditions,” stated Duncan Wanblad, CEO of De Beers’ parent company, Anglo American. “The diamond market remains challenging, with high midstream
London-listed Gem Diamonds, operating the Letšeng diamond mine in Lesotho, generated revenues of $42.7 million from the sale of 26,627 carats of diamonds in the quarter ending September 30. This marks a significant increase from the $34.8 million generated from the sale of 24,422 carats in the previous quarter, which ended on June 30. The average price achieved for diamonds during the recent quarter was $1,603 per carat, up from $1,424 per carat in the
De Beers is swiftly advancing its diamond exploration efforts in Angola, with CEO Al Cook recently announcing at the Angola International Diamond Conference that the company has already identified eight “high-potential kimberlite targets.” This progress comes as De Beers resumed exploration in 2022, following extensive regulatory reforms under President João Lourenço, who took office in 2017 after the end of José Eduardo dos Santos’ presidency. In the early 2000s, De Beers and other major diamond
Diamond mining giant De Beers has maintained its full-year production forecast of 23-26 million carats but is evaluating options with partners to scale down production as the midstream sector holds unusually high inventory levels, and demand recovery remains slow. In its third-quarter production and trading report for the period ending September 30, De Beers highlighted challenging trading conditions due to elevated inventory in the midstream and continued weak consumer demand in China. In response, the
ASX-listed Lucapa Diamond Company has reported the sale of 5,587 carats from the Lulo diamond mine in Angola, where it holds a 40% interest. During the quarter ending September 30, the diamonds were sold at an average price of $3,033 per carat, generating $16.9 million in revenue. Despite a shift in the mining plan due to late seasonal flooding, production at Lulo remained consistent with the same period in 2023. A lower recovered grade was
