Botswana Diamonds

Botswana diamonds make up a huge proportion of mining in Botswana. The Botswana diamonds have been best labeled 'diamonds for development' since they are at the forefront of Botswana's growing economy.

A significant amount of diamond mining in Botswana is done through a partnership between Botswana government and De Beers Mining Company, the merger of which is a company called Debswana Diamond Company.

With a combined production of the country's major diamond mines, Botswana is the highest producer of diamonds by value in the world.

diamond mining history

The discovery of diamonds in the late 1960s greatly changed Botswana's economic landscape. At the time the country was amongst the poorest countries in the world at independence.

Orapa is the first diamond mine to start production in Botswana in 1972. While the Letlhakane mine came into production in 1977, the Jwaneng mine began operations in 1982.

By 1980 Botswana had established herself as one of the leading diamond producers.

In the late 1990s Botswana was producing 25% of the world's diamond.

To date Botswana is still at the forefront of countries that produce diamonds by value and quantity.

Diamond mining

Since independence, four largest mines have been opened.

These are Orapa (1972), Letlhakane (1973), Jwaneng (1982 and Damtshaa (2002).

Jwaneng - 'a place of small stones' - is the world's richest diamond by value.

There are other small diamond mines that are in production including those at Gope and Lerala.

Currently, diamonds' prospecting in Botswana is at peak point. Many prospecting companies have registered in Botswana.

Botswana is not a producer of diamond jewellery. Instead the jewellery in Botswana is that of crafts produced by ordinary arts and crafts producers.

However, jewellery in Botswana is relatively a new area.

Diamond Trading Company Botswana is leading the way in producing quality jewellery as it is scheduled to launch the shining light diamond jewellery design awards.

Diamond marketing

The Diamond Trading Centre Botswana has been established to sort and value diamonds from the country.

the DTCB also conducts sales and marketing of aggregated diamonds.

There is a growing popularity in the view to liberalise the control of diamond sales by DTCB, thereby promoting the selling of diamonds by auctions and tenders.

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