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THE DIAMOND INDUSTRY FACT SHEET
How large is the diamond industry?
Diamonds are one of the world’s, and specifically Africa’s, major natural resources. An estimated US$13 billion
worth of rough diamonds are produced per year, of which approximately US$8.5 billion are from Africa
(approximately 65%). The diamond industry employs approximately ten million people around the world, both
directly and indirectly, across a wide spectrum of roles from mining to retail. Global diamond jewellery sales
continue to grow, increasing three-fold in the past 25 years, and are currently worth in excess of US$72 billion
every year.
What are diamonds used for?
Diamonds have two main uses: in jewellery (due to their rarity and beautiful appearance) and in industry (due to
their unique molecular properties). In terms of quantity, about 30% of diamonds are of gem quality and are
distributed to experts for cutting, polishing and jewellery manufacture. The remaining 70% of diamonds are sold
for industrial applications including cutting, drilling, grinding and polishing in industrial applications.
Why are diamonds unique?
Diamonds have been used throughout history as a symbol to express emotions - love, affection and commitment -
and are often given to celebrate special occasions that are also unique, such as weddings, births and
anniversaries. In many cultures diamonds are considered to be the ultimate jewel.
Diamonds are desirable to consumers because they:
• Hold deep emotional meaning
• Are one of the Earth’s most precious creations
• Are unique, just like the person wearing them
• Were born at the beginning of time and will last for eternity
Diamonds started to form inside the Earth 3.3 billion years ago due to extreme heat and pressure. In this
environment, the carbon atoms in a diamond uniquely bond in pyramid structures; it is this composition which
makes them so vital for industrial applications.
Diamonds are:
• The hardest natural material known to man
• The most effective heat conducting material, which also expands very little when subjected to high
temperatures, unlike most other conducting materials
• Resistant to most acids and alkalis
What is the process that brings diamonds to consumers?
The diamond jewellery supply chain (known as the diamond pipeline) is the process that brings diamonds from
the earth to consumers. It has several different stages:
• Exploration
Diamonds are found in many countries around the world, but the majority (approximately 65%) are found in
Africa. The main diamond producing countries are:
o Angola o Australia o Botswana
Exploration Mining Sorting Cutting &
polishing
Jewellery
Manufacturing
Retailing
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o Canada o Democratic Republic of Congo
o Namibia
o Russia
o South Africa
Diamonds often exist within kimberlite rock, which is a mineral located often beneath overburden (such as
sand, soil or glacier). Diamond prospectors, who explore for these valuable mineral deposits, often search for
kimberlite (the host rock for diamonds) by testing the ground for changes in magnetic fields.
• Mining
Once diamonds are detected, there are different types of mining operation used to extract them depending on
the environment in which they are found. The majority of diamonds are extracted on an industrial scale by:
o Open pit mining (excavation to reach diamonds on the surface of the ground)
o Underground mining (excavation up to, and in some instances, over 1km below ground)
Following extraction, the ore containing the rough diamonds goes through many stages of crushing and
processing before it can be sorted and classified.
Diamonds are also extracted from alluvial deposits, where they are removed from sand, gravel and clay that
has been naturally transported by water erosion and deposited along either the banks of a river, the shoreline
or on the bed of the ocean. This process is called alluvial mining and is undertaken on an industrial scale by:
o Coastal and inland mining (removal of overburden, such as sand and soil, to find diamonds)
o Marine mining (excavation of diamonds from the seabed)
Diamond mining on a non-industrial scale is undertaken involving individuals, families and communities and
using the most basic equipment, such as sieves and pans – this is known as artisanal mining.
• Sorting
Once processed at the mine, rough diamonds are delivered to sorting experts to be sorted and valued into
different categories in preparation for sale. There are thousands of different categories into which diamonds
can be sorted, dependent on size, shape, quality and colour. The majority of diamonds fall within a range of
standard colours from colourless to faint yellow or brown tints. Some very rare diamonds, known as ‘fancies’,
are bright colours, such are pink, blue or green. A perfectly transparent diamond with no colour or hue is
considered to be the purest, but all rough diamonds have some distinguishing marks, known as inclusions,
which make each one unique.
The best quality diamonds in terms of colour and clarity are distributed to the gem market with an
accompanying Kimberley Process certificate to prove that they are from conflict free sources (refer to
Kimberley Process section below for further details on this process). The remainder are used for industrial
purposes, such as cutting and drilling.
• Cutting and polishing
Gem quality diamonds are usually distributed to one of the main diamond cutting and trading centres in
Antwerp, Mumbai, Tel Aviv, New York, China, Thailand or Johannesburg. Once they arrive at the diamond
centres, experts (known as ‘diamantaires’) cut and polish the rough diamonds into shapes, such as the round
brilliant, the oval, the pear, the heart and the emerald. Polishing follows cutting, before the diamonds are
again classified by their cut, colour, clarity and carat weight – also known as the ‘Four Cs’. These diamonds
are typically sold to diamond wholesalers or diamond jewellery manufacturers in one of the 24 registered
diamond exchanges (known as bourses) located across the world.
• Jewellery manufacturing
Wholesalers or manufacturers buy relatively small amounts of unset, polished diamonds. Wholesalers sell
these to jewellery designers, manufacturers or retailers. Manufacturers will produce diamond jewellery
designed and commissioned by a retailer or other jewellery designer. They may also create jewellery,
designed by in-house teams, and sold direct to retailers. The System of Warranties is used as a declaration
on the invoice for each transaction of polished diamonds to assure industry purchasers and consumers that
their diamonds are from conflict free sources (refer to System of Warranties section below for further details
on this system).
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• Retailing
The final stage of the diamond pipeline is when diamond jewellery is sold by retailers to the consumer. The
value of diamond jewellery sold each year is approximately US$72 billion, which includes the cost of the
diamonds, precious metals and other gems. The USA represents the largest market (50%), followed by Japan
(15%), Italy (5%), India (3%), China (2%), The Gulf (2%) and other countries (23%). According to independent
research, diamond jewellery is the most highly sought-after category of luxury goods, both by women for
themselves and by men for gifts.
How does the diamond industry promote responsible trading practices?
To promote the trading of diamonds from legitimate sources and to ensure that consumers can be confident in
their diamond jewellery purchases, governments, NGOs and the international diamond industry have worked
together to implement a ‘certificate of origin’ system, known as the Kimberley Process:
The Kimberley Process is a certification system that prevents diamonds from an area of conflict entering the
legitimate diamond supply chain. The Kimberley Process ensures that only rough diamonds accompanied by a
government-issued certificate can be imported and exported, providing an assurance that the diamonds are from
conflict free sources. Under this United Nations mandated system, only countries that are part of the Kimberley
Process can import or export rough diamonds. Today, 74 countries are members of the Kimberley Process,
ensuring that more than 99% of diamonds are from conflict free sources. Anyone who imports or exports rough
diamonds between these countries without a Kimberley Process certificate is breaking the law.
In addition to the Kimberley Process, the System of Warranties was developed by the World Diamond Council
(WDC) to extend the Kimberley Process conflict free assurance to polished diamonds and provide a means by
which consumers can be assured their diamonds are from conflict free sources. Its principal element is a
declaration on the invoice accompanying every transaction (apart from the transaction directly to the consumer) of
polished diamonds that declares the diamonds are ‘not involved in funding conflict and are in compliance with
United Nations resolutions’. The System of Warranties provides assurance that diamonds are from conflict free
sources all the way to the diamond jewellery retailer.
CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, is an international confederation of national jewellery trade
organisations with 40 nations represented. In addition to the national members there are 33 associate members
from the commercial organisations. Founded in 1926, CIBJO's purpose is to encourage harmonisation, promote
international cooperation in the jewellery industry, and to consider issues which concern the trade worldwide.
Foremost among these is to protect consumer confidence in the industry.
The Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices (CRJP, “the Council”) was founded in May 2005 with Members
from the diamond and gold jewellery supply chain, from mine to retail. The current 81 Council Members are
committed to promoting responsible business practices in a transparent and accountable manner throughout the
industry from mine to retail. Their commitment aims to maintain consumer confidence in diamond and gold
jewellery products and the trust of all interested stakeholders in their industry.
When and how did modern diamond mining start?
Modern diamond mining started during the 1870s in South Africa, following the discovery of the Star of South
Africa diamond (83.5 carats in size) on the banks of the Orange River (at the border of Namibia and South Africa)
in 1869. A diamond rush followed and by 1888 the first working mines in the area were established. As
prospecting increased, more diamonds were discovered in other southern African locations. The diamond industry
has since expanded across southern Africa, making this the primary global location for diamond sources today.
How do diamonds benefit people?
As one of Africa’s major natural resources, diamonds are helping transform southern Africa and the lives of its
people. In particular, Africans are using the revenue from diamonds to create wealth for themselves. The diamond
trade contributes approximately US$8.5 billion a year to Africa and is helping the continent in four key ways:
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• Financial: Diamonds provide a significant economic contribution to the countries in which they are found –
for example diamonds represent 33% of the GDP of Botswana [approximately US$3.3 billion]
• Health: Diamonds play a significant role in helping tackle the HIV pandemic in southern Africa through the
funding of counselling, testing, education, treatment programmes, clinics and hospices
• Education: Southern African countries are using the revenue from diamonds to help more children go to
school for longer
• Employment: More than 38,000 people in southern Africa are employed by the diamond industry
