DiamondBuzz
Botswana and Angola Join WFDB As Nation Affiliate Members At Recently Concluded WFDB Summit
Bharat Diamond Bourse Postal Stamp Presented to Hon. Bogolo Joy Kenewendo, Minister Of Minerals and Energy, Botswana
Mehul Shah, Vice President of the Bharat Diamond Bourse, presented the official stamp released by the Department of Posts, Government of India, to Hon. Bogolo Joy Kenewendo, Minister of Minerals and Energy, Republic of Botswana during his visit where he represented the Indian Diamond Industry at the World Federation of Diamond Bourses Summit. of India to Hon. Bogolo Joy Kenewendo, Minister of Minerals and Energy, Botswana. Honorable Minister showed heartfelt appreciation during the presentation and reiterated the excellent relationship the Republic of Botswana shares with India.

On the Summit, Mehul Shah opined:

“I am very happy that Botswana and Angola have joined the WFDB as Nation Affiliated Members, broadening the Federation’s international representation and deepening engagement between producing countries and the global manufacturing countries. It was also a pleasure to meet Hon. Minister of Minerals and Energy Ms Kenewendo and present her the Bharat Diamond Bourse Stamp.“
Shah also invited mining entities present to visit the world class infrastructure housed within Bharat Diamond Bourse, the India Diamond Trading Centre [IDTC] to view and tender their respective Rough diamonds. He said that by doing this hundred of BDB members will save time and money on travelling to buy rough and in turn the tendering companies will get a good price benefit. IDTC is a 100% securitised ecosystem with viewing rooms, vault facilities and efficient IT systems including WIFI.
The World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) concluded its International Summit in Gaborone, Botswana. The summit brought together senior government representatives, industry leaders and stakeholders from across the global natural diamond value chain to examine the sector’s future amid shifting market dynamics and evolving consumer expectations.
Held in collaboration with Botswana’s Ministry of Minerals and Energy under the theme “Nation-Building and the Future of Responsible Luxury”, the summit focused on the long-term positioning of natural diamonds, including provenance, beneficiation, transparency, traceability, sustainability and value creation across producing nations and trading centers. The gathering sought to reinforce consumer confidence, standardise in grading & certificates and strengthen the value proposition of natural diamonds within an increasingly competitive luxury landscape.
DiamondBuzz
Alrosa Reports $130mn H1 Loss Amid Diamond Market Headwinds
The Company Cited Geopolitical and Macroeconomic Uncertainty, Western Sanctions, Shifting Jewellery Demand, Higher Gold Prices and Weaker Rough and Polished Diamond Sales As Key Challenges.
Russia’s state-controlled diamond miner Alrosa reported a 10.67 billion-ruble ($129.7 million) net loss in H1 2026, reversing a 39.03 billion-ruble profit a year earlier. Revenue plunged 36% to 74.16 billion rubles ($901.6 million), while gross profit fell to 4.62 billion rubles.
The company cited geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty, Western sanctions, shifting jewellery demand, higher gold prices and weaker rough and polished diamond sales as key challenges. Its operating loss widened to 5 billion rubles, while the pre-tax loss reached 14.08 billion rubles.
Adding to the pressure, Russia’s 8% export duty on unprocessed rough diamonds above 0.45 carats, postponed to March 2027, is expected to cut Alrosa’s profit by around 3.12 billion rubles ($37.9 million), further clouding the miner’s outlook.
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