DiamondBuzz
Botswana’s VP expresses confidence in ongoing efforts to secure a buyer for De Beers
Botswana’s Vice President Ndaba Gaolathe has expressed strong confidence in the ongoing efforts to secure a buyer for De Beers, as Anglo American prepares to divest from its diamond operations. His remarks, delivered during an interview in Washington, suggest that the process is progressing well and that there is broad international interest in acquiring Anglo’s 85 per cent stake in the iconic diamond company.
The sale comes amid Anglo American’s strategic pivot away from diamonds and other assets to concentrate on copper, a sector currently yielding higher returns. De Beers has seen its valuation decline sharply in recent years, with Anglo having written down its value twice in the past 13 months. Once a cornerstone of the group’s portfolio, De Beers is now valued at $4.1 billion, significantly lower than when Anglo assumed full control in 2012.
Crucially, Gaolathe indicated that Botswana — already holding a 15 per cent stake in De Beers — is considering a substantial increase in its ownership, potentially up to 50 per cent. Such a move would mark a major shift in the company’s ownership structure and could redefine the power dynamics within the global diamond industry. Botswana, as one of the world’s largest diamond producers, has long been a key partner in De Beers’ supply chain, and this increased stake would reinforce its strategic influence over the sector.
The government’s willingness to expand its stake also reflects a broader effort by resource-rich nations to assert greater control over their mineral wealth and to ensure that profits from extraction are more equitably shared. If realized, Botswana’s expanded role in De Beers could serve as a model for other producing countries seeking to balance economic development with stronger national participation in global value chains.
With a sale or IPO expected by the end of 2025, the coming months will be critical in shaping the future of one of the diamond industry’s most storied names. Will Botswana emerge as a dominant shareholder, or will another global player step in? Either way, the outcome is likely to reshape the contours of the international diamond trade.
DiamondBuzz
CIBJO Backs ‘synthetic’ As Sole Label For Man-Made Diamonds
CIBJO’s Laboratory-Grown Diamond Committee, Told Delegates That “Synthetic” Remains The Primary Term Recognized By Consumers, Despite A Formal Push From The Sector’s Steering Committee To Defer The Ruling and Authorize “Laboratory-Grown.”
The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) has recommended “synthetic” as the only acceptable descriptor for non-mined diamonds, rejecting calls from trade leaders to permit the term “laboratory-grown,” the organization said on Monday.
The decision, finalized at the closing session of the 2026 CIBJO Congress, deepens a global divide over gemstone terminology at a time when manufactured stones are rapidly eroding the market share and pricing power of mined gems.
CIBJO’s Laboratory-Grown Diamond Committee, told delegates that “synthetic” remains the primary term recognized by consumers, despite a formal push from the sector’s steering committee to defer the ruling and authorize “laboratory-grown.”
CIBJO’s move aligns with a growing regulatory push in several major markets. France restricted terminology to “synthetic” in 2024, Russia followed suit in June, and the London Diamond Bourse endorsed the single descriptor on Sunday. In May, the African Diamond Producers Association also tightened descriptor rules to shield the natural diamond trade.
In contrast, regulators and retailers in the United States and India have favored consumer-friendly phrases such as “lab-grown” or “laboratory-grown.” The commercial stakes are particularly high in the U.S., where synthetic stones now account for more than half of all engagement ring sales by volume, applying severe downward price pressure on natural rough and polished stones.
CIBJO, which began moving to strike “lab-grown” from its influential Diamond Blue Book standards last year, warned that the diverging legal frameworks are leaving the global market increasingly fragmented.
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