DiamondBuzz
Diamonds mined in Botswana should be polished locally: President Boko
Botswana President Duma Boko has called for a significant policy change in the country’s diamond industry, urging that all diamonds mined in Botswana be cut and polished locally before export. This move is intended to maximize the economic benefits of the nation’s mineral wealth and stimulate job creation.
Policy Shift: President Boko stated that no mineral will leave this country without being processed, emphasizing that diamonds and copper concentrate must undergo local value addition before export.
Current Practice: Currently, most of Botswana’s rough diamonds are sent to India and other manufacturing centers for cutting and polishing. Efforts to establish local factories have faced challenges due to high operational costs.
Government Initiative: The president made these remarks in Setswana at a community meeting in Ramotswa, highlighting the government’s commitment to a robust beneficiation program aimed at transforming the national economy The announcement was reported by The Projects Magazine and shared on its Facebook page, reaching a wide audience.
Polishing all Botswana diamonds locally, as recently urged by Botswana’s president, could have significant implications for India’s diamond polishing industry, though the immediate impact may be limited and gradual. If Botswana mandates that all rough diamonds be cut and polished locally before export, India’s diamond manufacturers would receive less Botswana-origin rough, potentially reducing their raw material supply
Botswana is one of the world’s leading diamond producers. Historically, the country has exported rough diamonds for processing abroad, missing out on added value and employment opportunities at home. The government and De Beers have previously attempted to attract investment in local manufacturing, but progress has been slow.
President Duma Boko’s call for all Botswana diamonds to be cut and polished locally marks a bold step toward economic transformation. If implemented successfully, this policy could reshape the country’s diamond industry and set a precedent for other resource-rich nations.
The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) plans to undo a decision it made back in 2010. It now wants all non-natural diamonds to be labelled only as “synthetic.”
This means the terms “laboratory-grown” and “laboratory-created” will be removed from CIBJO’s Diamond Blue Book (the global reference for diamond terminology and trade practices) and from related ISO Standards.
CIBJO also says the 4Cs grading system should apply only to natural diamonds, just as the GIA has recently decided.
Udi Sheintal, president of CIBJO’s Diamond Commission, explained that the earlier acceptance of “lab-grown” terminology was well-meaning but turned out to be a mistake.
He added that synthetic diamonds have often been marketed as more ethical, sustainable, and conflict-free—claims that, he argued, are usually not backed by evidence.
Udi Sheintal also stressed the need for clearer transparency. He said marketing should make it clear that synthetic diamonds are not grown in “laboratories,” but manufactured in industrial facilities using artificial processes.
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