DiamondBuzz
Rio Tinto records 27% y-o-y rise in output for Q1 2025 primarily driven by Diavik diamond mine
Rio Tinto reported a significant 27% year-on-year increase in diamond production for Q1 2025, reaching 942,000 carats compared to 740,000 carats in Q1 2024. This growth was primarily driven by operational improvements at the Diavik diamond mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories, Rio Tinto’s sole operating diamond asset. The strong quarterly performance marks a robust recovery after a volatile 2024, positioning the diamond division for a stronger 2025.
The Diavik mine processed 394,000 tonnes of ore in Q1 2025, up from both Q1 and Q4 2024, reflecting enhanced operational efficiency and throughput. The Q1 2025 output is a marked rebound from the 542,000 carats produced in Q3 2024, when production was hampered by temporary mine closures due to safety concerns.
The Diavik mine is currently Rio Tinto’s only diamond-producing asset, following the closure of the Argyle mine in Australia in 2020.
The surge in output is attributed to: Successful ramp-up of underground mining at the A21 pipe, following the completion of the first phase of development. Increased ore processing volumes and improved operational efficiency. Recovery from previous disruptions, including a temporary shutdown in Q3 2024 due to ground instability in the A154 underground region.
The extension of Diavik’s mine life signals confidence in the long-term fundamentals of the diamond industry, even as global supply and demand dynamics remain volatile.
DiamondBuzz
De Beers Group Sets Out Portfolio and Organisational Actions to Support Long-Term Value Creation
Company outlines strategic cost optimisation, portfolio streamlining and operational changes to strengthen resilience while positioning for long-term growth in the natural diamond industry.
De Beers Group is advancing delivery of its business streamlining by setting out a number of planned portfolio and organisational changes to ensure an efficient cost base that strengthens resilience in the near-term while enhancing future competitiveness and retaining optionality as industry conditions improve.
Since 2024, De Beers has been streamlining its business in line with its Origins strategy to reduce costs, divest non-core assets and prioritise investment in activities that create the most value. Significant progress has been made, with more than $100 million of annual overhead costs removed from the business, the sale or closure of a number of non-core assets and significant capital and cost reconfigurations to asset expansion projects.
Simultaneously, De Beers has reinvested in natural diamond category marketing to support the industry’s efforts to grow natural diamond demand, launching new large-scale campaigns and collaborating with key stakeholders across the value chain to foster industry-wide investment. Global consumer demand for natural diamond jewellery returned to growth in 2025, while natural diamond sales increased across US independent jewellers in 2025 and into Q1 2026, led by higher value diamonds and those promoted by De Beers’ Desert Diamonds marketing campaign.
On the supply side, global rough diamond production is now decreasing, with several producers closing mines during 2026. Whilst the increasing rarity of diamonds and the emerging signs of improvement in consumer demand are likely to support longer-term value creation, rough diamond trading conditions are expected to remain challenging in the near-term due to cyclical and industry-specific factors.
Consistent with recent actions to improve business resilience, De Beers intends to pause production at the Venetia mine in South Africa for two years to reduce costs while also rephasing capital expenditure on its underground project. This will involve critical infrastructure investment to enhance the capacity and efficiency of the mine, with the intention to support future production growth as business and industry conditions improve.
De Beers is engaging with stakeholders in accordance with relevant requirements and the company’s values as it moves through this process, and will both support impacted employees and continue to invest in its community and Social and Labour Plan commitments.
This proposed action at Venetia Mine follows the decision earlier this year to pause the Tuzo Phase 3 expansion project at the Gahcho Kué Mine in Canada.
In parallel, De Beers plans to reconfigure its global operating model to refocus and prioritise resources on the core operational businesses and reduce its central corporate cost base.
Al Cook, CEO of De Beers Group, said:

“In line with our commitment to focus and streamline our business, we are making a number of changes to De Beers to ensure greater business resilience in the near-term, while supporting long-term value creation. We recognise the protracted challenging conditions as the diamond industry evolves, though we are encouraged by signs of consumer demand growth in the US and beyond, particularly in higher quality diamonds.
Global rough diamond supply is falling, bringing more support to the market. The changes we are making to our business are focused on underpinning our efficiency now and into the future, favourably positioning De Beers in its leadership role.”
De Beers Group will maintain current production levels through its other operations, and previous production guidance remains unchanged.
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