The Russian government could buy more rough diamonds from the state-run miner Alrosa, as it faces ongoing G7 sanctions and weak global demand.The Finance Ministry says it will assess the situation after seeing second quarter results.Alrosa last week reported a 77 per cent slump in profits for 2024 (down to $223m) and has said it could suspend some less profitable activities and lay off some of its 35,000 workers.

In December 2024, ALROSA, Russia’s leading diamond mining company, reached an agreement to sell a batch of rough diamonds to the Gokhran of Russia, the state repository for precious metals and gemstones. This batch included a notable 390-carat diamond, the largest discovered in Russia over the past decade, unearthed from the Ebelyakh deposit in Yakutia in September 2023.

This transaction occurred in the context of ongoing international sanctions and a global downturn in diamond demand, which have impacted ALROSA’s traditional sales channels. The Gokhran’s purchase provided financial support to ALROSA during these challenging times.

The Russian government has indicated plans to continue such purchases, with the federal budget allocating up to 154.5 billion rubles (approximately $1.55 billion) for acquiring precious metals and gemstones for the Gokhran between 2025 and 2027. Alrosa has previously offloaded excess inventory to Gokhran, the Russian State Precious Metals and Gemstones Repository in times of weak demand.