Diamond News Archives

(IDEX Online) - A rare and exceptionally white eight-carat Golconda diamond has sold online for almost $1.5m.

The Type IIa IF marquise-cut gem was described by sellers as "a full two shades whiter than the whitest diamond".

It was recovered at the famed Golconda mines, in India, which operated in the 16th and 17th centuries, and produced diamonds of exceptional quality, clarity and whiteness due to the absence of trace nitrogen.

The 8.03-carat GIA-certified stone (pictured) sold for the asking price of $1,485,000 on the 1stDibs antiques and artefacts e-commerce website.

The diamond was set in a platinum ring and flanked by tapered white diamond baguettes totaling 0.72 carats graded D color and VS1 clarity. 

1stDibs said: "They are universally accepted as the finest diamonds in the world, and, because they hailed from only one mine in the ancient region of Golconda that ceased production hundreds of years ago, these perfect stones are exceptionally rare."...

(IDEX Online) - The Damtshaa mine, in Botswana, will reportedly close for three years as COVID-19 disruption and the consequent weak demand renders it unviable.

The Debswana-operated deposit produces around 500,000-carats annually of lower-value diamonds - just 2.5 per cent of the country's total output.

Joseph Tsimako, president of the Botswana Mine Workers Union told the Reuters news agency of the closure, to take effect next year, although Debswana has not so far made any comment.

A plant at the nearby Orapa Mine, which processes ore from Damtshaa, will also close for an indefinite period, said Mr Tsimako, with the combined loss of up to 500 jobs.

Damtshaa, which opened in 2003, closed for two years from 2015 to 2017 when rough demand slumped.  It is run by Debswana, a partnership between De Beers and the Botswana government.

"The mine produces lower quality diamonds which makes it expensive to dig during this period when the market is depressed," Mr Tsimako told Reuters.

Pic shows processing plant at Orapa Mine...