06 Jun 2024

A joint venture between Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) and Natural Diamond Council (NDC) is expected to support the natural diamond industry and spread awareness of Botswana diamonds.

In a joint press release, ODC, a Botswana government-owned rough natural diamond marketing company joins the likes of De Beers and other responsible mining companies and it is the first non-mining diamond company to be admitted as a member of NDC.

It also says NDC recognises ODC’s importance in the upstream distribution of natural diamonds and the importance that Botswana puts on inspiring consumer demand as a driver of future prosperity for the natural diamond industry.

Additionally, it says ODC sells over six million carats of rough natural diamonds a year, all sourced from Debswana, Botswana’s flagship diamond mining company that accounts for 98 per cent of Botswana’s diamond production.

Adding to their global customer base open access to scale supply of the full range of rough diamonds sourced from Botswana, ODC is also home to the famed Okavango Blue diamond, a 20.46 carat VVS1 oval brilliant, fancy and deep blue diamond.

The release also says NDC is thrilled to have ODC managing director, Mr Mmetla Masire, join its board of directors.

“ODC believes strongly in building customer confidence which we feel blends very seamlessly with NDC’s mission to expand consumer awareness across the market. We look forward to working with NDC to further our mission to provide government with a direct route to market for its rough diamonds and to support the ongoing transformation of Botswana into a leading rough natural diamond sourcing destination,” says Mr Masire in the press release.

For his part, NDC chief executive director, Mr David Kellie says Botswana is a leading nation in setting the standards for the responsible management of its natural resources.

Mr Kellie says Okavango Diamond Company’s membership of NDC allows them to share the story of the Botswana natural diamond industry more widely with the world and therefore excited by the leadership Mr Masire and Okavango Diamond Company have shown in contributing to the future prosperity of the industry through their membership of NDC.

“We look forward to inspiring more consumers with the incredible story of Botswana’s diamonds and the positive impact that they have for the Batswana. It’s a story that consumers around the world are responding strongly to,” adds Mr Kellie.

NDC is a not-for-profit organisation committed to inspiring and educating consumers on the real, rare, and responsible values of natural diamonds and the positive global impact of the industry.

The release says, NDC’s only natural diamonds platform is the authoritative publisher on all natural diamonds including myth busting facts, celebrities and pop culture, epic diamonds and jewellery trends, engagements and weddings, and diamond buying guides,” says the media release.

In addition, it provides marketing, promotional and educational services to brands, designers, and retailers, encouraging them to amplify the values and integrity of natural diamonds.

It further says NDC is a global organisation whose members’ operations span four continents and 10 countries including Canada, South Africa, and Botswana while their operations support the livelihood of 10 million people worldwide.

NDC operates out of offices in New York, Shanghai, Mumbai, and Antwerp, with satellite teams in the UK and France.

Located in Gaborone, ODC,  offers their global customer base open access to scale supply of the full range of rough diamonds sourced from Botswana and with access to 25 per cent of Debswana’s run-of-mine production, ODC is deemed an important supplier to the market with sales in the region of US$900 million per annum.

ODC further believes in building customer confidence from the delivery of consistent sales assortments through operating an open and transparent sales model, with prices set by the market through a dynamic online bidding process. ends