Diamonds have always been the richest passion of mankind. Thousands of years have passed but the craze for this gemstone has remained unaffected. This gemstone has come to the forefront in fashion and a host of practical applications. Originating in India, diamonds are best known for use in jewelry such as rings and necklaces. Mined diamonds are also used for research and industrial applications. According to NS Energy lists Russia, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Australia, and Canada are the world’s top five diamond mining countries by volume of production.
Russia with more than 12 open-pit mines tops the list of the diamond supplier to the world. Most of its mining deposits and activities are located in the Siberian region of Yakutia. According to estimates Russia’s diamond resources are about 973 million carats out of which the known reserves are 608 million carats.
The African nation of Botswana with seven top-class mines is another prime exporter of rough diamonds by volume. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is another African nation in the line of diamond mining countries by volume. Approximately one-third of DRC’s diamonds are marketed by De Beers.DRC’s 2019 tally of diamonds increased to about 19 million carats as per the latest findings.
Australia began to mine the stones commercially in 1981. Today Argyle underground mine in Australia is known for producing natural colored diamonds at the rate of more than 12 million carats per year. There are also other open-pit mines known for producing high-value, high-clarity white diamonds. Though diamond mining in Canada began in 1998 still it has emerged as the world’s fifth-biggest diamond mining country. Apart from Ekatidaimiond mine, the country’s other three active mines are Diavik (owned by a Rio Tinto Subsidiary), Snap Lake and Victor.
In recent years countries like Brazil, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire have also shown promising results in terms of diamond production. India just like during ancient and medieval times has successfully retained its shine among all the diamond producing nations of the world. The country exports 75% of the world’s polished diamonds as per statistics from the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC).