Botswana Diamonds
Diamonds were discovered relatively late in Botswana, with the first deposit found in 1967 in Orapa, 260 miles north of the capital Gaborone. The discovery of what would become one of the largest-ever diamond mines came just a year after Botswana gained independence from Great Britain, transforming it from one of the world’s poorest countries to one of its fastest-growing economies.
Real World Relationships
Botswana is a shining example of how natural diamond mining can do good. In addition to creating jobs, all of its diamond mines must be run as joint ventures with the government, with diamonds sold through the government-backed tender process. This means revenue from every one of our Botswana diamonds is directly invested in the local community through employment, environmental and education-based initiatives.
We are proud to support the work being done in Botswana, especially when members of the Pragnell family visited our partners to see first-hand how they’ve invested in creating cutting and polishing capabilities in Botswana. This burgeoning new industry employs 3500 people, the majority of whom are women, and has ensured that the value of diamonds mined in Botswana stays in Botswana.
Supporting Okavango Eternal
Through the Okavango Eternal initiative, the Botswana Government is using funds generated from their diamond sales to help protect the source waters of the Okavango Delta.
All the diamonds in our Skimming Stone collection are sourced from Botswana, ensuring revenue generated from their sales contributes funds to protect the Okavango Basin. Spanning Angola, Namibia, and Botswana, there is a growing risk to this unique ecosystem due to climate change, population density, water diversion, and commercial agriculture further upstream.
The project focuses on partnering with local communities and protecting this extraordinary natural wonder for future generations, ensuring it remains one of Nature’s Rare Jewels.
Investing in Education
The Botswana Government’s careful stewardship of diamond revenues has also transformed the education system in Botswana. This means that every stone we source from the region helps contribute funds to their government-backed initiative, ensuring a brighter future for the next generation of school children.
Before 1966, there were just three secondary schools; today, following the discovery of diamonds, there are 300. Every child now receives free schooling to the age of 13, and beyond primary school, education is 95% funded by the government using proceeds from the diamond mining industry.
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