Namibian Diamonds Socially Responsible Diamonds from Republic of Namibia

Yes, we know “Proudly South African” diamonds are not manufactured in Namibia but we thought it was appropriate to give them mention here on the Diamonds from Namibia blog.  The parent company of the Proudly South African Diamond brand  is not other than Schachter & Namdar Asia.  They are the same company who is bringing Team Namibia diamonds to the U.S.  Proudly  South African is a South African goverment initiative  to promote national companies that create jobs and stimulate economic growth.  The PSA diamond brand focuses on providing consumers country of origin certification and a guarantee that Proudly South African diamonds are 100% natural. The brand was launched in March of 2005 and has been very well received, particularly in Asia.  Our sources tell us that the Proudly South African brand of diamonds will soon be reintroduced to the the U.S. market. The enviroment seems much better now for this type of product launch. Originally, U.S. jewelry retailers shied away from it for fear that diamonds from South Africa would possibly cause confusion at the retail level.  Hopefully all confusion like this will be avoided if the concept of beneficiation becomes more widely known.

Posted under Beneficiation

A few days ago I read an interesting article by Ken Gassman on IDEX about the green movement having a negative effect on jewelry sales. The main reason cited was the way that the way the precious metals and stones are mined but I think it goes much deeper than that. Yes, people care a great deal about the environment but people also care about people. Our industry needs to continue to address both. Check out what Hoover and Strong is doing on the environmental part with it’s Harmony metals.

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Posted under Beneficiation, Namibian Diamonds

Team Namibia Diamonds - There have been a lot of exciting things happening in the diamond industry in Botswana and Namibia as of late. We just have received news that Team Namibia has endorsed diamonds coming from the Namibian Diamond factory. Team Namibia is a monitoring body that ensures products that bear it’s mark are of the highest standards! Each Team Namibia Diamond will be laser inscribed on the girdle and will come with a official document stating that the diamond is natural, conflict free and has been polished in the country of Namibia. Right now the factory where these diamonds are cut employ a little over 100 local people. According to our sources, the goal is to have 5,000 local people employed over the next several years and that is great news! Team Namibia diamonds will be making their debut very soon in a store near you. I just happen to love their motto “Invest in Quality. Invest in people”.

Posted under Beneficiation, Namibian Diamonds

Namibian Diamonds - Over the past few weeks there has been a great deal of coverage, including a great New York Times, article on the diamond industry in Botswana.  The collaboration between the government of Botswana and DeBeer’s has contributed to making Botswana one of the most prosperous countries in Africa today. Bostwana truly is a role model of what can be done if a country’s natural resources are handled responsibly. The success of the Debswana (DeBeers and Botswana) project has inspired other collaborations in countries like Namibia where diamonds are also a natural resource. The hope is that income from diamonds will make it possible for Namibia to meet the goals of Vision 2030. Vision 2030 is Namibia’s plan to become a fully industrialized nation by the year 2030.

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Posted under Namibian Diamonds