Botswana Auctions Diamonds at Home

{{Botswana, the world’s largest diamond producer, has started to auction its own diamonds for the first time instead of selling them in Europe.}}

The auction is by the government-owned Okavango Diamond Company.

Later in the year, diamond giant De Beers, which owns the country’s main mining firm with the government, will also move its sales to Gaborone.

Botswana has long campaigned for its diamonds to be processed, sorted, marketed and sold from the country.

Last year, De Beers moved its rough stone sorting operation, which had been based in London for nearly 80 years, to Botswana.