Surat Dealers "Smuggling Diamonds from Sierra Leone"

Kono District, Sierra Leone

Diamond dealers from Surat are routinely flying to Sierra Leone, buying uncertified rough diamonds from artisanal mines and smuggling them home, according to an investigation by The Blunt Times.

Many of the stones are reportedly stolen by workers and sold for dollars at “throwaway” prices.

One diamond dealer, who said he was a frequent visitor, told the Surat-based news website: “We have a network of artisanal workers in Sierra Leone from whom we purchase diamonds.

“They (artisanal workers) steal the diamonds from mines and they have to sell it within a day or two. Since we pay them in dollars, it is a quite a big deal for the poor workers.”

Another dealer told how he hired a team of four or five security guards on his diamond-buying trips.

None of the diamonds has a Kimberley Process (KP) certificate.

According to the latest figures from KP’s Certification Scheme, Sierra Leone exported 641,469 carats in 2020, with a value of $119m.

Source: DCLA

Sierra Leone Recovers 144 Carat Rough Diamond

A company in Sierra Leone has obtained and exported a 144.12 carat rough diamond worth at least $600,000, authorities in the west African nation said Tuesday.

The NMA carried out a valuation process based on estimates from three parties, in line with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.

The NMA valued the stone at $648,540, while the diamond’s owner said it was worth $601,701. A third, independent appraiser put the price at $659,925, the NMA said.

A licensed diamond exporter brought the stone to the precious minerals trading department of the National Minerals Agency last week for valuation, the and the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources reported.

The NMA uses the highest of the three figures to calculate the taxes and 15% royalty due to the government, meaning the exporter paid $98,989 as royalty, the agency said. The company then received the Kimberley Process certificate to export the stone. The government did not provide details on where or how the diamond was recovered.

Source: DCLA

Sierra Leone Recovers 144 Carat Rough Diamond

A company in Sierra Leone has obtained and exported a 144.12 carat rough diamond worth at least $600,000, authorities in the west African nation said Tuesday.

The NMA carried out a valuation process based on estimates from three parties, in line with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.

The NMA valued the stone at $648,540, while the diamond’s owner said it was worth $601,701. A third, independent appraiser put the price at $659,925, the NMA said.

A licensed diamond exporter brought the stone to the precious minerals trading department of the National Minerals Agency last week for valuation, the and the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources reported.

The NMA uses the highest of the three figures to calculate the taxes and 15% royalty due to the government, meaning the exporter paid $98,989 as royalty, the agency said. The company then received the Kimberley Process certificate to export the stone. The government did not provide details on where or how the diamond was recovered.

Source: DCLA