The Natural Diamond Council (NDC) has recently announced the addition of the Okavango Diamond Company (ODC) to its membership roster. ODC, a government-owned entity specializing in the marketing of rough natural diamonds, has joined esteemed industry leaders such as De Beers and other responsible mining enterprises in the council.
This marks a significant milestone as ODC becomes the first non-mining diamond company to be admitted to the NDC. The move underscores ODC’s pivotal role in the upstream distribution of natural diamonds and reflects Botswana’s commitment to stimulating consumer demand as a catalyst for future prosperity in the natural diamond sector.
With an annual sale of over 6 million carats of rough natural diamonds, ODC sources all its diamonds from Debswana, Botswana’s premier diamond mining company, responsible for 98% of the country’s diamond production.
Beyond providing its global customer base access to a wide range of rough diamonds from Botswana, ODC is renowned for housing the illustrious Okavango Blue diamond. Weighing 20.46 carats and boasting a VVS1 oval brilliant, fancy, deep blue diamond, the Okavango Blue diamond stands as a testament to Botswana’s rich diamond heritage.
Mmetla Masire, Managing Director of ODC, will join the board of directors at NDC, a development met with enthusiasm by both parties. “We are very excited to announce our support of the Natural Diamond Council,” expressed Masire. “ODC strongly believes in fostering customer confidence, aligning seamlessly with NDC’s mission to enhance consumer awareness across the market. We eagerly anticipate collaborating with NDC to advance our mission of providing the Botswana Government with a direct route to market for its rough diamonds and supporting Botswana’s evolution into a premier rough natural diamond sourcing destination.”
