Okavango Joins Natural Diamond Council
March 27, 24(IDEX Online) - Okavango, Botswana's government-owned rough diamond marketing company, has joined the Natural Diamond Council (NDC).
It is the first non-mining diamond company to be admitted as a member of NDC, the US-based not-for-profit organization that promotes natural diamonds.
The Okavando Diamond Company (ODC) sells over 6m carats a year, all sourced from Debswana, a 50/50 joint venture between the government and De Beers.
Its membership of the NDC recognizes the importance of its role in the upstream distribution of natural diamonds, said the council in a statement, and the importance Botswana puts on inspiring consumer demand to drive its diamond prosperity.
"Botswana is a leading nation in setting the standards for the responsible management of its natural resources," said David Kellie, CEO of NDC.
"Okavango Diamond Company's membership of NDC allows us to share the story of the Botswana natural diamond industry more widely with the world."
Pic shows the 20.46-carat Okavango Blue, recovered by ODC in 2019. It is the largest blue diamond ever produced in Botswana.