WELCOME TO OUR BLOG – ENJOY, LEARN, JOIN IN

Indian diamond entrepreneurs are set to lobby their government to support Zimbabwe diamond sales.

Indian firms eager to capitalise on Zimbabwe's natural resources are set to ask their government to throw its weight behind the African nation's attempts to sell its diamonds.

Surat Rough Diamond Sourcing India Limited (SRDSIL), representatives of which were in Zimbabwe recently to pursue diamond deals, wants its government to make a stand ahead of next month's Kimberley Process meeting in Israel, the Herald reports

The meeting scheduled for Jerusalem is aimed at determining whether the country should be allowed to sell gems from the controversy-ridden Marange diamond fields in eastern Zimbabwe.

"We are confident Zimbabwe will be able to sell its diamonds appropriately. We are going to be represented by our government and we will lobby for its support," said SRDSIL chairman Ashitbhai Mehta.

However, efforts to sell Zimbabwe's diamonds on global markets are expected to meet stiff opposition from non-governmental organisations and other western agencies.

Meanwhile, the world's biggest diamond trade centre, the Bharat Diamond Bourse, opened in Mumbai recently.

Gift Chimanikire has said the US can "go to hell" over its stance on diamonds mined in Zimbabwe.

One Zimbabwean minister has spoken out against the US over its attempts to block the African country from selling diamonds.

According to the Zimbabwe Independent, deputy mines and minerals development minister Gift Chimanikire has said the country can "go to hell".

"In terms of who we sell our minerals to, America cannot dictate to us the markets," he remarked, referring to the US's decision to block exports of diamonds from Zimbabwe under the Kimberley Process.

 "Zimbabwe has the right to choose its markets," Mr Chimanikire stated in a speech to small-scale miners in Gwanda.

And he reaffirmed that this view was the official government position when asked whether his comments were his own personal opinion, raising concerns among miners that potential investors in Zimbabwe's diamond industry may be dissuaded as a result.

Moshe Mosbacher of the Diamond Dealers Club of New York recently said the US's position on Zimbabwean diamonds will improve confidence in the diamond industry and encourage growth in legal mining areas.

New diamond deposits have been discovered in various areas across Zimbabwe, one government official has revealed.

Mines minister Obert Mpofu said the administration is now working to accelerate examination of the sites in order to ascertain the quantity of the precious stones.

According to New Zimbabwe, citing the state-run Sunday Mail newspaper, deposits have been found in Tsholotsho, Binga and Masvingo.

It comes a few years after a find in Manicaland that is estimated to be one of the world's largest diamond resources and the latest discoveries are expected to make the country one of the biggest producers of the precious stones.

Restrictions are currently in place regarding the purchase of rough diamonds from Zimbabwe under the Kimberley Process and the some of the US's biggest diamond dealers recently met with the state department to discuss the issue, with Moshe Mosbacher of the Diamond Dealers Club of New York stating the country is "steadfast" on the matter.

Diamonds exported by Zimbabwe to the UAE in contravention of the Kimberley Process have been sent back.

A package of around 4,000 diamonds illegally exported to the UAE from Zimbabwe has been returned.

The precious gems have been given back to the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation and the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) after leaving the country in violation of the Kimberley Process (KPCS).

According to Times Live, a spokesperson for the MMCZ noted they could be changing hands legally in the near future.

"We are trying to see if they can be sold during the ongoing auctions [that] are monitored by the KPCS," the official said.

It is currently unclear how the package of gems, which is estimated to be worth millions of dollars, was able to move to Dubai, with the news source noting Zimbabwe has been unable to give a convincing argument why they were illegally exported.

SW Radio Africa News recently reported 6,000 people have signed a petition organised by Brilliant Earth calling for the Kimberley Process to be reformed, after it decided gems mined in the Chiadzwa area of Zimbabwe are conflict-free.