Angola Aims to Polish Majority of its Diamonds
September 17, 25
(IDEX Online) - Angola aims to cut and polish the majority of its rough diamond production domestically by the end of 2027.
Laureano Receado (pictured), executive board member for mining operations at Endiama, the state-run diamond company, told state-run RNA radio: "The company is investing in capacity to ensure stones are increasingly finished domestically.
"We are building capacity so that most of Angola's production is polished in Angola."
Only 20 per cent of Angola's total output (14m carats in 2024) is currently cut and polished locally, in nine factories.
The remainder are shipped to UAE, Belgium and elsewhere.
New polishing and cutting facilities are being built in Saurimo, the heart of the country's mining activity.
Angola has yet to explore 60 per cent of its diamond-rich territories.
It opened Luele, its newest and biggest diamond mine, in November 2023. It is expected to eclipse Catoca.