Is Botswana Getting A Raw Deal From De Beers Diamonds - The World News Jun 2026

Timing is everything. Botswana’s push for a new deal comes at the worst possible moment for De Beers—and perhaps the best for Botswana.

Consider this: A rough diamond dug in Botswana might be cut in Surat, India, polished in Antwerp, set in New York, and sold to a bride in Tokyo. Of that final retail price (which could be 5x to 10x the rough value), Botswana currently captures only the cost of extraction plus half the rough profit. Timing is everything