Ellah Muchemwa: ADPA to launch Africa's first diamond mining standard next year

The African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA), which is based in Luanda, Angola, and represents the interests of mainly African diamond producers and those with the potential to produce diamonds, will next year launch the Sustainable Development...

04 november 2024

Dmitry Fedorov: I want our jewelry to be displayed at a museum in the future

Dmitry Fedorov is the founder of the eponymous jewelry house. His main focus is the creation of Orthodox-inspired premium luxury jewelry of high artistic merit. He told Rough&Polished about his journey in the jewelry industry, about choosing the ‘Orthodox...

28 october 2024

Responsible business practices ‘no longer optional’, says WDC President Feriel Zerouki

The president of the World Diamond Council takes time out of her busy schedule to tell Rough&Polished readers about the critical work of the WDC. Zerouki, the first female present of the body, which includes all the important industry organizations among...

14 october 2024

James Campbell: Botswana Diamonds optimistic as it enters uncharted territory of using AI for mineral exploration

London-listed Botswana Diamonds has expressed optimism about the company’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) to scan the exploration database in Botswana to look for new mineralised deposits. Company managing director James Campbell told Rough...

07 october 2024

Artur Salyakayev: For me, happiness is freedom to make my ideas happen and create valuable products

Artur Salyakayev is an art entrepreneur, founder of the International Jewelry Academy (IJA) and the INCRUA jewelry company. He has initiated and developed successful projects in jewelry industry and services sector. He is also a leading expert...

30 september 2024

DDI published searchable database of artisanal miner statistics

09 february 2018
On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, the Diamond Development Initiative (DDI) presented a unique searchable database of artisanal miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo, specially formatted for easier access and usability.
From mid-2014 to December 2015, DDI designed and delivered a program of miner registration in three provinces in the DRC, with funding from PROMINES-World Bank. Teams composed of government, civil society and private sector representatives of both genders registered 108,169 artisanal miners of gold, diamond, tin, tantalum and tungsten using iPads. The program engaged 48 registration agents who travelled 12,000 km by motorcycle and 3,000 km by foot to reach the most remote sites, some of which were previously unknown to authorities.

Alex Shishlo, Editor of the Rough&Polished European Bureau in Brussels