Analyst Breaks Down Global Diamond Supply Ownership

A New York City diamond industry analyst has published a report which quantifies the market share of each of the top 15 diamond miners, Mining.com reports cited by Israelidiamond.co.il. In a report entitled "Analyzing Trends in the Global Diamond Industry" published online, Paul Zimnisky analyzes the power relationships that have evolved in the diamond industry in recent decades.
According to Zimnisky, De Beers has ceded its once-omnipotent position in the diamond trade, dropping to the number two spot, with 20.2% of the global diamond supply. It has been surpassed by Alrosa, who he says controls 27.4% of the global diamond supply. However, De Beers also controls the sale of diamonds by the #3, #8 and #12 firms on the list through its Diamond Trading Company, giving it de facto control over 35% of the global supply.
Three governments of contiguous southern African nations – those of Botswana, Angola and Namibia – hold the number three, number six and number eight spots on the list, with 10.6%, 6.3% and 3.1% of the global supply, respectively. Zimbabwe's Marange fields sit in the number nine spot with 2.5% of the global supply and the Government of Lesotho took thirteenth place with 0.8% of the global supply.
Five dedicated diamond companies – Dominion Diamonds, Petra Diamonds, Gem Diamonds, Lucara Diamonds and Trans Hex – were found to occupy the #4, #7, #10, #11 and #14 rungs on the list, respectively, with 7.2%, 3.2%, 1.7%, 1.1% and 0.6% of the global supply. The remaining three positions in the top 15 are taken by a diversified miner, Rio Tinto, at #5 with 6.7%, an investment firm, Ponahalo, at #12 with 1.1%, and an oil company, Lukoil, at #15 with 0.5%.