Diamonds are made of pure carbon in crystallized form, although often containing inclusions of other minerals. They are an excellent refractor of light and are usually clear, although they have a range of colors, such as pink, golden or blue.

Diamond mines are open-cut or underground. The ore is blasted with explosives, then loaded onto trucks for transport to a processing plant, where it is cleaned and sorted. Large-scale, open-pit mining was initially used to extract diamond ore at Argyle, however the mine is now a large-scale underground block cave operation.

The world’s leading diamond producers are composed of seven companies — ALROSA, De Beers Group, Dominion Diamond Mines, Lucara Diamond Corp., Murowa Diamonds, Petra Diamonds and Rio Tinto — and employ more than 77,000 individuals globally.

Beyond employment, the diamond mining industry makes a vital contribution to the socioeconomic development of diamond-producing countries and communities that goes beyond employment. Members purchase the bulk of the goods and services needed for their operations from local businesses, creating a significant, lasting impact on local economies. Moreover, they pay a large share of their revenues to diamond-mining countries in the form of taxes, royalties and dividends.