Luanda – The “Angola International Diamond Conference” (AIDC), which aims to publicize the quality of Angola’s diamonds and attract more private investment to the market for this mineral in the country, begins today (Thursday) at the Diamond Development Hub of Saurimo (Lunda Sul).
Under the motto “Angola: Destination for Sustainable Investment in the Diamond Industry”, this first International Diamond Conference will run until the 27th of this month, with the presence of mining ministers from the main African diamond producing nations.
The event will also feature leaders of diamond companies, national and international specialists, among other individuals.
For three days, AIDC participants will analyze and debate topics such as “Yields in the diamond industry in the last five years”, “Methods and data availability”, “Geological investigation”, “Results from areas with mining potential” and ” Challenges and impacts on communities”.
Primary and secondary deposits, prospecting, diamond market analysis, jewelery trends research and laboratory data, stock market, market future and sustainable financing and mining exploration and development of diamond projects in Angola are other matters to be analyzed.
Regarding the event, the Secretary of State for Mineral Resources, Jânio Correia Victor, considered the event as a great opportunity to invest in this strategic sector for the diversification of the national economy.
In an interview to ANGOP, the secretary of State made it known that the guests to the event include major Angolan partner companies in the mining sector, from Africa, Asia and America, and that the Democratic Republics of Congo (DRC) are confirmed from the African continent. , Namibia and Botswana.
With a production capacity of more than eight million carats per year, Angola is the world’s fifth largest producer of diamonds, accounting for 13 percent of the extraction of this mineral, with the provinces of Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul being the main areas of diamond exploration.
In Africa, the country ranks second, after Botswana. For this year, Angola expects to reach the production of 9 million carats of diamonds. In Angola, the first records of the occurrence of diamonds were verified in 1590, while the first crystals classified as diamonds were discovered in 1909.
In 1912, evidence of the existence of diamonds in the country increased, when two geologists linked to the “Forminiére” company found seven diamonds in the Mussalala stream, in Lunda Norte.
That same year, the Angola Mining Research Company (PEMA) was created. The first diamond explorations took place in the Chicapa River and its tributaries.

Source: Angola Press News Agency