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2002

World Diamond Mining Production

Sep. 2002

	1999			2000			2001
Country	Gem	Industrial	Total	Gem	Industrial	Total	Gem	Industrial	Total
Angola	3,700	400	4,100	5,400	600	6,000	4,653	517	5,170
Australia	13,403	16,381	29,784	12,014	14,684	26,698	10,700	13,100	23,800
Botswana	16,000	5,350	21,350	19,700	4,950	24,650	20,100	5,060	25,160
Brazil	300	600	900	300	600	900	1,000	—	1,000
Canada	2,000	N/A	2,000	2,000	N/A	2,000	2,600	—	2,600
CentralAfrica Republic	400	150	550	400	150	550	360	120	480
China	230	920	1,150	230	920	1,150	235	950	1,185
Congo	4,120	16,000	20,120	3,500	14,200	17,500	9,100	9,100	18,200
Ivory Coast	210	100	310	200	100	300	210	110	320
Ghana	518	128	646	178	712	880	700	170	870
Guinea	410	140	550	410	140	550	270	90	360
Liberia	120	80	200	120	80	200	100	70	170
Namibia	1,550	89	1,639	1,520	80	1,600	1,490	—	1,490
Russia	11,500	11,500	23,000	11,600	11,600	23,200	11,600	11,600	23,200
Sierra Leone	450	150	600	450	150	600	450	150	600
South Africa	4,000	6,020	10,020	4,300	6,480	10,780	4,470	6,700	11,770
Tanzania	200	301	501	35	55	90	302	53	355
Venezuela	59	36	95	60	40	100	85	40	125
Zimbabwe	15	30	45	7	13	20	5	10	15
Other	207	141	348	258	143	401	70	200	270
Totals	59,200	58,200	117,000	62,600	55,600	118,000	68,500	48,000	117,000

Analysis: The total world natural diamond production was down by 1 million carats in 2001, in large part due to a decrease in Australian production.

Overall gem production was up by 5.9 million carats, while overall industrial production was down 7.6 million carats. Upon closer examination, it is clear that these figures are a result of Congo’s new evaluation of its production. While previous years had Congo producing nearly three times as many industrial carats than gem, this year its production was evenly split between the two categories. It seems to us that the Congo has changed its evaluation of its production to include 50% in the so-called near-gem category, which can be cut in India or other low cost labor areas.

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