Botswana's Diamond Exports +52% in August

Botswana exported $529.6 million worth of diamonds in August 2011, the Bank of Botswana reported. The amount was 52 percent higher than the exports reported in August 2010, Rapaport News records show.

Exports during the first eight months of the year increased 88 percent to $3.7 billion. The bank’s data is a representative sample of the country's full diamond trade and is sourced from the Diamond Trading Company Botswana, Leo Schachter Botswana, Teemane Manufacturing Co., and the Central Statistics Office.

-Rapaport

BOTSWANA’S DIAMOND EXPORTS FOR JULY HIT $594.3 MILLION

Botswana exported $594.3 million worth of polished and rough diamonds in July, shooting up 371.3% year-over-year, based on figures released by the Bank of Botswana.

The high exports are a continuation of a trend seen since the start of the year, as demand for diamonds soared compared to the previous year.

Month-over-month, exports have declined by 11.4%, though in June exports were unusually high, reaching a record $670.8 million in diamond exports.

In the first seven months of 2011, Botswana exported more than $3 billion worth of diamonds.

-The Israeli Diamond Industry