First fully traceable, artisanal diamonds from the DRC sold via Antwerp

Diamond Digital innovation
For the first time, fully traceable, artisanal diamonds from the Democratic Republic of Congo have been sold on the international market in Antwerp. During this sale, 103.77 carats of rough diamonds from the OrigemA project were offered. The Belgian-Congolese partnership gives small-scale miners direct access to international markets, guarantees fair prices and supports the livelihoods of more than 3 million people. This social sustainability project is an initiative of AWDC (Antwerp World Diamond Centre), the umbrella organisation for the Antwerp diamond sector, with support from, amongst others, the Belgian Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs.

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Currently, six mining cooperatives are participating in OrigemA. These enterprises are spread across the Tshikapa region in Kasai Province and the Kazumba region in Central Kasai.  

OrigemA breaks with the traditional model whereby artisanal miners can only sell their diamonds to one or two officially recognised buyers. Without alternatives, the miners are dependent on the price offered to them, which leaves them vulnerable to underpayment, corruption and smuggling.

International markets and fair prices

Through a public tender organised by Bonas-Couzyn in Antwerp, the diamonds now gain direct access to the international market. This enables the participating cooperative to obtain fair and competitive market prices for the first time. Furthermore, with fewer intermediaries, the COMIDIANZ cooperative in Kasai generates higher revenues. These additional funds are invested directly in the community, including in infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare and education. In this way, diamond mining becomes a genuine driver of local African development and prosperity, whilst Antwerp strengthens its role as a centre for sustainable diamond trade.

Investing in technology and organisation

Using easy-to-operate scanning devices, every diamond is digitally registered immediately after extraction. Every subsequent step in the value chain is also digitally recorded, from the mine site in Kasai to the sale in Antwerp and beyond.

The installation of Wi-Fi antennas at remote mining sites enables the cooperatives to use such a traceability system for the first time.

OrigemA also aims to provide the cooperatives with technical and organisational support. In one of the cooperatives, a small dredger was installed, which increases efficiency and significantly improves productivity. In addition, 450 miners were trained in sustainable and safe mining practices, as well as in less technical subjects such as conflict resolution and running a cooperative as a small business.

OrigemA relevant for the future

An estimated 70 % of the world’s artisanal diamond production comes from the DRC. This makes initiatives such as OrigemA particularly relevant for the future of the sector and for the many communities that depend on diamond mining.

OrigemA was officially launched in 2022 as an initiative of the AWDC, in collaboration with the Congolese Ministry of Mines, the NGO Resolve and technology partner Everledger, with financial support from the Peacebuilding Service of the Belgian FPS Foreign Affairs.

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