Our purchasers often go into the most remote areas to negotiate directly with the craftsmen, who carry out an exhausting work in the fields. Our company is present in Bangui (R.C.A.) and Conakry (Guinea)



A diamond gem can be found in rivers or even by digging deeply into the earth. In nature, it is found in many different forms.

When classified, they fall into the following subcategories

•"sawable stones" : these are the most in demand ; they look like two upside down pyramids put together. When you come across such a stone in the middle of the African bush, you are facing something that goes beyond any flawlessness or brightness that you could imagine. You can feel eternity. Once cut, this stone will result in two round shaped diamonds. The more equal the proportions of the rough diamond, the more brilliant the cut stones will be.


•" spotted stones " : these are also well shaped monocrystals. They are not flawless as they have either black or white inclusions, which, after careful analysis, can be removed during shaping.

•" makeable stones " : these are octahedral or dodecahedral diamonds with irregular shapes. They are cut immediately. There is no need to cleave or saw them.


•" coated stones " : these diamonds are subjected to a certain speculation for being covered with a kind of coat that must be removed when cleaving. In the Central African Republic and Zaire, this kind of stone is very common.


The colour of a diamond is one of the signs of its scarceness and justifies the price of the stone. Its shade can vary from snow white to yellow, but, blue, pink and red diamonds can also be found… they are very scarce and , once cut, their price per carat can reach $1,000,000.(this is not a typing mistake)


The production is chiefly based on alluvial deposit, and thus diamonds are often found in riverbeds. The largest and greatest stones are located in the area of Banankoro. Further to the north, the region of Kindia also conceals some wonders. In 1989, two incredible stones of 250 and 180 carats were found. In early 1993, a stone of 284 carats was discovered in the Aredor mine. With a length of 9 centimetres, and a diameter of 4 centimetres, the gem was sold in Antwerp to a Geneva-based, Lebanese trader for $ 8,000,000. Quite a sum!

In spite of mining companies and regular governmental checks, smuggling remains the major Guinea curse, a method to which between 5,000 and 20,000 miners resort. The problem is quite old since in the early 60s, more than 30,000 miners from Sierra Leone completely looted fields in Avili and Feredou… Now a days, each month, the Aredor firm puts more than 250 people in custody and assesses its annual loss at over $80million. It is extremely hard to work in this country as risks are considerable. Political turmoil creates a perturbed social atmosphere and the situation in Sierra Leone, the border country, tends to influence Guinea.

However, we have an office in Conakry, which is specialised in the purchase of rough diamonds. The extremely high quality of the stones in this region encourages us to invest in this western African country.


The first Central African diamonds were discovered at the beginning of the World War one. The great presence of water, the spread of deposits and a relatively cheap labour force enabled the diamond industry to maintain its high quality.

The stones found are round and white, with some yellow. The outside is very often green-stained; in which case, it is simply a uranium ore which coats the stone. These diamonds are radioactive, but it is still possible to treat them.

Since diamond exploitation is generally seasonal (during the dry season), the craftsmen who work in the field number 30,000. This activity allows about 300,000 inhabitants, based in half the territory, to earn their living .

The Central-African Republic is one of the few countries to be self-sufficient in food; it also produces coffee, cotton, tobacco, wood, gold, copper, pewter, uranium and oil in great quantities. We strongly believe in the region's future capacity for diamond extraction.

The space is enormous: the country, which is as big as France and which houses 3 million inhabitants, has plenty of diamonds. The great tropical forest where pygmies live remains almost unknown, and a great number of diamond paths are still to be discovered. However, the absence of roads in the jungle and the vast number of tropical viruses contribute to the hostility of the region. Working conditions are poor, and risks are considerable.