The first major diamond deposit was discovered in 1989 by Canadian exploration geologist, Charles Fipke, after a decade-long search in the Northwest Territories in Canada. Soon, two commercially-viable pipes were found nearby. Today, the Ekati and Diavik are two of Canada’s largest mines.

Before these mines were developed, they had to be approved by the federal Department of Indian and Northern Affairs and the Government of the Northwest Territories. Agreements were signed with five of the First Nations, which consists of more than 50 nations of indigenous people, to guarantee that members received jobs, training, scholarships and preferential contracts from mining companies. Diamond industry jobs benefit communities greatly as they pay roughly twice the national average. In 2018, 57% of those employed at the Ekati mine and 27% of those employed at the Diavik mine were indigenous peoples. Mining companies also had to agree to restore the habitat to its original state after the lifespan of the mine expires. A sign in front of the Diavik mine states: “For centuries, people of the North have used the resources wisely…Diavik is continuing that tradition.”

Canadian diamonds are a vital export that boosts Canada’s economy. In 2018, Canada was the world’s third largest producer of diamonds by value and by volume. Canadian diamond production is currently valued at over US$2 billion annually. It seems that when Charles Fipke discovered Canadian diamonds, he discovered something else as well — a new way of thinking about diamonds and the way they can transform communities.

Modern, large-scale diamond mining began in 1912 when diamonds were discovered in a stream in northeast Angola. Angola’s diamond production has been inconsistent, with most of its potential still untapped. As of now, diamonds represent roughly 5% of the country’s economy.

In 2002, the Angolan government decided to focus on strengthening its diamond industry, which would help supply much-needed jobs, infrastructure and export revenue for the nation. These jobs go beyond mining to include diamond cutting, jewelry design and jewelry manufacturing. Revenues from diamond and its industries have already helped build roads and bridges, improve healthcare and education and expand communication and technology networks.

To ensure that the sale of its diamonds benefits its people, Angola has participated in the Kimberley Process since its establishment in 2003. The Kimberley Process is an international certification system aimed at preventing the trade of conflict diamonds.

When Botswana achieved independence from the British Empire in 1966, it was one of the poorest countries in the world. But its fate changed a mere year later when De Beers discovered an enormous diamond kimberlite pipe in Orapa. Since the discovery of the Orapa pipe and other pipes, Botswana has become the world’s second largest diamond producer.

De Beers and Botswana soon formed a 50/50 joint venture, becoming Debswana, a diamond powerhouse. Together, Debswana produced 24% of the world’s diamonds by value in 2018. A portion of the income generated by Debswana goes toward government revenues and helps build schools and roads and get water to homes and farms. With approximately 20% of its population employed by the diamond industry, Botswana and the diamond industry have created a middle class and a stable economy.

Literacy rates have reached above 80%, and healthcare and compulsory primary education are free. Over 90% of the population has access to clean drinking water and electricity, and the country has more than 6,000 miles of paved road, compared to fewer than 10 miles at its independence in 1966. Funds from diamonds also go towards wildlife preservation efforts — especially of cheetahs and white rhinos — and towards empowering women entrepreneurs and fighting AIDS.

From independence to now, diamonds have helped support Botswana’s infrastructure. They also help the country reinvest in new industries so that one day, when diamond production in Botswana stops, the economy will still be able to prosper. All this helps to ensure that Botswana’s future is crystal clear.

Lesotho is a small, enclaved kingdom surrounded by South Africa, with a population of around 2.1 million. Diamond mining is the largest private sector employer in Lesotho, employing thousands. The Lesotho mines, the most famous of which is the Letšeng mine – legendary for its massive, high-quality colorless diamonds – use technically advanced equipment for diamond extraction and trains local workers in computers and X-ray technology.

Mining companies have built roads to connect some of the most remote and rugged areas of the country. They’ve also offered these isolated communities greater access to health care, education and employment. The industry provides many scholarships and internships to university students and constructs primary and secondary schools.

Lesotho is a developing country with high rates of poverty, ranking 159th out of 189 countries on the United Nations’ Human Development Index. But things may improve as Lesotho’s diamond sector continues to grow. In 2015, Lesotho’s diamond production totaled only 304,000 carats. When the Lesotho government began enacting reforms to modernize minerals legislation, however, production quadrupled in the next three years. The taxes, royalties and revenue generated by its growing diamond mining industry enables a brighter future for Lesotho.

When Namibia’s diamonds formed millions of years ago, they were carried by the Orange River thousands of miles downstream to the ocean. As a result, Namibia’s diamonds are found on both land and sea, with marine diamonds being vacuumed up from rock crevices on the shore or from the ocean floor via crawlers. The gravel that is vacuumed up from the ocean floor is sorted for diamonds, with the diamonds being flown by helicopter to land and the gravel returned to the sea.

Namibia’s land and marine diamond extraction operations are run by two major groups — Namdeb and Debmarine Namibia. Namdeb, the largest Namibian mining group, is a 50/50 partnership between the Namibian government and the DeBeers group. Namdeb is one of the country’s largest employers and contributes millions of dollars annually to the communities where it operates by funding university bursaries (scholarships based on need) in fields such as geology, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering, and by supporting Women’s Action for Development (WAD) and environmental protection initiatives such as the Brown Hyena Research Project, as well as by providing for a hospital and an orphanage.

Debmarine Namibia, also a partnership between the Namibian government and DeBeers, is a world leader in marine diamond exploration. Debmarine Namibia works to keep diamond-related employment opportunities within the country, helps combat AIDS and offers university bursaries, largely in the sciences, to promising students, with no obligation for the student to work for Debmarine Namibia after graduation.

Although relatively new to the diamond world stage, Russia is currently the world's largest producer of diamonds by volume. Most Russian diamonds come from Mirny, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in Siberia. This remote town close the Arctic circle is home to roughly 40,000 people, most of them employed by the Russian diamond producer, Alrosa, which has its headquarters there.

As Russia’s largest diamond company, Alrosa donates roughly US$4 million each year towards education, the single largest source of revenue for the schools in this remote region. It also contributes about 3% of its annual revenue to healthcare, culture and sport initiatives in the area. As an employer, it pays wages and benefits well above average for the country and enforces state-of-the-art safety policies at its mines.

Diamond mining and sorting are not the only career opportunities created by this industry. Diamond cutting accounts for thousands of jobs in cities such as Smolensk and Vladivostok. The diamond industry is such a major employer that the Mirny Polytechnic Institute offers majors such as Underground Mining of Mineral Deposits, Electrical Engineering and Automation in Mining and Mining Machines and Equipment. The diamond industry in Russia has helped bring life and a thriving economy to a cold, remote town in Siberia and helped many diamond industry sectors throughout Russia shine.

South Africa is the birthplace of the modern diamond industry. When diamonds were discovered there in the 1860s, this hot, barren region transformed into a bustling town named Kimberley almost overnight. Cecil Rhodes, an enterprising English teenager, bought up mining claims and formed De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd., which would grow into a worldwide diamond monopoly. Within a decade after diamonds were found in South Africa, the world’s production of diamonds increased tenfold.

Since then, diamonds have continued to be the lifeblood of South Africa’s economy. South Africa is currently the world’s 6th largest producer of diamonds by volume. In 2018, South African mines produced roughly ten million carats of diamonds, worth over US $1.2 billion. The diamond industry creates jobs for tens of thousands of South Africans — diamond mining alone employed over 16,000 people in 2018 — and taxes on diamond companies help build roads, schools and hospitals. As a result, a greater number of children in mining towns attend schools than in non-mining areas.

In addition, many diamond companies give back to their mining communities. Forevermark, an offshoot of De Beers, builds schools and hospitals near its mines and partners with UN Women to support women who are in business or in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. De Beers also created the Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve, which is home to lions, elephants, leopards, African wild dogs and more. Anglo American funds the Zimele program, which helps small or medium-sized business owners grow their businesses, which ultimately results in more jobs.

South Africa is known as a producer of ethical diamonds and has produced some of the most remarkable diamonds in the world, including Cullinan I, part of the British crown jewels. South African diamonds have changed the diamond world and continues to shape South Africa’s future.