Are there still diamond mines in Sierra Leone?

Diamonds are found in about a quarter of Sierra Leone in the south-east and east of the country, with the diamond fields cover 7,700 square miles. The main production areas are concentrated around the drainage areas of rivers in the Kono, Kenema and Bo Districts.

What is the average value of a Sierra Leone diamond?

263.33 USD per carat
The average value for Sierra Leone during that period was 263.33 USD per carat with a minimum of 183.09 USD per carat in 2004 and a maximum of 423.03 USD per carat in 2017. The latest value from 2020 is 186.19 USD per carat. For comparison, the world average in 2020 based on 56 countries is 65.05 USD per carat.

Can you buy diamonds in Sierra Leone?

Arrange for the export of the diamonds to wherever the investors want them to go. If they buy in Sierra Leone, the diamonds are hand carried from the country. Foreigners are to stay in the main town of Freetown and not to be running around the country looking for rough.

Where do Sierra Leone diamonds go?

But in Sierra Leone, diamonds are more commonly dispersed close to the surface of river beds. They can be found by anyone with a shovel and a sieve.

Are Blood Diamonds still?

In 2006, Leonardo DiCaprio made the term “Blood Diamonds” a household phrase. A lot has been done to address the issue of blood diamonds and conflict diamonds since then, but unfortunately, we still have a ways to go. The diamond trade is an 81 billion dollars industry with 65% of mined diamonds coming from Africa.

What happened in Sierra Leone blood diamonds?

In 1930, a British geologist discovered diamonds in the region. The gems became one of the greatest sources of Sierra Leone’s future conflict, earning them the name “Blood Diamonds.” British companies and other foreign merchants quickly seized control of diamond mines to profit from the newfound market.