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Nature vs nurture: The battle for the soul of the diamond

Friday, October 10, 2025 | 50 Views |

Ever shining: Lucara's Karowe Mine regularly unveils major finds PIC: LUCARACORP.COM

One early winter evening in Botswana, a young miner listened as his manager explained that production at the nearby Jwaneng pit would be scaled back for the first time in decades. Simultaneously, on the other side of the globe, a couple in Denver was debating whether to choose an engagement ring set with a natural stone or a synthetic one.

These seemingly unrelated conversations capture the tension defining the diamond industry today, as an ancestral trade built on rarity and romance faces off against an avalanche of easily affordable, laboratory‑grown diamonds (LGDs). The stakes are high, especially in the countries that are reliant on the revenues provided by their natural diamond resources.

A shock to the system

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Nature vs nurture: The battle for the soul of the diamond

Search continues for Maun boy feared to have been taken by a crocodile

Inimba Gets the Nod for Season 2 on Mzansi Magic

Peace conference addresses growing list of social ills

GAYO Botswana and BA ISAGO University Forge Major Partnership to Advance Climate Education and Youth Leadership

Pastor accused of defiling Teen during counselling session

FIFA World Cup draw – The countdown begins!

DIS Director's daughter rape case stalls

Main Mall’s resilience, sturdiness in the face of stiff competition

Depression is real; let's take care of our mental health