Star Diamond Group Reopens Botswana Factory

On Thursday Diamond Manufacturing Botswana (DMB), a company of the Star Diamond Group (SDG), celebrated 25 years of its presence in Botswana as well as the inauguration plaque of the newly refurbished DMB factory.

Over the past year, the 3,500 square meter factory - inaugurated by Botswana President Festus Mogae - has undergone major re-design and renovation, at a cost of more than $1.5 million, more than doubling its capacity and manpower.

Said Philippe Roth, Director of SDG, “DMB workers will use the latest technology, equipment and coaching methods to attain the highest levels of proficiency in diamond cutting and polishing.”

The new factory will employ a core of 135 workers, supplemented by up to 65 additional polishers, who will be employed in a dedicated training section at the DMB plant to prepare them for moving up to full polishing skills and responsibility.

DMB has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Adler, a leading international diamond jewelry designer and retailer operating in the fine jewelry market, which will give the jeweler access to larger diamonds, from rough sourced or manufactured in Botswana. Initially such stones will be polished in Antwerp through SDG’s manufacturing operations and in a later phase at DMB in Botswana.

As a result of this collaboration, Adler's next advertising campaign features a jewelry piece named ‘Okavango’ with an exceptionally large stone (38 carats - $1.3M) on a landscape from Botswana.

Established in London in 1948, the Star Diamond Group is a vertically integrated company, from rough distribution to jewelry manufacturing and distribution.