The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) has facilitated the first international sale of fully traceable artisanal diamonds from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), marking a milestone in efforts to improve transparency and market access for small-scale diamond producers.

The sale, conducted in Antwerp on June 18, took place under the OrigemA initiative, a collaborative programme launched in 2022 by AWDC, the DRC government, NGO Resolve and technology partners to establish a mine-to-market traceability system for artisanal diamonds.

The inaugural parcel comprised 103.77 carats of rough diamonds sourced from the Kamana Ndeke mine in the Kasai region and mined by the COMIDIANZ cooperative. The goods were offered through a public tender organized by Bonas-Couzyn in Antwerp, providing artisanal producers with direct access to international buyers.

According to AWDC, the initiative is designed to create a digitally verified supply chain that records each stage of a diamond’s journey from extraction to sale. By reducing dependence on multiple intermediaries, the programme aims to improve price discovery and strengthen confidence in the provenance of artisanal diamonds.

The DRC accounts for a significant share of global artisanal diamond production, and stakeholders involved in the project believe enhanced traceability could contribute to more transparent trading practices while supporting local mining communities. The OrigemA programme has also included training for miners and cooperatives in sustainable mining practices, governance and conflict resolution.

The first sale represents a practical demonstration of how digital traceability and collaborative supply chain initiatives can be applied to the artisanal diamond sector. Industry observers view the development as part of a broader push towards responsible sourcing and increased transparency across the natural diamond value chain.