By volume, which country is the largest diamond producer in the world?

Russia holds what is believed to be the world’s largest and richest diamond resources. They are the world’s largest producer and exporter of rough diamonds by volume. In 2014, Russian miners extracted an estimated 38-39 million carats of diamonds. The main miner is ALROSA, which has a near-monopoly on diamond mining in the country, accounting for well over 90% of the country’s annual production. Most of Russia’s (and ALROSA’s) mining deposits and current mining activities are in the Russian republic Yakutia, in the Siberian region of the country. According to the latest estimates, Russia has 973 million carats in total diamond resources. Of this, 608 million carats are known reserves.

The Russian diamond resources produce the full range of goods – all sizes, colors and clarities. They are known for their fluorescence, which is usually less desirable for gem quality diamonds. Another common feature of the Russian goods is that they are often in a shape known as Crystal, which has eight facets and sharp corners. Several Russian mines also produce fancy yellow diamonds.

Botswana is the leading diamond-producing country in terms of value, and the second largest in terms of volume. This is the home base of De Beers, and the source of most of its production today. In 2013, Botswana produced 23.2 million carats with a stated value of $3.63 billion.