Diamonds helped transform Botswana from one of the world’s poorest nations into one of Africa’s success stories. It became the world’s top diamond producer by value, and the industry has funded the country’s health, education and infrastructure. But the rapid rise of lab-grown synthetic diamonds made in places like China and India is hitting hard. They once made up just 1% of global sales in 2015 but have surged to nearly 20%. Now Botswana and several other African diamond producers have teamed up with a global industry organization to try to win back public interest and save their economies.
