{"id":5699,"date":"2026-02-11T07:21:03","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T07:21:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/?p=5699"},"modified":"2026-03-05T14:38:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T14:38:35","slug":"the-luanda-accord-gamble-why-producing-nations-are-doubling-down-as-giants-exit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/the-luanda-accord-gamble-why-producing-nations-are-doubling-down-as-giants-exit\/","title":{"rendered":"The Luanda Accord Gamble: Why Producing Nations are Doubling Down as Giants Exit"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-path-to-node=\"2\">The signing of the Luanda Accord by Namibia on February 9, 2026, marks a pivotal moment for the natural diamond industry. Joining Angola, Botswana, and the DRC, Namibia has committed to a collective fund\u2014historically aimed at 1% of rough export revenues\u2014to fuel global &#8220;generic marketing&#8221; through the Natural Diamond Council (NDC).<\/p><div class=\"03bb5c02e2f58c6bb7f372bc13011e34\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size:10px;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8677361123316975\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ZXZ -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8677361123316975\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3054782407\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br><br \/>\n<\/div>\n\n<p data-path-to-node=\"3\">However, for many attendees at the 11:00 AM session, a glaring contradiction remained: If natural diamonds are such a secure investment, why is the industry\u2019s most iconic giant, De Beers, currently on the auction block?<\/p>\n<hr data-path-to-node=\"4\" \/>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"5\">The Elephant in the Room: De Beers&#8217; Exit<\/h3>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"6\">The skepticism is well-founded. While producing nations pledge millions to save the &#8220;natural&#8221; brand, Anglo American is actively divesting from De Beers. This isn&#8217;t just a corporate reshuffle; it\u2019s a strategic retreat.<\/p>\n<ul data-path-to-node=\"7\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"7,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"7,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Losses &amp; Writedowns:<\/b> De Beers&#8217; value has plummeted from an estimated $8 billion to roughly $5 billion following consecutive writedowns in 2024 and 2025.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"7,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"7,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Strategic Shift:<\/b> Anglo American is pivoting toward &#8220;future-facing&#8221; metals like copper and iron ore, essential for the green energy transition, effectively deciding that the diamond market&#8217;s volatility no longer fits a diversified mining portfolio.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"7,2,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"7,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">The &#8220;Origins&#8221; Failure:<\/b> Even De Beers\u2019 own &#8220;Origins&#8221; strategy, launched in 2024 to reinvigorate natural diamond demand, could not prevent a 23% revenue decline in 2024.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"8\"><\/h3>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"8\">Why Namibia and Others are Still &#8220;In&#8221;<\/h3>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"9\">If the smart money (Anglo American) is leaving, why is Namibia entering? For these nations, the Luanda Accord isn&#8217;t just a marketing plan; it&#8217;s economic survival.<\/p><div class=\"03bb5c02e2f58c6bb7f372bc13011e34\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size:10px;\">Advertisement<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8677361123316975\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ZXZ -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8677361123316975\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3054782407\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br><br \/>\n<\/div>\n\n<ul data-path-to-node=\"10\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"10,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"10,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Sovereign Necessity:<\/b> Unlike a private corporation, Namibia cannot simply &#8220;pivot&#8221; to copper overnight. Diamonds are a cornerstone of their national budget, funding infrastructure, healthcare, and education.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"10,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"10,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Countering the Lab-Grown Surge:<\/b> Lab-grown diamonds (LGDs) are projected to capture over 15% of the market share in 2025. The Accord&#8217;s primary goal is to &#8220;reclaim the narrative,&#8221; convincing consumers that LGDs are mass-produced &#8220;technology,&#8221; while natural stones are rare &#8220;heritage&#8221; assets.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"10,2,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"10,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Managing the Void:<\/b> With De Beers stepping back, the responsibility for &#8220;category marketing&#8221; (selling the <i data-path-to-node=\"10,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"105\">idea<\/i> of diamonds, not just a brand) has fallen to the producing states themselves.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"11\"><\/h3>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"11\">A Wise Move or a Sunk Cost?<\/h3>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"12\">The market is currently in a state of &#8220;painful evolution&#8221;.<\/p>\n<ul data-path-to-node=\"13\">\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"13,0,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"13,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">The Risks:<\/b> Analysts warn that concentrating state resources in a declining sector increases fiscal risk. Early reports on the Luanda Accord suggest that funding has been slow and its impact on diamond indices has been minimal, with prices hitting three-year lows late in 2025.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"13,1,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"13,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">The Logic:<\/b> Proponents argue that the current &#8220;slump&#8221; is cyclical. By joining forces via the NDC, countries like Namibia hope to create a &#8220;bifurcated market&#8221; where natural diamonds are positioned as the ultimate luxury, separate from the falling prices of lab-grown alternatives.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"14\">The Luanda Accord represents a $100 million bet that the &#8220;magic&#8221; of a natural stone can still outshine the efficiency of a lab. Whether this investment will yield a return\u2014or simply delay the inevitable\u2014remains the multi-billion-dollar question for 2026.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The signing of the Luanda Accord by Namibia on February 9, 2026, marks a pivotal moment for the natural diamond [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[190],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mining"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5699"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5699\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5725,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5699\/revisions\/5725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xeroltha.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}