ODC, GIA sign up as Tracr expands

Mbongeni Mguni | Tuesday June 17, 2025 10:38

Same page: President Boko led the Botswana delegation to Las Vegas and New York. In the picture he greets Masire, while on the right is Motsomi PIC: BWGOVERNMENT FACEBOOK

The global natural diamond industry met in Las Vegas and New York last week, with players agreeing that provenance as well as highlighting the ethical, sustainable, and developmental role of natural diamonds, is key to their recovery from a nearly three-year slump.

By providing “immutable” traceability and provenance, retail customers can be assured and independently confirm that the sources of the diamonds they buy employ ethical and sustainable practices that do developmental good for citizens.

In Las Vegas, ODC, the state-owned diamond trader which is entitled to 30% of Debswana’s production, announced that it was signing onto the Tracr platform, thus providing blockchain-backed traceability for each of its diamonds from mine to shelf.

Since the beginning of the year, ODC has been registering rough diamonds in the three o six gramme and two to 10 carat size ranges on Tracr, significantly increasing the availability of traceable diamonds from Botswana.

By leveraging this innovative blockchain technology, ODC ensures that its buyers and partners can access immutable records of provenance, strengthening confidence in Botswana’s natural diamonds, officials said.

“By joining the Tracr platform, we are strengthening our commitment to transparency and ensuring that Botswana’s diamonds are recognised for the ethical legacy they represent,” ODC managing director, Mmetla Masire said. “This step is not just about technology; it’s about trust, responsibility, and shaping a future where provenance is as valuable as the diamond itself.'

By virtue of its annual allocation from Debswana, the ODC is technically one of the world’s largest ‘producers’ of natural diamonds handling an average of six million carats in a typical year.

For his part, Debswana managing director, Andrew Motsomi, said as one of the world’s leading natural diamond producer, the company is committed to upholding the highest standards of responsible mining.

“We are proud to support ODC in this important initiative, ensuring that Botswana’s diamonds continue to meet the highest standards of provenance assurance. “Tracr provides a critical tool for reinforcing trust in natural diamonds, and we look forward to continuing our role in strengthening the integrity of Botswana’s diamond value chain,' he said.

Initially launched in 2018 by De Beers, Tracr was expanded to scale in May 2022 as traceability became more critical for natural diamonds after the sanction of Russian stones for that country’s invasion of Ukraine. In 2023, De Beers opened up Tracr to the entire diamond industry.

In Las Vegas, De Beers CEO, Al Cook announced that the GIA had taken up equity in Tracr with other potential partners also seeking a stake in the technology.

“We are in negotiations with four groups beyond the GIA to come into equity on Tracr and they will be coming in at a cost,” he told the Rapaport breakfast in Las Vegas, monitored virtually by BusinessWeek. “The more that the industry can own Tracr, the more value that the industry can use it and make it the source of telling the story of the good that diamonds do. “Join us, come, and take an equity stake in Tracr. “We don’t see it as something to make profits but to help the industry.”