ROTTMANS  is pleased to add Russian diamonds to our collection of traceable-origin diamonds.  Our Russian diamonds come from the Yakutia region of northeast Siberia, a cold but beautiful land of boreal forest and tundra in Russia’s vast interior. Diamonds from this region are completely free from the violence and serious human rights abuses that too often plague diamond mining. Russian diamond mines also provide a critical source of jobs to the people of the Yakutia region and serve as the foundation of the local economy.

 

Labor

 

Russian diamonds meet an ethical standard that goes well beyond conflict free. Russia’s diamond mines, in addition to being free from civil war and violence, provide well-paying jobs to tens of thousands of people. The average wage at a Russian diamond mine is more than twice the average Russian salary. Workers receive affordable housing, health care, and pensions. Because many employees move to the area from other parts of Russia, each employee receives a free domestic plane flight every two years.

 

Community & Environment

 

The diamond industry is the economic lifeblood of this remote region of Russia. Although diamond mines have altered the physical landscape in some places, the overall effect of diamond mining has been positive for local communities. In Mirny, a small city of 40,000 people that is considered the seat of the Russia’s diamond industry, the diamond business employs about 70 percent of the working age population. The diamond industry also directly funds hospitals, cultural centers, and other public works while supporting the local and regional government through the payment of taxes. About half of the Yakutia region’s budget consists of taxes on diamond profits.

 

Choosing Russian Diamonds

 

At ROTTMANS, we are committed to inform our customers about the origins of each of the diamonds in our collection. Our diamonds meet the highest labor and environmental standards while contributing to the economies of each place.

 

Russia is the world's second-largest diamond producer, but Soviet-era restrictions and the De Beers cartel have crimped Russian profits from the gems. Now South Africa-based De Beers is relaxing its grip on the world's diamonds, and Russia is angling to make a name for itself in the lucrative, secretive industry. "It's time for Russia to step out in this business," said Natalya Marakina, a member of the exclusive Russian Diamond Chamber, a club for diamond producers. "We are ready."

 

Russia has an advantage these days, as fears mushroom about gem sales financing the wars in Sierra Leone, Angola and Congo "The Russians are an important source of non-bloodied stones," said John Meyer, an industry analyst with Societe Generale in London. "The diamond industry in Russia has had a pretty low profile ... and this could be a pretty good marketing tool for them."

 

More exports would bring increased government revenues - the state owns a majority stake of Alrosa - and good news for an economy still hung over from a decade of decline. Most Russian diamonds come from Sakha, formerly known as Yakutia, a province five times the size of Texas that straddles the Arctic Circle. Soviet authorities coaxed workers to the ever-frozen wilderness with bloated salaries and generous benefits. Alrosa has trimmed the work force, but production costs remain high - about five times as much as De Beers spends extracting stones from its South African deposits. Once they leave Yakutia, diamonds are guarded by a series of private militias. Addresses of the Moscow vaults are a prized secret.

 

Russia produces about 20 percent of the world's rough diamonds and has vast untapped reserves. Russia's diamond monopoly Alrosa would develop new mines and reach more markets.

 

"After 40 years in the diamond business, Russia has grown out of children's shorts and understands how to sell diamonds so as not to harm the market or our own interests," said Valery Rudakov, chief of Russia's precious gem reserves.