Angola will limit the production of small-sized rough diamonds in the coming months in order to avoid saturating the market, the state-owned mining company ENDIAMA announced.

Angola is the fastest-growing diamond producer in the world, with exports of rough diamonds increasing by 70%, reaching 17.7 million carats in 2025.

However, many of these diamonds belong to the smaller size categories, which have faced difficulties in the last two years, leading to criticism that the country has contributed to a surplus of polished diamonds weighing less than 1 carat.

The next sales of rough diamonds from the Catoca and Luele mines — the two largest in Angola — will see a “substantial reduction” in the availability of small stones, Elton Escrivão, commercial director of ENDIAMA, told Rapaport News during the Luxury event in Las Vegas.

"Over the next three months, we will substantially reduce the volume of small-sized diamonds that we place on the market, especially with regard to Catoca and Luele," said Escrivão.

The objective is to "protect the value of our production and... the market," he added.

Escrivão announced the measure during an event hosted by the Natural Diamond Council (NDC) about the Angolan mining sector.

"If necessary, we will extend this suspension to protect the market. Count on us, just as we count on you," he stated.

"It is crucial, considering the important role that Angola currently plays in the diamond industry, that we take care of the market."

Diamond production in Angola increased by 8% to 15.2 million carats last year, while the average price fell by 29% to $102 per carat — indicating a shift towards smaller stones.

The country projected increasing production to 16.2 million carats by 2026, with an estimated average price of $150 per carat.

The increase in production, driven by the start of operations at the Luele mine in 2023, which made Angola the world's third-largest producer, coincided with production cuts in Botswana and Russia. This created challenges for the sector, which is seeking to balance supply and help the market recover.