Peace Diamond Trade Mission Reconnects the Global Diamond Industry with the Source

Empower Africa today announced the ninth Peace Diamond Trade Mission, taking place in Sierra Leone from October 11 to 16, 2026. The six-day programme brings diamond and jewelry professionals from around the world directly to the country's artisanal mining communities, to the companies that export from them, and to the government bodies that regulate the trade.

Delegates will travel to Kono District, where the 709-carat Peace Diamond was found in 2017, and meet the miners who work the alluvial fields. The programme includes site visits to working mines, a business roundtable with exporters and entrepreneurs, meetings with government leaders in Freetown, and time at Peace Diamond Village in Koyardu, where the proceeds of the diamond's sale funded a school, a medical center, clean water and roads.

Previous missions have hosted more than 50 delegates from over 15 countries, including manufacturers, retailers, traders and designers. Many have returned for a second or third mission, and several have gone on to establish direct sourcing relationships in Sierra Leone.

Background

The Peace Diamond was found in Kono District in March 2017 by artisanal miners who brought it to their community leaders rather than moving it through informal channels. The stone was handed to the Government of Sierra Leone and sold at open international auction in December 2017 to House of Graff for $6.5 million.

The sale was conducted transparently, with the proceeds returned to the Government of Sierra Leone and to the community where the diamond was found. It became a reference point in the industry for what a formal, accountable route to market can return to a mining community.

Mission logistics

The ninth Peace Diamond Trade Mission runs October 11–16, 2026, beginning and ending in Freetown. Delegate places are limited. A tenth mission is scheduled for April 11–16, 2027. Applications and the full itinerary are available at peacediamond.com.