Diamond institute to open two centres

schools in Bulawayo and Mutare before year-end.
Braitwood group chief executive officer Mr Bernard Mutanga said the opening of the two schools was part of the institute’s plans to spread its wings all over the country and accommodate more students who want to study diamond cutting and polishing.
“We opened our learning centre in Harare last year with the co-operation of MMCZ and due to the demand of such institutes we have decided to open other centres in the two major cities by September,” he said.
“We felt that it is better to equip the youths in Zimbabwe so that they learn about the uniqueness of local diamonds and be able to distinguish them from those found in other countries. The institute is keen on equipping youths with skills that they can use to get jobs,” he said.
Mr Mutanga said they were working with the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe in their training programmes.
According to Mr Mutanga students who enroll at the institute would be equipped with diamond cutting and polishing skills that would maximise gem quality and value.
“Raw forms of the gem are less valuable than the finished product and it is imperative that the country acquires skills to cut a comprehensive competitive product that would be well received in the market,” he said.
He added that students would also receive diamond-grading skills, as gems have to be classified into different grades after they have been worked on. Mr Mutanga said there are four factors that affected diamond value and they comprised the carat, colour, cut and clarity of the stone and students need to be taught the importance of each factor.
“Such centres are vital to the country’s economic growth as they create employment while adding value to products. Our aim is to train entrepreneurs who, after acquiring their certificates, would go on to establish other centres and employ other people.
“For every unpolished carat that is exported, the country is losing 10 hours of labour. Once we have trained the youths all those jobs that we are exporting to India will benefit our own people,” he related.
Mr Mutanga said in future they expect to have at least five classes in Harare of students +/-200 and expanding their enrollment to three intakes per year.
The classes are divided into two sections that of rough diamond cutting evaluation and diamond cutting and polishing.
On the whole, it takes three years to complete the course including internship.