Few countries have commercially viable diamond mines. Some 49% of rough diamonds originate from central and southern African countries.
Mining about 15% of the world's rough diamond supply, Canada is the world's third-most productive diamond mining country behind only Botswana and Russia. Significant sources of the precious mineral have also been found in India, Brazil and Australia.
Canada's rough diamonds are generally high-quality. In 2001, the average price for a Canadian-mined diamond was C$228 per carat. This represented the third-highest average diamond price in the world, behind only Namibia and Angola.