FAQs
We currently work with 9 boats and 8 shore units as well, a total of 51 divers.
Each boat consists of: a supervisor/skipper who runs the boat, a deckhand who will be in charge of the anchors and the classifier, and two divers. The bigger boats have more deckhands and an extra diver.
The divers venture out on a few days each month. Diamond diving is very weather dependent, the sea needs to be calm in order for conditions to be safe and settled enough to dive. For this reason, it is also seasonal, mostly occurring in the summer months.
Yes they each have to do a commercial divers course and achieve their Class 3 ticket before gaining experience by working in the industry and learning from experienced divers.
They dive two at a time, they’re connected via an airline from the boat so their air is managed from the vessel. There is also a receiver that stores enough air if the engine stops which lasts long enough for the divers to reach the surface again. The supervisor always make sure it is safe to work underwater.
We use the term ‘Handpicked’ in reference to the hands on nature of recovering the diamonds from the seabed. The divers have expert knowledge of where to search for the diamonds, they work in select areas of shallow water and the surf zone. The divers push the diamond bearing gravel in to the opening of a hose by hand, the hose then transports the gravel on board the boat. There is no alternative way of transporting the gravel without losing it in the water. The hose is used exclusively as a transportation method and is not used as an excavation method, they do not ‘hoover’ or ‘suck’ up the seabed with the hose.
The divers work in the surf zone which on most days (excluding calm diving days) is a very rough and volatile area where the waves constantly churn up the seabed. Therefore any movement made by the divers is shifted by nature again soon after so that their presence quickly becomes indiscernible. Diamond diving is a low-impact method of retrieval with minimal disturbance and minimal legacy left by the divers. There is also no digging, explosives or trawling of the seabed used in the process.
We only supply diamonds directly to jewellery designers and trade. If you would like an Ocean Diamond as an individual, we’d love to point you towards our list of retailers who will help facilitate the purchase of your diamond from us and design a piece of jewellery for you! Alternatively, if you’d like to work with a specific jeweller, let us know and we will endeavour to reach out and set them up as a trade customer.
Our diamonds are cut in Johannesburg in South Africa.
We’re members of the RJC and working towards our full certification in the future!
Yes we do, shipping is by Malca-Amit with Fedex. Please contact us with the address you’d like your diamonds sent to for an individual shipping quote. For shipping of Raw diamonds outside the UK, there is a minimum order value of $1000 and an additional charge of $65 to cover the cost of obtaining the Kimberley Certificate. Customs and duties is payable by the recipient.