2009 showed that competition between the leading diamond mining companies has become a reality, and this circumstance will mainly determine the further development of the market. The current financial condition of diamond mining companies is such that any attempt at a direct price war can be disastrous for all. Therefore, the main area of competition will be a decrease in the cost of mining diamonds. First of all, this means limiting or completely stopping the exploitation of low-margin deposits. The outlines of this process were outlined in the spring of 2009, when De Beers stopped geological exploration projects in the Congo and abandoned the Verkhotinskoye field (Arkhangelsk region), and ALROSA stopped development of a number of alluvial deposits and the Zarnitsa pipe.

It is likely that in the near future the plans of the leading companies to significantly reduce the intensity of exploitation and even the complete abandonment of unprofitable deposits in the current situation will be further realized. De Beers has already announced a planned shutdown of production at the Namaqualand field (South Africa) in the first quarter of 2010. This strategy also fills De Beers' refusal to invest $ 300 million in the construction of the mine in the AK6 (Botswana) and sell its stake in this project to the Canadian company Lucara in November 2009.

At the same time, De Beers announced the increase in production and the creation of 175 new jobs at the Snap Lake (Canada) field, which uses the most modern technologies to date and the ratio of the average price per carat (now about $ 110) to the cost price (about $ 30) is responsible Current market realities. At the same time, a representative of Debswana (a joint property of De Beers and Botswana) announced the approval of capital expenditures in the amount of $ 539 million for the project "Сut 8", which involves a large-scale reconstruction of the Zhvaneng quarry, whose production cost is even lower than at Snap Lake (about $ 25 / carat ).

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