Harare: Zimbabwe is set to conduct diamond auctions in Antwerp, Belgium, before it convenes its own domestic exchange in November this year.

The Herald newspaper quoted mines and mining development minister Walter Chidhakwa as saying that Harare was looking at one or two auctions in Antwerp   between now and November.

He also said that the planned local auction would coincide with the upcoming diamond conference set for Zimbabwe’s capital early November.

“In November we will have the diamond conference and together with the diamond conference, we will have the (domestic) auction,” he said.

Chidhakwa said they wanted to give buyers interested in coming to purchase local gems an opportunity to be part of the bi-annual conference.

Zimbabwe conducted its second Antwerp auction last February, which officials said it attracted an average price of $72 per carat.

This gave an impression that the Dubai auction held after the Antwerp February auction had attracted $76 per carat.

Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) chief executive Ari Epstein disputed the claims as insisted that the auction attracted an average price of about $80 per carat not what had been peddled by Zimbabwean officials.