The Zimbabwe government has set up a new facility for cleaning rough diamonds and has said that cleaning will now be mandatory before exports or auctions, reports in the local media state. The Zimbabwe Boiling Facility as it is known is owned by the state.

Mines and Mining Development Minister Walter Chidhakwa has been quoted as saying that cleaning will lead to an increase in prices realised by the miners.

According to the reports, the facility has cleaned 1,000 cts till now and the exact extent to which cleaning will boost prices is yet to be assessed.

"Now that we have this facility, it is mandatory for all diamonds produced in Zimbabwe to be cleaned before auctioning,” Chidhakwa is reported to have said.