Botswana was once one of the poorest countries in the world, but today its story is one of unprecedented success. By investing diamond revenue into government-funded education, the country now graduates more than 900 times the number of students in mining-related programs than it did just two decades ago. This remarkable transformation is the story of Botswana, and it’s a story told in every ethically sourced diamond from the country. At the heart of this story is a new partnership with Ada Thela, an entrepreneur and "diamond baby" whose personal journey embodies this positive impact.
What is a Diamond Baby? A person whose opportunities, growth, and success were made possible through the diamond industry — often starting with very little but able to build a future through government-funded benefits of diamond exports, such as free healthcare and education. The term was first introduced to the J.R. Dunn team during a panel at JCK Las Vegas, when Pat Dambe from Botswana, now a leading diamond marketing executive, proudly introduced herself as a Diamond Baby to honor how the industry shaped her personal growth journey.
Ada Thela and Zoe Diamonds
Ada Thela is the founder and managing director of Zoe Diamonds, a youth, female, and Motswana-owned company; Motswana refers to a person from Botswana. The connection between Sean Dunn and Ada began with a simple LinkedIn conversation that has evolved into a business relationship built on a shared mission: to bring the human story of natural diamonds to light.
For Ada, being a “diamond baby” is more than a phrase—it is her identity. Her journey began through a youth empowerment program, which led to a paid apprenticeship where she learned the art of cutting and polishing diamonds herself. But what really sparked her mission was a pivotal realization. "I realized there were no Batswana (people of Botswana) actively taking part in cutting and polishing," she explains. "I saw this as an opportunity to fill a gap."
That single realization became the foundation for Zoe Diamonds. For Ada, this is not just about business; it’s about changing lives. "That's what attracted me to diamond manufacturing, the job creation potential it has," she says, emphasizing that youth unemployment is one of the biggest challenges in Botswana. When she visited a diamond factory in India and saw 1,200 people employed, her personal dream of bringing that scale of opportunity back home was solidified.
While Ada’s story is the core of this partnership, it is also part of a larger, national narrative of success. Another of Sean Dunn’s early LinkedIn connections, Obusitswe Tiroesele, reflects on her own "diamond baby" experience. "Our involvement with diamonds starts before we even realize it," she notes, describing how her family received essential prenatal care and food rations thanks to diamond revenue. Her scholarship to study abroad, also funded by the industry, inspired her to return home with a mission to advocate for the continued ethical mining of diamonds and to give back to her country.
The stories of Ada and Obusitswe highlight what our commitment to ethical sourcing is all about. Through Ada's company, we are able to directly source Single Source™ blockchain diamonds as large as 2 to 3 carats. For diamonds above 3 carats, we predominantly work with De Beers’ Origin program, which sources exclusively through our trusted sightholder, Grandview Klein. This approach is an evolution of our Single Source program—a way to build direct, traceable relationships that benefit real people and communities.
As consumers become increasingly aware of the importance of a diamond’s journey, blockchain technology like Tracr provides a secure digital record that tracks a diamond from the mine to the market. This technology is more than a technical upgrade; it's a way of embedding accountability and ethics into every stone, ensuring that its journey is as beautiful as the gem itself.
When you choose a blockchain diamond, you are choosing a gem whose journey is secured by cutting-edge technology. This traceability is about more than transparency; it ensures that your purchase is directly supporting the ethical practices and human stories we've shared. You are becoming part of a journey that began with a conversation and continues to shape the lives of extraordinary people like Ada, her employees, and the entire nation of Botswana.
