James Purefoy, Judy Davis and Derek Jacobi are to star in a $15 million miniseries about the diamond trade being made by Alchemy Television.

Diamonds will be pitched to broadcasters next month, with a likely air date of spring 2008. Cracker's Andy Wilson has been lined up to direct the script, which has been written by David Vainola.

Davis will play an American senator whose daughter is murdered at an African diamond mine, with Jacobi playing a ruthless diamond magnate and Purefoy taking the role of his son.

The series will be filmed in South Africa, London and Canada later this year.