232-carat diamond mined in Russia

by Samantha Ashenhurst | October 31, 2019 9:58 am

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Alrosa has unearthed a 232.4-carat rough diamond its calling its largest gem-quality discovery in more than three years.

Discovered at Udacnhaya kimberlite pipe in Russia’s Sakha Republic (Yakutia), the octahedron carries dimensions of 40 x 39 x 23 mm (1.6 x 1.5 x 0.9 in.). The stone, which is the second large diamond[2] to be mined at the site in recent months, has yellowish hue and several chips.

“Such large gem-quality crystals are extremely rare. Of course, they are present at Alrosa’s deposits, but we have not seen them since 2016, when two diamonds weighing more than 200 carats were mined,” says Evgeny Agureev, deputy CEO of Alrosa.

Discovered in 1955, Udacnhaya kimberlite pipe is one of the largest primary diamond deposits in Yakutia and globally, Alrosa says. In the first nine months of 2019, the site produced 2.385 million carats of rough diamonds.

Source URL: https://www.jewellerybusiness.com/news/232-carat-diamond-mined-in-russia/

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