London-listed gemstone miner URA Holdings has started commissioning of the processing and sorting plants at its Gravelotte emerald mine, in Limpopo, South Africa.
"We are pleased to report that we are on track to first production before the end of April and the start of commission of the processing and sorting plant is a significant final step in achieving this objective.
"Operational readiness and the transition to daily operations is a key part of this phase as we look not only to first emerald production but also towards ramping up production with a view to achieve first sales from the historic emerald mine for over 20 years," comments URA CEO Bernard Olivier.
The Gravelotte mine produced about 113-million carats between 1929 and 1982.