Russian diamond miner Alrosa has unearthed its largest gem-quality diamond in more than three years: a 232.4-ct stone that was unearthed at the Udachnaya kimberlite pipe.
The diamond has a yellowish hue and several chips. Its dimensions are 40 х 39 х 23 mm.
"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 over 200 ct were mined," said Alrosa deputy CEO Evgeny Agureev.
"This year Udachnaya pipe has brought us such a gift twice. Earlier in January, a large diamond weighing 191.46 ct was mined there," he added.
Discovered in 1955, the Udachnaya kimberlite pipe is one of the largest primary diamond deposits in Yakutia and globally. Since the beginning of development in 1967, this deposit has brought in hundreds of large diamonds. In the first 9 months of 2019, the Udachnaya pipe produced 2.385-million carats of rough diamonds.