JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Russian diamond miner Alrosa sold $559.5-million worth of rough and polished diamonds in March, an increase on February’s sales of $541.9-million, despite a slight seasonal cooling off in demand during the month.
Deputy CEO Yury Okoemov said in a statement that auctions of diamonds larger than 10.8 ct had resulted in the higher month-on-month performance in the month under review.
Total sales in the first quarter amounted to $1.61-billion, of which $1.58-billion were rough diamonds, with higher demand for medium and large-size rough diamonds.
Okoemov noted that, at the end of the first quarter, rough diamond stock had approached the technological minimum level.