PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Diamond miner Burgundy Diamond Mines has recovered its first diamond from the Ellendale project, in Western Australia, a 1.51 ct Fancy Yellow stone.
Burgundy in 2021 struck a two-year option agreement with Gibb River Diamonds to earn full ownership of the project for A$6.7-million in cash, 16-million Burgundy shares and a 1.5% gross revenue royalty to Gibb River.
Burgundy on Thursday told shareholders that the first diamond at Ellendale was recovered after the company completed the final stages of commissioning of the bulk sample plant at Blina. Burgundy will now start to ramp up throughput rates at the plant.
“It is very pleasing to see progress on our strategy of building the world’s leading end-to-end diamond company, with an exciting start to recovering diamonds at Blina as part of the Ellendale diamond project,” said MD Peter Ravenscroft.
“The first diamond recovered at Blina is an example of the potential quality of product from the Blina alluvials and the wider Ellendale project, and we look forward to building towards commercial production of these exquisite Fancy Yellow diamonds. This is especially timely as we finalise arrangements for the upcoming Australian launch of our ultra-luxury Maison Mazerea diamond brand later this month, which will be the vehicle to market and sell polished retail stones.”
Meanwhile, exploration activities continue onsite, including drilling programmes intended to update resource models and complete a scoping study to define development options for the Blina and Ellendale projects, which together comprise the Ellendale diamond project.