Russian diamond miner Alrosa has recovered a 207.29-carat rough diamond from the Zarnitsa pipe at Udachny Mining and Processing Division, according to a press release from the company.
The gem-quality rough diamond measures 38.0 ? 37.0 ? 18.0 mm and is the largest through the history of Zarnitsa, where open-pit mining began in 1999. The as yet unnamed diamond has a transparent crystal form with a slightly grooved surface.
Reserves at Zarnitsa were identified as amounting to 7.49 million carats in 2015. In the first quarter of 2016, as part of increase in the open-pit mine capacity, diamond extraction more than doubled the volume recovered during the same period in 2015.
“The modern mining and processing technologies ensure high degree of diamond preservation,” notes Udachny Mining and Processing Division Chief Geologist Gleb Shmarov.
