Russian mining giant Alrosa has found a 118.91-carat diamond at its “International” mine, located near the town of Mirny in Russia. Alrosa said that the stone is one of the largest gem-quality diamonds found at the “International” pipe over the past two years.
The rough is “a light yellow overblown, has salient edges, one of them with cleavage, and small inclusions in the central zone”, according to the miner. The company considers naming the diamond Zarya, after the new deposit at Aykhal Mining and Processing Plant launched on the eve of the diamond’s discovery.
Evgeny Agureev, Director of the United Selling Organization at Alrosa, said: “This crystal is unique as it has a large clean area despite the inclusions in the center – this makes it a gem-quality diamond. Well-known hallmarks of the diamonds from the “International” kimberlite pipe are regular shapes and purity. […]”.
