ALROSA’s Verkhne-Munskoye Deposit Gives New Large Gem-Quality Diamond. A unique gem-quality rough diamond weighing 98.8 carats was mined at Zapolyarnaya kimberlite pipe, which is the part of the Verkhne-Munskoye diamond deposit.
The gem has an octahedral shape. There are inclusions in the peripheral and intermediate zones. The rough diamond is transparent with a visible yellow shade, gem-quality.
“This is the second major find since the launch of the deposit last October. It allows us to speak about the great potential of the Verkhne-Munskoye deposit. Not every kimberlite pipe regularly brings large diamonds over 50 carats. Especially when it comes to such a large crystal, like this one – weighing almost 100 carats. Despite some inclusions, it is clear that this is a high-quality stone. After a detailed study and evaluation, I believe it will be transferred to Diamonds ALROSA cutting and polishing division,” Evgeny Agureev, Member of the Management Board, Director of the United Selling Organization at ALROSA, said.
The first large gem-quality diamond was mined here in the late fall, shortly after the official launch of the deposit on October 31, 2018. The weight of the crystal was 51.49 carats.
Reference:
Verkhne-Munskoye diamond deposit is located in the west of Yakutia, 170 km from the town of Udachny. At present, four kimberlite pipes have been explored: Zapolyarnaya, Deimos, Novinka, and Komsomolskaya-Magnitnaya. Today it is the largest investment project of ALROSA. Investments amounted to about 16 billion rubles at the stage of preparation for the mining, and the total investment over the entire period of development is estimated at about 60 billion rubles (including maintenance investments until 2042). The Verkhne-Munskoye deposit will bring about 1.8 million carats of rough diamonds per year, and its reserves are sufficient to continue mining for more than 20 years – until 2042.
The official launch of the Verkhne-Munskoye diamond deposit was held on October 31, 2018, in the format of a call-in show with the participation of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and First Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation Anton Siluanov.
