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Helga Pombal: Angola's Stardiam finds solution to the threat posed by lab-grown diamonds
Stardiam manager of production Helga Pombal told Rough&Polished's Mathew Nyaungwa on the sidelines of the Angola International Diamond Conference that lab-grown diamonds are creating a parallel market for more accessible stones, combined with lower...
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Ellah Muchemwa: ADPA to launch Africa's first diamond mining standard next year
The African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA), which is based in Luanda, Angola, and represents the interests of mainly African diamond producers and those with the potential to produce diamonds, will next year launch the Sustainable Development...
04 november 2024
Dmitry Fedorov: I want our jewelry to be displayed at a museum in the future
Dmitry Fedorov is the founder of the eponymous jewelry house. His main focus is the creation of Orthodox-inspired premium luxury jewelry of high artistic merit. He told Rough&Polished about his journey in the jewelry industry, about choosing the ‘Orthodox...
28 october 2024
Responsible business practices ‘no longer optional’, says WDC President Feriel Zerouki
The president of the World Diamond Council takes time out of her busy schedule to tell Rough&Polished readers about the critical work of the WDC. Zerouki, the first female present of the body, which includes all the important industry organizations among...
14 october 2024
James Campbell: Botswana Diamonds optimistic as it enters uncharted territory of using AI for mineral exploration
London-listed Botswana Diamonds has expressed optimism about the company’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) to scan the exploration database in Botswana to look for new mineralised deposits. Company managing director James Campbell told Rough...
07 october 2024
The open pit mine on Zarya Pipe deposit reached depth of 100 meters
The mining operations on Zarya deposit are carried out by Aikhal Mining and Processing Division. Total diamond resources of the deposit are estimated to contain 3.5 million carats of diamonds worth more than USD 1 billion. Its development will allow replacing the falling-out reserves of Komsomolskaya pipe, mining operations on which are nearing completion.
“The overburden removed from Zarya now amounted to 10 million cubic meters, and the open pit mine reached the depth of 100 meters. The kimberlite ore lies beneath 20 meters of overburden. The field infrastructure is developed at the same time. This year, drainage ditch construction, installation and adjustment of the pumping unit will be completed. The open pit mine construction is planned to be completed in 2019. The open pit mine is expected to reach its design capacity of 1,250 million tons of ore annually in 2021,” said Timofey Baishev, Deputy Head of production of Komsomolsky open pit mine.
The development of the field is planned to a depth of 300 meters with the extraction of 12 million tons of ore. The open pit mining of reserves is planned in 2030 to be finished. The average diamond content is estimated at 0.28 carats per ton of ore. The total investment will be about RUB 12 billion. About 130 people are involved in the open pit mine operations.