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...

11 november 2024

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

Rio Tinto’s diamond production dips in Q3 2018

17 october 2018
Rio Tinto has announced that production in its Argyle Mines (100%) and Diavik Mine (60%) have dipped during the third quarter of 2018. Argyle witnessed a 19% dip in carat production y-o-y. In the third quarter of 2017, Argyle’s production was enhanced by the processing of higher grade alluvial tailings.
A total of 3.83 mn carats were mined from a total of 14.65mn tonnes of ore processed in Q3 2018, as compared with 47.57 mn carats recovered from 12.55 mn tonnes of ore processed in Q3 2017.
At Diavik too, carats recovered in the third quarter of 2018 were lower as compared to the same period of the previous year – in this case by 9% - due to lower grades. “The A21 project successfully mined first ore in March 2018 and is expected to reach commercial production during the fourth quarter of 2018. This fourth diamond pipe was officially opened on 20 August 2018,” Rio Tinto added.
At Diavik, a total of 6.7mn tonnes were processed from which 17.76 mn carats of diamonds were recovered; as compared to 5.78 mn tonnes of ore processed and 19.61 mn carats of diamonds recovered in the same period of the previous year.
For 9 months of 2018, Argyle processed a total of 41.53 mn tonnes which yielded 108.57mn carats of diamonds; as compared to 35.11 mn tonnes processed in 9 months of 2017 from which 109.88 mn carats of diamonds were recovered.
Diavik’s 9 month 2018 production (on 100% basis) amounted to 54.67 mn carats of diamonds from 18.79 mn tonnes processed; as compared to 57.19 mn carats of diamonds recovered from processing 16.64 mn tonnes of ore in 9 month 2017.
Rio Tinto’s diamond production guidance for 2018 is between 17 and 20 mn carats.

Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished