Alrosa unearths 241.21-carat diamond, one of largest ever found in Russia

Alrosa unearths 241.21-carat diamond, one of largest ever found in Russia

The diamond was found the Nyurbinsky open-pit mine, in Nakyn. (Image courtesy of ALROSA)

Russia’s Alrosa (MCX:ALRS), the world’s top diamond producer by output in carats, has unveiled the discovery of a 241.21-carat rough diamond at its Nyurbinsky open-pit mine.

The diamond is one of the largest ever recovered in Russia.

The precious rock, said the company, is one of the largest rough diamonds ever recovered in Russia and the third largest among those found by the company’s Nyurba Mining and Processing Division.

The massive diamond measures 38.64 mm by 27.34 mm by 25.46 mm, and is translucent with a grey hue. Traces of dissolution–etching channels and caverns–are observed on the surface.

The intermediate and peripheral zones have large cracks and the crystal contains graphite and sulphide inclusions, Alrosa said.

Alrosa unearths 241.21-carat diamond, one of largest ever found in Russia

The massive diamond measures 38.64 mm by 27.34 mm by 25.46 mm, and is translucent with a grey hue. (Image courtesy of ALROSA)

The Nyurbinsky has been in operations since 2001. Identified reserves January last year amounted to 36.9 million carats.

The Nyurba Mining and Processing Division is one of Alrosa’s youngest divisions, in charge of the Nakyn ore field as well as the Nyurbinsky and Botuobinsky open-pit mines.

The state-owned diamond miner may be privatized as soon as this summer, Russian Economy Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum on Thursday, according to Reuters.

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