Russia Mines Largest Gem-Quality Diamond in 10 Years

Alrosa is a state-owned company responsible for 90% of Russia's diamond mining capacity and the provider of a third of all the world's precious stones. According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), an online database, in 2021, Russia exported $4.7 billion in gems, making the country the eighth largest diamond exporter in the world.
Sputnik
Alrosa has extracted the largest gem-quality diamond in Russia over the past 10 years from the Mayat diamond mine in the Anabar region of Yakutia. Its weight is 390.7 carats, the company reported.

"The diamond found is a light crystal of a non-standard shape, bordered by a yellow-brown halo – a combination of mass, shape and color that is unique today. Earlier, the largest gem-quality diamond weighing 401 carats was found 10 years ago, in 2013," the company clarified.

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The diamond was discovered during night washing of diamond-bearing sands at the Ebelyakh site of the Mayat mine. Along with the record-breaking diamond, the company’s employees also mined a large colorless diamond weighing 37.7 carats with a classical octahedron shape. Currently, the crystals are sent for expert assessment of morphological characteristics.

"The discovery of one of the largest diamonds in the history of Russia is undoubtedly an unprecedented event and an excellent finale to the 2023 mining season. Experts have yet to study in detail and evaluate the potential of the mined diamond and its characteristics, but, without a doubt, this is a record holder both for our company and for diamond industry in the country," said Alrosa General Director Pavel Marinychev.

Alrosa is a world leader in terms of production and proven diamond reserves. Its deposits are located in the Arkhangelsk region and the Syberian republic of Yakutia .