Alrosa Unearths 191ct. Rough Diamond

RAPAPORT... Alrosa has recovered a rough stone weighing 190.77 carats from its Botuobinskaya pipe in the Siberian republic of Yakutia.The company has estimated the white, high-quality diamond is approximately 2 billion years old. It plans to send it to the company's United Selling Organization for a more detailed evaluation, the miner said last week."The discovery of such a large and high-quality diamond in terms of its primary characteristics on the eve of the New Year's holiday is a real gift," said Alrosa deputy general director Evgeny Agureev. The stone is not the first special diamond Alrosa's Nyurba mining division, which operates the Botuobinskaya and Nyurbinskaya deposits, has recovered this year. In October, the miner found the "matryoshka" diamond, a stone featuring one freely moving diamond encased inside another, similar to a traditional Russian nesting doll. Additionally, Alrosa has finalized a joint-venture agreement with Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) for prospecting and exploration projects in Zimbabwe. The agreement gives Alrosa 70% ownership in any projects, while ZCDC will hold the remaining 30%.Image: The 190.77-carat diamond. (Alrosa)