Canada Site Shows High-Value Potential

RAPAPORT... Star Diamond Corporation has noted a large quantity of high-valueand large rough stones at its two exploration sites in Canada, sending itsstock price shooting upward. Nearly 27% of diamonds at its Star project are type IIa, acategory that represents less than 2% of all rough diamonds mined fromkimberlites, the company reported Monday. The proportion of that category at its OrionSouth kimberlite is 13%, it said following a major study of goods it hadrecovered from the locations. The company identified a 49.09-carat diamond from Star, anda 32.35-carat stone from Orion South. It also recovered two diamonds that weresmaller but more valuable: An 11.96-carat stone from Star worth $11,333 percarat, and a 15.88-carat diamond from Orion South that it valued at $2,800per carat. "The presence of two high-value diamond groups (octahedraand type IIa) greatly strengthens the future potential-production diamondpricing from the Star and Orion South kimberlites," said George Read, StarDiamond's senior vice president of exploration and development. The company's share price rose 9% in early tradingMonday.Image: Rough diamonds from the Star and Orion South projects. (Star Diamond Corporation)