How Many Diamond Engagement Rings Could You Get From 2.5 Million Carats?
That’s how many carats that Canada’s Diavik diamond mine in the Northwest Territories mined during the second quarter of 2008. The exact figure reads 2,522,000 carats of diamonds. Well, that seems an awful lot of carats and yet, at the same time last year, that is, the second quarter of 2007, the diamonds mined from these mines were a lot more. This year’s figures stand at 23% lower than the figure at the same time last year, but the total estimated production for the year stands at around 10.5 million carats. That’s a lot of dazzle to be sure!
Right now, it is open pit mining at Diavik but the move towards underground mining is moving at a frenzied pace. The first of the underground mining operations is scheduled to begin next year and in four years, all of the open pit mining operations will hopefully be replaced by underground mining. A huge project is also on to recover small diamonds for which there is a huge international demand. The first of these diamonds should roll out next year.
40% of the Diavik diamond mine is owned by the Harry Winston Diamond Corporation. This company is a specialist in diamond trade and from its Diavik share, it supplies rough diamonds to the international diamond market.
So many carats. So many diamonds. So many diamond engagement rings. Think of all the happy couples that those carats are going to!