Diavik Stars of the Arctic Dazzle in Rough Diamond Tender

Rio Tinto and Dominion Diamond Mines revealed three of the finest large rough diamonds from their Canadian diamond mine that will be tendered to diamond specialists from around the world Collectively known as The Diavik Stars of the Arctic, the three rough diamonds showcase a rare combination of size, quality and colour from the Diavik diamond mine in the remote Northwest Territories of Canada, 220 kilometres south of the Arctic Circle The Diavik Stars of the Arctic will headline Rio Tinto's forthcoming "Specials" Tender, which showcases rough diamonds greater than 108-carats.

Diavik Diamond Mines president and chief operating officer Patrick Boitumelo said "Diavik diamonds are over two billion years old and it has taken 15 years of production to unearth these extraordinary diamonds, underscoring the ongoing importance of the Diavik ore body in the context of the global diamond industry." The Diavik Diamond Mine owned by Rio Tinto and joint venture partner Dominion Diamond Mines began production in 2003 and has been a fully underground mining operation since 2012 The discovery of Lot 3, Capella of the Arctic, a large yellow diamond is very rare, with the mine on average producing only five of these diamonds each year, in effect less than 0.001 per cent of annual production The Diavik Stars of the Arctic will be showcased in Antwerp and Israel to large diamond specialists from around the world before bids close on October 25. Source