Rio Tinto unearthed a 158.20-carat “exceptional” yellow diamond from its Diavik mine in Canada.
The stone is one of the largest gem-quality yellow diamonds ever discovered in the country, the miner said Tuesday. It is also one of only five yellow diamonds weighing more than 100 carats the company has found at Diavik in its 22-year history. The mine, which is due to close next year, generally yields white diamonds, with less than 1% of its production consisting of yellows, Rio Tinto observed.
Diavik is also the deposit that turned up Canada’s largest yellow diamond. In 2018, the company retrieved a 552.74-carat yellow, the biggest in Noth America, from the site. Three years earlier, it pulled the 187.7-carat Diavik Foxfire out of the mine.
Diavik is currently Rio Tinto’s only diamond asset after it closed the Argyle mine in Australia in 2020.
“The beauty and purity of Diavik diamonds continue to excite passions amongst all who see them, and we look forward to following the onward journey of this very special diamond,” said Patrick Coppens, general manager of sales and marketing for Rio Tinto’s diamond business.
Image: The 158.20-carat rough yellow diamond. (Rio Tinto)
