Star Diamond recovers 3,534 Saskatchewan diamonds
Star Diamond Corp. [DIAM-TSX] announced that a total of 3,534 diamonds weighing 210.68 carats have been recovered to date from the ninth (19FALCT007) bulk sample trench excavated on the Star Kimberlite in Saskatchewan by Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc. in 2019.
“We are pleased by the recovery of the three larger 10.13, 8.10 and 7.29-carat Type IIa diamonds from Rio Tinto Canada’s ninth trench. The recent recovery of larger Type IIa diamonds from Rio Tinto Canada’s bulk sample program continues to strengthen our expectation for recovery of large, high value diamonds in a future producing diamond mine,” said Ken MacNeill, President and CEO of Star Diamond. “There were also 5.15 and 3.44–carat diamonds recovered from the ninth trench, with the 3.44-carat diamond being an “H” (near colourless) octahedron.”
MacNeill continued, “The initial results from the first nine reported trenches continue to validate the grades outlined in our Preliminary Economic Analysis that was based upon Star Diamond’s own prior underground bulk sampling and large diameter drilling programs.”
The breakdown of the kimberlite intercepted and diamonds recovered to date from trench 19FALCT007 is detailed in the table below.
Senior Technical Advisor, George Read, states: “The ninth trench (19FALCT007) has produced a total of 25 diamonds greater than 1 carat, namely: 10.13, 8.10, 7.29, 5.15, 3.44, 2.66, 2.69, 2.31, 1.98, 1.92, 1.89, 1.78, 1.56, 1.27, 1.27, 1.27, 1.23, 1.13, 1.09, 1.05, 1.05, 1.07, 1.03, 1.01 and 1.00 carats, respectively, and all were recovered from Early Joli Fou kimberlite. The EJF is the dominant kimberlite unit within the Project in terms of ore volume and diamond grade.”
Star Diamond has now publicly reported initial results from nine of the ten bulk sample trenches excavated by Rio Tinto Canada. Until critically important and comprehensive diamond breakage studies are completed, the processing, diamond recovery and reporting of all diamond results on the bulk sample trenches excavated by Rio Tinto Canada will not be complete.
Star Diamond’s Fort à la Corne kimberlites (including the Star – Orion South Diamond Project) are located in central Saskatchewan in close proximity to established infrastructure, including paved highways and the electrical power grid, which provide significant advantages for future mine development.