Ann: NINETY TWO DIAMONDS (15.79 CARATS) FROM MON, page-11

re: Ann: NINETY TWO DIAMONDS (15.79 CARATS) ... I spent a few years in a diamond mine so here is my bent on the numbers.

15.79 carats/100 tonne aint that great. The quality of the diamonds in the picture didnt look that good (hard to tell from the picture but you get an idea from the general colour) They were small, you can expect to loose anywhere from 20 to 50% of mass when you cut them. Only a couple of them diamonds could be cut to make a ring (a small one, I wouldnt be game giving one that size to my wife, might be good for earings for the kids though)

The mine I was in averaged .8carats/ton (80 carats for a 100T) of diamond bearing ore (doesnt include overburden)
This is very good grade and the quality was good with a high % of gem quality. It was large scale (10k+ carats per day)

Cluff being small scale could do it cheaper and wouldnt need such high grade ore. The quality counts but I would suggest anything under 0.2 carats per tonne may not be viable. (unless they do dig it with a shovel and barrow).

As for the value. The mine was happy to get an average of $130 -$170 US per carat raw.(this was 7 years ago, not sure what the price has done since then - generally doesnt move much)
They cut some of their own to value add as well but 95% sold raw.

Hope this helps you make your own opinion on where Cluff is at with this deposit.

IMO its a start, if they can uncover a lot more of this diamond bearing dirt they have a chance. Better still if they find the source of where it comes from. The geology of this deposit is unfamiliar to me, I am only familiar with the kimberlite pipe formations that were mined where I worked. The diamonds they are digging must have come from somewhere, thats where the big $$$$$$ are.


GL all