Diamond Line: Russia Diamonds

The greatest success story of diamond exploration in the 20th Century is Russia. In the 1930s, academician Vladimir S. Sobolev recognized similarities between the ancient bedrock of Siberia and that of South Africa and Botswana. He concluded that major diamond deposits in Siberia were possible.

In 1947, prospecting started by looking in streambeds for trails of indicator minerals such as pyrope garnet and ilmenite, which point to primary diamond deposits. Within a decade the efforts succeeded, in spite of very difficult Arctic wilderness conditions. In 1954 in Sakha (formerly Yakutia), the first kimberlite pipe, Zarnista (Dawn) was found in the Daldyn field; in 1955, the very rich Mir (Peace) and Udachnaya (Lucky) pipes were discovered within 10 days of each other but about 400 km (250 miles) apart. By 1956, more than 500 kimberlites had been discovered. In a harsh and remote area, deposits were developed gradually from 1957, and by 1970 Russia had become the third largest producer. It is now the fourth largest producer on the basis of weight. Its production is about one quarter gem diamonds, worth $1.2 billion, second to Botswana.

The Internationalnaya mine, only 40 km from the Mir (Peace) pipe, has terminated above ground operations, and underground operations have been hampered by waters that emit toxic gases.

The Mir mine in the Malaya Botuobiya field was the first Russian mine opened in 1957. Annual production has averaged about 2 million carats. Although the pipe has been mined out, stockpiles and tailings (waste) continue to be worked for diamonds.

Blasting to dislodge hard kimberlite at the Udachnaya mine, the most productive one in the Sakha Republic.