The Diavik Diamond Mine

The diamonds mined here have a certain peculiarity, and are used in diamond dress ring designs of different types.

In the mine, the open pit is converted into an underground operation, which began operating in March 2010. Later, in 2012, the mine was completely converted into an underground mine and will remain the same until 2020.

Diamond Mining and Processing

There were 2 dikes in the open-pit mining mode, one with an A514 pipe and the other with the A418 pipe. Firstly, the ore that is mined out is mixed with water and ferrosilicon to create a slurry. This is then fed to cyclones, and the minerals and diamonds are separated using their difference in density.

During this process, they separate heavy mineral concentrate from the useless material using X-rays, grease tables, and magnets. When exposed to X-rays, the diamonds glow and are blasted out using photoelectric sensors that detect diamond and air blasts, to blow the diamonds from the conveyor belt.