ARP-1 surrenders its first diamonds

Diagem International Resources (DGM-V) has recovered 35 diamonds from a 25-cubic-metre sample of gravel immediately overtop of the ARP-1 kimberlite on the 1000 property in the Juina district of Mato Grosso, Brazil.

The largest stone weighed in at 4.2 carats.

A 100-cubic-metre sample derived from solid kimberlite yielded 77 diamonds, including two stones exceeding 1 carat, for a combined weight of 3.7 carats. The average size of the recovered diamonds is 0.22 carats.

Due to the large quantity of the ilmenite observed in the tailings, Diagem plans on reprocessing the samples to establish the precise diamond content. The company also plans on completing a series drill holes and bulk samples aimed at better defining the ARP-1 kimberlite’s diamond content and dimensions.

Trenching and pitting by De Beers in the late 1970s suggests that the ARP-1 kimberlite is about 300 metres in diameter.

In late April, Emerging Africa Gold and Juina recovered 89 diamonds, for a total of 33.8 carats, from a 15-cubic-metre gravel sample taken immediately down slope of ARP-01. Eight of the stones weigh in at more than 1 carat, and total 18.2 carats. The largest stone weighs 4.25 carats

The sample was derived from an area containing an estimated resource of 1 million cubic metres of diamondiferous gravels. In 1998 and 1999, about 2,700 cubic metres of the gravel yielded 3,007 carats worth of diamond.

In May, the Brazilian government issued EAG and Juina an environmental licence to begin bulk mining and test sampling on the property. The latest work is part of a plan to dig 44 bulk samples (20 cubic metres each) aimed at proving up a resource of 500,000 cubic metres diamond-bearing gravel. The samples are being processed in a refurbished 15-cubic-metre per hour processing plant on the property.

The 1000 property is held 51% by Diagem and 49% by its partner Juina Mining. Diagem came by its stake via its merger with fellow junior Emerging Africa Gold, which was wrapped up in March.