Rio Tinto's 187 carat Foxfire diamond heads to auction
Foxfire, the ‘freak’ 187.7 carat diamond discovered in Rio Tinto Group’s Diavik Mine very nearly wasn’t discovered at all, it has been revealed.
The Diavik Diamond Mine has an ore processor that isn’t configured to handle and process big stones, with the quality of diamonds usually found at Diavik peaking at six carats.
As it is though, Foxfire manged to avoid being crushed by the processor due to its elongated shape, allowing it to pass through a filtering screen sideways.
Now the diamond looks to be set for auction in June, but David Shara, CEO of Optimum Diamonds, believes that the unusual story behind the diamond is cause to display it in a museum in its original uncut rough shape.
“It really is a miracle that it was found,’’ said Alan Davies, chief executive officer of diamonds and minerals for Rio Tinto, the operator of Canada’s Diavik mine, Foxfire’s former home. “It’s a rare find, a really rare find
Read: One in a million: 100 million carat milestone for Rio Tinto.”
The Canadian Diavik Mine began operating in 2003 on an island in Lac de Gras, and has produced more than 90 million carats of diamonds.
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