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<\/a>Yakutia is the main diamond mining region in Russia<\/h2>\n\n\n
Here concentrated<\/a> more than 80% of all reserves, including the largest kimberlite pipes. The most famous are Mir (194.1 million carats), Udachnaya (184.1 million) and Yubileinaya (94.77 million). These deposits are distinguished by high diamond content: more than three carats are obtained from a ton of rock.<\/p>\n\n\n Mining is carried out both open-pit – in quarries, and underground. Open mining is used at the Yubileinaya, Zarnitsa, Nyurbinskaya and Botuobinskaya pipes. When the quarry is worked out, they move on to shaft mining: this is how the Aikhal, International and underground block at Udachnaya are structured. The Mir quarry, one of the oldest deposits, is already closed, and the mine was flooded in 2017 after the accident<\/a>. Primary deposits in the region provide about 94% of all reserves, and placers that were washed out of pipes – only 6%.<\/p>\n\n\n The second most important diamond mining area in Russia is the Arkhangelsk region. The V. Grib pipe operates here, one of the largest deposits where high-quality diamonds are mined, comparable to those from Yakutia. However, the open pit is rapidly depleting: according to forecasts, its resource will only last until 2027, after which a transition to underground mining is possible. This will significantly affect the economics of the project: if the mine method turns out to be unprofitable, production volumes could be reduced by almost 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n The region is also home to the Lomonosovskoye field, which includes six kimberlite pipes. However, the diamond content here is relatively low – from 0.09 to 1.4 carats per ton of rock. According to Shchukin, in the 1990s, exploration was slowed down by De Beers, essentially on purpose. At the time, it controlled most of the world diamond market and was not interested in launching a new major project that could bring down prices. In addition, economic instability in Russia made development too risky. Later, the deposit came under the control of ALROSA, but development did not proceed more actively. Despite this, production at the Lomonosovskoye field planned<\/a> up to 2043.<\/p>\n\n\n In addition to Yakutia and the Arkhangelsk region, diamond deposits in Russia meet<\/a> and in other regions, but in much smaller volumes. For example, in the Perm region, only about 0.17% of mineral reserves are concentrated on placers in the Vishera River basin, and in the Irkutsk region – 0.01%, on the Shelekhovskaya placer. These areas have no industrial significance and are developed to a limited extent.<\/p>\n\n\n Sometimes meet<\/a> at first glance, \u201cgiant\u201d deposits – such as, for example, the Popigai meteorite crater in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It contains 268 billion carats of impact diamonds formed after a meteorite impact more than 35 million years ago. But these stones are not jewelry, but technical, and are located in the inaccessible Arctic zone. Their extraction would require billions of dollars in investment and complex logistics, and the market for such diamonds is still limited. Therefore, in reality, such reserves still remain only a geological curiosity.<\/p>\n\n\n Diamonds are formed deep within the Earth, under conditions in which no other mineral can survive. They are born at a depth of 150\u2013250 km in the upper mantle, where the pressure reaches 45,000\u201360,000 atmospheres and the temperature ranges from +900 to +1100\u00b0C. If the pressure is lower, carbon does not crystallize, and if the temperature is too high, it turns into graphite, like in a simple pencil.<\/p>\n\n\n Born underground, diamonds remain in the depths for millions of years. Their formation occurs in so-called cratons – ancient and stable areas of the earth’s crust with a thick lithosphere. These are the conditions that exist in the diamond-bearing regions of Yakutia, Canada, South Africa and Australia – the main ore and diamond mining areas in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n However, birth is only half the journey. To get to the surface, a diamond needs a natural \u201celevator\u201d – a kimberlite or lamproite pipe. These are magma channels through which hot, gas-rich magma breaks through the earth’s crust in a matter of hours. An instant splash, like a cork from a champagne bottle, allows the diamond to travel its way without destruction. It is in such pipes that the main reserves of stones are concentrated, including in Yakutia, the main diamond mining region of Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n \u201cAny diamond-bearing pipe is the remnant of an ancient extinct volcano. But mining diamonds in the crater itself does not make sense: diamonds are formed at a depth of hundreds of kilometers, and the crater is only the tip, which by the time of the eruption no longer contains crystals. The real reserves are concentrated in the body of the kimberlite pipe, through which diamonds were brought to the surface millions of years ago. The age of such pipes is from 170 million to 1.4 billion years.\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\nVladimir Shchukin<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n However, even if the tube is found, this is not a guarantee of success.<\/strong> Diamonds may be too small, scattered, or technically difficult to process. The crystal concentration may be below the economic threshold and the rock may be difficult to extract. In addition, the deposit may be covered by layers of other rocks and not appear on the surface – either in the form of fragments or in geomorphology. Finding them means looking underground: using deep sounding methods, building geological models and processing large amounts of data. We will tell you where new diamond deposits are being looked for today and exactly how they are looking for them in the next chapter.<\/p>\n\n\n Finding diamonds is not only luck, but also a complex system of geological, geophysical and geochemical methods. Vladimir Shchukin tells how kimberlite pipes are found in practice – and how it all worked during the discovery of the Grib pipe in the Arkhangelsk region.<\/p>\n\n\n The first thing geologists look at is a geological map. Stable ancient areas of the earth’s crust – cratons that formed 2-4 billion years ago – are considered promising. They are looking for zones of deep faults and tectonic nodes – it is through them that magma could break through from the mantle, taking diamonds with it.<\/p>\n\n\n The Arkhangelsk region is located on the edge of the Baltic Shield – one of the oldest areas of the continental crust. It was here that geologists suspected that kimberlite pipes might be hidden.<\/p>\n\n\n The next stage is the search for indicator minerals. Pyrope, chrome diopside, ilmenite and chromite often accompany kimberlites. The fresher and larger the minerals, the closer the tube can be.<\/p>\n\n\n \u201cWe walked along pyropes in watercourses. They became more and more numerous – and eventually we came to the source.\u201d<\/p>\nVladimir Shchukin<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n Next is geophysics. Aeromagnetic surveys help find local magnetic anomalies that may indicate kimberlite bodies. Additionally, gravimetry, electrical prospecting, and sometimes radiometry are used.<\/p>\n\n\n During the search for the Grib tube in 1995, aeromagnetic survey recorded isometric magnetic anomaly<\/strong> – an area in which the magnetic field values \u200b\u200bdiffered noticeably from the background. Such an anomaly indicated the presence of rock with different magnetic properties. It was at this point that the drill later hit the edge of a kimberlite pipe.<\/p>\n\n\n Only drilling can confirm the presence of the pipe and assess its diamond potential. Even if all signs point to kimberlite, it may turn out to be empty, destroyed, or highly diluted rock. Drilling at the Grib pipe began in 1996. Already the first well gave a positive result, and by 2002 the reserves were confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n After the discovery of a deposit, it is studied and calculated – how many diamonds are, what quality, how deep they lie. If the grade is not high enough, and development is difficult and expensive, the deposit may remain unclaimed.<\/p>\n\n\n Once the found pipe has been assessed and its profitability has been proven, mining can be organized. We’ll talk about this in the next chapter.<\/p>\n\n\n Diamonds mine<\/a> three methods: quarry, underground and from placers – the choice depends on the depth and type of deposit. After extraction, diamonds are enriched by separating them from the rock using mechanical, chemical and physical methods.<\/p>\n\n\n The most common method is open-pit mining. After stripping operations, excavators and dump trucks deliver kimberlite to processing plants. The rock is destroyed by explosions, the quarry is deepened. But the method has a limit: the risk of collapses and the complexity of the work increase with depth. Thus, the Udachnaya pipe mine reached its limit in 2015, after which ALROSA switched to underground mining.<\/p>\n\n\n If reserves go below the safe depth of the quarry, an underground mine is built. They lay trunks, strengthen walls, provide ventilation and water pumping. Diamonds are brought to the surface as they are mined. However, if technology is violated, accidents can occur – as happened with the Mir pipe in Yakutia.<\/p>\n\n\n Placer diamonds are mined in the summer, before the rivers freeze. Dredging machines are used: they \u201cwalk\u201d along the bottom and wash the soil, separating minerals by density. The method is simple, but seasonal and low-concentrated – placers are poor compared to tubes.<\/p>\n\n\n Once mined, the kimberlite rock is transported to factories where diamonds are extracted for their unique physical properties. But the approach here is completely different from, say, gold enrichment.<\/p>\n\n\n The main difference is fragility.<\/strong> Gold is a metal; it can be ground almost to dust without fear of damage. Diamond, although the hardest mineral, is also fragile: with strong impacts, it can break. That’s why:<\/p>\n\n\n The Russian diamond industry faces two serious challenges: the flooding of existing mines and the lack of new explored deposits. These issues call into question the sustainability of the industry in the coming decades. Is everything so critical – and are there solutions?<\/p>\n\n\n One of the key threats is groundwater. For example, in Yakutia the Metegero-Ichersky aquifer is becoming a serious problem. In August 2017, the Mir pipe mine was flooded due to a water breakthrough. The tragedy claimed lives, and the mine itself was transferred to wet conservation mode with partial pumping. If work can be resumed by 2031, the quarry will already have accumulated about 70 million cubic meters of brines.<\/p>\n\n\n Difficulties with water disposal also arise at the Lomonosovskoye field in the Arkhangelsk region (Arkhangelskaya, Karpinskogo-1, Karpinskogo-2, Pionerskaya pipes). Water here is pumped out at a speed of up to 6,000 cubic meters per hour – comparable to the flow rate of an average city water supply.<\/p>\n\n\n \u201cIn permafrost, the water is frozen. If the permafrost melts, there will be more water, but today there can be no \u201csea\u201d there. The problem is controllable – it all depends on freezing technology and monitoring conditions.”<\/p>\n\u00a0Vladimir Shchukin<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n The situation requires ongoing geotechnical monitoring and investment in sustainable infrastructure solutions. However, according to experts, the threat can be minimized through proper design and the use of modern technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n The second problem is the depletion of known deposits and the insufficient pace of geological exploration. Of the more than 800 kimberlite pipes in Russia, the most industrially significant turned out to be<\/a> only 13. At the same time, many have been developed for decades and are already close to development. For example, the Mir and Udachnaya pipes in Yakutia have long required a transition to deeper underground mining, which significantly increases costs.<\/p>\n\n\n In 2024 for geological exploration sent<\/a> 5.95 billion rubles. This is a significant amount, but it is not enough for the full discovery of new deposits: searching, drilling and calculating reserves require from 5 to 10 years and dozens of expeditions.<\/p>\n\n\n \u201cGeological exploration is lagging behind due to lack of funding and sophisticated technologies. Without investments, we can\u2019t expect new discoveries.\u201d<\/p>\nVladimir Shchukin<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n Global diamond production is under threat<\/strong>. The reserves of the largest deposits are being depleted, mines are closing, and synthetics are increasingly advancing. Russia, while remaining a world leader, faces sanctions and internal challenges. What awaits natural diamonds and will they be able to maintain their value in the new reality? Read the analysis: Natural diamonds versus synthetics: who will win?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n Russia remains the world leader in diamond mining, providing about 30% of the global volume. In 2024, ALROSA produced 33.1 million carats – 3% less than a year earlier. At the same time, the main diamond regions – Yakutia and the Arkhangelsk region – are faced with simultaneous problems: flooding of mines, the development of old deposits and a lack of proven reserves.<\/p>\n\n\n Today there are 135 geological exploration licenses in force in the country. 14 new fields are being prepared for launch, including Snegurochka, Zapadno-Svetlinsky and Tarydaksky areas. These projects are a chance for the industry not only to survive, but also to renew itself.<\/p>\n\n\nArkhangelsk region: prospects and challenges<\/h2>\n\n\n
Other regions: modest diamond footprints and imaginary giants<\/h2>\n\n\n
<\/a>Billions of years underground: how diamonds are formed<\/h2>\n\n\n
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<\/a>Where and how diamonds are found: Shchukin\u2019s step-by-step path<\/h2>\n\n\n
Step 1. Search on the map: ancient cratons and faults<\/h2>\n\n\n
<\/a>Step 2. Indicators: pyropes, chromites and other tips<\/h2>\n\n\n
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<\/a>Step 3. Geophysics: look inside the earth<\/h2>\n\n\n
<\/a>Step 4. Drilling: the core decides everything<\/h2>\n\n\n
<\/a>Step 5. Confirmation of profitability<\/h2>\n\n\n
<\/a>How to get diamonds<\/h2>\n\n\n
Quarry: fast but temporary<\/h3>\n\n\n
Mine: when deep<\/h3>\n\n\n
Placers: seasonal \u201cvacuum cleaner\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>Enrichment: from lump to crystal<\/h2>\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>Two troubles for the diamond industry<\/h2>\n\n\n
Water against the mine<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Diamonds are running out – where to look for new ones<\/h2>\n\n\n
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<\/a>The future of the industry lies in exploration and technology<\/h2>\n\n\n