Lorne:
Yes. That's not an unusual event, since the more ore you mine, the larger stones you find...generally.
Also, the recent increase in diamond prices may contribute to the increase.
However...people sometimes confuse the data. If you are looking at an "average" value, then the appreciation looks much higher, since Misery's lower figures are included in any such average.
Here's another way to look at the value appreciation with greater mining samples.
One of the diamonds recovered from A154-S was just under 15 carats...and was junk. Had it been a gem, it might have had a value of $45,000 or substantially more. That would have added $15 US per carat to the overall value of the parcel, and about $70 US per tonne to the value. But it wasn't, so it added nothing.
Conservatively, you know that 15 carat stones exist, and probably one in 7 will be gems. Therefore, such a stone population would add $2+ per carat, and $10 per tonne to the Diavik value.
Regards,
WillP |
