Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Gold/Mining/Energy : Canadian Diamond Play Cafi -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Letmebe Frank who wrote (306)	11/22/2002 1:14:28 PM
From: VAUGHN	Read Replies (6) \| Respond to of 16205

Hello Letmebe Frank Since TeeVee didn't comment on this point I thought I should throw in my two cents to clarify an important issue. To the best of my knowledge, there is no correlation between kimberlite grade and most geochemistry, including the quantity of G-10 pyropes, the quality of G-10 pyropes, or any other standard suite indicator mineral whether it be, Chromite, Illmenite, Chrome Diopside, Eclogitic Garnet, Olivine, etc., etc. So Diavik/Aber's pipes may or may not have excellent geochemistry, but that has only little to do with their high grades. Preferential quality geochemistry indicates whether the kimberlite sampled the diamond stability field, how deep the field was, the nature of the field (eclogitic or peridotic), the degree of reabsorbsion and the degree of erosion suggesting implied distance of transportation from source. However, how thoroughly the kimberlite scoured the diamond stability field, to the best of my knowledge, cannot be determined by geochemistry. Having said that, there is a potential correlation between grade and whether a kimberlite contains G-10's with both high and low chrome %'s. The implication is that the sampled field may have been unusually deep hence the kimberlite had more of an opportunity to scour more peridotite potentially capturing more diamonds in the process however there is no guarantee that the peridotite that was scoured was enriched in diamonds in the first place or that the mechanical process of that particular kimberlite efficiently scoured the diamonds or preserved them with little reabsorbsion prior to emplacement and cooling. There is a correlation between the presence of eclogitic garnet and the potential size of the diamonds emplaced hence carrats per tonne because eclogitic diamonds average larger stone sizes than peridotitic diamonds. Again, the range of quality of the eclogitic garnet present may also suggest that the eclogite scoured may have been deeper than normal hence the kimberlite had more potential time and therefore opportunity to scour more diamonds, but as above, there is no guarantee that the eclogite was enriched in diamonds in the first place, whether the kimberlite's mechanical scouring was efficient or whether transportation time, oxygen conditions and cooling speed were ideal for diamond preservation. Hence while grade potential can be increased by the presence of a range of eclogitic garnet and the carrat per stone % is typically higher, there is no strong reliable inference of potential grade beyond that. Geochemistry can also indicate preferential cooling conditions hence probability of higher quality stone clarity and colour which can translate in part to potentially higher $/carrat numbers but not grade. In the case of the TrustMe claims that TeeVee referred to, apparently a few of the G-10's had exceptionally high chrome content and an unusually large number of the pyropes recovered plotted into the G-10 vs G-9 category. In addition, apparently there were a number of eclogitic garnets with good geochemistry recovered. However, no knowledgeable commentator should imply that a mining company's trumpeted high quality geochemistry in any way heralds the probability of Diavik grade pipes! It simply increases the potential that the kimberlite may be economic by virtue of having sampled the diamond stability field, but as you know, there are a myriad of other factors that determine ultimate economic potential. Just for the record. Regards Vaughn