The owner of the Diavik diamond mine says it has produced 150 million carats of rough diamonds since the NWT mine began production in 2003.
Rio Tinto announced the achievement in a Monday press release. It said Diavik is the first diamond mine in Canada to achieve 150 million carats of rough diamond production, surpassing the mine’s original expectation of mining just more than 100 million carats.
“We are proud to reach this milestone, a testament to the focus of the Diavik team and their commitment to safe and effective operations despite challenging operating conditions,” stated Matthew Breen, chief operating officer of the mine.
Some of the bigger diamonds the mine has unearthed over the years include a 158.20-carat rough yellow diamond, discovered earlier this year, and a 552-carat yellow diamond, which was found in 2018.
Diavik is set to end commercial operations in early 2026.
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Burgundy Diamond Mines, the current owners of Ekati, Canada’s first diamond mine, announced in October 2024 that the NWT mine had so far produced 100 million carats.
Burgundy said it hopes to continue operating the mine until 2040.
