Monday, November 30, 2009
Botswana ranks first among the world's gem-quality diamond producers, and diamond mining makes up 70 percent of the nation's export revenue. The Jwaneng Diamond Mine, in south-central Botswana, sits atop the convergence of three kimberlite pipes-diamond-rich geologic formations. Because the pipes meet just below the surface and cover some 520,000 square meters (128.5 acres) at ground level, the diamonds are mined from an open pit rather than a mine tunneled below the surface. The Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) instrument on NASA's Landsat 7 satellite acquired this image of the Jwaneng Diamond Mine on May 17, 2001. The arid, flat landscape that fills most of this image appears in varying shades of brown, crisscrossed by pale beige roads. The Jwaneng Diamond Mine appears in the upper left quadrant of the picture, and a residential area appears near the bottom center. At the center of the diamond mine, a series of concentric circles cut deeper and deeper into the ground. Surrounding the pit is a network of roads and structures related to the mining operation. Measured by the value of the diamonds recovered, the Jwaneng Diamond Mine is the world's richest, but the mine also produces 9.3 million metric tons of ore-diamond-bearing rock-and 37 million metric tons of waste rock every year. As open-pit mining operations carve farther below the ground surface, they often encounter water tables, and the sky-blue color at the center of the pit could result from water. Southwest of the mine, two large rectangular areas also appear to hold some water. These areas might be used to let fine sediment settle out of a watery solution. The settlement southeast of the mine contrasts with the arid landscape as much as the mine does. Here, tiny dots of green hint at trees and grassy parks. The pale beige rectangles around the perimeter of this image are probably crops or fallow fields. Labels: Botswana, Jwaneng Diamond Mine
posted by Tamil Nadu ,Tamilnadu Government,Places,Wild Life,Hill Stations,Temples,Sports,Accomodation,Cusine,Fine Art @ 11:26 PM
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Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Rockwell Diamonds recovered a salmon-pink, 30.54-carat stone and two intense fancy yellow stones of 35.54 carats and 36.32 carats at its Saxendrift alluvial diamond mine in October. The 30.54-carat, salmon-pink stone was a mix of pink, orange and brown, with the rough diamond's form described as flat, elongated and approximating a marquise shape. Rockwell described it as an excellent clean clarity, makeable stone that should yield a good recovery factor in the polished form, in spite of its flattened, elongated shape.
The 35.54-carat, intense fancy yellow stone was also of clean, excellent clarity. The shape has a "blocky" form that was previously octahedral, according to the Rockwell announcement, with all of its sides having been removed through the wear and abrasion that occurred during its extensive high-river transport. Three corners of the 36.32-carat, intense fancy yellow stone were broken, which left slight indentations; otherwise, it, too, was of excellent clean clarity and octahedral in shape.
These three stones are being processed through Rockwell's beneficiation agreement with Steinmetz Diamond Group in South Africa. Earlier this year, Rockwell recovered a 22.74-carat, intense yellow stone from Saxendrift, which Steinmetz cut and polished into an 8.88-carat, vivid yellow stone and sold this month.
Rockwell's president, John Bristow, said, "Our Saxendrift mine continues to yield an array of exceptional diamonds, including large stones and smaller, rare fancy stones of exceptional color. We expect the latest colored stones to attract strong rough prices in an improving market."
Source: http://www.diamonds.net/news/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=28597 Labels: Rockwell Recovers Three Exceptional Fancy Stones
posted by Tamil Nadu ,Tamilnadu Government,Places,Wild Life,Hill Stations,Temples,Sports,Accomodation,Cusine,Fine Art @ 4:35 AM
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Thursday, November 5, 2009
White gold ruby rings are the most popular items of jewelry that people buy the world over. Rings have been a part and parcel of many civilization and rituals the world over. This explains the craze for them, particularly white gold ruby rings.
Though they are a bit on the expensive side, people still don't mind spending for them since they make any occasion memorable. White gold ruby rings are loved possessions of the young and old alike.
White gold ruby rings appear to have caught the fancy of people around the world like never before. Almost everybody seems to be bewitched by the beauty of white gold ruby rings and wants one for them. Such is the craze for them in some places that the very word ring has become identical with them.
Labels: white gold ruby rings
posted by Tamil Nadu ,Tamilnadu Government,Places,Wild Life,Hill Stations,Temples,Sports,Accomodation,Cusine,Fine Art @ 9:37 PM
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Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Sino Gold has been active in China since 1996 and is China’s biggest foreign gold producer.
The Company is developing the Jinfeng gold mine in Guizhou Province, southern China, which has Mineral Resources contains 4.0 million ounces and Ore Reserves containing 2.9 million ounces.
Once developed, Jinfeng will be the next largest gold mine in China with production of 180,000 ounces per annum. A proposal to accelerate production from the underground mine as part of the Phase 2 expansion is at present being progressed.
The White Mountain project in Jilin Province, northeast China, has good potential to become Sino Gold's after that mine. Drilling during 2006 is aimed at increasing the Mineral Resource containing 436,000 ounces and succeeding the project to feasibility stage. Sino Gold is a growth gold company that is dynamically pursuing a discovery and acquisition strategy in China. With a "first mover" advantage, it holds a strong spirited position in China.
Labels: Sino Gold
posted by Tamil Nadu ,Tamilnadu Government,Places,Wild Life,Hill Stations,Temples,Sports,Accomodation,Cusine,Fine Art @ 4:08 AM
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