You might have probably read or heard a lot about how natural diamonds are formed on the crust of the Earth. The high temperature and pressure condition and volcanic activities bring diamonds to the surface of the Earth. The kimberlite pipes, which are also known as volcanic pipes, serve the crucial function of pushing diamonds to the surface, while also cooling these stones along the way.
Interestingly, a recent survey revealed that several diamond ring buyers in th US do not know where these sparkly stones come from. In fact, some people are surprised to know that diamonds are mined in several parts of the country. If you were not aware, Russia is one of the major producers of diamonds now and half of the major diamond mines in the world are located in Russia. Below are 3 of the largest diamond mines in Russia.
Jubilee Mine
Jubilee Mine, which is commonly known as the Yubileyny diamond mine, is situated in Sakha (Yakutia), Russia. This open-pit diamond mine, which is the largest one in the entire world, is operated and owned by the Aikhal mining and processing division of ALROSA, which is a state-owned Russian diamond company. The Jubilee Mine, which started diamond production in 1986, is operating at a depth of 320 meters. The recoverable diamonds in this Russian mine were estimated to be around 153 million carats in the year 2013.
Mir Mine
The Mir Mine of Russia, which is also called as the Mirny mine, is currently operated at a depth of 525 meters. In fact, the Mir Mine is the fourth deepest diamond mine in the world. Diamond bearing deposits were found in areas near to the mine in the year 1955, and the mine was established there two years later. Earlier, mining was extremely difficult to carry out in these parts of Russia due to the freezing temperature. However, Mir Mine still managed to produce approximately 10 million carats of diamond in 1960.
Grib Diamond Mine
As you would probably know, the Grib diamond mine is one of the largest mines not only in Russia, but also all over the world. This mine, which started the commercial production of diamonds in 2014, is located in the Arkhangelsk Oblast of Russia. The estimated reserve of diamonds in the Grib diamond mine is estimated to be more than 98 Million carats.