‘Aurora Green’ diamond smashes records after fetching $16.8 million

Chinese police said they have shut down a Hong Kong-based diamond-smuggling ring, in three months of arrests and confiscations. Twenty eight people were arrested between January and March and diamonds worth $31 million were confiscated, making it one of the largest busts in diamond history.

Stornoway Diamond Corporation (TSX:SWY) is pleased to announce the2011 exploration budget for the Company's portfolio of diamond exploration projects. Stornoway's flagship property is the 100% owned Renard Diamond Project in north-central Quebec, where a Feasibility Study and an associated Environmental and Social Impact Assessment are on track for completion in the third quarter of this year. Over the upcoming 12 month period Stornoway will also conduct a complementary program of discovery oriented exploration at several additional projects elsewhere within Canadawhere the potential exists for the discovery of new kimberlite camps close to infrastructure. Stornoway has allocated a budget of $5.6m to the 2011 exploration program, to be funded from existing cash resources.

Peregrine Diamonds Ltd. ("Peregrine" or "the Company") (TSX:PGD) is pleased to report the discovery of the CH-51 kimberlite by core drilling on the Chidliak project ("Chidliak") on Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. CH-51 is the first target drilled in 2011 and the fifty-first kimberlite discovered at Chidliak since 2008. CH-51 is located approximately 200 metres south of the CH-17 kimberlite, ten kilometres south of the CH-28 kimberlite and 40 kilometres north of the Southern Focus Area. Currently, CH-28 and six kimberlites within the Southern Focus Area have characteristics consistent with economic potential in Arctic settings.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Leighton Holdings Ltd., and two joint venture partners, have obtained a contract worth $586 million, to last 66 months, at one of the richest diamond mines in Botswana.

An organisation operating out of Dillon in Nevada has been formed as "Jewelers for Japan" to raise funds for the thousands of victims in Japan and it is asking jewelers and consumers to donate scrap gold and silver jewellery in lieu of cash. The refiner Rio Grande in Albuquerque, New Mexico will refine the gold and silver scrap without a fee with all proceeds going directly to the American Red Cross.

IDEX Online reports on the sudden death of diamond industry icon Freddy Hager: London Diamond Bourse President Freddy Hager collapsed this morning (Thursday) at […]

Peregrine Diamonds Ltd. announced that the Chidliak Joint Venture (Peregrine 49% and BHP Billiton 51%) has approved a $17.7 million 2011 exploration program on the 8,580 square kilometre Chidliak project on Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. Since 2008, 50 kimberlites have been discovered on the project, with seven of these having characteristics consistent with economic potential in Arctic settings. Peregrine is the operator of the 2011 program and field work has commenced. Image by Peregrine Diamonds

Lucara Diamond Corp. ("Lucara" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:LUC) is very pleased to report outstanding results from its first tender of rough diamonds recovered from the Mothae mine in Lesotho. A total of 42 sales lots, totaling 9,381.35 carats were sold on tender in Antwerp for an average of US$871.70/ carat. Gross proceeds from the sale, which closed today, March 28, 2011, totaled $8,177,714 million. The three stones with the highest per carat value were a 13.87 carat diamond which sold for $43,000/ct, a 24.57 carat diamond which sold for $32,351/ct, and a 20.13 carat diamond which sold for $27,995/ct.

Kinross Gold Corporation (TSX:K)(NYSE:KGC) announced today that it has sold its approximate 8.5% equity interest in Harry Winston Diamond Corporation ("Harry Winston"), consisting of approximately 7.1 million Harry Winston common shares, on an underwritten block trade basis, for gross proceeds of CDN$100 million. On August 25, 2010, Kinross announced that it had completed the sale of its former 22.5% interest in the partnership holding Harry Winston's 40% interest in the Diavik Diamond Mines joint venture to Harry Winston for US$50 million cash, 7.1 million Harry Winston common shares, and a note payable in the amount of US$70 million maturing 12 months from the date of the sale.