In March, ALROSA conducted an experiment to clarify the diamondiferous nature of the northwestern part of the Zapolyarnaya pipe at the Verkhne-Munskoye deposit. In 5 days, the company extracted 239 large (over 8 carats) diamonds from the Zapolyarnaya pipe, or more than 3.5% of the number of diamonds extracted during the experiment. These figures exceed the data for other pipes of the ALROSA Group.
The first large (over 50 carats) diamonds of the Verkhne-Munskoe deposit were a 51.49-carat crystal, mined immediately after the official launch in autumn 2018, and a unique 98.8-carat diamond. Both stones were recognized as gem-quality diamonds