DIAMOND NEWS ROUNDUP — Sweden object of diamond interest

The Swedish mining inspector’s office reports that diamond exploration permits now cover most of the country.

Interest has been strong since August 1994, when Australia-based Ashton Mining announced that diamondiferous kimberlites had been found in neighboring Finland. Ashton has since been granted 5,000 sq. km of terrain within the Scandanavian craton, which stretches from Norway to Russia’s Kola Peninsula.

Ashton is the major shareholder of Vancouver-based Ashton Mining of Canada (TSE).

Another Australian company, Alcaston, has applied for diamond exploration permits covering more that half the total land area of Sweden. Sweden’s court of appeal overturned the mining inspector’s dismissal of Alcaston’s application, meaning that the application process starts from the beginning. As a consequence, the market for new applications in northern Sweden is, in practical terms, closed until such time as the Alcaston matter can be dealt with.