San Diego, Calif.-based
Ground geophysics, followed by drilling, will determine if the anomalies bear diamonds.
The company already mines alluvial diamonds in the gravels of the Vaal River. The presence of boart (a variety of industrial diamonds), garnets, ilmenite and other heavy minerals indicates that the stones came from a nearby source.
Other diamond occurrences in the region include the Bellsbank, Newlands, Frank Smith and Sover deposits in the Kimberley area, to the north, though the company does not believe that these were the source of the Caerwinning diamonds.
Caerwinning began producing in late 1999 at a yearly capacity of 1 million tonnes of gravel. Quarterly production is expected to average 2,500 carats, though the first quarter has been hampered by heavy rains and flooding. The average value of the stones is US$500 per carat.
To date, the company has outlined 24 million tonnes of gravel at an average grade of 1 carat per 100 tonnes.
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